Her Guardian Series Box Set

by G. Bailey

  "I don't like being threatened," I say calmly and then back away when her dark-green eyes start glowing.

  "He is my mate," she says, but it comes out more of a growl.

  "No, my uncle isn't yet. Just because your parents set the mating up, doesn’t mean he is yours, Esta. Winter is under Jaxson’s protection, I don’t think he would take it well if you tried to hurt her,” Freddy says, coming into the room. I smirk at the Harry Potter top he is wearing, and I want to tell him I have one just like it at home.

  "Back off, Freddy," Esta growls, but it’s lost its dangerous tone. So much for caring if Freddy is okay. She could have asked him by now. It’s clear she is only interested in Jaxson, and, for some reason, I’m finding myself protective of them both.

  "Make me," Freddy growls, seeming more than the sweet eight-year-old I have gotten to know. I really feel the wave of power he emits before Esta whines. I watch as she shows Freddy her neck, and then she stomps out of the room.

  "Sorry, it's a wolf thing," he mutters with a grin.

  "Freddy, where have you been? You’re a giant pain in the ass, but I want to see if you’re okay," a voice I recognise comes from the doorway a minute before Katy appears. She looks at Freddy with a big grin before seeing me and running over to give me a hug.

  "What are you doing here, Winter?" She smiles and pulls away. Katy looks much better tonight in casual clothes and no intense makeup.

  "How do you know each other?" Jaxson asks, walking back in the room, his voice dripping with suspicion.

  "She's my brother’s girlfriend," Katy says with a grin at my shocked face. I go to respond, but Jaxson beats me to it.

  "What?" Jaxson growls, and Katy looks as confused as I am at his anger.

  "Girl-friend as in a girl he knows from uni," she says as she rolls her eyes, and I notice Jaxson seems to relax. I narrow my eyes at him, which seems to have the effect of making him smirk.

  "Right, lass, I’ll take you home, but a few days a week, you’re here for an hour, to please my wolf, and we will be doing self-defence classes, so I can put up with you." He mutters the end part to himself but doesn’t make his voice quiet enough that I don’t hear. I kind of think that’s the point.

  "We, as in both of us?" I laugh at the idea of him needing self-defence. I have a feeling he doesn’t need to learn anything about fighting from anyone else.

  "Yes, I will be teaching you. It will help please me and my wolf to know you can defend yourself," he tells me, and Katy’s jaw drops open as she stares between us.

  "Hold on, can someone tell me what's going on?" Katy finally asks with a small voice.

  "Freddy, find Anna to escort Katy back to her cabin,” he tells Freddy.

  “Why can’t I take her?” he asks, crossing his arms and standing taller.

  “Don’t you think you’re going to be busy? I know Fergus has some training for you, I’m sure I can persuade Anna to find something for you to clean as well if you have the time,” Jaxson says, and Freddy deflates with a grumble.

  “Katy, I believe you’re grounded, and your parents aren’t going to be happy you’re here. Tell Harris to come and see me." Jaxson tells her, and she rolls her eyes at him.

  "Why?" she responds.

  "Just do it, Katy." Jaxson exhales, looking beyond frustrated at all the questions.

  "Well, I will see you soon." Katy hugs me once more, before dragging a waving Freddy out the door.

  "She’s just a little nuts," I mumble, which makes Jaxson smile at me. It takes my breath away how handsome he is when he smiles. I nearly do the whole swoon thing that I’ve heard girls do. I’ve never been that kind of girl who was overly interested in guys. I mean I had boyfriends, but they were all average and quite boring guys. Jaxson is not the type of guy I would have even looked at before today. He is beyond hot, and his voice sends shivers through me. No, I would have run in the opposite direction because a guy like Jaxson could break me.

  "My cousin is like that," he laughs, snapping me out of my thoughts.

  "Oh, so do all your close family live in this pack?" I ask trying to get an understanding of what it’s like around here.

  "Not exactly, but this pack is family to us, and you have our protection, lass," he says, not looking happy about it.

  "Oh well, thanks, and I already know a lot of self-defence. My mum made me go to a local class two times a week for years, until I left for uni," I tell him crossing my arms.

  "Great, at least you know the basics. Let's go," he smirks at me before walking out.

  "Doesn't anyone say ‘ladies first’, anymore?" I shout at his back, and I hear his laugh. Freddy comes through the door that Jaxson opens and leaves to shut behind him.

  "Jackass," I mutter to myself.

  "I guess I will see you around, Freddy." I smile at the boy who looks worried.

  "This is my fault entirely, and I'm sorry I got you into this." He looks down, and I put my hand on his shoulder.

  "I wouldn't change a thing. Well, maybe you getting hurt in the first place,” I say, and he finally looks up at me.

  “You’re okay, and that's all that matters," I tell him, holding eye contact, and I know I mean that. I may not be happy with being stuck with a grumpy wolf as a guardian and learning all about werewolves/shifters, but I am happy that Freddy is safe. Honestly, I'm surprised I'm not more freaked out right now, but I know there isn’t much point in freaking out.

  "Hurry up, Winter, or he will only get worse," Freddy laughs as he smiles at me before walking off.

  I hear the horn beeping from the car three times before I walk out, huffing to myself. I walk past the wolves, who don't growl at me this time, but I still move quickly back to Jaxson’s car just in case.

  "You took your time," he grumbles at me the minute I get in. I don’t even want to tell him I know that he could have heard my conversation with Freddy, so he knows why I was delayed.

  "I'm sorry, but have I done something to piss you off? I get the feeling you don't like me." I ask him as I pull my seatbelt on.

  Jaxson looks at me for a while, and I get the feeling he is trying to come up with an answer, but he shakes his head and just starts driving.

  "Right, no answer," I murmur under my breath. I know he heard me by the twitch of his lips.

  "I can pick you up on Monday at four, give me your phone?" he asks holding out his hand.

  "No," I say.

  "No?" he questions with a quick glare at me before looking back at the road.

  "You do know what ‘no’ means, right? You’re not having my number unless you ask nicely because so far all you have done is demand stuff," I tell him and cross my arms, staring him down as he drives.

  "You are unbelievable, lass. I don't ask for anything nicely, but fine," he groans before saying tensely, "Please, may I have your number?" His hands clench the steering wheel so tightly, I’m afraid he might break it. I can't help but laugh my head off at how tense he sounds, which even makes him smile then eventually laugh with me.

  "Sure," I say wiping my tears away, and smiling back at him.

  "You should smile more, lass, you look lovely when you do." I blush under his gaze before turning to look out the window. I watch as he puts his number in my phone while still driving like a crazy person down, thankfully, empty roads. We don’t talk for the rest of the drive, and I find myself drifting off to sleep as we pass lots of trees.

  "We're here." Jaxson’s voice drifts through my mind, and a large hand is shaking my shoulder gently to wake me up. I open my eyes to see his close to mine. He has really bright eyes that draw you in. I find it hard to look away as I wake up.

  "I don't have to go over the whole 'you can't tell anyone about us' thing, right?" he asks with a small grin at me as he hands me my phone. I notice how it really suits him, looking less angry and happier for once.

  "Yeah, I get it, plus anyone would think I'm mad." I laugh and hop out of the car before I shut the door, "You look nice when you smile, too, Jaxson."
/>   I see his shocked face before I turn and walk back to my apartment that seems really empty without that annoying wolf around.

  Seven

  Jaxson

  “Another one.” I hold up my empty beer glass, and the bartender, a very hot, blonde human, winks at me as she goes to fill it up. The pub is full tonight of unsuspecting humans, humans I don’t usually like to be around, but I don’t have a choice. Fucking Dabriel. Angels are all the same, all high and mighty. Dabriel used to be my friend, but he isn’t now. If things were different, then....

  My phone rings, stopping the thought. I pull my gaze from the bartender as I answer.

  “Uncle J, when you coming home? Anna is being annoying.” Freddy’s voice fills my phone, and I hold back a grin. I hate the Uncle J nickname, but I love Freddy. I have to admit taking on a young child wasn’t easy, but we made it work with the help of my brother’s mate.

  “Why? What is she doing?” I ask.

  “Just making me clean my room, it’s not as bad as she is making it out to be. I think she said it looked like mini demons had trashed the place and had an after party,” he mutters. I can hear the annoyance in his voice. I try not to laugh at my sister-in-law’s use of words, but she isn’t far from the truth. Mini demons do love to make a mess, I mean huge fucking messes that take days to clean. We had them once, and, thankfully, they left after they had their fun.

  “How about I bring you a pizza back? You know that hot one from Pizza Hut?” I ask, knowing it’s his favourite, and I feel bad for him. The last few days, he has had more training than he has ever had, but he needs it. My chest still feels tight at the thought of how close I came to losing him. When I came back from my job to find he wasn’t home, I alerted the pack, and we searched everywhere. I finally tracked his scent into town and, thankfully, found him alive. I took the dagger from Winter’s kitchen, and I plan to return it into whichever fucking vampires hurt my nephew. I feel the hard, silver dagger in my boot, and the thought makes me relax a tad.

  “With a bottle of Coke and brownies?” he finally replies after thinking about it.

  “Yes, but the second box of brownies is mine. No trying to eat them like last time,” I tell him, and I hear his chuckle.

  “Deal,” Freddy says, and I can hear the smile this time.

  “Make sure the room is tidy. Anna is right, the room looked like a bomb went off the last time I was in there,” I tell him, and I hear his groan.

  “Fine, you’re getting old and boring, Uncle J. You won’t get a girl like Winter if you act old,” he tells me, like I need dating advice from an eight-year-old. Not that I would ever be in a relationship with Winter, she is a human.

  “I’m not old, and Winter isn’t my type. I prefer blondes,” I tell him, only slightly lying. The blonde bartender is my type, and I could easily take her home tonight, but something is stopping me. A beautiful brown-haired girl with sparkling blue eyes is the cause of my issues tonight.

  “Whatever. You were following her around like a puppy. She is pretty, shame I’m not older. Hey, did she mention any sisters?” he asks. When did he start liking girls? I swear it was only five minutes ago that he was playing with action figures.

  “No sisters. I’ve got to go. I'll be back in an hour,” I tell him.

  “Cool, I'll get the Harry Potter movies out for us. Also, I saw this new Harry Potter mug that when you add hot water, the Marauder’s map appears. Totally cool,” he mumbles on excitedly.

  “Why do I need to watch those again? And why did I need to hear about the mug?” I ask, mentally thinking of a way to get out of the film night. I don’t enjoy those films, but I’ve watched them ten times now, over the years. Thank god, the last one finally came out, I’d hoped he would move on from the series by now, but he hasn’t.

  “You like them, Uncle J, although they got witches wrong. They don’t have wands, but it would be so cool if they did,” he tells me, and I try not to think about Atti. I haven’t seen him, or any of my friends, in years. I’m about to see Dabriel for the first time in seven years, and not for a good reason.

  “Oh, and it’s my birthday soon. Just dropping some hints.” He laughs, and I’ll have to remember to order that mug now.

  “Fine. Later, Freds,” I say to him.

  “Later, Uncle J,” he says and puts the phone down.

  “Getting drunk? Doesn’t suit you, Jax.” Dabriel takes a seat next to me. A few people turn to stare at him. He ignores them, but he would stand out anywhere. His long, white hair and massive build kind of attract attention.

  “I want to know,” I tell him, cutting straight to the point.

  “You already know, I’ve seen it. I’ve seen you and her.” He smirks, leaning back on the bar. The bartender hands me my drink, but I don’t find it the slightest bit interesting.

  “Why the fuck didn’t you warn me? Keep her the fuck away from me? I came close to killing her,” I shout at him, and he just smiles back at me. A few humans stop to watch us. My wolf growls in my mind, he is challenging you, you should bite him. I don’t listen, thankfully. The fact that my wolf isn’t trying to kill him is annoying me. My wolf loves him like a brother, and, despite everything, I still think of him as one.

  “This was always going to happen. Don’t pretend you didn’t feel it. I haven’t met her yet, but I am watching,” he tells me.

  “Yeah, but you can’t get involved, right?” I smirk at him when he tenses.

  “I would have stopped her death, if I could. No matter what I did, the ending didn’t change,” he says calmly, and I lose it. I grab him by the neck and throw him across the bar. The bottles smash into pieces as people scream, scrambling to get out. I jump over the bar and walk over to him as he gets up. The cuts on his face are already healing.

  “Don’t fucking pretend you couldn’t have saved my sister. I don’t want anything to do with the prophecy, and no human girl is going to change my mind,” I warn him. I try to ignore my wolf’s whine at the thought of Winter. I’ve been with girls, countless one-night-stands, but Winter calls to my wolf more than anyone else ever has. I’ve tried to listen to the witches and mate with Esta, but my wolf is just as turned off by her as I am. Winter has the perfect fucking body, a body that I could spend hours with, but her sassy mouth was what turned me on the most. She didn’t seem to give two fucks about how I spoke to her or my general dislike for her. I can’t even walk away from her now. I feel her in my blood, and my wolf knows she is pack.

  “I would have saved her. Wyatt would have, too,” he says, holding up his hands, the runes of angel language appearing on his skin. They are for protection, among other things, and the more an angel has, the more powerful the angel is. When Dabriel is showing his, there’s not an inch of his body that doesn’t have them. Not that I’ve checked, but the fucker likes to brag.

  “Like fuck you would have, we were friends all our lives. You were my pack. I don’t want anything to do with this. Or her.” I slam my hand on the bar, trying to control my anger.

  “Isn’t it too late? She is yours to protect now, and I know she will need it soon.” Dabriel tells me, taking a step closer.

  “Are you going to let her die, too?” I mutter, and he punches me. I don’t lose my footing, but it’s close, he can fire a heavy blow when he wants.

  “You don’t deserve her, Jax,” Dabriel says and jumps over the bar. I watch him leave as I grab a bottle of whisky off the floor. I leave a wad of cash on the side of the bar before I leave, taking a deep drink. I need to find a way to get rid of Winter, and I need to do it fast. I can’t let her close, because I can’t be who she needs. I’m too fucked up, I’m too broken, and I need to be alone. Pulling the dagger out of my boot, I grin. I know a perfect way to get rid of some anger.

  Eight

  Winter

  My only thought when I know I'm dreaming is how real these dreams are. They don't happen very often, but they scare me all the same. I open my eyes to see the same girl sitting on the floor with her leg
s crossed. We are in the middle of some woods I don't recognise, and she is wearing the same simple, white dress she always is. It’s the middle of the night, and the only light is the fire burning in front of her, and the moon and stars shining high in the sky.

  "There will be a time, a time you will understand," she says in a whisper to the raging fire in front of her, her voice sounds like heaven, making me feel safe. The girl who looks around my age stands, turning towards me, her glowing, blue eyes staring at me. It always shocks me how beautiful she is, how innocent. I always feel safe, yet scared of her at the same time. I try to move away, but I can't, I never can, as she walks over to stand right in front of me, her bright, shining eyes locked with mine.

  The girl’s long, black hair flows with the wind, as she says in a deep whisper that fills my head instead of coming from her lips.

  "There will be a time, a time you will understand." Her hand reaches for me, as I feel the darkness creeping in.

  "Sexy cake, where are you?" Alex shouts through the apartment as I hear the door slam shut. I groan to myself at her happy tone, after a long day and a night of little sleep, I’m feeling tired. I keep running over everything that happened with the wolves in my head, the dream is the last thing I need now. The one person I couldn't get out of my thoughts was Jaxson, and then, when I did fall asleep, I had one of those weird dreams again. My thoughts flutter back to Jaxson again, as I remember everything about him that draws me in, and at the same time, I want to run away from him. My door is slammed open by a pale-looking Alex, who is wearing a tight, green maxi dress with her long, red hair up in a high ponytail.

  "Was it a long night again?" I ask. Seeing my Kindle open on my pillow, I shut it off. I must have fallen asleep reading, annoyingly as I was getting to a good part in a romance. Although, it only had me thinking of Jaxson’s hard body and not the characters’.