Filed to story: Cara Nelson The Guardian: Werewolf Book PDF Free
The Guardian, I haven’t gotten her name, starts to shake her head but Liam speaks. “Your Alpha banished you because your father was a traitor.”
That was the story Alpha Jerome told everyone, that my father was a traitor, that he went on a rampage and killed my younger brother, and the alpha heir, James. rather Alpha Jerome, being the kind-hearted Alpha that he was, banished me, than killing me. From start to finish, the story was a lie.
“That was the story that Alpha Jerome told everyone so he could save face. Do you want the real story?”
The Guardian leans back against Liam. “Yes, we’d like to hear the real story.” She tells me.
I scrub my hands over my face and begin.
“When I was twelve, my brother Evan was fifteen. He was meant to be the next Beta, taking my father’s place. The Alpha Heir, James, was a nasty piece of work. He thought being an Alpha made him special, above everyone else.”
“James was 17, older than Evan, when it happened. He and his friends took Evan out into the forest. I don’t know if it was a coincidence or if it was planned, but they came across a mother gar and her cubs.”
“James ordered my brother to prove his worth as his next Beta and protect him. as the Alpha. James and his friends ran, leaving my brother to fight the big cat alone. My brother was strong, but not strong enough to take on an angry cat, protecting her young, especially on his own.” I stop for a moment, collecting myself and my thoughts. “My father and I found him ripped to shreds, huge claw marks covering his body.”
“My father confronted Alpha Jerome and James. James made up some excuse that if he had been worthy of the title of Beta, he would have defeated the big cat. Alpha Jerome said that my father should have done a better job of raising my brother, making him strong and worthy of the Beta title. My father was furious. He wanted to leave and renounce the pack, but Alpha Jerome wouldn’t allow it.”
“My father lost it and he challenged James to a duel. Alpha Jerome forbade it, but James didn’t listen and agreed to fight my father. My dad defeated James in the fight and in his grief, chose to kill him rather than let james concede.”
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“Alpha Jerome was distraught, losing his only child and heir to the Alpha line. He sentenced my father to death. I was forced to watch as Alpha Jerome beheaded my father, telling everyone in the pack that he was a traitor and responsible not only for James’ death, but also Evan’s. Then as an act of mercy to show his benevolence, I was banished. He sent me off with nothing but the clothes on my back at twelve years old. Some mercy. After he spread the lies about my father, no one would take me in, so I was living as a rogue in the forest, barely surviving.
I stop, running my hands over my filthy and knotted hair. The Guardian has tears in her eyes. Liam’s eyes are hard, but it’s him I look at as I continue.
“I had been on my own for several months when I first ran into Luna Estella. I was at a lake that extended past your borders, trying to catch fish or find anything to eat. Your mother saw me and she knew who I was. She came over and sat with me, talking to me and asking me how I was surviving. When she realized that I only had the clothes that I was wearing and I was scrounging for food, she told me to meet her back there the next day. I was worried that it was a trap, but I was starving, so I waited a little farther away, until I saw her arrive at the lake. She was carrying a basket of food and clothes.”
“I met with her and she gave me food, clothes, shoes and a knife. Then she asked if there was anything else that I needed. She wanted to know where I was living and if I was safe. After that first day, we started meeting three or four times a week. I would go every day to see if she was there, and when she was, she’d bring me food and clothing and we’d talk, sometimes she would read to me.”
I look at Liam again. “Your mother was the only positive thing in my life during that time. She told me she never believed the stories that Alpha Jerome had told and that she knew my father was a good man. It helped me to heal just a bit from the pain of losing my only family. If it wasn’t for her, I’d probably be dead.”
I looked down again, coming to the end of the story. “I kept tabs on Alpha Jerome. I wanted to some day take my revenge for what he and his son did to my family and that’s how I heard about it. He wanted to take over the Canyon Ridge Pack, but they had two Guardians. They were too strong to overthrow, so he was going to come here, to take over your pack. He knew the best way to take out your father was to kill your mother. Get to Luna Estella, weaken Alpha Leander then kill him and take over the pack and pack lands. He planned to take another mate and have another heir.”
“I waited until the day of the battle, following the pack into your territory and when the battle began, I took my opportunity to run to your mother. I wasn’t exactly sure where to find her and in the time it took me to get to her, one of Alpha Jerome’s warriors had already gotten to her.”
My voice was getting thick with the memories. “When I reached her, she was still alive. She told me to take care of myself and stay strong, just before she died.” I can still feel Luna Estella reaching up to cup my cheek, before it fell to the ground with her death.
“I don’t remember what I did after that. I think I was hugging her and crying when they found me. The warriors that found me immediately assumed I had killed her, so I ran. And I’ve been running ever since.”
I swallow, trying to relieve the lump in my throat before speaking again. “My own mother died giving birth to me. That time with your mother, Luna Estella, was the only time I’ve ever had a mother figure in my life, and I wasn’t fast enough to save her.”
What do you think of Eli’s story?
Tears are streaking down my face at Ell’s story. Everything he said is the truth. There was not one moment in his story that I could taste deceit. Liam had set me in the second chair and had begun pacing. Through the bond, I could feel his indecision, his frustration at hearing this story.
“You could have told my father this story back then, why didn’t you?” Liam asks him.
“Your father was a grief-stricken man, out for blood. He wouldn’t have listened to me any more than you have the last six months.”
I can see the impact of his words on Liam, feel them through the bond. Liam knows he’s right and his own guilt is threatening to eat him up. ng my armes
I stand and go to him, him. It takes a moment, but his arms come around me and he pushes his face into my neck, breathing deeply, calming himself. We stand there for a moment, while Liam collects himself.
When he’s calm, he looks back at Eli. “What about Cara? Why did you try to forcibly mark her?”
It’s Eli’s turn to stand and begin pacing. “There are too many power-hungry, piss-poor Alphas out there. Many don’t care about their packs, they only care about themselves or furthering their own power. When I was a rogue, I ran into so many others that left their packs because of their Alphas’ injustices against them or others in the pack. The Alpha line is passed down by blood, but maybe it shouldn’t be. You have bad Alphas teaching their sons to be even worse Alphas and all you get are shitty packs that are poorly run and miserable werewolves with nowhere to go.”
I understand this much better than Liam. I was on the run for six years, several of those with no where to go. My family and I ran into people just like Eli is talking about.
“What does that have to do with Cara?” I ask softly. I feel Liam come up behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist, holding me against him.
“I wanted to give those people a place to go, a safe place where they could live their lives and raise their families without having to worry about the tyranny of their Alpha. I wanted to create my own pack, a sanctuary pack for those needing to escape their own or just those looking to make a new start. In order to have a chance at creating a pack like that, I needed a strong Luna. I’m a second son of a Beta, but a strong Luna would have made me stronger. And there is no one stronger than a Guardian. It was a mistake on my part. I never should have tried to force the mate bond on her, and for that I am truly sorry.”
Liam looks at me thoughtfully for a moment before turning to Eli. “I need to think about what you have told me. Cara and Rik will be here this evening. I won’t make any decisions about you until I speak to them.”
Eli nods and goes to sit. Liam turns to the guards. “See that he gets a shower and have a tray of food sent down for him. Give him clean sheets and a clean cell.” I see Eli’s head shoot up to look at Liam.
“Yes Alpha.” The two guards say in unison.
As we start to walk away, Eli speaks. “Thank you, Alpha.”
Liam nods but continues walking, taking my hand and keeping me close. When we get upstairs, he pulls me into his arms and holds me. His guilt and frustration through the bond are palpable.
“Clean slate, right Liam?”
“How could I have been so wrong for so long? I could have killed an innocent man. As it is, I’ve treated him horribly, and all he tried to do was save my mother.”
“We can’t undo the mistakes of the past. All you can do is try to make it right going forward.” I tell him, holding on to him.
He takes a deep breath before pulling back. “Come on, I have a surprise for you. before you head over to Clint’s for training.”
We walk out to his truck and he takes me back to the main street that borders the two packs. This time, we stop in front of a hair salon. I turn to him. “I’m getting my hair cut?” I’m so excited I’m bouncing up and down in the seat.
“Yep. I know you’ve really wanted to get it cut, so I called yesterday and they have an opening today.” He comes around helping me out of the truck and we walk into the salon, hand in hand.
A young she-wolf greets us as we walk in. “Alpha, Luna.” She inclines her head to each of us. “I have you all ready to go.” She’s looking over my hair as she’s talking. “Your hair is beautiful. It’s rare to see someone with hair so white.”
She begins escorting me to a basin to wash my hair, turning to look at Liam. ” Alpha, you may have a seat in the waiting room.” He ignores her and continues. to follow us. “Or you can have a seat right there. I’ll be seating her next to you. This time he listens, following the direction she is pointing but keeping me in sight the entire time. you
I lean back and she begins washing my hair. “Wow, your hair is so thick and have so much of it. Do you know how much you want to cut? Or is it just a trim?”
