Read Online The Guardian Alpha by Evelyn Glass - Free Book Online Page A

away, he and Kristi had been tempted by that prospect, though, they both had bigger parts to play. Thad and Marie could easily disappear without too much problem. The weight of the backpack suddenly brought Jay back to the present. “There's something I'd like you both to take with you.”
     
    As Jay knelt down and unzipped the bag, Marie and Thad skirted closer. They peered into the bag as he held it open. Old tomes crammed into the back, nearly splitting the seams.
     
    “What are those?” Thad's eyebrows lowered in uncertainty.
     
    “Archived documents from the Goldbridge Public Library,”
     
    Marie crouched down and jostled a book from the bag. She held it between her hands, her fingers running along the divots of the cover design. Her fingers trailed over the bits of paper Jay used as bookmarks. She glanced questioningly up at Jay and he nodded. With the encouragement, Marie flipped the book open, her eyes scanning the pages. Her brows furrowed as she flipped page after page.
     
    Thad knelt beside her, softly asking, “What is it?”
     
    “This has to do with Goldbridge and Crystal Ridge,” Marie answered, flipping back to the first page. She pointed to the parchment, “This is the original pact and this,” she flipped to later in the book, “is the original boundaries of the town and the pack.”
     
    Thad narrowed his eyes as he regarded the map. “I thought Goldbridge had just stolen the land, though.”
     
    “Goldbridge and Crystal Ridge had an agreement, fifty years before the conflict,” answered Jay, suddenly realizing how dry his throat had become. Both Marie and Thad turned surprised gazes at him. He motioned to the other books still huddled in the bag. “They lived in relative peace for those fifty years until a mayor decided to develop sacred land. Thanks to his politics, the townspeople ran the Crystal Ridge pack from the area.”
     
    Marie's gaze hardened and her lips twisted into a frown. “Why didn't you bring this to Mayor Stone's attention?”
     
    “I tried, but she didn't want to hear it,” Jay grunted, shaking his head. His gaze flickered between Marie and Thad, trying to recall if they had been present for the last incident. “The last meeting ended with Crystal Ridge basically declaring war.”
     
    Thad shook his head, muttering under his breath, “I don't know why Alpha Selene did that.”
     
    “Hazel had been harmed and Kristi was, undoubtedly, chomping at the bit to pain Goldbridge in a bad light,” Jay replied, his tone one of understanding. “Alpha Selene was under a lot of pressure.”
     
    “Still,” grumbled Thad, though Jay could sense softness in his voice.
     
    “It is what it is. Time is running out.” Jay glanced up to the sky, gauging the time by the moon's progression. There was still plenty of time, but the longer he stayed with Marie and Thad, the greater the risk of detection. He turned his gaze back to the other two. “I'd like you both to take these books. Keep them safe.”
     
    Marie's eyes widened, the moon catching her crystalline eyes in her shock. She gasped, lowering her voice even more as she held the book close to her chest. “You stole these from the library?”
     
    “For safety. Whether Goldbridge or Crystal Ridge wins, these books ran the risk of being destroyed,” He lifted the book from Marie's loosened grasp. Turning his gaze to the book, his fingers stroked the cover. Quietly, Jay murmured, “They may, one day, bring peace to both sides of this fight.”
     
    “We're running away, Jay. We will not be returning!” Marie's desperation made her voice crack. Jay glanced up at her, watching the strain play over her face. She didn't want to leave. His gaze flickered to Thad. A similar pinch tugged at his expression. Neither wanted to leave, but neither saw a way to be together with the conflict. Jay's heart ached, understanding their desires.
     
    “Maybe, somewhere down the line, you'll journey through, again.” Jay mused in