The Alpha's Guardian

We crash through the thick brush until we find the small cement building. It is overrun with weeds and vines of ivy that creep up its outer walls. The entire area is overgrown and unkempt. Wild weeds sway in the small breeze that tickles my nose with various scents of musky building and wild vegetation. To the left is a crumbled brick well with a broken crank that would have once been used to pull water from the well. Weathered boards lay loosely across the top, acting as a weak barrier. I put my hands on my hip and spin around, trying to understand how this place could be the new well. When I heard about the new well, I had expected something newer. Not this abandoned shed.

"This is it?" I ask, unsure if I believe them.

"Yep."

"Who is in charge of it?"

"How would we know? We are omega kids." Mason says, annoyed. I smirk, knowing all too well he is hungry and angry. I reach into my hoodie pocket and toss a granola bar I had been hoarding at him. He quickly puts his hand out and catches it in midair. My eyes widened slightly at his reflexes. He could be a warrior with the right training.

"Grump," I mutter as I walk towards the building. I open the door and I'm immediately slapped in the face by the smell of pansy. I scrunch my nose as the sour scent swirls around me.

"Oh damn. What is that smell?" Mason whines.

"It's Pansy."

"Like the yellow weed? I don't recall them smelling like this." Robin asks and I smirk. She seems to know more than she lets on.

"Yes, but this smell is when they are steeped in liquid for an extended period. It's a poison for wolves."

"Like wolfsbane?" Mason chimes in,This text is © NôvelDrama/.Org.

"Uh. kind of though this isn't nearly as fatal. It disorients the wolf."

"And you are thinking that this is why all the wolves have been acting crazy and gaining control over their human forms," Robin says, connecting dots I hadn't even noticed I had been laying out. "That is exactly what I'm thinking. I thought maybe it was an accident. It was in Alphas tea this morning."

"I don't understand why anyone would want him to lose control," Robin says, thinking hard.

"I bet it was Tramp Trudy." Mason chirps in. I struggle to keep my composure at his nickname for the alpha's girlfriend, it's freaking perfect.

"What makes you say that?"

"Um... because she is a tramp?" Mason misunderstands my question.

"No, I mean, why do you think she did it?"

“Oh, easy. If a wolf is in control, he wants to mate or fight. If he isn't in control while they are, uh, doing mating stuff, then he could lose control and mark her.” he shrugs.

"Wow, Mase. That was actually somewhat smart."

"Thanks, sis," He says through a wolfish grin.

I shake my head and trudge forward through the dark hallway, using our phones as flashlights. Mason has a point. Trudy very well could be a part of the equation, but she isn't the answer, not just her anyway. She has a wolf. The pansy would also affect her. This means if she is responsible, she has to have a human or an omega helping her.

We finally make it to the office and I'm surprised to find the tiny room tidy. There is a small metal desk where a plush chair sits on tiny caster wheels. The computer screen is on, so someone has to be here somewhere. I crane my head around looking for the person who should be here at their desk.

"Hello?" I call out, expecting no response, so I'm not surprised when one doesn't come. "It's the middle of the workday so someone should be here," I mutter while walking to the desk.

"Maybe they are on a bathroom break?" Mason asks.

"Can I help you?" a voice says from behind me.

I turn to see a very tall lanky looking man, maybe in his mid-twenties. His face is gaunt and his eyes look sad. If he had a little more meat on his bones, he would be an attractive man, but instead, he looks sickly. I tilt my head looking him over, his dark deep-set eyes reddened as if from crying.

"Frank!" Robin says, smiling brightly. He turns to face her, but the pain stays at the forefront of his mind.

"What are you doing here?" he asks, his voice coming off harsh and menacing.

"Ok, rude!" Mason says, walking over to him. The man rubs his face roughly with his calloused hands and looks at Mason.

"Sorry. I'm just going through some stuff." Mason reaches out and gives the man a big hug.

"Ok, introductions please,” I say, looking down at my watch. I'm running out of time before the ceremony.

"Oh, right." Mason turns to me, looking proud. "This is Frank! He was our older brother's best friend."

I stare at Mason and look from frank to robin hoping maybe someone will give me the explanation that is clearly needed. The word choice that Mason used is past tense, insinuating that either there was a falling out or their brother died. After a moment of awkward staring, I roll my eyes and ask the question.

"Was?"

"Jacob went missing some time ago," Robin said, staring at the ground.

"He is dead, Robin," Mason growls.

"We don't know that," Frank says his eyes are soft as he offers Robin what little comfort he can.

"Nice to meet you, Frank," I say, looking for a topic change as the room now feels a little too heavy for my liking. "Look, I don't have much time, so I'm going to jump right in. Someone has been poisoning the water supply with pansy."

"That's not possible," he says, his eyes wide. He clearly didn't know based on his reaction.

"Can't you smell the sour smell?" I ask.

"Frank lost his sense of smell years ago," Robin says, looking at me. This is an interesting note.

"Frank, you are also an omega then?" I ask, and he looks away in shame, only nodding his head in acknowledgment.

"There is nothing shameful about being an omega," Mason says, clearly irritated by Frank's reaction to the question.

Suddenly, Frank doubles over in pain. He screams out in agony, all three of us running to his side. There is no physical ailment as I look him over, confused. I touch his head and his eyes snap open at my touch. Our gaze locks on each other and where I once saw sorrow and pain, I now see agonizing heartbreak. His eyes are begging me to stop the pain, to make it go away. But I know what this is, and it's not a pain I can stop. My stomach boils as a feeling of deep-seated anguish washes over me.

I lift my hands, looking at them curiously. I hadn't touched Frank, so I am certain this pain is my own. It is foreign and confusing. Frank's heart-wrenching cry pulls me from my own musings and looks at him once more.

"Frank. Who is your mate?" I ask him softly. He sobs as he shakes his head no. "Frank! who is your mate!" I demand as I grab his shoulders and give him a shake.

"What are you doing? What is happening?" Robin shrieks as she frets over her friend.

"His mate is mating with someone else," I say, simply looking at him with pity.

"What? who would do that?" Robin says, standing in a fury.

"Trudy," Frank whispers softly as the pain takes over, and he passes out. His appearance makes sense now. He is wasting away as his mate's bond with her is still in place and she continues to sleep with others. "I'm going to kill that stupid bitch," Robin says and spins on her heel. Mason makes a move to run after her, but I stop him by grabbing his arm.

"Mason, stay," I say standing "I will go with her, I have some questions for the Luna-wanna-be.”