Page 50 of The Hidden Guardian

Always patient, always waiting for me. Truth is, I don’t want to venture alone. That beach town dream was for me to share with someone. Maybe I can change his mind about leaving one day—maybe I’ll see where this goes.

ChapterTwenty-Six

AUTUMN

My skin prickles with anticipation as I drop my backpack and slip out of my clothes and shoes, leaving them in the sand. The water is warm against my bare legs as I wade in after Renall. It’s soothing as the steam relaxes my bones and eases my tension. Hanging above the cave, all the tendrils of ivy and moss seem to crest in a huge bud of some kind.

I’m in up to my waist when Renall finally turns toward me. His green eyes darken as he takes in my bare chest. He stumbles, reaching for my hand to communicate.

“You’re so beautiful.”

I blush. Hiding the heat in my cheeks and other places as I tread water before him. To distract him, I ask, “What is this place?”

“This is Luna Lake … its waters are said to possess healing and health properties, and it’s the best spot in the cave at midnight on a full moon.”

“Why is that?”

“You’ll see.”His smile is secretive and totally sexy. My skin is tingling again, and it has nothing to do with the warmth of the water. Actually, as the night pushes on, my body is … reacting unusually. Anxious and flushed at the same time. Yearning and desperate. Calm yet on edge.

My legs grow tired of treading water, and I lean on Renall. He wraps his arms around me, holding me up. I’m aware of every place our skin is touching because my skin tingles in every spot we touch.

“Do you feel it? The power of the moon?”Renall grumbles low, the vibrations rippling through me. Gods, that feels so good I almost moan.

“That’s what this feeling is?”

“A full moon is intoxicating for wolves. Guardians are very sensitive to it too.”

“Onai said it’s dangerous for the unmated, and that there are some … expectations.”

“There are no expectations, Autumn, there never has been with me.”

He’s right, he has never forced me to do anything. He even said he would let me leave after this. Whatever this is.

He continues,“It’s true, the moon magic wants us to mate; it releases our inhibitions and makes us drunk with its overflowing power.”

“My skin tingles.” Among other things.

“Yes, mine as well. Just like everywhere your body meets mine feels like hot fire welling up to consume me.”

I meet his gaze, his honest words filtering through my mind. His breathing increases and mine uncontrollably matches. My nipples harden against his chest as his eyes watch me.

“I canfeelyou all the time,” I tell him. “I feel when you’re thinking of me. I feel when you’re angry or sad or nervous.” I breathe, tracing my fingers up his arm. He shudders under my touch. “I feel you looking at me all the time.”

“I know.”His face grows closer as my hands grip his arms. The hairs on his chest brushing against my sensitive, tingly bare skin—it’s torturous.

“It’s getting really hard to resist whatever this is,” I whisper as our noses touch.

“Then … don’t.”

He hovers there, our noses touching, his lips centimeters from mine. Waiting. Always waiting for me, it’s a theme of ours. My skin is aching to be touched, my lips quiver begging for his kiss, as his words ring in my ears over and over.

Don’t.

Don’t resist.

I close the tiny gap between us, lift my chin up, and kiss him. He tightens his grip on me and I wrap my arms around him as I pull his tongue into my mouth. A moan escapes my lips as his hands rove down me. Everywhere he touches my skin burns and tingles at the same time … and still I crave more. I’m assuming my touch does the same. Desperate to see his primal side, I wrap my legs around his waist, fisting his hair we kiss. The aggression inside of me is a surprise, but I don’t care, I need him closer, and closer still.

Suddenly, the lake is basked in light. Renall reluctantly pulls away from our kiss to point above our heads. Leaning back, we watch as the bud at the center of the ceiling above slowly opens. One petal at a time peeling back until the glowing blue flower is in full bloom. Its huge petals reaching to the far corners of each cavern wall.

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