Chapter 25: Aolis

That night, I dreamt of Lily again. This time, my mind took me back to when she was still a baby. I was in Safe Haven. The Guardians were working with my father to practice their Guardian gifts and see how they could work together to get stronger.

I had told Cara and Rik what Lily was to me and they felt comfortable leaving her in my care. I had never cared for a baby before, but this was my mate. I would not only make sure she was safe, warm and had a full belly, but I would protect her, no matter what. I may have only been ten years old at the time, but even then I was stronger than a normal elf or wolf my age.

I remember walking her around the pack house. She had gotten fussy and I took her outside, showing her the garden that had been brought to life by the sprites. I had been so engrossed in my mate’s sweet little sounds and how her eyes were tracking the plants, even at her young age, that I had failed to notice what was going on around me.

When I walked to the back of the pac