Filed to story: Cara Nelson The Guardian: Werewolf Book PDF Free
I start to turn to say goodbye to Cara, when Clint stops me. “Rik. Why don’t you plan to start joining us for our afternoon training sessions starting Monday.’
I think my mouth fell to the floor. “It would be my honor sir.”
He nods once before wheeling himself inside.
I’m still staring after him when I feel Cara’s finger under my chin, closing my mouth for me. She moves to stand in front of me. “Guess I’ll be seeing a whole lot more of you Alpha.”
I focus my attention back on her. “Well Little Guardian, after I defeat you on Monday, you’ll be spending more time than just training with me. Now get going and be ready by six. I can’t wait to have you all to myself.”
I pull her to me and give her a scorching kiss before heading back to my car. When I look back at her, she’s still watching me, her fingers touching her lips. Yeah, I’ll be spending as much time as possible with my girl.
When I get home, I check in with my mom. She has the brownies baked and set aside for me. She took it a step further and put a picnic basket together and added some wine and glasses. I thank her giving her a hug and a kiss on the top of her head.
“Where’s dad? He wanted to talk to me.”
“He’s in his office.”
I head up to my father’s office and knock, waiting for him to tell me to come in
When he does, I walk in and go to sit in front of his desk. He looks tired. I ask th most important question. “Any news from Liarn about Eli Gunnar?”
“Nothing yet. He’s found traces of him, but he’s good at hiding. He’s been doing It for years.”
I nod. I knew I’d have heard if Liam caught Eli, but I was hoping for better news.
“Son, I wanted to talk to you about Cara.”
I sit up straighter, this was unexpected. “What about her?”
He folds his hands together and leans forward resting his arms on his desk and he looks at me. “Have you given any thought to what it will be like to have a Guardian as a mate?”
It has occurred to me, and I have to admit, I don’t like it. Kai and I already feel protective of Cara. Losing her to Eli, even for a week was maddening. And this is before we have a solidified bond. It will only become harder once she accepts us and we’ve marked and mated her.
“I have. I’m not really sure how to handle it Dad. I can’t give her a command to stand down, and I don’t want to command her. I want a partner. I want her to stand beside me, not in front of me. I should be the one protecting her, not the other way around. That’s my job as her Alpha, as her mate. But, I think we’ll have to have a serious conversation about what that means for us and our future.”
He nods his head. “I’m glad you’re already thinking about it. I don’t know that I have any advice for you. My bond with Clint made it hard enough to have him putting his life on the line for me. If it had been your mother…” He stops, shaking his head. Yeah, it’s not a comfortable thought and one that I’ll need to think about more before tonight. I want to have a plan to discuss with her. She’s stubborn and fierce, but I need for her agree with me on this.
“That was all, son. I wanted to make sure that you were thinking about the potential consequences of the future.”
I smile at my father. Thinking about the future is what good alphas do. And my father has raised me to be a good alpha.
I stand to go. “Thanks Dad. I appreciate it.”
As I turn to leave, he asks, “Where are you taking Cara tonight?”
“Ethereal.” I smile. “I want her to have the true dining experience. Then I’m taking her to the overlook to see the stars and eat brownies.”
“Sounds like a good night. Enjoy son.”
“I will.” And with that, I head out to get ready for my date.
Dad goes easy on me in training, but it still feels good. As I work to get my body stronger, it is helping to make Artemis stronger as well. She’s back in my mind full time, but not yet strong enough to shift.
After training, I skip the bath for a shower, knowing I’ll need time to do my hair and makeup. Since I’m not exactly sure where we are going, but he said to dress nice, I decide to go with an off the shoulder long sleeve red sweater dress. I pair it with a thick brown belt to give it dimension and matching brown knee-high boots. I pull my curls into textured waves, with a single braid on one side that I pin back. I go light on makeup, adding more color to my eyeshadow and a softer glossy tint to my lips. Light eyeliner and a swipe of mascara finishes off the look.
Just as I’m finishing up, I hear the knock at the door. I grab my jacket and purse and head downstairs. When I open the door, I’m greeted by my gorgeous date who is holding another bouquet of flowers, tulips this time.
Before I can say anything, he whistles low, looking me up and down. “Damn. I’m going to have to fight off all the other male wolves tonight.”
I roll my eyes, even though I know I’m blushing. “Tulips this time? And in their own vase?”
I reach for the flowers, taking them as he leans in and gives me a light kiss on my lips. “I thought I would do something different and surprise you. And you mentioned that you only had the one vase.”
He follows me as I walk into the kitchen. Dad looks up from the living room. Rik.” He nods his head in acknowledgement before looking at the tulips and looking back at Rik. “Tulips, huh?”
“Yes sir.” Rik responds and he has a smirk on his face. I look between the two of them. “Do tulips have a meaning as well?” I ask, feeling out of the loop.
Dad turns back to the TV, ignoring me. Rik leans down and gently kisses my lips. again. “Maybe.”
I shake my head, putting the flowers on the bar before calling out a goodnight to my father.
Rik takes my hand and leads me out to the car. “So, where are we going?” I ask. He opens my door, but before I can get in the car, he presses his body against mine, kissing me properly. My hands slide into his hair, pulling him closer. I hear a soft groan before he pulls back, watching me as he licks his lips. “Delicious.” He says.
I smile. “Must be my lip gloss.”
He chuckles, shaking his head. “Nope. Definitely not the lip gloss.”
I get in the car and we pull out. “So…?”
He looks over at me, taking my hand and kissing the back of it before putting it on his thigh, interlacing my fingers with his. “I wanted to give you the real dining experience at Ethereal.”
I’m startled. My very first date is going to be at the most expensive restaurant around?
I look down at myself. “Am I dressed okay?”
I take inventory of what he’s wearing. A sapphire blue button-down long- sleeved shirt that fits him like it was made for him. The cuffs are turned up showing a white underside giving it an edgier look. He’s left it untucked over his black slacks and he’s wearing black dress shoes. His long hair is down tonight. It’s sexy, hanging down to his shoulders. He usually pulls it into a man bun, so it’s a different, almost wilder side to him.
He looks over at me, squeezing my hand. “You look beautiful. Perfect, as always.”
We arrive at the restaurant, and he drives up to valet parking. The valet opens my door and I step out. The restaurant lives up to his name. It feels like we’ve entered a fairy land. There are no buildings in the near vicinity, so it gives the impression that you are in the middle of the forest. Twinkling lights are everywhere, making you feel that you are far away from the stresses of the world. The music that is lightly playing outside is gentle and relaxing, adding to the overall atmosphere. From here, I can see inside the floor to ceiling windows. The interior is dark with dim lights, giving it a romantic feel and this extends out the front entrance to the valet. Even though I can see that there are people inside, the dim lighting provides privacy. It just feels, well….ethereal.
Rik walks up, smiling at my expression. I’m sure I look like I am in awe, and I am. It’s beautiful. He takes my hand and walks us inside. I’m surprised and happy to see Tamara at the hostess stand.