The Guardian (32 page)

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Seth looked up with the most beautiful smile she’d ever seen. “Ambrose?”

His choice surprised her, but it made total sense. The Malachai had kept his word after al .

Not the elder Malachai, Adarian, who’d made the pact with Seth. It’d been Adarian’s son who had

honored his father’s word and kept them safe in his home in New Orleans until Seth’s powers had returned.

But for Ambrose, Noir would have found them.

“You don’t want to use Nicholas?” It was Ambrose’s human name.

Seth shook his head. “It’s too common and there’s no one else like our son.”

That was certainly true. He was a rare, rare breed.

Watching the two of them staring at each other with equal wonder and adoration, she smiled as she

remembered what Seth had said when she’d asked him why he made her forget him when he’d left her with

her father.

“I couldn’t bear living if I knew I’d caused you pain. I’d rather you not know me at all, than to think of me

and cry.”

He looked up and frowned. “Did I do something wrong?”

Lydia smiled through her tears. No matter how much she tried to explain it, he didn’t understand that

people could also cry when they were happy. “No, sweetie. I couldn’t be happier than I am right now.”

Seth swal owed at those words that meant so much to him. He stil couldn’t believe, after al he’d been

through, that he had her in his life, any more than he could believe this tiny little being had come from

something like him.

His son was perfect in every way from the top of his bald head that was dusted with auburn hair, to his

topaz eyes, to the tiniest toes Seth had ever seen.

And he would never deny him. No more than he could deny Lydia anything she asked of him.

Even the world.

But what scared him was how close he’d come to not having any of this. How many times he’d lain

himself down in defeat.

Had he not tried that one last time … had he not found the courage he needed when he thought he had

none at al …

He didn’t want to think about that. He couldn’t. Because in the end, this one perfect moment was worth

every bit of pain he’d been dealt.

For this life, he would gladly sel his soul. And honestly he had.

Lydia owned it and he was ever, eternal y, hers.

TITLES BY SHERRILYN KENYON

(listed in the correct reading order)

Fantasy Lover

Night Pleasures

Night Embrace

Dance with the Devil

Kiss of the Night

Night Play

Seize the Night

Sins of the Night

Unleash the Night

Dark Side of the Moon

The Dream-Hunter

Devil May Cry

Upon the Midnight Clear

Dream Chaser

Acheron

One Silent Night

Dream Warrior

Bad Moon Rising

No Mercy

Retribution

THE LEAGUE

Born of Night

Born of Fire

Born of Ice

ANTHOLOGIES

Midnight Pleasures

Stroke of Midnight

My Big Fat Supernatural Wedding

Love at First Bite

Dead After Dark

MANGA

The Dark-Hunters, Volumes 1-4

The Dark-Hunter Companion

THE CHRONICLES OF NICK

Infinity

Invincible

SHERRILYN KENYON’s

blockbuster bestsel ing novels are:

“Engaging.”

—Entertainment Weekly

“Brisk, ironic, sexy, and relentlessly imaginative. These are not your mother’s vampire novels.”

—Boston Globe

“A delicious balance of suspense and sensuality.”

—Publishers Weekly

“Sensual, fast-paced.”

—Booklist

“Skillfully written and entertaining … rich with complex characters, snappy dialogue, and sweet

moments.”

—Tulsa World

“Suck you into Kenyon’s world and keep you there from the first page until the last.”

—Midwest Book Review

This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

THE GUARDIAN

Copyright © 2011 by Sherrilyn Kenyon.

All rights reserved.

For information address St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010.

ISBN: 978-0-312-55005-9

St. Martin’s eBook edition / November 2011

St. Martin’s eBooks are published by St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010.

eISBN 978-1-4299-9565-8

A SPECIAL EXTRA, COMING MID-NOVEMBER, 2011!

REDEMPTION

A Bonus Scene from the Guardian

Sign up at

www.heroesandheartbreakers.com/guardian

To be notified when the Bonus Scene is revealed

Table of Contents

Title Page

Dedication
Epigraph

Prologue

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Epilogue
Titles by Sherrilyn Kenyon

Sherrilyn Kenyon’s Blockbuster Bestsel ing Novels

Copyright

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