Cherish (The Guardian Series Book 3) Read online

  Copyright © 2018 by K.B. Wheelock

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Contents

  Author’s Note

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Chapter 37

  Chapter 38

  Chapter 39

  Chapter 40

  Epilogue

  About K.B. Wheelock

  Where to Find K.B. Wheelock

  A Small Request

  Books by K.B. Wheelock

  Cherish your human connections:

  your relationships with friends and family.

  ~Joseph Brodsky

  Author’s Note

  Láng Rén are the Chinese werewolf.

  Huli Jing are from Chinese mythology. They are fox shifters that take the human form of beautiful young women; most are dangerous, but some are featured as the heroines of love stories.

  Jinmenju are from Japanese folklore. They are trees that grow in remote mountain areas. The fruit resembles human faces and are said to laugh as people walk by.

  Chapter One

  Keyne

  Hidden in the shadows of the forest, he watched as the little girl ran to the woman lying in the sun. The small pixie jumped on the woman’s back and giggles filled the meadow as the woman tipped the girl off her back.

  “Again, Momma. Again.”

  “No, Asha, not now. Where’s your sister?” the auburn-haired woman replied. She stood and picked the little girl up before tossing her into the air and catching her. She pulled her into her chest and kissed her neck until giggles filled the meadow again. “I wish I could bottle that sound up and keep it forever.”

  “Naza is hiding,” Asha said between gasps of air.

  “Hiding, is she? Well, maybe we should go find her.”

  “Uh-uh,” the little imp said. “She want daddies find her.”

  Keyne pushed his body to be corporeal and stepped out of the trees he had been standing under. “She wants her daddies, does she? And I guess my Little Mouse wants us as well, does she?” He pulled Asha from her mother’s arms and tipped her over his shoulder, holding onto her feet with one hand. While gales of laughter filled the meadow once more, he pulled Rose to him and kissed her.

  “Yes, I want her daddies, too,” she whispered.

  Gris

  Gris was in the kitchen when Rose, Keyne, and the two girls came in from the meadow. The little girls were sweaty, their knees grass stained. Rose wasn’t much better, with her hair curling wildly around her head while small damp ringlets plastered to her skin.

  “Daddy!” yelled one of the little ebony-haired tornados. Her small black-speckled gray wings flapped as she ran to Gris and hugged his legs.

  Gris bent down and picked her up. “How’s my little girl?” He pretended to eat her neck until she giggled.

  “Hungy, and Asha wouldn’t play.” She pouted, her green eyes looking up through her lashes at her father.

  He wanted to laugh at how serious she was and at the same time thought that in another ten to twelve years he would be chaining her to her bed and locking the door to keep the boys away. The little imp was mastering her flirting techniques at a young age.

  “Asha wouldn’t play? Why’s that, Asha?” He looked to his other daughter. Her black hair and wings were identical to her sisters.

  “I no want hide,” the little pixie said, sticking her thumb in her mouth.

  Gris laughed. “Naza, you know that you can’t always play what you want. Now how about you go help set the table with your sister and Keyne, while I finish dinner?” He set the little girl down, patting her butt as she ran to obey. He reached toward Rose, pulling her into him. His body instantly reacted to her scent and touch.

  “Yum, I think I could have you for dinner,” he whispered as he kissed her. “How about we play a game of hide and seek?” He kissed her again, pulling her lip into his mouth.

  She melted against him until he pulled away, both of them gasping for breath.

  “Who needs food after that kiss?” Rose said.

  “Sadly, if I don’t finish cooking this, our stomachs will be complaining tonight,” Gris said, releasing Rose, so he could stir the sauce cooking on the stove.

  “Maybe I’ll go find somewhere else to have my dinner, or should I say someone else for my dinner?” Rose teased as she sashayed out of the kitchen.

  He growled at her purposefully provocative stroll. “Why don’t you shift into your mouse form and see if the cat will have you for dinner?” Gris laughed at his own wit.

  It felt good to be laughing and joking about their bond. The first couple years of their relationship had been hard—being captured by the Reditus Coelus, Rose’s pregnancy and family ties, working through the logistics of being mated three times, Rose being kidnapped by Esson, and Cullen joining the mating bond.

  But the past three years had been the best years of his life. The twins, the embodiment of prophecy, were the joy of his life. And with four fathers, the little sprites were spoiled rotten, but at the same time couldn’t get away with anything. Rose had come into her own. She knew she was loved and desired, and instead of wanting to shrink into the background as she had when he’d met her, she now was the star of everything.

  Chapter Two

  Keyne

  Keyne turned to the girls. “Asha, please get the napkins out. Naza, you can put the silverware on the plates.” He pulled out some forks to give the little girl, then carried the plates to the table. Meals were a family affair, with everyone taking time to sit together and talk.

  “Asha, did you and Mummy have fun?” he asked the little girl, watching as she reached up to the drawer and pulled the napkins out.

  “Yes, Mommy tickled me,” she said, reaching up to put a napkin on each plate as Keyne set them down. As soon as the last napkin was set on the table, she ran out of the dining room. Keyne watched her leave but was more focused on his other daughter.

  “Naza, what did you do?” he asked.

  “I play.” She reached up to put a fork on the table. Her little tongue stuck out of the side of her mouth as she concentrated on the task she’d been given.

  “Where’d you play?” he asked. He was always afraid that someone would discover where they were hidden. Thea had made sure that they had the strongest boundaries she could. Besides the seven of them, Thea was the only one who could cross the borders. But if the little ones were to cross the borders into unprotected lands, anyone could take them.

  “In da twees.” She looked up at her father as he knelt down in front of her.

  �
�Naza, you know better than going into the trees. They aren’t safe for you.”

  Naza’s eyes pooled, and big tears dripped down her cheeks. “Dada mad?”

  “No honey, Daddy isn’t mad, just . . . worried. Bad things can be in the forest. That is why Momma tells you to stay in the meadow.”

  “I sowey.” The little girl threw herself into her father’s arms, crying.

  He held her close, comforting her. She was such a free spirit, but at the same time was so sensitive to any kind of rebuke.

  “What did Naza get into this time?” Niall asked walking into the room, Asha clinging to his leg as he walked, a grin on her face.

  Keyne stood and handed the little girl to Niall. Though his family bond gave him the strength to be more corporeal for a ghost, he had his limits, and he didn’t want to risk dropping his daughter.

  “She went into the forest, again,” Keyne said.

  “Sweetie, you can’t go into the forest. We built all those hiding spots into the meadow for you.”

  “But twees fun. They talk,” the little girl said, looking intently from one father to another.

  Keyne and Niall looked at each other in concern.

  “The trees talk?” Niall asked.

  Keyne was impressed that Niall’s voice didn’t show the concern he must feel. With the twins, they never knew if it was a new skill coming to light, or if it was something to be worried about. Naza already had a very good talent of using electricity to protect herself.

  “Yes.”

  “Moppie, what do they say to you?” Niall asked.

  “I pretty. Where hide.” Naza said. “I like twees. They fun.”

  Niall tickled the little girl. “How about next time that we’re in the forest, you take me to your talking trees?”

  Naza’s eyes lit up. “We go now?”

  “No, Moppie. Not now. Now we eat,” Niall said.

  Keyne watched as Niall went into the kitchen area to get the wine. He chuckled at the sight of Gris stirring the sauce for dinner, Asha sitting on the counter next to the stove. Her little tongue stuck out of one side of her mouth as she carefully mimicked her father’s actions. It always amazed him how fast she’d move from one spot to the next. ‘A little tornado’ is what they called her.

  “Asha, are you ruining dinner again?” Keyne called to her.

  “NO! I cook.”

  “I see you’re cooking. Is daddy helping?” he asked her, watching as Niall searched the wine cabinet. He had forgotten to tell Thea that they were getting low on wine.

  “Daddy, make mess,” she said, pointing to a spill on the counter. “I no make mess,” she said very proudly.

  “No, you never make messes, do you?” Gris asked. “Time to hop down.” Gris lifted her up off the counter and blew raspberries on her stomach before setting her on the floor. He poured the white sauce over the noodles and veggies that were already in a serving dish.

  “All right, dinner is served,” Gris called out, projecting his voice to be heard throughout the house. Keyne went ahead of Niall and Gris, carrying cups of milk for the girls. He set them on the table and began to get the little girls situated in their seats. Niall followed Gris to the table and filled wine glasses. Just as he finished filling the glasses, Cullen and Rose arrived.

  Keyne watched as Rose quietly went into the kitchen and exchanged her wine for a glass of ginger ale. Niall looked at her in confusion but didn’t say anything. Once Rose was back at the table, he looked at her and raised an eyebrow. Her cheeks turned a delightful shade of pink.

  Gris looked at his mate. “No wine tonight?”

  A secret smile played on her lips. “No, I’m not in the mood tonight.”

  “Something you want to tell us?” Keyne asked. He was the one who seemed to always tune into the little details of their bond, anticipating needs and making sure that each had the time that they needed with Rose. He had an idea of why Rose was not having wine but decided to not comment and let her play her game.

  “Oh, just not feeling it tonight.” A slight pink tinge crept up her cheeks, and Keyne had to hide his smile. Rose could never tell a lie very well, at least not with them.

  “Tell us, Little Mouse,” Keyne cajoled, delighted to see her cheeks turn pink again.

  Rose looked from one mate to the other, and then to the girls who’d stopped their conversation to look to their parents.“Maybe later.”

  Keyne nodded his head in understanding. She didn’t want the little ones to hear what she had to say. “Naza had a bit of an adventure while you were in the meadow.”

  “She did?” Rose looked at Keyne in confusion.

  “It appears instead of hiding in the meadow, she went into the trees.”

  Rose turned to look at her daughter. “Naza, what’ve we said about going into the trees?”

  The little girl looked up from her plate of food, white sauce plastered over her face. “No twees. But the twees are fun. They talk.”

  “You mean someone in the trees talks to you?” Rose asked.

  “No, the twees talk.” Naza went back to eating her food.

  Rose looked to her mates, confusion evident on her face.

  “Cullen, do you know what she could be talking about?” Keyne asked him. It was still hard to trust the demon, but he’d done nothing over the past 3 years to cause concern. As far as Keyne could tell the demon’s only concern was for Rose and the girls.

  “I’m not sure. Maybe we could take a walk later?” he asked, looking to the girls and then around the table.

  Keyne picked up on what Cullen was not saying. “I think a walk would be great. Good way to burn off these calories we’re eating.” He looked around the table.

  “I’ll stay with the girls,” Niall said. “Maybe they’d like to play in the hot tub instead of take a bath.”

  The two little girls’ heads shot up like missiles, and they became little Mexican Jumping Beans, unable to sit still, their dinner all but forgotten.

  “Can we, Daddy?”

  “Oh! Yes, yes! Pwease!”

  The adults laughed at the girls’ antics, but a tension filled them at the same time. Keyne knew that they all felt the same way. The girls were important to the future, but it was the job of their parents to make sure that they didn’t know of the future, so they could be children for as long as possible. Keyne looked at the little girls, their excitement over getting to use the hot tub causing them to forget their meal.

  Had someone told him ten years ago that he could love two children so much, especially ones that were not his biologically, he wouldn’t have believed them. All of them had battled with the question of whether they would be able to love children created from such trauma. But as parents discover, it is not the circumstances of conception that matter, but what you give the child the rest of their lives.

  It wasn’t until Cullen had come into their lives that they’d fully understood why the Guardians had been called to protect Rose, and then why they were in hiding from the same organization that’d been called to protect Rose.

  Keyne shook himself from thoughts of the past. “Well, it appears the little princesses are finished with their dinner. How about we go get your hands and faces cleaned? Then we can get you into your bathing suits.”

  “I want mermaid,” Asha cried, racing as fast as her little legs could carry her towards the the room she shared with her sister.

  “No! I mermaid,” Naza cried, running after her sister.

  “Thanks, Gris, for making dinner,” Keyne called over his shoulder as he floated after the twins.

  Chapter Three

  Gris

  “Cullen, what didn’t you want the girls to hear?” Gris asked once he was sure that Keyne had them far enough away to not hear the adult conversation.

  “I’m not sure if Naza is developing a new skill, if she is just being three and making things up, or if someone’s in the woods we’re not aware of.” The red-haired demon rubbed his chin. “Demons are born with their main talent,
as we witnessed when you were pregnant, Rose. For Naza, it’s the ability to manipulate electricity. But she might have other talents that can develop from her Guardian blood or even from her demon heritage. It is rare, but some demons develop more than one skill.”

  Gris looked to Niall before speaking. “Guardians typically only have one skill, and they’re born with that. In rare cases, as with Niall, they might take on the skill or ability of their mate.”

  Niall glared at his brother, causing Gris to chuckle at the thought of his twin taking on the ability to shift as Rose had. Of course, Niall’s personality was nothing like hers, so instead of becoming a mouse like Rose, he’d turned into a cat. Three years later, Gris was still waiting to find out what would happen if Rose and Niall shifted at the same time. Would they always know each other, no matter what form, or would their animal instincts take over?

  “So, it sounds like the chances of this being a new skill are small,” Rose said.

  “I think before we go any further, we need to go look at the forest,” Cullen said.

  “You haven’t sensed anything?” Gris asked him. Cullen had been the right hand of the Demon Lord Esson, Rose’s great-uncle. Besides being ruthless when he needed to be, Cullen’s real value lay in his ability to see the future. Over the past three years, his visions had been infrequent and confusing.