The Silver Guardian B. 01

Another big shout out and thank you to my amazing editor Tex Beethoven for doing such a fantastic job editing and polishing this chapter to where it is! Thank you Tex and you rock my friend!

Book 1

Chapter 5

Dante had just closed the passenger door on the Chevelle after helping Lily into the car and buckling in. He thought whimsically that she may have lost a truck the other day, but she had gained not only a souped-up car but also a full-time chauffeur. He walked around the front of the car to his side, opened the door and sat down.

Lily looked over at him and smiled radiantly, "I didn't say it earlier with everything going on, but this car is amazing! I love old cars, but I can't even

begin

to imagine the time and love you must have put into this one. What is it exactly?"

Dante smiled as he turned the key and the engine roared to life. Even from just the throaty rumble at idle, you could hear the power of the engine just waiting to be let loose. He glanced at Lily with a grin, "It's a 1969 Chevelle SS that I bought when I became emancipated at 16 from the orphanage. I spent all my spare time in high school and throughout my service in the Navy and Teams, rebuilding and modifying her. I only finished it up and drove her for the first time a little over 6 months ago right before I left Little Creek to start wandering. I'm glad you like it; I'm sure we'll spend plenty of time in it over the coming years together."

Lily beamed happiness at the mention of their being together for years down the road and agreed, "Yes we will, my love, I can't wait to experience everything with you!"

They drove back towards the wreck of her truck, passing it soon before making the 30+ minute drive to the compound inhabited by the Pack. Lily began fidgeting nervously until Dante looked a question at her.

She paused, took a deep breath and said rather quickly, "Dante, there's one thing more I need to tell you before we get there. I know I should have said something earlier, but I didn't know how to bring it up yesterday and didn't want to freak you out any more than you already had been. You know how I taught you the Pack structure? About the Omegas making up the bulk of the Pack, the Betas being the protectors and defenders of the Pack, and an Alpha mated pair that leads and protects the pack, right?"

Dante nodded, but she could see a bit of suspicion on his features as he waited for her to continue.

Lily began, "I'm not sure how to tell you this, but..." then pausing for the longest time before just blurting out "The Alpha pair are my parents! I'm their oldest daughter and I have a brother who is 4 years younger than me and I'm 22. Our Pack is the O'Connor Pack, I belong to the O'Connor family and we're about 200 wolves strong. About half or more of them live permanently at the compound so there will be plenty of curious people staring at us when we drive up."

With the mention of the Pack name being her own last name and the news that the Alpha pair was her parents, tension filled his chest and he couldn't help but swerve a little on the road heading through the forest. He replied nervously, "Oh shit... your parents are the Alphas?? Well that certainly adds some pressure."

He looked over at Lily who looked worried before he took her hand in his and squeezed it."Nothing has changed Lily, it's ok and I'm not freaked out. Surprised yes, and a bit more nervous than before, but it's ok and nothing has changed. I swore there was nothing I wouldn't do and no challenge I wouldn't surpass to be with you! I meant it with all my heart, I still do mean it and I always will mean it. I love you, Lily O'Connor."

Lily's tension drained away and she radiated happiness and love. She was still rather nervous about introducing Dante to her Father, as well as what might happen during Dante's first shift, but she had absolute faith in her mate and just knew it would be ok regardless of what happened in the near future.

Dante and Lily chatted at length about the Pack and what to expect. She talked about how his story and unprecedented situation, plus his being the mate she'd been searching for for the past 4 years, was likely going to cause a circus. But she assured him once again that she wouldn't leave his side and would be there with him the entire time, no matter what.

When they were about 10 minutes out, Lily picked up Dante's iPhone and suggested,"Let's rock out for a few minutes before we arrive. We can bleed out a bit of the tension. What do you want to listen to?"

Dante smiled, thinking that would be fun and suggested back,"Why don't you pick out a song? This sound system will play anything at all with such power and clarity that whatever it is, it will sound good."

Lily smiled and started to browse through the music. She picked a song and then turned up the volume to the point where they could both feel the music in their bodies as well as listen to it. The driving bass beat rolled out, thundering in their chests as 'Sail' by Awolnation poured forth. They began singing together, "This is how I show my love! I made it in my mind because, I blame it on my ADD baby!" The song progressed, and they looked at each other with sparkles in their eyes, "Maybe I'm a different breed, maybe I'm not listening, so blame it on my ADD baby!"

As the song faded out, Lily turned down the volume and looked at Dante, "I've never heard that song quite like that before; this system is incredible!"

Dante grinned, "Music has always been my sanctuary, so I installed the best system I possibly could in this car. Glad you like it, we can drive and listen to music together anytime you want, Lily."

Lily had a big smile on her face as she nodded her head in agreement.

A few minutes later they turned off the main road into a well-hidden dirt driveway going back into the woods. If you didn't know where it was and what it looked like, you would have missed it.

Lily spoke, "Humans have a tendency to want to wipe out anything unusual or that they don't understand, so Pack security is one of the most serious things in our lives. We don't want anyone knowing what we are or even where we are, so we can protect the Pack and our secret. We're about an hour and a half away from Whitefish. We take frequent trips into town for supplies, and many Pack members live in town and run businesses there as well. The residents know there's a small group of people living up here somewhere, but they think it's just our own little township. They leave us alone and don't press us for information, plus we've been here for close to 200 years and when more and more settlers started coming in we helped to settle the town. It's a good partnership between us and Whitefish, and it works out well.

"We'll reach the compound gates in just another minute or two. Let me handle it, one or more of the Omegas will be guarding the gate and will stop us. As one of the Alpha Heirs I know everyone, and will take care of it. I'm not going to give a lot away so let me do the talking and just go along with whatever I say."

Dante exhaled and nodded his head in the positive, "Ok, I guess this is it, right?"

Lily smiled and leaned over, kissing his cheek and gently reassured him, "Trust me. it will all work out, and just remember that I love you."

Hearing Lily say that brought a smile to Dante's face, and he relaxed somewhat as he came into view of a 10' high wall stretching out into the forest on each side of a massive steel gate. They rolled to a stop.

Joel was the Omega assigned to the gate this morning, and due to his uncanny hearing, several minutes back he'd heard the rumble of an unknown car engine coming down the dirt track. Shortly afterwards he saw a midnight black Chevelle come into view. As it drew closer he could see the Alpha's daughter Lily in the passenger seat, but didn't recognize the man driving the car. Since the man was an unknown, he sent through the bond to the rest of the wolves on patrol today, as well as his Alpha, that Lily was arriving with a stranger and to be on alert. As the Black Chevelle pulled up, he walked over to the passenger door as Lily rolled down the window. Joel was very suspicious, there should be no one except Pack ever coming to the compound and the Alpha had stressed repeatedly never to allow any humans in because they might expose the lycan secret.

"Lily what's going on here, you know you can't bring anyone here! What the hell are you thinking?!" growled out Joel angrily.

Lily just smiled back at him, but he heard a deep growl emanating from the car! It caused the hair on the back of his neck to stand up and made him want to take a half step back.

He looked into the car and saw a mountain of a man with liquid silver eyes and long midnight black hair staring back at him with narrowed eyes and a fierce scowl. It caused Joel to pause and look back at Lily.

Joel took more of a cordial tone and asked, "What's going on Lily? You've never done anything like this before, and I need to know what's up." He was relieved to see the big man relax a little at the more conciliatory tone.

Lily waited for Joel to finish before she introduced her companion."This is Dante, and he's new to the area. He helped me out of a bad spot of trouble the day before yesterday and I need to introduce him to my Father. It's ok Joel, my Father will explain everything later, I'm sure. I know what your nose is telling you about Dante, but there is much more going on than meets the nose, and he needs to meet with the Alpha pair immediately. Please let us through, and let my Mother and Father know we are here."

At the mention of the Alpha pair Joel's eyes narrowed and he asked in a harsh whisper "He knows?!"

Lily smirked, "Yes he knows, and for very good reasons I'm not going into right now. Let my Father know we're here and let us in, Joel."

Joel didn't like this one bit, his nose was screaming "Human!" but Lily was one of the two Alpha Heirs and they were headed straight to see both Alpha and Madame Alpha O'Connor, so he stepped back and opened the gates.

"Your Father is waiting for you in front of the Manor House and your Mother will be down shortly as she's taking care of some Pack business. I sure hope you know what you're doing Lily, Alpha O'Connor isn't going to like this one little bit, and he's likely to blow a gasket," Joel warned her.

Lily grinned at Joel as they were about to pull into the compound. "You don't know the half of it Joel, I think you and the rest of the Pack are going to be very surprised and shocked, but it will be ok, don't worry so much. I'll introduce you properly to Dante later, so we'll see you around."

Dante had remained quiet while Lily and Joel were conversing, but he had started to scowl and tense up when Joel copped an attitude with Lily and couldn't stop the dangerous growl from reverberating out of his chest. When Joel's attitude had mellowed, Dante had let some of his own tension relax and backed down somewhat. He waited for Lily and Joel to finish their discussion and when the gate opened, he drove slowly through it into the compound for the first time.

It was the size of a very large neighborhood or a small town, with at least 50 suburban-looking houses and structures with lawns, flowerbeds and decorative trees everywhere. It really was its own small but elegant little township, and Dante was amazed to see such urbanity out here in the forest. He noticed a large structure far bigger than the others near the center with a great open space in front of and all around it, with roads in straight lines leading out from the main structure in a radiating pattern, with homes and structures on each side of the lane.

Lily saw Dante's sharp eyes taking everything in and flicking back and forth, analyzing and evaluating everything and getting tense once again. Lily took his hand in hers and kissed him gently on the side of his mouth. "You're safe my love, I promise. I know it's second nature for you to be on full alert like this, but you really are safe and ok here, and you can relax a little."

Dante let a little of the tension drain away from his face and from around his eyes. "I'm trying, but it's a bit overwhelming is all. It's making my fingers twitch and itch like when I was back on mission and something wasn't right. I'm trying to push it away, but it's hard."

Lily smiled in understanding at Dante, "You're doing great Dante, and there's nothing we can't achieve together. We've always been good alone, each of us, but together we're even better. When you meet Father and Mother and everyone here in a moment, just remember to show the same respect they show you.

"What I mean by that is if they don't show you any, then none need be given to them either, simply match what is given to you. And remember I'm right here with you, watching your back with a tenacity you've never encountered before."

Dante set his jaw and nodded sharply and quickly. The Chevelle was approaching the large clearing in front of what Lily told him was the Manor House.

Dante could see a large, slightly older man in the center, with four people on both his left and his right, which he assumed were the Betas, with the Alpha in the middle. Four women and four men, each of whom had a hard edge and 'don't fuck with me' attitude to them, flanked the large man in the middle who was wearing a bland expression on his face, carefully controlling his emotions.

Dante pulled off the road to the left of the group of lycans and shut the car down. He squeezed Lily's hand as he looked into her emerald eyes and nodded once. He opened his door and stepped out. Emphasizing the deference and respect he was showing to his mate, Dante walked around the car, opened her door and took Lily's hand to assist her to her feet, and she continued holding his hand as together they walked towards the large Alpha. He was amazed at the ease and smoothness with which they coordinated their movements: it was as if they'd rehearsed this!

He could see the Alpha stood around 6'4" tall and Dante estimated around 250 or more pounds of hard muscle on the slightly older man. He had blue eyes that were fierce and very intelligent, and shorter brown hair with some streaks of gray through it, more solidly gray at the temples. He had kept his eyes fixed on Dante the entire time since he had stepped out of the Chevelle, and when he had taken Lily's hand he could see the fierce blue eyes narrow and zero in on that. As Lily and Dante drew up to just a few steps in front of the large man, his eyes shifted to Lily, his expression softened, and he smiled down at her. "Hi, baby girl, I haven't seen you in a little while, I missed you!"

He paused while Lily stepped up to him and wrapped her arms around him, "It's good to see you too, Daddy. I've brought someone to meet you." She said it casually and smiling. Lily stepped back from her Father and took Dante's hand again. Lily looked at her Father and with a mischievous gleam in her eye said, "Daddy, this is Dante Silvrash..." she paused endlessly with a twinkle in her eye, knowing her father could tell she hadn't finished speaking, before she finally concluded, "...my mate."

The world stopped for another endless moment and stood still. There had been many other people watching what was going on in front of the Manor House in addition to the 8 Betas and the Alpha, and all sound and activity had frozen upon Lily's pronouncement. The four men and women all looked floored.

Dante had been keeping his eyes fixed on Lily's Father, who was no longer bland at all! He saw every muscle tense and flex in the large man's body as tendons stood out in his neck. The expressions of shock and anger were clearly evident as the impressive man's mouth opened and closed. This was obviously a man with the ferocity of a wolf lurking inside him not very secretly, and he wasn't pleased!

Lily, after waiting a moment for her bombshell to sink in, turned slightly to look at Dante and said, "Baby, this is my Father, Alpha of the O'Connor Pack, Odin O'Connor."

Dante let go of Lily's hand and stepped forward and even though Alpha Odin was a big, tall man and very intimidating, Dante towered over him and dwarfed everyone else there. He extended his big hand forward to offer a handshake. In a deep rich rumble he said, "It's a pleasure to meet you Alpha Odin, I'm Lily's mate, Dante."

***

Alpha Odin had never seen someone as big and dangerous looking as this man standing in front of him, claiming to be his Daughter's mate. He stared into Dante's liquid silver eyes, eyes like nothing he had ever seen before. He looked Dante up and down, noting the military boots and somewhat baggy darkly tanned cargo pants and the simple tight black t-shirt stretched tight across every prominent muscle on Dante's chest and arms. He could see a small portion of the butt of a pistol sticking out from his lower back. Odin knew instinctively that this was one of the most dangerous men he had ever come across. How the fuck had his little girl found this Dante creature and why the hell did she think they were mates?? Odin's and everyone else's noses were working overtime and everyone present could scent Dante at least somewhat. He smelled human, just... a bit off.

When Dante stepped up and introduced himself and reached out his hand to shake, Alpha Odin got his expression and body language under control and took Dante's hand and gripped it tight, shaking twice and letting it go.

He turned to his daughter and asked loudly and with emotion, "Lily, what is going on here? You've been away for a couple of weeks and you suddenly show up with a human, exposing our secret to him and claiming he is your mate?! He's obviously a human and you know our laws Lily, you're making an impossible claim and you know it's a death sentence for anyone who learns about us!"

Dante had been standing stiffly and had been uncomfortable, but at the mention of a death sentence and feeling like those around him were going to try to take Lily away from him, everything changed. Bloodlust and the feeling of death oozed through Dante's being. The stench of danger was pouring off him and every lycan around scented it, as their eyes went wide and most gulped and either wanted to or even did take a step back.

When Dante spoke, it was with an ice-cold voice with the imminent promise of pain, "I know you don't know me Alpha Odin, and this is your Pack and your little girl, but you don't know what's going on and you shouldn't be threatening me. But the most important thing you should know... sir..." the honorific delivered with not respect but irony, "...is that

no one

will ever take my Lily from me. I'm more than willing to put bodies in the ground to make sure of that. Do I make myself clear?"

Everyone within earshot save for Lily felt ice run through their veins and unconsciously nodded, fully understanding the promise Dante had just made, and sensing his ability to back it up. Alpha Odin bristled at the threat and the challenge, but before he could say a word, Lily pressed up against Dante and soothingly stretched out her hand on his chest, rubbing it up and down to comfort her mate. She softly crooned, with no sting or rebuke, only adoration,"Stand down Dante, it's alright baby, no one is taking me from you and no one is going to try to kill you. I promise, you're safe here with me."

She turned to her Father and saw he was not only very confused but coldly furious. "Daddy I know Dante and I know his heart, and he wasn't challenging your leadership or position. He simply won't tolerate anyone trying to take me from him just as I won't suffer anyone trying to come between us either. I know you think he is human, but you don't understand, he really

is

a wolf, he's a lycan and we've both felt the mating pull and I've already confirmed it with Dante: he

is

a wolf, Daddy. It's an impossible situation and it seems unbelievable I know, but it's real!"