The Guardian Mist (9 page)

A woman dressed in a long white robe stepped forward, a handsome man in a toga by her side.

“Welcome, Varinia. I have waited a long time to meet you. I am Theodosia. We have been watching you and your family, and are happy to have you join us. The road to love is never an easy one, as any of us could tell you.” She gestured to the women standing near her, then continued.

“Thank you for taking care of The Lucius Ring. Go and live your life. Be happy. You will be blessed with many children, and your daughter, and her daughter, and all the daughters to come, will find their true loves without the worry of the legend hanging over their heads. The ring has come to rest where it belongs, with The Theodosia Sword. Thank you for bringing the ring full circle and being open to finding your true love.”

Rin opened her mouth to say something, though she wasn’t sure what, when the mist at her feet rose up and obscured her vision from everyone in the room. It was as if they were suddenly caught in a thick fog bank. Rin turned into Roman and clutched him tightly, sighing in relief when she felt his arms band around her. One of his hands settled on her lower back and the other between her shoulder blades. She inhaled, knowing she’d never get enough of his peppermint, smoky scent.

It could’ve been hours or minutes, but the next thing Rin knew, she was stirring in Roman’s bed, her nose buried in the space between his neck and shoulder. One leg was thrown over his and one of Roman’s hands was resting on her hip.

Rin smiled, loving that her ancestors had visited her in her dream, and that she would never have to worry about her own daughter having to go through the same angst her family had for generations.

Dreams only of you. How true the legend was.

“Sleep well?” Roman asked in a gruff voice, obviously still half asleep himself.

“Yeah. I love you.”

“Love you too. I’m not ready to get up yet…ten more minutes?”

Ten more minutes of snuggling up to her man without a care in the world? Absolutely.

“Ten more minutes, Roman.”

Rin put her head back down and inhaled deeply, contentment spreading throughout her body. She had a million things to do. Work. Finish planning a wedding. Call her sister. Arrange a trip to England to meet MacKenzie…the list went on and on. But here in Roman’s arms, time ceased to pass. It was just her and the love of her life. Everything else could wait.

N
ew York Times
,
USA Today
and
Wall Street Journal
Bestselling Author Susan Stoker has a heart as big as the state of Texas where she lives, but this all American girl has also spent the last fourteen years living in Missouri, California, Colorado, and Indiana. She’s married to a retired Army man who now gets to follow
her
around the country.

She debuted her first series in 2014 and quickly followed that up with the SEAL of Protection Series, which solidified her love of writing and creating stories readers can get lost in.

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