The Bodyguard

Out of the corner of my eye I could see the lord wave someone over. At first glance I didn’t notice anyone special approach. Then I heard the same husky voice from the hallway. I instinctively grew stiff wondering if he knows about the interaction we had earlier. This could become a problem for one or both of us rather quickly.

Syndril’s grip tightened on hip, “Deaken. This is my wife, Lady Caroline.”

I locked eyes with the man I now know as Deaken, the wild forest green eyes told me he wasn’t a vampire. But I already knew that from his warm touch. He reached out for my hand and placed a soft kiss on the back of it bowing slightly. “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you, Lady Caroline.”

Not knowing how to interact with him I give him a tight smile, “same to you Deaken.” If the lord knew he showed no sign of it. The breath I was hold in was slowly releaced but I didn't let my gurad down. I don't know Syndril, there is no telling how he will react.

The clearing of Syndril’s throat had me pulling my hand away as he spoke. “Deaken is a werewolf and your personal guard.” He looked between the two of us, “he is also responsible for teaching you hand-to-hand combat.”

I scrunched my eyebrows when I turned to look at the lord. “Why do I need to know any of that?”

Deaken was the first to speak up, “It is important we keep a lady of your status safe.” He looked to the lord before he spoke his next words. “There may be a time when you will have to defend yourself. If I am not there to protect you that is my lady.”

“I just got here, who would want to hurt me?” I haven’t been known to make many friends, but I never went out of my way to make enemies.

The lord lifted my chin pulling my attention back to him. “It’s not about hurting you, it’s about who would want to hurt me.” His voice was in a hush whisper I almost missed what he said with all this noise around me. “You are my most important possession. I would be devastated if something happened to you.”

My heart almost fluttered at his statement until he called me his possession. “I am not an object you own.”

His grin, that sexy fucking grin almost had me taking that statement back. “That is where you are wrong, wife.” He leaned in to whisper in my ear. “I will own every part of you.” The tip of his tongue brushed against my ear before he lightly sucked on it. I could feel the blush spreading on my cheeks as Deaken’s eyes never left my own. I am in so much trouble if I let this go on for much longer.

I jumped out of his lap in a hurry, fumbling to give myself some space. There was a strange look that passed from Syndril to Deaken, and I wasn’t sure how to make heads or tails of it. There must have been some kind of understanding between the two because Deaken offered me his arm. “I will escort you back to your room my lady.”

I stayed quiet as we walked out of the dining hall, I originally thought no one was watching but now I know they all had seen what just happened between us. Every set of eyes we had passed looked at me even if just for a few moments. I felt a wave of relief once we had made it to the hallway.

“It was you in the hallway earlier was it?” I mentally kick myself for asking that question.

Out of the corner of my eye I can see him shake his head, “It was and I should apologize for it.”

“Why did you do that,” and why do I keep talking? I mentally ask myself.

“Because I smelled you and couldn’t stop myself.” He spoke to me softly as if I was pray and he didn’t want to spook me.

“You could smell me?” Do I stink? I just took a shower when I woke up.

“No my lady, of course not.” He said quickly, “werewolves have a heightened sense of smell. When I,” He gave a long pause. “When I smelled you, you had smelled like my mate.”

I stopped dead in my tracks, but the room felt like it was still moving around me. Did he just say mate, as in soul mate? The stuff in fiction and fairy tales? “I’m sorry Deaken, I don’t understand how that would be possible. I am a vampire now, and before that I was some clueless human about this world.” I let out a long sigh waving franticly at myself, “I’m whatever this is and I know its not a wolf.”

“I know it sounds crazy but it’s possible,” he pulled me into his chest taking a deep breath. “Other supernatural's can be mated to a wolf, even humans have been mated to my kind. I had seen it in my own pack before.”

I was just turned into a vampire, and I can hardly wrap my head around that. What the hell am I going to do with this information. My heart aches for this man before me.

“I am sorry Deaken, but I am married to lord Syndril. I can’t be his wife and you're mate.” No matter how he makes me feel. It's too much to deal with all this at the same time.

His eyes dropped to the floor, and I can feel the waves of sadness coming from him. “It is why I requested to be your personal bodyguard.”

“Does that mean lord Syndril knows?” Oh my god can this get any more complicated? Why couldn’t I meet Deaken when I still had my freedom. Before I married Syndril.

He shook his head. “I did not tell him why, but I believe he knows.” He wouldn’t look me in the eyes as he said the last part, “He would have smelled me on you this evening.”