The Alpha’s Guardian

Chapter 19

The next morning, I walk into the living room and find Jordon busy typing away on his computer. He is wearing a tee-shirt and dark jeans. 

“Coffee is on your desk.” I look over and see a to-go cup of coffee on my desk. I pick up the cup and see the word ‘Truce’ written on it. I smile and move over to where Jordon is working.

“Any luck last night?” I ask.

He straightens and runs his hand throw his hair. I am finding that is a stress tick he has. “No, there are too many of those damn cars around.”

“College town, college car.” I shrug.

“Yeah, we found that out last night.”

“What about the name I gave you?”

“Rodger caught up with him last night.”

“Rodger?”

“Yes, Deputy Rodger Wayne, with the US Marshal. He talked with him last night and he is a PI Beth’s parents hired to find out what happened to their daughter. Background check confirmed his story. What you sensed the other night is probably something her parents gave him to help find her. I am surprised your buddy Brian didn’t know about him.”

“Well, he is kind of pissed at her parents.”

“They are not too fond of him either. Anyway, the PI is probably not our killer. He was out on a different assignment the weekend she went missing.”

“So now what?”

“I don’t know. I am meeting with Officer Rider this morning to go over the full autopsy report and see if there are any clues in that. We are also looking at some concerning texts she received.” 

Jordon looks down at his watch, “Damn, I need to get going. You going to be okay here?”

“I’ll be fine. I am having lunch with a friend, who is not Brian.”

Jordon nods and pulls together his stuff and moves to the door.

“Be safe,” I tell him.

He turns and smiles at me, “Always am.”

A couple of hours later I am shower and dressed and standing in front of my dorm. Brad pulls up on his motorcycle. I climb on and hang on as we speed to the Wolf Den. As we order our food, I feel this wave of sadness and rage. It feels like it is directed at me and burning my skin, but as soon as I felt it, it is gone.  We take a seat and start to eat.

“So long time no see.” Brad tells me.

“Yes, this has been the longest week of my life.”

“I can imagine. So, I hear the Mounty is still here.”

“Yes, he is assisting with the case.”

“I don’t like him.”

I chuckle, “Really, jealous much?”

“I have the right to be jealous. There is some guy sniffing around my girl.”

“I think you forgotten; I am not your girl.”

“Ana, come on, not this again.”

“Brad, I like you as a friend and sometime lover, but I am not your girlfriend, and I am not going to be your Luna.”

He looks around the room seeing if anyone is listening to us. “Ana, I don’t understand you? I am giving you one of the greatest honors and you are turning me down.”

“Brad, I am going home to Canada in 3 years. I am going to find a wolf who doesn’t mind being a mate to only a pack advisor and I am going to protect my people and our land. Those are my dreams, and I am not going to give them up for your dreams.”

I see a moment of rage in Brad’s eye and then he masks it. “Fine.” We eat silently the rest of the meal. 

Once we are done, Brad looks over to me and then down at his watch. “I need to get to a meeting, mind if I just drop you off at the admin building?”

“No that is fine.”

At the administration building I climb off his bike. Brad takes a deep breath and says, “A group of us are heading to Simon’s Bar tonight. We are going out early around 5. You are welcome to join us, if you want?”

“I might join you for a little bit.”

“I hope you do.” He leans over and kisses my cheek and then drives off.

I walk back to my room. Once in my room I sit and stare at the same 4 walls that are starting to drive me crazy. Beth bedroom is closed. It has been like that since the day the cops told me she was missing. The living itself is the well of pent-up energy of me Jordon and as we dance around whatever is going on between us. I know something is, but I can’t tell if it is my grief or schoolgirl crush. It may be something more, but I don’t want to admit to it if this is only some fling for him or worst yet, I was just a pity f**k.

Around 4 pm I get a text form Jordon.

Jordon: Tied up, I’ll be out late. Don’t wait up.

Looking at that text I make up my mind to take Brad up on his offer and go out to Simons. I write a note for Jordon and leave it pinned to the board by the front door and then I head out. I nervously order an Uber and following Jordon’s instructions I check the license plate to make sure it matches and ask the driver who is there to pick up. He says my name and I breathe a sigh and hop into the car.

I walk into a nearly empty bar. Things do not get happening in this place till 10 pm. I see Brad and a group of his friends playing pool. I walk over and Brad hugs me and one of the guy hands me a beer. I look nervously at the beer. Brad sees my hesitation and I think he understands. 

He leads me over to the bar and orders me a fresh beer I can see being opened by the bartender. His friend eyes me.

“Am sorry,” I tell him. “With everything that has happen I am a little paranoid.”

He shrugs and says, “More for me.” Then he downs one of the beers in his hand slams the empty bottle on the counter and starts on the other. We all sit, and chat and I realize how immature Brad’s buddies are.  There are some many dark things going on in the world today and these fools are telling fart jokes. I try to relax and have fun, but I am uncomfortable. I have the constant fear nudging my brain and I am constantly looking around and surveying my surrounding. 

It’s odd I felt safer with Brian, who may be a killer, than I do with Brad and his friends. I am not sure if everything went to hell whether these guys would stand and fight or run for the nearest exit. After about an hour and half I get up and go the bathroom. I splash some water on my face and take a couple of deep breaths. As I am leaving the restroom I bump into this small older guy. 

“Am sorry, I didn’t see you there.”

“No problem, Hun.” He steadies me with his hands and looks me up and down. I get a creepy feeling from him.

“You are not from around here?”

“Um, no. I go to the university.” I step away from him and hoist my purse higher on my shoulder.

“You are a pretty little thing.”

“Yeah, Thank You. I need to head back to my friends. Sorry again for bumping into you.”

With that I sidestep the odd little man and head towards Brad and his friends. My paranoid mind kicks into overdrive thanks to the encounter with the guy at the bathroom and no more than 5 minutes, I see Amanda walk in. I groan, that’s it. I cannot take this anymore. I lean into Brad. “I think I am going to head home.”

“You sure?” He asks.

“Yeah, I am just not in the mood to party tonight.”

“Okay, let me take you home.”

“I can order a car.”

“With how jumpy you have been all night I think it’s best if I just drop you off.”

I can’t argue with that. So, I agree, and we leave the bar. A few minutes later Brad pulls up in front of my dorm.

“Thanks for inviting me tonight.” I tell him.

“Listen Ana, I want to date you. Like really date you. Maybe become something more. But if you do not want that I will respect that.”

“Thank You for that, it means a lot.”

“Friends, then?”

I hug him and whisper, “friends.” 

With that I walk away from Brad and head back to my room. I get back in and shower and change into my comfy clothes.  I am sitting on my bed studying when I hear the door beep and Jordon walk in. 

“You are back earlier than I expected.” I call out to him.

He comes to the door and leans on the frame. “So are you.”

I c**k my head at him. He sighs and says, “I came back around 5 to get my phone charger and saw your note. I figure you would be out to the wee hours.”

“No, not in the mood for the bar scene tonight.”

“Listen Nanurjuk, I think I am going to go get a hotel room tonight. That way I will be out of your hair, and you can do whatever you want or need to do.”

“What? Why?”

“I am just getting in the way between you and Brad. It’ll be best if I am not here.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I saw you have lunch with him today and I know you went out with him tonight.” He waves his hand towards the board by the front door, “you told me earlier that him becoming alpha and having to stay here is the only reason you are not getting serious. If I am out of the way maybe you two can work it out. I just want you to be happy, Nan.”

I slam my book shut and stand to face Jordon, he straightens from the door and looks sadly at me. “You do realize that was just a convenient excuse, right?”

It’s Jordon’s turn to look at me in confusion.

“He was fun and popular, and made feel like I was special when we went out. He took me to places I have never been or could ever dream about going to, but it was never anything serious for me.”

“So, what are saying? You were just using him for what he could give you.”

I throw my hands up in the air and push past him and go into the living room. This is not an argument I want to have in my bedroom.

“You don’t understand!” I turn and thunder at him. “Every man I have every got serious with has only wanted to get close to my father or after the first date turns and runs away because they are intimidated by me, by my family. I get here and I am no longer the pack princess. I am a real person. People don’t look at me differently, I am a normal person. Then, I meet Brad and he doesn’t want anything from my father, and he is not scared away by me.” I motion towards myself, and I feel the hot tears fill my eyes. “It is hard being put on a pedestal and never knowing if someone really likes you or they are just using you. To finally make a friend or meet someone you like and they just ghost you because you ‘intimidate them’. To be the person always inviting people and never being the one invited. I now know why Tulugaak left. He wanted that. He needed that. No wonder when that girl dumped him it broke his heart. He lost that piece of normalcy. It was so nice to be with someone who wanted me, just me, not everything I could give them. So yes, I guess you are right I did go out with him for what he could give me.”

I can feel the tears run down my cheeks and drip from my chin. I never lied to Brad. I told him from day one I was going home when I graduated. And when he started kicking things up a notch, I put the brakes on. I am holding back the full sob, but just barely.  I look up at Jordon shock face and then back down at my feet. I sigh defeated. I can’t make him understand, no one can really understand. I was hoping that whatever was between us was more than just my crush.

“Do want you want, Jordon.” I whisper.

My words seem to break his trance. He takes two huge steps towards me and pulls me into a bear hug. His warmth makes me start to really cry, I mean that ugly cry you try never to do in public. Just like the day when I found out Beth had died, he holds me and rubs my back and tells me everything is going to be alright. That he will make it alright. I realize then I feel completely safe with Jordon. No matter where we went or what we did I knew he had my back, always. 

I pull away when the last tear has fallen, and I am hiccupping from the out pour of emotion. I look down at Jordon shirt.

“I ruined another one, I am so sorry.”  Like before I start to wipe at the moisture like I can dry it. 

“It’ll dry,” he tells me. The he lifts my face and wipes the tear smudges away before he kisses me softly and tenderly. He pulls back and leads me to the coach. He sits down and pulls me down onto his lap. He cradles me there kissing my forehead.

“I have always wanted you, Nan. Since the first day I met you.” Jordon tells me.

I chuckle, “That was over four years ago.”

“I know.” He runs his thumb down my forehead, over my nose, down to my lips. He pulls his hand back and lays a sweet kiss on my lips. “I had been partners with you brother for almost a year and we get assigned this case in the middle of nowhere. Once we capture the bandit he drags me to his hometown, that is happens to be nearby, to meet his family.”

“I remember.”

“You were going to university online. Feisty and sweet and not a fear in your body. You were the most beautiful thing I had ever seen.”

“Why didn’t you say anything?”

He laughs now. “You brother warned me before we arrived that your father was a traditionist and that he may not accept me because I was human. I expected your mom to be stuck up, but she was bright and friendly and hugged me the moment she met me. With a few glares and growls from her your father finally shook my hand. According to your brother that was something special. Well, later that night we were drinking some type of whiskey, I think, with your dad. He tells your brother that some spoil wolf pup was sniffing around your skirts.”

“What?”

Jordon holds his hand up in surrender, “That is what you brother called him. Anyway, your father like the guy’s family and had high hopes that you would accept him.”

“You cannot be talking about Ujurak? He is imbecilic. There is no way my father would want me to be with that fool, even if his father is a beta to a large pack north of us.”

“I don’t know the guy’s name, just that your dad pretty much had you engaged to him. I put you from my mind then. We went back to Vancouver, and I never asked about you and try not to think about you. I did a pretty good job of it till you showed up last year. Still as beautiful as ever and surprise, still single. You had come to get away from your controlling father?”

“Yes, and Tul was just as bad or worst. You didn’t say a word to me. Just stormed around the apartment and worked late. The only time you relax and had fun with me was my last night when I finally convinced Tul to take me to a bar.”

“Well, I was imagining you still off limits and by that time your brother had become my best friend. You do know I am breaking some unwritten rule about hooking up with your buddy’s sister?” I shake my head and smack him on the chest.

He continues, “Then you called Tulugaak asking for his help. I got home that night to see him pacing the floors and trying to figure out how to protect you and not get your father involved. I do not know if he was serious, but he kept saying that if your dad found out he would show up down here with 12 warriors ready to bring you back kicking and screaming. He also said something about a world werewolf war.”

I laugh and hide my face in his neck. “He may have been exaggerating a little bit. But only a bit. Wolves are very territorial. If he came down here with warriors and made a scene, the local pack may get their fur in a twist and then the council would gets involved and no one wants the council involved.”

He grins. “Well, I offered to come down instead. I had the extra time off. I would come down here and find your missing friend and be back before the week was out.”

“And then.”

“Yes, and then.”

We sit like this for a while. Me clutching his shirt and him running his hand up down my spine. Just quietly lost in a moment. 

I take a deep breath and say, “so now what?”

“Now, we find out what happened to your friend and then later we take it day at a time and see where this goes. If your brother doesn’t kill me first when he finds out I slept with his baby sister.”

I laugh and bury my face in his neck again.

“By first, I think we both need some sleep.” He kisses the top of head.

“Will you stay with me, tonight?” I ask.

“I don’t think that such a good idea. Both of our emotions are running really high right now.”

“I don’t mean s*x, just sleep.”

I can feel him smile into my hair “Yes, I can do that.”

I stand from his lap and lead him to my room. I am basically already in my PJ, so I just sit on the bed. Jordon drops his pants and removes his sock and shoes and climbs in behind me. He pulls me close to him, which is necessary since this is only a twin size bed. I snuggle up into him and feel myself drift off.