Midnight Guardian

by Tamara White

  Ellen isn’t in here with me this time, not that she didn’t want to be. She objected severely when I asked her to stay out. In the end, though, she understood that this had to be just us Alphas. They needed to see me treat them with a smidgen of respect, despite my shooting them. The things we need to discuss here will show that I’m willing to offer them an olive branch and let them be part of what will hopefully be a better future for all of us.

  It’s not just that though. I can’t expect people to be holding my hand through everything. I’m the Supreme Alpha. The only one in existence apparently, and with that comes certain responsibilities. I need to be able to make big decisions without others’ help, otherwise it would just reinforce what the council wants all supernatural kind to think. That they are needed when they are most definitely not.

  “Well, are you going to talk? Or do you plan to just stare at us all day?” Vincent looks to be agitated by this meeting, his pale brown eyes glaring over at me.

  I narrow my eyes threateningly. Just because I need them for my plan to come into place doesn’t mean I’ll accept them disrespecting me.

  “I’ll talk when I’m damn well ready to, lion. I’m the one in charge here, and if you’ve forgotten that, I can make it known again. This time with something a little more lethal.” I pull my small revolver from my ankle and slam it on the table.

  Vincent stays quiet, but his eyes spark with defiance. Whether it’s that I’m a female and an Alpha, or whether it’s just the natural reaction dominant supes have to me making him testy, I don’t care. He better learn to rein himself in.

  I smile sweetly and glance around at each of the other men, waiting for one of them to add their two cents. “Well, does anyone else want to try and be a tough guy? Or do you actually want to hear what I have to say?”

  When they remain silent, I nod in approval. “Good. Now, we can get on to what I called you here for.”

  Alpha Mat is the only one who seems to look somewhat willing to hear me out, so I address him first. “You’ll be happy to know I’ve decided to help you get your daughter back.” He visibly deflates, like the weight of the world has been lifted from his shoulders. I turn to the other three Alphas, a grin in place. “And I’ll be taking you three with me.”

  All three open their mouths to object, I’m sure, but I raise my hand to cut them off. “However, I have some conditions.”

  They remain quiet, looking sour at not voicing their objections. For men who came here to help get the Alpha’s daughter out to change their mind so quickly, well, I must have made quite an impression.

  I place both hands on the desk, my fingers tapping slightly with nerves. I have no idea how they’ll react to my conditions, but I need to lie groundwork somewhere, and what better time than now?

  “Firstly, before I allow you three to go into a prison with me, I’m going to want your word that none of you will cause me harm. Now that doesn’t mean unintentional harm by leaving me alone in the prison because there may come a time when we have to separate, and it will be your job to get Andrea out without me. I’m talking about direct physical harm to my person. To ensure you keep your word, I will make a binding with magic. It’s not as fancy as what the witches who work with the council use, but it will ensure you follow your promise or you’ll suffer harsh consequences.”

  Alpha Mat looks at the men to his right with hesitance. Obviously, he doesn’t think they’ll agree to such terms. So it’s a surprise to us both when Flynn nods.

  “Fair enough. You don’t know us and you need to protect yourself too. We’ll agree to a simple binding to honor our word.”

  Thank God. I need a little extra security and binding them will stop them from being able to sell me out. Sure, they can separate from me and be fine if I come to harm when it’s not a direct result of their actions, but they won’t be able to draw attention to me without it causing them pain.

  “My second condition is not really for you guys, but for Andrea. After I free her, she will be given a complete pardon by me and be under my protection should the council try to come after her.”

  Alpha Mat smiles at me brightly, his eyes watering with unshed tears. “Thank you.”

  I nod, not quite finished. “There will come a time in the near future when I go against the council. When that time comes, I will give Andrea the option to join me in killing them. She will be honored with the first pick of who will die.”

  Alpha Mat fidgets in his seat, no longer looking grateful for my second condition. I understand this may not be what he wants for his daughter, but she gets to make the decision, no one else.

  “As much as I appreciate that, Alpha, I don’t think that’s such a great idea. My daughter could be hurt and killed. I won’t let her face that risk.”

  I cross my arms and stare him down. He doesn’t have a say in this. His daughter does. While he may be scared for his daughter, he needs to understand what I mean by facing the council, because not one of them will be left alive once I’m done with them.

  “Let me be extremely clear. When I face the council, not a single one of them will walk away. Do you understand? When I say I will go against them, I’m not talking about overthrowing them and then just tossing them in prison for the rest of their lives. That’s too kind for all the shit they have done. No, I’m going to ensure they all die in the most painful ways imaginable. What I will be offering your daughter is a chance to get revenge on those who took someone she loved. Whether she exacts the pain on council members herself or watches me inflict it, she will get the satisfaction of knowing they paid for what they did to her. The choice will be hers, though, not yours. Am I clear?”

  “If you kill the council, who do you expect to take their place? None of our kind will rest if they aren’t replaced. As powerful as a Supreme Alpha is, you can’t rule a whole supernatural race without help,” Flynn states, watching me intently. He obviously knows I have a plan of some kind or I wouldn’t suggest annihilating the council.

  Thankfully, he’s right about that. I’d actually been pondering what I would do if I killed the council long before I ever left the compound.

  It started when Drake and Jordan had casually mentioned the number of packs and Alphas that were out in the world. Why did we need the council when there were so many Alphas who could help make real differences in the lives of those they care for? The perfect council would be a council led by people who know what it’s like to care for their people. To ensure that things can change for the better.

  “Well, that’s where my third condition comes into play. You see, I’ve been giving this a lot of thought for a long time. My third condition is that all four of you become part of my new council. Only it won’t just be you four. I want every Alpha on this earth to be part of my special council. The current council is corrupt because they have no one under them. They have no idea what you all go through on a daily basis to keep your packs running. They aren’t even of Alpha status. Instead, they are old men and women who think they know what is best for our kind when in reality they are nothing more than power hungry old bastards. The way to ensure corruption is gone is to guarantee the right people are in power. If all the Alphas accept my offer to be part of my new council, they will have more control over what’s done in this community and directly affects their people. Things could change for the better if we all work together instead of letting a bunch of assholes control us.”

  Vincent, the surlier of the four men, is watching me with a new appreciation. Like my words have both intrigued him yet he doubts me too. “And just what would you require of us in return? Clearly you will be at the top of the food chain, which means you’ll have conditions then like you do now.”

  I shrug, a coy smile playing on my lips. “You’re right, I will have conditions. Simple ones that will be followed or death will be swift.”

  “Of course, because you’re the top fucking bitch.” The lion leans back in his seat, seeming disinterested now that he knows my future comes with a catc
h. “Well, let’s hear these rules or conditions you’ll have if we make this Alpha council of yours.”

  “They’re simple really. First, no killing humans. I won’t tolerate another supe killing a human for any reason. Self-defense is acceptable, but mindless killing for hunting is not okay. We are animals, we can survive by feeding on animals. We don’t need to kill the human population.”

  Everyone is watching me intently like they didn’t expect that to be the first thing I asked for. You’d think I came across as a mindless monster if you went by these men and their reactions to me. Then again, years of dealing with the council and a Supreme Alpha under their thumb wouldn’t exactly make them open to new ideas.

  “Secondly, there will be no turning a human without their permission. If someone wants to join our way of life like Andrea’s boyfriend did, then I will permit it. However, the turning will need to be done under the right conditions with the support of a Pack, Sleuth, Coven, Streak, etc. Ideally, the person who is turning them will have reached out to their Alpha and confirmed they can meet these conditions. In the case of an Alpha disagreeing to a certain human being turned, it can be brought to myself and the rest of the Alphas for an appeal.”

  I pause, waiting for questions, but I seem to have shocked them so I just keep going. They’ll stop me when they’ve heard enough. “Obviously there are going to be a few kinks to work out with what I see for our future. For example, I won’t be stopping the vampires from feeding. I know personally that animal blood isn’t satisfying, so instead we’ll have to work out a volunteer donor system. Maybe even buy out a blood bank or even a few of them to ensure everyone has constant access to a fresh supply…” I muse, trailing off, my mouth watering a little. It’s only just turned dark but the desire to hunt is already growing strong.

  I shake my head, subtlety wiping my mouth to ensure I’m not drooling. Maintaining all my hungers is not fucking easy. I can only imagine what they will be like when the pregnancy progresses. I may just turn into a ravenous monster.

  “Anyway, those are just a few things I’ve thought over, but obviously I don’t foresee all changes happening at once. I will want to call a meeting with all Alphas so any and all issues that need to be broached are brought to the table. Only then will we be able to work toward a better life. I’m sure even you four have things that are on your mind right now that you wish could be changed but are impossible to do with the current system. It’s why I want to change the way things are done. I know it’s going to be hard as hell and it may take me a few years to iron shit out, but if you four are on board, then hopefully we can begin the wheels of change sooner rather than later.”

  Alpha Mat clears his throat, unable to hide the tears in his eyes. “I literally don’t know what to say, Alpha. You’re offering me so much by agreeing to help get my daughter back, but this, this is truly amazing. You really want this change to happen for the better. Ellen was right. There’s not one selfish bone in your body, is there?”

  I remain silent, not sure that’s true. Right now is probably the most selfish I’ve ever been in my life. If the council stays in charge, it puts not only me, but possibly my child at risk. The sooner I end their reign of terror, the quicker I can relax and start letting myself live a life I thought I would never have. Maybe with the council out of the way, Jordan will also be free to be with me, to be with our child. I don’t know how it will work yet, especially with Tristan and Jes.

  Despite how angry I was when I left them, I came to accept that it wasn’t their fault. I didn’t tell them about Drake. And they didn’t tell me because, in their mind, he was out of their lives. If I blamed them for Drake’s presence in their life, then I’d be practically blaming them for simply existing.

  It would be the same if Tristan tried to blame me for meeting Drake after he left his family. They were both things that neither one of us had control of.

  “Trust me, I am being selfish. I want the council gone more than anything in this world. If I could get away with walking in there and killing them now, I would, but I can’t because then it would leave one hell of a power vacuum. First, I need to get people on board with my plan to create a new council solely made up of Alphas. Once over half of the Alphas in the world have joined us, then and only then can I strike.”

  I clear my throat as emotion starts to overwhelm me. “The council killed my entire family. They wanted my brother, but when I killed the old Alpha after he bit me, I was all they had left. And I intend to make them regret ever leaving me alive. Now, what do you say? Will you agree to my conditions and accept my binding?”

  Chapter Forty-One

  Quinn

  I groan as I adjust myself in bed, leaning over the book and looking for more conclusive proof of what I suspect. It’s hard as hell though, because every damn part of me hurts from whatever Isobel blasted me with. But no matter how much I looked for an outward sign of a wound, there was none.

  Adrian and Marcus helped me search every damn inch of my body in the hope they could see something I missed. They only volunteered to do so because they could see the clear discomfort I was in. But after multiple checks, they found nothing. Which meant whatever the hell she did to me wasn’t external, but internal.

  So there was nothing more I could do but keep eating protein in an effort to burn off the after effects of it quicker. Adrian cooked me up a few steaks, while Marcus helped me into my bed and ensured I had all the books I needed with me before they left to take Tristan hunting.

  Jesse had been keeping Tristan somewhat controlled, but he made it clear that he would be taking him hunting with or without backup. I could see Tristan needed it, so I relented.

  When Isobel left, he couldn’t handle the fact it was because of his brother. Knowing it was Drake caused him to become pretty enraged, and it was only Jesse whispering in his ear that kept him somewhat calm.

  To be honest, I don’t blame him for reacting in such a way. His brother has been out of his life for two damn years and now, when Isobel comes along and Tristan finds some semblance of normal—well, as normal as I’ve ever seen him—it’s Drake who fucks it up.

  And not just for Tristan. Drake has screwed us all over unintentionally. I don’t know whether Isobel will come back and hear us out, but for Tristan’s sake, I really hope so.

  Instead of moping over what-ifs, though, I need to find answers for her. I knew she came here for something, and after all her questions about past Alphas, I think I have an idea of just what it is. I’m glad as fuck I robbed those council bastards of these files now. Decades ago, when I was with them and I knew it was time to separate from them for good, it was an instinct to take them. I’d already been reading into these myths and legends, but when I thought of leaving without them, it pained me to, so I grabbed as much as I could. Now, though, this stuff could come in handy.

  All the books and files stacked around my bed are about the supes we thought used to exist but were never proven. There are many different stories out in the world based on all of our kinds, the ones that people made up based on their encounters with us. Werewolves, for example, are nothing more than shifters, some of those who had gone rabid and looked more vicious than our natural counterparts. Gargoyles and gremlins are both real, but so different from what people believe. In the myths they said gremlins were small creatures that lived under your bed, causing mayhem where they could, but in reality, they are one of the kindest beings you can come across. Yes, they are generally short in stature, but they don’t cause havoc. Quite the opposite actually. They help in times of crisis.

  Gargoyles are tricky creatures. All the stories say they were meant to protect you from malevolence and they liked to guard churches to ward off evil. That’s very untrue. They are beings who like to create chaos by influencing others. They feed off the auras of people, but the most potent feed they get is by making someone good do something bad. The aura becomes saturated and makes the feed that much more enjoyable. They are the reason behind the “devil on
your shoulder” saying. Because they really are. They sit by your side and whisper things, making it more and more appealing for everyone to commit crimes or do heinous acts, all so they can feed more fully.

  But the myths I’m looking up are none of those. My books are all on dragons and phoenixes. Neither one has ever been confirmed, but yet there have always been stories of them. Of towns burning by a beast that flew over them, spitting fire the likes of which they’d never seen before. Then there were also stories of a glowing being that would walk among a town of people who had wronged them before exploding in flames, destroying all existence of that city. Obviously, the many council members who have existed had tried to prove the existence of either of these beings, but no such evidence was ever found, only stories, and that’s what I’m looking through now.

  Seeing Isobel glow like that, seeing the fire in her eyes makes me believe that maybe, just maybe, she’s one of those beings. And if she is, it’s important I show her what she could be capable of. She may have only hurt me earlier, but if she ever gets out of control, who knows what she could do to the world around her.

  I’m so absorbed in the reading materials that it takes me a second to realize the sound of knocking is echoing through the house. I look up, wondering who the hell could be out here this late. If it was one of the guys, they wouldn’t knock, and I highly doubt Isobel would either.

  I ignore the knocking and go back to my books, figuring it’s just a student wanting a leg up for the course. It’s something that happens all the time. Rich brats who are turned come knocking, thinking we can offer them tips or tricks that will help them pass regardless. I know a few of the other instructors give into those things, but not me or my family. While we disagree with the stupid course, we still don’t think it’s fair for another person to get insider information while others have to work their asses off.