The Guardians (The Tempest Isle Series Book 1)

by S. C. Storm

  “Yeah, those two around them are the flavor of the day. I was one of yesterday’s.”

  Alexandra ordered another drink. “Well I’m not interested in being one of their flavors, are you, cuz?”

  Jasmyn shook her head. “Count me out.”

  The human gave them a look. “Yeah, right,” she snapped, then walked off.

  Alexandra shook her head. “Bitter much?”

  “I’d say so,” Jasmyn replied.

  ***

  Seeing the smirk on Ryden’s face, Ryder followed his eyes to see the wolves still sitting at the bar. “I would have thought they would have given up by now,” he said, absently grabbing the towel that was handed to him. He looked at the blonde, her arm still held out, and smirked seeing her face break into a wide smile. He shook his head at her reaction when he heard her heart beat faster.

  “No, they’re determined to wait us out, but I can feel one of the wolves’ patience wearing thin,” Ryden said, sitting down. Ryder looked over at the wolf he had bumped into and the one with her.

  They were both something to look at. Eyeing the wolf from earlier, he again took in her dark hair, which was down to her waist. Her piercing blue eyes put the sky to shame and stared at him, contrasting perfectly with her tanned skin. She had long legs to die for, which were attached to a body that curved in all the right places.

  “Damn,” he muttered, licking his lips. Hearing laughter, he glanced over at his twin, giving him a look that promised retribution.

  “Legs to die for? I would imagine you’re wondering how they’d feel wrapped around you,” Ryden smirked and looked toward the bar. He studied both wolves, mentally agreeing with his brother on the one he had been staring at. He looked the other wolf over.

  She was taller but just as built. Her dark hair was pulled back, but he figured it was just as long. He couldn’t see her eyes behind the sunglasses she was wearing, but her lips were lush and full, clearly made for kissing. Going lower, his eyes took in the rest of her curved body.

  “All that body, and all you notice are her lips?” His laugh was cut off as the blonde that had been hanging on Ryden all day plopped herself into his lap.

  “What’s wrong with you two? You haven’t said a word since you came out of the water.” The whiny tone of her voice and the irritated look on her face was in complete contrast to the pouty, sultry look she was trying to give.

  Ryden kissed her pouty lips, inwardly rolling his eyes at her giggle. “We’re just admiring the view,” he said, seeing her preen. Like the one you were admiring earlier, Ryden silently smirked.

  That one was better, Ryder silently told him.

  “That’s what I thought.” She giggled again, not realizing he wasn’t talking about her.

  Ryder shook his head, then looked up as a shadow came over him. Seconds later, he grunted as the human he had been flirting with earlier dropped into his lap.

  “She’s right, you know. You two don’t talk much.”

  “Talking is overrated,” Ryder said, running his hands over her. “I can think of other things more important.” He grinned and kissed her neck. Her body shuddered at his touch. Predictable as always, Ryder thought, hearing Ryden chuckle. He caught his brother’s eye and shook his head as they both grinned.

  The human in his lap looked between them. “What’s with you two? Half the time neither of you say much, and then sometimes you both look at each other and laugh. What’s up with that? It’s as if you do that twin thing I’ve heard about where you know what the other one is thinking.”

  That’s because we do, he thought. From the time they were babes, he and Ryden usually had communicated telepathically. All vampires could read minds, but being twins gave them an edge. He could see the human waiting for a response and just shrugged his shoulders, ignoring her question. He looked over seeing Ryden push the blonde off his lap. “Leaving already?” He smirked.

  “No, I’m going to get a drink.” Ryden looked pointedly at the bar. The taller wolf had taken off her glasses and met his gaze, holding it. He grinned at her. “I might find something new.” With that, he walked off, ignoring the blonde who called out for him to wait for her.

  Ryder caught her hand, holding her back. “Why don’t you just wait here for him?”

  “But I want a drink too,” she whined.

  Ryder reached down and grabbed a beer. “Here.” He shoved it into her hands. He saw her sit back down and heard the can open as he watched his brother approach the wolf.

  Watching the vampire make his way over, Alexandra knew what he was doing. She had felt the tug in her head that told her he was reading her mind, they both had. Instead of blocking him, she let him, knowing how important it was for them to head to Tempest. Growing up around vampires, this little trick was nothing new to her.

  “He’s fucking trying to read our minds,” Jasmyn angrily told Alexandra.

  “Yeah, block him if you want, but I’m not. We need them to get their asses to Tempest as soon as possible,” Alexandra said.

  Reaching the bar, Ryden ordered a drink. “Whiskey and another for the ladies,” he told the bartender.

  “And what makes you think I want another one?” Jasmyn asked.

  “Drink it or not, it doesn’t matter. It’s there.” Ryden shrugged. “You’ve been following us.”

  “I felt you and your brother in my head, so you know why.” Alexandra turned toward him.

  While Ryden waited for their drinks, he took in the unusual color of her eyes. One minute they looked blue, the next they were green. She was tall for a woman, but standing next to him, she barely reached his chest. Once the bartender was gone, he spoke. “You’re wasting your time, wolf. Neither my brother nor I are interested in ascending, so it looks like you came all this way for nothing.”

  Jasmyn felt a spark of anger at his words but kept quiet.

  “Normally I would say you’re right and just leave, but I was hired to do a job. I can’t go until it’s done,” Alexandra told him.

  “You were sent to find us, and you have, so your job is done,” Ryden said.

  “Look deeper next time you’re in someone’s mind, honey. Yes, I was sent to find you and to bring you back. Your race is dying. More importantly, your friend is, or don’t you care? Alexandra said. Ryden’s gaze stayed on hers, and she could feel him in her mind again. This time she blocked him.

  “You were sent by a Langford.”

  “Yes, Mileena. It’s her grandfather, Arthur.” Alexandra looked around, noticing they were getting looks from the humans around them. “Look, if you want to know more, meet us later, and we’ll tell you everything we know.”

  “And if we don’t?”

  Jasmyn looked at the vamp. “I had heard you two were arrogant assholes who didn’t care about anyone but yourselves. I didn’t believe it until now,” she said as she got up to go. She felt a hand on her arm and snapped her head in the vamp’s direction. “Let go unless you want to lose that hand.” She growled low.

  Ryden let her go. “I wondered if there was any fire in you.”

  “There’s a lot more to me than what you see, vamp.”

  “I look forward to finding out.” Ryden turned to Alexandra. “You said you wanted to meet us, where?”

  “There’s an old dock south of the hotel. We’ll be there around midnight. It should be empty of humans by then.”

  “My brother and I will be there,” Ryden stated.

  “All right,” Alexandra said. After a minute, she followed Jasmyn.

  Jasmyn had stalked off toward the edge of the water. She pulled her shirt off, took off her shorts, and dove in, needing to cool off—and not because of the heat.

  Feeling a gaze on her, Alexandra turned around, meeting the vampire’s eyes. Breaking the eye contact, she turned, untied the wrap around her waist, dropped it, and went into the water.

  Ryden watched for a few minutes, noticing his was not the only gaze on the she-wolves. He had to admit they were both stunning. He smiled
as he thought of the smaller wolf’s eyes flashing her anger. Thoughts of their old family friend invaded his mind as he glanced at his brother. He wondered what other news the little wolf had hidden in that head of hers. He paid for the drinks and headed back to his brother. Sitting down, Ryden looked at the humans. “Give us a minute, ladies.” They looked at him as if he were crazy. “I’m not asking again,” he said.

  “Are you serious?” the one on Ryder’s lap said. “He’s not serious, is he?” she asked him.

  “As a heart attack,” Ryder responded, giving her a push. Both the women got up and stalked off. He tuned out their bitching as he turned to Ryden. “Do you believe her? About Arthur that is.”

  Ryden shook his head. “I didn’t catch that she was lying. She doesn’t know him, though. It’s what was told to her.”

  “By who?”

  “Mileena. She’s the one who contacted the wolf,” Ryden said quietly.

  Ryder let out a low whistle. “So she’s a tracker.”

  “They both are,” Ryden said, looking off toward the water. The she-wolves were waist-deep in the water talking quietly. “They want us to meet them at midnight.”

  “Why? What else do they have to tell us?” Ryder asked.

  “I don’t know. I could have probed deeper, but they’re from the island. You know they’re trained to block as much of their thoughts as they can. To go deeper could be dangerous.”

  “Bloody hell.” Ryder hissed, running his hands through his head. “If it’s true about Arthur, you know what that means.”

  Ryden nodded. “Yes, we can’t ignore it anymore.” He sighed.

  Chapter 6

  After spending the rest of the day out on the beach, Alexandra and Jasmyn decided to head back to the hotel. After telling Jaz she’d meet her later, Lex went to her room. She was tired, but it felt good. Now she was starving and needed a shower. In her room, she grabbed the phone and ordered enough food to feed several people. Ignoring the gasp from the woman taking her order, she hung up, then headed into the bathroom. She stripped off her suit, started the shower, and got in. As she started washing her hair, she thought about what she would say to the Athertons when she saw them later tonight. The blood moon was coming up, which meant the ascension would be upon them sooner than anyone thought. She wondered why they didn’t want to ascend. She and her sister Erin, along with Jasmyn and others, would go before the Priestesses, hoping they would be chosen as ready. Lex knew she was. She had been for a long time.

  She thought back to what the vamp she had talked to said, that they weren’t interested in ascending. She could understand that. She, well, all her family, had faced that indecision at one point in their lives. For Alexandra, those thoughts were gone from her mind. She was ready to follow her family’s tradition to serve the goddess. It was her duty, but more than that, it was in her blood. Rinsing her hair, she again wondered why the Athertons didn’t want to. She finished her shower and barely had time to pull a robe on when she heard a knock on the door.

  She opened it and stepped back, letting the guy in with her food. He looked around, and not seeing anyone, he got that look in his eyes she had come to recognize as his eyes roamed over her. Not having dried off, she knew her robe was plastered to her body. Inwardly sighing, she smiled brightly.

  “Just put it by the table,” Alexandra told him. Taking the ticket, she signed for her food, gave him a tip, thanked him, and practically pushed him out the door. Her smile faded as she walked over to the table and sat down.

  Starting on her food, Alexandra thought of the times she’d had to do things she wouldn’t normally do. She didn’t deny she was a flirt, but she knew when to do it and when not to. When she was tracking, she sometimes had to revert to more persuasive methods more often than she liked. There was a difference between wanting to and having to. That was one of the downsides to tracking that she didn’t like. As she ate, she looked out the window. She had to admit the view was beautiful, but it didn’t hold a candle to Tempest or any of the island beaches.

  She finished her food, put the dishes back on the cart, and set it outside her door. She went to the bar, poured herself a drink, and stepped out onto the terrace. Her mind drifted back to the Atherton twins again. Under different circumstances, she would have been flirting like crazy with them. Hell, the way they looked, she would have loved to, but something about the one she had been talking to had changed her mind. Maybe it was the seriousness in his eyes when he said they weren’t interested in ascending. “I guess you have your reasons,” Lex said out loud. Whatever they were, she hoped she could talk them out of it.

  As she looked out over the water, a wave of homesickness went through her. As often as she went out looking for someone, being gone for an extended amount of time always made her long for home. Tempest was in her blood. She had realized that when she went off to college. She was gone for barely a year before she couldn’t take it anymore and went back home. From that time on, she had devoted herself to training with other guardians and to tracking. That was also something that she loved doing, which drove her brother Jason crazy. She knew the risks every time she left.

  Being a pure-blooded guardian, she knew what would happen if anyone found out who she was, but she didn’t worry. Jason, on the other hand, worried about it enough for both of them. Sighing, she finished her drink and went back inside to dress. Once she was finished, she texted Jasmyn telling her she was ready. The door opening next to her room was her cousin’s answer, and Alexandra headed out her door.

  Jasmyn stood waiting for her.

  “Let’s do this,” Alexandra said.

  Jasmyn nodded, and they headed out.

  ***

  Upstairs in their suite, Ryder stopped his pacing and looked over at Ryden. “Are we going to meet them or not?”

  “I thought we had agreed we were,” Ryden calmly told him. He finished typing, then hit send. “I just sent a message to Arthur. Someone should get it to him,” he said, knowing his old friend despised technology. He looked up. “What’s with the pacing?”

  Ryder looked at his twin. “Don’t tell me you don’t feel it, the pull. It’s been happening more and more lately.”

  “I feel it just as much as you do, just as much as the wolf does,” Ryden told him. He got up, walked to the window, and looked out. “I could also feel how much they don’t like being away from the island.”

  Ryder looked sharply at him. “She’s a guardian?”

  Ryden nodded. “They both are, although I think the other wolf may be a pure-blood.

  “Why in the hell didn’t I pick that up?” Ryder asked.

  “Probably because you were too busy looking at the wolf’s long legs to die for,” Ryden smirked as he turned back and crossed room. He picked up a key card that laid on the side table. “What’s wrong?” Ryden looked at his brother with a frown. “It’s not like you to act like this.” Ryder had been pacing and growling ever since they had come back to their rooms. They were both moody from time to time, but this was the worst he had seen Ryder in a long time.

  Ryder looked out the window. In the distance, he could hear the humans going about their business as if everything was okay.

  “It’s not, you know.”

  Ryder looked back at his brother. “It never is, but this time could be worse, for them. Sometimes it’s just too much to bear. All the killing, destruction, and for what?”

  “Freedom, that’s what. Freedom for them to go about their lives. Not having to worry that the monsters they’ve only read about really exist and will kill them. That makes it all worthwhile. Deep down, you know that,” Ryden said, clasping his brother’s shoulder. “All the wars we’ve fought alongside them have proven that.”

  “Then they were fighting their own species. The humans won’t know how to fight us,” Ryder said.

  “That’s what we’re here for, so they don’t have to.” Ryden heard Ryder sigh. “Come on, it’s close to midnight. We don’t want to keep the little wolves wai
ting. I for one want to find out just how much she’s not telling us,” Ryden said, thinking about the wolf he had been watching. He headed for the door, knowing Ryder was right behind him. Time to get into that pretty little wolf’s head, he said silently as they walked out the door.

  ***

  Making it to the dock, Alexandra and Jasmyn found an area in the shadows. She knew the Athertons would find them, but the darkness would make it hard for any human to see them if they passed by. Leaning against a pole, she waited, wondering if they would show up. As she did, her mind went over any arguments they might have. To some, it wouldn’t make a difference if they ascended or not, but she knew too many vampires. Hell, one was one of her closest friends and sometime lover. She would hate to see anything happen to him, his family, or any other vampire.

  “Do you think they’ll show?” Jasmyn asked, interrupting Alexandra’s thoughts.

  “I think they will, if only to find out if they can get into our heads and see if we’re lying,” Alexandra told her.

  “They’d better not.” Jasmyn growled. “I hate it when the vamps do that.”

  “I know you do, cuz…” Her words trailed off as she turned her head, realizing the Athertons were there. She faced them. “I wondered if you would show up,” she said as she worked on blocking her thoughts from them. “Did you check to see if I was telling you the truth or not?”

  “As a matter of fact, I sent an email to Arthur. I am waiting on a response.” Ryden slowly paced across the sand. “I don’t know how accurate the information you were given is, however, I see in your mind it was truly told to you.”

  Alexandra shook her head. “It figures you read that. You know as well as I do that there hasn’t been a pure-blooded vampire guardian to ascend in a long time. From what I was told, you were supposed to do it hundreds of years ago. I’m sure you have your reasons, but you should think about the ones who are being affected by it. Mileena’s grandfather for one. The other elders and then the rest will go, which includes some of my closest friends, not to mention yourselves, so you both need to get to Tempest to ascend and help your race. This can’t wait anymore. It’s important, not only to your race but to the rest of us guardians.”