Free Protecting Shaylee (The Fae Guard Book 1) by Elle Christensen Page A

each floor, the walls are about seventy percent windows. The sunlight reflects off of them, giving the building a shimmering glow. There are, what appear to be, athletic fields on the other three sides of the building. Looking around me, it seems pretty normal. Did I go to the wrong place?
    Out of nowhere, I hear Aden’s voice behind me. I whirl around, startled to find him there.
    “You left me.” The moment the words leave my mouth, I want to call them back. I don’t want him to recognize that, beneath my resentment of his departure two years ago, I’m vulnerable and wary that I’ll be left alone again. I’m terrified that I’ll let him back into my heart and he’ll irreparably break it when he decides to move on again.
    The smile drops from his face and is replaced with worry and regret. Or, maybe that’s what I want to see.
    “I was right behind you, baby. I just wanted to see if you could do it on your own.”
    I’m somewhat mollified by his words, and wanting to avoid getting into anything from the past, I latch on to the last part of his explanation.
    “On my own?”
    Aden peers at me, clearly trying to decide whether to let me skirt around the deeper issue. He scrubs his hand along his chin, bringing my attention to the scruff that has developed there. It’s so damn sexy. I want to reach out and feel it, see if it’s prickly or soft. What would that feel like, brushing along my naked skin? My cheeks heat a little at the thought. Get your mind out of the gutter, girl. I squirm a little, as butterflies converge in my stomach and try to listen to the logical voice in my head. Off limits. Off limits. Off limits. Maybe if I keep telling myself that, my body will get the memo.
    And maybe the Cubs will win the World Series.
    Stifling a sigh, I return my attention to the matter at hand: where the hell we are and what we are doing here. I wrap my arms around my middle, trying to contain my apprehension.
    He crosses his arms, enhancing the rippling muscles in them and the solid expanse of his chest. I turn back to the landscape, avoiding any more distractions from his ridiculously sexy body.
    “I’ve never seen someone so new to their magic be able to do the things you have done. Crossing realms on your own requires control over your power. Control you shouldn’t possess yet.” His tone doesn’t give me any hint as to whether or not this is a good thing or not. “I’m not sure what to think about it, baby, other than the fact that it’s not something to be concerned over. We need to understand the situation, but you don’t need to be afraid of it.”
    I’m slightly comforted, but everything is so full of questions that I can’t help feeling the stress weighing me down. “Where are we?”
    “Rien.”
    “No shit, Sherlock,” I snide. Aden’s face breaks into a smile, his delicious dimple appearing, and I’m momentarily sidetracked by the beauty of his face. Why does he have to be so freaking hot? I reign in my thoughts and get back to my question. Gesturing to what’s around us, I ask, “What is this place?”
    “It’s our training facility. Well, one of them.”
    “I don’t understand. Everything looks so normal.”
    Aden seems to pick up on the hint of disappointment in my tone and looks at me curiously. “What were you expecting?”
    “I don’t know.” I fight a blush when I realize that my expectations were along the lines of a Disney movie.
    Don’t try to pretend yours weren’t either.
    I don’t know what to say. In cases like this, the truth is the hardest for a human to believe. If I told them what I was truly looking for, they’d laugh it off. But, Aden knows that the words that come out of my mouth are my reality. Oh, screw it.
    “I, um, you know, majestic hills, waterfalls, some castles, maybe a unicorn or two.” I look him straight in the eye, pretending I’m not feeling dumb for thinking I would find myself in fantastical fairytale. Yes, I’m aware of the irony in that