by Brianna West
“I won’t let you go back, not without me going with you.”
I was startled by the intense gaze Bernie was fixing on me, unable to form any sort of response. But there was a deep voice that penetrated the silent moment that was instantly drawing my eyes to the door.
“And what authority do you have to order the princess to do whatever you wish?” Blue eyes flashed as silver hair glinted in the low light. The massive man entered the room, the sword he wore clanging lightly against his booted pants.
“Anric,” I said slowly, my chest panging at the sight of him.
Anric’s stare narrowed on where Bernie had a hold of my shoulders. Jaw grinding down, he strode angrily over to us and pushed Bernie back from me. Bernie’s face morphed, the black stripes on his arms and collar darkening as his tiger eyes glowed violently. It was the first time I’d seen him react so ferociously.
Quickly, Carl was taking hold of the out of control Guardian, eyeing the two of us in a brief, frantic moment. I was so taken aback by the situation and how rapidly it had escalated that I hadn’t thought to react much more than watch Bernie as he panted heavily, glowing eyes flickering with the intent to harm Anric.
My heart panged again, guilt coiling my stomach into a hard knot. All of this was the result of me giving into my desires. If I’d controlled myself, this would’ve never been the case. But now that it was, I needed to put a stop to it.
Taking hold of Anric’s arm, I regarded the massive man who was a longtime friend and companion with a stern, challenging stare. “He is my Guardian here, so you owe him an apology, Anric. If he was overstepping in any way, I would have ceased his hold immediately.”
Anric’s face darkened, the glint in his eyes cluing me into his escalating rage. “Obviously not, Nyla. No one has the right to touch you, Guardian or not. You have grown too comfortable with him.” His last statement struck straight through the heart of me, dredging up enough shame to make me go silent.
Bernie’s voice was low, practically growling, and very unlike the man I’d come to know. “You aren’t her keeper. What right do you have to tell her what she can and can’t do?”
Anric’s body tensed with his mounting anger, taking hold of the sword hitched to his belt. “You should watch yourself, Guardian. It is well within my right to defend my Princess should I find you a threat.”
“I’m not one to step down from a challenge. Let’s settle this like men, shall we?”
Bernie’s face lacked humor, and his body had grown noticeably bulky in partial transformation as he was now nearly the size of Anric. But more than that, the Guardian looked dangerously close to doing something that could very well put all of us in an uncomfortable situation. And honestly, I didn’t want either one of them badly injured over something so trivial. Yanking Anric’s shirt and nimbly slipping around him, I put myself between the two, shuddering when Bernie’s eyes fixed to me in silent beratement.
Something inside of me wanted to submit under his gaze and go to him. But the bigger, louder part of me held strong to where I stood between them.
Carl’s eyes widened, his body stiffening with the strength he had to put into holding Bernie back as the partially transformed Guardian attempted to come towards me. It was evident that it wasn’t just me who was mystified by Bernie’s sudden change in behavior. I determined such from the other Guardian’s expression as he continued to stare at Bernie, visibly confused and not quite sure what had come over his twin.
“My apologies. I’ll have a little chat with my brother, so why don’t you take a seat in the living room. I’m sure you have things to discuss,” Carl said, eyes flicking from Bernie to me.
I nodded, hoping to help Bernie calm whatever it was agitating his current mood. “I think that wise. I will see you both downstairs.”
“Nyla,” Bernie called out, the tone causing me to falter in my resolve to head downstairs with Anric. I glanced back at him, finding the muscle in his body straining impossibly as he was still being physically held back by his brother. “Don’t go anywhere with him, darling. Stay right here. Stay with me.”
“You impertinent—” my teacher started to growl.
My anger overcame me in a momentary break as I jabbed Anric in the side and had the large man coughing with the power I sent into his waist. He glared down at me, but I didn’t offer him a single apologetic glance as I stared at Bernie, throat suddenly tight. My entire body was responding to him, falling victim to the command in his voice, and for the life of me, I couldn’t comprehend why. Anric watched the exchange before taking me by the arm and dragging me towards the door.
There was nothing that could be done, for the speed at which Bernie rushed my always at-ready battle tutor was something neither he nor I would have been able to defend against. The entire house quaked with the collision of Anric’s body into the wall, groans from the very structure itself resounding in the wake of the impact. Bernie had Anric pinned by the neck to the wall, his fingers clawed and fangs out as he snarled.
“Do. Not. Touch. Her,” he hissed to my limp, quite obviously unconscious teacher as the animalistic growling that rumbled deep within his chest struck the rest of us silent.
I moved without thinking, touching Bernie’s back gently and making my Guardian immediately stiffen with surprise. “Bernie,” I said in a tender whisper, “release Anric. He’s unconscious and would not hear you.”
As if coming out of a trance, Bernie abruptly released Anric and took several steps back from the limp form. My teacher had been knocked unconscious by the hit, and his body was slumped awkwardly on the floor as Bernie took several more retreating steps. His eyes flew over to me, confusion flickering inside of them.
“Princess,” he said softly, “I…hadn’t meant to do that. Well, some of it, but not all of it. Not the unconscious and handsomely limp bit. It’s not fair that he looks so manly even unconscious. There’s gotta be some sort of rule against that,” Bernie rambled, his body returning to normal during the course of his incoherent mumbling.
Finally, he took hold of my hand, fingers entwining with mine as he watched the unconscious man slumped against the wall, seeking an answer that he apparently thought might be found there.
Carl sighed, walking forward. “I got it. I know what’s happening.”
“It’s good one of us does, because boss will have my smooth, perfectly round rear served up on a shiny platter as apology to her brother,” Bernie said, the humor returning to his face as he dodged a hit that Carl attempted to land on him.
“Yeah, well, it might get you out of this one. But just barely,” Carl said, lip lifting, “Pretty sure he’ll still give you a good reaming.”
“Isn’t that your thing?” Bernie asked, eyebrows waggling.
Carl’s expression soured. “Watch it. I might be so inclined to just wake that unconscious fiancé of hers and let him have you.”
“Why not just have him for yourself, you suave stud you.”
Carl took a few steps towards Anric, reaching out. “Better get this one up.”
Bernie rushed over and used his body to block Carl. “He’s tired! Let him sleep,” Bernie whined, his gaze straying to my unconscious teacher, “Besides, who’ll take all the blame every time something bad happens if you let him get me?”
“Nothing bad will happen if you’re not here,” Carl stated with a smirk.
“Meanie!”
“Idiot!”
“You were cuter when we were small,” Bernie said under his breath.
“You were just as stupid and no-good when we were,” Carl argued, finally laughing.
Not quite sure what they were talking about or how I could even follow the two as they retorted snappishly between them, I stood silently by. But while the two argued back and forth, I observed the way Bernie’s body had remained strained, suggesting that whatever had come over him was still affecting him. I said nothing, however. Just silently observed and tried to center my muddled thoughts.
The banteri
ng continued between the twins, but my stare had wandered over to my unconscious teacher. I started towards him, but Bernie gently grabbed me around the arm. He dragged me towards him, shaking his head as he took hold of the hat nearby and flipped it, landing it back on his head.
“Let him sleep it off,” Bernie stated with a smile, “You and I’ve got things to discuss.”
As a princess, I was expected to handle each obstacle with my emotions never showing on my face. Even more so when fighting. However, even I wasn’t able to keep the befuddlement from my expression when Bernie led me out of the room and down the staircase.
His hold was gentle, but there was something about his demeanor that implicated I didn’t have any other choice but to follow him. Not that I would have argued. Although I felt incredibly bad for Anric, he did sort of have it coming.
The man was second to no one in the kingdom—well, other than my brother—and had grown arrogant when anyone opposed him. Even I didn’t argue half as often as I should with him, because ultimately, he was my teacher and the man I would eventually marry. I never felt the battle was worth it. He had been spared a great deal of beat downs purely on that alone. And no one in the kingdom, save my brother Yaniv, could best him in a fight. So, the mere fact that Bernie had not only caught him off guard, but had knocked the man unconscious, was a feat in itself.
I might have been squealing with fangirl appreciation for a short second when I saw my unconscious teacher.
I was led to the living room, sat down, and given a warm cup of hot chocolate with bobbing marshmallows nearly overflowing from the cup. Bernie slumped down next to me, sighing with relief before throwing his arm over the back of the sofa where we sat. I set the cup onto the side table, learning that liquid whilst next to Bernie was ill-advised.
Carl took a seat in the weathered arm chair, holding his head in his hands as if completely put out by the situation we now found ourselves. Not that I could blame him. I hadn’t been given much chance to truly grieve my brother’s death with the events that took place shortly after hearing of it.
“Well, that was fun! Bet your manly guard is going to be right angry when he wakes up,” Bernie sang with a whimsical laugh, winking at me.
Carl groaned and fingered through his hair, glaring at his brother with spite. “I won’t stop him from killing you, idiot.”
“Meanie,” Bernie pouted cutely.
I sat mulling over the last half an hour of events. “What happened in there?” I finally asked, silencing the bantering brothers.
Carl looked at Bernie shortly before getting to his feet and taking his coat from a stand beside the door. Slipping it on and fixing it as he buttoned the front, his stare remained on Bernie. If I didn’t know any better—and to be honest, I didn’t—I would think that the two were capable of telepathic communication.
“I’m going out,” Carl announced to my continued confusion, eyeing his brother with something alit in his matching amber eyes, “I’ll report to Victor, in person, this little indiscretion while you give the princess your news. Then, when Anric has regained consciousness, you can explain to him and hope he doesn’t kill you.”
He wasn’t going to stay?
Perplexed, I watched Carl take hold of the door knob with a small glance my direction and sweet, apologetic smile before escaping without another word uttered. The cushion I sat shifted, drawing my gaze back to the man who had in such a short time become so dear to me. His smiling face calmed the nervous part of me that was overwhelmed by everything that had happened so far. I may have been enchanted by my Guardian’s beauty for a few seconds as well.
Taking my hand in his, Bernie went to a knee in front of me. He took his hat off, holding it against his chest with a dazzling smile. “Nyla, my darling, you and I were meant to be together.”
My eyebrow rose sarcastically, making the Guardian laugh happily and renew his grip on my hand. It was the first thing I noticed when I pulled my brain away from the series of events that had merged together and become a confused mess. His hand was clammy as it held mine. His pulse was thudding rapidly from my inspection of his neck. And he was swallowing every couple of seconds, suggesting he was incredibly nervous saying such things.
Intrigued, I nodded for him to explain. Bernie cleared his throat and came back to sit next to me, returning his signature hat to his head and scratching the back of his neck—something I noticed he did when he was anxious.
“We’re mates, you and I,” he started, seemingly hesitant, “We sort of bonded last night when we got our cowboy and cowgirl on.”
Meaning…
“Why would you come to such a conclusion?” I asked angrily. “Bernie, I cannot stay in this realm. My responsibility is to my kingdom.”
Bernie’s expression faltered, his hand taking hold of my chin. “Then I’ll come with you.”
What?!
I stumbled over what I’d been ready to say. “W-what? You can’t!”
“Yes, I can. It’s my choice whether or not I come, darling.” Bernie’s hand kept my wide eyes pinned to his. “I’d throw this all away just to be with you.”
“But!” I nearly yelled, feeling the frustration heating my cheeks. Standing, I pinned the self-proclaimed cowboy with my intense, reproachful glare. “This is your responsibility, and it’s where you’re meant to be. You’d have no place in my kingdom. I doubt they’d even let you come at all!”
My proper speech slipped and I spoke without the formality that I normally favored when speaking with anyone that wasn’t Anric or Yaniv. But I cared very little when the very notion of Bernie throwing his life away, here, where everything was allowed and much simpler, just to come to a realm he would very likely never be accepted in, it was making my heart pound violently and vision red with the anger that took hold of me at the audacity of it.
“Then stay here,” Bernie retorted with a small smile, taking hold of my wrist and dragging me down onto his lap, “You never have to go back to being a princess. You can become a Guardian.”
Livid, I landed my fist on Bernie’s head and made the Guardian laugh with a pained ‘ouchie’ as I rose to my feet and paced in front of him. “That is an absolutely ridiculous suggestion. I can’t just betray my men. I have responsibilities, Bernard.”
The Guardian rubbed his injury with a grin. “That manly, stuck-up bodyguard of yours would do just dandy in place of you.”
Laughing when I glared at him, he stood from the couch and took hold of my shoulders. Then, without waiting, he embraced me bodily. Something inside me responded to his touch, betraying the anger I was attempting to hold onto and urging me to wrap my arms around him in return. Resting his head on top of mine, Bernie held me close and sighed.
“I don’t think you quite understand, darling. This bond you and I have, it ain’t some run-of-the-mill romance were experiencing here. We’re meant for each other. We’ve connected and bonded on a magical level. You can’t sever that sort of bond.” Bernie’s arms tightened around me as I tried to pull away.
Oh god, he felt so good.
“What sort of bond?” I found myself asking.
Bernie hummed, the sound reaching my ear as he held me. “The magical kind?” A swift elbow to the stomach had my Guardian giggling and tightening his arms on me. “Well, I only know a little bit about were-creature bonds, but tigers, we mate for life. Last night, when you and I did the naughty,” another jab had him chuckling happily as I glared upwards, “Uh, proper love making?”
I sighed, completely put out. “Bernie.”
“Steady girl,” he whispered, laughing when I pushed him with spite. “Hold on a pretty minute, I’ve got to sort out these thoughts of mine.”
He scratched the back of his head, amber eyes sliding up to the ceiling as he breathed out a heavy sigh. I waited patiently for him to continue, secretly enjoying the way he held me close in his silent contemplation.
“Magical folk form bonds where their magic links and becomes a perfect joining of both. Your
essence connects, and most bonds are pretty strong. But, in this case, I’ve imprinted on you for life, darling. Imprinting for a were-tiger is the ultimate act of mating. Pair that with a magical bond and it’s steel-clad. Ain’t no breaking it. No way, no how. You’re mine and I’m yours. We were meant to be.”
The curiosity I was inherent towards harboring was piqued with Bernie’s rather confusing explanation. “Linked, you say?”
He nodded with a smile. “Our magic is a perfect match. Now that we’ve had…uh, a proper love making, our magic has done a proper love making, too.” His smile was downright degenerate. “After I’d imprinted, our essence paired. I’ll be able to find you anywhere you go. So there ain’t a place you can go where I won’t find you, darling.”
I narrowed an angry stare on him, not quite sure what to make of what had been imparted to me. Though what he said was damning of the other evening, I still hesitated to believe what he said was true.
Had I really bonded on such a level with Bernie?
“But listen, princess,” Bernie said, finally releasing me and taking hold of my face instead, “No matter what you say, I’m following you. Here, there, wherever, I’ll be right by your side. Not a person in all four realms can stop me.”
A tear escaped my eye and fled treacherously down my cheek before being quickly brushed away by Bernie’s thumb. He gazed affectionately at me as I felt the heartache of losing my brother begin to resurface with his gentle touch. Amber eyes flickered with quiet empathy, his smile fading slightly.
“We’ll find that demon who killed your brother and get justice for Vlad, promise.” Bernie kissed me lightly on the lips, thumb caressing my cheek before he embraced me again. “Now let’s go wake up the poor stud I knocked out.”
Unable to stop the giggle, I nodded into his chest. I wasn’t quite sure how he had done it, but without any effort at all, Bernie had calmed my reservations, acknowledged my sorrow, and comforted all that I had tried to hide inside of my heart. No person, not even Anric or Yaniv, had comforted me my entire life in such a way.