The Alpha's Guardian

The Alpha's Guardian Chapter 26

I'm up early as per usual, sitting at my spot at the kitchen counter with my gear on and ready to go at a moment's notice. Wade has been up and sitting in his office waiting for Alpha Liam to arrive. I nervously chew on my nails, waiting for the knock on the front door. I haven't seen Liam since I was 18 years old. He was my very first mission.

The only thing that rivals his fighting abilities is his ego. Liam is known throughout the werewolf community for being the fiercest warrior on the continent. His pack is strictly trained, eats only certain foods, and runs 50k daily after their shifts. He is frightening and s3xy and the only man I have ever fallen in love with. Even if he wasn't my fated other half. No Guardian bond break has hurt as much as ours did.

"Ali!" Wade says, waving his hands in front of my face.

"Sorry. What?" I ask, and he frowns at me.

"You seem worried," Wade says as he leans on the counter across from me.

"No. Just thinking about things." I smile half-heartedly and he eyes me up skeptically.

"Can I ask you a favor?" he asks, dropping his head and rubbing the back of his neck.

"Sure..."

"When I am mentally tired. I don't want to burden you. It's a part of your job. I get that but- It's easier for me if you just touch me, rest your hand on my shoulder, my arm, my hand. Anything."

I sit back and shake my head, opening my mouth to say no, but he stops me by pressing his fingers to my lips.

"I know it's not what you are used to. But you can pretend it's the healing hand when you are around everyone else. No one will know."

"You're serious?" I ask him, looking right into his eyes.

"Please?" he pleads.

I can see it, his desire to hold on to whatever manliness he thinks he loses by having me here protecting him. And I sigh heavily. If it helps ease his mind and keep his emotions in his own head, then it's worth a shot. I would rather not feel his feelings and his desire for me every night when he is too tired to maintain the barrier. I'm confusing it for my own desire, and I'm not sure I can handle that anymore.

"Fine." I agree.

He pushes off the counter with a nod.

"Liam is going to be here in 10 minutes. He wants to meet at the training pitch. We should head out if we want to be there waiting,”

I stand up, reaching for an apple like I always do, and Wade snatches the last one right before I can grab it. I scowl at him while he laughs low and his eyes shine with mischief. My heart stutters for a momen

"If you can catch me, you can have it." He says, running for the door. This as*shat knows I don't have the same speed as an alpha wolf. But what he seems to forget is that the tree line leads straight to the pitch and no one can outrun me when I can fly between the trees.

I sprint out the back door and throw myself into the trees. I leap from branch to branch, running and ducking as I move like a nimble sprite through the air. Wade looks up at the tree line and?smirks as he pushes himself harder. I push harder than I was before and suddenly I smell it. Amber and pine with a hint of tinniness. Blood. I stop immediately and survey the forest ground below me.?Seeing nothing, I draw my blade.

I know something is down along the forest floor and I jump down, landing lightly on my feet. I spin my blade around me as I work my eyes through the shadows of the trees, looking for the source of the smell. A shiny brown wolf appears before me and sits. It tilts its head and whimpers. This is a pack wolf, I can tell by the healthy sheen of its coat. But it's not from this pack.

-Alpha. Visitor in the forest. I'll catch up- I link Wade.

A snap behind me has me spin just in time to avoid a large tan wolf with a black muzzle. I sigh in relief as it lands on the ground and turns to face me. It morphs into a gorgeous man with Ice-blue eyes and sandy hair. He grins as he storms over to me, embracing me in a massive hug. We stumble backward into a tree trunk, laughing.

"Liam!" I breathe.

He places one hand on the tree behind me and lifts his other to stroke my cheek. Our gazes lock and my breath hitches. Liam has always been someone who takes what he wants and lays claim to what is his. He had been that way with me once. Though, I refused him because of wanting to find my mate.

"My Ali." he smiles and leans in, placing his forehead against mine. "God, I've missed you"

A low growl emanates through the trees as Wade emerges from the shadows, looking massive and furious. I breathe in sharply as I take him in. His deep green henley has its sleeves rolled up, revealing bulging forearms. His jeans hug him just right in every way. The rising sun shines through, landing right on top of his head, casting a glow that makes him look like an angel. Was he dressed like this all morning? because Damn, it's suddenly feeling like a tiny forest. "Why does your pack member smell like blood?" I ask Liam.

"You always did have the best nose, Babe." He says and Wade tenses at my side.

"Babe?" he whispers, looking down at me.

"He calls every woman Babe" I shrug.

"This is Ada," Liam states, pointing to the wolf. She nods at us. But she doesn't change form. “We had a run-in with some rogues on your pack borders. They just hang out around the line, it seems?" "Yes, when they aren't attacking us," Wade says.

"Well, I'm Liam." He says, stepping forward and shaking hands with Wade.

"Wade. And it appears you are familiar with my guardian, Ali."

Liam smiles wide again, his perfect teeth on full display.Property © of NôvelDrama.Org.

"Oh yeah, I'm familiar," he answers suggestively. "Well, shall we head to training, then? Once I see them spar, I can get an idea of who is worth training and how long it will take for them to be any good." "Sounds good," I chime in before Wade has the chance.

I reach out and touch Wade's hand momentarily. He visibly relaxes and glances at me, offering a reserved smile, and my heart falls. I don't need to be in his head to know he is hurting somehow. I use my healing hand to take his pains and that's when his leg pain becomes mine again. He had been controlling his pain much better since detoxing and I had forgotten that it still causes him such grief.

Wade jerks his hand away and lengthens his stride, putting distance between us. He has never fought me on sharing this pain before. And after taking even just a tiny portion, I can tell that his run had caused it to flare up. He catches up quickly to Liam and both men walk side by side, looking tense and large. Wade works to hide his limp, and it hits me. He doesn't want to seem weak in front of Liam. Wade is jealous.

"Your Ali?" He says, raising an angered brow and tossing a pair of shorts at Liam, who I didn't even realize was stark n*ked. I peek at him as he steps back to pull on his shorts, and he sends me a lvstful smirk. I immediately walk over and stand next to Wade, where I belong.