Guardians Of The Shifters (19 page)

“Yes Caleb.”

Do you think they’ll go along with it?”

“Which part?”

“About us dating one of them.”

I thought for a minute. “We won’t know until we meet with them next. I know they want to stop the fighting just as much as we do.”

He gave me a bland look. “I wouldn’t be too sure about that.”

I tipped my head to the side. “Please, do tell.”

“I don’t really know. There is just something about that girl. There is something in her eyes that enjoys the fight. With a look like that, something tells me that she won’t give up the fighting so easily. The others might, but her…I’m not so sure.”

Yes, I saw that too. I sat back in the uncomfortable chair and lost myself to my thoughts. I’ve noticed a lot of things about her and the hunger for the fights danced in the depths of her eyes. It might take longer than that to convince them.

I agree with my mother a hundred percent. I was ready to put this fighting shit behind us. It might not be Cora herself that hungers for the fight, it might be the hybrid inside her that does. After all, she is a descendent from Levi. I looked back at my friend.

“Let’s head out and back to the fort and talk to our people.”

“Alright.”

One by one, the guys around me shuffled out of the room. I stayed behind a little longer to douse out the oil lamps. I briefly closed my eyes and in that small moment, a flash of amethyst eyes danced across my closed lids.

I smiled to myself as I walked out of the room, down the rusty old stairs and out the doors of the warehouse. Cora was a puzzle, a mystery that I was all too willing to figure out. Caden may already have her, but if it came down to it, I’ll fight him to the death to have her hand. The last man standing wins and I’m determined to win. Cora is worth winning and so much more.

                                       Chapter 4: CORA

I was glad to be out of the musty building and away from Ash and his people. I just couldn’t believe that he suggested that my people and his people get together. There was no way that the other guardians and shifters would go for it. He had to be out of his freaking mind. My head was still spinning as we left the warehouse behind us and stopped at an outside restaurant to get something to eat.

My stomach was in knots and I wasn’t even sure if I’d be able to eat anything. I sat in a chair next to Caden. He grabbed my hand and with his thumb, he traced small, soothing circles on the back of my hand. I vaguely looked at the menu and ordered water and a small burger while the guys ordered a heaping plate of food. Good to know that they still had an appetite. I took one bite of the burger and pushed my plate away. That one bite felt like stones in the pit of my stomach.

“I can’t believe he would suggest something like that.” I found myself saying. “I don’t think the others will go for it.”

“They might.” Kevin said.

“If it means peace.” Caden finished.

“Yeah, but it’s just-.”

“Wrong.” Caden cut in. “We don’t have to decide anything yet. We have a month to talk to our friends and see what they have to say. If they decide not to go along with it, then we will find another way.”

“There might not be another way.”

We both looked at Kevin and from the look on his face, had the hope inside me about finding another way, shriveled up and died. From the look on his face I could tell that he was agreeing to what Ash suggested. Right then and there, I knew that Kevin had already made up his mind on the matter.

Of course it was easy for him to decide, he was raised by them. I wanted to reach over and slap some sense into him. I leaned forward and lowered my voice.

“You need to pick a side, you can’t have it both ways.”

He slammed his hands on the table. “I’m trying to help our people!”

“By siding with them?” I questioned.

Kevin and I stared each other down. The fire within him danced dangerously in his eyes, triggering my own hybrid side. I could start to feel the fire in me start to make its way towards the surface. Caden noticed the tension between us and put his hand on my shoulder. That small touch kept my hybrid side at bay, well at least for now.

“You two need to calm down.” Caden was saying. “Let’s go back to Kevin’s and talk this through.”

“Fine!” Kevin and I said in unison.

Kevin and I both stood at the same time, never taking our eyes off each other and if looks could kill, we’d both be dead. Caden had to walk in between us, but that still didn’t keep us from glaring at each other. I wanted to find a different way to finally be safe and Kevin wanted to mix species. Fuck that, I won’t let our people be diluted. Although, I just may not have a say in the end when it comes down to it.

I grumbled to myself as we made our way back to Kevin’s. It was more like a string of curses that I was saying under my breath. I kicked a stray pebble and watched as it rolled a few feet ahead of us. Occasionally, I would glance over at Kevin. His hands were shoved deep in his pockets, I knew he could feel my eyes on him but he never looked up, his eyes continued to stare at the ground as we walked.

He needs to understand why I’m having a hard time agreeing with Ash. It wasn’t because Ash is
extremely
good looking. I just can’t help but to think that if we did mix, and if they had kids, that those kids would be assassin/shifters and then our whole race would be screwed.

There wouldn’t be anything more dangerous than a shifter gone assassin. I wasn’t willing to take that risk and he shouldn’t be either. As soon as we were in Kevin’s house, I rounded on him.

“I can’t take the risk of our races mixing.”

“What would be so bad about it?” He spat back. “We are half human you know.”

“It’s not that Kevin.”

“Then what is it?”

“What if Ash want’s to mix our races just to have stronger assassins, ones that are able to shift too?”

He sputtered. “Are you freaking serious?” He stared at me a little longer until he broke out laughing. “You really are paranoid.”

“What?”

“You heard me. Just admit it Cora, you don’t want our people to mix because you don’t want to stop fighting. Hell, you hunger for it. I can see it in your eyes.” He stepped closer. “You’re an adrenalin, fighting junky. Maybe that old lady was right, maybe we are all better off dead.” He paused and looked me over. “Well, one of us anyway.”

My eyes widened when I realized what he was getting at. “Why you little…!” I didn’t finish my sentence because I lunged at him.

                     Chapter 5: CORA

I punched Kevin so hard in the mouth that his head snapped back, taking the rest of his body with it and falling to the floor hard. He laid sprawled out and looked a little dazed. He slowly pushed himself up onto his elbows and looked at me. His lip was split in the middle and blood ran down his chin, dripping onto his blue t-shirt.

I stood my ground as he got to his feet. He wiped the blood off his chin and wiped the crimson smear on his pants. The only warning he gave was a smile before he came at me with his arms swinging. His fist connected with the side of my chin, snapping my head to the side, a crack echoed through the house. I didn’t know if it was my jaw that broke or if it was my neck that cracked. In all honesty, I didn’t care, the only thing that I cared about was the fact that I was finally able to fight.

Once I recovered from the hit, I kicked out with my foot and caught him in the stomach. As he doubled over, I brought my elbow down on the center of his back, causing him to fall on his stomach. I went to curb stomp him, but he grabbed my foot and yanked me down.

I fell hard on my ass and I think my tail bone cracked. Kevin crawled up the length of my body until I was flat on my back. He pressed his forearm against my throat. I brought my hands up to gouge out his eyes but he pressed his arm harder on my throat and that’s when I felt the fire.

It rushed through me so fast that the force of it threw Kevin off me. He was thrown to the other side of the room, crashing into the wall. I was on my feet heading towards him when I felt hands on my shoulders trying to hold me back. I tried to shake off the hands as Kevin came to his feet with fire pulsing around his body.

All I wanted was to wrap my hands around Kevin’s skinny neck and choke the life out of him. I tried to shake the hands off me again. This time the hands fell away, but a body stood between me and my intended target.

“Enough! Both of you, you’re going to end up killing each other.”

I halted in my attack against Kevin and turned my amber tinted gaze to Caden. I stood there staring at him, I made a move to step around him but he stepped back in my way.

“Cora?” I heard the warning in his voice. “I said enough!”

I knew that I should heed his warning, but I couldn’t make the hybrid part of me settle back down. I was ready for a fight and I didn’t care who I fought with. My lips tipped up in a twisted smile.

I struck out with my fist but didn’t make contact. Caden was no longer standing in front of me. Before I could turn around, I felt something heavy connect with the back of my head. I fell forward as darkness surrounded me.

                        Chapter 6: ASH

The big, white mansion loomed in front of me. Every light in the house was on. The green grass and cobble stone path was illuminated, making it easier to walk up to the door. This house was pretty much our base of operation because it was so huge. It has also been in my family for as long as I can remember. An ancestor acquired it some two hundred years ago. I mean yeah, we had to do some fixing up and repaint it, but all in all, it was a nice place.

A little over fifty people lived here. Thank god there was enough room for all of us, I wasn’t really one to turn our people away. The hard part about living in a place this size with so many people, was keeping it clean and keeping food stocked.

I stood on the path, staring up at the house with its old black shutters, floor to ceiling windows, double French doors and unique outside lighting fixtures. The house would swallow you whole if you’d let it. The front doors opened, spilling yet more light on the path. My cousin stood there, a little surprised to see me back so soon.

“Ah Ash, you’re back.”

“Yes.” I said as I walked up the gray stone steps.

“How did it go with the hybrids?”

“They agreed to talk with their people.”

“Really? Just talk?”

I pinched the bridge of my nose already annoyed of him. “That’s all anyone can really do Jon, it’s not like we or they can force them.”

“But forcing is so much more fun.”

I looked him over. “Of course you would say that or think it for that matter.”

He chuckled. “Perhaps that hybrid girl thinks the same way as me. I’ve seen her fight you know. I think we’d make a great couple…what’s say you cousin?”

I tried to keep the anger from building up and spilling out at the mention of Jon even thinking about Cora that way. He’ll die before he ever has a chance to touch her. Better yet, I could always arrange for Cora to take him out. That’s the only way he’ll ever touch her.

I smiled to myself as I walked in the house, earning myself a confused look from him. I ignored his words as I continued my way inside. I walked past the double glass doors to the ballroom that we now use for a training room, past the spacious living room with its tan carpet and white drapes.

I headed towards the second kitchen. That’s where everyone most likely was because it was the biggest kitchen that could sit everyone that lived here. As I suspected, each and every table was occupied. The conversation ceased to exist once I entered the room. I waited until the sounds of forks scraping plates stopped and waited until every pair of eyes were on me before I spoke.

“After you all are done eating, I’m calling a meeting. We will meet in the grand sitting room.”

With that, I turned on my heel and walked back the way I came. Instead of going straight for the sitting room, I made a short cut and hopped in the elevator that would take me straight to my room. Back in the day, this elevator was used for sending food up to the room. Now I just use it to make a fast retreat to my room.

Once the elevator stopped, I lifted up the door and stepped out, pushing the button for it to go back down. My room was the biggest one in the mansion.