Page 2 of Guarded By the Bigfoot (Mystic Ridge Monster Mates #1)

brOCK

T he storm raged with fury, the wind howling like starving wolves as I patrolled the mountain’s perimeter.

Rain lashed my face, the droplets swirling with an unnatural, malevolent purpose.

I shouldn’t have been on this path, but something pulled me here, an insistent tugging I couldn’t ignore.

A strange sensation rippled through my chest, faint at first but growing stronger with each step, like a half-forgotten melody calling me home.

It wasn’t the familiar electric crackle of my Guardian powers. No, this feeling was different. It was primal, ancient, resonating deep in my bones. The sensation intensified, sparks of energy crackling over my skin as my eyes began to glow with eerie light cutting through the rain.

“Hell,” I snarled, bracing against a tree as another wave slammed into me. Electricity danced over my body, drawn by an irresistible force yanking me east. Every instinct screamed to follow, a desperate need clawing at my guts.

Fear threaded through the wind. A human scent stirred my inner beast, recognizing something profound lurking beneath the fragile aroma.

Before I could make sense of it, lightning forked through the sky, blasting an ancient pine.

The massive tree groaned and toppled, crashing into a small figure floundering in the storm’s chaos.

“Shit!” I sprinted toward the fallen tree. As I reached it, a woman lay trapped beneath the branches, dark hair fanned across the ground like spilled ink.

I snarled and began ripping away the larger branches pinning her down. Splintered wood cut into me from all directions, but all that mattered was getting to her.

My breath seized as I finally cleared enough debris to reach her still form.

She lay motionless on the ground, pale and small.

When I turned her over, rain-darkened strands of hair snaked around my fingers, clinging like vines.

She was beautiful. Her face, delicate and pale in the storm’s fury, stirred something primitive in my chest.

Too still. Too fragile. Too everything.

Her pulse fluttered against my fingertips, weak but defiant, each beat sending unfamiliar heat through my veins.

Lightning split the sky, thunder shaking the ground beneath us, but all I could focus on was how small she was, how wrong it was to see her broken like this. A growl built in my chest, whether from protectiveness or this strange new tension coursing through me, I couldn’t tell.

“You picked a hell of a time to show up, little one,” I muttered, my voice rough against the wind. Shrugging off my coat, I wrapped it around her. Her skin was like ice beneath my fingers, and I gritted my teeth against the flicker of panic that tried to claw its way up my throat.

I lifted her into my arms, tucking her close. Another gust of wind slammed into us, and I growled, bowing my head against the storm. “Come on, sweetheart.”

Thunder rolled across the mountain and shook the ground. But all I could process was her weight in my arms, how delicate she felt, and the urge to pull her closer that made no damn sense at all.

The wind screamed around us, ripping through the forest, but all I could focus on was how still she was in my arms. “What the hell were you thinking?” I gave her a shake, not too hard, but enough to rouse her.

“Wake up,” I growled, my voice catching in the wind. “Wake up.” No response. My gut twisted.

The village wasn’t far, but I needed to move faster.

Each step was deliberate, my legs carving through the thick brush.

Another gust ripped past, bending trees sideways and sending rain whipping through the air, blinding and relentless.

I ducked my head and pushed forward. The Veil trembled again, its energy prickling across my senses, but I ignored it.

Whatever was wrong with the Veil could wait. She couldn’t.

I crouched lower, keeping my frame between her and the storm. Water rushed beneath me, flowing in wild waves as the wind howled. “Hold on, little human.”

Relief hit me as Glitter and Gruel came into view, a cafe run by my old friends Calla and Finn. They’d have questions about why I was bringing a human into our territory, but they’d help first and interrogate later.

I shouldered the door into warmth. Mason jars of dancing fireflies lined wooden shelves, copper pots dripped stardust into bubbling cauldrons, and hanging vines hummed soft melodies. The air smelled of herbs and magic.

Calla’s poppy-colored hair whipped around the corner from where she’d been mid-spell behind the counter. Her violet eyes sparkled with mischief before they widened, her long, pointy ears flattening against her head and her wings flaring.

“Brock!” she called out, her voice a syrupy mix of sass and song. “What in the seven hells have you dragged in?”

“She needs heat. Now,” I growled, cradling her closer as I moved toward the fire’s welcoming flames.

That got Finn’s attention. The tall, flame-haired fae strode in from the kitchen, a steaming mug of something suspicious in one hand and a spatula in the other. His blue wings fluttered against his back as he gave me an arched brow. “Put her over there. I’ll get some healing tea started.”

I settled her on the plush couch, reluctant to break contact.

Calla darted to my side, her hands already aglow with a soft magenta shimmer.

She crouched down, her fingers brushing the forest debris from the stranger’s face as her light pulsed faintly.

“Battered, bruised, and exhausted,” Calla murmured, her energy flowing gently into the woman’s skin.

“Nothing life-threatening. She just needs some TLC.”

“Good.” I finally took a deep breath. “Wasn’t sure I’d make it here in time.”

Calla grinned, her eyes sparkling with mischief. “Look at you, actually worried. Never thought I’d see the day. The mighty Brock, bringing home a stray. And a human of all things. What are the odds?”

“She’s not a stray,” I growled, but Calla’s grin only widened.

Finn paused in his tea preparation, eyes widening. “A human? Oh, that’s just perfect. Did you check for fleas?”

“She doesn’t have fleas,” I snapped, tugging the blanket tighter around her.

He gestured at her with his spoon. “Remember that flea infestation over at...”

“Finn,” I growled. “Enough.”

Calla laughed, leaning against the armrest of the couch. “He’s got a point. You know, Brock, we don’t exactly have a flea collar in her size.”

“That’s it,” I said sharply, pinching the bridge of my nose. “I’ll handle this. Both of you, quiet.”

“Oooh, ‘he’ll handle this,’” Finn said, holding up his hands. “Of course. Because you’re just so great with humans, right?”

“Finn,” I barked, my patience snapping. “I swear—” Before I could finish, something fell from her coat pocket, clattering against the wooden floor.

Finn bent down, his smirk freezing in place when he saw the letters gleaming under the lights.

“Well, well, well,” he drawled as he picked up the badge.

“Agent Parker Woods, Agency of Realm Control.” He tossed the badge to me with a grin.

“You’ve brought ARC to dinner? Good luck with that, old friend. ”

My stomach dropped as I stared at the badge. Of all the humans in all the world, she had to be an ARC agent. The very organization we’d spent centuries avoiding. The ones who thought they could control the mystical world with their rules and regulations.

“Oh, dear. If she’s ARC, she’s trouble,” Calla’s expression hardened. “No agents in Veil territory. That is your rule, after all.”

“I’m keeping her.” The growl in my voice made both fae take a step back.

“Like a pet?” Finn barked.

I ignored him, crouching to scoop her up from the couch. My chest tightened as her weight settled in my arms again. She was still too weak, and it pissed me off.

Calla’s eyes narrowed as she tilted her head, her wings fluttering slightly. “She should stay here. She’s barely conscious. Where else would you take her?”

“To the mountain. Keep her safe until I figure out why she’s here.”

“Well, that won’t be suspicious at all.” Finn rolled his eyes. “Strange woman appears in a storm, and the notorious recluse suddenly takes her in? We haven’t had this much excitement around here since that overgrown lizard friend of yours turned the town square into a barbecue pit.”

Calla shot him a look before turning back to me, her expression softening. “Just be careful, okay? She’s...” She hesitated, her gaze flicking to Parker’s face. “She’s fragile.”

“I know.” My voice was a low rumble as I adjusted my grip on the unconscious woman, already heading for the door. “Calla, thanks.”

I didn’t wait for her reply before shoving out into the storm again. Rain lashed my face, but I ignored it. All that mattered was getting her somewhere secure. Her head lolled against my chest with each step. Too still. Too vulnerable.

A rumbling snarl built in my throat as I clutched her tighter. She was a complication, no doubt. But something blazed through me at the thought of leaving her behind. The need to keep her close, to shield her from the storm, overwhelmed every rational instinct.

As the cavern entrance came into view, I glanced down at her pale features again. “You’re gonna be trouble, aren’t you, little thing?”