Midnight Guardian

by Tamara White

  “Someone turned you?”

  He nods sadly, a tear running down his cheek. “My mother. At seven I was diagnosed with some disease and they told me I would never live past twenty-five. Well, that all came true just before my twenty-first birthday. It was like my body just all of a sudden gave up. My mother and brother talked for days about how to save me, but after countless visits from witches all over, it was obvious my time was up. Later that night after I had gone to sleep, I woke in blinding pain and to find out my mother had done the unthinkable. She turned me, to save me. But because of her position on the council as an enforcer, her actions resulted in her paying the ultimate price.”

  He has a far off look in his eyes and it’s like he’s back in that moment. I reach out, gripping his hand for support as he continues his heartbreaking story.

  “When I woke up, I was locked in a cell and my mother was in the one next to me. My brother was nowhere to be found at first, and I assumed he had no clue the council had locked us up, but then he came. I thought it was to free us, but it wasn’t. He came to feed me, only when I tried to eat the meat given to me, my body refused it. It wasn’t until my mother pleaded for blood, that we realized I wasn’t a wolf like my family, but a bloodsucking vampire with a wild hunger.”

  Whoa, that’s some pretty wild stuff. To go to bed thinking you wouldn’t live through the night, only to be turned into a supe but not a wolf like you thought but a vampire? Yeah, maybe now I understand why they think Tristan has little moments of going off the rails. His life has been fucked up by a choice his family made for him.

  “The next time my brother came to the dungeons, he pulled my mother from the cell. She didn’t fight, just accepted the inevitable as he pushed her to her knees all while the council watched from a distance. I screamed at him, told him to take me instead, but he refused to even glance at me, pretending as if I didn’t exist. My mother smiled at me while my brother stepped back and raised his sword, all while the council watched on behind him. He swung the sword, striking her head clean from her body. Her blood sprayed my face, and in the blink of an eye, her body had crumpled to the ground, her head no longer attached. I was in shock and screamed so loud my voice went hoarse. When he turned to look at me, there was nothing in his eyes. They were empty of everything, and that was the moment I knew he wasn’t my brother anymore.”

  I remain silent, digesting his words, feeling my own anger rise for him. I can’t believe his own brother could kill their mother.

  “What a…” I splutter, trying to find an appropriate insult. “Douche canoe!” I blurt out, completely appalled. Who does that shit? Kills their own mother? Holy shit, no wonder he’s got a lot of anger directed toward his brother. I would too.

  “Fuck, I don’t even know what I could even begin to say to help. There are no words for something so traumatic. I’m just sorry you had to go through that. If you want me to hunt him down, though, just so you can pound on him, I will,” I offer, hoping to improve his mood.

  I’m not joking though. I would definitely do it. I’m sure one of the guys would be willing to give me the deets on his brother so I could make him pay for the shit he’s done.

  He chuckles and lays back on the bed, his body filled with a sense of relief. “No, it’s alright, Iz. Thank you for the suggestion though. I may take you up on that offer in the future, but right now I just want to spend time with you, so let’s put on a movie and just lie in bed. Okay?”

  I frown, looking over to the TV on the opposite corner of the room, wondering how the hell we’re going to be able to see the TV from the bed, but I trust that he has something in mind. Maybe he’s going to move it closer?

  He chortles at my expression as he sits up, leans under the bed, and pulls open a hidden drawer to reveal tons of DVDs stacked inside in alphabetical order. “Which movie?”

  I look down in horror, knowing I suck at making decisions. “Um, something with lots of fighting? I don’t really feel like anything sappy right now,” I tell him, folding my legs under myself as I sit delicately on the edge of the bed.

  I just want to starfish across the massive bed, but with it being my first time in here, I don’t want to cross any lines he may have. Some people are very protective of their property. Not that I think Tristan would mind, but still. It’s been ages since I’ve been in a bed as big as this. At least now I know Jesse, Tristan, and I will fit here comfortably.

  I don’t see what movie Tristan picks out, but he places it in the DVD player at the end of his bed and grabs the remote, lying down. He beckons for me to join him and I do, resting my head on his chest.

  “Look up, Iz,” he says when he presses play on the remote.

  I do, letting out a laugh of surprise. Right above us is a massive flat screen that’s been installed in the ceiling above his bed. It even has its own custom-built case with a glass screen so we can perfectly see what’s playing. It’s so fucking cool and the best way to fall asleep.

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Isobel

  Heat surrounds me and I snuggle into the warm bodies on either side of me, not wanting to get up. I remember waking when Jesse came to bed, only because he insisted on getting me out of my dirty clothes. He stripped me down bare and I snuggled back into Tristan while he crawled in behind me.

  Now it’s time to get up. I want to stay in bed, but Ellen will be here sometime soon, and I doubt she’ll wait patiently for me.

  I extract myself from the tangle of limbs, crawl down to the end of the bed, and climb out. When I’m standing at the other end, I smile at the peace Jesse and Tristan emanate. It’s nights like last night that I’m happy to be with them. There’s no pressure for sex, just the cuddling that makes me feel safe and wanted. My bag is by the door to the bathroom, which Jesse most likely brought down since I forgot to grab it on the way back here. I had stashed it in the woods so I wouldn’t need to carry it while hunting, and both guys saw where I’d hidden it.

  Again, it’s the little things you don’t realize you miss when you’re not in a relationship any longer. Not that I think this is a relationship exactly. Tristan and Jesse may both be my mates, and we have bonded together but life is complicated right now.

  Not to mention, it’s hard for me to believe in the foundations of mates. Drake used to say that’s what we were to each other and it made me feel warm and fuzzy inside, but now? I don’t know what to feel anymore. Do I care about the two men? Yes. Can I give them my all? No.

  As much as it pains me to admit it, I can never give them everything I have. There will always be a part of my heart clinging to Jordan. I still want him in my life, yet I know because of his position with the council I can never have him. And as sad as it may be, there’s a part of me that still feels for Drake. I hate him on a deeper level, but that love we had, it’s been permanently soured by what he’s done.

  And while I care for these two men, I don’t want to open myself up for the same kind of hurt. This means I’ll never be able to fully trust them, and that right there is something they don’t deserve. They deserve more than I could ever give them.

  Sighing softly, I dig through my bag for a spare set of clothes and go into the bathroom to have a quick shower. I don’t linger like I want to, just wash and get my ass out. Once I’m fully dressed, I step back out and notice the guys are still asleep and seem to have cuddled closer without my presence. Something about that warms my heart. I hate when guys seem to think there’s something wrong about being close to another male. I mean, it’s okay for a girl to cuddle another girl in bed, but yet when a male does it, it’s the end of the world. I don’t know how many times through college people got tagged because they slept in another’s bed without sex. Friends should be able to share those simple comforts without fear of being called names and shamed for it.

  I look at the time on my phone and an idea begins to form in my mind. I still have another thirty minutes to an hour before Ellen shows up. Maybe I could make them breakfast as a way to show them
how much I appreciated a night of rest after hunting.

  Mind made up, I grab my bag filled with all the crap I could need on my trip so I don’t forget it and leave Tristan’s room. I head back the way Tristan brought me until I get up into the massive kitchen. I set my bag by the back door and out of the way then look around. It appears as if no one else is up yet, and it leaves me a little tempted to explore the massive house, but I know if it were my home, I wouldn’t want another person snooping, so I just get to work on making some breakfast.

  When I open the fridge, I can’t help the smile that graces my lips. Last night Jesse warned me that Adrian was going super crazy to make sure the house was in perfect condition for me. Apparently, he wanted me to feel at home and ensure I would want to come back. It’s a sweet gesture, and while none of the others are aware, I know they, too, believe I’m their mate. Tristan made sure to blurt that tidbit of information out randomly when we were talking on Wednesday before I left for classes. I thought he was messing with me, but I realized very quickly that he was speaking the truth.

  Adrian was super attentive to me, as was Marcus. Quinn, well, he was just as prickly as ever, but I think that may have been because of the mate situation. He was clearly unhappy with the way things had turned out. Oh well, there’s nothing I can do about it. It’s not like I’m beating down his door, demanding he takes me and takes me now.

  Adrian and Marcus though, well, it’s harder for those two because they are actually nice to me. It’s just that I already have two people I’m trying not to hurt. Keeping Adrian and Marcus at a distance seems like the most logical option and the safest one. It will avoid any further unnecessary drama.

  I set about making the guys breakfast, grabbing a bunch of ingredients from the pantry and the refrigerator to make pancakes and bacon. I thought it would be rude to only make some for Tris and Jes when the others let me stay here too. They could have refused my presence if they really desired to, but they simply let me stay because the guys wanted me to.

  I’ve just started making the pancakes when Adrian and Marcus stumble into the kitchen, drawn by the scents wafting out of the room.

  “Mmm, that smells amazing,” Adrian grumbles, as he takes a seat at the small breakfast nook. His towering form makes the space seem all the more confined. How he’s fitting in there comfortably is beyond me.

  I gesture with my head to the coffee pot. “There’s fresh coffee over there if you need some help waking up,” I tell them, keeping myself focused on my task.

  The last thing I want is to burn the food because I let myself get distracted. Besides, it’s not hard to pour a cup of coffee. They don’t need my help.

  Marcus moves around behind me, grabbing mugs. He pauses and turns to me. “Do you want one?”

  I nod gratefully. “Yes, please. I was going to get to it, but I got hungry and figured I’d make food first,” I explain.

  He grins and grabs a third mug for me. I turn, my eye caught by the sparkly blue mug in his hand. It’s got some little writing on it and what looks to be a crown. “What on earth is on that mug?”

  Adrian chuckles softly before rolling his eyes. “Oh, this is gonna be good.”

  I glance between him and Marcus, waiting for an explanation. Marcus just brings the mug closer so I can read it. “Swag Addict? What does that mean?”

  Marcus sets about making coffee, not looking at me. “Well, I like to read. But there’s this one author I came across who writes and gives her readers what she calls ‘Book Swag.’ It’s basically things that she thought would be cool with her book covers and stuff on them. But she’s so generous that she started including candy from her country, and now people are addicted to not only her books and candy, but all the swag she gives out too. She recently made a readers group, and when I joined, I won this mug as well as a couple of other little tidbits. The guys keep teasing me because I kept it. It’s kind of my favorite now.”

  I listen as he rambles, obviously nervous at my reaction to what he says, but I don’t see the big deal. “So wait, she just sent you this? Like no shipping, no conditions?”

  “Yep. She does it to reward her readers. I mainly enter her giveaways now to win the candy. She lives in Australia, and man, they have some wicked candy. It’s crazy addictive though, and most of it you can’t buy here. I’m tempted to ask her if I can buy a big box of candy and reimburse her because I need some more Tim Tam’s in my life.”

  He sounds so excited by the mere possibility of getting his hands on those that I have to wonder what they are. I flip the pancakes and wait for my coffee, feeling somewhat surprised when Marcus gives me the blue one. He places a small wrapped item next to the mug and winks at me. “Trust me, try this. Your life will never be the same,” he says with a hint of wonder in his tone.

  I slide the pancakes off the pan, pour more mixture in, then take the brown packaged item, opening it slowly, unsure what to expect. “Oh, it’s chocolate.” I was expecting something else, maybe a hard candy type thing from the way he talked about it. I take a bit of the little chocolate bar and instantly moan.

  “Oh my God,” I groan, biscuits crumbs flying from my mouth. Not that I give a damn. This is what heaven tastes like. A chocolate biscuit with a creamy chocolate layer with a nice coat of chocolate on the outside. I swear I could have died and gone to heaven.

  I finish the biscuit-like chocolate in no time and look around for more. There has to be more, right?

  “Ah, sorry, Isobel, that was my last one,” Marcus apologizes, fully understanding where my sudden hunger has come from. “Good though, right?”

  “So freaking good,” I grumble. Why is it there are never enough of the good things in life? I need more of those Tim Tams, stat. I wonder if there’s a place to get them here in the States? If not, I may have to follow the same author he does and try to win myself some more of those delicious treats. I’d share with Marcus, of course, but not too much. I’m definitely going to hoard those chocolates like my life depends on it. Because holy hell, that was sex in a biscuit.

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Quinn

  The scent of food roused me from sleep, and I came down to find a scene I haven’t seen in a very long time—my family all eating together, laughing and joking at the breakfast booth I built. Isobel has dragged a chair over from the dining table and is sitting at the end with a spare seat beside her, most likely for me. The table has plates of pancakes and bacon as well as a fresh pot of coffee.

  As I stand just out of view, a sense of warmth envelops me. The last time I’d seen everyone together like this was before Drake left. Sure, I enforce us all sitting together and eating downstairs in the media room once a week, but it’s different. It feels forced. We have so many issues between the lot of us that when we meet down there, there is always someone who’s annoyed or frustrated they can’t be off doing their own thing. Tristan understands I want us to stay close, but even he resents the forced time together. Isobel has brought my family together again and made it seem whole for the first time in years. Even before Drake left us, things were strained. I’m glad her presence has brought my family together and gives them a lightness they don’t show often.

  I thought Adrian was crazy yesterday for demanding the house be spotless. I thought Tristan and Jesse were stupid for inviting her over, for letting themselves get close to her, but I can see now that it was me who was the idiot. I should have trusted my family. Trusted their instincts.

  Am I willing to dive into a relationship with her? No. I can’t do that. Isobel has way too many secrets for me to feel comfortable even considering letting her that close. But I could be nicer to her. To welcome her into our lives a little more easily. Maybe if I give her the benefit of the doubt, she will eventually open up and I’ll understand just how much of a danger she’ll be to my family. The council obviously fears her, as she does them, but until we understand the why of that fear, it’s best not to get too invested. She could up and leave us at any moment, and if she d
oes so when the council comes calling after her, then more than likely it will be my family left to deal with the fallout.

  “Jes, how are you after last night? No lingering pain or anything?”

  I perk up, Isobel’s words drawing my curiosity. What the fuck happened last night? Why else would she mention pain?

  “No, you saved me before any of them did too much damage. My neck’s still sore, but it’ll heal in a day. Just wasn’t expecting them to sneak up on me like that.”

  Marcus growls, his hands gripping the table. “I still can’t believe Dad sent them after you. You’re fucking lucky Isobel was there. No fucking leaving this house without one of us attached to your hip, Jes. If she hadn’t gotten to you in time, I don’t know what I would do,” he finishes, his voice fading sadly.

  My hands tighten in anger. The twins’ father is not a good fucking guy. If he sent someone after them, they should have told me. They could have doubled back and come after them in the night. I should have been awake and alert in case of such a thing.

  “Well, it would have been worse if not for Iz. You should have seen her. She went all Alpha bitch for me. She only left Tony alive to send a message back to my father that you and me are under the Supreme Alpha’s protection. I’d like to see Dad’s face when Tony takes back that news. He’ll probably shit a brick. He’s always wanted more fucking power. To know we’re in the same proximity as the Supreme Alpha is gonna piss him the hell off. I bet he’s going to call us and apologize his ass off and beg to see us.”