Guardian [New World Book 6] by C. L. Scholey

watching the gentle sway of her hips when she strolled casually from the water to sit on a bank and sun herself in the morning warmth.
    Her breasts bounced slightly when she leaned over to retrieve her t-shirt. Her sweet ass tapered to shapely legs. Her feet were perfect with perfect toes. Her hand rose to gently tuck her wet wayward locks behind an ear. Roam’s shield readjusted to once again control his pounding heart while expanding to make room for his erection. He sighed in contentment. The scene was picture perfect. Serene. Roam could stare at her forever.
    Jinx screamed, her high pitched tone shrilly breaking his calming thoughts. She jumped to her feet. Roam was so startled he fell out of the tree, arms and legs flailing, to land on his ass. He was in motion seconds later. Just before he came into her line of vision his shield came down. Jinx was dancing around holding something long in her grasp.
    “What the hell?” Roam shouted.
    “Run, Roam. I can’t hold it, I can’t hold it . It’s a rattler.”
    She was right, the long thing made a furious rattling noise with its tail. Perhaps the rattle was significant in some way. Fangs protruded from its mouth. Part of it curled around Jinx’s arm. Roam wasn’t certain what it was, but he knew one thing, Jinx was scared shitless. Her terror-filled scent invaded his nostrils. That alone had him reaching for the slithery creature.
    “ No, Roam . It will bite you.”
    Roam grabbed her wrists, both of her hands were wrapped around the top part of the snake’s body, back behind the head. Roam grabbed the rattler’s mouth and squeezed it shut. He then yanked the thing out of Jinx’s hands. Jinx fell backwards onto her naked ass with a thump. Roam walked a few feet away and curiously studied the creature.
    “Throw it Roam, as far as you can. Rattle snakes are mean. Don’t you know their bite can be deadly?”
    Actually he’d had no idea. This tiny little thing sent humans into hysterics. Why? Roam released its mouth; the snake immediately bit his arm. Ouch . Roam chuckled, it was a mean little thing, but Slay’s daughter could bite harder. He was turned in a way Jinx couldn’t see. The reaction was instantaneous; his armor came up, oozing from within his skin, to cover over the bite, down his arm to his wrist. The venom was fast, his shield was faster. That never happened when Scarlet bit him. Must be something in the venom. His shield remained up.
    “Oh shit,” Roam whispered. Thankfully, Jinx couldn’t see what had transpired.
    “Roam?” Jinx called. Her tone was frantic.
    “I, uh, I’ll go throw it and be back.”
    “Be careful.”
    “Sure.”
    Roam once again had his hand wrapped around the snake’s mouth. He walked a ways into the jungle where she couldn’t see. Shifting his grip Roam studied the snake’s fangs. It had soulless eyes. The rattle sound it made was cute; he sounded like one of Scarlet’s toys.
    “Well buddy, what do I do with you?”
    The creature wanted to live. It was no doubt only protecting itself. Roam’s shield was already down, he felt fine. To him the snake was harmless, but it was frightening to Jinx, and he didn’t think Jinx was the kind of female to scare easy. He hoped the snake didn’t mind flight. Roam tossed the snake as far as he could. It sailed away until he lost sight of it.
    “Roam,” Jinx called. He heard desperation in her tone; she was just shy of becoming hysterical.
    “I’m coming.”
    Roam took a step then stopped in his tracks. He was without a shirt. Shit. No nipples. Thankfully she had been too scared to notice before; he wouldn’t be as lucky this time. Glancing frantically about Roam grabbed a double handful of mud sitting in a large pile and rubbed it over his chest. His nose wrinkled. He hoped it was mud. The smell was putrid. When Roam emerged from the foliage Jinx was dressed, standing, wringing her hands. She was worried about him. She searched him with her gaze, obviously looking for any