Keith struggled against invisible restraints that shackled him on the spot. He couldn't move a muscle. Even his lips were sealed! What the hell was going on?
'Caleb?' He called. 'Caleb!' Nothing.
Anger swelled within him. Last night Talia was fighting with rogues, and they lost Lulu, and now this!? He didn't know what was happening, but he knew it was not good. He felt useless. How was he deserving to be Talia's guard?
Ignoring his hurt pride, Keith decided to alarm Damon. Damon will punish them all for this slip-up in security, but no punishment will be harsh enough if Talia gets hurt on his watch.
'Alpha! Alpha Damon!' Keith called.
Nothing.
'Alpha! Maya! Caden!'
Silence.
Why did this remind him of last night when their mind-link was dead?
"I didn't mean to startle you, Alpha Natalia," Keith heard a male voice and his anxiety shot up through the roof. There was a man, and Keith couldn't do a thing!
"I am alone. I mean no harm." The man said, and now Keith could see him squatting to face Talia.
Keith cursed in his mind. If that guy meant no harm, how come Keith couldn't move a muscle? And Talia was not moving either. Was she stuck like everyone else? Damn it!
Keith realized that this was a trap. Somehow, that guy trapped him, and probably Caleb and other guards also, and then the guy approached Talia.
That's it. Alpha Damon will skin him alive. This time, for real.
"To what do I owe the honor of a Guardian coming to check on me?" Talia's voice reached Keith and Keith realized that she could move, but that didn't make their situation more optimistic.
A Guardian!
Even Alphas can't fight against Guardians. What can one Keith do? And what about Talia!?
Fuck! Was he stuck standing there, watching that Guardian talking to Talia while plotting who knows what?
Keith struggled with all his might against invisible shackles, and after a lot of struggles, he could move his fingers.
'Great!' Keith thought sarcastically. 'At this rate, in about a month I will be able to walk!'
"Did you have your heat?" The Guardian asked and Keith realized he was running out of time.
Why would the Guardian care about Talia's heat, unless… Keith didn't want to think about it, but he continued struggling, veins popping on his forehead from strain, and he was already drenched in sweat.
"What did you do to me?" Talia asked and Keith could hear the panic in her voice. Shit! That guy was up to no good and Keith was stuck watching!
Keith's heart stopped beating when he saw Talia falling to the ground.
The guy crouched above her observing her. "This is unbelievable…" He reached to move the hair away from her face. The guy burst into maniacal laughter.
Keith felt something snapping around his neck and a cooling sensation filled his body.
Was that the necklace the Oracle gave him? Keith kept the necklace in his pocket, but after last night's incident, Keith thought it can't hurt to wear it around his neck.
Without any warning, he fell on his face. His nose hurt, but he didn't care. The only thing important was that he was able to move.
Keith dashed with all his might and tackled the Guardian who was crouching above Talia.
Their bodies stopped rolling after two rotations, and Keith found himself on top of Gregory.
'POW!' Keith punched Gregory in the face.
"You bastard! What did you do to her!?"
Gregory's nose was bleeding, and he ignored the stinging pain which told him that something was broken.
He was staring at Keith in disbelief. Where did this guy come from?
Gregory performed a heat-inducing ritual that would impact only females that have the bloodline of Guardians.
When he saw that she was marked, Gregory was angry because he was too late, but then he realized that Talia's mark was not fresh, and she was not pregnant which made him think that she didn't have her heat yet.
Werewolves are creatures that follow natural cycles, and considering that Talia was a strong Alpha, she should be in heat shortly after marking. That made Gregory think that she might be something more than a she-wolf.
It was a long shot, and he couldn't believe that it worked. Talia was one of them. She belonged with them.
Sure, she had a wolf, so her genes were diluted, but she was still much better than just an Alpha.
This explained why she was so powerful. Was one of her parents a Guardian? Or grandparents? Who could it be?
But the more unbelievable was that it worked. For a long time, Guardians had no females, and the last females didn't respond to the ritual at all.
Talia had the bloodline of a Guardian, and she was also able to bear children. She was a treasure. A real treasure!
After centuries without hope, Gregory could see the light. It was Talia.
Gregory imagined Talia as their queen. They would give her anything she wanted, and serve her faithfully, treat her as their Goddess.
She will save their species from extinction!
These lowly werewolves didn't deserve her.
Gregory was about to take Talia with him, but then this guy showed out of nowhere.
"How can you move?" Gregory asked.
"You fucker! How dare you lay your hands on Talia!?"
Keith cursed and started raining punches mercilessly. He thought that Guardians were more than this, but why did this guy seem to be so weak?
Gregory defended his vital points, but Keith was on top of him; Keith already landed a few solid punches which disoriented Gregory, and Keith had no intention of stopping. It was totally one-sided.
Gregory tried his ability, but it seemed that the guy on top of him was immune. Was it possible that he also had a blood of a Guardian? No, it was something else. Even Guardians couldn't defend against Gregory. What the heck was this guy?
Gregory was on the verge of losing consciousness when Keith froze with his bloodied fists in the air.
Keith's nostrils flared and his head snapped to look at Talia. He never smelled anything so good in his life. It was sweet and inviting and it muddled his mind.
"Fuck…", Keith said breathily when he understood what was going on. It was Talia. She was in heat, and the sweet and inviting scent was coming from her pheromones.
Keith was not an expert, but he was confident that heat doesn't peak so quickly. Katya told him that she had about an hour from the first symptoms until pheromones started seeping out of her.
Keith could hear Caleb and a few more males groaning.
"Shit!"
Keith dashed toward Talia and picked her up in his arms.
Without stopping to check on Gregory or anyone else, Keith started running.
If those males were affected by her scent, Keith will need to fight the Guardian and every other unmated male. And there was a problem that he was being affected as well.
Keith looked at the woman in his arms whose face was flushed, and her half-open eyes were glossy.
She smiled at him, and he could feel his arousal swelling to unprecedented levels. The only thing he wanted was to get down and dirty. With Talia.
Who would know? It was just the two of them, in the forest, and she was leaning on him and smiling… she was willing. Right?
Keith bit his lip harshly to snap out of it.
What was he thinking? This was Talia.
They were still too close to the packhouse. Too close to the patrols. He needed to keep running.
Keith was familiar with the maps, and he was quite good at navigating, so he knew which way to go in order to reach deserted places. As long as he finds a cave, no one will find them.
Talia's body was on fire, and she was becoming delirious.
Images flashed in front of her eyes. Gregory, Keith, forest, Keith… what was going on?
Her brain was not working properly, and it was uncomfortable.
Talia started pulling on her dress, wanting to remove it and get a much-needed breather.
Why was everything shaking? Through her haze, Talia realized that Keith was carrying her somewhere.
She blinked while trying to focus, but the effect was the opposite.
The world around her was moving and she was trying to steady herself and find relief, so she leaned on the firm body that was right there.
It didn't smell completely right, but she was feverish, and her senses were muddled.
"Damon…", she called weakly while hugging the muscular torso. "Damon... I don't feel so good."
Keith didn't respond. He tightened his hold on Talia and ran as fast as he could.
