these females the one thing all humans, whether Shifters or Normals, deserved. A chance to live free of enslavement under the aliens. All of that obvious in my title of Guardian. One that pushed me to reply yes to the female. Sherry's long legs and crisp green eyes are awfully perfect. Pretty. Intelligent by her reaction to her father's strange behavior. And naïve in not suspecting her sire's betrayal. Most of all, she'd be safe mated to a Shifter. Protected from aliens and Normals. I have to agree. At least to a point. Maybe not actually mate one of these daughters though. But agree to take them to safety. They'd help perpetuate the human species in bearing children, at least. I nodded.
Langston's brown gaze slowly turned to his daughter.
"Why are you looking at me that way?" she instantly snapped.
"You and your sisters are going with these Guardians."
"What?" She eyed me and companions warily. "Why would you leave us to the care of them?" she droned.
The dark-haired hunter's eyes slowly closed.
Pained or humiliated. Not a good sign. Especially when he wanted us to take pity on this one who just insulted us with her obvious prejudice against Shifters.
Langston jerked her elbow.
She snapped her scowl back to him.
"Do not snarl at me," the warlord warned her. "I'm not the one who has an issue with Shifters."
So much for Langston's idea of one of us marking his daughter. No Shifter wanted a racist mate.
"Let me go," Sherry yelled, jerking her arm, trying to step away from him.
Futilely. The father had no intention of allowing her to leave. His gaze flicked to us.
Halting when finding mine.
The hunter opened his eyes. "She had a bad encounter in the past. Please don't hold her prejudice against Langston's other daughters."
Yes. The truth be known now. He'd expected the redhead's reaction all along. So it was my call. My choice to continue with this charade or wash my hands of a potential fiasco with an uncontrollable caustic female in our party's midst. Nor can we take her home and risk her escaping and informing Normals about our subterranean village.
Another lodge's door opened, spitting forth another female.
Taller. Dark hair like her sire's. But extremely long, pulled into a tail. And a shorter girl. One of eleven or ten. Both in blue jeans. Both wearing flannel shirts. The lined type that kept a person warm on cool autumn days. Sensible.
The older female paused, studying us from a distance, then snatched up the younger's hand and hustled toward what had to be a questionable scene by the way her pinched expression noted her confusion.
"Run, Elise," Sherry twisted and screamed where her sire gripped her arm.
The dark-haired female's gaze darted over us as if she wasn't certain whether to bolt or ignore her obviously insane sister. Three steps from her sire, she snapped a demanding stare on the warlord. "What are you doing to Sherry?"
The younger girl hung back like a lead weight.
Elise continued to pull her toward our little discussion.
It was almost crazy to leave. To miss the rest of the fireworks. Normals could really entertain a bored Shifter. At least on a good day. Besides, this Elise seemed rational. Not so slender and curvaceous. Probably because of her over-sized quilted shirt. But a wise female hid the things that attracted males most.
"I'm sending you all west," Langston finally replied.
Elise scanned our faces and mounts again.
Quickly. But long enough to lose the exaggerated assessing pinch in her mask. To flash us all with her calmer and more appealing intricately-carved nose and lips. "Why?"
Here stood the daughter sporting the intelligence to survive.
Something drew my thoughts back to find Langston studying me.
Scrutinizing my reaction.
"Will you take them?" His tone now sounded more hopeful than pleading.
The youngest threw herself under Elise's arm and
Langston's brown gaze slowly turned to his daughter.
"Why are you looking at me that way?" she instantly snapped.
"You and your sisters are going with these Guardians."
"What?" She eyed me and companions warily. "Why would you leave us to the care of them?" she droned.
The dark-haired hunter's eyes slowly closed.
Pained or humiliated. Not a good sign. Especially when he wanted us to take pity on this one who just insulted us with her obvious prejudice against Shifters.
Langston jerked her elbow.
She snapped her scowl back to him.
"Do not snarl at me," the warlord warned her. "I'm not the one who has an issue with Shifters."
So much for Langston's idea of one of us marking his daughter. No Shifter wanted a racist mate.
"Let me go," Sherry yelled, jerking her arm, trying to step away from him.
Futilely. The father had no intention of allowing her to leave. His gaze flicked to us.
Halting when finding mine.
The hunter opened his eyes. "She had a bad encounter in the past. Please don't hold her prejudice against Langston's other daughters."
Yes. The truth be known now. He'd expected the redhead's reaction all along. So it was my call. My choice to continue with this charade or wash my hands of a potential fiasco with an uncontrollable caustic female in our party's midst. Nor can we take her home and risk her escaping and informing Normals about our subterranean village.
Another lodge's door opened, spitting forth another female.
Taller. Dark hair like her sire's. But extremely long, pulled into a tail. And a shorter girl. One of eleven or ten. Both in blue jeans. Both wearing flannel shirts. The lined type that kept a person warm on cool autumn days. Sensible.
The older female paused, studying us from a distance, then snatched up the younger's hand and hustled toward what had to be a questionable scene by the way her pinched expression noted her confusion.
"Run, Elise," Sherry twisted and screamed where her sire gripped her arm.
The dark-haired female's gaze darted over us as if she wasn't certain whether to bolt or ignore her obviously insane sister. Three steps from her sire, she snapped a demanding stare on the warlord. "What are you doing to Sherry?"
The younger girl hung back like a lead weight.
Elise continued to pull her toward our little discussion.
It was almost crazy to leave. To miss the rest of the fireworks. Normals could really entertain a bored Shifter. At least on a good day. Besides, this Elise seemed rational. Not so slender and curvaceous. Probably because of her over-sized quilted shirt. But a wise female hid the things that attracted males most.
"I'm sending you all west," Langston finally replied.
Elise scanned our faces and mounts again.
Quickly. But long enough to lose the exaggerated assessing pinch in her mask. To flash us all with her calmer and more appealing intricately-carved nose and lips. "Why?"
Here stood the daughter sporting the intelligence to survive.
Something drew my thoughts back to find Langston studying me.
Scrutinizing my reaction.
"Will you take them?" His tone now sounded more hopeful than pleading.
The youngest threw herself under Elise's arm and
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