Guardian: Volume 5 (2 page)

“I
only want to help you Lillian,” Cornelius pleaded. I knew he didn’t want me to
leave. I wasn’t sure if he just wanted to control me, or if truly cared about
me. I really didn’t want to think about it anyway.

I
pushed the thought away and stood up a little straighter. “I want to leave. I
agreed to take care of Drake’s pack, and I would appreciate it if you would
just let me leave.”

He
didn’t look like he wanted to agree, but he knew the only way to stop me now
was to fight me. I knew he didn’t want to fight me. I was pretty sure he didn’t
want to hurt me; at least I hoped he didn’t. “Fine, go with the werewolf. You
will figure out what a mistake you have made on your own. I should know you
have to learn the hard way.” He disappeared before I could reply. The fact that
he agreed to let me go bothered me a little. I was worried he was right; maybe
I did make a mistake.

“Come
on, the pack is waiting to greet you,” Drake said softly from behind me.

The
sound of his voice startled me a little. I was so deep in thought I forgot he
was standing right next to me. “Ok,” I said softly as I turned to look at him.

I
followed him toward the garden wall. There was a gate that led into the woods.
Now that I thought about it I couldn’t remember ever seeing Drake with a
vehicle. I was beginning to think he walked everywhere.

I
remained silent as I followed him through the woods. It was a long walk, but I
didn’t tire like I would have if I was a hunter. It seemed like I had unlimited
energy. I knew it wouldn’t last long. As soon as the hunger crept up on me I
would feel weak again until I fed. I couldn’t help but look forward to being
around the wolves. They would keep me from hurting humans. I could learn
control; maybe even begin to feel normal again.

After
almost an hour of walking the woods cleared. We came into a community that
looked like a neighborhood. All the houses were very similar. As we walked
through, people began to emerge from the houses just to watch us. As soon as I
caught their scent I knew they were werewolves.

“They
all live here?” I asked as I looked around.

He
nodded. “Some choose to live off in the woods, but most live here in the town.
We try to keep outsiders out; so when someone new comes along they get
curious.”

I
never knew much about werewolves. I didn’t bother them and they didn’t bother
me. I had no clue how their communities worked. I knew they tried to keep to
themselves, but sometimes vampires made that impossible.

“Your
house is near the edge of town. It is normally reserved for the pack leader,
but I do not like living in such a big place,” Drake said as he continued
through the town. The appearance of all the wolves didn’t seem to bother him.
He acted like it was completely normal.

I
saw the house before we even got close to it. It sat up on a hill and it wasn’t
just a house, it was a mansion. It looked like it was well maintained. The
walkway was lined with trees. It really was a beautiful place. When he asked me
to go live with his pack I figured the accommodations would be more toned down.

Drake
walked right up to the front door and opened it. Obviously there was no point
in having a lock in a town full of werewolves. I followed him in. I was a
little surprised that there were werewolves lounging around in various places.
“This is kind of our meeting place as well. I can kick them all out if you
want. They have been restricted to the ground floor so you will never see them
upstairs,” he said eyeing the young male lounging on the couch.

“They
are fine. I don’t want to ruffle anyone’s feathers. As long as I have a room I
will be fine,” I said quietly as I looked around. The place was beautiful. It
was decorated with antique looking furniture. The place had an old feel to it.

“Your
room is up here,” he said as he started up the stairs.

I
followed him looking at all the pictures and furnishings. It seemed like there
was a lot of history in the place. I didn’t really understand why Drake didn’t
want to live here. “Where do you live?” I asked absently.

He
opened the door to a bedroom. He looked at me and shrugged. “I live everywhere
really. If you need me just call.”

I
looked at him a little confused. “Call?”

He
smiled like I was being cute. “Yes, you have done it before. You may not have
meant to, but you basically just have to think about me. I will hear you and
find you.”

I
stepped past him into the room. It was a beautiful room. The bed was a four
poster bed with a canopy. There was a vanity, dresser, and entertainment
center. Everything I would need was in the room. I would have to go get some
clothes at some point since I didn’t have any of my own. “This is really nice,
thank you,” I said quietly as I looked over at him.

He
nodded and smiled. “Like I said. If you need anything call.” He walked out
closing the door behind him. I was back to being alone, but somehow I felt a
little better. I felt a little more secure. I knew there wasn’t a helpless
human just a few feet from me. That thought alone made me more confident.

I
woke with a start. I didn’t even realize I had fallen asleep. I was looking up
in Cornelius’s eyes. Part of me thought it was a dream, but I thought the
connection between us was broken when I linked to Drake. “Is this a dream?” I
asked breathlessly as I looked up at him.

A
smile played on his lips. His eyes sparkled like he was up to no good.
“Unfortunately you have made it impossible for me to give you dreams because
you broke our connection.”

“I
couldn’t stay there. I had no purpose. Drake is giving me a purpose,” I said
quietly as I gently touched his hair.

“You
belong with me,” Cornelius insisted as he pressed his body to mine. “What do I
have to do to prove to you I am the one you should be with?”

I
looked in his eyes and I could tell he was sincere, but I still didn’t
understand. I didn’t know why he was so drawn to me. In a way I was drawn to
him as well. When he touched me he made me want him, but I was afraid to make a
move. “Give me time,” I whispered.

His
lips brushed mine, then he looked at me. “I can’t stand to be away from you.”

I
pressed my lips to his and kissed him. I tangled my fingers in his hair and
held him tightly. To be honest I didn’t like being away from him either. I
wanted to be free of his control, but I didn’t like being away from him.

He
was suddenly yanked away from me. I sat up quickly. Aubrey had Cornelius pinned
to the wall. “We agreed neither of us would touch her!” Aubrey yelled.

“She
was touching me,” Cornelius said amused.

“Liar!”
Aubrey growled slamming him into the wall again.

“Both
of you stop it,” I ordered as I got to my feet. They were being ridiculous. I
didn’t even really understand why they were fighting. Aubrey moved on even
though he claimed earlier he wanted me back. After everything Aubrey said once
I was turned I just couldn’t believe him.

Aubrey
released Cornelius, but he was still glaring at him. “We agreed to both step
back and give you time to decided who you wanted to be with. He is pushing you,
trying to get the advantage,” Aubrey said angrily.

“I
simply came to check on her, something I figured you would have already done,”
Cornelius said haughtily.

“Stop,”
I said firmly. I didn’t want to choose. I wasn’t even sure how I felt about
them. I knew I didn’t really trust either of them.

“Why
don’t you save us the annoyance and just choose now,” Cornelius said dryly.

I
looked from Aubrey to Cornelius. They watched me expectantly like it would be
an easy decision. “I’m not choosing. You should both go.” I couldn’t choose. I
wasn’t ready to make a decision like that.

Aubrey
scowled and Cornelius looked amused. Cornelius knew I wouldn’t choose. I didn’t
understand why Aubrey’s opinion of me had changed. He was very clear about not
wanting a vampire as a lover. Aubrey disappeared without another word.

Cornelius
smiled as he walked over to me. “I will wait for you,” he said softly. He
brushed my lips with his. I felt my body start to hum. I loved how he touched
me. As quickly as he arrived he was gone. There was something about Cornelius
that made me crazy. Part of me loved the feeling, and another part of me was
scared to death. I tried to shake the feeling, but I couldn’t.

I
decided to go explore the house. It was early morning, and the house was quiet.
I walked through the upstairs rooms exploring. Most of the rooms were bedrooms
and bathrooms. I found a library and looked through the books.

I
was leaning against a shelf reading a book when the door opened and Drake came
in. “I heard you up, so I came to check on you.”

I
looked back down at my book. “I am fine. I had a couple visitors that woke me, and
now I cannot sleep,” I said dryly.

“Cornelius
and Aubrey?” he asked as he sat down on one of the couches.

I
nodded as put the book I was looking at back and selected another. “They want
me to choose one of them, but I am not ready. I can barely keep myself
together. I don’t know how they expect me have a relationship.”

“If
you were to choose one; which one would it be?” he asked watching me.

I
glanced up at him briefly then went back to what I was doing. “I don’t know. I
think I love them both.”

“I
thought Aubrey betrayed you. That doesn’t make you mad?” he asked sounding a
little confused.

“Very,
to be honest I don’t know much about either of them. That is another reason why
I refuse to just choose,” I said softly as I set the book aside.

“Would
you like to feed?” he asked as he stripped his shirt off.

I
looked over at him. He had the perfect body. I imagined it was from years of
fighting and shifting. He was older than me by quite a few years, but he didn’t
really look it physically. It was something about his eyes that gave away his
age. He seemed like he saw a lot in his time. “Should I feed on you again so
soon?” I asked as he settled down onto the couch.

He
nodded. “I am not a human. I recover from a vampire’s feeding in less than an
hour.”

“Have
you fed many vampires?” I asked surprised. He seemed like the type who hated
vampires. He seemed to avoid them when he could. That was why his willingness
to give himself to me was so confusing.

He
scoffed. “Just you. I try not to advertise myself as vampire food. It doesn’t
look good if pack leaders let vampires feed off of them. The only reason you
feeding on me is accepted is because you are the pack’s guardian.”

I
was hungry. It was hard to deny. The sight of him made my mouth water. I knew
how good he tasted. I slowly walked toward him. He watched me as I approached
his eyes changed, and I wasn’t sure if it was because he was on guard, or if it
was for another reason altogether.

I
straddled him so I was looking down at him. I pushed his chin to the side and
brushed his hair away from his neck. I could see his pulse quicken in
excitement. He seemed to be anticipating my bite. I gently pressed my lips to
his neck. He groaned as my fangs sank into his neck. The taste of his blood was
intoxicating. The hunger flared as I slowly drank. I tangled my fingers in his
hair holding him in place. After a few minutes I forced myself to release him.
I laid across his chest as I closed my eyes. His breathing was slow and steady,
and his eyes were shut. I closed my eyes and relaxed. I wasn’t sure whether it
was because I fed, or Drake’s presence, but I relaxed completely. I could see
the sun peeking through the windows as it began to rise. I was so comfortable I
didn’t bother moving. I just drifted off to sleep.

I
woke up when Drake moved under me. He groaned like he was attempting to get
comfortable. I looked around. It was still light in the room. It had to be late
afternoon. He made a low growl in his throat like he was angry or scared. I
looked down at him a little worried. I was beginning to think he was having a
bad dream.

“Drake,”
I said softly touching his chest.

His
eyes flew open. He looked angry and confused maybe both. He threw me across the
room and I hit the bookshelf. I landed on the ground with a thud. I was a
little startled by his aggressiveness. He sat up quickly. His chest was heaving
like he was scared. He looked around the room. His eyes fell on me lying on the
floor. He cussed as he hurried to my side. “I’m sorry,” he said apologetically
as he helped me up.

“It’s
ok,” I said wincing. My back ached a little. I was pretty sure if I was human I
would have had quite a few broken bones. He ran his fingers through his hair
and looked around nervously. It was almost like he thought his dream was real.
“Are you ok?” I asked touching his chest gently.

He
shied away and smiled nervously. “I’m ok. I just need some fresh air. I will
come check on you a little later.” He hurried from the library without another
word.

I
sighed and picked up the books that got knocked off the shelf. I kind of
wondered what made Drake act so funny, but I was pretty sure he wouldn’t tell
me. I left the library and walked back to my room. I needed to shower and
change. My plan was to go explore the town and meet the pack. If I was going to
protect them I wanted to meet them.