for you.”
“Staying is best for me.”
They did another round of head nodding.
Finally Elder Wilde sighed as though he’d lost the argument. “We’re in agreement. We need you while the Bio-Chrome threat is here. But destiny chooses our mates. If your mate is elsewhere, it’s not fair to you—or him—for us to hold you here forever.”
I could have told them that he wasn’t elsewhere. There was obviously a defect in me that wouldn’t cause that instant bonding. I was going to have to secure a mate the human way—by making him fall in love with me.
Good luck with that, Brittany.
I was more than ready to leave and decided my best course of action was to initiate the ending of the meeting. I tapped my watch. “Lucas is calling a meeting of the Dark Guardians. I should probably go.”
Elder Wilde smiled. “One more question.”
I nodded expectantly. They hadn’t been too hard so far.
“Did you what you were looking for in the ancient book?”
Okay, I should have expected that. I felt all the air leak out of me like a balloon. I considered denying it, but even I thought I could smell my scent from last nightlingering in here. Although that was probably just in my head or guilt making me sense things I couldn’t possibly sense. I shook my head.
“Would you like to share with us what you were seeking? Maybe we can be of assistance.”
“It’s really not important enough to bother you with.”
I expected them to question whether it was important enough to break rules over, but instead, Elder Wilde studied me quietly, giving me the impression that he knew exactly what I’d been searching for. I expected him to admonish me, or torture me, or make me confess the truth of my situation.
Instead, he simply said, “Well, you are right about our needing to get to the meeting. Your first as a full-fledged Dark Guardian. Should prove interesting.”
I kept my expression passive, even though I was stunned. That was it?
As I rose to my feet, Elder Wilde said, “Remember, Brittany, deception may give us what we want for the present, but it will always take it away in the end.”
For a minute, I thought he was sharing something he’d read in a fortune cookie, but then I realized he was way too serious.
“What are you talking about?” I asked nervously. Did they know the truth?
“May you never find out.”
As I followed them out of the room, I couldn’t help but feel that I was being tested in some way. But the greater test was Bio-Chrome. I knew I could help the Dark Guardians defeat them—but only if I was a Guardian.
If I didn’t shift during the next full moon, then I’d confess everything to the elders, ask for their guidance and assistance.
But for now, I was determined to be what I’d always longed to be: a Dark Guardian.
When we arrived at the council room, I hung back, respectfully waiting for the elders to take their place at the large round table that occupied the center of the room. Twelve additional chairs circled it. Eleven Guardians were standing behind their chairs. Kayla stood on one side of Lucas. Rafe, his second-in-command, was on the other side of him. Lindsey stood so close to Rafe that light could barely filter between their shoulders. Her fingers continually touched his, and then retreated, as though she couldn’t stand the thought of not having some skin-to-skin contact with him, but knew it was inappropriate here in the council room. Her golden eyes were focused on me, as though I were the only one in the room. They were imploring me to speak up, to reveal my ugly secret, to release her of the burden of truth she carried on her shoulders.
Sorry, Lindsey. No can do.
The chair between Connor and Daniel was empty. Staring at it, knowing it was designated for me, I swallowed hard. Every meeting before this one, I’d sat in a chair along a wall, the place designated for the novices. A Dark Guardian who hadn’t yet been caressed by a full moon. The significance of
“Staying is best for me.”
They did another round of head nodding.
Finally Elder Wilde sighed as though he’d lost the argument. “We’re in agreement. We need you while the Bio-Chrome threat is here. But destiny chooses our mates. If your mate is elsewhere, it’s not fair to you—or him—for us to hold you here forever.”
I could have told them that he wasn’t elsewhere. There was obviously a defect in me that wouldn’t cause that instant bonding. I was going to have to secure a mate the human way—by making him fall in love with me.
Good luck with that, Brittany.
I was more than ready to leave and decided my best course of action was to initiate the ending of the meeting. I tapped my watch. “Lucas is calling a meeting of the Dark Guardians. I should probably go.”
Elder Wilde smiled. “One more question.”
I nodded expectantly. They hadn’t been too hard so far.
“Did you what you were looking for in the ancient book?”
Okay, I should have expected that. I felt all the air leak out of me like a balloon. I considered denying it, but even I thought I could smell my scent from last nightlingering in here. Although that was probably just in my head or guilt making me sense things I couldn’t possibly sense. I shook my head.
“Would you like to share with us what you were seeking? Maybe we can be of assistance.”
“It’s really not important enough to bother you with.”
I expected them to question whether it was important enough to break rules over, but instead, Elder Wilde studied me quietly, giving me the impression that he knew exactly what I’d been searching for. I expected him to admonish me, or torture me, or make me confess the truth of my situation.
Instead, he simply said, “Well, you are right about our needing to get to the meeting. Your first as a full-fledged Dark Guardian. Should prove interesting.”
I kept my expression passive, even though I was stunned. That was it?
As I rose to my feet, Elder Wilde said, “Remember, Brittany, deception may give us what we want for the present, but it will always take it away in the end.”
For a minute, I thought he was sharing something he’d read in a fortune cookie, but then I realized he was way too serious.
“What are you talking about?” I asked nervously. Did they know the truth?
“May you never find out.”
As I followed them out of the room, I couldn’t help but feel that I was being tested in some way. But the greater test was Bio-Chrome. I knew I could help the Dark Guardians defeat them—but only if I was a Guardian.
If I didn’t shift during the next full moon, then I’d confess everything to the elders, ask for their guidance and assistance.
But for now, I was determined to be what I’d always longed to be: a Dark Guardian.
When we arrived at the council room, I hung back, respectfully waiting for the elders to take their place at the large round table that occupied the center of the room. Twelve additional chairs circled it. Eleven Guardians were standing behind their chairs. Kayla stood on one side of Lucas. Rafe, his second-in-command, was on the other side of him. Lindsey stood so close to Rafe that light could barely filter between their shoulders. Her fingers continually touched his, and then retreated, as though she couldn’t stand the thought of not having some skin-to-skin contact with him, but knew it was inappropriate here in the council room. Her golden eyes were focused on me, as though I were the only one in the room. They were imploring me to speak up, to reveal my ugly secret, to release her of the burden of truth she carried on her shoulders.
Sorry, Lindsey. No can do.
The chair between Connor and Daniel was empty. Staring at it, knowing it was designated for me, I swallowed hard. Every meeting before this one, I’d sat in a chair along a wall, the place designated for the novices. A Dark Guardian who hadn’t yet been caressed by a full moon. The significance of
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