The Guardian Alpha (2 page)

CHAPTER THREE

Weeks passed and, finally, the culmination of the proxy arguing was coming to fruition. Despite the fact he knew Kristi wouldn't be there, Jay felt a thrill of delight at the sheer possibility. That, coupled with his anxiety, churned his stomach into a melancholy mixture. His skin felt as if it were covered in ants. Tingling and crawling sensations raced up and down his limbs as he paced to and fro.

After much argument, it had been decided that the meeting would take place on Thorn Hill, now a misnomer since all thorn-bearing plants had been torn out for safety reasons. The hill towered high and marked an almost equal distance from town and from forest. Even now, domestic and feral lycans were milling about the base of the hill. A handful, from both sides, had been chosen to lay witness to this momentous occasion.

“Nervous?”

Jay jolted as Marie suddenly appeared before him. His heart shuddered as his remaining thoughts shattered and fell to the proverbial floor. The blonde Sentinel smirked and crossed her arms, eyebrows raised. Behind her, her partner chuckled lightly.

“Why didn't I kill you two when I had the chance,” spat Jay, sharply turning away from his entourage. Faint, bitter thoughts bubbled to his head as his first meeting with Marie and Brandon trundled into his mind. It had been during the raid. He had knocked them out to spare their lives and, even now, the pain of that night still dug into his chest. It wasn't fair to the two and Jay strove to push it out of his head.

“Because you're a soft-heart, boss,” answered Brandon, his grin evident in his voice.

Before Jay could retort, Marie chimed in, “Is she coming? Is that why you're so nervous?”

Jay managed to stride three steps, before he heaved a heavy sigh. As he turned to face the two, he forced his shoulders to relax. Marie and Brandon were the only ones aware of his special connection to the feral pack. Being paranoid, they could never get too many details. But, Marie had taken the story to heart. Jay partly wondered if there was a reason for her interest. “No, she will not be attending.”

“Why not?” Brandon's head listed to the side. His own curiosity piqued.

“When I came back to Goldbridge,” Jay began, the edge of his words softened, “it hurt her.”

“But—”

“Look sharp, people!” From behind Jay, Mayor Stone barked. He nearly jumped out of his skin as he turned to bow his head to the incoming mayor. She nodded toward the forest, her nostrils flaring, “Ferals incoming.”

As one, the three of them turned to watch as the feral brigade made their way from the cover of the forest. Behind the ferals, vibrant oranges and yellows speared out from the setting sun. Neither party felt safe negotiating in broad daylight. For a brief second, Jay's heart skipped, thinking he saw a set of yellow eyes and a halo of dark hair. The sight resolved itself into shadows and sunlight, but he did recognize the lycan marching in front: Selene.

Behind Jay, he heard footfalls approaching. He didn't need to turn around to know it was Thad. The scent of the horse stalls clung to the lycan like a cologne. Jay resisted the urge to turn, knowing full well Thad wasn't addressing him,  “How do you think this will turn out?”

“Well, I hope,” Marie murmured in reply. “Your alpha is…reasonable?”

Thad chuckled low and throaty before he answered. “Well, Kristi refused to meet, but that there is Selene.” Marie grunted in satisfaction as Thad added, “She's much calmer than Kristi at the moment.”

Marie was silent for a beat, before she breathed, “Two female alphas?”

“It's not unheard of, but usually the alphas are mate.” Jay could hear Thad's nonchalant shrug. His mind gnawed on this fact just before Thad added, “Selene and Kristi get along well enough, though.”

Marie made a noncommittal grunt. Whatever she thought of two female alphas, Jay couldn't say. Sometimes, she struck him as a traditionalist. However, the blonde also seemed to enjoy the thought of women in power – if Marie's admiration of Mayor Stone was any indication, at least.

“And what about your…” Thad trailed off, trying the foreign word on his tongue, “mayor?”

“Oh, Mayor Stone is great.” Jay braced himself for a flood of gratitude toward the woman. However, Marie simply added, a tinge uncertainly, “She doesn't let people walk over her, though.”

Jay cleared his throat loudly. Selene was cresting the hill with her company. He listened to Thad skitter off, down the side of the hill. He came up behind the feral group, dead last. Thad's blue eyes shamefully and gratefully swung toward Jay, who fought down a grin. Thad and Marie had grown quite close during Thad's stint as messenger. The friendship – if that's all it was – stoked hope in Jay's thoughts about this alliance.

“We are so glad you agreed to this conference, Alpha Selene.” Mayor Stone held out her arms in a sign of welcome and bowed her head to the redhead.

Selene stood stiffly, wary and suspicious despite agreeing to the talk.

Jay couldn't blame her. He stood to the side of the mayor and alpha, awkwardly shifting from foot to foot. He was startled when both agreed to have him arbitrate, though he wasn't sure what that completely entailed. If he chastised either for tone or word choice, they'd be likely to bite his head off. Perhaps that's why they chose him. He'd give them both extreme leeway when it came to venting frustrations. Selene's gaze flickered to him, clouding with a mix of thoughts, but the slightest of smiles twitched at her lips. As Mayor Stone straightened from her greeting, she flashed Selene a tight smile.

The alpha's gaze returned to Mayor Stone. The faint smile drizzled away. Selene affixed her stoic mask, prepared to negotiate with Goldbridge's version of a leader. Her voice came out measured and neutral, “The pack is surprised you called to meet.”

“Too many have died for this petty feud.” Jay covered his wince was the mayor's tone took on a demeaning edge. Selene stiffened, inconspicuously, under the mayor's gaze. “Don't you think?”

“
Petty
? Theft of land is by no means minor,” retorted Selene. Her words came out clipped with agitation.

“Territory exchanges hands – or paws, if you rather – all the time.” The mayor's lips twitched with a smile. Jay inwardly winced, again. Even if that was meant to be funny, it sounded condescending. If Kristi were here, she'd be at the mayor's throat. Before Jay could mention Mayor Stone's tone, she added, “I'm sure you're aware that top dog gets the choice cuts.”

“It was our land to begin with!” Selene's fingers curled into fists. Her jaw tensed as if the alpha were grinding the words out through her teeth. “We invited you into our homes and shared our food. Your ancestors came back and drove us off our land with pitchforks and silver.”

“Well, the past is the past,” sniffed Mayor Stone, her smile faltering. She fought the curl of a scowl as she said, “What matters is the future, wouldn't you say?”

Despite the evident anger boiling under her surface, Selene smoothed herself down. After a deep inhalation, Selene steadied her voice. “What do you propose for our people's futures?”

“Our town will assist you in the creation of your own civilization,” Mayor Stone started in on her spiel. Jay listened intently, unaware what either had planned as their compromise proposals. Already, he knew Selene wouldn't go for the mayor's idea. However, she deserved to finish, “We can assist in building homes, showing you how to farm, perhaps even get you on the grid as a sister city so you can have all the amenities of electricity and sewage.” The mayor paused, folding her arms behind her back. Jay got the distinct feeling she was looking down her nose at Selene, despite the two of them being roughly the same height. “Though, we would need you to help out around the town as farmhands, perhaps some guards, groundskeeper. Easy things.”

“We don't want your domestication nor do we want to be your servants! We want our land back.”

Mayor Stone cocked an eyebrow, her tone taking on a barbed edge, “I'm not sure you understand what a compromise is.”

“The Crystal Ridge pack has been without our land for hundreds of years,” replied Selene, her tone sharp, “I believe that's compromise enough.”

“What's so special about this land?” Mayor Stone's lips pressed into a thin line and her smooth brow furrowed as her eyebrows lowered in a deep 'v.' She and Selene locked gazes. “Why not another few acres elsewhere?”

Jay could just hear the others at the base of the hill straining to hear. His entourage, the mayor's chosen witnesses, and Selene's witnesses all shifted awkwardly. Uncertain gazes flickered around the assembled. Jay, however, was curious about Selene's answer.

“Crystal Ridge members are buried under these hills,” Selene stomped her foot and waved to the grassy knoll they stood on. Her hand arched to the town, just off to the horizon. The sun had almost sunk entirely below the horizon, leaving the sky inky blue and Goldbridge bathed in twilight. “We have ritualized spaces that you have carelessly paved over! You not only took the physical land, but the culture that went with it!”

“And what do you suggest?” The words came out a slight hiss on Mayor Stone's tongue.

Selene crossed her arms and adjusted her footing. She anchored herself to the hill, to the land, as she gave Mayor Stone a cold glare. “We want our land back. You go away and never come back.”

“That's impossible,” snapped Mayor Stone, tossing away pretense. She took a step forward and Selene's shoulders rose, her fingers flexing. Jay waited, despite the taste of a potential fight on the air. Mayor Stone waved her hand to the assembled townspeople. “There are families here who have put down roots. Generations have lived here.”

Selene mimicked the mayor's stomp forward. She pointed to the forest with a savage index finger. “Generations of the Crystal Ridge pack have lived out in the forest, evicted from their rightful home.”

Mayor Stone returned fire almost immediately, “Goldbridge is just as much our home as it is yours!”

“You stole the land. It was never yours to call home!”

“How dare you! I was born here. I was raised here.” The mayor's tone took on a shrill edge. Tension and heat erupted between them, threatening to take everyone with it. Another step forward, another small cushion of air was lost between mayor and alpha. “My son was born here and lives his adolescence on those streets. How dare you—”

Selene squared her shoulders, and Jay could just picture the bristling fur running down her back. Her eyes flashed and she spat her words out like venom into Mayor Stone's face, “My family lived their adolescence on this land before you people came along!”

Some witnesses bristled, scowling and clenching their teeth while balling their fists. Other witnesses, from both sides, cast helpless glanced toward Jay. Apparently, none of them thought this would end well, though some were itching for a brawl. The hapless glances firmed his resolve, though. Jay was beginning to get anxious. Stepping forward, and easing his way between the women, Jay held up his hands. “Okay, okay, I think we should take a breather for the night. We can do this again tomorrow.”

Both leaders shot Jay dual glares He set his jaw and returned fire with a stern look, willing himself to not melt into a puddle of bones and blood. “Both of you chose me to arbitrate. I'm saying we stop here and continue tomorrow, same time and same place.”

As one, Selene and Mayor Stone took deep breaths and stepped away from each other. Mayor Stone folded her arms behind her back, setting her shoulders. Her lips pressed into a thin line. Selene crossed her arms, brows lowered in begrudging compliance. The atmosphere cooled and the tension unwound itself. Jay didn't back down, though. The last thing he wanted to see was either woman conduct a surprise charge at the other.

“I apologize for my conduct,” grunted Mayor Stone, the words coming out stony and clipped.

“That's a start,” sniffed Selene, jutting her chin out, “but you have two hundred years of apologizing to do.”

Jay's eyebrows lowered, his lips twisting into a frown. “Alpha Selene, please.”

The redhead sighed, rolling her eyes. Her cheeks, rosy from rage, drained of color. “I'm sorry for losing myself, I guess.”