Page 3 of The Bodyguard and the Alpha (Witch Twins #2)

Bastien

My Beast sensed Electra long before one of my guards in the corridor opened the door to usher her into the Small Dining Room.

It was where my security team and I ate breakfast every day when I was in residence, unless Elie was on duty.

If Elie was on duty, the rest of my team, all Shifters, would not join us.

Since the first time I’d selected her some food and placed it in front of her, signalling my interest in her as a mate, they’d avoided breakfast to give us time alone. Not that it had done me any good.

In my head, Beast howled . It was a sound full of anguish. Madness. Once, he’d been able to talk to me. When we’d first met her, he’d spoken to me. It had been the first time he’d voluntarily talked to me since I’d locked him inside my mind as a traumatised child.

I could still see the scene clearly in my memories. Even before she entered the interview room, Beast had woken inside his prison, demanding to be released.

A scent washed over me. My nostrils flared as I inhaled deeply, wanting to draw the scent deep into my lungs. Goosebumps rose on my skin and I half stood from my chair, Beast’s instincts telling me to hunt.

“We’re not done yet, Boss,” Ben said, mistaking the reason why I’d moved. I grunted an acknowledgement, ready to move. But I heard light footsteps in the corridor and the scent grew stronger. She was coming to me.

The door opened, bringing with it another wash of the heavenly perfume… and her.

Pint-sized. Raven hair and pale skin. Eyes like emeralds.

And young. So fucking young.

Had I seen her file? I couldn’t remember. I certainly should have read her file, but I’d trusted Luc to short list the applicants and I’d been working eighty-hour weeks. If I had read her file I couldn’t believe that I hadn’t noticed her.

I needed to be closer. I stalked around the desk towards her. She straightened her shoulders. Like she was preparing for battle. A little pixie facing up against Goliath. I wanted to pin her against the wall, dip my head down to hers, hoist her up so that her legs crossed behind mine.

Our mate , Beast said, and I nearly fell over my own feet in shock that he had communicated with me. Bite her , he demanded. She is ours .

The pounding of my heart was deafening in my ears as I drank in the sight of the woman in front of me.

My mate. I could hardly believe it. I’d given up on my dream that I would one day have the sort of love my parents shared.

I met so many women in my job and none of them had ever caused my Beast to react.

No interest. Zip. Nada. I thought he’d lapsed into apathy.

And who could blame him, locked inside the prison of my mind.

I righted myself, stuttering something with a suddenly thick tongue.

I held out my hand to shake hers. Her hand was small in mine.

At my full height of six four I towered over her.

Her eyes were deep pools of green, with flecks of gold.

I wanted to stare into them forever. Her rosebud mouth was pink and luscious, begging for my kisses.

Under the professional skirt, shirt and blazer combo she’d chosen for her interview, it was clear that her body was toned and fit.

Claws descended from my fingertips, ready to rend and destroy the offending layers.

Behind me Ben cleared his throat. “Mr President, this is Electra Ferrera, the next candidate.”

This tiny pixie? This delicious little morsel? A bodyguard? For me? My neutral politician’s face deserted me and my eyebrows rose sharply.

The warmth in her eyes faded, replaced by shards of ice. She withdrew her hand and stepped backwards.

Fuck, I had offended her.

“I am well and truly qualified for the job, Mr President. If you will allow me to expand upon my résumé.”

My cock jumped. Even her voice was beautiful. Soft, slightly husky. I wanted to hear how she screamed my name when I was buried balls deep inside her. She was mine.

On stiff legs I managed to step away from her. I flopped gracelessly into my chair. My heart was still pounding, pushing adrenaline into my system. My Alpha instincts were telling me to grab her and run. To whisk her away to my den and make her mine.

I pressed my claws into the underside of my desk. I had to control this intense reaction. I was a man, first and foremost. A politician. I could be charming and friendly. She wanted to work for me? She had the job.

For form’s sake, I let Ben ask our pre-arranged questions.

And, even through the lust-fuelled daze that clouded my thoughts, I was impressed with her answers.

Graduated top of her class from the Witch College and from her training course.

Letters of recommendation from her Professors, including one from my father.

She’d done bodyguard duty for celebrities and public figures. I flicked my eyes down to her file. She was twenty-five. I was so proud of her. She was fucking accomplished. The best in her field.

She deserved the job. But I deserved her.

I nodded to Ben. Smoothly, he said, “We’d like to offer you the job, Ms Ferrera.”

“Thank you,” she said. “I accept.” I expected her to smile, but her face was calm and serene. She rose.

“We’ll be in contact with the details,” Ben said. Electra turned, giving me a view of her perfect ass, the skirt lovingly moulded to her curves.

She was going to leave. Do something , Beast growled. Don’t let her out of our sight .

“Let me walk you out,” I said.

Ben shot me a surprised look. This wasn’t part of our normal protocol. I waved my hand, indicating that he should stay where he was.

Electra waited for me, showing no impatience or surprise. Did she like me? Did she feel this insane pull? As a human, she wouldn’t have the same mating instinct that I did. I prowled forward, my eyes locked onto hers.

I watched as her pupils dilated, black swallowing green. As my hearing was more acute due to Beast’s co-operation, the rapidly escalating beats of her heart were easy to hear.

Yes. Beast and man exulted. She wants us.

I led her out of the interview room, my hand moving naturally to the small of her back, turning left.

“Um…. Mr President.”

Her voice was hesitant.

“Yes Ms Ferrera?” I feigned nonchalance.

“This is not the way I came in.” She was observant. Even though she must have been nervous ahead of the interview, she’d paid attention to the surroundings she’d found herself in. Her training was showing. She was clearly good at her job.

“I thought I’d give you a bit of a tour.

” It was true, sort of. I was going to give her a tour, but the purpose was purely selfish.

I wanted more time with her. More time to fill my nostrils with her delectable scent.

To admire her profile. To watch her cute little tongue flick over those luscious lips.

Fuck. I was hard again. Harder than I’d ever been in my life.

I pulled on Beast, extending my senses. I had taken us to the restricted zones of the Palace.

I would show her the living suite that she would be assigned.

His superior hearing told me that none of my staff were close enough to eavesdrop.

Shifters gossiped and I didn’t want any of them to know about my interest. Not yet.

She was my mate and it was none of their fucking business.

So much of my life took place in the public eye.

I wanted her for myself for as long as possible.

It would be impossible to court her without my security staff finding out, but today was just for us.

The corridor was deserted.

Beast sent me a visual of me picking Electra up, swinging around to press her against the wall. Pushing her skirt up around her hips, my claws shredding her panties. Taking her mouth in a heated kiss, her tongue meeting mine as I pressed my cock against her wet core.

It was so intense that I stopped. A wordless noise left my mouth.

Don’t do it. Don’t do it. She is human . I had to court her, not ravage her. Hands clenched into fists, my claws ripping into my palm. Blood dripped onto the carpet.

“Mr President?” My little Pixie whirled around, hands already making a rune for a protective shield.

Fuck, she was fast. Even if she wasn’t my mate, I would want her on my team.

“Are you unwell?” Her eyes landed briefly on me before they moved on, searching the corridor, assessing for threats.

Her heart rate had spiked when I made the involuntary groan but then it had settled.

A little fast, but not in the danger zone. A normal response to adrenaline.

I couldn’t speak. I had to push my Beast back down. I managed to uncurl one fist, holding a finger up in the universal gesture that showed I needed a moment.

Objectively it could only have taken moments, but in my head I fought a battle. Beast had scented his mate and he didn’t want to return to his prison. Sweat dripped down my back by the time I’d forced him back into his cage.

Electra was Beast’s mate as much she was mine, but I couldn’t let him mess this up. He was too aggressive. Too driven by instinct. I had to do this as a man or I would scare her off.

“You can release your shield,” I said, once I regained control.

Her eyes, glowing silver with power, turned to me. She nodded briskly and with a wave of her fingers, the shield popped out of existence. “You’re bleeding,” she said, frowning.

“It’s nothing. Look, already healing.” All Shifters had accelerated healing but Betas were only a little better than humans. As an Alpha, mine was much better. I was an apex predator.

And my little Pixie was in my sights.