Free Laura Jo Phillips by The Lobos' Heart Song

dream feelings to these real, flesh and blood men.  She did not know anything about them other than their names.  But even as she warned herself to be careful, she could not deny that she felt them.  She felt their hearts and minds and something else that she didn’t really have a word for.  Their souls, perhaps, she thought.  Whatever it was, she knew down to the depths of her own soul that they were good, honorable men, and that any woman lucky enough to have their affection would never want or need for anything.  Not love, not attention, not warmth, not companionship.  Nothing.
    She bit back a wistful sigh.  Such things were not for her.  She had accepted long ago that loneliness was her lot in life.  In real life men did not interest her, nor she them, and few people other than Lariah had ever wanted to be her friend enough to put up with her idiosyncrasies.  But, she told herself, she could dream if she wanted.  And in her opinion, there had never been three men more worthy of dreams than these three men who appeared to be the embodiment of her own dream guardians.
     
    Faron rose to his feet and took one step back from Saige, his eyes drinking her in, wishing he never had to stop looking at her for even a moment.  She was so beautiful to him that it was difficult to believe she was really theirs.  Could be theirs, he amended carefully to himself.
    She was just tall enough, he guessed, that her head would fit easily beneath his chin when he held her.  She was slender, but given that she was wearing a bulky sweater and slacks he couldn’t really tell what her figure was like.  Her large, expressive eyes were light green flecked with gold, the delicate brows that arched over them a deep honey brown.  She had a fine, straight nose and lush, full lips.  He found himself wondering if her nipples would be the same shade of light coral pink as her lips and had to dig his nails into his palms to stop those thoughts.  Her face was oval, with delicate cheekbones and creamy smooth, lightly tanned skin with a hint of rose beneath, marred only by the bruises that made him feel ill to look at.  Her hair was quite short, but it suited her, the dark brown strands touched with golden highlights accentuating her large eyes and fine bone structure.
    Faron had often imagined what it would be like for them to find their Arima, but he had never dreamed that she would be so stunning, or that the mere sight of her would cause such intense physical arousal in him that it was almost painful.  He had to grit his teeth with the effort it took to remain standing in front of her when what he really wanted to do was carry her off somewhere private where he, Dav, and Ban could explore her fully.  He sighed inwardly.  Considering all she had been through, he doubted she would appreciate that at this time.
    “Jackson, I would ask for assistance in placing the human males in the trunk of the ground-car for us.  I fear that we would not be able to control ourselves after seeing the marks on Saige’s face.”
    “Of course,” Jackson replied.  “When do you wish to leave?”
    Faron looked down at Saige and waited until she met his eyes with her own.  “Do you feel ready to leave now or would you like more time to rest?”
    “Now is fine,” she replied.
    “Do you have other injuries besides those on your face?”
    Saige dropped her eyes to her lap.  She was not talking about the bruises on her breasts in this room full of men she barely knew.  “Some soreness in my arms and legs, and a few bruises, but nothing serious.”
    Faron looked to Jackson who gave a tiny shake of his head.  It felt strange to Faron to have to look to another man for information on their Arima, but it did not make him angry.  He was eternally grateful to the Bearens for finding and rescuing Saige when they could not.
    “Saige, will you allow one of us to carry you to the car?” he asked.  “It is a distance away and it would be quicker.”