Reluctant Guardian

by Elisha Bugg

  "Why are you helping her? She did this to me. I can't change back."

  Thane responded in a language she didn't understand, his eyes changing from their usual blue to a frightening navy. He looked furious, stepping down off the porch toward the cat with her still cradled against him.

  She clutched onto him, heart racing as they stepped closer to one another, fearful the jaguar would attack her once more. Thane squeezed her tighter, possessively in front of the jaguar before crouching down, taking her with him.

  Anya closed her eyes and held on tight, expecting the worst, but all she felt was the warm breath of the cat in front of them blowing over her skin. When she opened her eyes, she saw the jaguar's head bowed in submission.

  What could Thane have said to him to make him cower?

  Slowly the jaguar turned, exposing his side and the arrow embedded deep in his leg, causing him to limp.

  "We need to get that out," Thane said, this time in English so she could understand, sucking a breath through his teeth as he cringed.

  "Wait," Anya interrupted as Thane placed her on the ground and went to grab the arrow. The jaguar snapped his head around, roaring in her face once more.

  Thane growled louder, shoving the jaguar back a step, going nose to nose against him, speaking yet again in that foreign language. Amazingly, the jaguar backed away, pacing side to side as he waited for her to speak.

  "You can't just pull it out," she explained, remembering some of the things Edwin had taught her over the years, only now did they begin to make sense. "You'll leave the arrowhead embedded in his leg. They're designed for easy penetration, but impossible to pull out that way."

  "What do you suggest I do? I can't leave it there."

  "I know how to get it out, but you'll have to help me," she paused, turning to the jaguar, “and he'll have to promise not to try and eat me again. It wasn't my fault he got shot."

  "It was," he cried, rushing toward her.

  "How was it my fault?" she snapped, soon realising what she had done.

  She shouldn't have shown them she could understand them. She didn't trust this jaguar and she wasn't sure what Thane would make of it.

  The jaguar looked to her, stunned, turning back to Thane with a confused expression. When Thane smirked, she felt her heart leap.

  He really was handsome when he smiled, even among all this chaos

  How did Thane know she could understand? She'd only found out herself when Lucas had spoken to her; the wolf confirming she wasn't imagining it.

  Before she had a chance to figure things out, Thane was standing, taking her with him, heading back toward his front door.

  "Follow me, Ty. We'll get that arrow out, then you can explain what happened and why you were following her."

  The jaguar huffed, following Thane into the house, limping on his back leg.

  "Thane. Are..?"

  "Not now, Anya," he interrupted, turning to her with still glowing eyes. "You can ask me questions later. First we need to get that arrow out from Tynan's leg before it does any more damage. No doubt that thing is tipped with silver which will poison him if left too long."

  Anya nodded, hoping that this Tynan would keep his word and not attack her once she'd helped him.

  She didn't understand why he blamed her for what had happened, or why he was following her, but this man seemed to know Thane. He must have had a reason, and she wanted to find out what.

  All questions pushed aside, Anya sat on the living room floor, stretching her injured ankle to the side of her.

  "Ty, lay in front of her. "

  The jaguar glared at Thane and roared, displeased with his suggestion.

  "I'm happy to leave the arrow in your leg if you'd prefer, after all you did attack me," she bit back, finally losing her patience with him. She didn't mean to snap, knowing this must be difficult for him if he believed it was her fault, but she couldn't reassure him any other way than proving she was only trying to help.

  He huffed, sprawling out in front of her, stretching and moving much like a real jaguar. If it wasn't for the size difference, the glowing eyes and the fact she could hear him speak, she never would have guessed he was part human.

  Before Lucas, she never realised these beautiful creatures existed. Now she had met three.

  She couldn’t believe how stunning they were, how animalistic they acted, even if they were a little frightening.

  "This might hurt a little," she said, placing her hand on his leg, praying that he could take the pain without the drugs usually used for this kind of procedure.

  His fur felt smooth and warm against her skin, causing her hand to tingle with electricity, much like when she had touched Thane for the first time.

  Taking the small blade Thane offered her, Anya cut small incisions either side of the arrowhead, hoping it would help ease it loose as she asked Thane to help tug it out.

  The arrow was embedded deep, no doubt injuring important tissue, but if Hugh and Richard were correct about shifters healing fast, he would recover quickly, but could she trust the word of a hunter? Richard had only said that to justify what he was about to do. It was likely that he was lying to her.

  She shook away the thoughts distracting her from the task, and began to clean the wound with the supplies Thane had found her in the first aid kit under his sink. It wasn't the best she'd seen, only consisting of the basics, but it was better than nothing.

  She flushed the wound with clean water and swiped an antiseptic wipe around the opening, hoping it would be enough to keep it from becoming infected.

  To her surprise, the wound had already began to heal. The skin slowly knitting itself together on the edges of the incisions. Perhaps Richard hadn't lied after all.

  To help him heal faster and to minimize the chance of a scar, Anya stitched the gaping hole closed using some light brown thread, hoping it would blend with his skin that Thane assured her was dark.

  When she'd finished, Thane grabbed her arm and gently pulled her to her feet.

  "Go clean up. I'll finish here."

  Anya assumed that the jaguar had passed out from the procedure due to his lack of movement and response, but then she heard Thane telling him to shift, insisting he would heal faster.

  Edwin had to know about the shifters. He knew Thane after all, and there was no longer any doubt he was one of them.

  Her chest ached.

  How could Edwin have kept something like this a secret?

  Footsteps in the hallway broke her free of her thoughts, bringing her crashing back to reality. What if the jaguar was already awake and come to finish what he'd started?

  Her heart raced as she spun to watch the door, ready to flee if he came near her.

  To her relief, it was Thane who entered the room carrying the arrowhead. The sight of the blood still dripping making her stomach queasy.

  In the heat of the moment all had been well, but now everything was calm, the sight and smell of the blood surrounding her turned her stomach.

  She needed to get away from it all.

  Chapter Twelve

  Thane could feel Anya's eyes on him as he passed by in the kitchen.

  He turned to look at her, sensing her discomfort. Her hands visibly shaking, her face pale and clammy.

  He placed the arrow out of sight, hoping it would settle her if she could no longer see the blood, and took a step toward her. She flinched staring up into his face, not backing down when he returned her gaze.

  He studied her in amazement for a few moments, shocked by how well she was coping with everything.

  There weren't many things that could prepare someone for an attack from a raging jaguar, but here she was standing still and silent whilst that jaguar remained in the other room.

  She was either incredibly brave, or extremely foolish.

  "Are you alright?" Thane asked, taking another step toward her.

  He got his answer when she moved toward the table, still limping and grimacing.

  "Sit,"
he commanded.

  When she looked at him puzzled, he pointed to her ankle.

  She glanced down and nodded, taking a seat on the chair just behind her.

  Thane crouched down in front and slowly lifted her ankle onto his lap, careful not to grip it too tight as he pushed up her jeans, taking a closer look.

  "It's bruised quite badly. You'll have to stay off it for a while."

  "Easier said than done, especially when people have habits of following me lately," she replied in a snarky tone.

  "Sorry about that," Ty called as he joined them in the kitchen, still fastening the jeans Thane had thrown at him earlier.

  Anya flinched again at the sound of his voice, pulling on her leg and causing herself more pain.

  "Shh. Keep still. He won't hurt you," Thane said, rubbing his palm up and down her calf in an attempt to calm her.

  "Pass me an ice pack from the freezer, Ty."

  "Seriously? I'm injured too you know."

  "It's your fault she is, so do as you're told," Thane bit back through clenched teeth.

  "It's her fault I was shot in the first place," Ty snapped back, rushing toward them.

  Thane quickly placed her foot on the floor, gentle not to knock it as he darted to his feet, standing between them once more.

  "Back off or that wound will be the least of your worries," he growled, flashing his elongated canines.

  If Anya hadn't guessed who he was already, she would surely know now.

  "Why are you defending her when she's a hunter?"

  "I'm not a hunter," Anya cried, climbing out of her seat, scrambling to hide behind Thane, her small, delicate hands resting on his waist, causing him to shudder.

  "Then why were there hunters with you? Hunters that shot me I might add."

  Was it the hunters that kept following her? Surely not.

  That thing he had felt watching them wasn't human. That he was certain of.

  Tynan had to be wrong.

  Thane looked over his shoulder. Her hands still trembling, her knuckles blanching white as she tightened her grip on his shirt.

  "I don't understand," she whispered, shaking her head. "Why would the hunters be following me?"

  "So, you're not denying you know who the hunters are? Bit suspicious if you ask me," Tynan replied, crossing his arms over his chest, taking another step toward Anya.

  "I told you to back off," Thane growled, shoving him back forcefully.

  He would not stand there and let anybody threaten her.

  This girl meant something to him. Seeing Tynan lunge for her had provoked feelings in him that he could no longer deny.

  "They asked me to join them, but I refused calling the police instead, but they wouldn’t do a thing.”

  “Of course not. The hunters are the police in most towns, or they’re paid off.”

  Well that explained a few things. No wonder when she’d told them about Lucas in the cell they’d not batted an eyelid.

  Why hadn’t she guessed before after seeing all the luxurious furniture in their office.

  What a fool.

  “I can’t believe I thought they’d help me free him.”

  "Him? What are you talking about?" Thane asked never taking his eyes off of Tynan, keeping him at a distance.

  Was the boy, Hugh, a hunter? Could that be what she had meant when she said she'd found out his true colours earlier today? It would explain her reaction. It could also explain why she was running alone so late at night when he'd found and watched her.

  He had wanted to ask questions then, but he didn't think she'd be able to understand him. Only now did he know differently. Everything was pointing to one outcome. She wasn't entirely human. But how could that be? She certainly smelt human, even if her scent had somehow become stronger, more potent to him.

  "Lucas,” she muttered, snapping Thane from his thoughts with a name he thought he'd never hear again. “They took me to him and forced him to change. They wanted to scare me, brainwash me into joining them."

  How was it possible she had seen him?

  "Lucas?" Tynan asked when Thane's voice abandoned him. "You're sure?"

  "That's what they called him."

  All these years Thane had insisted Lucas wasn't dead. Now Anya was telling them she had been shown a man in a cell who called himself Lucas. A large wolf with dazzling green eyes; as she put it.

  He continued to watch her, looking into her eyes, eyes that now he thought about it were just the same as Lucas's.

  That couldn’t be possible.

  Thane sent Anya upstairs to shower and change from her blood soaked clothes. She put up a fight, refusing to leave his side, not that he blamed her. She had to be afraid of Tynan. The way she hid herself behind him and held on for protection. Yet she refused to run like most would have. Not that it would help her. Tynan would have no issue catching up with her, especially with her injury.

  Even now he was still fuming, making Thane regret his decision to leave her by herself, but he could tell the sight and smell of all the blood was getting to her. She needed to relax, and he didn't want her around whilst he cleaned up.

  Thane placed some clothes on his bed, hoping they would fit her small frame, and returned downstairs to talk with Tynan.

  He still couldn't believe that after all these years they might have finally found him.

  When Lucas had first gone missing, Thane had refused to believe he was dead. He'd continued searching for him for years, never giving up. The only reason he wasn't actively searching these past few months was because he'd promised to help Edwin. He'd also made a promise to himself to find out more about her. A girl who played havoc with his emotions and left him confused and hungry.

  "I can't believe she found Lucas. We thought he was dead," Tynan said as soon as Thane re-entered the kitchen.

  "Why would the hunters keep him alive so long? Richard hates him."

  "Richard was jealous of him and claimed he stole Amelia away. He must want vengeance of some kind."

  "Surely killing him would have been easier."

  "But then he would never find her again."

  Not long before Lucas had gone missing, they had discovered that the hunters were onto them.

  Amelia was sent away with their newborn child to hide whilst Lucas remained, drawing the hunter's attention.

  Thane had been with Lucas when they fought a group of hunters in the woods before they got separated.

  Even now he could still hear the gunshots in the distance.

  He'd sprinted toward it, hoping they'd missed. But when he got there, he couldn't see a thing. The clearing empty. Footprints in the dirt and an empty shotgun shell the only signs of anyone ever being there.

  For years they'd searched, ransacking hunters’ homes and headquarters in search of him, but never found him. All they ever found were corpses of prisoners left to rot.

  How had Edwin not known he was under his nose this whole time?

  Thane growled and scratched his nape as he stared up at the ceiling.

  Ever since he'd met Anya, he knew there was something more to her. She could hear them speaking when they were transformed. Her eyes had glowed that night in the pub, bright enough to stun him. Perhaps the change in her scent was just him picking up on these changes. Or perhaps she wasn't human liked he'd first believed.

  Thane closed his eyes and leant back against the cool kitchen wall, trying to make sense of everything.

  How was it possible for her to hide what she is, unless she doesn't know herself?

  Then there was Edwin. He'd not said a thing when Thane told him about her hearing him speak. He'd even seen her eyes glow, yet nothing. The only emotion he displayed was concern.

  What was the old man hiding?

  "What if it's all a trap and the hunters are using her as bait?" Tynan asked, interrupting Thane's thoughts as he scoffed down a sandwich he'd helped himself to.

  Thane contemplated that for a second. She certainly was tempting, but he just could
n't see her being a pawn to the hunters. Anya was too kind and compassionate, her gentle nature reminding him of the little sister he'd lost all those years ago.

  For months Thane had been trying to convince himself she was untrustworthy and a danger to them, but he knew it was all a lie.

  If anyone was in danger, it was Anya.

  The hunters were clearly interested in her, and an unknown creature was following her around.

  "She's not one of them," Thane finally replied, following his instincts.

  "How do you know?"

  "She's just not."

  "Your judgement with humans isn't exactly known for its accuracy, Thane."

  Thane moved across the room in a blur, pinning Tynan to the wall by his throat, his feet dangling a foot above the floor. He struggled to pry Thane's hands away, kicking and flailing as Thane lost control of his temper.

  "I'm. Sorry," Tynan gasped, his face paling.

  Thane loosened his grip and turned away, rolling his shoulders, and cracking his neck.

  "I'm sorry, Thane. That was a low blow."

  "No. You're right. My judgement was impaired back then and it could be now, but not Edwin's. He wouldn't be so easily fooled."

  "Depends. The old man has his weaknesses. Maybe she's one of them. They could have gotten to her before we had a chance. Why else would hunters be following her like they were tonight?"

  "I don't know. But I intend to find out."

  Chapter Thirteen

  Anya didn't know what to do. The change of clothes Thane had laid out for her were huge.

  She couldn't go down and ask for something else while wearing just a towel, but she couldn't wear these either.

  Standing in front of a small mirror she studied the reflection staring back at her.

  The top kept sliding down her arms. The trousers had to be held or they'd pool around her ankles.

  Sighing, she looked around the room for her old clothes seeing no alternative, but they were gone. Thane must have taken them when he brought her the clean ones.

  Anya plonked on the bed behind her and wrapped her arms around her waist, the top sliding down both her arms and almost exposing her chest.

  “This is no good,” she grumbled, searching the room for something she could wrap around herself.