Chapter 1: Quinn

**This novella is the 10^th book in the Guardian series, the 6^th in the Guardian’s Next Generation series. While it can be read as a stand-alone book, references will be made to other events and people without full description of those events here. It is recommended that you read the other books in this series before this one.

When our mother called Malin and I into a meeting and our brother, the current Alpha, Richard, immediately said no, I knew our time had finally come.

My sister and I have been the charmed children of our parents. We’ve been protected not only by our father, the previous Alpha, and our mother, one of the last two Guardians who was gifted her Guardian wolf spirit by the Moon Goddess herself, but we also have three older brothers. No one, and I mean no one, messes with us.

You add to that our Guardian lineage, and both of Malin and I are powerful forces in our own right. Most people don’t see that, though. Most people think that we’re the sweet, innocent, delicate children of Liam and Angel Holstin. They’re right about the sweet and innocent, but my sister and I are anything but delicate. Just ask any warrior in any of the three packs where the Guardians live.

The Guardian line travels through the females in the family. While our brothers are stronger than most Alphas, it’s the females who hold the true power. My father and my brothers have made sure that all of us, myself, my twin, and our other two sisters, can all fight hard, fast, and smart. But it’s the training that we’ve received from our mother and the nature of our wolves themselves, that gives us our true strength.

All three of my sisters and I have inherited my mother’s ability to know when someone is lying. It was a gift that was given to a previous Guardian in her Guardian line by the elf king, and through the magic of being a Guardian, it passed down through the generations. However, each of us has one of my mother’s traits that is stronger than the others. For me, it’s an immunity to wolfsbane and silver. My sisters are all immune as well, but they feel irritation, get rashes, or feel ill. Nothing debilitating, but it’s not the complete resistance that I have to both of those. Malin inherited our mother’s amazing power to heal. Again, I did as well, but my ability is nothing compared to my twin’s.

When my mother finally wins the argument with my brother about us needing to take on our role as Guardians, I realize that Malin and I are being split up. It will be the first time in our lives that we won’t be together. But the packs need us, it’s time for us to step up. And when I find out I’m assigned to Alpha Emerson, the Alpha of Safe Haven, I have a very hard time keeping a straight face. I’ve been in love with that man for years.

Unlike the other Alphas, my brother, Rich, and our neighbor and ally Cohen, there’s just something about Emerson that has always drawn me to him. He’s just so….in control. I’ve always wanted to know what would happen if he finally found the person who could break his resolve, someone who could find a way through that tough exterior. What would they find underneath? Is he just as rough and hard under that indomitable nature? I don’t think so. I think under that stoic Alpha, there’s a big teddy bear and I’ve been dying to get to know THAT man.

But Emerson, like everyone else, has never done anything to make me think he’s interested in me. Oh, he’s nice, always says hello, always chats with me and Malin at parties. But he does that with everyone. He’s always the perfect Alpha, never showing a chink in his armor.

My sister has been assigned to Alpha Cohen, and I think she’s pretty happy about that. He’s very different from Emerson, just as my sister and I, for all our similarities, are very different. We’re fraternal twins, but we’re also best friends and leaving her is going to be the hardest part of all of this.

The morning after our meeting, I have to say goodbye to my sister for the first time in my life. She’s leaving first with our brother. There were a lot of problems between him and his mate, Emlyn. She’s Emerson’s sister and the rift between them almost caused a pack war. Thankfully, my brother was able to figure things out, but that doesn’t mean that Emlyn isn’t still struggling with everything. So, he’s taking Malin because his mate is currently residing in Cohen’s pack, acting as their temporary Luna.

My father will be taking me to Safe Haven pack today. He and Emerson’s father have an ugly history. It’s water under the bridge now, but there was a time when my father hunted Uncle Eli in an attempt to kill him. Thankfully, they too were able to resolve their differences.

Alpha Eli isn’t really my uncle, but my mother calls the other Guardians her Guardian sisters. Aunt Grace is Emerson’s mother and Aunt Cara is Cohen’s mother. Their bonds, more than anything, have created the strong bonds and alliances between our three packs.

“I’m going to miss you so much, Malin. What are we going to do?” I ask her as we pack our bags. I’ve smelled the salt of my sisters tears as we’ve packed and I’m sure she’s smelled mine.

“We’re going to talk, every single day. Do you hear me?” she asks me.

We rush together and hug, holding each other tightly.

“You better take care of my twin,” she says.

“Same goes.”

“Are you nervous?” she asks.

“Yes, but also excited. It’s our time to shine, Malin.”

“Yes it is!” she says. “But what if I’m not enough, Quinn? What if I’m not strong enough to protect Cohen and the pack?”

“You are! WE are. We’re Guardians, after all. This is what we do.”

She nods and we go back to packing. I look at her after a few moments.

“Sooo, what do you think of working with Cohen?”

“You know he’s always been my favorite Alpha. I hope we’re mates,” she says dreamily. “But what about you? You’ve been assigned to the stuffy Alpha.”

“Yeah, but you know I’ve liked him for years. I just don’t know if he feels the same.”

“It’s hard to tell with him. He’s so stuffy,” she says, wrinkling her nose.

“Yes, but I like a challenge.”

“Better you than me. I like how easy-going Cohen is. I think it’ll be simple to ease into his pack.”

“Well, it may be, but I have Riley on my side,” I smirk at her.

“Uh, that’s so unfair! And you have Clint too,” she says. Riley is Emerson’s youngest sister. She’s our best friend and six months older than we are. She found her mate in Cohen’s younger brother who took the position of Beta in Emerson’s pack, making Riley a Beta as well.

“Do you think Emerson's your mate?” Malin asks me.

“I hope so and if Cohen is your mate, then we’ll always be close together. Wouldn’t that be great?” I ask her.

“It would be perfect! Unlike Leana, we’d always be near each other.”

Our sister is on the supernatural council, taking over our mother’s seat, but she’s also mated to a vampire prince. This war isn’t just about werewolves fighting werewolves, there are vampires and witches involved as well.

“Or Lily, who we barely see anymore,” Malin says. Lily is Cohen’s older sister and she’s mated to the current elf king.

When Rich calls Malin to go, we hug tightly again.

“I love you, Quinn,” she says.

“I love you too. Stay safe,” I say, watching my sister leave me for the first time in my life.

When my father comes to get me, telling me it’s time for me to leave, I look at our room one last time. Malin and I didn’t grow up here. We spent the first half of our childhood in the packhouse. It wasn’t until my brother took over as Alpha that my father moved me and my sisters to a separate house. But Malin and I chose to continue to share a room. Now, as I look at it, it’s empty.

“It’s going to be okay, sweetheart. You two are much too close to not talk or see each other again,” my father says gently.

I nod and walk out, wondering if I’ll ever again feel the like I do right now, like a child who is walking into their adulthood, leaving their childhood behind.

I hug my mother first and she holds me tightly. “You’re going to be a great Guardian. You’re my daughter, after all. I know you'll do great things.”

“I won’t let you down, mother,” I say to her.

“Of course you won’t, sweetheart. You never could. Be safe and keep in touch.”

“I will.” I then turn and hug my sister Reagan.

“You’re the last of us, Reagan. Hold down the fort.”

She rolls her eyes at me but pulls me in for a hug.

“I love you sis,” she says.

“I love you too. Don’t be a stranger.”

She nods and I pull away.

“Ready?” my father asks.

I nod. “Ready.”

As we drive to Safe Haven, my father turns to look at me.

“Remember, you always have a home with your mother and I. If for any reason, you’re not happy, you come home.”

“Thanks, Daddy.”

“You’re my daughter. I love you, and I’ll tell you what I told your sister. You’ll always be my little girl,” he says as we pull up to the Safe Haven packhouse.

I may always be my daddy’s little girl, but it’s time for me to become the woman, the Guardian, that I was meant to be.