Courting Darkness by Melynda Price Page A

you. As a courtesy, I won’t block your sight. That way you won’t have to wonder if and when I’m watching you. I’ll respect your privacy and personal space as much as I safely can. If it’s any consolation, I don’t want to be here anymore than you want me here. Aside from the coffee, your world holds little appeal to me. You want me to go away, then bond to me. The decision is yours.”
    Tate blocked her exit from the kitchen. She walked up to him, and shouldering her own stubborn stance, snapped, “So that’s it, then?”
    “Pretty much.”
    Just fucking great…
     

Chapter Five
     
    Tate watched from the kitchen window as Olivia marched to her car, jumped into the Camaro, and peeled out of the driveway. Damnation, this female was a handful. As a warrior, Tate saw things as either black or white—but this female was nothing but gray. His decisions were always practical, his actions—methodical. He wasn’t impetuous by nature or rash in thought, so what in the hell had ever possessed him to tell his ward he was moving in with her? Because he was desperate...
    His hope that she could be reasoned with was quickly dwindling. Learning the truth had only seemed to further exacerbate the female’s recklessness. She wanted her memory back, and that just wasn’t happening. If, by some act of God, she did remember Liam, there would be zero chance of her ever accepting Tate. Unfortunately, the heart was stronger than free will, and Olivia was refusing to let Liam go—an unforeseen complication in the High Court’s plan to reassign her guardianship, to be sure.
    Tate had yet to report the problem, having had hope he could rectify the issue with a little gentle persuasion. But now?—not so much. Olivia was right, he hadn’t been in love before and the concept that she just couldn’t get over it and accept Tate as her guardian didn’t compute. It was impractical to cling to someone you couldn’t remember, and plain foolish to refuse to give up someone you could never have.
    Becoming the female’s roomie held zero appeal to him, but equally distasteful was the thought of reporting his failure to the High Court. He’d give this a try first and see if a little face time would bring the female around to accepting the truth—Liam simply wasn’t coming back. And the sooner Olivia accepted that, the better off they’d all be.
    With tensions running high among the court elders, the decision to revoke Liam’s guardianship and impose confinement had been met with much opposition, and a less than unanimous vote. In addition, rumors of a surviving Nephilim and a possible regime change among the lords of the underworld were an added complication. In order to stay apprised of new developments and threats to the High Court, he was often pulled away from his assignment here, not exactly a big deal—unless he wasn’t bonded to his ward.
    According to the Watchers, Gahn had left Sheol. His whereabouts was still unknown. An army of Ronnin warriors had been dispatched to locate him. So far, nothing had been reported, and Tate was surly as hell over being left out in the wings on this. This was a mission he should have been heading, and he was damn sure if he had, Gahn’s whereabouts would be more than just speculation.
    He was due back in court shortly to report on Olivia. Leaving her unguarded sat ill with him, but at this point, he didn’t have a lot of options. The High Court wanted regular updates of any suspicious demonic activity relating to the female. So far, everything had been quiet…a ploy to lull him into complacency? Or perhaps this was just the calm before the storm. Only time would tell.
     

     
    Olivia couldn’t remember when she’d ever been so exhausted. Class had been grueling, but her fourth one had nearly done her in. Her new client, Pat, wasn’t what she’d expected to find when her office door swung open to reveal a rather fit, twenty-something guy with bright blue eyes, dark red hair, and