My Werewolf Guardian

The Past Pt 3: Our Future

=Niven=

Claudia is a young girl, full of spirit and ready to face any challenge that came her way. The problem was that she was full of spirit and ready to face any challenge. She was such a treasure, but when she put her mind to something there was no stopping her. I couldn’t believe she had read those books in my alpha’s office. I didn’t care what my alpha wrote, his personal feelings were his own, not mine to worry about. 

When I was called into my alpha’s office the morning after the full moon I was not surprised. He had looked at me cross a few times, I had given Claudia a little bit of freedom recently but only for her to maintain privacy. She knew never to leave the house without me, but I needed to sleep sometime even if it was for just a few hours. In that time she knew better than to get into trouble, so for her to violate her father’s privacy like that astounded me. 

“Shall I start then Niven?” His laced his fingers together resting his hands on his desk. I bowed my head out of respect but he was going to take the lead no matter if I agreed or not, “Someone was in my office. Would you know about that?”

Now I was faced with a dilemma. If I told him I violated Claudia’s trust, she kept what she read a secret, even after she tried to tell me, but still she didn’t share it. If I didn’t tell him I went against my alpha. He made me what I am. Everything about me is because he changed me. I spent my entire life serving him, could I really betray him?

“Niven?” I could feel hm stretching that alpha command across the room. He wanted me to tell him, he expected the truth, I owed him an answer. 

“I’m sorry alpha.” I bowed, “I don’t recall anyone coming in here.” Then I said something that struck me as far more odd than bold face lying, “Perhaps it was a maid? They often clean various areas of the house when we are gone.”

He nodded though I assumed this wasn’t going to be the end of it. “Where was Claudia yesterday?”

“Claudia?” Of course he could smell her in here, but then again her scent was all over the house, if it wafted in here it was no strange thing. “She was with me of course.”

“All day?” 

That’s right, he wasn’t away of our arrangements when he was out and about. “Certainly. I would never allow her to enter your office.” Well at least one part of my statement was true. 

“Very well, can you bring her to me please?”

So this was going to be an interrogation then? I knew she had no issues lying to her father, but if she cracked and he found out I had lied I’d get in far more trouble than she ever would. “Of course my alpha.” I bowed again, taking my leave.

When I reached her room I tapped lightly on the door, I never dared to enter her chambers, it was her space after all. Then again she entered my alpha’s space without any issues so turn about should have been fair play. 

Before I could take the chance to barge in she opened it wiping the sleep from her eyes, “Niven? Everything okay?” 

“Your father wants to see you.” I moved out of the way for her to pass. I dared not touch her. It had been years since the last time I had let her touch me, something about her just screamed for me to stay away. When she was little just a tiny baby she wasn’t a threat, just when she turned ten everything changed. Why had it changed? I had pondered silently about it far too often. She wasn’t a dangerous thing; she was this fragile girl who needed my protection. 

“Father?” She grabbed her robe wrapping it as she put on her slippers, “Okay, but that is odd.”

I nodded and figured it would be better to not get caught warning her about the reason for the meeting. “If you could please meet him in his office.”

She looked back at me with those eyes knowing she was about to be in trouble. “In his office?” She croaked.

I nodded but couldn’t bear to see her worried. “Talk to him little wolf.” I whispered, not daring to raise my voice. I smiled and let her walk in front of me paying careful attention to her movements. 

We reached his office and she walked inside. I followed behind but then I saw a displeased look from my alpha making me second guess my choice. “You can go Niven.”

She may not have required my protection here as far as he believed, but I stated outside the door waiting patiently. I didn’t listen in, but there was no yelling so obviously everything was going well enough.

It was an hour later when she finally came back out. Her head tilted up to me smiling as she passed. Clearly I had pleased her, but I looked back and saw a scowl from my alpha. This conversation was far from over, he knew someone was in there, he just needed someone to admit it.

I escorted her back to her room and there was a silent understanding that neither of us should dare to speak about what just happened. She thanked me politely and I laid down outside her door for a few hours of sleep. Werewolves only needed to sleep a few hours every day and I was old enough to get by one two hours. My alpha was different. He was getting so old that the moon  strained to hold a sway over him anymore. He still took care of the pack and stayed with them. I doubt he was even compelled to shift anymore, but he hid his abilities quite well. 

The night came quickly after the full moon. She spent her time studying in the library, something she often did when she had freetime. She was quite the visionary when it came to furthering herself. She was going to be a great ambassador one day, if her parents wouldn’t make sure of it she would certainly do everything to make it a reality herself. 

As I sat outside her window I heard her sing open the window. Leaning out as she took in the night air. She always felt the need to pay me a visit, something that spoke to her character I guess. 

“Good evening Mr Niven.” She rested herself on the windowsill propping her head up with one of her arms. 

“Isn’t it past your bedtime little wolf?” I don’t know why I started to call her by that code name. Her father gave it to her when we were still keeping her a secret from the vampires. We knew they took her sister who knows if they’d be after her next. 

“I never got to thank you.” 

I turned back to her looking at that beaming smile, “Thank me for what?”

“You told me father I was with you.”

“You are always with me.” 

“I mean you didn’t tell him I was in his study.” 

I knew exactly what she meant, but lying to my alpha was hardly a thing to accept a thank you for. “Don’t let it happen again” I turned to her making sure she knew it was a one time courtesy.

She looked back at me with those innocent eyes. Those eyes didn’t know about the realities of the werewolf world. She was a human, why did she need to care about the emotional obligations we carried to the pack? “Why did you lie to him?”

I turned away from her, that face was destined to bring me more harm than good. If nothing else I needed to take a lesson from my former pack mate Geoffrey. He let his emotions cloud his service. His duty was to keep Katherine safe, he failed miserably the moment she was able to be approached by a vampire. “My job is to protect you from all dangers.” I turned back to her tossing a playful smirk, “Just remember that the next time you go looking for trouble.”

She smiled back with a sigh, “Well thank you for your help. My father also wanted to tell me that I was accepted into a private academy in the capital.”

“What?” I blinked, hardly able to believe it, “The capital?” That was far from pack territory, what was her father thinking allowing her to go there? 

“I still have my schooling to finish here of course, but in a few years I’ll be heading to the capital.” 

“We-” I corrected her, “We will head to the capital.” I needed to seriously get on my training, watching in our own territory was one thing, even easy at times. There was very little she could get into here. The capital, Calenpen, was a beautiful place. It was a great walled city with a large citadel in the center; the main castle rested just near it. It was a town run by the king and queen, no vampire or werewolf claimed it as their own. 

“With all due respect Niven,” Her tone shifted to a more serious one, “If you are going to be joining me then my father should need to purchase some real estate. I doubt they would take kindly to a male figure such as yourself in the dorm room.”

“Fair point.” I shrugged.

“Are you going to be okay?” 

What an odd question, I looked her up and down trying to judge what she meant, “Could you explain please?”

“You’ll be leaving the pack. Are you going to be okay there?” 

Maybe she understood the emotional bonds hold the pack together better than I thought. “My pack duty is to protect you. Where you go I go.” I could tell I was a little too serious for her liking, it was a delicate thing trying to keep her happy, “You would be completely lost without me little wolf. What choice do I have?” 

Finally a smile cracked across her face, “I’ll talk it over with my father. Best case scenario I will be leaving in two years.”

I put up my hands trying to get her to stop planning her future, “You need to live in the moment. Get yourself to bed.” She was growing up right in front of my eyes, human life was always fleeting to us supernaturals. I really needed to be careful, she was certainly going to turn my pelt grey.