The Alpha's Guardian

Ali POV

"Alpha, I really think we need someone to come and train the warriors." Kane pleads.

Wade frowns at the paper in his hand and looks over at me thoughtfully. He looks like he might actually say something, but he thinks better of it and looks over the paper again. Francis and Sammy have left the pack for a vacation. An odd time to leave if

me, but it's not my place to question the Beta of the pack.

you ask

Since then Wade and Kane have taken to training the warriors of the pack. I provide input but my task is not to train. My task is to protect the alpha, so at almost every training I sit near him and I either watch or I train myself with my weapons. They have a few promising warriors, but the rest are awful. What they really need is a solid trainer.

"Ali," Wade says, looking at me once again.

"No." I shake my head, knowing what he is going to say. "No, I have a mission. Your safety. I can hardly keep you safe if I am focusing on training warriors while you leave pack lands looking to meet for allies." "Then what can I do?" he asks, rubbing his hand over his face.

Now that he detoxed from the poison, his mind is functioning at full capacity. The pack is running more smoothly. The rogues haven't attacked us since the ceremony, which was over a week ago. "You do what Kane suggested. You find someone willing to come and train your warriors while we try to track down the Rogue King."

"I don't like the idea of a stranger coming to train our warriors."

"We need someone who can do it. I am not a good trainer." Kane reassures him. "And you don't even know when Francis is coming back from his babymoon,"

Both men's eyes dart to me slightly bulged. I'm not sure why they think it is a big deal for me to know that Francis and Sammy are having a pup. I don't find the news upsetting for any reason.

"You need to call around," I say to them. Glossing over their misstep in the conversation, "Most warrior packs love to show off how amazing they are and willingly send their best warriors to train,"

"I have a few Alpha friends I can reach out to," Wade says giving in finally.

Frustration and embarrassment enter my mind as I look closer at Wade. He looks exhausted. His eyes are dark and I can feel his fogginess. His barriers are failing mentally.

"Kane, anything else you want to add?"

"Nope. As long as we are looking for someone else to take overtraining, I have nothing else to report."

"You're dismissed then," Wade says, picking up his phone and scrolling through it.

"Link me if you need anything else, Alpha," Kane says and leaves.

Once the door closes, I walk over and sit in the chair across the desk from him. I place my sword across my lap so I can sit more comfortably.

"Do you have any leads on who you might reach out to?"

"I have a few. I'm going to reach out now via text and then we will wait," he says, scrolling through his phone.

"You should really try to get some rest while you wait for a response."

"Nah, I'm fine," he says waving me off.

"Alpha, I can feel your exhaustion. You need to get some rest." I say sternly.

There is a moment of silence and then he puts his phone down, leaning back, and heaves a big sigh. He looks at me, his eyes looking lost and tired.

"Does it get any easier?" he whispers

"Does what get any easier?" I ask him, confused.

"The bond. The heaviness of the mental barrier." he pushes away from his desk and stands slowly. His biceps flex, pulling at the confines of his blue button-up shirt. Following the line of his arm, I find myself drawn to his sculpted shoulders and the broad expanse of a chest where his buttons are begging for salvation from the terrible strain of holding the line. I look up and I can see his lips moving, but the words don't register as I get lost in his facial expressions. He is animated and talking with sad eyes. This is something I should probably listen to. I pull myself back to reality, mentally slapping myself for allowing such distractions to draw my attention.

"-It just feels like it's getting harder." He finishes.

Wade looks at me for answers. I can feel him struggling with the barrier, and I understand it. It can be taxing to have a barrier up all the time. I breathe out heavily and walk over to him. Offering him an encouraging smile, I reach out and cup his cheeks in my hands. The tingles hit me like a live wire, and I have to force my face to stay stoic. He is right. The bond is only getting stronger, more addictive. Even for me.

"No." He says.

His eyes find mine as he reaches up and clasps my hand in his. Slowly, removing them from his cheeks, and stepping closer. His chest is flush to mine. He closes his eyes and breathes deeply. I can see the disappointment in the lines of his weary face, but he says nothing.

"Alpha?" I question after a moment passes with no movement from either of us.

"I don't need you to carry my weight for me, Ali." He opens his eyes and I tilt my head, confused.

"I can take some of your exhaustion."?I try to explain.

"No. I don't need you to do that. I just need your presence. It calms my mind when you are this close."

He releases one of my hands and turns my other one over. Palm facing up. He slowly teases his fingers along the creases of it gently. The slight pressure tickles as the sparks erupt and quickly trickle up to my chest. The past week has been filled with tedious work for him and an insane amount of tension for me. This moment, these sparks are a stark reminder of why.

I am still angry with him, but it's hard to keep a distance when my only job is to be near him. Slowly, I extract my hand from his grasp, hating how quickly the tingles fade to nothing. I can see his disappointment at my retreat, but I have to keep reminding myself tha this is just a job. HE is just a mission. He is the last hurdle keeping me from my true mate.

"I am always close, Alpha," I say with assurance.

He clears his throat and takes a step back.

"Your touch. The sparks, bring a sense of calm over me. That's all." He says, schooling his face. He now looks as stoic as I'm pretending to be.

"You should go get some rest."?I encourage him softly.

"Yeah, probably for the best. You can step out and wait by the door. I'll make a few phone calls. Perhaps I can get faster responses that way. Hell, maybe I can get someone here tomorrow to start training." He says, moving over to his desk and sitting back down. He doesn't look up at me as I move around the front of his desk and head for the door. As I pull the door closed, I hear him greet someone on the phone.

"Alpha Jason," he says with a low chuckle, that I will never admit does things to me.

I wait outside his door for the better part of an hour. I can feel his exhaustion more and more with each passing minute. His barriers are down and every now and then, I get a wave of anger or frustration from him. The amount of time it's taking and the emotions he is emitting are telling me that things are not going well.

Reaching into my pocket, I pull out my phone and stare at it for a moment. Is it unprofessional to reach out to my boss and ask him to suggest some packs for aid? I've never asked for his help before. Would he think Alpha Wade is weak if I am the one asking for him? I dial Samuel's number and wait for his voice.

"Ali," he says, amused.

"Samuel, I have a favor to ask."

There is a pause.

"Oh, and what favor would you want from me?" I can hear how much he relishes this.Têxt belongs to NôvelDrama.Org.

"I need a lead on Alphas who would train warriors in this pack. Preferably starting tomorrow."

"Ali, it's 8 pm. No one would travel through the night to be there tomorrow."

"Then as soon as possible," I say sternly.

"Is your Alpha not capable of finding his own replacement?"

"No, that's not what this is about. My Alpha is under duress and it's my job to ease it. This is me doing my job, Samuel. The job YOU sent me here to do."?I say with force.

He sighs heavily into the line.

"Fine. I'll see what I can do."?He sighs.

"Also, maybe make sure it doesn't seem like I did this?" I ask sweetly. Samuel chuckles lightly.

"You never make anything easy. Someone will be in touch with your Alpha soon."

Another 10 minutes go by and finally I sigh in relief when the Alpha's tension seems to lessen, and he exits the doors. He looks at me for a moment and silently ascends the stairs to our rooms. He stops at his door and looks back at me. "Alpha Liam will be here tomorrow morning."

I freeze at the sound of his words, and my heart palpitates.

"A-alpha Liam? Of the Red Star Pack?" I try to keep my anxiety to myself.

Wade Nods and enters his room, shutting the door, leaving me staring at the void in the hallway. Alpha Liam. My Liam. My first mission, the one that broke my heart when I was forced to leave his side. Fvck. I never expected to see him again.