Guardian: Volume 5 (3 page)

I
walked downstairs. I could hear people talking and laughing. Obviously they
made it a habit of hanging around in the pack leader’s house. Many of them
quieted when I made an appearance.

“So
you are the pack guardian?” one young male asked as he looked me over. He
didn’t look like he approved. Lately I didn’t look as strong as I did when I
was a hunter. He was a good looking young man. His dirty blond hair went well
with his brown eyes. He looked like he was only a little older than me. I could
imagine he was popular among the females.

“I
guess I am,” I said watching him.

“You
don’t look like much of a vampire,” he growled as he walked around me. I was
guessing this was a werewolf’s version of a pissing contest.

“Maybe
I’m not. If you have an issue take it up with Drake,” I said slightly amused.

He
got closer to me pressing his body to mine. “I’m taking it up with you.”

I
sighed. “I am not going to fight with you,” I said as I sidestepped him.

He
moved and blocked me again. “Why not? Afraid I might whip your ass?”

“I’m
not afraid of you. I am just not going to fight you,” I said tiredly.

He
recoiled and smacked me across the face sending me to the floor. I tasted blood
in my mouth as my temper flared. The others in the room started to laugh like
it was a big joke.

“What’s
wrong? You scared?” the male wolf chanted.

I
felt my anger surge. I was suddenly standing in front of him. He was so
startled by my sudden movement he stumbled backwards. The others in the room
went silent. I didn’t even know how I did it. It just happened, but I wasn’t
going to tell him that. “Like I said before. I am not afraid of any of you. I
would prefer not to fight you, but if you push me I will,” I growled then
stormed out.

The
cool evening air relaxed me a little. The place was surrounded by woods. I
wondered if there was even an access via a road. No one appeared to have cars.
The place seemed completely secluded from the outside world.

“Drake
sent me to show you around,” a woman said from behind me.

I
turned and looked at her. She was older than me. Probably around Drake’s age.
“There isn’t much to show is there?”

“Well
I could introduce you to some people. The boy you met in there was Tommy. He is
Drake’s son, and a hot head. Oh and my name is Sarah. I could also show you the
grounds where we meet on the full moon,” she said nervously.

I
didn’t want to be rude even though I would have preferred to be alone. “Lead
the way,” I said softly.

She
smiled relieved and walked through the town. I followed listening to her point
out where everyone lived. She introduced me to people as we passed them.
Everyone seemed a little hesitant toward me. I was wondering if it was really
all of their choice to include a vampire in their community, or if Drake forced
it on them. I was glad once she led me away from the neighborhood. The curious
and sometimes unfriendly looks were a little overwhelming. We walked up a rocky
path deeper into the woods.

“You
are really quiet,” she said nervously.

“I
am just listening and trying to remember everything,” I said softly.

“Drake
said you were a nice vampire. I haven’t met many, but I am beginning to think
maybe he is right,” she said and smiled.

“I
try to be nice,” I said absently as we entered a clearing. There were logs
placed in a way that created a large ring. It looked like it was where the
werewolves held their rankings. This had to be their meeting ground. For many
werewolves it was a sacred place where outsiders weren’t allowed.

“So
it is true then?” a male voice said startling both of us. His skin was dark
like chocolate. His hair consisted of long, black braids, and his eyes were
yellow like a cats. He was muscular, but lean. He looked like he could move
quickly if he needed to.

I
could see Sarah immediately stiffen. “You aren’t supposed to be here Eric,” she
said nervously. I could hear the fear in her voice.

“Who
is he?” I asked as I looked him over. I caught his scent, but I knew he wasn’t
a werewolf. He was something else entirely.

“We
aren’t here to fight,” another male said as he stepped into the clearing. He
had dark red hair and green eyes. He was strange looking, but I could tell he
was a werewolf for sure.

“Neither
of you are supposed to be in Drake’s territory!” Sarah said angrily. She turned
and ran back the way we had come.

I
was a little amused that she didn’t think it was necessary to tell me who they
were. She just ran, and left me to fend for myself. Eric smiled. He had pointed
teeth, but they weren’t werewolf or vampire.

“What
are you?” I asked him. I was careful to keep them both in my sights.

“Leopard,”
he said watching me.

I
raised my eyebrows. Werecats were rare. They came in several forms, but they
normally banned together. The most common lycanthrope was a wolf. “Is there
something I can help you two with?”

“We
want you to protect our packs like you are doing for Drake. The vampires are
becoming restless. They are making alliances. We need to make alliances as
well. Normally Drake has good sense so we are coming to you,” the red headed
werewolf said quietly.

“What
is your name?” I asked as I looked him over. He looked like he was a decently
strong werewolf.

“Adam,”
he said as he glanced at Eric.

Obviously
they were working together which was strange. Werecats and werewolves acted
like normal cats and dogs would. They were born enemies as far as I knew. To
see them working together was like a hunter and vampire working together. It
just wasn’t done.

“Why
are werewolves and werecats working together? Has it gotten that bad?” I asked
amused.

Eric
smiled. “Adam and I have been friends for a long time. It is one of those rare occurrences.
Are you willing to help us or are we wasting our time?” He was awful short
tempered for someone asking for help. I would have thought he would be more
courteous.

“Be
patient Eric,” Adam chided as he glanced from Eric to me. Eric looked like he
wanted to argue, but he held his tongue.

“I
know nothing about either of you. How do I know I can trust you?” I asked
watching them cautiously.

“We
are going out on a limb here trusting you. Obviously no one has explained what
it means to give your pack to a vampire,” Eric spat angrily.

“It
has been explained to me. I just don’t see how things have gotten so bad that
you feel you need a vampire’s protection,” I said trying to keep the impatience
out of my tone.

“We
aren’t going to wait until it gets bad. We wouldn’t be good leaders if we did.
The vampires and hunters are uniting. We need to unite or we will be
outnumbered by them,” Adam said firmly.

I
thought about it for a minute. What he said did make sense. I could see why
they would be concerned. I didn’t consider what the vampires and hunters were
doing uniting, but I could see how it would appear that way.

“Rayne,
what is going on?” Drake asked as he walked toward me. I was guessing Sarah
alerted him to Adam and Eric’s presence.

“They
want me to protect their packs. I do not think they are a threat,” I said
watching him.

He
looked from me to them. He looked a little unsure, but I had a feeling he was
trusting me. “Are you going to do it?” he asked sounding worried.

“Should
I?” I asked him as I looked at him again.

He
looked a little startled. He didn’t expect me to ask his opinion. I could tell
that by his expression he didn’t expect it at all. He looked back at them.
“They have strong packs as it is. I don’t understand why they would want to
bond with a vampire.”

“The
same reason you did it. Alliances are being made and we don’t want to be stuck
with no one to turn to if things go bad,” Adam said quietly.

Drake
looked back at me. “I think we should discuss this. Their packs are huge
compared to mine. It would be a lot of responsibility,” he said unsure.

“We
are willing to do anything. Just don’t turn us away,” Adam pleaded. Eric was
remaining unusually silent. I wondered if he felt the same as Adam, or if he
was just here because Adam was his friend.

I
was so tired of making decisions. It was impossible for me to know if I was
making the right one. “I am going to leave it up to you Drake,” I said watching
him. “Discuss it with them, then let me know what you decide.”

He
looked startled like he wanted to argue, but he held his tongue. I turned to
walk away and he caught my wrist. “You can’t leave this up to me,” he said
sounding worried.

“I
think you are smart. Hear them out, and decide if it is worth it,” I said then
pulled away. I walked back down the trail the way I had come. I really wasn’t
interested in the politics of the pack, which was why I thought it would be
better to leave it to Drake. He was a pack leader. He knew how things worked.

I
went back to the house for lack of something better to do. There were still
people mingling downstairs, but luckily Tommy wasn’t one of them. I wasn’t in
the mood to deal with Tommy. I was surprised that he was Drake’s son. Drake was
so cool and calm, unlike Tommy.

I
went upstairs to the library. I liked the library. It was a comfortable place
and I was left alone. After a couple hours of reading the door opened. Drake
came in followed by Eric and Adam. I was guessing they agreed to something
since Drake didn’t turn them away.

“I
think you should protect their packs,” Drake said sounding more confident than
he had earlier.

“Why?”
I asked as I set my book aside.

“They
are lycanthropes like my people. I agree that power is shifting, and when it
does they don’t want to be caught without a guardian,” Drake said watching me.

“You
are all willing to work together then? Because I will not deal with fighting
among you. I will protect you from outside threats, but I will not protect you
from yourselves,” I said firmly. I sounded a lot more confident then I felt. I
only hoped I could live up to be the guardian they thought I was.

They
looked at one another and shifted nervously. “We will work together,” Adam said
confidently.

What
about you Eric?” I asked shifting my gaze to him.

He
watched me with his yellow eyes. He was incredibly hard to read. I had a
feeling he was extremely intelligent. He had opinions, he just wasn’t voicing
them. “What about me?” he asked cautiously.

It
was obvious he wasn’t going to say anything in front of the others. “I want to
talk to Eric alone,” I said shifting my gaze to Drake. I believed Adam’s
reasons, but I wasn’t sure about Eric’s reasons.

Drake
nodded and walked out. Adam glanced at Eric, then reluctantly followed Drake
out of the room leaving Eric and me alone.

“I
take it you don’t trust me,” Eric said sounding slightly offended.

“It
has nothing to do with trust. I can’t read you, and I am not entirely sure you
want what Adam does,” I said watching him.

He
was standing rigid like he was ready to fight. I didn’t understand why he would
want to bond to me if he didn’t trust me. “I want what is best for my people,
and this is it.”

“You
don’t want to bond to a vampire though,” I said as I stood.

He
didn’t speak immediately. I walked over to the small bar and poured myself a
drink. “No I don’t,” he said finally speaking.

“But
you are willing to because it is what is best for your pack?” I asked a little
confused. If he thought it was best, then I didn’t get why he wasn’t all for
it.

“I
would die for my pack, so why wouldn’t I bow down to a vampire for them?” he
asked haughtily.

“Good
point,” I said absently as I took a sip of my drink. “I would be willing to
protect your pack without bonding with you. The only problem is I won’t know
when you need me. We won’t be linked. You won’t be able to call me.”

“I
can live with that. My people travel fast. I could send someone to alert you to
problems,” he said sounding a little less on guard. The fact that I was willing
to help him without the restrictions of a bond obviously made him relax.

I
nodded. “If that is what you want. I would appreciate it if you didn’t mention
our agreement to Drake or Adam.”

He
nodded. “I won’t. I appreciate you doing this. I know it is against the vampire
way.”

“My
way isn’t necessarily the vampire way,” I said and smiled. “I need to bite you
so they think we bonded. You just won’t bite me.”

He
walked over to me and offered me his wrist. I took his wrist in my hand and
brought it to my mouth. He gasped and closed his eyes when I bit his wrist. His
blood was hot and sweet. I didn’t take much since we didn’t plan on bonding.

I
released him and he stepped away from me watching me cautiously. “You can get
Adam,” I said quietly.

He
nodded and left the room. I walked to the window and looked out. I watched as
the people walked by. The town was alive after the sun went down. The door
opened catching my attention. Adam came in and looked at me cautiously. “Eric
said you wanted me.”

I
smiled. He was a lot more nervous than I thought he would be. He was actually a
very big man. He was intimidating because of his size. It didn’t seem like his
demeanor fit his size. “You want to bond with me correct?”

He
nodded and walked over to me. “Where are you going to bite me?” he asked
nervously.

“Wherever
you want me to,” I said watching him.

He
shifted nervously like he wasn’t sure what he wanted to do. “You can bite me on
the neck. Drake said I could trust you.”

I
walked over to him and leaned into him. His body was rigid. I could hear how
quickly his heart was beating. He was scared. “Are you scared of me?” I asked
confused.

“I
have never been bitten,” he said nervously.

“I
will be quick,” I said slightly amused. I moved forward and sank my fangs into
his neck. He relaxed almost immediately. His blood was hot and sweet like
Eric’s blood, but I was able to enjoy Adam. I released him after a few minutes,
and he sank to his knees. I offered him my wrist and he bit making me gasp. I
felt the warm tingling sensation of the bond being formed wash over me. He
moaned and went to his hands in front of me. He was responding like Drake had.

“Lie
down,” I said softly.

He
laid on the rug. I rolled him so he was looking up at me. His breathing slowed
as he relaxed. His eyes were barely open. I ran my fingers through his red
hair. It was really a beautiful color. He moaned and pressed his face into my
hand like he enjoyed my touch. I felt stronger now like I had after I bonded
with Drake.

I
stood and walked back to the couch leaving him there to recover. I picked my
book up and started reading again. After a few minutes he came around and sat
up. He looked over at me then climbed to his feet. “Am I free to go?” he asked
unsure.

“Of
course,” I said confused. I didn’t understand why he thought I would hold him
against his will.

“Thank
you,” he muttered and hurried out.

I
sighed and stood. I walked back to the bar and made myself another drink. My
mind was racing. I didn’t understand why the lycanthropes thought I could
protect them. I only hoped I wouldn’t get them all hurt, or worse killed. I
took a shot of the alcohol and it burned going down.

“An
alcoholic, and a vampire. My dad know how to pick a guardian,” Tommy said dryly
as he walked in the room.

“I
was under the impression no one was allowed upstairs without permission,” I
said annoyed. I didn’t want to deal with Tommy right now.

“Ya,
well I don’t always follow my father’s stupid rules,” he said annoyed.

I
turned to face him. He was older than me, but not much. He was wearing nothing,
but a pair of jeans. He had a look about him that made him appear like he was
up to no good. He sauntered over to me and snatched the bottle of scotch off
the counter. He took a drink right out of the bottle, then he walked over and
sprawled across the couch.

I
had a feeling he was trying to prove to me that he could do whatever he wanted.
“No one said you had to like me being here, but you are not going to pester me
either,” I said dryly.

He
scoffed. “How are you going to stop me?” He was watching me. He was daring me
to do something.

I
looked away and walked back to the window. I wasn’t going to encourage him to
annoy me. It was obvious he wanted to fight and I wasn’t going to participate.

The
door opened again and Drake walked in. He glanced from Tommy to me. “Is he
bothering you?” he asked me.

I
shrugged. “He is a little annoying, nothing I can’t handle. Has Eric and Adam
left?”

“They
have, do you need anything?” Drake asked watching me.

“Ya,
she needs to get the hell out of our house,” Tommy cut in as he stood.

“Don’t
start,” Drake growled as he glared at Tommy.

“How
could you just let her take over? We were doing fine without her,” Tommy
yelled.

“We
need her, so we can make sure we can defend ourselves. Our pack is weak, we
need all the alliances we can get,” Drake said angrily.

“Bullshit!”
Tommy growled then stormed out of the room.

“He
really doesn’t like me being here,” I said dryly.

“He
will get over it. I will be back in a little bit,” he said then hurried out
after Tommy.

I
was tired of reading. I leaned against the wall and looked out the window. I
was lonely here. I felt isolated from everyone. I was starting to yearn for
Cornelius’s company.

“I
can still hear you at times,” Cornelius whispered in my ear.

My
heart leapt as I turned and put my arms around his neck. He held me tightly. I
closed my eyes and breathed in his scent. Just his scent relaxed me. Everything
didn’t seem as much of a burden when he was near me.

“Well
at least you miss me,” he said teasingly.

“I
more than miss you,” I said softly.

I
felt him stiffen like it wasn’t the response he was expecting from me. “I
thought you weren’t going to choose.”

“I’m
not,” I said quietly.

He
laughed softly. “Ok, then don’t.”

I
sighed as I laid against his chest. Everything didn’t seem as overwhelming as
it had. The fact that I agreed to take on two more packs was weighing on me. I
was just hoping I didn’t make a mistake. I was trusting Drake to make the right
choice for me. I looked up at Cornelius, and he gently pressed his lips to
mine. I tangled my fingers in his hair and he deepened the kiss.

He
suddenly hesitated and broke the kiss. He had a far off look like he was
listening. “I need to go, love.”

I
looked at him confused. “Is there something wrong?”

He
forced a smile. “Not exactly.” He disappeared without another word. I scowled;
I really needed to learn how to do that.

I
decided to try it. I wasn’t even really sure what I was doing. I tried to
focus. I thought about the pack meeting ground. I felt a sudden rush. I opened
my eyes. I was standing in the middle of the meeting ground. It was dark, and I
was alone. I smiled. I actually got it to work. I tried it again. I pictured
the library in my mind. There was a sudden rush and I was back in the library.

Drake
cussed and I smiled. I startled him by my sudden appearance. “I see you are
learning your abilities,” he said sounding slightly ruffled.

“I
am, is everything ok?” I asked watching him.

He
nodded as he handed me a letter. I read it quickly. It was an invitation from
the hunters. It was an offer for a meeting. They wanted an alliance with the
werewolves. “They obviously don’t know I am a part of your pack,” I said
amused.

“Eric
and Adam contacted me. They received one as well. What should we do?” he asked
sounding worried.

“We
will all go together. I would like to find out what they are planning,” I said
as I reread the letter. It had my uncle’s signature. I wasn’t sure how I was
going to feel when I saw him again.

“Luca,
Kate, and Kai are with the renegades now. No one has any idea what the hunters
are planning,” Drake said softly.

“We
will find out,” I said and smiled as I handed him the letter.

“I’ll
let the others know. It is tomorrow night so I guess we will all go together,”
he said sounding unsure. When I didn’t protest he turned and hurried out.

I
needed to talk to my cousin Tanner. I was hoping my uncle hadn’t turned him
against me. I pictured my uncle’s house and focused. I ended up in my old room.
Everything was packed up in boxes. It was obvious they were ready to forget me.
I stepped out into the hall. I was a little startled to see a memorial in front
of my door. They acted like I died. I wasn’t really sure if they knew I was
alive or not. I was sure my uncle wouldn’t tell them the truth anyway.

I
walked quickly to Tanners room. I slipped inside. He was lying on his bed. He
had headphones in, and his hands were behind his head. I placed my hand over
his mouth so he wouldn’t yell when I startled him.

His
eyes widened when he saw me. I removed my hand from his mouth, and he threw his
arms around me. “You’re dead,” he said startled.

“Kind
of,” I said dryly.

His
eyes widened again like he just realized I was a vampire. “You’re a vampire?”
he asked startled.

I
nodded. “Yes, I figured the news would have made it to the hunters by now.”

He
shook his head. “My dad said you were killed by the council. Everyone kind of
expected it, so no one questioned anything.”

“Well
then it would probably be better if you didn’t say anything to anyone,” I said
hoping he would agree.