Chapter 3: Angel

10 Years Ago

When we ran three years ago, my father had been right. Our Alpha sent the pack warriors to find us. The first three years had been really hard. We had to skirt around other pack territories, we had multiple run ins with rogues and we had to hunt and kill our own food or steal what we couldn't afford.

Dad would take odd jobs here and there to make money when he could, but we could never stay in one place for too long before he’d get a hint that the pack had found us, and we’d have to take off again.

When Dad is'nt working, he is training me on how to be a warrior. Since Alessia is a Guardian, he felt that the sooner I learn how to fight, the better for me. And he was right. My mother isn’t a warrior, so for a while, it was solely on my father to keep us safe. After several months of training, I began to help my father when we'd be attacked by rogues. In the last year, I've become a very adept killer. I can take on two rogues at a time by myself. Ok, so my dad can take on four at a time, but I’m still only 13. Alessia and I will only get stronger.

Mom has decided that my other studies should not falter just because we don’t have access to a standard school. So she’s been teaching me herself. And I have to admit, I love that the world is, quite literally, my educational oyster. Mom has used our landscape to teach me science, chemistry, and even math. Other times, we use our time to gather water or wood for a fire as an opportunity to discuss our history, as well as the history of other supernaturals and humans as well.

Maybe it’s the wolf in me, but I love living in the wild. If it wasn’t for the constant threat of being captured by our pack or supernatural hunters, or the risk of me being taken by an alpha who’s pack stumbles across us, it would be amazing.

All of this changed when Dad got wind that our old pack warriors had found us again. They’d been pushing us progressively south and east. That first night, we had made it into northern Illinois. Since then, we’ve been through Illinois, Indiana and Ohio. Most recently, we had crossed the Kentucky border and were living in the Red River Gorge area. We had to be careful as there were several packs in this part of the state, but we’d found a place that wasn’t owned by any local pack.

When Dad heard that our pack was close, we packed our meager belongings and ran again. Only this time, one of dad’s previous warriors and friends caught up to us. Dad mind linked mom and I to hide in a cave and he shifted before going out to confront his previous friend.

While my mother could not hear, with my Guardian hearing, I listened to their conversation. I had no intention of letting my father get killed, so while my mother tried to convince me to move farther into the cave, I refused, ready to help if needed.

I heard the sound of bones cracking. “Richard You’re a hard man to find.” An unfamiliar voice said.

I heard more cracking bones, then my father’s voice. “Jude. Fancy seeing you here.”

“Let’s not play games Richard. We’ve been searching for you and your family for three years. Why did you run? Why did you renounce the pack?”

“My reasons are my own. You need to leave Jude. I have no interest in killing you, but I will if I have to.”

The man named Jude sighs. “Has it really come to this? Your family deserves more than this life. Just tell me why. Help me understand. Everything was fine and then you just left. Alpha and the rest of the pack want you home.”

“I’m never coming back. We’re never coming back. That’s all you need to know. Now move on before you make me do something I don’t want to do. It doesn’t matter how close we used to be, my family comes first.”

I shifted and Alessia moved quietly through the underbrush so we could see what was happening.

“Rich, I’m here. Alone. The other wolves with me aren’t close. I want to talk. I want to understand. We were friends. Help me understand why this” Jude gestured around him, “is better for your family.”

He wasn’t lying. I don’t know if my father could smell them, but the other wolves had gone in a different direction. This man seemed honest, and Alessia could not catch a scent of any deceit on him.

We make the decision and walk out of our hiding place to stand next to my father. I may still be a fairly short girl, but Alessia is a large wolf. We come up to my father’s waist. I felt more than heard him sigh. “Alessia, you should have stayed put.”

When I look at Jude, his gasp was audible. “Guardian.” He whispers it with reverence in his voice. His eyes begin tracking back and forth between me and my father. Then he points at me. “This….”

“Is my daughter Angel and her wolf Alessia.” My father finishes. "On her 10^th birthday, Alessia awakened as a Guardian."

Jude face breaks out into a huge smile. “But, this is great! Alpha will be so pleased. The whole pack will rejoice…”

He is cut off by my father’s feral snarl. “I will NOT take her back.”

Jude looks at my father as if he hasn’t heard him properly. “But why not?”

My father rubs a hand over his face. “Jude. Think! You have a daughter. What do you think would have happened to her if her wolf was a Guardian? What would Alpha Peter have done? What will he do if he finds out my daughter is a Guardian? Would you want that for your daughter?"

I watch as the realization of our situation dawns on Jude. He takes a step toward me. My father growls at him.

Jude looks at him. “I would never hurt your daughter Rich. And no, I would not want my daughter claimed by an Alpha that may not be her mate just because of who and what she is.”

He crouches down and looks at me. “Hi Alessia. It’s nice to meet you.”

I look up at my Dad, who nods his head, before I walk over to greet Jude. He runs his hands through my fur, so much like my father does to me. I can tell that this is how he interacts with his own daughter.

He pats my head before standing up. I move to stand beside my father again. “Where’s Katie?”

“I’m here.” My mother says and walks out from behind some bushes.

“You don’t look as bad as I would have expected. Obviously, you’re doing something right.” He looks at my father weighing his options.

“I have a cabin. It’s in the Appalachian Mountains. It’s not on any pack lands. You can hide there. They won’t look for you there and I’ll try to divert the hunt in another direction to give you time to get away. You need to hide your scent as much as possible on the way to help me out. Do you have something to write on?”

My mother found a piece bark that we’d been using to write with and a piece of coal that we’d found. Jude gives us the address and general directions before stepping back. “I need to go meet my group. I’ll send you money when I can. Stay there as long as you’d like. Good luck old friend.”

He looks at me. “I expect great things from you Alessia, and you too Angel.”

“Thank you, Jude. I owe you.” My father says to him as he turns to leave.

“You’ve saved my life countless times Rich. I’m glad I can finally do something to pay you back. Be safe. All of you.”

With that, he takes off in the direction of the other wolves.

It took us several weeks to find our way to the cabin. When we arrived, mom and I cleaned it up and dad was able to find a local job working in construction.

It became a quiet and peaceful life. We were happy and life was good.

Until it wasn’t.