Read Online The Guardian Alpha by Evelyn Glass - Free Book Online
Authors: Evelyn Glass
Tags: Romance, Contemporary, Paranormal, Ghosts, Inspirational, Demons & Devils, Werewolves & Shifters
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three pups a thin smile. The girls winced at her expression, but she ignored it. “I have to get to bed, though. Big day tomorrow.” She didn't give the kids a second glance. Kristi spun on her heel and marched into her room. The three girls stared after her and she could hear their displeasure sizzle along their thoughts. None of them muttered, though, lest Kristi heard them. They would understand her position…one day. She wasted no time and put the boulder in place against the hide.
Once safely enclosed in her room, though, Kristi gasped. She swallowed down air and pain arced through her thoughts. Tears burned at the back of her eyes and she slid to her knees. Even the pups sided with Jay. Something broke inside her solid emotional wall. Her hands dug into her hair as a conflict waged inside her head.
Pain, bitterness, and demands collided against responsibility and consideration. Her brain felt as if it were tearing in two. A thin whine left her lips, stifled by her resolve to keep others from hearing. Her eyes swung around her room, landing on her bed of pelts.
Sleep. That's what she needed. After a good night's rest, she'd feel better. The whole pack was exhausted from their training and hard work. She, especially, needed to get a rest. Tomorrow, the alphas would lead the Crystal Ridge pack into battle.
As Kristi crawled to her bed, exhaustion weighing down her eyelids, a small thought chimed at the back of her head. Tomorrow, her Mate would die.
She swallowed down more tears as the thought stuck to her head. She willed herself to sleep as she curled up on the pelts. Soon, tiredness crept along her body, forcing her muscles to relax and her mind to go blank.
Before she fell asleep, Jay crossed her. It'd be nice if they could meet before the battle tomorrow evening – just one last time.
CHAPTER TWELVE
After an hour of tracking, Jay finally stumbled upon Marie and Thad. They had paused by the river to fill their canteens before delving farther into the forest. As Jay burst from the underbrush, the other two stared at him with wide, shocked eyes.
“Jay,” gasped Marie. Her eyebrows tilted upward in distress. He could see the cogs turning in their heads. They had taken great pains to cover their tracks. Too bad Jay had more experience. In the silence, the river burbled loudly. Somewhere in the distance, bats chattered. Overhead, the mostly-fully moon watched them.
“Marie, Thad.” He nodded to both of them, fighting off his proud grin. It had been a long time since he needed to track anything smarter than an elk. He forced a serious look to pinch across his face. “What are you two doing?”
“We're not going back.” Marie's hands clenched as she squared her stance. She dug her heels into the sand. Her eyes flared with purpose as she growled, “We're not going to watch Goldbridge and Crystal Ridge tear each other apart.”
Jay listed his head to the side, fighting the grin that so badly wanted to spread over his lips. “Why go together?”
Thad's lips thinned and his eyes flickered to Marie. She bit her bottom lip, uncomfortable and awkward under Jay's penetrating gaze. Neither could meet Jay's eye. He already knew the answer, though. “You two,” Jay breathed, shaking his head. A smile curled across his lips, though it wasn't one hundred percent genuine. His face felt tired and achy, as if a smile were a transgression against his whole body. It was almost a relief that fond amusement still existed in his head. Marie and Thad finally met his eyes, out of pure curiosity, and he laughed, “You're not very discreet.”
“Yeah, well,” Thad pinked at his cheeks, “Neither were you and Kristi.”
“What do you two plan to do?”
“Run. Find somewhere we can live.”
“And you can't do that here.”
“No, not with this fight that's brewing.”
Jay nodded his head, understanding the two on every level. Running
Once safely enclosed in her room, though, Kristi gasped. She swallowed down air and pain arced through her thoughts. Tears burned at the back of her eyes and she slid to her knees. Even the pups sided with Jay. Something broke inside her solid emotional wall. Her hands dug into her hair as a conflict waged inside her head.
Pain, bitterness, and demands collided against responsibility and consideration. Her brain felt as if it were tearing in two. A thin whine left her lips, stifled by her resolve to keep others from hearing. Her eyes swung around her room, landing on her bed of pelts.
Sleep. That's what she needed. After a good night's rest, she'd feel better. The whole pack was exhausted from their training and hard work. She, especially, needed to get a rest. Tomorrow, the alphas would lead the Crystal Ridge pack into battle.
As Kristi crawled to her bed, exhaustion weighing down her eyelids, a small thought chimed at the back of her head. Tomorrow, her Mate would die.
She swallowed down more tears as the thought stuck to her head. She willed herself to sleep as she curled up on the pelts. Soon, tiredness crept along her body, forcing her muscles to relax and her mind to go blank.
Before she fell asleep, Jay crossed her. It'd be nice if they could meet before the battle tomorrow evening – just one last time.
CHAPTER TWELVE
After an hour of tracking, Jay finally stumbled upon Marie and Thad. They had paused by the river to fill their canteens before delving farther into the forest. As Jay burst from the underbrush, the other two stared at him with wide, shocked eyes.
“Jay,” gasped Marie. Her eyebrows tilted upward in distress. He could see the cogs turning in their heads. They had taken great pains to cover their tracks. Too bad Jay had more experience. In the silence, the river burbled loudly. Somewhere in the distance, bats chattered. Overhead, the mostly-fully moon watched them.
“Marie, Thad.” He nodded to both of them, fighting off his proud grin. It had been a long time since he needed to track anything smarter than an elk. He forced a serious look to pinch across his face. “What are you two doing?”
“We're not going back.” Marie's hands clenched as she squared her stance. She dug her heels into the sand. Her eyes flared with purpose as she growled, “We're not going to watch Goldbridge and Crystal Ridge tear each other apart.”
Jay listed his head to the side, fighting the grin that so badly wanted to spread over his lips. “Why go together?”
Thad's lips thinned and his eyes flickered to Marie. She bit her bottom lip, uncomfortable and awkward under Jay's penetrating gaze. Neither could meet Jay's eye. He already knew the answer, though. “You two,” Jay breathed, shaking his head. A smile curled across his lips, though it wasn't one hundred percent genuine. His face felt tired and achy, as if a smile were a transgression against his whole body. It was almost a relief that fond amusement still existed in his head. Marie and Thad finally met his eyes, out of pure curiosity, and he laughed, “You're not very discreet.”
“Yeah, well,” Thad pinked at his cheeks, “Neither were you and Kristi.”
“What do you two plan to do?”
“Run. Find somewhere we can live.”
“And you can't do that here.”
“No, not with this fight that's brewing.”
Jay nodded his head, understanding the two on every level. Running
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