The Guardian's Bond (2 page)

“No problem kiddo, glad to have you back.”

“Do you think you could have left him awake to interrogate?” Drake asked as he knelt down by the man.

“Sorry, Dad. He pissed me off,” Livi said, shrugging her shoulders. “I need to call for a meeting with the Elder Council,” she said as she met her grandfather’s gaze. “Okay, Pappy?”

“I’ll set it up.”

Livi laid her head against his shoulder when he gave her a big hug. “Missed you, Pappy,” she whispered.

“Missed you too, sprite.”

“You could have let us know you were coming,” Tom said.

Livi smirked. “No time.”

“There’s always time, like when you came on shore. But did you? No, you had security forces rushing toward you to stop the unknown coming in fast from the sea.”

Livi straightened, top lip curled up. “I was hurled out of the ocean by a Kraken and made it to Aunt Mari just in time. Where were you, Tommy? I didn’t see you until I was halfway onto Alston, and it took you long enough to get here. If you can’t keep up, then maybe you should step back.” Her eyes narrowed as he kept her gaze.

“It’s Tom or Thomas, and if you
ever
smack me like that again in the middle of a…”

“You’ll what?” she asked stepping toward him, hands on hips, a smile playing on her lips. She cocked her brow. “You liked it and you know it.” Head tilted, Livi grinned. “Tommy.”

“Alright you two, that’s enough,” Drake said. “Tommy, take him to the interrogation room. Livi, I’m sure your mother is waiting to see you.”

Livi smiled at Tommy with a shit-eating grin. “Sure, Dad. I just want to make sure Auntie’s alright and then I’ll head that way.” Livi stayed until the security forces left with her father.

“Yeah, Livi, egging Tommy on and pissing him off is a good way to say hello,” Mari chuckled.

Turning, Livi noticed that her Uncle Rhys, the Vampire Beven Coven Leader, was holding her aunt in his arms. “Awww you know, he always sticks it to me when he gets a chance.”

“Come here and give me a hug. It’s good to have you home.”

Livi smiled as she wrapped her arms around the both of them the best she could. A deep, peaceful breath escaped her as she closed her eyes. “It’s good to be home.”

* * * *

Livi smiled, leaning on the counter in Pappy’s store. While she loved her parents and brothers, she’d chosen to stay with Pappy, so she was helping him out in the store as he gossiped with an elder elven leader. Her nostrils flared and eyes rolled as the door opened. “What do you want?”

“Is that any way to treat a paying customer?” Tommy asked with a smile.

“Only those who show up just to piss me off,” Livi smirked. “Aren’t you on duty?”

“Yes, and I’m making my rounds.”

“Well, as you can see, the store is secure.” Straightening up she extended her arm, waving it toward the empty expanse of the store. “So you can leave now, ba-bye.”

Both of them turned when the doorbell tinkled. Livi smiled as a young man walked in. “Well, hello there.”

“Hi,” he said as he stepped to the counter.

“How can I help you?”

“Well, I don’t know if you can tell me where the police station is in town. I just got off the bus and then noticed my wallet was gone just as the bus was leaving. I think the guy sitting next to me lifted it.”

Livi grinned as she pointed at Tommy. “Here you go, one of Alston’s finest.” Her smile widened when Tommy frowned.

“I’ll notify the next town’s station so they can be on the look out,” Tommy replied as he leaned back, arms crossed over his chest.

“Aw thanks, I appreciate that. My name’s Barrett, Barrett Jameson.”

Livi smiled as she shook his outstretched hand. “Hi Barrett, my name’s Livi and this is Timmy, I mean Tommy.” She beamed, sensing a wave of anger from Tommy as she slowly slid her hand from Barrett’s.

“You wouldn’t happen to know of anyone who’d hire me for a few days so I can make enough money for the next bus do you?” Barrett smiled.

“The older man you passed coming in, he owns the store. Why don’t you go ask him?” Livi suggested. Her gaze lowered when he turned and her eyebrow lifted with a smirk on her lips as she watched his ass walk out the door.

“What in the hell are you doing?” Tommy ground out.

“Admiring the view.”

“Flirting with a human stranger and offering him a job. Have you lost your mind, Livi?” he growled.

“He needs some help.” When Tommy slammed his fist on the counter, she looked at him quickly.

“You have no idea who he is.”

Livi watched his gray eyes flash silver with his anger and whispered, “You better get a hold of yourself, Tommy Moilanin. I know exactly who he is. He’s coming back. And just so you’re aware, I’m pretty capable of taking care of myself.”

“Yeah, we saw just how capable you are at flirting with strange men,” he snarled.

He’s jealous
. Livi smiled as she leaned in close to Tommy over the counter, her brow lifted. “Why are your boxers in a bunch? I’ll flirt with who I want. If I remember correctly you can’t stand the sight of me, so why don’t you just take a hike?”

His chest lifted with a deep breath as he kept her gaze. “Behave yourself, Livi.”

Livi straightened up, her eyes lowering to his ass as he walked out. She felt a burning deep within her belly. Her ears perked when she heard his low tone and looked out the window to see him facing off with Barrett. Her eyes narrowed when Barrett’s gaze lowered to the ground. “Damn Alpha ass,” she growled, knowing his Alpha tendencies demanded obedience. Barrett had no idea why he’d surrendered to another man’s words. “What did he say to you?” Livi asked when Barrett stepped in the store.

“Well, your grandfather said I could work until Friday to earn some money.”

“No, I mean Tommy. What did he say to you on his way out?”

Barrett smiled. “Ahhh, just a word between two guys.”

Livi frowned. “Like what?” she asked as she crossed her arms over her chest.

Barrett’s eyes went straight to her chest. “Well, sweetheart, you’d have to be a guy for me to tell you, and no one would ever mistake
you
for the opposite sex.”

Livi’s brow lifted with a smirk on her lips. “You don’t say.”

* * * *

Livi smiled softly as she walked the wooded path from Beven Manor toward the store. She’d had a good talk with Mari about what was happening and made her promise she’d stay indoors or with Rhys if she went out.

“Why do you continue to skirt the rules?”

Livi looked to the left to see Tommy, dressed in his black uniform of BDU pants, t-shirt and combat boots, walking toward her. She snarled when her pussy contracted. “Are you following me?”

“And if I was?”

“I’d tell you to beat feet.” Livi’s smile dropped as he came closer.

“I never said I couldn’t stand the sight of you. Those words came from your mouth.”

Her gaze narrowed. “I’m not the one who backed away and stayed there.”

“With good reason, and you still haven’t learned a lesson obviously.”

She tilted her head to meet his eyes as Tommy stood a good foot taller than her own five-four. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“How easily you flirt with men you don’t know. Is that what Triton has been teaching you all these years?”

“Up yours, ass-wipe.” Going to step around him, Livi gasped when he grabbed her arm hauling her to his chest.

“Are you even a virgin still or have you come into season?” he growled.

Livi jerked her arm away from him and stepped back. “What the hell does it matter to you? It’s not like you are.”

“That’s different.”

“The hell it is. I know Lyken males start the full moon mating between the ages of sixteen and eighteen, when was yours, Tommy? When did you take your first bitch?” she snapped.

“If I don’t take a pack bitch when the mating urge comes, I could die, Olivia. You know this,” he snapped back.

“So what? Why is it such a big deal if I’ve had sex or not? I’m twenty-eight years old.”

Tommy growled, his canines elongating. “Have you come into season yet?”

“Yes!”

“With who?”

Livi’s canines descended from her anger over this stupid conversation and yelled the first thing that came to mind. “The Prince of Atlantis!”

“There’s five of them!”

Livi took a deep breath and smiled at him as she stepped away, tossing her hair like a diva over her shoulder as she turned her back to him and walked away. There’d only been one man she’d been with and she wasn’t telling Tommy it was him—yet. It was about five months ago when she went into season and her mating instinct kicked up. She was drawn back here to Alston during the full moon and she did something she’d never done before. Olivia had transformed to Fae instead of her Lyken wolf form. Tommy had no idea it was her and she’d never told him, she’d just shown up every full moon to mate with him since then.

Livi gasped when Tommy flash-stepped in front of her, grabbed her aggressively and planted his mouth on hers hard.

“I’ll wipe him from your mind,” he snarled before letting her go and taking off.

Livi stumbled, stunned. Her fingers lifted to her lips as a soft smile appeared.

* * * *

Livi entered the chamber halls in ceremonial robes and took a deep breath as she stopped right outside the Elder Council door. She remembered coming here when she was eight and had to sit on the wooden bench for what seemed like hours before being called in only to find out that her father’s family lived in Alston and sat before her on the council. She glanced up as two of Alston’s security force members came her way.

“They’re ready to receive you. Are you ready?” Tommy asked.

Livi nodded. “Yeah.” She knew Tommy was here because he was second in charge to security, right under his father Galen who ran the department as her father had before he took over as Alpha of the Roven Clan. Looking over she smiled at Peter, a friend from school and from the Beven Vampire Coven. “Hey, Peter.”

“Livi, don’t be so nervous, half your family is up there.” Peter smiled.

“Yeah I know, but it’s still nerve wracking to go in front of the entire council.”

“You’ve known them since you came here,” Tommy said as he lifted her hand, squeezing gently. “You’ll do great.”

Her nostrils flared with a deep breath. “Okay then, let’s get going before I puke.”

“Oh, you’re a good Guardian,” Peter chuckled as he motioned for the door attendant to open the door.

“Has nothing to do with public speaking.” Livi noticed Tommy let her hand slide out of his slowly as he moved away to take his post slightly behind her as they stepped toward the opening door. Her stomach churned as his presence fell behind her and she knew he was standing just inside the door as it closed and she made her way to the center. Not only Pappy sat on the Fae side, but also her father as Alpha and her Grandfather Gwil sat on the Lyken side, as well as her Uncle Rhys as he was the leader of the Beven Coven of Vampires.

“Go ahead, dear.” Noela of the Elves smiled.

Livi smiled back. “I’ve asked for an Elder Council to discuss what Triton and I learned while training in Greenland. Alston is going to be infiltrated, not by Other Kin, but by Dragon Hunters. They are targeting Mari and her unborn kit. Due to no fault of Mari’s, someone leaked about a Dragon on our land. This person went far to cover their tracks, having no idea that loyal Alstonians were in the area.”

“Who was it?” Drake Roven asked.

Livi breathed deeply. “Someone Alston will never have to worry about again.”

Drake’s brows furrowed. “Are you telling me you killed the traitor to Alston?”

Livi cleared her throat. “Yes, after we secured the information we needed from him in order to find this tribe of Hunters.”

Drake slammed his fist on the council table. “Damn it, Livi, you know the law is to bring them back.”

“I apologize for breaking the law, Father, and will take any consequences the council demands, but this needed to be handled quickly to keep from being noticed by the Hunters.”

“So you’re telling me Triton, who I entrusted you to, let you kill someone?”

“I’m twenty-eight years old Dad, hardly the naive child I was when I left, and I had no choice. The idiot rushed me and I took what measures I needed to, in order to make sure he never opened his mouth again.”

When her father went to say something again, her Uncle Rhys put his hand on Drake’s arm.

“Livi,” Rhys said. “Where was Triton while this was happening?”

“Fighting a Dragon Hunter who showed up to meet our traitor. We had no choice but to silence the situation immediately.”

“And the bodies?” Elder Morgan of the Druids asked.

“We gave them to the Hafgufa sea monster of Greenland as food. Triton has kept the beast peaceful and hiding for centuries by bringing the bodies of fresh humans or Other Kin who die at sea so it doesn’t go on the hunt.”