Shadow Guardians: The Promised

They lay facing each other, a silence heavy with tenderness between them. Mari wondered how many couples were capable of having a heart-to-heart conversation through eye contact alone.

Her nerves had left her, and she felt closer to him than ever. She felt adventurous—probably more than her pre-trans body would allow for.

“So, about going out with the girls...” she started, wearing an innocent smile.

Nerves stabbed through Uriah’s belly. He swallowed. “Hm-mm.”

“They want to go out tonight and take me with them. New clothes, make-up, and stuff...” She trailed off, not knowing what exactly a girl’s night out even entailed.

Uriah’s jaw bunched, and he got up with a frustrated sigh. He started dressing.

Mari sat up. “Why are you angry?”

“Because,” Uriah said, throwing a shirt around his shoulders, “they’ve never invited you before. Why the sudden friendliness?” He turned around, facing her while buttoning the shirt. “I don’t trust it.”

Mari fixed her eyes on the ground and bit her lip. She stood and pulled on her leggings, suddenly feeling exposed and wronged.

“You don’t trust it either,” Uriah added, feeling her unease.

Fine, she didn’t. But of course she wouldn’t. She’d never gone out before with friends. Nerves were normal, right?

“I’ve already said yes,” she muttered while pulling on boots.

Uriah dropped his arms and glared at her. “Why the hell would you do that? Jesus, Mari, after everything they’ve done to you? Taking advantage of you?” He couldn’t stop raising his voice.

“I just want to be normal for a change, okay? You can’t lock me up in your room forever like a princess in a tower!”

Gods, that’s what she’d run away from.

Uriah took four long-legged strides, and then he towered over her. “I will if that means keeping you safe...”

They glared at each other, ice on ice. His jaw was set, and she had bunched her fists by her sides.

“This is about your vision, isn’t it?” She bit out. “You want to keep me locked up here for the rest of my life just because of something that might happen?”

A warning prickled in the back of his neck. But his instincts were overwhelming him, and he couldn’t stop the words that spilled from his mouth.

“And what if it is? It’s my job to keep you safe by any means necessary! You don’t even know those girls or trust them. How the hell could you just agree like that? That is so irresponsible!”

“I’m irresponsible?” she yelled, pointing to herself. “You’re just jealous and possessive!”

“I’m not jealous.”

He turned and walked toward the window. He couldn’t deny feeling possessive. A feeling of dread churned in his gut.

Mari couldn’t believe him. “Yes, you are! It’s just a group of females, Uriah. What could possibly happen?”

“Call them and cancel it,” he ordered, handing her the phone.

She stared at it, then at him. She shook her head and retreated. “You’re just like him. I just want a life! Why are you doing this?”

He took a step closer. “I’m just trying to protect you,” he seethed.

“No, you’re trying to control me!” she yelled, throwing up her hands.

Before she could escape, he locked the door with his mind.

Feeling overwhelmed with emotion, she bypassed his mental defenses and unlocked it, while sending him to the floor with a spear of pain between his eyes. She fled.

“Mari!” Goddamnit, how was she even strong enough to overpower him as a pre-trans?

He chased after her, but she used her telekinesis to slam the door shut, trapping him inside their living space.

Mari ran down the corridors, tears running down her cheeks and anger burning in her throat. Had she escaped one life as a captive and walked right into another?

She just happened to run past Magnus and Draven, whose eyes trailed after her.

“Do you think he tried to lock her up?” D asked, taking a drag of his hand rolled.

Magnus turned to him, then they continued on towards the control room. “Yup.”

And then Uriah came running. “Where is she?”

“We warned you,” Magnus said.

Uriah brought his hands to his face. “Fuck!” he uttered, feeling like an asshole.

“She headed outside.” Draven nodded to the elevator.

“Thanks.” He hurried past them.

You’re just like him, her words echoed in his mind.

If there was anyone he didn’t want to be like, it was her father. Christ, he wanted to keep her safe and ended up hurting her.

He should go back there and ask his brothers to bash in his damn face.

Another cowardly act. He’d let fear govern him. Did he even deserve to be her mate after what he just did?

He breathed relief when he found her sitting on the swing in the garden, under the shade of the elm.

The sun was out, and he deserved the burn.

He left the shade and strode over to her, feeling his skin tingle underneath the fabric of his shirt.

She didn’t acknowledge him as he approached, and instead she stared at a fixed point on the tree trunk.

He could smell her tears and wanted to stab himself with a spear of ice.

He settled next to her on the swing, and while his size made her efforts seem useless, she tried to scoot as far away from him as she could while still not looking at him.

“I’m sorry, nerei. You’re right. I can’t lock you up.”

Oh, how he wished he could.

“I didn’t mean the things I said.” He lowered his head like a child who had been scolded. “I just love you so goddamn much. I wouldn’t survive it if something happened to you.”

She sniffed and wiped tears from her cheeks with her sleeve. Then she finally looked at him, and her swollen eyes ripped his heart apart.

He’d done that to her.

“I’m sorry,” he repeated. “I don’t want to be like him.”

“I didn’t mean that,” she said, giving him a tiny smile.

He tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. He clamped down on his molars, forcing himself to ignore the raging warning in his gut and say the words.

“You can go out with them. This is your home. It shouldn’t feel like a prison.”

She sniffed and stared at him with big eyes, her face softening. “I love you. Thank you for trusting me.”

“I’ve always trusted you.”

She scooted closer, and he brought his arm around her. Then she laid her head on his shoulder.

“We should go back. You’re burning up.”

“Fitting. I deserve it. Besides, I have you to take care of the wounds.”

She rubbed his arm, then stood. “Come on, let’s go back in.”

Uriah rose and took her into his arms, leaning his cheek on her hair. “I’m sorry,”

She giggled against his chest. “I forgive your bonding male instincts.”

Uriah set his jaw. He wasn’t so sure if it was his bonding or his warrior.

“I want to take you out,” he said.

She extended her neck as she looked at him. “Out? Where? Now?”

“Yes, now.” He grinned, yet a dreadful feeling had wormed it’s way into him that he was losing time with her. He clamped down on it. “There’s something I want to show you.”

“You’ll burn in the sun.”

“I’ll slather on sunscreen.”

An hour later, they were parked in front of a red brick building with sign in neon red. Tina’s Dance School.

“We’re going dancing?” Mari asked with shiny eyes.

She hadn’t danced since she’d been at her father’s house, and she never enjoyed it. She was forced to wear what he deemed appropriate and act like the stiff lady she was supposed to be.

And of course, she had to dance with whomever he picked out for her, with each suitor sending crawling disgust over her skin.

“I hope I still remember how. My parents used to take me for lessons. We often attended aristocratic balls. It was expected of them.” Uriah said, unbuckling his seatbelt.

“I thought your parents were warriors?” Mari asked as she climbed out of the Mercedes.

“They were warriors too, but my father used to be on the council. Until he quit, basically. And then my grandfather, who was the leader of the coven, sent him and my mother away to live the life of poverty as he called it.” Uriah lifted his nose as he said it, mocking his snobbishness.

It didn’t even matter because, in the end, they were all killed. And he didn’t even want to remember the fact that he was almost an aristocrat.

Mari came around, and he draped his arm around her small frame.

The sun burned on his back, even through layers of clothing and his leather jacket. And his cheeks were already turning red. But the shade inside the dance studio would help.

“My grandfather sent him away when I was young, and while he reprimanded him, he at least told the council that he would attend their do’s. So that redeemed my father slightly.”

Mari frowned. Something hidden was scratching at the back of her brain.

“Did you ever see your grandfather again?” she asked.

“I didn’t want to. But I regretted it after hearing of his death. But let’s not talk about me.” He grinned and held her close as they ascended metal stairs.

The dance studio was a large, open room with high ceilings, the walls painted in a soft, neutral color. There were mirrors on one wall to help students see their form, and the floor was covered in a smooth, hardwood surface that’s easy to dance on.

In one corner of the room, there was a barre for students and also a few other props, including a bunch of mats for stretching and conditioning exercises.

The studio was bustling with activity as students of all ages and skill levels moved across the floor, practicing their moves under the watchful eye of their teacher, Ms. Johnson.

She stood at the front of the room, watching her students with a critical eye, calling out encouragement and suggestions for improvement where needed.

Uriah led Mari to an opening, and to Ms. Johnson’s surprise, the two newcomers simply fell in line and began dancing.

They were practicing the waltz, which seemed easy but was in fact difficult to get right professionally.

Ms. Johnson stood agape at the sight before her.

Uriah and Mari glided over the floor with effortless grace, like they had been dancing for years. He didn’t miss a step, and her neck was extended to the left, her head angled perfectly.

Ms. Johnson had no qualms about random people using her dance floor. And at this point, she was considering hiring them.

And the chemistry between the two of them... Their dance was a symphony of their love, each movement expressing the depth of their affection and the union of their souls.

Everyone stopped, stood aside, and stared in awe, which gave them the entire dance floor.

Mari was in heaven. She didn’t even have time to be shy about their onlookers.

She was lost in the dance, in his gilded eyes.

When the music ended, four songs later, and they stopped, Uriah drew her close and pressed his forehead to hers.

Hands clapping brought them out of their lovers daze.

“Bravo!” Ms. Johnson called, clapping furiously. “Wonderful! I should hire you two as my assistants.”

Mari felt her cheeks heat up. They’d just given a show to the entire class. And he was just grinning at her shyness.

“Thanks for letting us use your dancefloor,” Uriah said, drawing her by the hand towards Ms. Johnson.

“No problem! You should come again. Maybe sign up for Blackpool.”

Mari gulped. Blackpool was the most prestigious dance competition in the world.

Uriah rubbed her back, sensing her nerves. “We’ll think about it. Thanks again.”

He drew her out of the building.

“Why bring me here? I mean, we could’ve danced at home.” she asked.

“Because I wanted to get dibs on taking you out first,” he grinned, “and I wanted you to see the studio. I thought that once you’re past your transition,”

And then it hit him. What if her transition hit while she was out with the nosferi females? They wouldn’t have a clue what to do.

He bit the inside of his cheek. “If you’re past it, maybe we can come to dance here now and then. Learn newer dances.”

The airy feeling of the dancing left him, and worry wormed its way into him. But he wouldn’t hurt her like that again. Maybe his brothers were right. He had to rein it in.

“I’d love that.” Mari smiled, and he held the vehicle’s door open for her.

She climbed in, and he went around and got behind the wheel.

“Want some ice cream?” he asked.

Oddly, he felt that his blood had settled her stomach somewhat. It had obviously given her some vigor for dancing.

Mari laughed and made small snorting sounds like a piglet. But it was the cutest, most beautiful piglet he’d ever seen.

“What?” he asked, now grinning too. Her happiness had rubbed off on him.

“Ice cream is good. I need to tell you about Katherine...” she said as he started the engine.