My Werewolf Guardian

The Past

=York=

She is so small. My little Claudia, born into the Solar Pack, destined to lead, and will one day make me proud. 

“Niven!” A loyal servant for many years Niven was the perfect choice. I had made many mistakes with Katherine my first born, but this time I would be sure to fix everything. As alpha it is my duty to fix everything. 

“Yes my alpha.” He was a kind caring young boy. When I turned him all those years ago we were still in the wildling phase of life. He saw me when the moon was at its fullest drenching my sanity with its powerful sway. Niven was just a miller’s boy he was innocent, but my need to pass along my blood was greater than my desire to keep someone safe. 

“May I present to you Claudia Mary Elizabeth Howell. Your charge from this moment forward.” He bows his head to me as I spoke but I wasn’t finished giving my order, “Claudia shall never be without you. You will protect her as if your life depends on it.” I gazed into his eyes those dark golden eyes were powerless to refuse me, “Because one day it will be.” 

I held out Claudia to him, her tiny fingers instinctively to her protector. His large hand with razor nails carefully responded and I could feel him slightly recoil as her hand wrapped around his finger. I could tell she was already accepting him. “I am humbled by this task my alpha.” Her little hand pulled away from him as she stirred in her sleep, “She will never want. I will protect her with my life.” 

This was the first day she was born. 

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At five years old my darling daughter approached me one night before she went to sleep. Her long wavy hair reflected bits of the fire I sat next to as I paged through my work. 

“Father.” Her sweet voice was going to beg for a treat before she slept, she did it every night. 

“Yes my dear Claudia?” I need not turn my head to her, she knows she’s interrupting my work. 

“May I ask you a favor?” 

“The sweets are on the counter, you mother can help you get one.” 

“That’s not what I was asking.”

I looked up tears forming in her eyes, whatever she was about to ask was important enough for her to get worked up. “What is bothering you my darling?” I dropped my papers holding out my arms for her to run to me. 

She jumped into my arms with glee, those tears were momentarily squashed, “Niv. He doesn't like to stand on the roof.”

“Niv?” Such a silly pet name, and how would she know what he cared for? “Dear, what do you mean?”

“My window is on the third floor papa. He has to sit on the roof all night. Can’t you build him a shelf?” 

“A shelf?” Interesting idea I must admit, though his vantage point from the roof was preferable. 

It was decided that the following night Niven would have himself a ledge where he could perch watching over my dearest daughter. 

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=Claudia=

“Are you hungry Niven?” My head peaked out of the window with a full plate of cookies in hand. I was getting older now, I was fifteen and already showing promise with the werewolf community. Eventually I would be permitted to attend school to be their ambassador. My mother was hard at work already one, and if it weren’t for her I don’t think I would be so interested in a political career. 

“Thank you Claudia.” He was a man of few words. I think I could count on one hand the amount of conversations we have had that amounted to anything, mostly it was “Yes,” “Thank you,” and “That’s not a good idea.” When he was in a good mood he’d use my name. Luck was with me tonight I see.

“I’ll leave the plate here for you, I’ll return for it in the morning before father sees.” It wasn’t exactly forbidden for him to enjoy a few delicacies while he watched over me, but it was certainly frowned upon. 

I sat back in bed letting my curtains flush in the moonlight. It was nearly full so I was going to need to prepare for lock down. Every full moon my protection was at its weakest. To compensate I was locked in the basement with Niven as he was forced to go through the change. I dare not touch him, as long as I was calm, collected, and stayed in my corner of the room he would sleep through the night. I must admit I was scared a few times, but I always new my protector would never harm me. I was safe with him. 

Lying in my bed I found sleep to evade me. I walked back to the window propping it open. It was a summer night one filled with humidity and warmth that allowed me to face the chill of a stray wind that swept by. I leaned out allowing Niven to be aware of me. 

“Do you know why tonight is a special night?” Of course he didn’t know, if he did he might not be aware why I knew. 

He turned to me, staying silent. He had already finished off his plate. He was going to allow me to explain it either way. 

“I’ll tell you why.” smiling I tapped my fingers on the ledge my father built for him, “It’s your birthday.” He was two hundred and thirty one, not a bad age for someone who looked only in his twenties. 

Raising an eyebrow at me he turned away propping one leg up to hold his arm, “How would you know something like that,” he turned back and with a slight smirk he added, “Claudia?”

“My father.” my eyes beaming we were having an actual discussion, “He has many books about every pack member-”

“My alpha’s personal property is none of my business.” he dismissed me, turning away to bask in the moonlight.

“So did you not know it was your birthday?” I seemed to have overstepped my bounds this time.

“My alpha’s personal-”

“Oh spare me.” I coughed pushing back with all my strength against the window. “Happy Birthday Niven.” I whispered, feeling that small shadow of potential friendship fade. 

“Thank you.” He called back. Those ears could pick up any amount of noise I could make. “Claudia.” He turned back to me, his head never allowed to cross my window cill, “How old am I may I ask?”

I smiled back and the happiness almost overwhelmed me, “You’re two hundred and thirty one years old.”

Nodding he turned away his back resting against the outer wall of the house, “It’s already been over two hundred years then?” 

I rushed back to him peering outside. “How can you not know how old you are?” I wasn’t completely unaware of werewolves and their typical lives. The basics were really all I was ever taught. I was aware of the full moon, pack hierarchy, as well as other small pieces of werewolf trivia, but as far as werewolves personally, it was never needed. 

“We don’t need to know how old we are.” The matter of fact way he responded nearly broke my heart. 

“Interesting.” I hid my disappointment well, but there was still more I would have liked to know about my perched wolf. “Can you tell me a bit about yourself?”

“Why are you suddenly so interested, little wolf?” He turned to me with that smirk again his eyes shining like golden stars. 

“Little wolf?” Such a different response than he had ever given me, “Since when are we on a nick name basis?”

He shrugged, “Since I found out how old I was. It’s sort of a revelation to how little I’ve ever done, don’t you think?”

“I wouldn’t know, I only read about who you were before you were a werewolf. My father-”

“Ah!” He held out his hand finger pointing up, “Don’t talk about my alpha’s personal business. We can converse all you like, but the moment you try to give me inside knowledge that isn’t rightfully mine I draw the line.”

“Isn’t your life your business?” I thought it was a fair question, but then again maybe I was wrong. 

“Who I was isn’t who I am.” He said plainly, “It’s none of my business what my alpha did to that person. What matters is what I do to serve my alpha now.”

“Is there ever a time when you think you might outgrow him?” The question was completely inappropriate, I was fully aware. However, the reason I brought it up was because of why my father chose him.

“Go to bed.” The order came and he was silent. No name, no nickname, just the simple order which I knew I should follow. I may have done permanent damage to this relationship, but then again we didn’t really have one to begin with.

I returned to my bed thinking back about what I had read in my father’s study. No werewolf would dare to go through his things, luckily I wasn’t bound by those laws. Every member of the pack had a book, there were hundreds, some longer than others with many not even finished. 

Niven’s book was bound in an old leather one that was blackened with age ith crisp pages written in a beautiful style of calligraphy. The first few pages were nothing interesting, those detailed Niven’s life before he was a werewolf. It was a very simple life and one he was meant to outgrow. More recently however those pages were filled with worry. My father knew he was powerful. He put Niven in charge of me to conceal his true potential. Being a warrior on the battlefield the rest of the pack was becoming aware. Niven was an alpha, he was capable of over throwing my father. My father believed the day was fast approaching and he needed to distract him with meaningless duties. My father in no way meant I was meaningless, but he knew Niven was being wasted here. Nien was a true alpha wolf and I was curious to know more about what that meant.