The Guardian (The Wolfe Series)

by Donna Oltrogge

  The Guardian

  Book #1 in the Wolfe Series

  A Novel by

  Donna Oltrogge

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, business establishments, events or locals is entirely coincidental.

  eBooks by Donna Oltrogge

  Krista Trilogy:

  Love’s Lasting Promise (Book 1 of Trilogy)

  A Warrior’s Heart (Book 2 of Trilogy)

  Heart of the Hawk (Book 3 of Trilogy)

  Her Heart’s Desire (Sequel)

  Heart of Darkness (Coming soon)

  Spirit Walker

  Fire Woman

  The Golden Rose

  The 7 Letter

  Always & Forever

  The Wolfe Series:

  The Guardian

  The Searcher (coming soon)

  The Sentinel (coming soon)

  Prologue

  It was the age of gods and mortals, a time when men believed in the Olympians residing atop Mount Olympus under the watchful eye of Zeus, king and father of all gods and men.

  He was the god of sky and thunder, his symbols the thunderbolt, eagle, bull and oak and he presided over the Olympian pantheon and the twelve Olympian gods of the ancient Greek world. The gods were considered immortal and their unfading youth was insured by the constant use of nectar and ambrosia which renewed the divine blood flowing through their veins.

  Zeus watched as Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty took her seat beside Ares, the god of war. Hades, the ruler of the underworld, was sitting as far away from the others as he possibly could, especially Athena, the goddess of wisdom and courage who took every opportunity to let him know how far beneath her she thought he was. Apollo and Artemis, as usual, sat huddled together discussing who knew what as Hestia and Hermes took their seats on the left side of the dais. Zeus knew the others would be coming soon, Hera, goddess of women, Poseidon, god of the sea, Demeter, goddess of the harvest, Artemis, goddess of the hunt and Hephaestus, blacksmith of the gods. Zeus shook his head. So many gods and goddesses, so much power, and so very hard to control. It was his job as king to control them and he took that job very seriously.

  They were all meant to be here today but probably not soon enough for what he was certain was about to transpire. He had heard rumors about the king who was striding toward him so confidently. His name was Lycaon and he was aligned with both the king of Thessalia and the king of Athens which made him a powerful man indeed. He was reported to have more than fifty sons and many of the towns and villages of Arkadis had been named after them.

  Lycaon was a strong man, an arrogant man, a hard man, a man used to having his own way and not above using unsavory means to accomplish his goals. He had always been jealous of the power Zeus wielded and his goal in coming to Mount Olympus that day was to test the divinity of the god, and to discredit Zeus in the eyes of the other gods. He had found an extremely inventive way to do just that and felt no regret or anguish at having slaughtered his youngest son, Nyktimos. The boy had been a means to an end, nothing more, nothing less. After all, he had fifty other sons to carry on his glorious name after he was gone.

  Lycaon carried a silver bowl in his hands and held it out toward Zeus as he knelt in feigned obeisance. “A delicacy, my lord,” Lycaon said in his deep, rumbling voice. “Made especially for you by my favorite wife.” He took a bite of the delicacy himself to prove that the food wasn’t poisoned. “To enhance the friendship between us.”

  Zeus felt shafts of lighting streak through his veins and toward his fingertips and he had to fight to keep from incinerating the man on the spot. He had no intention of accepting such an abomination and new it for the test it was. Slowly and with great restraint Zeus rose to his feet and spread his arms wide, the long flowing sleeves of his white robe almost touching the marble floor.

  Aphrodite shuddered when she saw the look on Zeus’ face and gripped the arms of her chair until her knuckles turned white. Ares rested his hand on the sword he always carried at his left side, deep grooves bracketing the sides of his mouth as his eyes narrowed on their visitor. Hades smiled grimly knowing that soon he would be adding more human souls to his dark underworld. The others held their collective breath and waited for the explosion they knew was to come.

  “You will pay for this abomination!” Zeus thundered as jagged bolts of lighting split the heavens. “You and those who follow after you will pay for this affront for all eternity.” He pointed toward the offender. “Hence forth you will be part man, part wolf, walking two different worlds, yet fitting into neither.” A lighting bolt flew from Zeus’ fingertips and knocked the silver dish from Lycaon’s hands. Immediately the contents of the bowl started to transform, slowly at first and then more quickly into the shape of a young boy. Nyktimos blinked his eyes unbelievingly and trembled as he stared up into the face of the fearsome god towering over him.

  Athena rose quickly to her feet. “Mercy, great Zeus. Allow the generations who will follow to do good instead of evil as this one’s father has done. Charge them with protecting the innocent and the weak wherever they may find them.”

  Zeus reluctantly allowed Athena’s words of wisdom to cool his anger although it was already too late to save Lycaon’s many sons who had already been incinerated by his fiery wrath. Of all Lycaon’s sons there was only Nyktimos left alive.

  “Your words have value, Athena,” Zeus said as he raised his hands again and Lycaon was transformed into a wolf before their very eyes. And not just any wolf, but a wolf of majestic size and stature, a wolf as black as midnight to strike fear into the hearts of all who might see him.

  Zeus smiled at Athena who had moved to stand protectively next to the boy. “I’ll not make it too easy for them, though.”

  And so it began. The curse of Zeus upon the generations of Lycaon males that would be passed down from father to son throughout the centuries, a curse that would never be broken, a curse the descendants of Lycaon would be forced to live with until the end of time.

  ChapterOne

  The wolf was huge and black, an alpha male, four times as large as the gray wolves that ranged the Northern Rockies and Southwestern United States. Those who were fortunate or unfortunate, depending on your point of view, to encounter the animal trembled in fear at the size of the beast and the unholy light that glittered from it’s blazing mid-night blue eyes, eyes that could assess a man’s worth or intent in an instant and kill or release the man just as quickly based on that judgment.

  The wolf was a supreme predator, a killing machine, ruthless to his enemies and those who would harm the weak or helpless. He was called Lobo Diablo or Devil Wolf, by the drug runners. He hated them and hunted them with an all consuming passion, especially the men who were called “coyotes”, those men who trafficked in human misery, leading illegals into the desert and many times to a certain death. The cartels had placed a very large bounty on Lobo Diablo’s head and that of his brothers little knowing that he and his brothers had them at a very distinct disadvantage with their enhanced senses and strength.

  They were shape-shifters, Jake and his brothers Taggart and Rand. As far as any of them knew it had all started with a curse and the telling of the story had been so diluted over the centuries that no one was certain what had happened to cause the curse on his family or when it had taken place. They just knew that they were forced to live with the curse every day of their lives just as their father had and his father before him. They were humans with the ability to shape-shift into a hybrid wolf with strength and speed far beyond those of wolves or men. They had decide
d even as young boys that they would consider their shape-shifting ability, strength and cunning a gift and use it to help others. And that’s what Lobo Diablo had been doing tonight. Helping others.

  Effortlessly the great wolf shifted into his human form, his muscles popping and his body lengthening, the transformation from wolf to man much easier than from man to wolf. Jake Wolfe walked cautiously toward one of the stashes he had placed throughout the desert, his senses alert, his ice-blue eyes scanning the surrounding area for any men who might be pursuing him. He and his brothers were always meticulous in their planning and had medical supplies, weapons and escape routes placed throughout the desert in case one of them was wounded or being pursued, which they often were.

  Jake was a large man standing well over six feet tall with broad shoulders and narrow hips. He was comfortable in his nudity as he grabbed the medical kit from between the boulders where he’d stashed it several days ago. Jake Wolfe was a man in his prime. His arms and shoulders rippled with muscle, his stomach was flat and washboard abs attested to his dedication to keeping himself in top physical condition. He was a runner in his human form although he couldn’t begin to match his wolf’s tremendous speed and agility even on his best day as a human.

  Jake chose a flat rock and sat to inspect the wound to his left leg. The gash was deep and would require stitches but those would have to wait until he got home. The bleeding was minimal so he applied a generous amount of salve before replacing the medical kit back in its hiding place and getting to his feet.

  Jake scanned the surrounding desert that he loved so much. The desert had a stark beauty all its own. Sandy and barren in areas, cooler forested areas and mountains in others, the desert provided habitat and food for a great variety of creatures. His senses told him that a mountain lion had prowled the area earlier. The big cats were shy and elusive and despite their size they were not usually a threat to him. A gentle breeze filled his nostrils with the scent of javelina. The little pig-like creatures tended to give him a wide birth, only charging when he accidently cornered one of them. He looked up at the boulders over his head and knew that Big Horn Sheep roamed there. Sturdy and agile, their keen eyesight on the steep slopes allowed them a clear view of the surrounding area and of any approaching predators. He could hear Gambrel Quail talking to each other as they roamed the desert floor searching for seeds and insects, their little top knots nodding with each step they took. Even though the desert looked barren, Jake knew there was life everywhere if you only knew where to look for it. Rattle snakes, scorpions, and road runners abounded. Red Tailed Hawks floated high on the desert wind currents, their keen eyes intent on the ground below, searching for that mouse or prairie dog foolish enough to be caught in their range. Jake could see four Turkey Vultures circling lazily over the tops of several Palo Verde trees in the distance and knew that there was carrion of some type beneath those trees. He only hoped it wasn’t human carrion. Jake sighed, knowing that he didn’t have time to check it out on this trip and that it was too late for whoever or whatever it was anyway.

  Jake was certain he’d lost his pursuers but he wasn’t taking any chances as he shifted back into his wolf form for his final run toward home, his bones popping and contracting, his jaw turning into a muzzle filled with razor sharp teeth that could rip and tear flesh, sinew and bone. In his human form Jake was magnificent, in his wolf form even more so. Four times the size of a normal wolf with strength and speed that were mind numbing for those who witnessed it. He could run for miles without tiring and leap great distances. There wasn’t a fence high enough to keep him out if he wanted in. His sense of smell was extraordinary, even greater than the coyotes that sometimes tried to challenge him. The coyotes were becoming more and more bothersome and he wondered if they weren’t being manipulated somehow, which he thought strange but not impossible considering his own situation.

  Jake’s senses suddenly shifter to high alert. What the hell? He didn’t know what had triggered the response, only that something strange was happening inside him, something that he didn’t understand. He’d grown used to being alone, he and his brothers, so this sense of oneness he felt for an unknown someone coming into his life was foreign to him. He could almost smell her on the wind, the woman who would be his. Mine! His mate, the only woman he would ever be able to accept as his life mate. She wasn’t here yet, he knew, but she would be coming soon. His every sense spoke of her eminent arrival in this harsh and seemingly endless desert that he loved so much. He also sensed that her arrival wouldn’t be without hardship and peril. But she would be worth it and his heart sang with a joy he hadn’t felt in many long years, not since his mother had been killed leaving him and his brothers alone. His heart constricted even as he pushed that unpleasant memory to the back of his mind.

  The great wolf shook its head and leapt up on one of the larger boulders. He howled a warning to the four corners of his world, a warning for others to keep their distance, to stay out of his territory or face dire consequences. His mate was coming and she would be protected at all costs, even at the cost of his own life. When there was no answering challenge, the wolf jumped to the ground and started its run for home. It was a great distance but its large paws ate up the ground, the whiskers on either side of its muzzle helping it to avoid cactus and other obstacles that its superior vision or lack of focus might have missed.

  It was a run for home, a mad dash that would take Jake back to the ranch that he shared with his brothers, a mad dash that would take him back to home and safety.

  ChapterTwo

  It was a beautiful day in Pelham Bay Park, the city’s largest park, three times larger than Manhattan’s Central Park, in fact. Visitors enjoyed miles of bridle paths and hiking trails, and a breathtaking thirteen mile stretch of saltwater shoreline that hugged Long Island Sound. Athletes enjoyed its many fields and courts while little ones romped in the playgrounds. In the past the land had been home to the Siwanoy Indians and the Continental Army and supported a diverse range of plant and animal life.

  The Andalusian was beautiful and moved with fluid grace along one of the park’s bridle paths, it’s rider even more beautiful. Both horse and rider turned the heads of those they met for a second and sometimes a third look at the pair.

  Laurie Kincaid sighed deeply and marveled at the fluidity of the animal beneath her. Tall and willowy, with long blonde hair and exotic green eyes, she could have been a model, or a movie star, and people starred at her accordingly. Laurie didn’t seem to notice the attention she and her horse received as they made their way along the narrow trail. She sighed, wishing that she could let Aragon run but hesitated to do so with so many adults and children nearby.

  She felt an affinity with the Andalusian, the one luxury she’d allowed herself since she’d moved to New York a year earlier to pursue a writing career. Throughout history, the Andalusian had been known for its prowess as a war horse and she could well imagine the majestic animal carrying a knight in shining armor into battle, the animal’s long black mane and tail flowing in the wind. She’d known he was the one for her the moment she’d seen him. She wondered, and not for the first time, if she would have that same kind of affinity with any other animals. The foster home where she’d been raised had allowed no pets so she had no way of knowing. Now that she was out on her own, though, she planned to test her theory.

  Aragon tossed his head as though in agreement. Strongly built, compact and elegant, the Andalusian was extremely intelligent and when treated with respect sensitive to Laurie’s every command. She had even started teaching Aragon tricks which he seemed to love. People at the equestrian center near the park where she boarded the animal were astonished at the rapport between the two. Often times they would see him following Laurie around like a very large puppy dog.

  Laurie pulled Aragon to a halt when she heard the scream of a large bird overhead. She looked up into a crystal blue sky dotted with fleecy white clouds and watched in awe as a huge Osprey flew directly over her he
ad.

  “Oh, my, aren’t you amazing?” she crooned to the large bird of prey.

  The raptor was huge, well over two feet long with a six foot wing span. One of nature’s most skillful hunters, the bird was brown and grey with a black eye patch and wings. Laurie held her breath as the bird turned in mid air and flew back toward her, hovering ten feet over her head.

  Aragon stamped his front feet and tossed his head, not sure that he liked such a large bird of prey in such close proximity to him and his mistress.

  “It’s okay, boy,” Laurie said and gently patted Aragon’s arched neck. “He’s not going to hurt us.” She wasn’t certain why she knew that, she just did.

  Laurie reluctantly waved the bird away as Aragon continued to fidget nervously. “You are beautiful and we’ve enjoyed meeting you but you need to go about your own business now.”

  The Osprey tilted it head, it’s unblinking amber eyes locked with Laurie’s for several long moments before it finally turned and flew out over the marsh. Laurie watched the bird for several more minutes, a lethal hunter skimming the surface of the marsh, once again intent on hunting its prey.

  “I wonder what that raptor would have done if I’d held out my arm and encouraged him to come to me?”

  Laurie laughed when Aragon snorted and shook his head obviously wanting nothing to do with such a large bird.

  “Time to head for home,” Laurie said reluctantly as she nudged Aragon into a gentle lope. Back to the city and the crime and the pollution. She couldn’t wait to leave New York. Her writing was going well and she almost had enough money saved to purchase a place of her own in the country where she could write and have Aragon and as many other animals as she wished. A place of my own, a place no one can take away from me. Imagine that, Aragon.