The Calm before the Storm

Chapter 7

Chapter 7

One day before the attack on Waverly

James Cross's POV

    "Like I said Gideon, my daughter isn't something you can buy. I will not arrange a marriage to you or anyone else for that matter. She is my daughter and her happiness comes first. She isn't property to be traded or sold!" I looked at Gideon with furry pouring off me and venom dripping from each word I said to him. This man came to me for a security system for his pack house, office and prison area. I don't normally do jobs for wolves or any supernaturals, but he agreed to the price and terms so I took the job. He got one glance at her picture when she called me while I was setting up the office system. The office system had full control of the system inside the pack house and the prison area. So that everything could be controlled from the Alpha's office. That one glance and he hasn’t stopped asking about her.

    At first it was the normal questions; who is she, and do you have more children? Then he was a little bolder in his inquires. Wanting to know when her 18th birthday was and why she looked so unique for a human. I am not stupid, he wants her, I know he does. As the week progressed, he kept asking if he could take her as his mate. Very bold in asking her father to just hand her over like that. After my initial no, he started offering me incentives; So much a money a month for the rest of my life and protection from other packs and rouges. First of all, I don’t lack money, I don’t have to work I just like to. All of this just for my daughter. I turned him down each time and here on my last day he is still asking me. When will he just give up, I mean I have made it quite clear the answer is no!

    I know my daughter is unique for a human and yes, I know what she is. I will not allow a sleazy man like Gideon to get his filthy paws on her. That will be a cold day in hell if that happens. "Gideon I will not discuss this matter further. My decision is final! Now everything is set up and I have walked you through how to operate the system. I will be taking my leave now." I looked at him from the door, if he thought I would give in he is wrong. I waited for him to say something, he finally looked at me with a defeated look. Good he has come to terms with the fact that I am not a shitty dad that would just hand over his only child. "Alright Mr. Cross, but my offer still stands. Thank you for your services and your payment has been wired to your account. Zane will escort you out of the territory." Good he gets it. I gave him a curt nod and thanked him for wiring the funds before I had left. Zane was standing outside my room they had let me use while I was here during the week to set their security system. Once I was safely off of his territory, I called my wife to let her know I was on the way to the Airport and I would call her once I landed. She would be meeting me there to pick me up.

Gideon's POV

    I tried to sound unaffected by his rejection to my offer. That girl would be mine, no matter what I had to do to get her. She was MINE! I min-linked Zane to escort Mr. Cross to the border and then to follow him. I wanted to know his every move, so I can devise a plan to take his lovely daughter. Soon after Mr. Cross left Charles came into my office. "Alpha' Charles bowed slightly, "Yes Charles?' I looked at him waiting for him to continue. "There is a visitor for you and she is rather persistent about seeing you NOW!" He looked slightly annoyed about this visitor. “Let me guess, Cleo is here?” I watched him roll his eyes at the mention of her name. Only Cleo could drive someone mad with just her presence alone. “Yes Alpha it is Cleo.” Annoyance dripping off of every word.

    Before I could say anything else to Charles, she burst through my office door not even caring she knocked Charles off his feet and to the ground. “Well Cleo how may I help you?” I placed my hands behind my head leaning back waiting for her reply. She has always acted like she could do anything she wants just because of that fling all those years ago. Trying to put her in her place never works. Charles stood up fixing his shirt while glaring daggers into the back of Cleo’s head. “Alpha” he said in a short tone and with a slight bow he left out of the office closing the door. “You should put your dogs on a leash. They nearly made a meal out of me.” Her high-pitched voice rang out and I almost winced at the sound. She was quite annoyed my “dogs” as she calls them, almost made her doggie chow. I chuckled on the inside about this thought. “Those “dogs” you are referring to are only doing what is natural to them when they see a witch. Also, you should know this is Rouge Territory they don’t all know who you are Cleo.” “Excuses, excuses Gideon!” She scolded me; I swear sometimes I think she wishes she were my mate. Have you found the Guardian yet? It has been weeks since I gave you that photo.” She was relaxed with her legs crossed and one of her arms propped on the back of the chair making her lean at a slight angle. Lifting her brow after questioning me on my efforts to find my soon to be mate.

    I had leaned back up and placed my hands in front of me on my desk while she took her seat in front of me. I smiled at her, “Funny thing is that fate seems to have pointed me in the right direction.” Now intrigued she leans closer to the desk sitting up straight. “Pray tell, what must that be?” She was smiling that wicked smile that almost always makes a small shiver run down my spine. I held the shiver in, no way was I going to let her know that I fear her at some moments. It goes against my Alpha instincts. “I needed a new security system for the pack house, prison and my office. Just so happens the man who did the job, is our little Guardian’s father. She tried to call him while he was here and her picture showed up on the caller ID. I knew right when I saw her it was the girl in your photo. I asked her father some questions and came to know her name is Waverly. She is 17 right now but will be 18 in two weeks. I already have one of my men following her father now.” Her smile never left her face but only got wider and scarier. Her eyes then turned a pure black something I have never seen happen to her eyes. “Good, then things are falling into place. Send more of your men to apprehend her you are going to need it.” A voice I had only ever heard in the dream twenty years ago came from Cleo’s mouth. This time I couldn’t hold back the chill that ran down my spine, her smile turned into a smirk seeing me recoil at the voice of Ravannah. “I will send more men along with Zane who is already trailing her father. We will apprehend her tonight.” With that her eyes turned back to their natural green color and she let the creepy smile pull from her face. She shook her head for a moment before looking back at me. “Seems like you have much to plan before tonight. I will take one of your rooms and await her arrival. I am sure you would want the spell for the mate bond to be started as soon as she is here, correct?” She was watching me other than her shaking her head it seems that she is used to Ravannah talking through her. “Yes, that would be best. I will have one of the omegas come and show you to your room.” I mind linked one of our omegas about getting Cleo a room and soon after they were at the office escorting Cleo to it.

    I sent for Charles, William (Charles’s twin brother), and Marcus to follow after Zane and get Waverly. They had permission to do whatever was needed to ensure her capture except kill her. That wouldn’t do us any good. Marcus is a brute of a wolf, he was the Beta to his pack until her brutally killed their Luna. Normally a wolf would’ve been killed but he escaped before his execution effectively making him a rouge. He was about 6’2 had short black hair and cold grey eyes. His Lucian was absolutely ruthless, so if anyone tried to stop them, he would definitely put an end to them. Charles is tall around Marcus’ height but he has sandy blonde hair and has light brown eyes. He and William were bad asses in the military before they went AWOL and found Charles’ mate. She was a rouge who stumbled upon them living in the woods. William is almost identical but Charles has a large scar running down the side of his face from his jaw to his eye brow. This makes him look scarier than Charles. She brought them here and ever since they have been warriors in the pack. Then we have Zane, he is the youngest of the human men and he shows it. Even with that said he is a great tracker; his story is simple. He hated his father who abused him and took off. He to found his mate will wondering places, they heard about me a rouge Alpha who was building up a territory for the rouges and sought me out.

    They gathered into my office, I told them my plans and I had them go to her parents first before going to the cabin. I already knew Mr. Cross had one after I hired him, I did look him up, but getting info on his family was hard as he keeps is daughter out of the spotlight, he built around himself. They agreed to the plan and headed out to do their work and bring me my Luna.

James’ POV

        After I landed, I called Claire to let her know that I was on the ground, waiting for her by Gate A. She said she was running behind; Waverly forgot the cabin key so she dropped it off on the way to here. After about 15 minutes she pulled up and I hopped in heading back to our place to relax from the long week at that Alpha's pack. Claire doesn’t know that I had taken a job from a werewolf, also she doesn’t know they exist and I would like to keep it that way. Little did I know that wouldn't happen and I would never see my little girl again.

    We had made it back home and the day went rather well. I was going to call Waverly but decided to let her have fun and I would see her on Monday when she got back. Claire and I had dinner and were watching a movie, but we ended up falling asleep. It was around 230am when the security system went off alerting movement near the patio. I got up from the couch, waking up Claire and telling her to head up stairs to our bedroom to get my gun. I was walking through the kitchen when the front door busted open and the window behind me did the same. I grabbed a knife from the knife block on the counter next to me and before I could spin around a loud bang went off. I was frozen for a moment until I collapsed onto the floor in-between the counter and kitchen island. I dropped the knife and it slide under the counter to my right. I tried to reach for it but another loud bang went off. That was it, the last thing I heard was my wife Claire, her screaming echoing through the house. Waverly's smiling face crossing my mind as the darkness took in to the other side.

Claire's POV

    I heard the gun shots ring out downstairs and I knew they had shot James. I was frantically trying to get the bullets into his revolver when loud footsteps could be heard coming down the hallway. I was too emotional to get them in the damn thing. I heard them stop at Waverly's bedroom she was two doors down from our room. "Charles she up there?" a man yelled out to this Charles guy. "No, she isn't. I will look for the woman, she will know where she is." the man named Charles yelled this back to whoever was downstairs. If he thinks I will let him know where she is, he has another thing coming. I finally got two bullets into the revolver when the door was smashed open and since I was too close to it, it hit the gun in my hands and well I dropped it. "Damn it!" I yelled out and then looked back at the man named Charles. He smiled wickedly at me, looking me up and down. He was a creep no doubt about that and like hell was he going to touch me that way!

    "I will NOT tell you anything about Waverly! You are wasting your time!" I yelled at him. He was stalking me each step forward was me going one step back. He launched towards me and I side stepped him so he ended up running into the wall. I grabbed a vase off of our dresser and smashed him over the head with it. He slumped down on the ground out like light. I could hear the other two talking to each other just underneath the balcony that is right in front of our room, I crouched down to listen to what they were saying. "Well, I hope William has better luck at that cabin." As soon as those words left that man's mouth, my face paled. They already knew about the cabin. It is highly unlikely I will get out of here alive, but I will at least warn Waverly.

    I pulled my phone out and called Waverly to get out of the cabin. After the third ring she answered, "Umm… hey mom. Is everything alright?" I could tell I woke her up, it was 3am after all. Before I could say anything to her those two men saw me and started up the stairs, just as the man started getting up from my bedroom floor. I screamed when the Charles man grabbed my hand trying to get my phone. "MOM, WHAT'S WRONG!" Waverly's voice screaming out on the other end, me and the man were struggling while the others were making their way down the hall towards us. "WAVERLY GET OUT OF THE CABIN!" that was all I could get out as the banister behind me snapped at the weight of me and the man, the two guys grabbed him as the banister gave way and a loud scream ripped through me, as I fell to the living room floor. I landed on the coffee table as it disintegrated underneath me from the fall. My breath snatched from my lungs on the impact, I watched as those men walked out the door mumbling to themselves. That was the last thing I saw as my life slipped away from me.

Gideon’s POV

    I got a call from the Marcus on their progress, but I wasn’t too pleased with what they had to tell me. “Marcus, it is good to hear from you tell me did you get her?” the excitement was short lived as the next words coming through the phone rang out into my office. “Boss, I am sorry but she got away. She jumped from a waterfall about a mile behind her house. By the looks of this waterfall and how the water is rushing, I don’t think she survived. We burned everything to the ground here at her house and at the cabin to make sure the humans can’t trace us. William is pretty banged up but he will live.” I was furious and not just me but Cleo was in here listening as well. “WHAT!! YOU BETTER NOT COME BACK UNTIL YOU HAVE HER!!” Cleo was yelling instead of me, that only pissed me off more. “THAT IS ENOUGH CLEO” my Alpha aura pouring out and pushing against her. She looked shocked that I did this but I was pissed. “He said she jumped from the waterfall; no human could possibly survive that.” I looked at her my chest still heaving up and down. “SHE ISN’T A NORMAL HUMAN!” She snarled back at me. I lifted my eyebrow, egging her to continue. One more outburst and I will rip of her damn head. I give two shits right now if she is Ravannah’s puppet. “Well Cleo, what do you mean?” I said to her through clenched teeth. “She is a Guardian; have you not been listening to me. She is one of the most powerful beings walking this planet. She cannot die from a simple fall. Injure her badly yes but she will not die.” She was standing with her hands on the desk staring at me. Challenging an Alpha is not wise, but if what she says is true then I still need her. “You said she wouldn’t get her Guardian powers until she was 18, her birthday is still two weeks away.” I challenged her right back with my words. “Yes darling, but that was before Marcus showed his face. As soon as she realized he wasn’t human, her Guardian side would start to awaken. If injured badly it would delay the process but it can’t stop it.” She had taken her seat again smiling that wicked smile of hers. “You heard Cleo, DO NOT COME BACK WITHOUT HER!!” I growled the last part out making sure there was no room for them to disobey me. One way or another I will have you Waverly Cross.