The Guardian

I apologize for the latency of this chapter upload. I was in a car accident 2 days ago and was unable to access my computer and I have finals on monday so things have been a little crazy. But it's here now, hehe have fun with this one >.O



Thane stared at Syah as she sank into a bath. Light from the window spilled over the soft skin of her back and shoulders. She was so small, he never realized it until then but she was truly fragile. Her hair was tied up into a messy bun on the back of her head, exposing her slender neck and the perfect contour of her spine.

“I’m perfectly safe taking a bath by myself Thane.”

He smiled, wanting very much to go to her and gaze through the clear water of the bath. He wasn’t wearing a shirt, the hot water warmed the whole room and he felt it was unnecessary to fully clothe himself. His fingers were toying with the buckle of his pants now however as he contemplated approaching her.

“Syah. You’re too fragile to be left alone, too delicate to risk harm.”

She turned her head and smiled at him over her shoulder, his pants were becoming tight.

“What will happen to me?”

His fingers undid the buckle of his pants as they sank from his hips slightly.

“Syah…”

She sat bolt up in the darkness of her room. Her breath was coming quickly as her slip stuck to her damp skin. Her hand flew to her face as her gaze captured her mother standing in her doorway.

“I’m sorry my love, did I wake you? I tried to stay quiet.”

Syah released a shaking breath as she tried to calm herself.

“It wasn’t you mother, I was having a dream.”

She lowered her hand to prop herself up when she realized Thane was gone. The blankets were still warm.

“I wanted to give you this before I left. I have all my things and I’m fleeing to Lord Myas.”

Her mother crossed the dark room and placed a small pouch in her hand.

“It’s not much; I’ve been saving it for an occasion such as this. If things go badly, please don’t stay here for your father to kill you. I want you to take Thane and run. Do you understand?”

Syah nodded, taking the money and stuffing it under her pillow.

“I know it sounds silly, but I have a feeling about all this. I know that when I return, when all of this is over. Either I’ll be a widow, or a daughterless mother.”

She lifted her hand to her mother’s face to calm her.

“Everything will be alright. I’ll set us free.”

Her mother smiled and kissed her hand before going to the door.

“I’ll write when I can, if I can.”

Syah nodded as she sank back into her pillows. She was tired, more so than she had thought when she had coaxed Thane to bed having slept through the evening and late into the night.

“Mother, did you happen to see Thane?”

She nodded as she started out the door.

“He passed me in the hall; I’m not sure where he was going.”

Syah nodded, she would have to question him in the morning.

Thane leaned against a tree, his breath coming quickly as he clutched his throat. The night air wasn’t helping him as he tried to forget his throbbing sex. He hadn’t had a dream like that in a long time, and he was alarmed that it had attacked him so suddenly. It seemed so real he was sure he could still taste the moist air and smell the scent of her wet skin. His sex throbbed again as he groaned. He was exhausted from healing and needed sleep, as much as he had tried to fight it with Syah. He needed to get back before she noticed he was gone, but there was no way he could return to her in his current state. He sighed and rested his head against the tree as he undid his pant buckle and freed himself.

“I’m sorry Syah.”

He took his length into his hand as he closed his eyes and pictured her slender back and small shoulders. He thought about running his fingers along the curves of her body and the sweet scent of her sex. His hand began to move frantically as his back tightened. His fangs grew instinctively as he longed to bite her skin, longed to draw her blood and lick it away from her flesh. He wanted to mark her, mar her, make her a part of him. He grit his teeth and threw his head back as he came, his sex pulsing as he spilled his seed onto the ground and over his fingers. He stayed there a moment as he cleaned himself and gradually relaxed again. He felt disgusting for doing such a thing, but it was the only way he could go back to her and go back to sleep. He would tangle with his guilt in the morning.

A small knock at her door pulled Syah out of sleep. Light was spilling into her room as she groaned and got out of bed. She hadn’t slept well. All night she dreamed about obscenities. She would sleep then wake, sleep then wake, all night. Sometimes Thane would be next to her and sometimes he would be gone. He was sleeping next to her now, undisturbed by the knock as she slid out of bed and opened the door to find Colar.

“Your father wants you. He’s rather upset.”

Syah furrowed her brow at him, unable to compute his sentence.

“What’s wrong now?”

Colar stared at her strangely a moment.

“Your mother is gone. She’s left and he wants to know where she is.”

Syah was short on patience as she began to close her door.

“How the hell should I know?”

Colar opened his mouth but her door closed in his face as she went back to the bed. He knocked again, a little louder this time as Thane groaned next to her.

“He wants to see you.”

She slammed her head against her pillow in frustration.

“Fine!”

She listened to him walk away as she sighed. She didn’t want to move.

“You better listen, wouldn’t want to upset daddy.”
She elbowed him as she got out of bed and began to search for a clean, unruined dress.

“Where were you last night?”

She pulled on her dress and brushed out her hair as she waited his reply.

“I couldn’t sleep, so I was walking.”

She became frustrated with her hair and decided to tie it back. She pulled it up into a messy bun as she caught Thane’s gaze in the mirror. She felt her cheeks flush as he sat up in bed.

“What?”

She watched him flex his jaw and tear his eyes away as he crawled out of bed.

“Nothing, I’m just tired.”

She sprinkled a light lavender powder over her skin as she smoothed her dress.

“Well hurry and dress so we can get this over with.”

He obeyed, dressing faster than she had as he followed her out the door.

“What are you going to tell him?”

She sighed as her fingers found his.

“I have no idea; I’m too tired to think straight.”

He smiled as he tightened his fingers around hers. She was definitely tired; she usually didn’t reach out to him like that unless she was feeling threatened or insecure.

“Would you prefer I speak? Perhaps I’ll be able to think somewhat clearer?”

She shook her head as they descended the stairs and entered the great hall.

“I’ll speak, you just stay quiet.”

Her father waited for her at the table. He had begun his breakfast and Colar was nowhere to be found. The scent of the fresh food made her stomach growl. She was hungry, but she wasn’t about to eat breakfast with her father. She would eat later, when he wasn’t around to harass her.

“I woke this morning and waited for your mother to come down and have breakfast with me.”

He took a drink of milk before continuing, washing down the food he had been chewing.

“I became worried when she didn’t come down. I sent Colar to retrieve her for me. Do you know what he found in her room?”

Syah didn’t answer, she knew if she waited a few seconds he would continue without her input.

“I know she’s gone away, and I know it’s because of your decision to run our territory in my passing. You know where she has gone, and you’re going to tell me.”

She sighed, looking positively bored with his speech as he became red in the face.

“Once upon a time I would have obeyed you in a heartbeat. Now I’m not sure why I was ever afraid of you.”

He lifted his chin at her as his eyes flicked to Thane’s hand entangled with hers.

“Once upon a time you were obedient and quiet. You had a good guardian, and I had set you up for life to a good house. Ever since you had recklessly bonded to that thing, you’ve become a problem with only one solution.”

She smiled at him, inviting him to challenge her.

“What solution do you suggest for me?”

A look touched his eyes she had seen once before when she was a child. One of his men was caught stealing from her father. It was the look he held when he had sentenced the man to death.

“I was willing to supply you with someone to teach you how to rule this house and the land, but you have left me no choice. You’re on your own. Colar has also told me some disturbing things about you and your Thane.”

Syah’s fingers tightened around Thane’s as he glanced at her. This conversation was going too far for her liking.

“Oh? What kinds of things?”

Her father smiled as he took a drink of milk.

“He says you allow him to sleep in the same bed with you. He says he is affectionate towards you to a degree that is inappropriate for a guardian. You know the punishment for a guardian that crosses that boundary.”

Syah swallowed, caught off guard by her father’s threat. She was sure he was blind, she hadn’t thought about all the things Colar had seen and she had grown reckless. Thane growled low in his chest next to her as her father laughed.

“You can’t even control the animal that will supposedly save you.”

She turned to leave, pulling Thane along with her as his growl lowered to a rumble.

“You will tell me where your mother has gone!”

She didn’t care how loudly he yelled, she didn’t care what the threatened, and she didn’t care what he thought about Thane. She had been stupid and reckless and had jeopardized Thane’s safety without realizing it. There was no doubt in her mind that Colar was the enemy now.

“What are you doing?”

She slipped off her slippers and stepped into her riding boots as she tied a cloak about her shoulders at the door.

“We’re going into town. I have some things I want to take care of.”




hope you enjoyed it!