The Alpha’s Guardian

Chapter 17

The next morning when I wake up, I find out Jordon has already headed out. There is a note pinned to the board by the front door. I can tell it is Jordon’s blocky writing. 

               Nan,

Stay home today. Officer Rider has already cleared you from all your classes for the rest of the week. You can call me on my cell if you need anything. Take care, I’ll see you tonight.

               Jordon

There is a cup of coffee and bagel sitting on my desk. I smile.  He got me breakfast before he left. I take my breakfast to the coach and sit down and scroll through channels till I find an old movie. The movie is nearly over when someone knocks on my door. I get up and look out the peep hole and see Brian standing there.

I open the door. He looks exhausted with large bags under his eyes.

“Brian?”

“Can I come in?”

“Yes, sure.” I move and he comes into the room. He looks over at the air mattress leaning up on the wall.

“So, that Mounty is really staying with you?”

“Um yes, he is my brother partner. I think he is really here to make sure I stay out of trouble.” I try a sad smile.

“I wished I didn’t let Beth run me off. Then I could have been here to protect her.”

“Why did she run you off?”

He looks at the coach and waves towards it, “May I?”

I move over the coach and turn off the TV, “Please.”

We both sit down, and he sighs so deeply and painfully, “She was angry with me. She had every right to be. We were lovers, did you know that?”

I shake my head no.

“Well, her father found out and told me if I didn’t stop ‘screwing’ his daughter.” Brian laughs bitterly, “That is what he said screwing. He would make sure I was dealt with. That his daughter was meant for a greater mate than me. It didn’t matter if we love each other. I was not good enough for his princess.”

“I take it you broke up with her.”

“Yes, stupidest thing I have ever done. She was furious and told me to leave. Her father ordered me home. Her father tried to assign a new protection detail, but she ordered them home. You see her family can order us and we must obey. Her father finally sent me to bring her back home, hoping that since she loved me, she would not use her gift to send me away. You heard that argument. She refused and ordered me away.”

“Brian, was Beth a guardian like me?”

“A guardian? No, she is similar. She is a royal among the Druids.”

“I though Druids don’t live in packs like shifters.”

He chuckles. He is looking down at his hands in his lap, “We don’t. It is safer if we stay in smaller groups, but there are bloodlines that are linked to the kings when the Druids were an empire. Like your alphas they had the ability to dominate all Druids. Yet with the power of the priestess, they could control everyone, both supernatural and humans.   Some of the rulers got greedy and the people revolted. Later, the other supernatural found out that they could channel our magic by doing some type of blood ritual. The Druids who went through it rarely survived. So, we escaped into the shadows hiding away from everyone.”

“Why are you telling me this?”

“You really don’t know do you?”

“Know what?”

“The guardian bloodline is linked to the Druid royals.  Granted it is many centuries old, but there is a reason you are stronger than the alpha. The royal priestess left when the first king was conquered. They fled and joined different shifter packs for protection. They knew if they stayed with the Druids, it was only a matter of time before another royal try to take control or they all would be killed. The shifter packs took them in, and they found mates. The daughters of those unions had abilities like their shifter fathers, but they were stronger because of their mother. This followed down through the bloodline. The priestess never had any desire to rule. That feeling is retained in the daughters. They would want to assist and protect their people, like the priestess.”

I just stare at Brian, nope never heard this tale.

“If the history is so old that the shifters have lost it, how do you know it?”

He chuckles again, “How old do you think Beth was?”

“I don’t know. My age 23.”

He shakes his head, “She was nearly 99. I am 105. We don’t age like you.”

“Are you telling me you are immortal?”

“No, not immortal. Just a lot longer lifespan. The oldest of us I know is 344 years old. Annoying old bugger. I know some other groups have older people.”

I am staring at him shocked. Beth was nearly 100 years old when she died. Why did she go to university if she was old? If he is so powerful why is Brian here asking for my help. It doesn’t make any sense.

“Why are you here?” I ask.

“The police will not let me assist. Something about me being bias. But your friend is allowed. I need leads to follow and they have such a tight control around the body I can’t get in to see anything.”

“You are hoping that I could get you in?”

“Something like that. I need to avenge Beth.”

“I don’t know what I can do. They won’t let me help either.”

We sit silently for a few of moments. 

“How about I tell you what I find out and you tell me anything you find out? I can move among the groups that are not so forthcoming with law enforcement. I just need a place to start,” Brian states.

I know Jordon and my brother will kill me, but I agree to this crazy plan. “I will let you know if I find out anything. I am trusting you will do the same for me.”

He nods and then I take a deep breathe.

“I will send you the timeline her friends put together. They were with her till she disappeared.”

“That would be prefect. What’s your number?”

I tell it to him, and I hear a beep. I pick up my phone and see a text from him. I save his number under B, just in case Jordon see my phone. He stands and I walk him to the door. He pulls me into a hug.

“Thank You, Nanurjuk.”

“Wait, how do you know my name? Beth just called me Ana.”

“Druid, remember, we have ways of knowing all kind of things. Also, I looked you up.” He smiles and walks out of my suite. I shake my head and close the door. Once the door is close, I open his text and send him the picture I have of the timeline. I get a thumbs up emoji from Brian. I just shake my head again and sit back down on the coach.

About an hour later I get a phone call from Melissa asking me if I want to meet her for lunch. As soon as I get to the cafeteria, she is asking if I know anything.

- Yes, Jordon is working with them.

- No, I haven’t heard anything.

- No, he hasn’t told me anything.

- they are still ID-ing the body.

- Yes, I will tell you as soon as I know something.

I feel like everyone is just using me for information. As soon as possible excuse myself to head back to my room. Before I go, I ask Melissa where Natalie was. She tells me she is just too upset to go out.

As I am walking back to my room I get a text from Brad,

Brad: Hey I heard what happened. How are you feeling?

Me: Sad, tired, numb, you pick

Brad: Want me to come over?

Me: No, I just want to be alone right now.

Brad: Where is the Mounty?

Me: Jordon is working with the police, so I do not know?

Brad: Alright, let me know if you need anything. I love you.

I stare at the last line. Nope, not ready to deal with this. I close the text and head back to my suite. Thankfully the phone is blissfully silent the rest of the afternoon. I just sit in my suite and watch cheesy old movies. Anything to get my mind off Beth.

A few hours later I am curled up on the coach. Some movie is playing. I don’t even know what it is. I hear the beep of the door and Jordon walk in. I sit up from my cocoon of blankets and look over at him. He is exhausted. His usual bright eyes are dull and there are dark circles under his eyes. He drops his computer bag at the door and comes and sits next to me on the coach. He runs his hand through his hair, closes his eyes, and then his head back onto the back of the coach.

“Tough Day?” I ask him.

“You could say that. We spent all morning talking to friends and family. Then this afternoon going over security footage from the dance club. Bastard picked her up in a blind spot. The only image we can use is a partial image of the car as it drove away. Some type of small sedan, and of course the video is only black and white, so we have no idea what color it is.”

“Did anyone see her get in the car?”

“The staff at the club cannot be sure. There were so many people going in and out at that time, no one is sure what vehicle she got into.”

“Why would she get in a stranger’s car?”

“We think she thought it was her Uber.” He shakes his head. “The toxicology report also found retinol in her system.”

“Isn’t that a date rape drug?”

“Yes, the problem is that no one at the club though she was intoxicated. Her friends and the staff noted that she seemed completely sober. The only time she could have possibly ingested it was after she left the club. Maybe the driver gave her a water bottle, or something laced with it? I just don’t know.”

“That must be how he overpowered her, with her being a Druid.”

“That is our thoughts as well.” Jordon pauses and then turns his head towards me, “How was your day?”

“Fine, I didn’t do much but veg on the coach. Oh, I had lunch with Melissa. She didn’t mention meeting with you.”

“Hm, what did you talk about?”

“Nothing much. She kept asking questions about the case. I just kept telling you haven’t told me anything.”

I play glare at Jordon. He just rolls his eyes and then looks back up at the ceiling. I can see a small smile along his lips, and he closes his eyes again.

“Was Beth other friends there, Natalie?” he asks.

“No, Melissa said she is pretty much locked in her room.”

“Yes, that is what I found out today as well. She really didn’t want to talk to us.”

“Is that odd?”

“No, everyone processes grief differently.”

Jordon is quiet for a moment. I can see how tired he is. This case is really taking it out of him. My brother told me once the worst cases are the missing people cases. You must deal with the person’s loved ones, and you want to promise them the world when you know you will probably not find them alive.

“How about I go get us some food?” I ask.

Jordon grabs my hand as I go to stand up. “Can you just order something to be delivered?”

I sit back down and pull out my phone, “Sure, what are you in the mood for?”

“I don’t care. You pick.”

I scroll through my choices and decide on tacos. I place the order and set my phone down. Jordon lifts his head and see the black and white movie running on the TV. 

“What are you watching?” He asks.

“I am not even sure. Some old movies.”

“Mm, an old movie sounds prefect right now.”

I turn the volume up and settle back into the coach. A few minutes later my phone rings. I look at the text and see our food is here. I jump up and head downstairs to get it and bring it back upstairs. I toss Jordon a water bottle as I come back to the coach and lay the food out before us. We eat in silence. Jordon gets up and throws the trash away and comes back to the coach. He pulls my legs up into his lap and starts to rub small circles on my calves.

I look over at Jordon. He is watching the movie and absent mindlessly rubbing my legs. For some reason this mondain activity is relaxing him. I leave him be and snuggle back into the coach to watch the movie. About halfway through I doze off.  The next thing I know I feel Jordon pick me up. I startle awake and he whispers for me to relax and go back to sleep. I few seconds later he lays me in bed and covers me with the blanket. His kisses my forehead and leaves my room. I curl into bed and fall back to sleep.