Winter's Guardian

by G. Bailey

  "I was about one, or so I've been told. I don't remember her but everyone told me she had a kind soul." He says.

  "I think somewhere hidden in pain, is a kind soul inside of you too," I comment my inner thoughts on Jaxson.

  Jaxson just stops walking to stare at me before shaking his head. He tugs on my hand, so we keep walking.

  "How long have you been Freddy’s guardian?" I ask.

  "About seven years," he says. Poor Freddy, I can’t imagine what it’s like to lose his mum at such a young age.

  "Can I be rude and ask about his father?" I ask.

  "It's not a nice story lass, I’ll share it with you one day but not today." He says darkly, lost in his own memories.

  "Ok," I say squeezing his hand in comfort. My gaze goes forward to a cliff we are coming up too. It’s hanging over the woods, a few steps ahead of us. The view is amazing over the town in the right, which is lit up with lights and the left is more of woods but the dim-lit summer sky is what really gets your attention. The summer nights here don’t get dark until at least ten, and even then they aren’t that dark.

  "I've never done this with anyone, so you'll have to hold on tight to me." He says. Jaxson walks over to the edge of the cliff and stands on a large flat rock.

  "What are you talking about?" I ask as I walk over to him, I step onto the rock and move close to him.

  "Trust me?" He whispers in my ear, as his arm twists around my waist, pulling me to his hard body.

  "Yes," I whisper as my body melts into his. I don't notice the rock move at first but my eyes widen as the large rock lifts off the ground.

  "Jaxson." I whisper in shock, as we float over the cliff and I nearly scream at the height. I hold onto Jaxson tightly as we float on the rock, down the cliff. My gaze goes to Jaxson, when I finally get brave enough to look up. His eyes are glowing green, making all the features in his face look more like the supernatural wolf I know he is. The smack of the rock hitting the ground shakes me out of my gaze as I wobble on the rock with Jaxson’s arms still wrapped around me. I look away from Jaxson’s glowing eyes to see he has landed us inside a cavern in the cliff. There is a small waterfall in the corner and I can't help myself when I let go of Jaxson and walk over. It pours down the side of the cavern wall; I run my hand in the water watching as it flows around my hand.

  "I found this place when I was about ten, I was a troublesome child, always running off into the woods and testing my new-found powers. My auntie used to bring me here every summer to meet the pack as she trained me to be Alpha." He tells me.

  "You were meant to be Alpha?" I whisper, turning to face Jaxson, who is sitting on the edge of the cavern looking out. I walk over and sit next to him, close enough that our thighs touch.

  "Yes but Fergus is the better alpha. When my sister was killed and I couldn't save her," His voice cracks a little, my heart breaks for the kind man hidden in grief. I lean my shoulder on his. Jaxson arm falls around my waist as he continues to tell me.

  "I was too late lass, he killed her and I wasn't there for her like I should have been. Like an alpha would have been because I was rejecting who I'm meant to be." He says his voice echoed around the cavern.

  "I don't believe that," I whisper.

  "Why?" He asks quietly back.

  "Your kind Jaxson, and the way Freddy looks up to you shows me you’re more designed to look after people than you think. You didn't kill your sister, so it wasn't your fault." I tell him.

  "I should have been there, I wasn't protecting her when I was meant to because I went out to find a vampire I had a tip on." He tells me.

  "Did you find him?" I ask gently.

  "No, it was a distraction. He wanted her alone and he," He stops talking, looking away from me and out at the woods.

  "I'm sorry. Was it a vampire she knew then?" I ask.

  "Yes, and when I find the bastard. I will kill him." He vows the words, some words are filled with the power of a promise and you can’t miss it, as he talks.

  "I know you will." I echo as the stars start showing themselves and the moon hovers in the sky.

  "Thank you for showing me this, it's really something beautiful,” I tell him.

  "Much like you," he says as he turns my face to look at him. Our mouths are a breath away as he sighs, pulling back from me.

  "I want to kiss you lass, more than anything but I won't. You don't deserve that. I can't be more than your friend." He says, looking as frustrated as I feel. I push down the massive pain that crosses my heart and nod at him as I turn away. I don't trust myself to speak.

  “I’m kind of seeing someone too, your right. We should just be friends.” I tell him when I get my voice back and his fists clench, that’s the only response I get. We both sit in silence for a while, just listening to the waterfall, like it could wash away all my feelings for him.

  “You said you had your powers as a child but Fergus said he wouldn’t get them until he was older,” I ask, desperate to get back to being friends.

  “I’m different. The day I was born, I got my powers. The trees sang to all the wolves, putting them into a daze and vines from the ground wrapped around my cot as they howled. The vines covered me, all of my body. When they let go, they say my eyes were glowing green.” He tells me, his voice lost in a memory.

  "Will you ever be alpha?" I ask. I don’t reply to his story because it sounds like he resents his powers. I imagine the pressure of being alpha when you grow up and being a special baby with strong powers is a lot of pressure.

  "No, I gave it up to Fergus and I won't take it, for any reason. I will always support my brother." He says and let’s go of my hand.

  "Is he your alpha?" I ask as he stands and looks down at me.

  "No, I've never knelt to anyone and I never will." He tells me firmly before walking away to the rock.

  With those words haunting my mind, I walk over and wrap my arms around him as his eyes start glowing. I squeeze him in a tight hug before I have to let go and his arms tighten around mine. I swear it's like he doesn’t want me to let go.

  Chapter Ten

  "There you are." A strong male voice shouts out, as I open my eyes into another one of the dreams. Shock fills me when I see it isn't the normal one I have had for years, but it feels just as real. The same girl is here but different, older maybe. She is sat with her hair in a tight bun, filled with braids; it must have taken forever to get her hair just like that. I notice straight away that she is wearing odd clothes, which I don't recognise, they just about cover her. It’s done in layers of purple satin that are wrapped around her body and flow out into a big skirt at the bottom. There’s a beautiful crown, which lies on her head, it is made of little gold flowers and vines. There is a large white oval stone in the middle, and it glitters from the streams of light, through the thin curtains in the room. Am I dreaming about a queen?

  "Leo." she exhales, with her face filling with joy at the male outside the room. I grimace to myself as I look around the room we are in, it's nothing like I ever seen and I’m not sure how I’ve made it up. There is a massive white bed in the middle of the room, on a kind of altar and there are several archways to the outside, with thin white curtains that sway in the breeze. The floor is white marble and there isn't anything else in the room to help me know where I am but all I see is white. My thoughts are distracted as a man pushes though the curtains and my jaw drops when I look at him. He looks just like Jaxson, the same black hair but his eyes are light blue and there is a little difference in his face that shows me it’s not him. His face looks older than Jaxson’s and full of love for the woman in front of him. He is wearing a black toga with a badge in gold in the middle, with some kind of symbol on it that I can't see from where I am.

  "Elissa, are you ok?" He asks the woman. Ah ha, at least I know her name. I’m not sure if that makes me crazier, the fact I’m happy my made up dream women has a name or the fact I have these dreams in the first place. Elissa makes no move to go near him, as she stands in
the middle of the room, facing an empty door.

  "I keep seeing her, the war, all of it." She whispers inside my head, the same way she talked to in the other dreams. The feeling is peaceful and tranquil just like she is.

  Leo face fills with sympathy as he walks over and pulls her into a hug, that she doesn’t resist.

  "What have you learnt?" He says gently, it's clear this man loves her dearly.

  Elissa pushes him away and starts to pace right in front of me, so close I can almost touch her but I can't move as usual.

  "He will find me, find us. The end is near and her future isn't safe. He will hunt her and all them until the prophecy is no more." She mutters as her eyes start to glow a bright blue.

  "She is safe; I have made sure of it." The man states.

  "Our deaths will guard her and her children. I can't change it, I can't save you." She wails, falling to ground.

  The man falls to his knees in front of her pulling her to his chest. The man gently rocks her as she cries.

  "I wouldn't change anything. I love you." He says.

  "And I you." She whispers to him, before she looks up over Leo shoulder, looking directly at me.

  "There will be a time, a time you will understand and it is closer than it has ever been now." She whispers in my mind.

  I gasp waking up with a start, feeling myself covered in sweat head to toe.

  The thoughts of Elissa and Leo run through my mind, as I look at my phone and see its midday. I must have slept a hell of a lot longer than I wanted but thank god it's the weekend.

  How can those dreams be so real, it's like I was there next to them as she cried. My heart goes out to her, like the women in the romantic movies I used to watch. Maybe that's where I'm getting my strong imagination from. These dreams are certainly imaginative.

  I flick though my phone for a minute before seeing a text from Wyatt,

  Wyatt: I will pick you up at 7. Can't wait to see you x

  I lie back in my bed, as I stare at the white ceiling. Why do I feel guilty for going on a date with Wyatt when Jaxson has made it clear nothing can happen between us? My feelings for Wyatt aren’t as strong, but I haven’t really got to know him. I know from his kiss that there could be a good thing between us.

  It's because I want Jaxson just as much as I want Wyatt. I know having dreams about a romance that's clearly not allowed is my mind trying to tell me something. That's why I need to give Wyatt a chance. He is a nice guy, a little intimating and scary the first time we met, but there is something about him.

  I text Wyatt back saying okay and take a shower.

  When I come out my room with my sweats on and a tank top, I find a note on the fridge from Alex, saying she is staying at Drakes for the weekend.

  Lucky girl, I smile to myself at the thought of how happy she is. She never let anyone close, other than me and my mom growing up, so every boy had no chance. Until this one.

  I spend the rest of the day painting my toes and nails red, and then watching silly movies. By the time seven comes around and there's a knock at the door, I've gotten myself into black skater dress with black high heels. Grabbing my purse and keys, I open the door to Wyatt and seeing him leaning against the door frame, looking way to attractive for his own good. His blonde hair has been styled lightly, making it look more soft than usual. I take my time to look at him, wearing stylish black trousers and a button down dark blue shirt. His dark brown eyes regard me with humour as he knows I'm checking him out as I meet them eventually.

  "You look beautiful, as always sweetheart." He comments, checking out my outfit before stepping into my personal space.

  "I like your hair like this, it suits you." He says as he runs his hand though my straight hair. The top part is put up in two plaits that join in the middle and the rest falls nicely over my shoulders.

  "Thanks." I say, feeling my throat going dry at the enticing smell of him now he is so close.

  "Shall we?" He asks holding out a hand, which I accept with a shy nod. I lock the door, while he waits and then he leads me to his car. Once I'm seated in, he starts to drive and he says,

  "It's a bit of a drive but the place is worth it."

  "I don't mind." I reply looking out at the woods. My thoughts flicker to Jaxson holding me in that cave with his glowing eyes and the need for him to kiss me so bad, it hurts thinking of the reasons that he didn't. My gaze goes to the extremely attractive and nice guy I'm on a date with and guilt fills me. Is it wrong that I want them both, two people who don’t know each other and most likely would hate each other. Jaxson hates humans; I doubt he would be okay with me kissing one. The bad problem is that I couldn’t give either one of them up.

  "Are you okay?" Wyatt asks, like he can actually feel my guilt.

  "Yeah. So what have been up to this week?" I ask to change the subject. Wyatt frowns at me before letting it go and answering,

  "I've been working with my father and Drake has been helping. There is some new information that's come to light and we are planning a take-over." He tells me, his jaw is clicking as he talks and I get the impression it’s not what he wants.

  "A take over? Like acquiring a new Business to help yours or something?" I ask.

  "No, we will take it apart so it can’t hurt anyone else. The group is bad and they are going to do something terrible. I might get in trouble for stopping them but it’s the right thing to do." He says, I get the feeling he didn’t mean to tell me that when he looks at me. I’ve always got the feeling Wyatt isn’t telling me something, and I’m not sure how to ask him about it.

  "Why?" I ask.

  "It's not us being evil, Winter. They would do the same to us without a second thought and it’s better to take out the threat before they become a bigger one." He says without a hint of emotion, one of his pale hands reaches over and takes mine. I let him hold my hand for a while, neither of us saying a word.

  "Doesn't make it right." I say finally, as he looks at me oddly.

  "Your right, it doesn't but we don’t all have a choice. Sometimes a wrong can make a right." He smiles with a sadness, which I don't understand.

  I yawn, feeling how tired I am from last night, when I have nightmares; I don't get sleep and usually feel more tired than usual. They started when I was ten and I used to wake up screaming. My mom took me to the doctors after I started getting one every month but they didn’t help. I eventually learnt that they aren’t that scary, they just feel very real. I told my mom I didn’t get them anymore, when I couldn’t stand her looking at me in worry all the time. Alex knows and usually would help me, but the dreams aren’t all always the same. Sometimes I dream of fire covered demons and beautiful people who glow different colours, but some of them are so evil that they scare me into not sleeping for days. Thankfully I only seem to get those dreams once a year now.

  "You look tired, a rough night?" He asks, watching me front the corner of his eye as he drives.

  "No just bad dreams keeping me awake." I tell him honestly.

  "What are they about?" He asks gently.

  "Of the usual, strange people I don't know arguing and wearing odd clothes. It was a nightmare but it didn't feel good. It doesn't matter." I mumble looking away, I can’t tell him how I think it’s my subconscious trying to tell me I have feelings for someone who is just a friend.

  "Maybe you need a hot blonde man in your bed to protect you from bad dreams." He says seriously, I giggle when I see the small twitch in his lips.

  "You need to work on your chat up lines buddy." I grin. This makes us both start laughing.

  "I don't usually need them but that was bad." He chuckles as he takes my hand and brings it to his mouth. Wyatt places a gentle kiss on the back of it before letting go to change the gear.

  "We're here." He says and I can see how excited he is from his eyes. I get out his car to see we are parked outside a very small restaurant. It looks like a cottage in the middle of nowhere with a few lanterns on the windows. I look over the car at Wyatt in c
onfusion.

  "You should never judge a book by its cover, hasn't anyone ever told you that?" He chuckles when I don't reply and he comes over, taking my hand. Wyatt leads me to the entrance when a man opens the door nodding to Wyatt as he leads me in. The room is practically empty, except from a staircase lit up by fairy lights on the big banisters. The staircase leads down into the ground but I can’t see where it goes. There were a few cars parked outside, so there people must be down here.

  "After you sweetheart," Wyatt whispers in my ear, as he pushes my hair over my shoulder. I smile walking down the staircase and I could swear my jaw drops open.

  There is a massive room under the small restaurant, with tables filling the middle. The ceiling has hundreds of different lights filling it and the walls are filled with bottles of wine on a display. Wyatt gently nudges me down the staircase with his hand and the man at the end dressed all in black smiles at us. The staircase looks like it’s been carved out of one piece of wood and little twirls are craved into it. It makes me wonder how the hell they got the staircase into here. It must have been a hell of a job.

  "Mr Allerton and your lovely guest are very welcome here tonight. It’s been such a long time since I have seen you. The usual table?" He asks with a small bow. The man is dressed all in black; a small red crown is stitched into his pocket on his chest.

  "Yes please Albert." Wyatt answers. I scowl a little inside, as we are lead to a nice table in the corner, thinking about how many girls he has brought here. A wave of jealously hits me as I imagine Wyatt with anyone else but I push it away as Wyatt looks through the drinks menu. I can’t be jealous of people who come before me but for some reason I know I am. The way Wyatt looks at me, suggests that he isn’t seeing anyone else, so I should relax.

  "I will have my usual red wine and what would you like?" He asks me and I ask for a glass of any white wine.