Kaden

Guardian

A young pup of about five years cleaned the bloody footprint nearest me and I sighed. He eyed my foot then met my gaze with raw pain in his eyes and my breath caught in my chest. I recognized the look, since my father's pack suffered the same affliction. I fixed it there, and I intended to do the same here.

I knelt, cupped his cheek and sighed when he flinched. The wolves around us stiffened, watching me with hostile eyes while I comforted their young pup. It was easy to miss with the bustle of pack life, but if you looked and saw it but ignored it, you were a monster too. Within seconds, he cried into my shoulder and I rubbed his upper back while humming a soft, soothing song. It was the lullaby my mother sang to me when I had nightmares so I knew it worked well for pups.

As I suspected, his calmed state attracted his tormentor. I eyed the woman who approached with open hostility much to the irritation of the pack. They didn't understand, so I didn't hold it against them. But I pulled the pup behind me while I stood to face his mother. His soft gasp of fear pained my heart and I refused to stand by while she dragged him off to hurt him again. Some wolves didn't have mates because they were sick in their soul. But another wolf who lost their mate didn't understand that, and accepted them as their spouse. They had families with them, not realizing their pups were the victims of monsters who smiled when the world looked but turned vicious once alone with their prey.

She was furious because I comforted her pup, since it meant I recognized he suffered. I met her gaze with a calm coldness, ready for whatever she dared do in the midst of her pack. I didn't expect the silver knife, but it didn't surprise me, either. The pack thought I took her pup captive, so they seethed and let her approach. Their anger turned to puzzlement when I didn't grab the pup or try to keep him behind me. No, he stayed where he hoped he was safe on his own.

By the time they realized something was wrong because he wasn't happy to see his mother, she'd reached me. Each slice of her knife burned and sent agony through my veins, but I refused to budge. I wouldn't abandon the pup to a monster. He sobbed when my blood spattered the wall by his head due to the long gash on my stomach. A low groan spilled from my lips, but I remained in front of the boy.

"No more," he begged his mother when she slipped the knife deep into my shoulder. "Please, mother, I'll go with you. Don't hurt her anymore, please," he sobbed. His quiet cries hurt my heart, so I used gentle pressure to encourage him to hide behind me once more.

"She protected your worthless life, so she must die," his mother replied. When he peeked again, she aimed the knife for his head. I didn't think, just moved my hand to protect the boy and her blade went all the way through. The agony radiating through my hand made me grit my teeth. But I didn't scream, whimper, or cry. Pride filled my soul, since I did it on my own. My wolf went missing the night my mate stole me from my home. I grieved for her, but didn't know how to bring her back. Not that I would since the bracelet on my wrist would hurt her.

Before she could yank it out, a furious presence entered the room and the wolves watching the scene with anxious eyes gasped. I knew by the power emanating from the stranger that he was the beta. The delta was steps behind him, almost as powerful as the furious beta. I eyed the beta, wondering whose side he would take until I realized the boy I protected was a miniature version of him. His furious eyes took in his pup, my wounds and stabbed hand in front of the boy's face, and his panting wife.

Her eyes widened and she whimpered, telling him I attacked her and took their boy prisoner so I could escape. I expected the hatred in his eyes, but it surprised me when it was aimed at his wife. Her story was an obvious lie, but I still expected him to believe her. I feared I would have to plead my case with no way to communicate.

Without a second of hesitation, he reached his wife in two steps and snapped her neck. Then he dropped to his knees with tears in his eyes while staring at his son. The pup left the safety he found in me with wary steps, ready to dive behind me if they spooked him. No one dared to breathe while the pup approached his father with tears welling in his eyes and the beta openly cried.

"Why didn't you tell me!?" He asked with anguish in his voice once he hugged his pup. Before the pack, he raised his son's shirt, looking for damage only to sob when he discovered bruises covering the lower part of his back. They were dark, ugly blotches on his skin and my heart ached for the boy. To still be so hideous, she hurt him bad. Even pups healed fast, but some damage was too extreme to heal without a lot of time. My vision grew fuzzy while I peered at the boy to attempt to learn how she hurt him. Knowing what she did would help his father heal him. At least, that's how it worked for the boy in my pack whose father abused him. His mother killed the man who hurt her son, ripping out his heart once she understood what he'd done. He'd hurt their young daughter too, almost killed her since she was mere months old.

"I t-tried," the boy rasped and his despair caused his father to sob once he understood what the pup didn't say. The punishment he received for trying was what we saw on his back. I met the beta's gaze, my eyes softening to try to tell him it wasn't his fault. Had he known he'd have stopped it. Something eased in his expression and I sighed, pleased to keep the father from losing himself to guilt. His pup needed him now more than ever.

Now that I knew my ward was safe, the adrenalinekeeping me on my feet waned, and the world turned black while my knees gaveout.