Guarded Hearts

Author's note:

All characters and companies mentioned in this story have no existence outside the imagination of the author, and have no relation whatsoever to anyone or anything bearing the same name or names. Events portrayed in this story are pure invention and have not been based on any events that have happen in real life. All the characters involved in any sexual acts if their ages are not mentioned before hand; are over 18 years of age. Enjoy.

Hi everyone.

Happy new year everyone, here is the last chapter of Guarded Hearts, I hope you enjoy it, even if I know I am going to get mad mail because of it. Everything happens for a reason.

As normal thanks goes to my awesome editor KittyHawk and to you the readers, all comments and feedback is welcome.

Have Fun

PS... Keep an eye out for the next story in the twists of fate series Split in time.

*

The protesting squeal of tires had them all turning, the same car used in both the drive by and the hit and run came roaring down the street. In slow motion, Electra dropped the paper she had been holding and went for her gun. Before she could move, the rapid fire of an automatic gun rang loudly.

Maria turned and lunged, knocking Eric to the ground. Nathanael pushed Ester and Lionel down and covered them with his body. Ghost watched in horror as bullets rained down upon an unprotected Katie.

"KATIE!" Ghost cried as he watched her go down.

Electra ignored her gun and focused throwing a globe of darkness around the car. If the fools valued their lives they would stop, if not... well she honestly didn't care. She reached back and grabbed her gun racing into the street; she pointed it at the globe, which had come screeching to a halt. She glanced over to see if everyone was all right.

Ghost had jumped over the car and was cradling Katie in his arms, one hand pressed tightly to the bleeding hole in her chest. Tears streamed down his face as he realised that history was repeating on him. "NATHANAEL!" he yelled hoping beyond hope that the man who had put him back together could fix his beloved Katie.

Nathanael raced to Ghost and knelt ready to do what he could. Katie opened her eyes and coughed up blood. "Ghost," she said gently.

He leant down to hear her better; if these were her last words, he would not miss them.

"Don't... run... away..." She said between gasps, "Live... for... me..." She felt the cold creeping into her limbs and knew the end was near. "I... will... return..." She moved his hand to her necklace. "Yours... now..." Her vision started to fade. "Love... you..." she said, and then she was gone.

Ghost was still for a moment; his heart... his soul felt like a huge chunk had been torn from it. Losing Snow... that had been a walk in the park compared to losing Katie. He hadn't bonded to Snow, hadn't bound their souls and hearts together as he had with Katie. The pain... was indescribable. He pulled Katie's still body to his chest and rocked her as tears poured down his face.

Nathanael reached for his phone, but in the confusion, it had been damaged beyond use. "Maria... call Amy... get her here NOW."

Maria fumbled for her phone trying to keep pressure on Eric's wounded shoulder. She thought she had been quick but he had still been hurt, however if she hadn't pushed him down he would be dead. She got her phone out and hit speed dial 1, Amy's number.

"Maria... time to come home?" Amy asked in a friendly tone.

"Get here now," Maria said, shrugging out of her blouse to use it to stem the flow of blood from Eric's shoulder.

"What's wrong?" Amy asked.

"I don't know..." Maria glanced up. "Nathanael..." She called and lobbed the phone at him.

Nathanael caught the phone and brought it to his ear, "Amy get here now, bring every immortal you can get." He hung up and raced to the SUV to get sedatives, he knew that if they didn't get a handle on Ghost's grief now before it turned to rage, this town could very well be demolished before midday.

Amy appeared a few minutes later, Wolfgang, Tarval, Alanna, Sage, Vivian, Rhiannon, Mayhem, Jesse and Bastion with her and glanced around wondering what was going on. They walked forward ignoring Maria and going to Nathanael as he was the one who wanted them here. "What's going on?" Amy asked.

"Ghost, if we don't..." Nathanael started to say.

Everyone turned to Ghost and saw him cradling Katie, Amy's eyes picked up the bite marks on Katie's neck and her already pale skin went paler. "No..." She said pained, this was not fair on Ghost, he had a right to live and love his soul mate yet twice she had been torn from his arms before he could save her.

Sage growled and turned to the globe of darkness, which held the men who had done this.

"Sage," Wolfgang said firmly. "They will face the system," he told her. He glanced looking for a more level-headed person to go and restrain the men. "Rhiannon, Vivian, can you go and restrain those men, I fear if one of us goes near them we'll end up killing them."

Both women nodded, cable ties appearing in their hands and they approached the globe. Electra focused and the globe restricted and broke into smaller globes, keeping the men's heads in darkness, only when the men were restrained did Electra remove the globes.

All the immortal Were moved, putting themselves between Ghost and the men which had taken his mate's life. Nathanael moved in carefully, he hoped to sedate Ghost before the rage took hold of him. If it did all the sedatives in the world wouldn't knock him out, not when his rage was driven by grief.

Just as he got to Ghost, he knew he was too late; Ghost trembled, growling almost silently. The rage had come on slowly but it had still come. He wanted blood, he wanted to tear the throats out of the men who had done this to him, had stripped him of his mate, had stripped him of a life he had wanted, a life with her, loving her, protecting her.

He jerked his head up, his eyes were yellow, his wolf was frothing at the mouth, he wanted to bite, to tear, to kill. They gently put their mate down on the ground, their minds joined in their grief, their pain and their rage.

Before anyone could blink, a massive black Wolf hybrid stood before them, his lips pulled back from his deadly gleaming white teeth, growling a warning for them to get out of his way. When they didn't move he snarled and approached them, he didn't care if he had to hurt these people to get what he wanted. Tarval and Sage spread their wings trying to hide the men from Ghost's hate filled eyes, hoping that by removing them from his sight he would calm. No such luck, it had the opposite effect.

He studied the line and went after the smallest of the group, Amy, assuming that she would be the weakest link. He rushed her and swung his mighty right paw, raking his claws across Amy's face. She turned her head with the blow but didn't move; she turned her head back to keep her eyes on him. The whites of her eyes glowed an almost startling green as blood gushed from the four furrows carved into her face, her blue irises drank in the green light, slowly changing the colour and making them appear silver, making them look otherworldly.

As Ghost went to bowl her over he was suddenly face to chest with a creature much bigger then he was. Amy braced herself for his attack, wrapping her arms around him as he collided with her body. She lifted him up as his claws raked at her back and sides. The others had shifted and moved in to help, except for Rhiannon and Vivian who were still dealing with the guys from the car and Tarval and Sage who stood back being a final line of defence if Ghost managed to get pass the others. Amy slammed him into the ground and everyone piled up on top of him, pinning him to the ground.

He growled and thrashed beneath the bodies, scratching and biting anything in reach. No one loosened their holds. When police cars showed up Rhiannon and Vivian bundled their bound men into the cars. "Get them gone... go a county over and lock them up there, get them far away from here." Vivian said before she turned and watched the struggling pile up. The officers instantly obeyed seeing the struggling group of massive Were trying to restrain one person.

A solution came to her mind but Amy would be pissed if she just did it.

Amy.

Vivian said into her mind.

His rage is building not abating.

I know... can you do that emotion removal thing you normally do.

Amy asked.

Have you tried?

Vivian asked but already knew the answer, Amy had tried but had failed or not done it right as it took time to learn that kind of control. Nothing would work on him in his current state, although...

We can't calm him... maybe... Serenity can.

She suggested hesitantly, Amy was very protective of her children.

Amy considered it for a moment,

that may work.

She said giving Vivian the go-ahead.

Vivian vanished and reappeared with Serenity. Serenity watched the pile up her head tilted, her eyes filled with tears and her little fists clinched, she was torn between the rage and sorrow she felt emanating from Ghost. She took a deep breath and shook her little body, ridding herself of Ghost's emotions. She closed her eyes and took several deep breaths.

Serenity lived up to her name in both manner and ability, she had only experimented with what she could do, but never had she worked on such a troubled mind. She had relaxed her parents, calmed them down when they were slightly stressed, took away Mayhem's anxiety when she first came to the manor, helped Haley when he was frightened. She focused on one thought that she could do this, if she doubted herself... she would fail.

As Serenity approached the heaving mass, Tarval moved from his defensive position beside Sage and came to walk beside the little girl; if Ghost got free, he would get her out of the way. She studied the mass for a moment as her mind focused on Ghost. "Hold his leg still please." She asked glancing to Tarval, normally she didn't have to touch some one to calm them but his thoughts were so focused on his rage that she needed physical touch to make a good connection. Tarval nodded and did as she asked pinning one of his thrashing legs. Sage grabbed the other to keep it from kicking Serenity while she worked.

Serenity touched Ghost's leg and closed her eyes, focusing on a thought, a memory of her own, one of quiet and peacefulness; she implanted that memory in the front of Ghost's mind. That peacefulness only lasted a moment before the rage made it shatter, she frowned and tried again but again it was shattered.

"It works then it stops." She said aloud turning to Vivian.

"Try one of his memories." Vivian suggested.

Serenity shook her head she had the distinct feeling that that would only make things worse, much worse. "Find me a focus... something of hers." She nodded to Katie's body.

Rhiannon nodded and raced over to Katie's body, she studied her quickly but thoroughly looking for something Serenity could focus on, something Serenity could use. She carefully removed Katie's necklace and raced it over to Serenity.

Serenity reached out with her free hand, wrapped her little hand around the pendant, and smiled. "Perfect." She closed her eyes, her mind focused on the pendant and its complex series of knots. She then let the pendant with its knots fill Ghost's mind.

His mind recognised the design and his rage calmed a little. She let the knots spread and they started to glow, burning away the rage, destroying the hate and the guilt. When he started to still she brought the memory back that she had tried earlier and this time the knots held it in place.

He stopped fighting those above him, no one spoke, no one was willing the break Serenity's concentration in fear his rage would come back ten fold.

*

Ghost and his wolf glanced around the small meadow; the grass was covered with early morning dew. Light shone gently on the meadow turning the dew into shimmering bits of light. It was a magical place. "Where am I?" He said and turned to his Wolf who was just as confused as neither could remember this place. He was also a little confused; the only time he and his wolf could be together like this was in the darkness of his mind... at least... he thought that was the only time this could happen.

"It's a meadow near my home." Serenity said appearing before the man and the wolf. Ghost knelt to be on an equal level with the little girl.

"Who are you?" He asked.

"Serenity... and I know your name, Ghost." She told him.

"Are you doing this?" He asked confused.

She nodded, "This is yours." She told him and held out her closed hand, he held out his hand to accept whatever she held. She opened her hand and the pendant dropped into his hand.

He suddenly felt like he had been sucker punched as his mind focused on the pendant, he lost his balance and landed on his behind. It was Katie's... was... she was dead... he hadn't been fast enough again. His anger and grief came back.

Serenity approached him and rested a hand on his shoulder. He growled and moved away, he didn't want comfort, he didn't deserve it, he hadn't been fast enough. His love was gone again, he was alone, only this time it was worse. It was as if someone had taken a red-hot razor to his soul and cut it into a million pieces, a million shreds that would never go back the way it was before.

His Wolf limped over to him, even though he was not physically hurt he felt as if he had been hurt badly. When he was near his human half he sat, threw his head back and howled a long mournful note, calling out his grief to the heavens. His howl went unanswered, his head went down, his ears went back and if he could have cried, he would.

Serenity approached Ghost again. This time he let her touch him; he simply didn't care anymore. "Nathanael..." She said as she sat before him. He focused his attention completely on her as it made the pain more bearable if he didn't think about Katie. "He has watched two mates come and go..." She said. "I'm sure he didn't tell you, he doesn't like to talk about it." She plucked a blade of grass. "Every now and again I feel his fear, he fears losing her, his current mate, but he also accepts that he will lose her but he knows that she will always return to him. She will go through as many cycles of life as she needs in order to learn life's lessons, to be able to cope with immortality. Eventually when she does become immortal they will live together for the rest of time and he will never have to fear losing her again."

He watched her disbelievingly. "But she wasn't Were when she died." He said.

She smiled, a little amused, "She wasn't Were when she first died either, yet there she was when you woke. Reincarnation isn't restricted to those who are Were, Ghost. Everyone reincarnates whether they are Human, Were, Ancient, Folk, Fae, Elemental, Complicated, Vampire, all souls do."

She stood. "She will return to you. My great grandfather told me that Immortality is never an easy life. Those who become immortal are chosen; chosen because they can cope with the trials and the misery of losing those they love and come to care about. However, you weren't raised to know this, this is all new to you and it's confusing. After everything you've been through trust doesn't come easy." She said with wisdom beyond her years.

She gestured him to stand and took his hand after he stood. "Come, I want to show you something." She started to walk off into the surrounding trees. "I'm not meant to come here, ma says I'm not old enough to deal with this place and she's right." She stopped. "Straight ahead, you'll come to a clearing with four stones, one at each compass point, and walk into the centre." She let his hand go and gestured for him to go. "I'll wait for you here."

"Is this real?" He asked as he glanced down to his wolf then back to her still a little confused but the little girl didn't frighten him and the wolf didn't see her as a threat, this whole place seemed... like... magic.

She shrugged, "That is up to you to decide." She sat on a fallen log and waited.

He took a deep breath and started to walk, his wolf walked as close as he could behind his human, curious as to what Serenity wanted to show them. They walked in silence for several long minutes before they came to the clearing that Serenity spoke of. All the background noise of the forest suddenly stopped as they walked into the centre of the stone compass. The pendant throbbed in his hand and the clearing was suddenly filled with light.

He blinked for long moments until his eyes came to focus on a woman... his Katie. Only it wasn't Katie. The woman smiled at him in welcome, long gossamer wings spread out behind her, her hair was white, her eyes a deep flawless black, she hovered, her feet only just above the ground.

"Who..." He started to say but she hushed him.

"Who I am doesn't matter... not now... at this moment." She answered hovering close to him and his wolf.

"Why?" He asked wanting to reach out and stroke her lightly sun kissed skin.

"I don't exist yet." She told him reaching out to stroke his face. "Be patient... I will come for you." She leant across to gently skim his lips with hers. "Do me a favour... live a full life... I want to hear stories of your adventures when I come back to you. I don't want to hear about you spending our time apart like you did last time."

He nodded mesmerised and a little shell-shocked.

"It's time for me to go and for you to return. Join Amy and Wolfgang's pack and you will never be alone in your struggles." She stepped back. "I love you; you are my soul and my heart. I will come for you." She hovered away from him and faded away.

The light left and he was left standing in the clearing, his wolf stood beside him, panting gently, his tail wagging. He sat and thought for long moments, wondering about the promise, the stranger had given him; that she would come, he would just have to wait. He closed his eyes and made a silent promise, next time he would be faster, he would protect her. His wolf nudged him and he slowly got to his feet, he no longer felt as if a chasm had opened within him but he still felt the ache, he could live with an ache.

They returned to the log on which Serenity sat. She smiled up at him. "So are you ready?"

"Ready for what?" He asked as he took her hand, he frowned as he noticed a tattoo on his forearm, which had previously been unblemished, a tattoo of Celtic knots.

"To go back," she said.

He frowned, "Go back where?"

"To your body," she answered as she stood.

"So that wasn't real?" he asked.

She smiled, "That was real, Fate's gift to you, a promise so to speak." She gestured around her, "All this, however, is my memory of a place I know. Although right now it is no less real than the actual place." They started to walk back to the first clearing.

"Is this what you really look like?" He asked beginning to think that maybe the little girl was a spirit guide or something.

"Why do you ask?" She said as she hopped onto a fallen tree and treated it like a balance beam.

"You seem too wise to be a child." He answered with a smile.

She chuckled, "I fall under the complicated category."

"Will you be there when I wake?" he asked helping her from the fallen tree.

She nodded as her feet hit the ground, a few minutes later they came back to the first clearing. She turned to him, "Take a deep breath and close your eyes. Don't fight anything. You are safe."

He nodded and closed his eyes taking that deep breath; he felt something shift in his mind. He felt weight on his body but he didn't fight it. Sometime during his mental journey with Serenity, his physical body had shifted back into his human form, his eyes opened and he went very still as his eyes focused on the biggest teeth he had ever seen before. They were attached to the biggest creature he had ever seen.