My Guardian

She shrugged. "Maybe."

"I thought we were not wearing masks with each other?" He leaned forward and brushed his nose against hers.

"Fine! I'm a badass. Happy?"

"Very, actually. I will still worry, of course, but it makes me feel better that you can shred a man's chest if he tries to harm you."

"So what are they after, these crazy new ferals?"

"Meryn has informed me that they call these new ferals 'reapers' because they steal shifter's souls. They have been killing pregnant female shifters to harvest the soul of the unborn child to act as a container to house the souls of the shifter parents. This gives the reapers the abilities of the shifters they kill."

Eva felt ill. That's why they had been after Josie. "How do they become invisible? I didn't even smell them approaching."

"They have hunted the chameleon shifters to the point of extinction. They have also discovered that since the necklace contains souls, it completely stops the decay process, hence no smell."

Eva felt ice flood her veins. "They could be anywhere, anyone, and we wouldn't know until it was too late."

"Yes."

Eva rolled on to her back and stared up at the ceiling. The council was right. If this information got out, people would panic, never knowing if the person sitting beside them was one of the ones hunting them down. Last week, her biggest worry was if she'd ordered enough beer. Now, she was scared to death for her fellow shifters. This was like losing her parents all over again. She hated the feeling of being hunted.

"You know we will do everything we can, do you not?"

"You're referring to all the unit warriors, not just the ones that report to you aren't you?"

Adriel snaked an arm around her waist and pulled her body close to his. At first, she thought that she would get too hot; it's why she usually hated spooning. Eventually, her shifter temperature would be too much for her. But his skin was slightly cool to the touch. Absently, she ran her fingers over his arm. "You feel good."

"Not too cold?"

"No, am I too warm?"

"No, it feels amazing."

"So the porridge is just right," she joked.

Behind her, he chuckled. "I think we are a perfect fit in every way."

"Tell me about Gavriel."

Under her fingers, his muscles tensed.

"Why do you ask?"

"Because I noticed you looked at everyone in the room except for him; I'm curious as to why."

"Long version or short version?"

"Let's start with short, and I'll ask questions."

"Basically, I think he is lying about who he is. The name Ambrosios died out nearly five thousand years ago, right after the Great War. Then, six hundred years ago, he pops up out of nowhere and joins Alpha and the House is re-established."

Eva thought about what he said. "Wouldn't your prince have verified his claim?"

"He says he has, but I know for a fact he is not being truthful."

"How are you so certain?"

"I have the Book of Life for the royal House of Ambrosios. Prince Magnus did not check the book to ascertain whether Gavriel was telling the truth."

"Why do you have it? Your last name is Aristaios."

"Now, we are getting into the long story. My great-great-great grandmother was human. After her mate was killed, his relatives ostracized her. Instead of keeping his name, Ambrosios, she changed it so that they could not find her. Over the centuries, changing the name has become somewhat of a tradition. The last incarnation was chosen around the time I was born when my parents decided to return to a vampire led city. My mother picked Aristaios to honor my great-great-great grandmother and, in her own way, trick the vampires who lived here."

"Why was it a trick?"

"Because Aristaios is the name of the Greek god that was born of Apollo and a human woman. Someone immortal and someone mortal."

"That's ingenious. Why did you never claim Ambrosios?"

She felt him shrug. "There was no point. After my parents' deaths, I was promoted to unit leader for Eta. I am happy commanding the men. I did not want to associate with the families that had turned mine out into the cold for something beyond their control. I am happy as I am."

"Gavriel doesn't seem like a bad person. Besides claiming the name, has he asked for any family money or used the name to pull rank?"

"That is the confusing thing; he has not. Not once. Every week, I go down and check the family vault for House Ambrosios, and nothing has been taken. If anything, he has eschewed any attempts my prince has tried in giving the man privileges and rank. He simply uses the name."

"Then I wouldn't let it bother you. He may have his own reasons for claiming the name. If it isn't hurting anyone by letting him use it, then I don't think it's worth any hard feelings. Maybe you should try to get to know him better. He may tell you why." For a moment, Eva feared that she had overstepped her bounds. She barely knew her mate. Who was she to tell him how to feel?

"Do you really think so?"

She breathed a sigh of relief; he wasn't mad. "I really do. I've never seen any male so attentive to their mate as that man was to your Bethy. Except for maybe the bear. He seemed like the type to rampage first and ask questions later."

Adriel grunted. "At least he is a good mate to Bethy, I will give him that. He has kept her alive practically all by himself, and that is saying something. I will do as you suggest and try to get to know him better, but I still do not like that he is lying."