Page 13 of Awakened By Her Guardian

They fit together like they’d been made for each other, and he was sure that was exactly how it was supposed to be. They might be stuck in Northernmost for a few weeks, but he’d do anything to keep her safe.

Turning his attention to the night ahead, he reached out to Matthias, one of the elves who worked in the cafeteria.

When the call was answered, he said, “I need your help to plan something incredible for my mate for dinner.”

“I’ve got just the thing.”

After three days in Northernmost with her sexy mate, Ana was falling hard for Gabriel. He was so sweet and funny, knew just how to touch her to drive her wild, and had a protective streak a mile long.

But despite the fun dates, walks through the buildings, and meals with his cousins, their mates, and the other Guardians, they had to get back to their lives at some point.

“Ugh, I’d like to stay in bed,” Gabriel said as he shoved his feet into his boots. “I’m not ready to go back to reality yet.”

“Me either,” she said. She was thankful Aralyn had brought the large suitcase Ana’s mother had packed for her, which included her favorite fur-lined parka. She dressed in layers and added the necklace Gabriel had given her the night before after their date, which he’d bought from a shop in the main building. The silver snowflake had been etched with their names in delicate script.

“So I really won’t be able to see you?” he asked as they left the apartment and walked to the security office.

“I think you’ll be able to feel me because of our connection as mates, but no, you won’t be able to see me. Slumber magic is designed to protect the dream walkers so people won’t interfere with our work.”

He gave a disgruntled grumble. “As long as you’re safe in Northernmost, I’ll get over not being able to see your beautiful face whenever I want. It’s been great having these last few days together.”

“I agree. I’ve loved every second.”

“Oh?” he asked, glancing at her. “Even when we went ice skating on the pond, and you realized you couldn’t do it?”

She’d fallen so many times, but she’d never laughed so much in her life.

Bumping his arm, she grinned. “I loved that too.”

They paused outside the security office, and he smiled down at her, his eyes simmering with the amber of his wolf. “You’re precious to me, Ana. I’m crazy about you.”

The words were there, on the tip of her tongue, but she held them back. For now. Because saying the three most important words wasn’t something you did for the first time before you went to work. “I’m crazy about you too.”

Time froze for a moment as they stared at each other, neither saying the words that clearly hung in the air between them. Then they both chuckled, and he opened the door to the office.

While Gabriel donned his security parka, Ana took a walkie from Willow, one of the security team members.

Willow smiled and pointed to the side button. “Press and hold this while you’re talking. Anyone with a walkie will hear what you’re saying.”

“So no sexy chatter,” Alder, another security member, said with a laugh.

“Got it,” Ana said.

“And this is the panic button,” Willow said, pointing to the red button at the top. “Press that and it sends an alarm to every walkie, the security office, and Santa’s office.”

“Hopefully I won’t have to press it,” Ana said. She put the walkie in her parka pocket and turned to find Gabriel in his thick parka, smiling at her.

“Ready, sweets?” he asked, holding out a gloved hand.

“You bet.”

“Be safe out there,” Willow said. “Griffin and Hawthorne are already on patrol, and they know Ana will be around but not visible because of her magic.”

They said goodbye and left the office, heading toward the security door that would lead them outside.

“Ready?” Gabriel asked, looking down at her.

“Ready.” He gave her a kiss and she immediately wished they hadn’t left the apartment. He hummed in a wolfy way, and she smiled. “I always thought I’d live with the other dream walkers and my family, but now I can’t imagine being anywhere but here with you.”