Midnight Guardian

by Tamara White

  “Jes?” I call, thinking maybe he’s hiding or just hanging back to give Tris and I some privacy. Tristan turns to look and I try again. “Jesse, you better come out now! I swear if you’re hiding, I’m gonna be pissed as hell!”

  Tristan takes a few steps away then calls back. “I smell another shifter. It’s extremely faint, but it’s close.” His gaze darts around, looking for the source of the scent, but I do one better. Jesse and I are still connected. The blood within him calls to me like a beacon after feeding on him and him taking in my power. I don’t feel him nearby so I do something I’ve only ever done when I lost Drake on a hunt. I concentrate on the blood and power connection, and let it guide me to him. He’s not near us and it bothers me that he’s so far from me. Either he’s running away or he’s been taken, and if someone laid a hand on him, they will suffer.

  How the hell I didn’t notice another shifter or supe sooner though is worrying. I must have gotten too absorbed in Tristan which is worrying me. It means they’re affecting me much more than I thought.

  “Stay close,” I mutter, as I let the pull guide my steps. As quick as I can, we hurry after the trail until I feel Jesse close by. He’s just around the corner, but I feel the energy of others near him. Four of them to be exact.

  I grab Tristan’s arm and mouth, “Four,” so he knows how many bad guys there are. He gives one sharp nod. If they were smart, they’d feel us also, but I think they’re too distracted by Jesse to care about anything else.

  I come around the corner. “Why wasn’t I invited to the party?” I call, trying to quell the anger rising at the sight before me.

  Jesse is being held between two supes, both of them larger than human bodybuilders. Shifters of some kind. I’m picking up tigers, wolf, and lion. The two of them who aren’t holding Jesse are just as big and nasty looking. Despite it being dark, I can see the hostility coming off them in waves. They don’t want me joining their little party.

  Tristan is still around the bend, most likely waiting to use the element of surprise. Which is good. If I have these asses looking at me rather than Tristan, it will mean we can get rid of them quicker and avoid any more damage to Jesse.

  “Go away, girl, this has nothing to do with you,” the one on the right of Jesse growls. His hand tightens on the knife held at Jesse’s throat, and my inner wildness is begging to be set free. How dare they threaten to hurt what is ours?

  I cross my arms and spread my legs in preparation to move at any moment. “Yeah, this has everything to do with me. You see, you took something that belongs to me. Without asking. So I’m gonna give you one chance and one chance only. Let Jesse go and walk away. If you do, I’ll let you live. Refuse, and I will kill you all and make it fucking hurt.”

  The guys all stare my way before booming with laughter. I wait it out, meeting Jesse’s eyes so he can see the deadly animals ready to protect him. It’s not until Jesse starts laughing that the men actually stop. The guy on the right tightens his grip on the knife and presses tight enough to draw blood.

  “What are you laughing about, traitor?”

  Jesse grins and nods my way. “I’m laughing because you think that woman is nothing but a weak female who will bow to you. But she’s so much more than any of you could ever imagine. And I’m going to enjoy watching her kill each of you very slowly.”

  The guy on the left raises a fist to punch Jesse. Like fucking hell is he going to lay a hand on my mate. I move so fast that time slows down around me.

  In two seconds, the guy on the left went from having a raised fist, to a man thrown against the wall with his heart ripped from his chest. I throw the bloody heart at the guy holding the knife, smiling in satisfaction when he moves to catch it, effectively releasing Jesse.

  It seems like a waste to have killed the guy so damn easily without feeding, but I won’t waste the others. I smile at them and raise my bloody hand to lick my fingers clean. Jesse moves to stand behind me and I stare the guys down. “This is gonna be fun. Feel free to have a snack, Tristan,” I call, attacking the guy who had the knife on my mate.

  I don’t see Tristan enter the alley, but I know he took me at my word. Jesse is focused on the third guy now that the odds are in his favor while I advance on the guy holding a knife.

  “Please, I’ll leave and we can pretend this never happened.”

  My laughter echoes down the street. “Oh, now you want to leave? I’m sorry, but you had the chance to run, and you didn’t. Now, your life is forfeit.”

  He starts shaking, a slow tremble working its way over his body. The scent of urine suddenly becomes really strong and I grimace in disgust. “Really? You’re a big, strong, tough guy when there are four of you, but when it’s you versus me, now you’re a pussy?”

  “Please, I have a wife and a baby on the way. If you just let me go, I’ll never hurt another soul.”

  I ponder him, actually wondering whether I should let him go back to his family. His intentions are a little mixed. If one of the others had of told him to kill Jesse, he would have done so but not because he wanted to. He must be a little more submissive then the rest of them, which has me rethinking how I handle him.

  Maybe leaving behind no witnesses has been the wrong thing to do all this time. Maybe I need to change things? Leave someone to spread the word that there is a new Alpha in town and she doesn’t take shit from no one.

  “Alright... What’s your name?” I ask as an afterthought.

  When he doesn’t answer, I consider just killing him, but Jesse comes up to my side. “His name’s Anthony. Tony to most.”

  I nod. “Okay, Tony. I’m gonna let you live. But only if you share a message for me.”

  He stands up straight and I look him in the eyes, glad to see a willingness to follow orders. “What message?”

  I smirk and pull an empty crate close to prop my foot on. I roll the leg of my pants up so he can see the bite mark on my ankle and the woven S and A on it, marking me as his Supreme Alpha.

  “I want you to go back to wherever it is you come from and spread the word that there’s a new Alpha.”

  “You’re... but how?” he questions, wonder and terror in his eyes.

  A feeling of excitement bristles within me. I wasn’t going to reveal myself this soon. But maybe now is the time to get the world talking about me. To start the wheels of change needed.

  “Long story short, the council are a bunch of dicks and tried to keep me from my destiny, but I’ve had enough of hiding in the shadows. I’m sure you’ve heard of the mythical Midnight Guardian already, and if you were smart, then you’ve figured out that’s who I am.”

  He nods but remains silent, not wanting to interrupt and risk me killing him, I’m sure.

  “Well, what I wish for you to pass through the grapevine is this. I’m not hiding anymore. I am officially stepping out of the shadows to let the world know there are some things I won’t tolerate. First is the hunting or harming of humans. Anyone caught doing such will be killed on sight. Understood?”

  “Yes, Alpha.”

  “Good.” He goes to leave and I hold out a hand, placing it on his arm, gripping tightly. “Oh, and one other thing. Jesse and Tristan, they’re mine. If anyone has some kind of issue with them, then they have an issue with me.”

  “I understand.” Tony turns to Jesse with a genuine apology in his eyes. “I’m sorry if I caused you harm. I was only acting under orders. I will relay the message back to your father that you’re under the Supreme Alpha’s protection.” He turns back to me. “Thank you for your leniency, Alpha. I’ll spread your message among the packs.” He bows slightly and then leaves. He doesn’t look back, disappearing into the night.

  “Fuck,” Jesse curses. He runs a frustrated hand through his hair, pacing the short space between Tristan and me.

  “Just what did he mean when he said he was following orders from your father. Why would your dad want you killed?” Tristan inquires, just as confused as I am.

  He growls under
his breath, turning to me with pleading eyes. “You can’t tell Marcus.”

  “Uh, why not? It’s his father too.”

  “Isobel, our father is the leader of our Streak and one of the most ruthless Alphas in existence. He doesn’t care who he hurts as long as he gets his way. When we were old enough to challenge him, he tried to have the Streak kill us. We both ran until we found the guys and we’ve never looked back. Marcus loved and adored our father though. He was broken after he tried to have us killed. If he finds out our father is after us again, I don’t know what he’ll do.”

  Jesse hangs his head in shame like it kills him to admit this to me. I ponder it over, not liking the idea of lying to Marcus about something so important. He needs to know, but it isn’t my responsibility to tell him. Jesse should.

  “I won’t tell him, Jes. But you need to.” He opens his mouth to say something, but I cut him off. “No, not just because it’s the right thing to do, but because he needs to know. What would happen if your father sent men after Marcus and he had no clue to be careful? He could get hurt. You need to tell him and make sure that you travel together or at least with one of the others so you aren’t caught unawares.” When his shoulders droop, I rest my hands on them, giving him a gentle squeeze. “Trust that your brother is strong enough to handle this news, especially with you at his side.”

  He nods, but I can see he’s not happy, despite my reasoning. He’s just going to have to suck it up, though, because I know he would hate it if something happened to Marcus because he didn’t reveal the truth of their father stepping back into their lives.

  As it is, it sucks their father is one of those assholes who cares about nothing but power. I was extremely lucky in life that my dad valued us as a family. He loved us with his whole heart and wanted to make sure we had everything. Sure, Mom was a little more withdrawn, but she loved us just as much. She had other things on her mind, namely work.

  I still don’t know exactly what she did for a living, but it had to do with a charity I think. Dad used to always say Mom’s joy in life came from helping those in need.

  Clearing my head from the sudden thoughts of my family, I grab Jesse’s hand. “Come on, let’s go home and get some rest. We’ve had enough fun tonight.”

  Tristan nods, but his concern for his friend is clear. He obviously doesn’t know what to do and it bothers him that he didn’t know about Jesse’s father in the first place. I wonder if any of them did. Maybe Quinn, since he’s the Alpha of their small pack. Well, I hope he did, because otherwise it’s going to come as a shock, and Quinn doesn’t strike me as a person who handles surprises well.

  “Don’t worry, Jes, he won’t hurt you or Marcus. I won’t let him,” Tristan states so fiercely it makes my heart beat a little faster. Such protectiveness for a friend is admirable. I just hope the message to their father is clear, because I meant it. If he comes near Jesse, Alpha or not, I will end him.

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Isobel

  We walked back to the house in silence, and it gave me time to wonder if I did the right thing. Coming out of the shadows to officially accept my place is a big deal, but I think it has to be done if there’s going to be any change in this world. I still have a hell of a lot to learn, but hopefully my position stands for something. I can hire my own people to help guide me and find the right books that will teach me how the world used to be run rather than listen to the secondhand tales of the council.

  We reach the front door and Tristan pauses. “I thought we could stay in my room tonight if that’s okay? My brother and Quinn helped make it a home away from home. It has its own bathroom and kitchen area downstairs in the basement. I have books, board games, movies, and pretty much anything you could dream of. We can get snacks and you can even crash in my bed alone if you want some space.”

  “So we’d be in the house but separate from everyone else? Is it soundproofed by any chance?”

  He and Jesse glance at each other, mischievous looks shared between them.

  Tristan opens the door and drags me inside, pulling my body flush against his. He nips my ear playfully. “Yes, Iz, the basement has been soundproofed. You can scream as loud as you want and no one will hear a peep.”

  I shiver slightly, and Jesse and Tristan laugh as my pheromones coat the air with my arousal.

  Jesse moans and presses a quick kiss to my cheek. “I wish I could join you, but I need to talk to Marcus first, then I’ll be down. Have fun, Iz.”

  Tristan guides me through the front door, across the large house, and past an immaculate looking living room with a beautiful red brick fireplace. He leads me through the open plan kitchen, and I catch a glimpse of the dining area on the other side, but I don’t get long to marvel over everything. We walk through the kitchen and down a small hallway that leads to a set of stairs, only instead of going up them, Tristan turns left just before the staircase. We end up going down a set of steps in the dark. We take the stairs slowly, and when we reach the bottom, I’m expecting his room to be nothing but a broom closet. Only when we hit the ground, there’s a massive room. No bed that I can see, but a small home theater system hooked up with a large, plush lounge. There’s a door at the back of the area that could lead to a bathroom of some kind.

  “This can’t be your room,” I murmur, feeling sad that he would be forced to live in such conditions. Not an ounce of privacy between himself and the rest of the family. It would be sad and demeaning that they all get their own space, but he gets none to himself.

  Tristan chuckles softly and leads me in the opposite direction, past the staircase that led down here to a door hidden under the staircase. “This area isn’t my room, it’s our family room. When my brother left, Quinn wanted to make sure we spent time together at least once a week, so he made this area for us to watch movies. No matter what, all of us sit in here on Sunday night and watch a movie and eat dinner together. We talk and he makes sure we’re always happy.”

  Sounds like Quinn is a sweet guy when it comes to his family. I’ve seen glimpses of that side, but it would be nice to see the full version. Maybe I need to be nicer to him and show that I’m not here to tear his family apart.

  “This is my room,” Tristan announces, reaching around me to open the door and flicking on a light switch that illuminates the room.

  When I fully comprehend what I’m seeing, I can’t keep the gasp of surprise contained. My mouth drops, my mind unable to conjure up words for the pure magnificence that is his room. It looks like one of those five-star suites you see in most hotels.

  If I had known he had something this frigging awesome, there would be no way I would have gone back to my room all this time. This is frigging luxury personified.

  He brings me farther into the room, switching on a few more lights to show me everything that you can’t see from the doorway.

  Over in the back corner, I marvel at the sight of a massive, four-poster, king-sized bed sticking out of the wall as if it’s grown there. On either side of the bed and above the ebony hardwood that makes up the headboard are built-in shelves.

  Each of the shelves are filled with books upon books, and some even hold what look like writing journals. I draw my gaze to the right and notice the small kitchen/lounge area set up in the corner. French blinds are placed behind the couch to make it look more private and feel like a separate room from the bedroom to the living room.

  So much detail was put into this space that I can’t help but wonder if all the guys helped make it. Whoever designed this obviously had Tristan’s comfort in mind.

  “This is a remarkable place, Tristan. Did you decorate it all by yourself?”

  His face sours as he opens a hidden door in the wall to my left, revealing the bathroom before answering.

  “No, this was my brother’s great idea. He thought I would be more ‘comfortable’ down here,” he replies, using air quotes to thicken his sarcasm.

  “Oh, that’s right. Do you mind if I ask where he is? I’ve heard
you all talk about him, but no one really says much. It’s like he doesn’t exist anymore,” I mumble.

  The bathroom is completely different from the outer room. Instead of the bright white walls meant to make Tristan’s room inviting and open, the bathroom is filled with colors of all varieties.

  The clawfoot tub is polished brass, while the tiles on the walls are an off white. The floor tiles are a beautiful marbled white, and the vanity is a pale grey. The shower stall tiles are all a mixture of different shades of blue, and it’s big enough to fit two people comfortably. Behind the door is a toilet, which gives me a sense of relief. I don’t want to be going up and down stairs every time I need to pee.

  Suddenly, I notice that Tristan has disappeared from behind me and I step back out to see what’s wrong. He’s over by a shelf of photos, his hands clenched in anger. He’s staring at them, his lips thinned.

  I walk over and place a hand on his shoulder. “Hey, you okay?”

  The photos he’s staring at are of him and his family members, only in some of them, there’s a person cut out. Some pictures it’s just the head, while others the person has been excluded completely. Someone obviously wanted him to disappear from existence.

  Tristan closes his eyes and takes in a deep breath before letting it out slowly. “Sorry, Iz, I just, I’m not on good terms with my brother. He’s the reason I’m this way,” he explains, gesturing to himself as if there’s something wrong with him.

  I cock my head confused. “What way? There is nothing wrong with you, Tristan.”

  He wraps me in a sudden hug which I return, not sure why he needs it but willing to have his arms wrapped around me.

  When he lets go, he kisses my forehead tenderly before leading me to his bed, gesturing for me to sit.

  “So I don’t know if you’re aware of this, but humans can be turned into any supe. We don’t know why, but it’s always been the way. However, when a supe is born, they are already predetermined to turn into whatever shifter DNA is most dominant. Like Marcus and Jesse, they are both tiger shifters and were born that way. I, however, was born human. My mother thought I would develop latent abilities like some of us born human do, but for me, I seemed to stay just as I was.”