Chapter 11: Loving Protector

Bruce lunged himself on top of Silvana, covering her body with his. Their chests touched and Bruce clamped his jaw shut and grunted as the Hellhounds clawed at his back. They nipped at Silvana’s arms and legs, biting off one of her boots and tearing her stockings.

They were completely surrounded by a dozen wolves surging with red lightning, and the spirit of the dreaded and murderous Cecilia Duponte cackled, “The seal has been broken.”

But it couldn’t be.

Silvana closed her eyes and screamed as she felt teeth poke little holes in her kicking legs. Her father’s seal on the evil spirits had been destroyed, some way, somehow, and their worst nightmare was becoming a reality; Silvana wasn’t prepared to defend herself, let alone the people of the city.

All the times she skimped her training was now going to cost her the lives of herself and her lover.

Her eternal mate.

Then Bruce pounded his fists to the mud by her head, and when she opened her eyes, she saw that the whites of Bruce’s eyes had turned a deep, shadowy silver.

First his fangs and then the rest of his teeth grew in size and sharpness, until they shined with a lethal, silver glimmer. His massive arms arching over each side of Silvana’s head doubled in muscle, and thick gray hair weaved around his body as it pulsed and grew.

In a fit of extraordinary strength, Bruce tossed all the Hellhounds away from Silvana.

The ghost of Cecilia Duponte stopped laughing, and as fast as she had stormed down from the crimson lightning, she faded away in a storm of scarlet sparks with a grimace on her face.

The Hellhounds surged with more electricity and howled and snared at Bruce, but Bruce opened his arms wide, stood on his hind legs, and howled so hard the ground shook.

The Hellhounds whimpered.

Bruce turned his broad snout towards Silvana, bared his big silver fangs, and released a small growl to her as she trembled beneath his feet.

Somehow, Silvana knew Bruce’s growl was him promising, “I will keep you safe.”

He lashed out at the whimpering Hellhounds who tried their best to combat Bruce, but were torn to shreds by Bruce’s silver claws and teeth. The Hellhounds flickered away like blown out candles each time Bruce defeated one.

Silvana watched in awe as Bruce slashed his way to safety. But the gashes on his stomach were slowing him down, and he was taking brutal hits from the Hellhounds.

Silvana couldn’t stand by.

Aching and with blood dripping down her white stockings, she thought of Bruce throwing her down onto his bed, and entering her with the excited passion only shared between two people who had overcome all odds. She imagined him thrusting hard and fast, and her moaning as Bruce’s bed shook, then broke, and the two rolled over off the mattress and onto the floor, where he would grab both her ankles and fit himself into her perfectly.

The fantasy gave her exactly the strength she needed, and Silvana cast streams of purple flames that whacked into the three remaining Hellhounds, providing Bruce with just the opportunity to finish them off.

At this point, other werewolves from the ball were approaching them.

Some transformed, shredding their beautiful clothing and leaving tuxedos and gowns mere scraps in the mud.

But Bruce turned back into a human, and he stood beside Silvana, naked. He had more scratches on his back and shoulders, but he still stood tall and with his shoulders back as the drunken members of the ball surrounded him and Silvana.

Bruce scooped Silvana off her feet and into his arms. He carried her wedding-style. She made sure her mask kept her face covered and buried her head deep beside Bruce’s sweaty chest.

He smelled like crisp firewood.

“Everyone is safe,” Bruce declared.

As his blood stained her damaged gown, Silvana wanted so badly to heal his wounds.

And as Bruce carried Silvana through the crowd and to his truck, hugging her body close to his and warming her in the rain, the most amazing thing happened.

The werewolves all took a knee and lowered their heads in recognition of their Alpha.

Bruce insisted he drive Silvana to her home, although she wanted desperately to help with his injuries. He was harsh and insistent, and told her, “We can’t be together right now.”

The two of them, bloody and bruised, shared glances during the ride, though neither knew exactly what to say.

Besides, Bruce was naked, and despite all the aches and pains Silvana felt, no matter how frustrated she was at his stubbornness, her lust for his mighty body trumped everything.

When Bruce pulled into Silvana’s driveway, he grabbed her hand and rubbed it.

“I’m glad you’re okay,” he said.

And no matter what he had told her before about no longer wanting to see her or that they couldn’t be together, the space between his legs told a different story.

He stared at her with his brown hair hanging over his blue eyes, and his erection throbbing for her and hitting the bottom of the steering wheel. Silvana wanted so badly to reach over and set her rosy lips on the tip of his blaring erection, but she decided against it. Instead, she gave Bruce a soft, embracing kiss on the cheek and asked, “Will we still be able to see each other?”

“I’m meant to mate with a werewolf,” he responded, shaking his head. “Yet I can’t imagine a world without you in it.”

“We can figure it out,” Silvana said. “Even if our families both want us to be Guardian.”

Bruce put a hand on her thigh and reached up towards her ripped gown. He breathed deeply, desiring her more than anything in the world.

“Keep training to become the Guardian Witch,” Bruce said. “If the seal is broken, then our families will have their hands full. More hauntings will occur. Give me some time to sort my end of it out.”

“But what about us?” Silvana asked.

Bruce wanted her right there, in his truck, and wouldn’t care if her father heard the pleasured moans of their lovemaking. He reached his hand further up her gown and felt how wet she was, and she began sensually stroking him.

And then Solaris hobbled out the front door.

“Oh my god,” Silvana shrieked, yanking Bruce’s hand out from underneath her gown.

Silvana hopped out of the truck without looking back, but heard Bruce tug the truck into reverse and exit the driveway.

It was just her and her father.

He pointed his cane nonchalantly to her blood-stained gown and said, “I thought you were spending the night at Amelia’s.”

There was so much disgust and pain in his voice that Silvana stayed quiet. Nothing she could say could make this situation any better.

Solaris gripped both hands to his cane and he shook his head. “I wanted to give you time to rest after your incident at the carnival.”

His voice picked up with his usual scolding anger, “But I see that you’ve been galavanting around instead of, yet again, taking any of your Guardian training seriously.”

“Dad,” Silvana mumbled. She thought of what Bruce said about continuing her training, and she was filled with a jolt of power.

“I have been training!” She pointed out to the city and forests behind them. “I’ve been fighting evil spirits that have come out of your broken seal!”

She raised a fist and shouted, “Everything I’ve done these past few days has been monumental for my training, and I’m stronger than ever.”

Pink electricity coursed around her as she spoke.

“And I will show you in these next few months what I’m capable of.”

She spoke with strength, but only because she thought this would bring her closer to Bruce.

Solaris nodded and ran a hand through his slick, silver hair.

“Very well,” he said. “Please go inside and rest. Tomorrow we’ll get serious with your training.”

Silvana marched past him and inside.

Solaris didn’t follow behind, though.

He removed his necklace and held in his palm the Guardian Stone, a glowing transparent rock with a crack down the middle. It flashed red, and another tiny chip etched into its side.

Indeed, his seal was breaking.

He closed his hand around the stone and muttered, “I will do whatever it takes to protect this family.”

He could hear Silvana stomping about in the house. She shut her door forcefully. Throwing a tantrum, just like a child.

But none of that mattered. Solaris knew his daughter wasn’t being entirely truthful with him.

Solaris entered his home, hacking coughs from his poor health.

He also knew that he didn’t have much time, and that Bruce Winters would be his salvation, even if the stupid werewolf didn’t realize it.

And even if Bruce didn’t survive.