Guardian - 19. Chapter 19

So many questions went through my head as I sat there with the previous Jarklas. They all seemed so keen to listen, to watch me. Eli, who sat next to me, was just sitting there, waiting for me to ask a question. I didn't know where to start! Taking a breath, I decided that maybe, again, I should start at the beginning.

“Okay, well I understand that when we turn 18 that we must bond with our guardian. I know that we can dismiss our guardian before the bond. Then there's also the one where they can force guardianship on us by rape, basically. There are the markings, the lavender eyes, the morphing. The whole 'animal's savior' thing. The big weapon to the werewolves.” I stopped after my little spill of information and looked around. “Am I missing something?” They actually all looked upset at me and I didn't like being the center of attention anymore.

“Well, that's a good way to bluntly put it.” Eli snorted beside me. I groaned and looked at him as he continued. “It's a lot more than that. Do you know why it is that if you do not bond with your guardian at the age of 18 that you will die slowly?” That was a good question. I shook my head. “It's because the Jarkla, without a guardian at its maturity, cannot fully mature. The guardian is one of the keys in order to grow up. Not bonding with them can cause great pain in them and death in you. Some guardians from the past did rape their Jarklas only because they refused to be taken, even when they slowly were dying. Most did it out of fear for their Jarkla dying, others just for the power. One thing we, as a soul, learned was that werewolves will always be unpredictable and we cannot control what they do.” I had to stop him right there. I stood up and held my hand up.

“Hang on. You mean to tell me, that we, as Jarklas, cannot control them? Then what's the point?! Why would mother do this to her children? Or are we just an image that gives the wolves a good time. Cause that's what I think. We're nothing but this tool, used for power and strength, and this whole thing should just end.” I heard gasps around the fire and the way Eli glared at me made me want to back down. But I wasn't going to. “I never asked for this, alright. But I do not like knowing that I'm some key to this stupid power struggle they got going on. What they need is a swift kick of reality that I'm not going to bend over and just take it!” Eli stood and it made me flinch.

“So you would fight them?”

“Well, if I had to yes. Not being in charge of my own life? What's the point?” I had never been in a place where it was as quiet as it was now. I swore if there was a bee, you could hear its wings buzzing from outside the cave.

“You are very different from any of us. Amaya fought and you see what happened.” Just by how he put it, I could tell what he was trying to do. I felt my brows crease and wondered if my eyes even narrowed at it

“I'm not like her. She had no idea what she left behind, and I am not going to go down without a fight, even if it kills me.” I could feel their eyes studying me, but it was at that moment that I began to question myself. I turned away and began to walk out of the cave. I heard Eli call out to me.

“Where are you going?”

“To think”

Gabriel's eyes opened back up into the darkness of the room, the pain of his shoulder coming back to him. He sighed heavily. So they all just took it? Gabriel didn't want to believe it. He didn't even know if he could. Now the thought came up, could he do it? Could he continue to go against them all? At least, go against Scott. His mind wandered to Orion and Gabriel suddenly felt a longing to have the big brute beside him. Though he had spent two years in the company of Tristan, he suddenly felt like the relationship was gone. The weeks that had passed had soon turned into months and here he was, possibly the face on a milk carton. He had yet to even dismiss Tristan as his guardian, and just when he was opening up to Orion and Orion opening up to him, everything went awry. Again he thought about it and again it almost haunted him in a way. Grumbling a little, the teen stood and started pacing the room. One thing was for sure, he was hungry, and the knotting in his stomach told him so. He would have to

fight it, and fight it he would. For how long however, that was a different story.

Scott rested on his bed, listening for anything strange that could possibly come from the room he had locked the teen in. When there was no sound for an hour, he finally got up and left his room. The smile on his face never left as he made his way downstairs where he heard a commotion going on in the back yard. The screaming and yells told him it was a battle. His smile became even larger as he went to see who was fighting. He gave a soft chuckle as he watched one of his larger members literally beating the shit out of his nephew. He watched it continue until he knew the kid wouldn't be getting up anytime soon. So he intervened.

“Enough you blood thirsty beggar,” Scott chimed in, all eyes turning to their alpha and bowing their heads in respect. Scott walked to where Jake lay in a pool of his blood, coughing and looking up to see his uncle staring down at him,. “So, how long did my little nephew last?” Chuckles rang through the crowd.

“A good thirty minutes Alpha.” Scott was slightly surprised. Seems Jake definitely had Orion's genes if he was lasting that long against one of his strongest members. Scott bent down to grab the young teen's arm and pulled him up.

“Well good on you. Now, you look like shit. Go clean up,” he growled at him, shoving him at another pack member who laughed and shoved him to another. Scott turned away, only to have a few members follow him. “I want him watched. He doesn't get near my room. And if he does, teach the pup some lessons, or I will.”

“Of course Alpha.” The silence only lasted a few more moments before another asked a rather daring question.

“What of the Jarkla Alpha?” Scott turned abruptly, making the members stop and stare at him.

“Do not concern yourself with it. It's being punished.” As much as they wanted to say something, they stayed quiet and then let their leader walk off into another area of the mansion. The larger brute that had short brown hair looked to his smaller pack mate.

“It's hardly an it don't you think?”

“I agree Tank, but you know how Alpha gets. Remember what happened with the last Jarkla?” Tank looked away and sighed.

“I just don't like knowing he's suffering. We are supposed to protect the Jarkla, not harm him.” The smaller male shrugged his shoulders.

“You tell that to Alpha then. Cause I'll be damned if I am.” Tank watched him walk off and he looked back in the direction where Scott had walked off. What the alpha had planned for the Jarkla is what scared him the most. And not knowing what it was, made him feel useless. The large male turned and went back to his own work.

Scott was slightly irritated that his subordinates would even try and bring up the Jarkla as if they were concerned for him. If they were concerned, but Scott felt nothing when he hurt or injured him. Not that Scott didn't care. He wanted the power, that was all he wanted, and he'll be damned if the kid thought he could avoid him. He knew how to break him, and he would. Walking back up to his bedroom after making a pit stop by the kitchens to get some food, he heard something coming from the room that held the Jarkla and stood there listening. He heard a soft scream and then cussing. Curious more and more, he walked over and placed his ear on the wall.

“Damnit! Ugh, come on...Okay, if I hit the wall at the right angle, I should be able to pop this back in place. Okay, one, two, three!” Another thud sounding followed by another scream made Scott chuckle to himself. The idiot was trying to pop his shoulder back into place. He gave the kid some kudos for even attempting it, but he doubted it would work. Moving away from the prison he kept him in, he went to his bed and flopped down on it, grabbing his TV remote and turning on the large screen before him. He wondered if he should go get a female to have his way with, but he decided against it when instead he yawned and got comfortable. Even while the television played, he kept his ears tuned on the door which lead to the Jarkla's room. When he heard nothing more from the teen, he let his eyes close and allowed himself to doze off.

Behind the door, a very disgruntled teen leaned against the wall. He was frustrated to say the least and was bothered that he’d gotten himself in this predicament. But he wasn't going to back down. Besides, perfect time for thinking right? Maybe even plotting. Sighing, he let his mind wander. He thought again of Neil and hoped the toddler was doing well. And at that thought, a sudden look of surprise and shock covered his face. It just dawned on him. Something was probably a key or a very important note that should have clicked in his mind when the pup was first discussed. Amaya died 16 years ago. Sixteen years ago, Gabriel was a baby, and so was Neil. It clicked, and suddenly, Gabriel wanted answers to a rather bizarre question. Why was Neil still a toddler? The question itself led to more questions. Could the gene of the Jarkla be carried to a child? Why would his eyes be lavender if they didn't? Did Orion know? The questions flooded his mind and now, at the worst time ever, he couldn't get any answers. He would chew on his foot first than ask anything of or kneel down to Scott.