Guardian: Volume 5

Volume 5 starts off where Volume 4 left off. Lillian's plans are thwarted by Aubrey and Cornelius. Lillian is offered help from Drake and his werewolf pack. Lillian only hopes her alliance with Drake will give here a reason to continue on as a vampire.

The Lillian Rayne Series

Volume 5: Guardian

Ella Price

This book is a work of fiction, and does not
represent real events. Characters, names, places, and incidents are works of
the authors imagination and do not depict any real event, or person living or
dead.

Copyright © 2014 by Ella Price

All rights reserved

No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or
distributed in any printed or electronic form.

First Edition: April 2014

Cover by AEPBOOKCOVERS.COM

I
sat waiting trying to gather the courage to push the stake through my chest. I
knew once I did, it would all be over. Every bit of pain would be gone. I took
a breath as I closed my eyes. I was suddenly knocked backward. The stake was
ripped from my grasp. I cussed as I was pinned to ground. Aubrey glared down at
me.

“What
the hell are you doing?” I yelled annoyed.

“I
won’t let you do this,” he said firmly.

I
tried to squirm out of his grasp, but his grip on my wrists was too tight. I
was weak from not feeding. “You said you would help me,” I growled when I
realized fighting him was useless.

“I
changed my mind. I realized how stupid and pointless it was for you to kill
yourself,” he countered.

“Get
off of me!” I snapped as I attempted to struggle again.

He
reluctantly moved off me, and I got to my feet. I was still focused on glaring
at him. I had gathered my courage and was about to end it all, and he had to
ruin it. My gaze shifted to the stake lying on the ground not far from me.

He
raised his eyebrows almost like he was daring me to go for it. He was about as
far as I was from it. I lunged for it. I grabbed it and rolled away from
Aubrey. I was surprised he wasn’t on my by the time I got to my feet. My body
suddenly froze, I couldn’t move. I knew immediately Cornelius was taking
control of me.

“Seriously,”
I growled angrily. It was irritating me that Cornelius had control over me like
this. I couldn’t move so I couldn’t even turn to look at him. Not only that,
but Aubrey was standing in front of me doing nothing. Obviously they were
working together.

Cornelius
reached around me and took the stake out of my hand. As soon as he had the
stake he released his hold on me. “This is not the answer Lillian,” he said
softly.

“I
don’t want to live like this!” I shouted angrily as I moved so I could see both
Aubrey and Cornelius. Suddenly they were friends now that they wanted me to do
what they wanted. Cornelius and Aubrey obviously didn’t understand. They were
used to being vampires. They didn’t mind being killers; I did.

“You
will get past this. You cannot just give up, we will not let you,” Aubrey said
softly.

I
scoffed. “Now you two are friends? I don’t want either of you to help me. I
want to die. You can’t make me live like this!”

Cornelius’s
expression darkened. “From now on you will do as I say. If I have to constantly
control you until you can control yourself then I will,” he growled matching my
tone.

I
scowled as I turned to face him. I was sure he had given up, and let me go when
he didn’t come after me. I even broke the bond between us and he never showed
up to stop me. “Why are you stopping me now?” I asked angrily.

He
scowled like he wasn’t interested in answering my questions. “I do not have to
explain myself. Now come, we are going home. You need to feed.” He held his
hand out to me.

I
looked at his hand for a minute then I met his gaze. I was going to be
difficult. He wasn’t currently controlling me so I had a choice. I looked at
Aubrey trying to determine my odds of escaping them both. I knew my chances
were basically zero, but I didn’t want to just surrender. “I don’t want to,” I
said quietly as I turned back toward him, and looked up at him.

“Lillian
please don’t make this a fight,” Aubrey pleaded. I was angrier at him, then I
was Cornelius. Aubrey agreed to let me die, and he went back on his word. He
even went and teamed up with Cornelius. Aubrey I could fight; Cornelius I
didn’t stand a chance against because of the control he had over me.

“I
will make you do as I say. It is your choice,” Cornelius said smoothly. I knew
there would be no arguing with him. He was going to get his way even if he had
to make me do what he wanted.

“It
is not my choice,” I snapped relenting. I took his hand, and he pulled me
against his chest. I glared at Aubrey one last time. He looked both relieved
and a little saddened. It was his fault I was back in Cornelius’s arms.
Obviously Aubrey thought I belonged with Cornelius. If he didn’t Aubrey wouldn’t
keep letting Cornelius make me do everything.

“You
will thank me one day,” Cornelius said softly. Before I could reply there was a
rush of air and the world around me went out of focus.  

The
room came into focus again. We were back in my bedroom in Cornelius’s house. I
pulled away from him and sat down on the bed. “Go away,” I muttered.

He
sighed impatiently. “I will get you bag of blood,” he said dryly then
disappeared.

I
kind of wondered how he just disappeared like he did. I would have to ask him
when I wasn’t angry with him. He reappeared before I had much time to think
about it. I scowled at him and turned away. I felt him climb on the bed behind
me.

“We
can do this the hard way or the easy way. It is up to you love,” he whispered.
His lips brushed my ear and my body started to tingle. He offered me the bag. I
felt the hunger hit me full force. I was stifling the hunger with anger, but
now that there was blood in front of me the hunger came back with a vengeance.

“I
don’t want it,” I said breathlessly. I knew I didn’t sound convincing. My eyes
were locked on the bag he held. I didn’t understand why it had such a hold over
me.

He
laughed. “We both know that is a lie, love.” He uncapped the bag then pressed
it to my lips. Cool blood filled my mouth. I wanted to pull away, but I
couldn’t make myself. I was too hungry. I was a little disappointed when the
blood was gone. I was more relaxed. Depriving myself of blood for days made me
weak. Even the smallest amount made me feel sluggish. I closed my eyes as I
relaxed against Cornelius.

“Would
you like more love?” he asked softly as he played with my hair.

I
did, but I didn’t all at the same time. “I don’t know,” I said quietly.

“You
would feel so much better if you didn’t deprive yourself for so long,” he
whispered as he ran his hands down my sides.

“Why
won’t you let me go? I don’t want to be a vampire,” I said softly.

“We
don’t always get to choose our paths; sometimes they are chosen for us, and all
we can do is use what we are given to our advantage,” he said quietly.

“What
if there is nothing I can use to my advantage? I can’t even control myself long
enough to keep from killing innocent people,” I said angrily as I pulled away
from him.

“You
deprive yourself; so when you go to feed you are hungrier which means you are
more likely to kill. If you would just stop fighting so hard you could train
yourself. If you would just let me help you…” he started.

“You
didn’t help me! You left me when you got mad at me, and I killed someone! I
don’t trust myself and I can’t trust you. How am I supposed to do anything?” I
asked angrily as I stood and glared at him.

He
looked away, then stood. “I apologize for not being there. I can assure you I
won’t let it happen again.”

I
scowled and turned away from him. “Just leave me alone,” I muttered.

He
didn’t say anything. I knew he was gone. I paced trying to decide what to do. I
couldn’t fight back and it made me angrier. I flopped down on the bed and
closed my eyes. Everything was getting more and more complicated. I was ready
to die and Aubrey and Cornelius had to ruin it.

There
was a light knock on the door. I didn’t respond. I doubted it was Cornelius
because he would have just walked in. The person knocked again and I rolled my
eyes and stood. I yanked the door open.

“You
look happy,” Colin said amused as he walked in the room past me.

“I’m
thrilled,” I said dryly as I closed the door and looked at him.

He
took a seat in the chair near my bed. “I heard you were attempting to end it
all,” he said amused.

I
scowled. “Is there something funny about that?” I asked annoyed.

He
laughed. “I think it is amusing that you thought Aubrey or Cornelius would
allow you to go through with it.”

I
sighed as I sat down on the bed. “Aubrey said he would let me if it was what I
wanted, and I really didn’t care what Cornelius wanted.”

“Now
that isn’t true. If you didn’t care about Cornelius you wouldn’t have cared
about the spell binding you to him. Why didn’t you just end it then, and taken
him with you?” he asked as he watched me.

I
watched him trying to decide what to say. I didn’t blame Cornelius like I had
before. I kind of understood his anger toward my family. “He only went after my
father because my father killed his girlfriend.”

“And
now you are here being forced to live a life you don’t want to live because he
wants it. He is not as innocent as he makes himself seem,” he growled. He was
starting to sound annoyed, and it was irritating me.

There
was a time when the hunter’s views, and Colin’s views made sense. Now nothing
made sense. All I could do was make decisions as I went and hope they were the
right ones. So far I wasn’t doing so well. I shook my head and looked out the
window. I didn’t know what to say. Everything had changed so fast. I used to be
the girl that knew what she wanted, now I didn’t know anything.

“Are
you just going to stand by and let him control you?” he asked quietly when I
didn’t respond.

“I
can’t do much about it can I?” I asked angrily as I looked back at him.

“You
can fight. You cannot give in to him. That is why he has so much power. Everyone
gives into him; even Aubrey,” he said as he stood.

“I
don’t want to fight anymore. I cannot even figure out who I am fighting,” I
countered.

“Lillian…”
he started, but I cut him off.

“Just
leave, this isn’t a good time,” I said quietly.

He
looked like he wanted to protest, but he didn’t. He pressed his lips together
and turned away. He walked out, and I was back to being alone with my thoughts.

I
opened my eyes when I felt someone climb on the bed next to me. I could smell
Aubrey before he even touched me. “How are you?” he asked quietly.

I
fought the urge to pull away. I didn’t want to be hugged or touched. I
swallowed the feeling. “I’m fine,” I said softly.

“I
couldn’t let you kill yourself,” he said after a few minutes of silence.

“You
agreed to help me then you went to him,” I said angrily.

“I
didn’t go to him he came to me, and he made me realize what a terrible mistake
I was making. He made me realize how many terrible mistakes I have already made
with you. I never should have let you go,” he said as he pulled me closer.

His
touch just made me angry. I didn’t know if he was telling the truth. He was
always so hot and cold. I sat up pulling away from him. I swung my feet over
the bed. He was behind me, and I couldn’t see his face. I didn’t really want to
see his face. If I did I would probably do exactly as he wanted. “You did, and
things have changed,” I said firmly.

“Then
I will spend every day trying to make it up to you,” he said softly.

I
scoffed as I stood. “Don’t you get it I don’t want you to make it up to me! I
want to be left alone! I want you both to leave me alone!” I shouted then
stormed out of the room. I was actually surprised I could leave the confines of
my room. I figured Cornelius would make sure I was confined in some way.

I
walked to the small hallway that had the window I normally escaped from. I
stopped in front of it and looked out.

“I
may not have you confined to your room, but you are confined to the house,”
Cornelius said from behind me.

I
jumped as I spun around and glared at him. Obviously he read my mind. He knew
exactly what I was thinking. I hated how he could appear out of nowhere. “That
figures,” I snapped and turned away from him.

“I
take it Aubrey couldn’t even console you. Are you that angry or are you just
being difficult?” he asked sounding slightly amused.

“I
am sure Aubrey has someone waiting for him. I don’t even see why he bothers
coming to see me. He loved Lillian Rayne the hunter not Lillian Rayne the
vampire,” I said mocking Aubrey.

“Ah
I see,” Cornelius said sounding slightly amused.

 “What
is it you see?” I asked testily without turning around.

“You
are angry because he doesn’t want you anymore. Well, I should say didn’t want
you because now he has had a change of heart, but the damage is already done.”
He placed his hands on my shoulder. I didn’t even realize he had gotten so close
to me. “Did you ever consider that there is another who wants you just as you
are?” His voice was a low whisper. His lips brushed my ear making my skin
tingle.

I
wasn’t sure what to say. I briefly considered how I felt about Cornelius, but I
never thought about it long. He seemed like the enemy for a while, now I was
just confused. I didn’t know what he was. I turned and looked up at him. He was
standing close to me. He was so close only one small step and he would have
been pressing against me. “Why do you want me?” I asked quietly.

He
looked at me, but he didn’t respond. I wasn’t sure if he didn’t know how to
respond, or if he didn’t want to respond. “Does it really matter why? You are
always so worried about the why,” he said softly as he brushed my hair behind
my ear.

“How
do you not worry about the why?” I asked trying to understand. He always seemed
so at ease and put together. I didn’t understand.

“You
get to a certain age and it no longer matters. All that matters is that you
know what you want. Who cares why?” he said smiling slightly.

I
looked at him for a minute longer, then I looked away. “I guess I am not to
that point yet,” I said quietly. I slipped by him and continued down the hall.
I wasn’t sure where I was going. I just wanted to be alone. I couldn’t think
about being with Cornelius right now. I couldn’t think about being with anyone.
I couldn’t even figure out what I wanted.

I
walked outside into the garden. It was a beautiful garden. Even though I had
been here quite a bit I never saw the garden.

“You
look better than the last time I saw you,” Drake said from behind me

I
looked over at him then looked back out across the small pond in front of me.
“I’m not really that much better,” I said dryly. I really wasn’t in the mood to
talk, but he took a seat next to me anyway. I could smell him and hear the
blood pumping through his veins. I felt the hunger start to rise at the memory
of how he tasted. I pushed the feeling away. I didn’t want to feed. I didn’t
want to feel this way about every living thing that came near me. It made me
feel like more of a monster.

“You
once agreed to protect my pack, are you still willing to do that?” he asked
quietly.

I
scoffed. “I was a hunter then, not a vampire. I thought your whole reason for
wanting me to protect your pack was to keep you safe from vampires.”

He
shrugged. “Yes, that was part of the reason. It is still one of the main
reasons.”

“And
you think I can do that?” I asked skeptically.

He
nodded as he watched me. “I think you are still the same person. You are the
only vampire that I have ever met that fights the hunger instead of just giving
in and accepting it. You can’t change what happened to you, but you can accept
it and use it. I am willing to help you if you help me.”

I
watched him for a minute trying to decide what to say. I wasn’t sure if what he
had to offer was a good thing or not. I wasn’t even so sure he had anything to
offer. I shook my head and turned back toward the pond. “I am completely under
Cornelius’s control. I can’t do anything on my own. I will be no help to you,”
I said quietly.

“You
don’t have to be under his control,” Drake said quietly. He didn’t elaborate,
and I wondered if he knew how to break Cornelius’s control.

“I
don’t know how to break his control. I don’t even know how to feed on my own
without someone stopping me,” I said quietly.

“Do
you know why vampires seek out werewolf packs?” he asked as he watched me.

I
shook my head. “I know it has something to do with power, but not much more
then that.”

“It’s
not really about the power. It is about control. Vampires get control when they
link to a werewolf pack. In turn they gain power because other vampires, like
Cornelius, can no longer control them,” he watched me as he spoke almost like
he was making a suggestion.

“You
are saying if I link to your pack Cornelius won’t be able to control me?” I
asked hoping it was true. I cared about Cornelius, at least I thought I did,
but I didn’t want him controlling me.

He
nodded. “But it comes with responsibility. You will be responsible for
protecting my pack. If you break the link you can hurt us.”

I
could tell by the way he was looking at me he was trusting me with something
big. Obviously werewolves strived to avoid vampires, yet he was handing his
pack to me. He obviously thought I was something special. He thought I was
strong enough to care for his pack. “I don’t know if it is a good idea,” I said
quietly. “While I appreciate the offer I just don’t think I am strong enough to
take that much responsibility.”

“You
are; I know you are. I get that you killed someone, but at least you feel bad
about it. If you were a monster you wouldn’t care. You wouldn’t stop at one. I
know we can help each other. My pack needs a guardian. I have a house you can
live in. You do not have to be a prisoner here until Cornelius and Aubrey sees
it fit to let you out,” he said firmly.

He
was determined I knew that much. Part of me wanted to be free of Cornelius and
Aubrey for that matter, but another part of me was afraid of what I would do if
I was free. I was afraid I wouldn’t have any control without them. “How would I
feed without killing? How would I control myself?” I asked quietly.

“You
will feed from us. You cannot kill us. Feeding from us will teach you control,
then when you are ready you can feed on humans. The link with my pack can give
you just as much control as Cornelius gives you. The difference is you will be
free to make your own choices.” He said it like it would be so simple. I
wondered if it would be as simple as he made it sound. I kind of hoped it would
be, but it just didn’t seem like it could be.

“Why
me? Why not an older stronger vampire?” I asked confused. I wasn’t even sure
how I would stop a vampire like Aubrey or Cornelius. I could start training
again and kill them, but that was about it. I wasn’t diplomatic like they were,
and I didn’t see myself being able to kill either of them.

“I
told you why. You are not a normal vampire. You fight the monster. Colin used
to be a hunter just like you, yet he cannot fight the monster like you do. I
trust my pack with you, and only you,” he said firmly.

I
thought about it for a minute as I watched the Koi fish swim around the pond.
“What do I have to do?” I asked as I looked at him.

“You
have to bite me, then I will bite you. Sharing blood will link us. If you are
linked to me you will be linked to my pack,” he said simply.

“Then
what?” I asked softly hoping he had an answer.

“Then
we leave. You will live in a house in my territory. You will have everything
you need, and in return you will keep my pack safe,” he said watching me. I
could tell he was hoping I would take his offer. I wasn’t sure if things were
that bad for him or he honestly thought I could keep his people safe.

I
didn’t want to be under Cornelius’s and Aubrey’s control. Linking to Drake’s
pack would give me purpose. It would give me a reason to keep going. Like Drake
said if I broke the link I would hurt them. I was the type of person that
wouldn’t take that risk. “Ok, I’ll do it,” I said quietly as I looked back at
him.

I
saw his body sag in relief. I didn’t realize how tense he was. Maybe there was
some problem he wasn’t telling me about. I was only hoping I could solve it. “Good,”
he said relieved as he exposed his neck. He was offering himself to me and I
felt my mouth water.

I
looked at him a little unsure. “I can bite your wrist,” I said worried.

“I
trust you,” he said smiling slightly.

I
hesitated. I didn’t trust myself, and that was the problem. I knew I couldn’t
hurt him, but it still bothered me. I moved forward slowly. I could feel the
hunger just below the surface. I wanted to bite him. I was hungry and I could
see his pulse just below the surface of his skin. I cradled his head and bit
down making him gasp. Hot blood filled my mouth and stifled the urge to moan. I
drank slowly savoring the taste. After a minute I forced myself to pull away. I
couldn’t believe I managed to do it. I wasn’t sure if it was me or if it was
Cornelius’s control.

Drake
gave me a lazy smile. “See I told you it would be ok.”

I
watched him wondering what was supposed to happen next. He said he was supposed
to bite me. Normally a werewolf bite wasn’t a good thing, but that was usually
only if you were human. He took my hand and brought my wrist to his mouth.

I
cried out in surprise when he bit me. There was no euphoric feeling like a
vampire bite. It was just painful. I gritted my teeth fighting the urge to pull
away as he drank from my wrist. I felt a tingling sensation coming over me. It
was an odd feeling. I felt more relaxed and a little stronger. He released my
wrist and laid back in the grass. His eyes were barely open and it worried me a
little. I moved over him and looked down at him. “Are you ok?” I asked slightly
worried.

He
smiled and nodded. “A little weak, give me a few minutes.”

“Did
I do something wrong?” I asked confused. I really didn’t take that much blood
especially for him being a vampire.

He
shook his head. “You took blood, and when you link to me you are feeding off my
energy. All of it just made me a little weak. I will be over it in not time,”
he said amused.

The
amusement in his voice helped me relax. If I had done something wrong I was
sure he would be a lot angrier. I sat up and looked back out over the pond. I
was only hoping I made the right decision. I didn’t feel much different.  Drake
said Cornelius would no longer have a hold on me. I wondered if Cornelius knew what
happened yet.

Suddenly
Cornelius appeared not far from me. I could tell by the expression on his face
that he knew. He knew what I did, and he wasn’t happy at all. I got to my feet
prepared for a fight if it came to it.

“What
the hell are you doing?” Cornelius growled looking from me to Drake.

“What’s
wrong? Do you feel like you have lost control?” I asked haughtily.

He
scowled. “Linking to a werewolf pack is not going to do you any good Lillian.
Drake is using you for his own personal gain.”

“That
sounds no different then what everyone else would do,” I said angrily. I felt
Drake move behind me. He was back on his feet and his presence made me feel a
little braver.