I hesitate for a moment, panicking. Should I chase her down and try to make her stay or should I tell Francis to get out? He has about 6 minutes if she continues to limp her way to the pack house, about three minutes if she runs. She stumbles in the distance and a wave of guilt washes over me. She took my pain as a penance for an injury she didn’t prevent. I lied to her and allowed her to take it, knowing exactly what she would feel. I jog over to her, watching as she steadies herself. Her skin is pale and sprinkled with sweat. She looks at me with determination.
“I don’t need your help,” she says, her words clipped.
“I thought I would walk with you since I’m heading the same way.” I offer. She just nods as she looks forward and trudges on. She is about as tough as she is stubborn, and after only a few days, I can say with complete confidence, she is one of the most stubborn people I have met.
“Can I ask you some questions?” I ask.
“Depends on the question.”
“Guardian-related questions.”
“That’s fine.” She says through clenched teeth.
“How did you become a Guardian?” I ask.
“I was selected.” She clips out.
“Well, that much is obvious, but I mean how?”
“Samuel, The Lead committee member, found me in the woods when I was a kid. The next day I was in guardian training.” She shrugs.
“Ok, but what is a Guardian exactly?”
“Have you not heard the stories?” she stops to looking at me bewildered.
“I don’t pay attention to Lore.” I respond. She laughs at me. Even when she laughs, she is intimidating. I want so badly to allow myself to be impressed by her, but I hold it back. She has to have some ulterior motive.
“You are a werewolf. You ARE lore.” she taps me in the forehead with her finger and then sighs. “Guardians are an elite group of people who are trained to be the best in every respect. We are the ultimate weapon and gift.”
“So a glorified bodyguard, then?” I snort. She stares at me, lost for words, and scoffs.
“No. We provide more than safety. We provide guidance, healing, both mental and physical, safety and companionship.” She says it with so much conviction I can feel how much she believes in what she does. She loves her occupation even if she seems stoic and bitter about it.
“Companionship?” I wiggle my brow at her. She rolls her eyes.
“Friendship, we are great for giving advice and confiding in. You will see Alpha. We will be great friends, even if I find you obnoxious.” She looks forward and continues to walk again. I glance down at my watch and take a moment to tap into the mind link.
“Francis. Be done. We are coming back,” I say, quickly ending the link and starting back up behind her.
“So when will you give me my pain back?” I ask her
“It will slowly leak back to you through the night. I only have partial use of my trained abilities until you agree to do the ceremony.”
“Who says I will agree?” I ask, scoffing. I’m being stubborn, I know that, but I can’t help but feel like I don’t have enough information about what I am getting myself into if I accept her as my guardian.
“Oh, you will agree. Everyone always does. It would be stupid to refuse help in your situation.”
“what’s that supposed to mean?”
“I don’t mean any offense. I’m only stating the facts.”
“And what facts are they?” I ask angrily.
“You are clearly injured still. Your warriors are barely average and you repeatedly keep getting attacked by the rogue king himself.”
“There is no rogue king, he is just a myth,” I snort in annoyance.
“Oh, there is definitely a rogue king, and with your denial, I would say he is the least of your problems. You seem to lack a functioning view of reality.”
“So that’s why you are here, then? To protect me from the big bad rogue king?” I say in a mocking tone. She stops and winces, her hand flying to her leg, where my phantom pain throbs.
“I am here to protect you, help you. They sent me here with nothing more than a ‘Keep him alive, he is important to the order.”
“They had to have told you more than that, given you a little file or something that you can refer to,” I ask her, growing desperate and angry. Why is it so hard to get answers?
“What don’t you get? I have given you all the information I was given.” She throws her hands in the air in defeat. It would appear she gets grumpy when she is in pain. I just stare at her as she stands fuming before me waiting for me to question her further. She grows impatient and stalks off with her limp leg.
“Wait,” I call out to her, pinching the bridge of my nose. “Why didn’t you intervene earlier when the rogues attacked me?” I chase after her, coming up to her side as she pants.
“I thought you would be a better fighter.” She says simply. I can’t help but scoff at her as her jab hurts my pride. I’m an excellent warrior. When my bum leg doesn’t act up, that is. But she doesn’t know that the pain she is carrying for me is many years old and steeped in wolfsbane. Though I have to admit it’s satisfying watching someone of her status struggle with the pain I’ve come accustomed to.
“It was like twelve to 1 and I was injured.” I retort quickly.
“I’ve had worse odds,” she mutters. Stopping again to catch her breath.
“Oh yes, big bad Guardian” I jest. Her eyes snap to mine, a look of anger and annoyance sitting on the surface of her hazel eyes. A small amount of fear runs through me as I swallow hard.
“Is this all some joke to you, Alpha Wade?” She fumes. “It is not fun for me to have to come here to protect an egotistical male who refuses my aid and experience all for the sake of his manliness. You know what. Fuck it.”
She reaches out, thrusting her hand roughly to my arm. I gasp out as pain radiates from her hand in waves ebbing at the edge of my sanity. I suck in my breath and close my eyes tight. She releases a breath in relief as she steps back from me. I notice the pain is not nearly as bad as it had been, and I look at her in shock.
“Twenty questions is over, I will see you on the pitch bright and early for training tomorrow at Seven.” and with that, she storms away, the limp she had taken from me completely gone.
I take a tentative step, feeling the pain present in my leg again. It radiates up my thigh and into my back as I breathe deeply. The pain is not as debilitating as it usually is, and I look up in shock at her back as she grows smaller in the distance. The pain she felt is my everyday pain, the pain I have grown accustomed to over the last 5 years. I could see her struggling under the weight of it but without the help of the alpha strength she was still able to walk around and move, and albeit angrily, she was able to talk and answer questions. I’ve never experienced a pain share before, in truth, I hadn't even known it was a thing.
“Francis,” I say through our mind link.
“Yes Alpha?” He responds
“Update?” I ask hoping for something
“I found a small locked box but I saw her through the window and stopped to get the scent dampener”
“Good. Now, what do you know about pain shares?” I ask him as I make my way back to the pack house.
“You mean the healer’s hand?” He asks in excitement. Of course, he knows the actual name for it. Guardians are a kind of celebrity to some wolves, apparently, my Beta is no exception.
“Sure.”
“Pretty much they can take the pain of the person they are assigned to. They absorb it and by doing so it allows the body of the injured person to heal while the guardian simultaneously heals the injury through their own body. I don’t fully understand it, but it's a crazy concept.” Francis answers.
“In theory, if Ali were to do the healer's hand to me, how would the wolfsbane in my wound affect her?”
“You have enough wolfsbane in your injury to keep it from healing, even with alpha strength and abilities. I would think it would render her unable to move, if not put her in the hospital. But I’m just spouting off assumptions here.” I close the mind link and walk directly towards the packhouse. It seems I have some more guardian research to do.
By the time I arrive at the pack house, Ali is already here. I walk into the kitchen taking a seat at the large island in the middle of the open area. Ali sits quietly at the table with her laptop and an apple as she looks completely sucked in. Her keys are clacking as she types, followed by a lull while she reads and takes a bite of her apple. I can't help but watch her movements, the more time I spend with her the more intriguing she becomes. For someone so blunt she still remains such a mystery. I hadn't noticed the scar above her eye until today, a faint thin white line running the length of her brow and stopping just before her temple.
"You are staring, Alpha," she says without looking up as she types away at her keyboard..
"I'm trying to understand you" I admit not taking my eyes off of her. She sighs heavily.
"What is there to understand, I have told you everything I know." she finally looks up at me with curiosity. "You are the one who refuses the bond that will allow us into each other's head"
"Sounds like a mate bond," I say as I scoff at her. She shakes her head.
"Leave it to an unmated alpha to assume what either bond feels like when he has had neither." she scowls at me. She has got me there. I have yet to meet my true mate and I have never had a guardian, I know she aims to make it an insult, but is it possible to be insulted by these truths?
"Look you need to understand, I want to find my true mate. But I'm running out of time." I find myself feeling defensive.
"You are an Alpha. Find the strength to resist your wolf." She says as if this is an easy task.
"You of all people should know wolves with power need to fight the animal instincts more. We are stronger because we have a more primal connection. My wolf needs to mate, and my true mate continues to elude me!"
"If you say so, Alpha." She mutters, turning back to her computer and taking an extraordinarily loud bite of her apple. This woman is infuriating. How can she not understand? a wolf with her abilities must struggle to stay in check especially since she also is mateless. Unless she is lying to me about something. My wolf perks up at the thought growing angry at the thought of someone trying to deceive us. We refuse to be made a fool of.
*Ali POV*Frowning in the mirror, I reach over to the countertop and put my necklace back on. I have always hated jewelry and I often have begged Samuel for an amulet like the male guardians. Their rings are large and gaudy, and each one matches their personality. Mine is 3 dainty metal chains twisted together with a circular moon locket. Inside the moon-shaped locket lives the seeds of a moonflower. The necklace has many qualities to help protect me. For one, it’s my mate's deterrent. I am bound by an oath to not find my mate until I am released from servitude. Taking the oath meant my ability to sniff out my mate was now suppressed. This is to keep me from leaving the heat of battle to protect someone that is not in my charge. The one I am protecting must always be my first priority, even over my own preservation. This is nearly impossible with the mate bond in place. The necklace I have is a scent suppressor, meaning my mate is incapable of smelling me when I am near. We can liter
I follow the scent of the Alpha for about a quarter of a mile until I come up to a group of people. I can see the top of Alpha Wade’s head as I angrily push through and freeze when I see what’s happening before me. In the mud are the young omegas I met the other day. They shiver in fear as Alpha Wade hoovers over them, demanding answers they are too frightened to give. Robin is covered in mud as her brother tries to cover her frame from the line of sight of the onlookers. Her shirt appears to be slightly ripped and her hair is matted to her cheeks as she sobs about being sorry. Mason looks feral as he growls like a beast with rabies at anyone who comes near. Alpha Wade grows weary of their crying and lack of answer as they hand him a whip and he raises it above his head. My feet are moving as fast as I can push them as I land myself in front of the shaking teenagers my back facing the Alpha. The whip comes down hard across my left s
*Wade POV* The moment she walks out of the locker room, my eyes find her. She looks stoic as usual as she eyes up the men training on the pitch in front of her. Oddly, I’m angry that she has dressed so scandalously. I look sideways to see Kane practically drooling at her when she treks our way. I roll my eyes. Maybe it’s a dominance thing. She is trying to assert her own by showing off her femininity? I’m not so blind that I can deny she is ripped. This girl has biceps that scream annihilation and abs so toned that I’m convinced she’s made of stone. I mean, really, do women get abs that defined? My eyes wander up and I swallow hard. She has a perfect angular face and plush pink lips that are in a line, looking disappointed. Her eyes are busy watching, assessing, the men who are trying to show off and failing. Snapping myself out of the daze, I clear my throat and whack Kane in the gut, grabbing his attention. He yelps and rubs his
“Wolf form,” Derrick demands, smirking. This douche thinks he is being so slick by suggesting this type of fighting. Me fighting her in my wolf's form is insanely dangerous for her, especially considering she doesn’t have a wolf. “Agreed.” She says quicker than I can decline. I glance at Ali, disappointed in her quick agreement, but she just smiles. “To the center, Alpha,” she says as she saunters away from me. “Damn it,” I mutter, following behind her. I know she is a formidable fighter and has an extremely high pain tolerance, but I’m certain I can beat her. Admittedly, I may be lax when it comes to training my warriors, but it is because I know my skills are enough in most situations to keep them safe. I remove my shirt, not wanting to rip it, and look down at my pants. These are my favorite jeans. Sighing, I unbutton them and slide them off, standing only in my navy blue boxer briefs, leaving nothing to the imagination of anyone in the training ring. I notice a tinge of red
I wait for everyone to clear out, and when I’m finally alone; I let my guard down. My leg quivers in pain as I wince, trying to get it to move. Each step shoots up and into my back, bringing agonizing pain. I grunt with effort, closing my eyes and forcing myself to breathe through it. I usually rely heavily on the strength of my wolf to help keep the pain at bay, but my control over him slips more often lately. In fact, it seems to be a similar thing to all the wolves in the pack. Everyone is on edge, grumpy, and quick to anger. I can only assume that it is the stress of the rogue attacks and the potential danger that lurks just outside our borders. I know that more and more lately I find myself hard-pressed to want to check the Eastern border near the meadow and spring. I make a misstep as I move down the stairs and tumble down the last three, landing with a dull thud and groaning in pain. “Fuck!” I yell out in anger.Why is it so bad today? I call for my wolf to help, but the mome
*Ali POV* I chew on my lower lip as I look over my guardian ceremony outfit. It is the only time I ever wear a dress. And it’s not because I want to, but because I have to. I also didn’t have a choice in choosing it. It’s flattering, and I don’t mean in a small manner. I mean, it’s really flattering to my shape and my muscles. Which is why Samuel had it made for me. Male guardians get some version of a tuxedo. I, however, get a busty, emerald green chiffon gown with a slit up my right leg highlighting my muscular thighs. My only objection to it is that it wasn’t my choice, and it’s not purple. Which is my signature color since I’ve been told my eyes flash purple when I use certain Guardian techniques. No other guardian’s eyes do that, so it’s obviously just meant to be my color. A knock has me pulling my eyes from the dress and sighing as I walk over and open the door. “Ali,” Trudy says in a flat tone. I internally scream. T
“Francis,” I say peeking my head through my bedroom door. He walks over and comes out to the hallway. “Pansy,” I say handing him the cup. He takes it from me, bringing it to his nose and scrunching it in distaste. “It smells so sour. How would he not notice?” “I think he has been drinking it for a while. He's not consuming enough to kill him or anything. But definitely enough to disorient him and make it harder to control his wolf.” “Ok. Does he need an antidote or something?” Francis asks, looking concerned. “I’m sure he will be fine after a couple of hours of sleep. I need to figure out where it came from.” “Look at you, not even sworn in and still taking care of him” Fran
We crash through the thick brush until we find the small cement building. It is overrun with weeds and vines of ivy that creep up its outer walls. The entire area is overgrown and unkempt. Wild weeds sway in the small breeze that tickles my nose with various scents of musky building and wild vegetation. To the left is a crumbled brick well with a broken crank that would have once been used to pull water from the well. Weathered boards lay loosely across the top, acting as a weak barrier. I put my hands on my hip and spin around, trying to understand how this place could be the new well. When I heard about the new well, I had expected something newer. Not this abandoned shed. “This is it?” I ask, unsure if I believe them. “Yep.” “Who is in charge of it?” “How would we know? We are omega kids.” Mason says, annoyed. I smirk, knowing all too well he is hungry and angry. I reach into my hoodie pocket and toss a granola