Page 13 of Mushy Stuff (Guardian Mates #1)

I wake before Wold does. The mushrooms are still glowing with his magic. I can see light through the roots, but I have no idea what time it is, so I roll over and snuggle up to Wold’s back. I’m the extra tiny spoon to his really big spoon.

As I’m snuggling with him, I start looking at the mushrooms in his fur.

There’s a small patch of them on top of his shoulder near my face.

They seem to change frequently. Sometimes he has a lot, but sometimes, he doesn’t have any.

I’ve noticed that the times that he doesn’t have any are usually really soon after we’ve had sex.

I touch one of the mushrooms, and it falls off his shoulder onto the ground.

Startled by it, I gasp. Wold groans and rolls over, then he tucks me back into his chest .

I feel so guilty about the mushroom, so I whisper, “Wold, I accidentally knocked one of the mushrooms off your shoulder. I tried to touch it. I’m sorry, I didn’t know that I would hurt it.”

He chuckles deep in his throat, then says, “Do not fret, they fall off all the time. It is just what they do.”

“So I didn’t hurt you? Why do they grow?” I ask.

“No, you did not hurt me.” He shrugs his shoulders. “I do not know why they grow. It is just part of my magic, just like the vines in my hair.”

We snuggle and doze off and on for a while before we finally get up and begin Wold’s tasks. By that time, the sun is setting.

We head back to the mushroom cave, and Wold goes out and hunts us some more rabbits while I take a dip in the little pool.

As I get out of the water, I look at my little pile of clothes and cringe just a bit.

I really don’t want to put those back on.

They are getting pretty gross after wearing them for a few days.

I need to talk to Wold about getting me some new clothes.

Maybe we can get some at that market he was talking about.

I dry off and slip them back on anyway. Maybe I can wash them in the pool before we go to sleep.

By the time I’m dressed, Wold is back with the rabbits. He brought three back this time. He cooks them on the spit while tending to his mushrooms. Once we are done eating, we head out to care for his territory again. That’s how we spend our day.

When we get back to the cave, I tell Wold that I’m going to wash my clothes.

I strip off all of my clothes, and I notice that Wold is staring at me from the other side of the cave.

He’s so still, not moving a muscle, and it looks like he’s barely breathing.

Excitement zips through my body. It feels like he is hunting me, and I’m pretty sure I know how this is going to end tonight.

I scrub my clothes in the water—the best I can do without soap.

Maybe we can get some different soaps at the market too. Certainly they have soap there. Right?

I wring out my clothes and lay them out to dry.

By that point, the muscles in my arms are burning from exertion, and I’m sweating a little.

I wipe the sweat off my forehead and take a deep breath.

I had no idea how hard it was to do laundry the old-fashioned way.

Once I’m done, I look up at Wold. He is still standing in the same spot, completely still, all of his muscles tense.

I know what that means, and my arousal sparks to life.

I stare back at him for a moment or two, then I whisper, “Wold.”

He springs into action just like a hunter after his prey.

He lunges for me and tackles me to the ground, and I squeal as he does.

He pins me to the ground on my back and then growls as he licks from my chest up the side of my neck.

He nips my neck with his teeth, and I gasp.

Then he spreads my legs and absolutely feasts on my pussy until I’m screaming his name and begging him to fuck me.

He slides up my body and presses his cock into me, and I watch as the glow from his cock disappears inside me.

Then he fucks me in quick strong thrusts.

His tendril coils around on itself so that it is positioned perfectly to hit my clit.

We are both moaning loudly when we come.

Afterwards, Wold gently kisses me and asks if he hurt me. I think he’s going to ask after every time we have sex. I reassure him that he didn’t, but he checks my neck where he nipped me anyway. He let out a sigh of relief when he sees that he didn’t break the skin.

He picks me up and carries me into the pool so that we can both wash off.

He dunks his head under the water, and when he comes back up, I gasp because I haven’t seen him like this.

He looks so otherworldly. Water drips from his antlers.

His long flowing hair is straight and smooth, with the exception of the vines intermixed in his hair.

But they are lying flat right now too. Water beads up and sparkles on his fur.

He’s breathtaking.

When we are done washing off, we go back to the bioluminescent mushroom room to sleep .

I snuggle into his chest and just breathe in his earthy scent. Before I fall asleep, I say, “Wold, do they sell things like clothing and soap at the market?”

“Yes, I think so. Why?”

“Can I get some new clothes and a couple of soaps to wash my body and my clothes with?”

Wold is quiet for a minute or two. I look up at him to see if he had fallen asleep. He hasn’t. Instead, he has the saddest look on his face. I haven’t seen Wold look this sad before. He sighs. “Lydia, you will not need them after tomorrow. We will get the supplies to send you home.”

“Wold, I don’t want to leave. Can’t I stay here with you?” I ask.

He stares at me without answering. I can see the pain in his eyes.

“Please, Wold. I want to stay here with you. I want to be here.” I beg, and I can tell I’m on the verge of tears.

Tomorrow is the last day. We will go to the fae market and get the things he needs to send me home.

I’ve tried to push it out of my mind and pretend like it wasn’t coming, but now it’s almost here.

Tomorrow. Tomorrow, he will send me away.

He sighs. “Lydia…it’s too dangerous in my world. The El ven—”

“No…please, Wold. I’ve been safe with you here. I will be safe here. This is what I want. I want to be with you.” Hot tears are running down my cheeks now. “I don’t want to go back. Please Wold, let me stay.”

He uses the back of his knuckles to wipe my tears away. “Lydia…I don’t want you to go, but I can’t keep you safe. Not even Guardians are safe from the Elven. How will I keep you safe when I can’t even keep myself safe?”

He curls me into his chest and holds me while I quietly cry myself to sleep.