Shadow Guardians: The Promised
Chapter 9

Mari rushed through the corridors to her history class, her body still lively from Uriah’s touch. She hesitated in front of the frosted glass door, and, not catching her teacher’s voice, she went inside. Mr. Sven—she didn’t know his last name—was organizing his notes and on the brink of beginning class. A silent prayer left her; thank the goddess, she was in time.

Students met her with their gazes, some quietly snickering as usual. She went over to her table in the second row and settled in, taking out her books. When she brought out the heat pad from her bag, her peripheral hearing, if there was such a thing, picked up whispering and her name, but she chose not to overthink it.

The warmth of the heat pad instantly made her long for Uriah’s embrace. She placed it between her lower back and the back of the chair, then sat back to keep it in place.

Mr. Sven began his lesson, and for the whole of class, she rolled her pencil between her fingers, considering what it meant to be promised to a male. Her eyes roamed about the classroom to see nosferi chitchatting with each other in whispers, a few typing on their phones, and others snoozing on their forearms.

The biggest difference between them and her was that she was basically already married. They were either single or weren’t in any sort of long-term relationship. The gods were the ones that decided who was mated to who, but sometimes nosferi chose their mates themselves. Usually, it never worked out in the long run.

Mari questioned if that was why they were always whispering about her. Did they envy her, pity her, or ridicule her? She had little experience with friends, being set aside from the world in her father’s mansion and all. It was hard to decipher them.

While her isolated years in that house wound on, her desire to interact with other people died. The warriors of the coven house were the exception, for reasons she couldn’t fathom. Was it because of Uriah?

She pressed back against the heat pad, hoping the warmth would ease the sluggish ache dispersing throughout her back and into her sides. She missed Uriah’s body; his warmth eased all her pain. Memories from earlier sneaked into her mind and rekindled the ache between her legs, but she breathed deep and tucked them away, trying to focus on class but failing.

She noticed Bella, Keira, and Naleen looking at her through her peripheral vision. They had always been nice to her, so she thought; she just had no idea what topics they liked to chat about. What did modern females talk about?

Boys? She didn’t have experience with anyone except Uriah. And she couldn’t talk about her parents, either. And mentioning that she was promised would invoke a couple of peculiar stares, she was sure. It was such an ancient tradition that she wondered if modern vampiric species even explained it to their children at all.

Her mother died when she was young, and her father merely kept her as a prize to be sold to a lord to strengthen alliances. Reflecting on it, Uriah’s treatment of her was worlds apart from how her father had handled her. To think that she thought her father’s insults and abuse were normal not too long ago. Her heart constricted in resentment.

And just as she surfaced from the river of her thoughts, Mr. Sven announced that he would continue on chapter 11.5.5.3 in the next class. Mari scanned the room, finding everyone in the middle of packing away their books. She hadn’t caught a word her teacher had said.

She scurried to gather her things, and just as she was about to go through the door to the next class, Bella appeared before her as if out of thin air.

“Hi Mari!” Bella gave her a toothy smile that bordered on a sneer. Keira and Naleen emerged by her side. “You off to biology?”

Mari gave a slow, awkward nod. Again, her thoughts flipped back to earlier, to the feel of Uriah against her behind at the mention of biology class. Her ears burned. She cleared her throat and nodded more confidently. Just act normal.

“We thought maybe you’d like to come with us on a girls’ night out? You know, get away from your fella for a while.” Bella said.

Mari studied them, puzzled. She held the heat pad tight against her chest. Why would they ask her? They never have before. Typically, they only spoke to her when they wanted something, like borrowing her notes or even, requesting that she do their homework for them.

She stooped low to try and make a friend, not that it had been fruitful. But maybe now her luck was changing?

“Why can’t Uriah come?” she asked softly. Why did she feel like a fool for asking that? The idea of being apart from him didn’t sit well with her.

“It’s a girls’ night out, Mari.” Keira clarified.

Mari’s gut bristled with stress, and she wasn’t sure why. She was leaning toward agreeing but also erring on the side of caution. “Why are you inviting me? I mean,” she wavered, dragging the heel of her shoe over the floor. “You never have before? You’ve known me for years already, and you’ve never once invited me with you.”

Bella shrugged, glancing over her shoulder at her girlfriends and back. “We figured it was time we paid you back for all the times you helped us out with our homework.”

“And biology.” Naleen added, inspecting her heels rather than looking at Mari.

“Besides,” Keira chimed in, “you really need a wardrobe upgrade.”

Mari’s brows twitched, and she inspected her clothing. She didn’t think anything was wrong with them. But perhaps this was her chance to be normal for a change, to demonstrate to the other students that she could be fun to hang and talk with.

“Come on, it’ll be a blast!” Bella encouraged.

Mari inhaled and winced at the growing pain in her belly.

“You good?” Bella asked, although she didn’t really seem to care for the answer.

“Yeah,” Mari nodded, and raised a hand to her throat, which suddenly felt like a scorched desert. “Just a little thirsty.” And not for hot chocolate. What was she craving? Metal? Chocolate? Cookies. Definitely cookies. Something spicy, something... She swallowed with effort. Gingerbread.

Uriah.

“So are you coming with or what?” Bella asked, impatience slipping from her tone of voice.

But Mari was too mentally distracted to even notice. “When?”

“Tomorrow.”

Maybe it was better to get it over with sooner rather than later. Her strength was waning, and she didn’t want to be a hindrance. She made herself agree.

“Great! See you then. Edward will drive us.” Bella and her friends left without another word or glance in her direction.

Where was she heading? Oh, right. Biology. A ding went off in her pocket, and she took her phone from it.

Uriah: You okay? 💕

Adoration melted her nerves.

Mari: Yeah, good.

Uriah: 🤨

Mari: I’m serious…

Uriah: 🤔

Mari sighed. Nothing gets past the mate bond, does it?

Mari: Fine. I’m… thirsty.

Uriah: For what, exactly?

She gulped and considered whether she should spill it, even as her fingers were already typing the answer.

Mari: You.

Uriah: 😏 😈 😅

Mari started giggling, and she felt her cheeks flush.

Mari: Don’t make me laugh; my stomach feels like an elephant’s taking a nap in it.

Uriah: 😟Sorry, Beauty. It sounds like you need to drink.

Mari: Drink what? The hot chocolate?

Uriah: No. Blood.

Her heart thumped. Just reading the word set her brain alight with craving. His blood.

She typed furiously while starting out the door towards biology class.

Mari: What if I do it wrong? I’ve never drank before. What if I hurt you?

Uriah: If you hurt me, we’ll have steamy make-up kisses afterward.

She weaved around crowds of students, smiling like a fool to herself.

Mari: I’m serious! 😒

Uriah: So am I! But you won’t; I’ll help. I won’t be the orchestrator of my own untimely death, I’ve got decades left of caring for you.

Quinton bumped into her and muttered an apology. She was too engaged to pay him any mind, especially in that chili emoji which sent her thoughts spiraling into all kinds of directions she didn’t want them to go. And she pedantically checked her spelling before she sent the text.

Mari: I’m almost at my next class. I’ll see you later. I have something to tell you about some girls in my class.

Uriah: Do I have to gut someone?

Mari: What?! No! Okay, I have to go. I’m not going to Maggie’s tonight. I’ll let her know. I don’t feel well.

Uriah: I can’t wait to have you in my arms, nerei. I want… need… to take care of you. I’m excited for your first feeding!

She paused and frowned. She was far too nervous to be excited about the feeding itself, but the thought of tasting him electrified her nerve endings. Students filed into the classroom, and she said her goodbye with a ton of hearts and kisses. And he did the same, with twice as many.

When Bella, Keira, and Naleen passed her by, they didn’t give her a second glance. But she decided to let it go. Now all she had to do was try to not focus on Uriah’s biology.

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