Page 59 of The Hidden Guardian
“Bull-shit?”he questions. Onai smirks across the table, looping Trefaun into the conversation.
“Yeah, crap. That opinion is crap. One wolf affects everyone. It’s one less defender, one less warrior, one less person to reproduce when clearly a mated wolf is lacking here.”
His eyes glimmer with amusement.“Maybe you should be the pack’s Alpha then.”
“Maybe I should,” I snicker back at him.
He laughs, reaching for a leg of meat. This one is practically raw.
Lowering my voice, I lean in to ask Renall, “Does death not affect anyone? Is dying just another day for your people?”
He chews and swallows before responding,“Death is a part of life. We all will die one day. We all face death every day. If you give fear power over death, it will fester and consume you. Instead, we acknowledge it and sometimes cause it. We do not fear death … we let death fear us.”
I swallow the lump in my throat; that has to be the sexiest thing I’ve ever heard him say. If we were alone right now … I would kiss him.
“Easy,”he leans in and whispers in my ear.“Wolves can smell your arousal.”
“You can what?” Oh Goddess, how many times have I been aroused around him? And he knew every time.
He smiles, leaning back, and takes another bite out of his meat.
Onai is still growling toward Trefaun, meat on her lips, when I turn toward them again. Trefaun’s eyes lock with mine. A strange feeling washes over me, unease, but I ignore it. This is Onai’s man. I have to trust her judge of character. Ignoring that feeling, I reach for another piece of meat.
“Earlier today, Onai was telling me about Winter Solstice and how it’s a big thing around the cave.”
“Oh, I can’t wait for you to see it,” Onai gushes. “We decorate with fireflies, garland, and poinsettias. It’s truly beautiful.”
“You don’t cut down a tree or anything like the humans, do you?”
“Goddess, no. The Guardians gather in the main hall and grow one big one in the center of the cave on Solstice eve.” Her smile is infectious.
Renall eyes me from the side, his face hidden by his dinner. But I don’t need to see him to feel his pain … sorrow, maybe. He doesn’t think I’ll still be here by Solstice, or maybe he doesn’t thinkhewill still be here if the trial goes badly.
Renall and Trefaun’s ears perk up before more screams and hollering echo up to my human ears.
“Oh God, What now?” I mutter.
All four of us are racing out the door. Anticipation flooding my veins forms a lump in my stomach. The cave grows quiet and ominous. Our footsteps thunder down the steps as we reach the cavern floor. There is no crowd this time; everyone stands a good distance away. Whispering and shaking their heads from their doorways and alcoves. The mangled body of the Guardian is splattered right before my feet. The Guardian who had just lost her wolf. The Guardian who was just crying on my shoulder a few short hours ago. Grief and regret strike through me. She’s too close to the ledge to have been pushed. Why? Why did she jump?
Renall reaches for me.“Awe-tum.”
“No. No. No,” I mutter over and over, collapsing to my knees beside her. Blood is dripping from her nose and ears; her face is pale.
Lupe is on the other side of the body shooing the crowd away. Her face shows not even a semblance of surprise. She was the last person I saw with the Guardian; she was whispering to her and now the Guardian is dead.
I scramble to my feet. “What did you say to her?”
“Excuse me?” She spins on me.
Renall calls for me.
“She just … jumped. Why would she do that? Why? You were supposed to help her …”
“There was nothing I could do.” Lupe raises her nose at me. Her strong jaw is set in a fine line that matches her lips. “She would have shriveled up and died. This was the better option for her, we all know it.” She knew. She knew this would happen. Possibly encouraged it. This is their leader?
My eyes narrow. “Better option? She’s dead! You heartless b–”
Renall pries me away with an arm around my waist. He growls something to Lupe.
