Alpha Guardians Books 1-6

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Sixteen

Echo

“How many boxes can one person possibly have?” Gabriel groaned as he lugged an armful of cardboard cartons up the Manor’s front steps.

“Excuse me for having possessions,” Echo retorted, rolling her eyes. She toted a plastic milk crate full of DVDs and a duffel bag of clothing, following Gabriel inside and up the stairs to Rhys’s rooms.

They passed Aeric on the way, lumbering down the steps to get another load of stuff from the moving van.

“How much more is there, though, really?” Gabriel asked.

“I think Aeric is about to get the last two boxes,” Echo informed him.

She stepped into the living area and set her burden down, admiring the massive pyramid of boxes. She’d given away a ton of her stuff when she’d ended the lease at her apartment, her furniture included, but she still owned a lot of stuff.

She picked up a huge framed photograph, a moving gift from Tee-Elle. Her mother was on the left, arms wrapped around a man who Tee-Elle had pronounced to be Echo’s father. Raymond Caballero, every bit as tall and handsome as Echo could have ever imagined him.

Where Tee-Elle had gotten the photo, Echo didn’t know, but she was very glad to have it.

“That’s going to look great on the wall,” Rhys announced, arriving with Aeric and setting down the last box of Echo’s stuff.

“You think?” Echo asked, turning to give Rhys a measuring glance.

He’d only just been cleared for active duty by the Guardians’ private doctor, and Echo was still concerned about him. His brush with death had sapped all his strength and energy for over a week, and it had taken him days to regain any meaningful consciousness.

“I do think,” Rhys said, coming over and dropping a kiss on her neck, the brush of his beard making her shiver.

“Do you two think you could wait until we get out of here before you start all that?” Gabriel sighed, crossing his arms.

Echo smirked and flapped a hand at Gabriel and Aeric.

“Go, then. I think we’re done here,” she said.

“I thought we were all going to sit down and talk about finding the Second Light,” Gabriel said. “Pere Mal has probably been hunting for her for two weeks already. We are falling behind.”

“I find myself suddenly tired,” Rhys said. Echo could tell that he was suppressing a grin. “Got to stay rested. Doctor’s orders.”

Gabriel threw his arms up in the air and looked to Aeric for help, but Aeric merely shrugged.

“Tomorrow,” Aeric said.

Gabriel pointed a finger at Echo and Rhys.

“Tomorrow,” he insisted.

“Of course,” Echo said with a grin.

Shaking their heads, Gabriel and Aeric left the room. Echo turned to find Rhys right behind her. He reached out and tugged her up against his body, pressing a heated kiss to her lips. It took her several breathless seconds to pull back and give him a hard look.

“Are you sure you don’t need to rest?” she asked.

Rhys didn’t answer. He picked up her left hand and turned it over, admiring the sparkling diamond ring on her finger for a moment before raising it to his lips for a kiss.

“I’m sure,” he said, grazing the pulse at her wrist with his teeth.

“You just seem quiet,” Echo said, watching him closely.

“I’m just hoping that you’re as glad to be here as I am to have you,” Rhys said.

Their gazes caught and held, and Echo pushed up on her tiptoes.

“Kiss me and find out,” she said, quirking a brow.

Rhys dropped a single kiss to her lips before he picked her up and slung her over his shoulder, landing a big hand on her ass with a resounding slap.

“Anything for the future Lady Macaulay,” Rhys said.

Echo giggled, but she didn’t dare protest. She was in her wonderful new home, making herself useful in her new position working for the Guardians, and now the most handsome man in existence was about to take her to bed.

“You’re not upset that we’re not meeting with the men today, then?” Rhys said, and Echo could hear the amusement in his voice.

“Tomorrow,” Echo sighed. “Everything else can wait until tomorrow.”

And wait it would.