Bernie (Guardians In Love Book 3) Read online

  My hands tightened on the handle of my weapon, prepared to fight when words had grown sour and only actions could say what truly needed to be said.

  Chapter Five

  ~***~

  “I’m sure I don’t know what you mean,” Bernard chimed happily, walking forward and taking to the space in front of me. Whether he guarded me intentionally, I couldn’t say. But by his attitude, I couldn’t really figure anything out at all.

  The strange leader walked in a slow back and forth from side to side, surrounded by eight other men and one woman, whose body was similarly toned to the men she came with and shifting over the dirt path with an eagerness to attack.

  The leader’s sandy, golden hair gleamed in the sunlight, his body perspiring slightly, which was more than likely from the heat and run he’d probably taken part of in order to get here. Nothing about him would suggest he was concerned with facing the two highly trained Guardians, or an unknown person with unknown abilities such as myself. Actually, there was a confidence in his step that would suggest an entire lack of concern towards me, and he seemed completely at home with the two beside me.

  So, they must know each other intimately.

  The leader of the man-beasts walked languidly forward, smile never faltering. “Oh, I’m sure you do, and it’s about damn time we settled our little strife…oh great King of the Tigers.”

  King of the Tigers? Was that some sort of nickname, or did it have a purpose similar to my brother’s?

  Bernard’s arms grew taut, shoulders hunched up in a momentary response of shock before his body loosened and he looked over his shoulder at me. “Would but can’t, Danny-boy. I’ve got me a lady-friend to see to.”

  The Guardian turned back to face the leader of the group, but I noticed the way his voice had changed; the way it got deeper and unexpectedly dominant in tone. “We’ll have to catch up a bit later, yeah?” Bernard suggested, but everything in his demeanor and the stiffness of his body indicated it wasn’t a friendly proposal.

  It was a warning.

  To another, one that didn’t harbor my perceptive capabilities and keen eye for distinctive nuances, Bernard appeared his usual level of playfulness. Nothing was amiss in his normally spirited regard of our enemies as they leered at him, practically salivating with the eagerness to attack. But I perceived him differently in the way his sharp eyes never faltered and seemed to be judging how best to deal with the leader that was bent on fighting.

  Bernard was touching his hat leisurely, using it to fan his face with a long, exaggerated breath as he feigned ignorance to the ominous way the group of man-beasts closed in on us. The nonchalant Guardian’s lips were upturned with a welcoming smile that harbored almost no sign of upset. But there was a fire in his stare unlike his usual joyful glint, and that was yet another reason I knew that Bernard was wary of who these man-beasts were. And by the way the two spoke, there was a clear history between them.

  Every member of the attack party took their respective places, creating a horseshoe pattern around us. It was the first tactical position I’d use to close in on an enemy, but it was one that carried flaw, and I knew that I could easily overcome such odds with a few moves of my own.

  I watched each person along the line, some more than others. Most of them expressed equal levels of excitement for attacking but none of the confidence that they could. Except two. Those two I identified as Seconds with the way they moved before the others and appeared every bit as confident as their leader that they would get theirs.

  Trusted right-hands. Good. I’d get them first.

  Carl walked forward, standing beside Bernard with the crossing of his arms and feet spaced appropriately apart, as if the two of them hoped to shield me from the prying eyes of the group. With our position, it wouldn’t do much. We were outnumbered three to one. If they intended to play protectors to me, then it was five to one and they wouldn’t be able to overcome those kinds of odds without serious tactical calculations. Of course, seeing how they were Guardians, I only assumed they were prepared for such odds.

  Gripping my sword, I eyed the first of the right-hands I intended to attack. But before I could move, Bernard was laughing and slapping Carl’s shoulder with brutal strength.

  “Don’t get all antsy, Carl. I’m sure Danny knows just who he challenges today. Maybe a one-on-one wouldn’t be such a bad idea?”

  Carl’s jaw worked as I walked forward to stand beside them, causing Bernard’s eyes to flicker over to me. “Bernie,” Carl said shortly, eyes straying to me when I stood beside Bernard, “that isn’t a good idea at all. We need to escort our companion to her final destination.”

  Bernard shrugged his shoulders, looking at the leader. “Guess it’s a no-go, Danny. Let’s make a date for next time, you old stud you.”

  “You’re not going to get away this time, Bernie,” the leader shouted sharply, fingernails sharpening as he lifted one hand, “I’m not in the mood for games. I’m here to reclaim what is rightfully mine.”

  I lifted my sword, prepared to fight, but Bernard laughed again, stalling me. He walked a step towards the leader, fanning himself with his hand and giggling. “You’re so handsome when you get all demanding and huffy like this, Danny. Fine, I accept your challenge, but only ‘cause you used your manly wiles on me.”

  I couldn’t even begin to fathom what Bernard was on about. Was this some sort of distraction so that they could form a plan? I’d have to admit, it was clever.

  Carl clicked his tongue. “Bernie.”

  “Y’all are so fussy. I can only please one of you at a time. Ladies first, of course.” Bernard pressed his hat into his chest, bowing to the lady in the group and then beaming a seductive smile at her with an unsubtle wink when she startled with his abrupt attention.

  It had evidently taken her off guard, because she was suddenly shifting her body, her eyes widening briefly before she snarled angrily at the Guardian. But she had already given herself away. For some odd reason, his attention had caused her to fumble slightly. The leader’s eyes shot over to her, the look making her hackle up and frown with shame. It was a dynamic that I’d witnessed a time or two when dealing with creatures that worked in groups, submissive to an alpha.

  Quite intriguing to watch play out much like other battles I’d partaken in.

  “But like the gentleman I am, Danny, I have some stipulations,” Bernard added, smiling as he always did as he shoved his hat back onto his head, “One-on-one, where I want, when I want it. I’m not putting my lady-friend in danger because you and I have something to settle. That’s the only way I’ll take your challenge, Danny-boy.”

  The leader glanced at his collective group, seemingly thinking over Bernard’s proposal. He growled low in his throat, giving Bernard a glare before he fingered through his hair with obvious frustration. Then, after taking another minute to pace, he walked forward. My foot pushed into the dirt floor, ready to defend against an attack, but Bernard just smiled as the leader got within inches of his face, sneering angrily.

  “One week,” the leader said shortly, “At the old den. You, by yourself, no friends.”

  “You’re such a charmer. You know just what to say to get this cowboy going!” Bernard cooed cutely, hands clasped up against his face with a flamboyant flair to his voice that I’d only seen a few of my kind match to perfection in the last half century.

  I was starting to wonder if Bernard had an affection for men. Normally, I was able to depict it in their mannerisms if they did. But with Bernard, I found my usual ability for concluding whether or not he was didn’t seem to work like it had in the past.

  Some things I could figure out about him, but other times, I was left mystified by the actions he took; the words he chose to say. It was the very reason I found myself so taken with him. I wanted to know more about this man that acted upon whim and spoke without filtering himself. Or perhaps, he was filtering. Perhaps, he was even feigning a persona like myself.

  Not much was clear at this
point. So, while it would be surprising that he had an affection for men, it wasn’t uncommon to come across, even in our realm. There were many that proclaimed themselves as having an attraction for their own gender.

  I knew that it was one of many reasons Vlad didn’t accept his place as royalty, nor had he conceded to a betrothal to a woman of Father’s choosing. He had rejected it the very moment Father had even uttered the possible match. No matter what Yaniv or I said to him, Vlad had refused to believe he was ever accepted by us. He believed that we would think his affection unnatural and unseemly. But unlike our judgmental father and siblings, Yaniv and I never saw any wrong in it.

  I could only really speak for myself, but I loved him dearly and would do whatever I could to convince Vlad of that. Even if that meant I had to beat it into him.

  By the time I regained focus on the situation at hand, the group of man-beasts had disappeared from view, leaving the three of us standing where we’d been left. I peered around the area closely, hoping to see where they had run off to, but I was unable to find anything to clue me to the direction they had taken. Pursuit would be ill-advised at this point anyway, as we had very little to defend against an entire group of highly trained man-beasts. Not that I really believed they could overcome us, but I wasn’t in any position to argue with Bernard’s decision to let them escape.

  My eyes naturally found Bernard again, taking in the sight of his powerful form as he breathed out a deep breath and fiddled with his hat. His strong body almost appeared to be larger for a brief moment as he scratched the back of his head, letting it fall back and angle towards the sky as he exhaled again; his face masked by the bright glow of daylight. It was a breathtaking sight to behold, if only it hadn’t immediately followed the unexpected threat of an enemy that was neither truly friend nor foe.

  What Danny was to Bernard, I might never know.

  Bloody hell, my thoughts had run away with me again. I found this an unfortunate side effect since partnering up with the incessantly intriguing Bernard.

  Carl made a throaty noise, drawing my gaze back over to him. “Just fantastic. Are you even sure that he’s going to live up to his part of the deal, you idiot?!”

  Bernard chuckled, throwing an arm around Carl’s shoulders and holding his irate brother close. “He will. He’s a stickler for the rules, you know that. He could’ve attacked us, but he didn’t.”

  “Stickler for the rules?” Carl laughed without humor. “That’s not how I remember it. Besides, I’m not really sure I know anything after all these years,” Carl grumbled.

  “Who were they?” I asked, unable to keep the question from fleeing my mouth, “They appeared to be the same sort of man-beast you two are.”

  Bernard pivoted on a heel, smile radiant. “Oh, my sweet princess, you do care!”

  I knew that sparkle anywhere, and it was assuredly going to result in heavy punishment. I couldn’t suppress the excited feeling tingling through my body with the prospects of touching Bernard, even if just to slam him to the floor with all my strength.

  The Guardian came at me full-speed, but I easily slipped down into a crouch and rolled his large body over my back, bringing my leg swooping down after him in a smooth arc when he hit the ground and pinning him to it with a dense thud. Bernard coughed as my leg connected with his abdomen, knocking the wind out of him just before my dagger shot out and touched his throat. I watched him minutely before withdrawing and standing to my full five-foot-one.

  Carl came to stand beside me, smirking. “I hope it’s not forward of me to say so, Nyla, but you are incredible at bringing my idiot brother to his knees,” the well-dressed Guardian said shortly in admiration, snickering as Bernard got to his knees and panted through the residual pain of my attack.

  Bernard jumped up finally when he had recovered from the brutal hit, dusting off his body as it had nearly been painted brown with dirt. “A girl on top? Bernie likes. She hits so good, Carl. You wouldn’t believe this little thing packed such a powerful punch, but she does. She really, really does.”

  When I touched my sword, Bernard was quickly explaining, “A compliment, princess! A compliment!”

  Carl chuckled into his fist, motioning towards the way we had been going before we were attacked. “Let’s get inside so we can explain this little debacle. I think the lady is owed that much.”

  I was once more charmed by Carl’s perceptive abilities.

  I nodded at the measurably more astute brother as he started forward, but my eyes were inadvertently tracking back to where Bernard was standing and dusting himself off. He pulled up his shirt, exposing hard muscle that flexed as he waved the fabric through the air and coughed abruptly when the dust billowed right into his face.

  I had the oddest inclination to take a bite out of his stomach, the golden flesh gleaming prettily in the gorgeous daylight. Thankfully, I was able to recover from my momentary infatuation with his musculature and admonish myself for the inappropriate thoughts.

  And when my silver eyes finally fixed to luminous amber, Bernard was already looking and beaming his signature smile at me. From first gander, one might think he was unaffected by what had previously transpired. But from my slow, deliberate observation in the seconds that followed, I knew he was everything but.

  His jaw was strained ever so slightly. His body, while the typical playful movement would suggest he was back to normal, harbored a miniscule difference in the way it moved, which was stiffer than usual; at least from what I knew of Bernard in the last few hours we had been together.

  However, my eyes were trained to pick up on these slight alterations in movements and facial expressions, particularly where a battle was concerned. While seemingly slight and inconsequential, they could mean the difference of falling to your death or claiming absolute victory.

  So, while Bernard may fool others, none of it got past my clever perception as he came over, offering me his elbow like he planned to escort me inside. As practiced as I was at dealing with others, I discovered belatedly that I was unprepared for the strong reaction to being intimately connected to Bernard in such a way.

  I got to touch him!

  I calmed the raging internal giggling at the prospects of the hat-wearing Guardian escorting me inside the large home. It would be considered impolite not to accept the gesture, seeing how royalty like myself often required an escort. But something about it being Bernard who did it made my pulse race with no sign of slowing no matter what I might try.

  I could feel the radiating heat of his body from where I currently stood. How hot would he be to touch? How would it feel to take hold of the golden flesh I had been inappropriately enamored with since meeting the Guardian? What might my reactions be when I felt the thrum of his life beneath my fingertips?

  I couldn’t quite make sense of my own thoughts, really. It had never occurred like this before, especially since I was convinced he was very likely attracted to men. Inside, however, my thoughts ran mad with the very notion of touching his skin of my own volition, and it made my head go fuzzy and face become feverish as Bernard bent towards me, gesturing for me to take hold of his arm. There was a simple eloquence and beauty to the gesture that sent my already racing heart into chaos.

  Oh my god, how sweet was he!

  My eyes followed the line of his arm, picking up on the glossy shine of scarring all along the surface. Many of the scars were light and faded, because of time healing and aging them, but there were others that were freshly healed and hadn’t faded at all. I wanted to ask him more than anything about every single scar and where it originated from, but I held back and merely stared at them with open interest.

  Bernard grinned, winking before he thought better of it. Pulling myself together, I took hold of his arm, surprising him by the slight widening of his eyes. I let my palm touch the warm flesh of his bicep for the briefest moment before sliding my arm all the way through and linking us together.

  Clearing my throat, I nodded towards where his brother had wa
lked off ahead of us. “Lead the way, Bernard.”

  ~*~

  I held an oddly shaped cup in my hands, steam rising from it as Bernard sunk down next to me onto the sofa with a deep sigh of appreciation. I peered into the cup curiously, unused to the brown color and little bobbing white things that littered the top of it. Carl sat down in a chair near the sofa, glaring at his brother who had thrown an arm around the back of the couch we currently sat and dared to scoot closer to me.

  Eyes flicking up from the inside of my cup, I looked at the much-too-close man-beast as he leered at me, mouth lifted upwards and hair in utter disarray after he had discarded his hat onto his lap. I glanced at my sword, which was propped up against the arm of the couch, ready. When I looked back over to Bernard, he offered me a toothy grin, eagerly awaiting his punishment.

  Definitely a masochist. It made me eager to deal out more reprimand just to see him squirm and then recover. Sort of like a game, I enjoyed it too much.

  Carl sighed, throwing something across the space and hitting Bernard square in the face. Bernard let out a loud ‘oof’ before he giggled with excitement and gave Carl more reason to sigh.

  “It’s hot chocolate,” Bernard informed me as I gazed into the cup I held once more, hesitating to drink from it.

  “And the white things? Are they hot chocolate, too?” I couldn’t help but ask, baffled by what sort of tonic they were trying to make me consume.

  Bernard’s expression was pure elation. “Those are the best part, princess! Fluffy, sweet, delicious marshmallows. I put in extra just for my favorite girl.”

  My eyebrow rose slightly. “What sort of concoction is this?”

  “No concoction. It’s a drink. Like tea or coffee, but sweet and warm, just like me! Go ahead, give me a try.”

  I laughed inside, completely taken with his child-like eagerness as he encouraged me to drink. He had changed his shirt, wearing another one that featured words that I didn’t quite understand—much like the first.