Page 36 of The Hidden Guardian

ChapterTwenty-One

AUTUMN

The hair of Onai’s dark braids are coming loose the more she shakes her head at me. We’ve been at this standoff since she arrived this morning.

“Please, you’re my only hope,” I insist.

“I hate to break it to you, but I’ve barely mastered my own gift.”

“Can you just help me do the things that your Mother has shown you? I mean, I’m locking people in ice because I can’t control it. I’m scared I’ll do something I can’t come back from. Something others can’t fix. What if I hurt someone?”

“I’m really not supposed to … she told me not to …”

“Was it an Alpha order?”

“Well, no …”

“Then you really don’thaveto listen to it, do you?”

She smirks. “I’m starting to like you, Autumn, you’re a rulebreaker. Maybe you have more in common with Renall than you think.”

“Well, I was playing around last night, and I think my gift is tied to emotions.”

“Like I said, it’s different for every Guardian. I don’t know how much I can help. You must figure it out. Most are tied to emotions. Mine is found in the opposite, it’s in that quiet space. A lot of Guardians need that quiet to link to their mate.”

“Link?”

“Yeah, it’s how we protected them. I’ve never experienced it before, but I’ve been told Guardians can see through their mate’s eyes, guide them, protect them.”

“Wow.” The bit about seeing through their eyes really struck a chord. Maybe those times I dreamt of running in the woods weren’t dreams after all, but actually me seeing through their eyes. “There’s still a lot I need to learn. I never had anything like that with Colton. I had a gut feeling when he was in trouble or doing something he wasn’t supposed to … but I never acted on it either.”

“If I didn’t grow up with this being normal, I wouldn’t know how to explain it to someone. Poor Renall.”

“Renall?”

“Well, he finally found a Guardian, he doesn’t speak her language, and he somehow has to explain our world to her. I don’t envy him in the least.”

“But you speak English and are forced to be with meallday … I feel bad for you.” I smirk.

“Oh, my Goddess, you’re right, who am I kidding? Goddess, help me.” She pretends to pray.

I toss a pillow at her. “I’m not that bad.”

“You do ask a lot of questions.” She winks at me. “But I’m glad to have someone to talk to. It’s rare I can go anywhere other than my garden, or babysitting one of the few pups around. All the Guardians my age have all been mated out.”

“You’re the black sheep of the cave.”

“Sheep?”

“A sheep in a wolf’s den, quite literally.” I realize she might not know the analogy. “It’s a saying in the human world. Never mind.”

“We can be sheep together.” She smiles.

“I’d very much like that.” From her face, I can tell that she has her own hurt that runs deeper. She must have had friends before they came of age. With all the sex around here, you would think some of it must result in babies. None of them had an Alpha order not to touch them until a certain age. They would have been sold to the highest bidder, or worse, have that willtakenfrom them. It isn’t hard to guess what happened to those friendships when they realized Onai didn’t have to suffer the same fate that they did. No, it’s Onai whom I do not envy in the least.

“Last night, when you saw the ice, you gasped something about Ice Clan. Lupe told me this is Protector Clan, but Renall is Warrior Clan? I’m so confused. How many different clans are there?” I attempt to change the subject.

“Oh, I’m sure there’s many we don’t know about, but here at Luna Cavern we’re known as Protector Clan because,” she pauses, coughs, then continues, “We take in a lot of strays. We are the safe place to go when you no longer have a home. We welcome all Guardians and wolves under our protection.”

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