27| The Guardians

DEKLAN MARIO

My fists tightened without me thinking about it. Cedar was just a few steps away, lying there, fragile and still. I was ready to move to her side, but the sound of heavy footsteps stopped me in place.

They came fast. Loud. Purposeful.

I snapped my head toward the entrance of the cave.

Three men in long black cloaks appeared. They walked in together, every step perfectly in sync, like they had rehearsed it a thousand times.

Masks covered their faces. Shiny black, smooth as glass. Their hair hung long and glossy, untouched by dust or time, as if no one had ever dared to touch them.

I couldn’t tell their scents apart which was unnerving for a wolf. Usually, you could read someone by scent before seeing them, but with these men… nothing.

And they didn’t look at me. Not once.

The young wolf in the corner shifted back into his human form mid-turn, as if the sight of them had yanked the animal out of him. His knees hit the cold cave floor, and his head dropped low.

“Spare me!” His voice cracked as he pleaded, his whole body trembling.

The three men didn’t even flinch. Their attention was fixed on Cedar. Like I wasn’t even there. Like I wasn’t ready to tear them apart if they dared to touch her.

One of them finally spoke, his voice deep and calm.

“You failed in your duties to the clan, Frado. What other way is there to atone for your sins… except by cutting your own throat?”

His words sliced through the air, cold and final. The young wolf, Frado, didn’t answer. He just kept shaking.

Another of the cloaked men spoke up. “Let him go, Baptista. He’s just a boy who can barely tell left from right. When his training is complete, we’ll know which fate suits him best.”

Silence fell over them.

They didn’t speak. They didn’t move. But I could feel something happening between them, like they were talking without words. An invisible conversation I wasn’t a part of.

At last, the third man said in a light, almost bored tone, “Go, then.”

Frado didn’t wait to be told twice. He jumped to his feet and bolted out of the cave, never looking back.

That’s when the men finally turned to face me.

Through the narrow openings in their masks, I could see their eyes now. But not their mouths, which made it hard to know exactly who was speaking, unless one moved their head or gestured with those long, pale fingers.

I didn’t like it.

“Who are you?” I asked. Though in my head, the better question was, What are you?

“It doesn’t matter, Deklan Mario.” The one in the middle said my full name like he’d known it all his life. That… got my attention. “She’ll die if you leave her here for another hour. I can already feel it from the energy currents she’s giving off.”

My hands loosened a little. Not because I trusted them, but because their words told me they weren’t here to fight. At least, not right now. I let out a mocking huff.

“Why would I trust people I don’t know? And how do you know my name?”

In perfect unison, all three lifted their hands and pulled away their masks.

Red eyes stared back at me. Not human red, deeper, glowing, unnatural. My chest tightened, and I lowered my head instantly in respect. I knew exactly who they were now.

“Since you must know,” the man in the middle spoke, “I am Ursa.” His lips barely moved.

“Baptista,” said the one on Ursa’s right, his gaze sharp and unblinking as he studied my face.

“Vanus,” the last one drawled from the left, yawning like he was already bored with the entire situation.

I stepped back, relieved they weren’t members of any pack hunting us.

The Guardians.

That’s who they were. The Protectors of our kind who also had the power to wipe a rebellious pack. They seldom appeared anywhere, which meant their presence here was no coincidence. Something had dragged them from the safety of the Castle of Protectors into the outside world, and it couldn’t have been anything small.

They were rare. Born only once in a thousand years. Ageless. Stronger than anyone else alive. Beautiful in a dangerous, otherworldly way. Demigods in wolf form.

“I apologise, Guardians,” I said, bowing my head lower. I wasn't afraid of them, but I had to pay them the deserved respect.

“Bring her and come with us,” Baptista said, motioning toward Cedar. “She needs help before she freezes to death.”

I grabbed my satchel from the cave wall and slung it over my back. Then I lifted Cedar gently into my arms. Her skin was cold and her breathing was still shallow. She felt too light and stiff, so I had to admit to myself that she needed warmth and the trained hands of a healer fast, or she’d die under my watch.

The Guardians led the way outside.

Once in the open, Vanus moved ahead. “Open the gates,” he said lazily, and traced an invisible circle in the air with one long finger.

The space in front of us shimmered. A massive glowing ring formed, then hollowed out into an opening that showed something impossible, but true, a palace, towering and majestic, nothing like anything I’d seen before.

Vanus stepped through without looking back. Ursa and Baptista followed. I hesitated only a moment before carrying Cedar across.

The air changed instantly. It was warmer here, cleaner.

A broad stone path stretched ahead, lined with tall buildings carved with intricate patterns. People walked in groups, dressed in fine fabrics. The scent was strange, neither human nor wolf, but something in between.

Two women rushed toward us, carrying a royal-looking stretcher. They moved with practised speed, as if they had been expecting us all along.

I laid Cedar down carefully, and they wheeled her toward the largest building at the centre of the palace grounds.

“You’re welcome to the palace of the Guardians, Deklan,” Ursa said, now standing close to me. “Do you wish to pay your respects to the king now?”

I watched Cedar disappear inside the building before answering. “I’ll pass. Maybe tomorrow morning.”

I needed to be there when she woke up. This place would be strange to her, and she’d need to know we were safe.

“She’s in good hands,” Ursa said. “It won’t take long to greet the king.”

I shook my head. “Not tonight.”

Baptista stepped closer, his hand brushing my arm. “Come. You don’t refuse the king.”

My jaw tightened. I didn’t like being pulled away from Cedar, not when I’d just gotten her to safety. But I also knew enough to recognise when saying no could cost me more than I was willing to pay.

The palace lights glowed brighter in the distance. Somewhere beyond those doors, a king waited, one of the most powerful beings in existence.

And I couldn’t shake the question burning in my head.

Why did the Guardians know my name… before I even told them?