Reluctant Guardian

by Elisha Bugg

  “That’s what I can’t work out. They must be using scare tactics or showing humans proof of our existence. That's why I need you."

  "Why not tell me this sooner? If I'd have known at the party, I could have-”

  "It wasn't safe to talk there."

  "Then why ask me to meet you there in the first place?" Thane growled, scrunching the paper in his fist.

  He knew there had to be a reason why Edwin planned to meet him there. Nothing Edwin did happened by chance. But why a hunter's party of all places? He didn’t understand.

  "I knew that Anya would be attending and I wanted to keep an eye on her, make sure she wasn’t sucked into a trap."

  How could this girl be of importance to him? What reason could there be to care whether one human girl joined the hunters when they were recruiting dozens more?

  "I swore to protect her and I will. That is all you need to know right now."

  Thane pushed out of his chair, causing it to crash against the floor.

  "Remember, Edwin. You were the one who asked for my help," he snarled, heading for the exit. "Keeping information from me isn't the way to win my loyalty."

  Thane stormed from the house.

  He'd hoped that talking with Edwin would take his mind away from the girl and that he'd have the answers he was looking for, but all he felt now was a combination of rage and curiosity.

  There had to be more to this girl; a reason Edwin was determined to protect her.

  One way or another, Thane swore he'd find out.

  ……….

  Anya couldn’t sit still. Her body ached for a release she didn’t understand.

  Everything around her seemed new and different, as though seeing it for the first time.

  She was used to meeting large and intimidating men from her time around Edwin, meeting his friends and colleagues, but every instinct inside warned her that the stranger she'd bumped into was different.

  She found herself texting Edwin, asking him to pop round before she'd been aware her phone was in her hand.

  “No taking it back now,” she grumbled, flinging her phone onto the sofa, heading to the kitchen to pour herself some hot chocolate. She needed something to help calm her nerves.

  A loud knock hammered on her front door, making her jump out of her skin, spilling chocolate powder all over the floor. She sighed loudly, placing the jar on the worktop and headed for the door.

  “That was fast,” she called, pulling open the door, expecting to come face to face with Edwin.

  The man in front of her was nothing like him.

  Edwin was a kind and gentle man, who had always treated her like family. He always smiled and helped those in need. She loved him like the father he'd been to her.

  This man certainly didn’t look friendly.

  Her heart raced as she watched him, clenching tightly on the chain around her neck when he moved forward, stepping into the light that poured from her open door.

  His long, thin, and angular face curved into a cruel and menacing smile, drawing her attention to a deep, pale scar that cut across his features.

  His left eye appeared white, as though sightless, yet it followed her as she took a step back, her hands trembling.

  “Good evening, Miss Shaw. My name is Richard Grosvenor, Hugh’s father,” he smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. His tone sounding dead like the eye he watched her with. “When he told me what happened, I had to come and check you were alright.”

  “I-I’m fine,” she stammered as her muscles tensed and her body shook uncontrollably. “Thank you for asking. But you didn't need-”

  “I make it my business when somebody faints at one of my parties,” he interrupted, taking another step toward her, the smile on his face disappearing when she clutched at the door handle. “Who was it that brought you home?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “Come now, dear, I’d like to thank the man properly,” he replied, tapping his foot on the floor. She thought she saw his hands clench briefly, but the movement was so quick, she wasn’t sure whether she'd imagined it.

  “H-he never told me his name.”

  “Oh,” he paused, looking behind him as though he heard a noise.

  When he turned back to her, his good eye had faded to a lighter shade of brown, almost resembling the other.

  "Hugh seemed quite taken with you. Be sure to let him know when you're feeling better."

  Anya nodded, hoping that if she agreed, he would leave.

  He didn't need to know that she had no intention of seeing Hugh again.

  "Such a pretty girl," he whispered, raising his hand to her face and stroking a long, slender finger down her cheek. He cupped her chin and tilted her face to the light. "Shame about those eyes."

  She could hear the pounding of her heart in her ears as she cringed and tried to pull away from his bony fingers.

  Finally he released her, his lips curving into that same hollow and menacing smile as before.

  "I'll see you again, my dear," he called over his shoulder as he walked away, the click of his boots tapping on the floor echoing inside her head.

  Anya loosened her grip around her necklace and released a long, slow breath to ease the tension in her shoulders.

  Never had she met someone who terrified her like that.

  She just prayed she would never have to see him again; knowing instinctively that she wouldn't be so lucky.

  Chapter Four

  Anya awoke to the morning sun filling her small room.

  She sat up and flung her legs over the side of the bed, her head still pounding and her limbs heavy, yet she felt restless and fidgety.

  She looked around the room, searching each corner and dark space. Her stomach fluttered and her heart raced, but nothing jumped out at her.

  She was used to nightmares; she’d had them for as long as she could remember, but something about last night’s dream had felt so real.

  Shaking her head, she looked up at her reflection in the tall mirror hung on the back of her door and cringed.

  “What a mess,” she grumbled.

  She looked like the undead. Her eyes sunk into her skull, surrounded by large, black circles. Tangled and unruly curls framed her face and stuck to her lips.

  Teasing a comb through her knotted hair, she tried to tame it into a ponytail, deciding it would be a good idea to go for a run before soaking in a nice warm bath. There had to be a way of burning up all of this unexpected energy and she did love to run in the morning, before all the hustle and bustle of town.

  Anya stepped outside and shivered as the early morning chill bit at her skin.

  The sun low in the sky, painting the horizon yellow as day began to break. The smell of dew and rain combined in the air, mixing with the fog that still clung to the tops of the trees making her breath mist in front of her.

  She forgot how cold spring mornings could be. Tugging her jacket tighter, she rubbed her hands up and down her arms and began to run.

  Anya paused, placing her hands on her knees and inhaled deeply to catch her breath. It hadn't taken her long to reach the other side of town and now she finally felt more like herself.

  She hadn't been running for months. Edwin used to take her all the time when she was growing up. He seemed to enjoy it more than she did, always turning it into a game and challenging her, pushing her to the limit. She missed the exhilaration, the adrenaline and the content feeling welling up inside of her like it was now. Maybe if she asked him, he would run with her and give her the motivation she needed to start it up again.

  Standing up straight, an uneasy feeling crept up her spine, causing the hairs on her arms and neck to stand on end.

  Someone, or something was watching her. Their eyes burning a hole in her back.

  Turning around, she glanced up and down the streets.

  Nobody was there lurking in the alleyways and nobody was making their way to work or out shopping. But she couldn’t shake the feeling of eyes on her.

>   She took a long gulp of water from the bottle concealed in her trousers pocket and decided to head home. Quickly.

  That feeling grew stronger still, as though whatever was watching her drew closer.

  She began to jog, hoping it was all her imagination, despite the urge to run, to hide.

  She pushed herself harder, making her muscles scream and her lungs burn, all the while hoping that she wouldn’t come face to face with whatever danger was following her.

  She’d almost made it home when a loud noise sounded behind her.

  Frozen to the spot, her heart raced and her already sweaty body trembled.

  Slowly, she glanced over her shoulder. A small tabby cat burst from the alley, causing a loud crash that made her jump out of her skin.

  "Stupid cat," she sighed, blowing out short breaths to steady her rapidly beating heart as she played with her necklace between her fingers.

  Suddenly a firm hand came down on her shoulder from behind. She jumped even higher, barely holding onto the scream trapped in her throat.

  “Are you alright, my dear?”

  Anya didn’t hesitate at the sound of that familiar voice, turning and wrapping her arms around his neck. Finally she released the breath she'd been holding, letting her head fall against Edwin's chest as he held her tight.

  “Sorry I scared you, child. Is everything alright?”

  “It’s ok, Edwin. I thought somebody was following me.

  “I'm sure it was just my imagination,” she replied in a shaky voice, continuing to hold onto him, soaking up his warmth and familiar touch, when she noticed he wasn’t alone.

  Behind him stood the very man she had hoped not to see, staring back at her with those mesmerizing azure eyes. He was even more handsome in the light.

  She remembered her reflection in the mirror and cringed.

  Why did he have to see her like this? As if she hadn’t made a big enough fool of herself already.

  “Do you still feel it?” Edwin asked, placing her feet back on the floor and searching the space behind her.

  “What?”

  “You said it felt as though somebody was following you.”

  “Oh. No. I don’t think so.”

  No, all she could feel now was this stranger's eyes roaming over her body, fighting away the chill of the breeze. That urgent nagging inside still told her to run, but she no longer feared it was because of somebody watching her. The person she should now be running from stood just behind Edwin.

  “You seem a little jumpy. Are you sure you’re alright?”

  “I’m fine. Thank you. I just need to relax and clean up.”

  Soaking in a hot tub had never sounded so appealing. She thought the run would calm her shaken nerves, but instead this strange feeling made her stress levels rocket.

  It was like her peculiar dream all over again.

  The feeling of being watched washed over her in a wave, startling her awake.

  She looked around her dimly lit room, but she couldn’t see any eyes staring back at her. Relieved, she lay her head back on her pillow and rolled to her side, curling her knees up to her chest and hugging them tight for comfort.

  The feeling grew stronger, forcing her out of bed to glance out of her windows. She unlocked the glass doors and took a peek outside.

  The crisp breeze blew across her face, forcing the air from her lungs.

  Blowing onto her hands, trying to warm her frozen body, she leant out further, peering down at the ground below.

  Her heart calmed when nothing jumped out at her.

  She searched the vast land behind the house, looking for anything that seemed out of place.

  Nothing hid in the large park. Only flickers of metal shining in the moonlight that broke through the heavy clouds.

  Beyond that, a dense wood spanning as far as the eye could see. Only, in the shade of those trees, she spotted two glowing orbs staring back at her, drawing her in.

  There was something eerily familiar about those eyes, as though she had seen them a thousand times before.

  She studied them, watching as they drew closer and closer, until he came into view. A wolf. Huge and black. Watching her every move as he paced back and forth in front of the trees. The urge to go to him was strong, willing her to surrender to the beast, but her feet remained frozen to the spot, fear overpowering her other senses.

  She watched him as he moved closer, his pelt shimmering in the broken moonlight.

  He looked beautiful; his coat almost strokable.

  A low rumble escaped his throat as he stopped below her, the sound causing her skin to erupt into goosebumps.

  He sat staring up at her, those big swirling blue depths beckoning her forwards, to touch, to pet and learn. His eyes seemed to glow brighter, lighting up the night sky as bright as the moon above them.

  She leaned over the edge further, rocking on the windowsill, all fears of falling or being in danger forgotten.

  He growled again, much deeper and louder, peeling his lips back over his fangs in a nasty snarl. Was he warning her to stay where she was?

  Suddenly a noise sounded behind her, that same uneasiness that had woken her coursing through her body.

  The wolf hadn’t been the danger. Something else was here.

  Her door swung open and crashed into the wall making her jump back and turn around trembling.

  Nothing but a strong breeze greeted her.

  When she peered back to the wolf below, he was on all fours, his hackles raised and his teeth bared in a vicious snarl.

  As she stared down at him, he seemed to calm, cocking his to the side as he looked her in the eye.

  She turned to check over her shoulder, the door still swinging on its hinges in the gentle breeze she could feel blowing against her back, but nothing came rushing through like she feared.

  When she turned back to the wolf a second time, he was gone.

  She scanned the treeline and saw him running, darting between the trees until he disappeared from sight. So fast and agile, graceful like a cat. His body sleek and full of lean muscle beneath all that fur.

  “Anya,” a faint voice called. “Anya!”

  “Sorry,” she muttered, blushing a bright pink when she noticed Edwin, and the man she still didn’t know the name of staring at her.

  “I have some business to attend to right now, my dear. I’ll come by later if you still want me to. It will give you a chance to freshen up.”

  She looked down at herself horrified to once again be reminded that she looked a mess. Why was it that she kept making a fool of herself in front of this stranger?

  She dared a glance over Edwin’s shoulder, but the man was no longer there. Shrugging, she turned back to Edwin.

  He raised an eyebrow at her and smiled a knowing smile.

  Next time she saw him, she swore she would look good.

  There was no way she was going to make an idiot of herself or appear weak and helpless to him; not again. She would be dressed to kill.

  He may not respond to her much, may seem uncaring and rude, but she could see the desire in his eyes when he looked at her and she had every intention of making him want her as much as she wanted him. Maybe then he might kiss her again and this ridiculous infatuation with him might vanish.

  How could it be that she was attracted to someone who intimidated her? Someone who didn’t even seem to like her?

  Suddenly she felt breathing on her neck as somebody came to a stop behind her. She spun around fast, almost losing her balance.

  He caught her, correcting her on her feet before letting go quickly as though she'd burnt him.

  His eyes flashed a dark blue making her breath hitch as she inched away from him.

  His eyes grew darker as he watched her retreat, until eventually he smiled. Only it wasn’t pleasant. He seemed pleased that he’d scared her, which only frightened her more; annoyed her even.

  She got a hold of herself and took a step back toward him, causing him to raise a brow.
r />   “It’s rude to sneak up on people, especially when it’s obvious they’ve had a bad morning.”

  "Your night wasn't going so smoothly either. You seem plagued by bad luck."

  Instead of turning back around embarrassed and ashamed by her misfortune like she normally would, something inside of her snapped. She took several more steps forward, coming to a stop close enough that she had to crane her neck up to look into his face. His eyes dimmed back to their usual ocean blue.

  This time, she smiled.

  He wasn't expecting her to stand up for herself, or to overcome her fear of him. He obviously didn't know her.

  "Firstly, none of this started until I bumped into you; which by the way, was your fault," she insisted, getting closer and poking his solid chest with her index finger. "And then you act rude."

  His eyes flashed an icy blue as he leaned in close to her face, smiling when she flinched.

  "You do have a backbone. Good. I like that."

  Chapter Five

  Thane couldn't understand why Edwin chose a pub for their meeting, not until the rich scent of her drifted to his nose. The sweetest honeysuckle filling his nostrils, making him close his eyes in ecstasy. It was like someone had taken a hold of his heart and squeezed it tight.

  He tried not to watch her when she entered, but he couldn’t avert his eyes as she walked across the room.

  She looked even more beautiful than he remembered.

  Those low hung, tight black jeans hugged her heart shaped rear, drawing his attention with its gentle sway. Her baggy top dipped low at the back flashing him a huge portion of her creamy skin making his mouth water and his hands itch to touch. Then she turned and he could see her profile. Her top stretched across her generous bust, flowing down into a point between her thighs.

  He heard a rumble coming from his own chest as he watched her, his jeans becoming unbearably tight when she smiled at the group she joined.

  How was it possible that he could find a human so stunning?

  For weeks he'd been watching her, hoping to find out more about her, figuring Edwin would let something slip eventually.

  Nothing.

  All he knew was her name and the disturbing fact that he couldn't get enough of her. Her scent enticed him, her beauty fascinated him. Heck, she'd even stood up to him. A bold and risky move for anyone, but with her, he smiled, full of admiration and desire.