Page 33 of The Hidden Guardian

“And no one finds this absurd?”

“He’s the Alpha, we can’t disobey him.”

“Then what can we do? Follow blindly until every available Guardian is claimed, raped, and quieted.”

She shivers at the thought. Onai must see the desperation for a mate in the eyes of the wolves. She must feel them just as I do. The only thing keeping her protected is an ancient magical law. How much has she witnessed? How much have all these people witnessed that gets looked the other way because wolves will be wolves?

“When I become of age,” she talks distantly now. “I will have my choice of all the available wolves at my disposal. I mean, some even are trying to gain my favor now.”

“How exactly do wolves gain favor?”

“Gifts. I can’t tell you how many rabbits have been left in front of my bedroom. I’ve gotten some bone carvings, painted rocks, and such.”

“At what age do you reach ‘of age’ for Guardians?”

“Eighteen … it’s next year. Father doesn’t want to hear about it when I bring it up. But he’s going to have to face it someday.”

“Is there one wolf in particular you’re leaning toward?”

“There’s a few I have my eye on.” She smirks, keeping that tidbit of information to herself. Who can blame her, though?

* * *

After Onai gave me the low down on every available wolf in the pack, I find a break in the conversation to try and learn as much as I can about Guardians and wolves. There’s one thing Lupe’s right about, I’m not in my world anymore, and I need to adapt to what I can do. The asinine, antiquated laws that govern the wolves—that’s another day’s problem.

“Onai, can you tell me about affinities, what are they?”

“Affinities are like your special gift. Some have a knack for flowers and trees, others to vegetables and fruits, some to animals, others to bugs. It’s dependent on the Guardian,” Onai explains.

I grab Colton’s notebook and pen in hand, ready to take notes.

“How many different types of affinities are there?”

“Well, there could be thousands of different individual types, but they can be grouped into five main categories: Earth, Air, Water, Fire, and Animals. But, not just animals, it could be fish, bugs, reptiles … anything with a life.”

“And earth would encompass trees, plants, flowers, that type of thing?”

“Indeed, and air can be anything from wind to tornadoes. It’s all about the Guardian’s gift and how they wield it.”

“For example, you and your garden are how you harness the earth?”

“Right, and you and your ivy that you make, that can be from earth too, or it could be an extension of another gift waiting to be found. Some Guardians can produce the power they wield while others merely expand it. For example, I can’t create a flower from nothing, but I can plant a seed and make it grow twice as fast, or produce a thousand more buds than it should have.”

“Interesting,” I ponder, leaning back with my pen in my mouth.

“Yeah, we have a few Guardians with the power of fire. Some can touch it without harm, make it grow to larger heights, but some have the fire itself in their veins, and they can warm things with a single touch, start a fire with a thought.”

“Wow. That’s amazing—terrifying, but amazing.”

“It’s definitely a sight to behold.”

“How does one learn the extent of their gifts?”

“Well, again, it’s different for everyone. You have to watch and see when your gift is displaying itself. Some are tied to emotions, but for me, I find mine comes in the quiet. I like to be alone when I tend to my garden, it’s my personal form of meditation.”

“I’ve never been the meditating type.”

“No, and I don’t expect you to be. You will have to figure your gift out on your own time and in your own way. Unfortunately, that is not something that can be taught. That is why training for each Guardian looks different, and sometimes can take years.”

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