Free Fear the Darkness (Guardians of Eternity) by Alexandra Ivy Page A

noticed the razor-sharp teeth and the ancient power that smoldered in the black, almond eyes.
    Yeah, this creature was about as helpless as a live grenade. Or a nuclear bomb.
    His wolf was on full alert, his hand steady, as he pointed the fully loaded gun at the center of her chest. “Who are you?” he snarled.
    She held up tiny hands as if that would convince him to trust her. “Yannah.”
    His finger found the trigger. “Give me a reason not to put a bullet through your heart.”
    She tilted her head to the side. “You cannot harm me with human weapons.”
    He shrugged, not surprised. “Then I’ll rip out your throat.”
    “There’s no need for threats. I’m not here to harm your mate.”
    “She’s not—” He bit off his ridiculous denial. “Then why are you here?”
    “To offer a warning.” The black eyes narrowed at the unmistakable sound of Caine cocking the hammer. “Hell’s bells, what’s wrong with you? I said I offer a warning, not a threat.”
    “And I should trust the word of a creature who pops out of thin air to offer mysterious warnings because . . . ?” he mocked, shifting to make sure his body was still blocking Cassie as she frantically continued to dig in the dirt.
    The tiny demon wisely kept her gaze trained on Caine. One glance toward the vulnerable Cassie and Caine would rip off her head.
    Or at least he would try, he silently corrected, shivering as Yannah allowed a hint of her terrible power to glow in the black eyes.
    “The warning is not mysterious,” Yannah assured him. “In fact, it couldn’t be more clear.”
    “Fine, I’ll play.” Like he had a choice? “What’s the warning?”
    “In the very near future Cassie is going to demand that you leave her.”
    Leave her? Caine was instantly furious. “She wouldn’t.”
    Yannah heaved a resigned sigh. “Why do males always make everything so difficult?”
    “Are you a prophet?” he managed between clenched teeth.
    “No.” The demon shook her head, sending her long braid sliding across her back. “Cassie stands alone with her gift.”
    “Gift?” Caine snarled. “It’s a freaking curse.”
    “Perhaps.”
    He lowered the gun, afraid in his current mood he might do something stupid. It was his usual modus operandi. Besides, it wasn’t going to do him a damned bit of good.
    “If you’re not a seer, then how do you know what Cassie will or won’t do in the future?”
    “My mother, Siljar, is an Oracle.”
    “Shit.” The last thing he needed was interference from the Commission, or as he called them, the Pain-in-the-Asses-Who-Ruled-the-Demon-World. “How does she know?”
    “She possesses a talent for sensing a principium.”
    He grimaced, recognizing the term. It meant that Cassie was important enough to the future of the world that her life was written in the stars.
    “A thread of destiny,” he muttered.
    “So you aren’t just a pretty face.” Yannah flashed her razor teeth. Yikes. “Unusual.”
    “I try,” he said dryly. “I’m still not entirely clear on why you’re here.”
    “The fate of all of us rests upon young Cassie’s shoulders.”
    “Well, as far as I’m concerned, fate can go screw itself,” he retorted, knowing he was being childish. But, dammit, he was standing helplessly in the middle of a desert while the female he was obsessed with protecting was crawling through the dirt until she bled. He had a right to think destiny or fate, or whatever a person wanted to call it, totally sucked.
    Something that might have been sympathy touched the heart-shaped face. “It’s her destiny,” she said softly, “but she doesn’t have to walk her path alone.”
    “She’s not alone.” Caine frowned. “Unless you mean her sisters? Cassie has refused to contact them.”
    “No, I speak of you. You must never waver.”
    Waver? Was she freaking kidding? His anger returned. With interest. “Are you questioning my loyalty?”
    “No, but like most alpha males you have more pride than