The Guardian (The Guardian Book 1)

by Paula Stephanie Grogan

  “No, stop let me go! I have to get him.” She stared down at her hands and decided. “I am so sorry for having to do this to you Roy, but you’re giving me no choice.” She put her palms to his head, a soft glow emanated around them. “Sleep,” She said. “I am truly sorry Roy, but if anyone gets the pleasure of killing this scum it’s going to be me; besides, I am the one he wants. What he doesn’t know, is that I am the chosen one, and I am going to kill him.”

  It would take a great power for anyone to be able to overpower Roy, as he fell into the wall before he was rendered unconscious; he smiled, he actually smiled. For he knew that she was right, she would kill Steve Matheson, but most importantly he smiled with the satisfaction of knowing that she was the chosen one.

  Nora pulled up to the hospital, there were police, FBI, and Emergency workers spread out in the parking lot, there were people being escorted out of the hospital by police officers. Then she saw Skye being carried by two FBI agents, down the stairs. Nora ran to him trying to get through the crowd she ducked under the yellow tape and tried to get to Skye, but she was held up by a burley police officer that faintly resembled meat loaf. “Please let me through officer, my nephew is hurt!” “No mam, under no circumstances am I allowed letting anyone pass.”

  “Nora looked at him and thought really hard about making him keel over in pain, and he did. “I am so sorry Nora said, I really didn’t want to do that, but you gave me no choice.” She got to Skye; he was being loaded onto a stretcher and had a little girl in his hands. “Who is this Skye?” Nora asked. “This is Elaina, she was taken by Steve I was able to save her, before Steve and the other vampires could hurt her too bad. I am afraid I broke my foot in the process.” She looked down at his deformed foot, “ya I would say it’s just a bit broken it was facing the wrong direction.” Where is Coura Skye? She is up there he pointed to the seventh floor. She's with her father and my dad. She is safe. He said, as he was injected with a sedative by the emergency worker and fell asleep.

  Nora got out of the ambulance and headed into the hospital. She messed with the two guards that were in front of the doors to look away while she went in. She took the elevator to the seventh floor and made her way up the stairs. She found her way to Richards’s room, when she walked in she found Roy unconscious on the floor and Richard shaking violently in the bed. She checked her brother for a pulse, and it was steady then she ran over to Richard, his body was changing beneath her. She had never seen anything like it, his muscles where expanding his legs becoming bulkier, and strong.

  “Dear God, Dear Goddess,” Nora said, she ran to Roy, and shook him violently he until he came back to her. “Roy! Roy! What did you do?” Coura she is the chosen one and she threw me into sleep because I wouldn’t let her leave.” “No, not Coura you fool, what you did to Richard!” Richards, dead, Roy said weakly. I tried to give him blood, but he did not get it fast enough. He’s dead Nora.” “Wait, what kind of blood did you give him Roy?” “I gave him my blood in a transfusion. But it didn’t work. He flatlined, I watched him die.”

  “He is not dead Roy he’s changing! We need to get him out of here now!” Roy got up, and looked at Richard, it was true he was laying there looking like a fit thirty-five-year-old instead of the scrawny forty-two-year-old that he’d been. His hair was back to black, and his wrinkles were all but gone. “Shit I hope he’s not a fucking Vamp, I don’t know if I can kill him.”

  “What’s happened?” Roy said. “I don’t know,” said Nora. “We need to get him out of here, get him somewhere safe. So, we can figure out what’s going on. Richard? Can you get up?” Richard woke up and looked around. “Hey Brother! He said, I feel awesome.” He took the IV and other monitoring equipment off and got out of bed. “I feel different it’s awesome!” He jumped out of bed and landed on the other side of the bed.

  “We really need to get going, guys,” Nora said.

  Chapter 14

  Coura went room to room kicking the doors in, trying to find Steve. She was getting more frustrated by the second until she walked into a room and new something was off, she heard something that was off. She turned fast hoping to face Steve but instead she found Keric and dead Cop, on the floor. Oh no not you too, she walked over and felt for a pulse on Keric but could find none.

  Then he spoke, and she knew it was him, Steve transformed before her eyes. “Hello, my pet, I have been waiting for you all evening. I am sorry that are partings were on such a bitter note last time, but you did have me put in jail.” “Well I am afraid you are not going to be so lucky this time she said. I am afraid you’re not going to make it out of this room alive.” He laughed, and she cringed inside, his laugh was wrong, it was sickening to hear. He ran towards her, but she dropped to the floor and rolled out of the way. He came at her again, but she was ready for it and roundhouse kicked him in the face, he moved fast even for a vampire, but she moved even faster.

  “How are you doing that Coura?” he asked from the corner of the room, he sat back to evaluate his prey, trying to find her weakness since she was not like his normal victim. He listened and her heart was beating. Huh, he thought to himself, well she’s human, that’s weakness enough and he pounced again. This time he did get her in her shoulder tearing flesh from her back. “No, you don’t, you piece of vampire scum,” she moved quickly to the right grabbed him by his waist and slammed him into the ground. The tile on the floor was crushed, for any normal person it should have killed him, but it didn’t.

  He stayed completely still and played opossum. She came over to him and kicked him hard, “I wish this wasn’t so easy and she turned to go back towards her dad’s room.” Steve got up and flew at her, she struggled but could not shake him, he drank her deeply and like his other prey she weakened after a few minutes. “I want you forever Coura, I am sorry that it had to be like this, but it was the only way. I love you Coura.” He bit deep into his own wrist like it was done for him and gave himself over to Coura. “Drink please little one, you are going to die if you won’t.” He forced the blood down her throat and after a minute she drank deeply.

  Keric saw what was happening and froze standing their quietly. Coura was drinking deeply from Steve’s arm, and was looking up at Keric. This was not what he wanted to happen; this was not how things were supposed to play out. She was meant to carry a child that would become a vampire, not turn one herself. Something went wrong, and now she was writing her own destiny.

  Keric just stood there waiting to see what he needed to do next. Coura continued to drink, and after a time Steve asked Coura to stop drinking, but she refused. Steve started to struggle and couldn’t get his arm free from her death like grip. She sucked greedily until all the color drained from Steve and he was seconds from death. Keric came up behind Steve, grabbed ahold of his head very firmly and ripped it off his body. At about the same time that Coura stopped drinking she started feeling pains through her body and she was screaming for help. The FBI was closing in and Keric jumped to cover Coura and they vanished.

  When the FBI came around the corner all they could find was a pile of ash that resembled Steve Matheson. Keric and Coura were gone. Meanwhile in the room down the hall, police officers where coming in force, to check on Richard, but when they entered the room, both Richard, and Roy were gone.

  The police searched the hospital they couldn’t find Steve. He was gone, and so was the footage of the seventh floor for the day. Ryan made sure of that. Skye came to check on Richard in his father’s living room, he had completely changed and was as healthy as could be. Then Skye spoke to Richard. “I think it’s time for you to go to Coura and let her know that you’re alive and well. She has been grieving for you bad. She hasn’t left her room in three days. I think you need to go home.”

  “Maybe you're right, Richard said, he got off the floor from doing pushups and put a shirt on and walked out of the house. Coura had spent the last three days in bed. The change had already come to pass but she still had not left her bed. She was too sad, th
e only family she had left died. Now I’m a vampire, I will live forever alone, she thought bitterly to herself.

  Keric came into the room and looked at Coura. Coura looked at Keric. “I need to tell you something Coura, and I don’t want you to get mad at me ok?” Coura got up staring at him with her new beautiful eyes, penetrating him with her look. “It’s about your father Coura.” “What the hell do you mean it’s about my father? He’s dead! What could make it any worse?”

  Keric took a minute, and then said… “It’s not true Coura he’s not dead.” Coura got angrier with every second and pushed Keric. He flew back into a wall more than eight feet away. He got up and came right back to her, “listen Coura I am telling you the truth!” She swung a punch up at him crying and yelling “STOP LYING TO ME!” He flew a hand up trying to block her oncoming punches. Keric thought the best thing to do would be to pin her down, but when he tried, she fought harder. They fell down the stairs, breaking the railing, while Coura was punching Keric. Letting all her anger out in her struggle was a big release for Coura, and finally she stood and looked around at the damage, it was quite detrimental.

  “I’m telling you the truth Coura please just stop fighting me and listen. He has changed into a Wear. He was somehow infused with their blood and now he is one of them. “You liar!” Coura screamed. Not knowing her own strength she ran at Keric kicking her leg up before colliding with him. He flew through the glass and wood and landed at Richards’s feet. Coura looked at Keric then to Richard, eyes red with furry. She saw her father and ran up to him picking him off the ground and spinning him around. “DAAD!!! I can’t believe you’re ok!”

  “Gosh Keric, I'm sorry I guess I have a little less control of my emotions at the moment.” Keric stared at her stunned at her strength, realizing that she too has changed. Her eyes were different, and she looked taller, and more voluptuous. She was so different, and yet the same he couldn’t figure it out. But as she began to explode with happiness her eyes flashed bright yellow, and he knew what she had become.

  Richard put his arms around Coura holding her tight. “I am so sorry that I scared you, it scared me. But I’m ok now, just as fit as a fiddle. Look I even got big muscles,” he flexed. Coura rolled her eyes. “Oh, and I can do this, back up Coura.” Keric got off the ground and stood behind Coura. Richards body started to shake and a magically glow surrounded him, and he changed. Looking up from the ground stood the most beautiful black mouth wolf she had ever seen.

  She looked at Nora, and Roy and Skye who had just come in; you turned my dad into a giant Cur? They all laughed. Richard transformed back into his human form. It looks as if you have gone through a change to Coura. “What happened to you?” “Oh the usual she laughed, I was a damsel in distress, and some handsome guardian had to come and save me. She looked at Keric. But instead of saving me he came too late,” she said, looking at Skye. “Now I am what I am, a Vampire, I didn’t ask for it. I didn’t want it, but that’s what I am, and I hope that you can accept me for it.”

  Nora looked at Roy, worried about what he would do, but he surprised her. He walked over to Coura. “We love you just the way you are kid, I know Skye is still crazy about you, and besides your family.” Coura hugged her dad, and everyone came together in a big hug.

  Than Skye said, “great now she can still kick my butt,” everyone started laughing again. Coura looked at her dad, “Why a Cur though? That’s the dorkiest dog in the world, and she laughed again.” “I’m a Cur when I am calm Coura. I’m kind of like the hulk, and to quote him, “you won’t like me when I’m angry.” Coura rolled her eyes.

  “Well then,” Coura said, “is it over? Have I fulfilled my destiny?” Keric looked down, and then looked at Coura. “I’m afraid this is just the beginning.” She gave him a half smile. “I thought you might say that,” “But you know what, I’m ready. “I am to” Skye said, “I promise Coura, no matter what happens, I’m going to be here for you.” Keric kissed Coura on the cheek and disappeared into the night.

  “Do you really think there’s more?” Coura asked Skye. He looked at her, “I do.” “But you know what? At least we have right now.” He kissed her gently on the lips. Then Nora, and Richard, and Roy went into the house and Skye and Coura followed hand in hand. Leaving the night behind them and enjoying the time they had together and getting ready for what comes next.