Cinderella's Guardian (10 page)

"The only time you've mentioned the broken chain was in my dream."

She whispered the words as a frown came down over her face.

"You didn't believe me when I told you I was really there, did you?"

"It was a dream, Conner. My fantasy come to life. I
wanted
you to be real. How can I believe it when my imagination could easily have come up with it? And walking in another's dreams, is...insane. It can't be real."

"Tina, it's all real. I am real. My love for you is very real. The dreams we share are called Dream Bonding. Only possible between a shifter and his destined mate."

Conner watched as Tina's face showed her every emotion as she tried to come to grips with the ideas he shared.

"Shifter. You- You expect me to believe that you turn into a big cat? Whenever you feel like it?"

He smiled as she cocked her brow at him.

"Sure do. Would you like a demonstration?"

"You're serious aren't you?"

"One hundred percent."

Conner could see the war going on behind Tina's emerald gaze. He stripped his shirt over his head and purred at her gasp. Unbuttoning his pants, he watched her eyes widen.

"What are you doing?"

"I'll shred my clothes if I shift in them. I need to strip first."

"But, in the dream, you had clothes after you shifted."

"Yeah, that was a trick in the dream. Real world doesn't work that way, unfortunately."

He continued to strip, thoroughly enjoying the blush that spread over her cheeks and down her neck as he revealed all of himself to his mate. With a sly grin, he called to his leopard, feeling the energy envelope him. Then he was gazing up at his rather shocked looking mate from his leopard's eyes. He padded slowly toward her, purring loudly. She pushed herself up in the bed, shying away from him. He lowered his head and whined. He didn't want her scared. He lowered himself down next to her bed and laid his head between his paws. He looked up at her, begging with his gaze that she accept him.

~ * ~

As the snow leopard lay still on the floor near her, Tina slowly relaxed from where she'd pushed up against the top of the bed. Conner was really a snow leopard. She rubbed her eyes, blinking to clear her vision.

He was still a cat, so she hadn't been hallucinating.

Very slowly, Tina slid from the bed, the cold of the floor seeping into the soles of her feet letting her know this wasn't another dream. She gripped the mattress tightly but couldn't prevent her legs giving out under her. As she crumpled, heading for a hard landing on the floor, the animal moved forward. She curled her hands through the thick fur on his neck as he pressed his large head against her tummy and lowered her gently to the floor with a small growl. It wasn't loud enough to scare her, but the message he wasn't impressed at her hurting herself was clear.

She'd wondered if he'd know her in this form, obviously he did. Just like in her dream, he'd saved her from harm. She arranged herself on the floor before reaching a hand out toward him. He tilted his massive head to press the top of it into her touch.
So soft
. Her breath hitched as she threaded her fingers deep into his thick coat. Purring, he nuzzled his face into her lap.

"You're real. You're really a snow leopard. And a man. How is this possible? I don't understand."

The huge animal stood, and after delivering a playful lick to her cheek stepped away from her before the ball of blue light engulfed him once more and Conner, the man reappeared. She didn't move as he slowly prowled toward her. He scooped her easily from the floor and sat on the bed with her on his lap. He stroked her hair behind her ears and kissed the edge of her mouth.

"There is a legend that explains our creation. Would it help you understand to hear it?"

She stroked her fingertips down Conner's smooth cheek, he'd obviously shaved when he'd gone home earlier. "I imagine it would help. Could you please tell me?"

"Okay, here goes. This is going to test my memory. Back in 1759 an old Tibetan monk and his young student realized the snow leopards were rapidly being hunted to extinction. They both spent a lot of time researching ways to save the animals. You see, the monks and snow leopards had lived in harmony for many years. Many of the monks had a close bond with an individual snow leopard. So when they found a solution, a way to combine a man with a beast, the young monk and his animal volunteered. Under the light of a new moon, the elder monk cast the spell. The magic worked, fusing together the two to form the first shifter. That wasn't the end of it, though. The magic was stronger than they had anticipated. Also, unbeknown to them, Halley's Comet was passing overhead at the time. The spell was strengthened by the comet, and also formed a bond with it. Along with Choden, the first shifter, a pair of mated shifters were conceived that night on each continent. Now, every time Halley's Comet passes Earth, another mated pair is conceived on each continent."

"Mated pair? My birth doesn't line up with Halley's Comet, Conner."

"No, baby doll. You're all human, don't worry. Each of those pairs went on to have families. I'm part of one of those families. Often, male shifters are aligned with a human mate. For some unknown reason, there are more male shifters born than females."

"So, I'm your
mate
? How do you know for certain?"

He nuzzled his face into her neck, inhaling against her skin. She felt goose bumps rise all over her body in response.

"The night before your twenty-first birthday we shared a dream, do you remember?"

"Of course I do. You saved me. You stopped my nightmares, I haven't had one since."

"Hmm, good to hear. Well, just before that one, I had a different dream. You see, a male shifter will see visions of his mate in his sleep, starting on her twenty-first birthday. I saw your white blond hair, then a flash of your stunning emerald eyes, followed by the spokes of your wheelchair. Most shifters can't tell from their first dream who their mate is. It can take decades for a male to find his mate from the hints he gets while he's sleeping. But I knew. Instantly, I knew it was you."

He pulled away from her neck and cradled her head in his palms.

"You are my mate, Tina. I love you and I will protect you forever. Please say yes." He finished off with a whisper and she frowned at his words. He hadn't asked any questions, what did he want her to say yes to?

"Tina, baby doll, would you marry me? Will you let me keep you safe and protected for the rest of our lives?"

Marriage!
Tina felt her eyes widen in shock, every drop of moisture in her mouth evaporated. She examined Conner's face intently. She detected no lies, no hidden agenda. His blue-gray gaze looked full of adoration with a touch of concern. He said he loved her, but did she love him? Could she marry when she wasn't sure? Look what happened to her parents. No. She was not her mother. She would never treat Conner in such a way. Surely, love would grow? And it did mean an escape from Robyn...

"Breathe, baby. Deep breaths."

Stars played at the edge of her vision as she sucked in air. She hadn't been aware she was holding her breath.

"Sorry, I was so caught up in my mind, I forgot to breathe for a moment."

Taking another deep breath and wetting her dry lips, she ran her fingertip down his nose and across his mouth. Leaning in and kissing Conner softly before pulling away just a fraction.

"I'm not certain I love you, Conner. I care for you. A lot. I can't deny the connection we have. I love the way you make me feel, the way you care for me."

"That bitch has made you doubt your worth. Look in your heart, Tina. Deep in your heart and soul, you know what I say is the truth. I. Love. You. And you are worthy of my love. I know you love me too. You just need some time to realize it yourself. I'll give you all the time you need, and I wish I didn't have to force this decision on you so early in our relationship, but I can't let Robyn continue to destroy you. You've tried twice now to end it all. I can't live in a world where you don't. Please, baby doll, allow me to protect and care for you. Say yes."

Closing her eyes against the tears that were flowing freely over her cheeks, she pressed her lips to his again, more of an intimate touch rather than a kiss.

"Yes, Conner. To all of it. Yes."

With a groan, Conner took over the kiss, hot, needy and passionate. He ate her alive. Her body burned for him. His hard erection rubbed over her hip as she continued to sit on his lap. As she felt heat bloom between her thighs, he pulled back with a sharp inhale.

"Someone's coming."

Leaving her on the bed, he raced over to his clothes and quickly dressed. Tina was in awe, supernatural speed was amazing to watch. She heard footsteps outside the door as Conner came back to her, scooping her up in his arms. There was a sharp knock on the door moments before Dr. Maynard came into the room.

"Ah, so you're up and looking much healthier, Tina. Do you mind if you hop back into bed so I can check your vitals?"

Tina grinned as Conner settled her on the bed with a tender kiss to her cheek. He really was too good to be true. Her very own knight in shining armor had ridden in to save her. Or rather, prowled in as a cat and saved her.

~ * ~

"Hey kiddo, how would you like to come shopping with me again?"

He watched with a grin as Kelly sat up straighter.

"What are we buying this time?"

"I need a very special something this time. Can you keep a secret, Kelly?"

"I'm thirteen years old, Uncle Conner. Of course I can keep a secret."

He chuckled at her as he leaned in to whisper in her ear, "I asked Tina to marry me and she said yes."

Kelly squealed and wrapped her arms around Conner's neck to hug him. His ears rung from her pitch but he didn't mind. After the years of abuse she'd lived through, watching her be so happy was worth it.

"Awesome! I get to be a bridesmaid again."

He pulled back and tapped her nose. "Trust you to think of that. Cheeky girl."

"So you want to go back to the jewelry shop? For a ring?"

"Precisely. Think you can help me find one that's perfect? You know she loves the pendant you helped me pick out."

Before Conner could get the keys out of his pocket, Kelly had raced toward his green Prado. With a shake of his head, he followed her.

Ten minutes later they pulled up outside Rosebery Jewels. With Kelly all but vibrating with excitement, they headed into the store. Conner was pretty sure he would have been able to select the perfect ring for Tina, but Kelly had enjoyed their last trip here so much, he wanted her to share the experience. That, and being able to give the kid good memories to replace all those shitty ones was a good feeling.

"I think it needs a green stone. To match her eyes."

Kelly's memory astounded him. "You really do remember her from that one time you've seen her, don't you?"

"Of course I do. I told you before, the sadness I saw in her eyes was what used to be in mine. Not something I forget when I see it. That and they were such a pretty green."

"Well, I agree. Her eyes are a stunning Emerald green."

"But you still have to have diamonds on it, Uncle Conner. A girl has to have diamonds."

He chuckled, even though he fully agreed Tina's ring needed diamonds. "You've been watching too much TV, young lady."

He regretted his words the moment they left his mouth as he watched her face drop.

"TV was all I had."

Shit. Now I've really put my foot in it.

"I know, Kelly. I didn't really mean it, I was just mucking around. I'm sorry."

He pulled her into his chest and gave her a tight hug before releasing her. The action still felt awkward, he'd never done emotion well. Except with Tina. With her, it was as natural as breathing. A tug on his hand pulled him from his thoughts.

"Oh! It's perfect, come see, Uncle Conner."

He followed where Kelly's finger pointed with his gaze and sucked in his breath. It was perfect. A white gold setting with a large oval emerald in the center, flanked by two brilliant cut diamonds with a couple of diamond chips inlaid around them. The thing that really set the ring off was the thin white gold band that curled over above the emerald. The ring looked modern, yet elegant. Tina would love it, he was certain.

"You nailed it again, Kelly. That is the perfect choice for Tina."

He caught the attention of a sales assistant and made quick work of the purchase.

He couldn't wipe the grin from his face. He had a fiancé. His mate was soon going to be his. He glanced at Kelly who sat in the passenger seat. She was holding the ring box open and turning it so the sun would glint off the gems in different ways.

"What are you doing there?"

"Just seeing all the different angles and lines. The ring looks fabulous, but when you just look at a small part, like this little bit here"—she pointed to the intricate setting that held the diamonds in place—"it's still brilliant. Every little bit of it."