Page 11 of Falling for My Shifter Guardian (Wild & Forbidden Mates #5)
Olivia
Without fail, my gaze finds him. I don't think it's a habit that will ever change.
Derek stands near the edge of the clearing, his tall frame illuminated by the golden lights strung in the community room. His salt-and-pepper hair catches the glow, and the strong angles of his face are unreadable except for the occasional flicker of intensity in his steel-gray eyes as he watches the gathering. Even from this distance, I can feel the energy radiating off him—the steady, unrelenting protection that has kept me safe for so long. He’s talking to Theo, their stances mirroring each other, rigid and watchful. Two soldiers never really leaving the battlefield, even here, even now.
But Derek’s focus breaks, sliding to me as though he can sense where I’m standing, waiting. A shiver drips down my spine, though the night is still and warm. He doesn’t look away, and I find myself rooted in place, caught under the weight of his gaze.
“You’re doing it again,” Maya’s voice chirps, startling me.
I turn, finding my friend smirking up at me, a second glass of lemonade extended like a peace offering. “Doing what?” I ask, my lips tugging into a smile as I accept the drink.
“That thing where you get all dreamy and tuned-out because someone over there—” She tilts her head toward Derek— “has you utterly bewitched.”
“Bewitched?” I scoff, rolling my eyes. “That’s dramatic, even for you, Maya.”
She leans against the same beam, her caramel-toned skin catching the glow of nearby lights. “Come on, Liv. You’re not fooling anyone. Not me, not him, not the rest of this room. The guy might as well have a neon sign above his head that screams ‘Olivia’s protector-slash-eternal-swoon-inducer.’”
I sputter, trying and failing to suppress a laugh. “Swoon-inducer? He’s not—”
“Let’s not lie tonight, darling,” Maya interrupts, grinning. “You’re done pretending you don’t belong with him, right? I mean, look at you. You have that post-fate glow about you—like all the existential angst wrapped itself into a neat little Derek package, and now you’re on cloud nine.”
My cheeks burn, but before I can retort, she bumps her shoulder lightly into mine, her expression softening. “Seriously, though. How are you? Adjustment period still going okay?”
I hesitate, chewing the inside of my cheek as I consider her question. Finally, I look over my shoulder—not toward Derek this time, but out into the clearing, where strings of light bob gently above the wind-stirred pines. There’s a kind of stillness here tonight, one that feels earned. “It’s not easy,” I admit softly. “Things are… shifting. But I’m happy. Really happy.”
Maya’s usual playful demeanor lights up as she leans closer, her excitement barely contained. “Well, speaking of shifts,” she says, grinning, “guess who just landed herself a new job?” She pauses for dramatic effect, one brow arched. “I’ll give you a hint: it involves a mysterious, disgustingly wealthy businessman who just moved here.”
“I can’t help but match her grin. “Mysterious businessman? Sounds like the plot of one of those cheesy romance novels you hate.”
“Oh, please.” Maya rolls her eyes but doesn’t lose her smile. “It’s probably just another rich guy with more money than manners. Honestly, I’m not sure if it’s a step up from slinging burgers or just a slightly fancier way to keep the bills paid.” She shrugs, but there’s something in her voice—something curious, almost intrigued.
I laugh, nudging her playfully. “Still doesn’t sound like you’re complaining. I mean, hey, if it keeps you out of that grease trap we call the diner, I’ll take it.”
She winks at me. “Touché.” Maya squeezes my shoulder before stepping back into the crowd. "Oh, and tell Mr. Swoon-Inducer to stop glaring at me every time I try to grab dessert!,” she calls over her shoulder, her voice lighter now.
I shake my head, grinning as I watch her disappear into the flow of people. Before I can look away, though, I feel it again: his gaze.”
Turning, I find Derek closer this time, his conversation with Theo clearly over. He’s only a few feet away now, his hands tucked into the front pockets of his dark jeans, an expression on his face that I can’t quite define. He tilts his head slightly, the faintest quirk at the corner of his mouth breaking through his otherwise stoic exterior.
And then he’s moving toward me, every step deliberate, measured, until the space between us all but vanishes.
“You’ve been hiding,” he murmurs, his deep voice brushing over me like velvet—and gravel.
“I wasn’t hiding,” I counter, cocking an eyebrow in a futile attempt to sound composed. “I was thinking.”
“Thinking,” Derek repeats, his hand brushing lightly over my arm before slipping around my waist. The heat of his touch burns straight through the fabric of my dress, and I’m acutely aware of how strong, how solid, he feels. He leans down slightly, his breath stirring the loose strands of hair that have fallen from my braid. “Care to share what’s on your mind?”
I bite back a smile, tilting my chin up to meet his gaze. “Maya thinks you glare at her around food specifically to throw off her dessert game.”
That earns me a rare, low laugh from Derek, the sound rumbling pleasantly against my skin. “Good. Means she gets out of my way when I’m bringing you a plate.”
The warmth in his tone loosens something in my chest, and for a moment, I forget about the gathering around us entirely.
His hand shifts slightly at my waist, his thumb brushing the curve of my hip like he’s testing how close he can hold me. His eyes drop to my face, scanning me with that same intensity I feel every time he looks at me—like he can see every hurt I’ve ever felt, every dream I’ve ever dared to have, and still, all he wants to do is stay.
“Are you all right?” he asks softly, his voice filled with the careful kind of patience he seems to reserve only for me.
“I am,” I reply, and though the words are small, the truth of them feels enormous.
His jaw works for a moment, his expression tightening before softening into something so vulnerable it leaves me breathless. “I’ve been thinking a lot about your dad,” he admits quietly. “About what he’d say if he were here.”
I blink back the sudden well of tears at the mention of my father. “Yeah?”
“He’d be proud of you, Olivia. Of who you’ve become.” Derek pauses, his thumb tracing soft, soothing circles against my hip. “And he’d be proud of us.”
The words settle deeply in me, warm and bittersweet. “You think?”
“I know.” His gaze locks with mine, unwavering and steady. “He trusted me with you. But I didn’t expect… I didn’t expect you’d be the one to teach me what it means to fight for something that matters.”
I press my forehead gently against his chest, tears spilling despite my resolve. “I think… he’d be glad I found you.”
Derek’s arms tighten around me, his voice the lowest I’ve ever heard it. “We found each other, Olivia.”
And we did. Amidst grief and danger and the chaos of two clashing worlds, we found this—each other, this moment, and the endless promise of tomorrows yet to come.
Beneath the lights of Whispering Pines, with the hum of celebration all around us, it feels like the dawn of something new. Something we’ll face together, come what may.
***
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