by Katie Reus
She looked at her dad and Gabriel, who were staring at each other warily. “Come on, you guys. This is ridiculous.”
Her dad cracked a smile and pulled Gabriel into a hug. “I couldn’t have picked a better mate for my daughter. Congratulations.” He did that guy thing where he patted Gabriel on the back and then they fist-bumped.
Then her mom stepped forward as well. “I apologize. I didn’t even think to say congratulations to the two of you. I’m going to blame it on pregnancy brain.” She pulled Gabriel into a tight hug and then kissed Vega again on the cheek. “Congratulations on the mating. You two are perfect for each other.”
Okay, then…that went a lot better than she expected.
Once they were all settled in the kitchen, her mom piled a bunch of food on a plate and practically shoved it at her. Though she wanted to dive in, she needed to get some stuff out. Vega looked at Gabriel, but he simply shrugged and snagged two loukomades.
“So… You two are officially mated.” Her mom picked up a glass of what Vega knew was blood. Likely warmed and B positive, her favorite.
“Yes…and we have some other stuff to tell you.” Vega had considered not telling her parents that she’d died, but Gabriel had pointed out that it might eventually get back to them anyway. And even though technically they wouldn’t be lying, it would be a lie of omission of sorts. And she felt kinda gross about that in general, especially where her parents were concerned. She wasn’t going to tell them a lot of stuff if she kept working for August, so she wanted to be as honest as she could, when she could.
Taking a deep breath, she said, “I’m going to break this down for you guys as quickly as possible. A couple years ago I was recruited by a black ops supernatural agency.” Both her parents went still, but didn’t say anything so she continued. “I work for the US government—for now. Basically we’re all about keeping supernaturals safe and our secret from the world. I don’t think we’ll be living in secret forever, and that’s something that our group is also getting us ready for. Us meaning all supernaturals. My boss is August McGuire. He used to work with Bran and he’s incredible.” She stopped there, giving them time to digest the bomb she’d just lobbed at them.
For the first time in her life, both her parents looked surprised. Stunned, even, as they sat there watching her.
“I’m so proud of you,” her dad finally said.
“Me too.” Her mom still had a dazed expression, her father having recovered much quicker.
“As you can guess by now, the reason I’m here had to do with an operation. I can’t go into the details of the actual operation but…” She looked at Gabriel, needing support. She really didn’t want to tell her parents the next part.
He must have sensed that as he slipped an arm around her shoulders. “During the operation, Vega…died. There’s no other way to say it. Some crazy shit went down, and she stopped breathing and her heart stopped beating. Someone who I’m sure you’ll meet in the future saved her life.”
“What? How?” her mom demanded, her violet eyes flashing.
“It’s complicated. Dragos, as in Dragos senior, apparently has two really ancient sisters. They were in Hibernation on Judoc McGrath’s land,” Vega said. “I wasn’t conscious so I obviously don’t remember anything, but apparently she breathed some kind of life into me in the same way that Arya did to Liberty.”
“You don’t smell any different though,” her dad finally said. “Liberty smells different now.”
Vega shrugged. “I know. And I’ve only been able to thank her for what she did. She’s headed to Montana now. Both his sisters are. They want to see their brother and his family. I honestly have no answers about what she did and I didn’t ask her. It felt too weird to ask. I just thanked her.”
“That’s a whole lot to take in,” her dad murmured.
“I know and I’m sorry to lay all of this on you now. Also…I’ve developed a new gift.” Might as well get it all out there now. She held up her hand and let fire dance along her fingertips.
To her surprise, her mom smiled. “My great-grandmother controlled fire so you come by that naturally.”
“Really? A pure vamp could?”
Her mother nodded. “Oh yes. She was very feared because of it.”
Gabriel cleared his throat. “Well, get ready for another bomb. I’m officially resigning as your Guardian. I’ll be working side by side with Vega in black ops for the indefinite future.”
Surprised, Vega turned to look at him. “Are you serious?”
“What, did you think I’d let you go off on your own? You’re mine to protect. And I’m yours. No way in hell will I do some long-distance bullshit. We’re mates.” He frowned at her as if she’d lost her mind.
She opened her mouth once, but snapped it shut. To be honest, she hadn’t really thought that far ahead. She hadn’t wanted to quit her job, and yes, would have been angry at Gabriel if he’d asked her to. But it had been in the back of her mind that she might end up leaving the team. She’d simply never assumed he would give up his role in the pack to work with her. “I love you so much,” she said quietly, not caring that they had an audience.
He grinned. “Right back at you.”
“Will you at least come home for the holiday?” There was so much hope in her mom’s question. Christmas was in less than a week.
“Yes,” Vega said excitedly. “And I have something else to tell you. It’s kind of strange. And there’s not much you can even do with this knowledge, but when I died,” she said, ignoring her mom’s sudden intake of breath, “I had the weirdest dream or vision. I’m not really sure what to call it. But I’m ninety-nine percent sure that I met my future sibling. He was a little pup and he’s adorable.” She wanted to cuddle that little pup now.
Gabriel looked surprised and she realized she’d never told him about her vision. After all the insanity, it had simply never come up.
Grinning at her mate she said, “Yeah, he’s so cute. And he’s the one who told me to wake up, that I couldn’t stay where I was.”
“Is that all you’ve got to say?” her mom finally asked. “I don’t think I can handle anything else.”
“Yeah, that’s it.”
“Good,” Lyra said, sighing. Then she looked at Finn. “Unless you guys want to stay another day, we’re ready to head home soon. The jet is on standby.”
“I’m ready to go home.” Because Vega knew that her next mission could take her far away for who knew how long. She would miss her packmates and her parents.
But now, knowing that Gabriel would be by her side for always…it made everything a lot easier. Hell, more than simply easier. She was looking forward to a life with him, to missions with him…to having a whole lot more sex with him.
Chapter 29
Mira shifted restlessly against the seat of the small private jet as they waited for the pilot to arrive. She wanted to get out of here. It felt strange to be in a flying contraption when she could simply fly to Montana herself. But her sister was weak and admitted she wasn’t certain she could make the entire flight. Not to mention they had to worry about things like airplanes now. No longer were the skies theirs to rule. It was not worth the risk of either of them being injured or discovered. They needed to get used to this world first.
“Quit moving around. You’re like a little baby dragon,” Prima said, staring out the window of the plane.
“I’m surprised you didn’t want to talk to the girl,” Mira said. Because Vega had contacted her and wanted to do more than simply thank Prima for what she’d done.
Her sister lifted a shoulder. “I’m certain I will see her in the future. We are long-lived.”
“What you did for her…it was incredibly generous.” That was an understatement of epic proportions. Her sister had been willing to give her own life’s essence for Vega, not knowing if she’d survive or not. If Mira hadn’t made it in time to reverse the binding spell, there was a good chance Prima would have returned to the earth, would have d
ied. Something Mira couldn’t bear to think about.
“The pain of her mate when she died…I felt it scraping against me as if it was tangible. It was so real. Their love is young, passionate and will only grow stronger. They deserved the chance at a future.”
True. Mira could actually see the spark of love between the two. More than a spark. It was like lightning arcing between that couple, wild and passionate. But their love was a little seedling. It would only grow stronger with time until they were a true power couple in the world. Mira would bet money on that.
After another minute of silence she let out an exasperated sigh and stood. Placing her newly manicured hands on her hips, she turned toward her sister. One of the wolves had painted her nails—complete with little wolf paw prints on her nails. Smart-ass wolves. “I am sorry about the binding spell! I should not have done it. And I risked your life in the process. If I had lost you, it would have destroyed me. I…if I could go back in time, I would. Please don’t be angry with me any longer. I cannot stand it.” She cared little for the opinions of…almost everyone. But Mira cared what Prima thought. Always had.
“I’m not angry at you,” Prima said quietly as she turned to look at Mira.
“Then why aren’t you talking to me? Why have you been so quiet?”
Her sister gave her an exasperated look. “I just woke up from a millennia of sleep. And I almost died. I’m simply exhausted. And…of course discovering that our brother is now mated to little Arya is upsetting.”
Mira snorted softly at the last part. “Ha, ha. You know he chose wisely. She is the perfect mate for him.”
Prima’s mouth curved up slightly. “I know he did. And…you made the right decision by binding me to the earth. Back then I had started to grow cynical. Jaded. And part of me is worried that it will happen again. It is too soon to tell, obviously, but…being awake again is exhausting in itself. Wolves and vampires are now mating? Our own clan is aligned with other shifters… Wolves aren’t the complete savages they once were—and you let a wolf paint your nails! This world is a lot to take in.”
Mira sat back down, grinning. “The world is different but I think we’ll like it. Besides, we have nieces and nephews and one of them is now expecting a child. Soon we’ll have even more little dragons—or wolves—to spoil. We will not grow jaded.”
“Hmm.”
“Hmm, nothing. We can teach them of the old ways. Teach them of their ancestors.”
Prima sniffed haughtily. “Hmm.”
“Stop with that… We can—” Mira paused as she scented Judoc ascending the stairs to the plane.
“Hello, ladies,” he said, stepping in and taking up a whole lot of space as he did. “My pilot said everything looks good and we’ve got a full bar and food for you. Do you need anything else before you leave?”
“He really is such a sweet Alpha,” Prima murmured. “For a wolf.”
“I know.”
Judoc shook his head slightly. “I’m…right here. Seriously. So you’re good?”
“Has that big bear shifter left your region yet?” Mira asked.
Judoc blinked. She’d clearly surprised him. “Ah…no. He’s at a local hotel. He said he’d be leaving tomorrow.”
“Would you mind having one of your wolves deliver a message for me?” She reached into the purse one of the wolves had given her as a going-away present—it said she-wolf on the front—and pulled out a sealed envelope.
He lifted an eyebrow but took it and tucked it into his jacket pocket. “I’m not sure if I’m going to miss you. But most of my packmates will. And I’ll make sure he gets this letter.”
She laughed at his brutal honesty. “Well, I’ll miss you. Thank you for your hospitality.”
He nodded once and then the pilot stepped inside. After very brief small talk, he made his way to the cockpit and she was once again alone with her sister.
“What was in that letter?” Prima asked.
“None of your business.”
“Come on. I’ve been in Hibernation forever. Was it something dirty?”
She snorted.
“Ah, so it was.”
“No.”
“You always did like them big and crazy.”
“I have no idea if he’s crazy.”
“He’s a bear.”
“True enough.” That big male was something else though, and she could admit that she was very, very curious about what his other half was. She was also curious what he would look like naked.
“Maybe this new world will be fun after all.”
Mira certainly hoped so. She was tired of sleeping, of being locked away and missing so much. It was time to start living again.
Chapter 30
It felt good and kind of weird to be home in Biloxi. Vega missed her packmates but so much had changed in just a week. Laying her head on Gabriel’s shoulder as they headed up to the front door of one of the pack’s hotels, she said, “I’m going to miss everyone but I’m really looking forward to our next op.” Whatever it might be. August had simply checked in, briefly, to make sure everyone was okay and to tell them that Carson was officially dead—executed by Judoc’s pack. But he’d said they had an extra week, and honestly, she was okay with it. More sexy times with Gabriel? Yes, please.
“I’m looking forward to when we’re alone again,” he murmured, his grip around her tightening. When he lowered his voice like that and got all growly, it sent shivers up her spine.
She looked up at him as they reached the entrance to Howlers, where they were supposed to meet the pack for some kind of dirty Santa party—she could only imagine how insane things would get soon. “Why don’t we ditch this party and go find somewhere private?” she murmured.
He started to respond then sighed and did a chin nod thing to the restaurant/bar. She looked up to see the entire pack—and a lot of others, including Bo and Nyx, Ian and Fiona; even Gray was here with Ophelia, and he hated public places—with a big sign that said Congratulations!
It took her a moment to realize that it was because of her and Gabriel. Because they’d gotten mated—which was the equivalent of a human marriage but a whole lot more permanent. “You knew about this?” she asked as they stepped inside.
“Kinda.” He snickered as they were bombarded with shifters from all sides. Shifters of all kinds, vampires, half-demons, a demigod—the whole crew was here and then some.
She could literally feel the love from everyone wrapping around her, infusing her. Gabriel didn’t let go of her hand even as they were greeted, kissed, and hugged—okay, tackle-hugged, because that was the shifter way. At one point something bubbly was pushed into her hand and as she took a sip of the expensive champagne she felt her very sneaky mate slip something into her back pocket.
Ignoring it for now, she waited until the crowd thinned and it was just her and Ophelia, who looked ready to pop any moment now.
“How are you feeling?” Vega asked.
“Really good. Surprisingly good. I figure the last month will be hard but I’m still seeing patients and…oh my gosh, who cares! You and Gabriel! I freaking knew it would happen one day. Victoria and I had a bet on how long… Oh, ah, never mind.”
Vega narrowed her eyes at the petite healer. “Seriously? I was going to say I expected more from you but…yeah, I’m not surprised. We’ve all got bets on your due date.” Grinning, she took a sip of her champagne.
Ophelia shrugged. “Yeah, I know. I made sure to get in on that action—using Solon to place the bet for me.”
“You’re bad.”
“I know. Hey, Gray looks like he’s about to explode. Let me go grab him. See ya later though. And congrats again. Being mated looks good on you.”
Vega simply nodded and smiled as her friend hurried away, and pulled out the note Gabriel had slipped into her pocket. Warmth infused her as she read his bold handwriting. He’d saved all the letters he’d ever written her and she was only halfway through them. She’d decided to savor them and take her time rea
ding through all of them. He, of course, had already read through all the ones she’d written him. Now she was really glad she’d saved them.
Vega,
I booked the penthouse suite. Whenever you’re ready, let’s go so I can bury my face between your legs. Let’s aim for five orgasms tonight.
Yours forever,
Gabriel
Just like that, heat bloomed between her legs as she imagined him doing exactly what he’d said. Looking up, she found his electric green eyes on hers. He was standing next to three packmates, clearly not listening to a word they were saying, and basically fucking her with his gaze.
She really, really figured they should stay but… She nodded toward the exit and before she could blink he’d shoved his glass at Ian and was racing toward her. She’d barely put her own drink down before he tossed her over his shoulder and was striding from the bar.
They left to the sound of whoops and hollers and she didn’t care at all.
“I don’t plan on coming back down here at all,” Gabriel murmured as they reached the elevators, still not putting her down. Instead he smacked her butt—and she loved it way too much.
“But you do plan on coming.”
Laughing, he pinched her butt. “Not sure how I ever lived without you.”
“Right back at you.” And their adventure was just beginning.
Dear Readers,
Thank you for reading Guardian of Darkness. I started working on this book about a year and a half ago and then hit a stopping point. Just completely hit a wall, which is rare for me. A lot of stuff happened in my life all at once—which I’m sure every single one of you can relate to—so I decided to put it down and focus on something lighter. And I’m glad I did. Because once I returned to this book, I simply couldn’t stop writing and I know that it’s stronger now because I didn’t try to force it. I know I’m not supposed to have favorites but I can say that this couple ranks up there in my top five. I hope you guys enjoyed Vega and Gabriel’s story!