Chapter 0518


    “Six weeks until my birthday and | can’t believe you think you’re going to go on


    dates with me.”


    “| didn’t say | was going on dates with you, | said you wouldn’t be going on any dates without me, meaning, | am the only one


    taking you out for the next six. weeks.”


    “Un-freaking—believable.”


    “Get used to it. Now, are you ready?”


    “Ready for what?”


    “Dinner. You and | have a dinner date.”


    “Wrong. Cali and | have dinner ns.”


    “Is that so?” | ask, looking over at Calista and Anders. Lily follows my eyes and | watch her lips press into a thin line.


    “Fine.”


    “Fine.” | say, before steering her to my car. “Let''s get you fed.”


    It takes a while to get her to thaw after that. Dinner isn’t exactly easy


    conversation.


    Finally, I’ve had enough. “Lily, what part of you being in danger isn’t clear?”


    “It''s not about being in danger, Clint.”


    Then what is it?


    | watch as she pokes her apple pie dessert around her te. | soften my voice. “I can’t help if | don’t know what the problem is,


    Lily bud.”


    She closes her eyes for longer than a blink before looking up at me. “You shouldn’t have to be saddled with me just because


    we''re both Guardians.”


    “Saddled with you? Is that what you think?” | ask, surprised that this is the direction her mind has taken her.


    “| know you''re doing this because you feel like you have a duty to protect the only other Guardian in the world. You''re not


    obligated to look out for me.”


    | lean forward, making sure | have her full attention. “I volunteered for your guard duty, Lily.”


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    “That’s my point. You have some weird need to protect me as a Guardian.”


    “No. It has nothing to do with you being a Guardian.”


    “Then why?”


    This is probably the only thing I’m not ready to be honest with her about. | don’t want her to know that she’s my mate. | want her


    to want to be my mate when she realizes what she is to me.


    “| like you, Lily. | wanted to date you before | knew you were a Guardian. I’ve told you several times, | want to get to know you


    better. | want to know everything about you. And, news sh, the more | know, the more | want to know. That has nothing to do


    with you being a Guardian, that has to do with you being Lily Raines.”


    “It''s only a matter of time before you get bored with me.”


    “Where is thising from Lily? First, you didn’t want toy with me earlier and now you''re talking about me getting bored with


    you. What''s going on?”


    “It''s nothing. Are you ready to go?”


    | reach out and take her hand. “Talk to me.” | say earnestly.


    I can see in her eyes that she’s debating telling me. | knew something happened. Whatever it is, | need to make sure she


    understands that there is nothing in this world that will make me lose interest in her.


    “Everyone is saying it. Even Oliver said it earlier.”


    Asshole Oliver said a lot. I’m not sure what, specifically, she’s referring to. “Help me out, Lily. What is everyone saying?”


    She breaks eye contact with me and looks down again, but | refuse to release her hand when she goes to pull away.


    When she looks back up at me, there is defiance in her eyes. “I know you''re just doing this because I’m a Guardian. Everyone


    can see that you are only spending all this time with me because of what I am. | get it. You feel some sort of responsibility to


    what we are. That''s fine. It’s just....with everything that happened on the roof...| just....I lost sight of what our rtionship is.”


    The fuck?


    “But don’t worry. I’m totally on board. | get it, | know that you are just doing your duty as a Guardian and there’s nothing more to it


    than that.”


    This restaurant is full. There are members of our pack, members of our


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    neighboring pack, ranked members, warriors, pups, even others from our school. | nod my head at her, and | swear | can see her


    sadness at what she thinks is my agreement with her assessment. My heart flutters a bit. | hope she’s starting to feel something


    for me.


    I stand up, never letting go of her hand. | pull her to her feet. “Oh, are we ready to go?” She asks.


    “No.” | say, before | pull her to me and take her mouth in a kiss that anyone with two eyes can see is me iming her. When she


    starts to pull away, | wrap my hands in her hair, tilting her head to deepen the kiss. | growl softly as | feel her begin to melt


    against me.


    When | feel like I’ve made my point, | pull away, seeing her eyes looking a little dazed.


    “Never, for one moment, think that this is only about you being a Guardian. You are mine, Lily.”


    Cooper


    Author


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