Protective Guardians

Kat ascended the stairs to the apartment with her suitcases. It was a sizable space with a log bed and a separate bathroom. Not too much, but not too little. She placed her clothes on the bed and decided to head to the bathroom to freshen up.

After not showering for a few days from sleeping in the truck, Kat let the water pour over her. It was so warm, it eased her muscles as she felt the grime slip away.

"This is nice," thought Kat.

She shampooed and ran conditioner through her hair. There was a loofa that she grabbed and squeezed some of the coconut shower gel onto, rubbing it over her body, exfoliating the days away.

After her shower, she wrapped one towel around her head and another around her body. She started her skincare routine and applied a thin layer of makeup. Kat wasn't skilled at makeup. All she wore was a tinted sunscreen, some bronzer on her eyes, blush, and mascara. She was naturally beautiful and didn't need makeup, but she was off to meet a bunch of new people and wanted to feel a little more put together.

Kat opted for black jeans paired with black boots, an olive green tank top, and a black leather jacket. While unpacking, she noticed a bulge in the front zipper of her suitcase that she had missed during the trip. It was an easy oversight, considering the suitcase remained open in the front seat the entire journey.

Opening it up, she discovered that Mrs. Dawn had returned her two months' rent! She made a mental note to both scold and thank Mrs. Dawn profusely for the unexpected gesture. Sighing she took the envelope tucking it back deep inside her suitcase.

After a brief glance in the mirror, she decided she looked presentable enough for the evening and set off. Plugging in the diner that Nick had mentioned, she began her drive.

Arriving at the diner, Kat spotted Nick and a few others seated in a booth. She shyly walked up and waved her hand in greeting.

"Hi," Kat said.

Nick stood up and greeted her. He figured there was no need to be as cold to her now that she was no longer just passing through.

"Hi Kat! Glad you made it. This here is Derik." Derik was a tall man with green eyes and dark red hair. "And this is Kate, Derik's—Ma, I mean, girlfriend." Kate had blonde hair and brown eyes with freckles sprinkled across her nose and cheeks. "And lastly, this is Jack." Jack was a tall, tattooed man with salt and pepper hair and grey eyes. He reminded Kat of Mike. Tough, but she could tell there was something softer within him. She could see it in his eyes.

"Guys, this is Kat!" Nick introduced.

"Hi! It's nice to meet you all," Kat said. Just as she sat down, she heard the door slam open.

She looked up, and all of the people at the booth were staring at the door. Slowly turning around, her breath was taken away.

There, at the door, stood the most magnificent man she had ever seen. With dark hair and arm muscles spilling out of his shirt, he wore black jeans and motorcycle boots.

She scanned him from head to toe and back up again until her gaze met his piercing emerald green eyes.

He seemed like he wanted to murder her. "What did I do to piss him off?" She thought. "Am I in his seat or something?"

Turning back around, she focused on the table. When she glanced back, he was gone.

"That was weird," she thought.

She looked at the people at the table, noticing their questioning looks.

"What was Alpha's deal?" Nick mind-linked.

"I don't know, he looked furious," Kate responded. "He cut off his mind link."

Forgetting Kat couldn't hear them, Derik finally spoke.

"Anyway! What does everyone want to eat?"

"Who was that?" Kat asked.

"That was Alpha," he accidentally revealed.

"What?" Kat inquired.

Realizing his mistake, he quickly coughed, pretending to have made a mistake while coughing. He cleared his throat and said, "Sorry, that was Elijah."

"Oh," Kat laughed, "I thought you said Alpha. I was going to ask, who calls themselves Alpha?"

They all nervously chuckled and swiftly changed the subject.

"What's his deal? Am I in his spot or something?" Kat asked.

"Or something," Jack said knowingly.

They all raised an eyebrow at him but moved on. The night progressed smoothly after that. They ordered their dinner, conversed about life, and discussed why Kat was here.

"What an asshole," Kate remarked.

"Yeah, I think I was just wishful that he was the one," Kat admitted, feeling embarrassed.

"Well, if he ever comes around here, we'll take care of him!" Nick declared.

Kat smiled. "Thanks, guys. You're really making me feel welcome here."

Soon enough, Kat checked the time and said, "I better get going before it's too late. I have to wake up early and get to work with Earl."

Kate gave Kat a hug while Derik offered her a fist bump, and Jack nodded in farewell.

"I'll walk you out," Nick offered.

"Thanks, that would be great," Kat replied.

As they walked out, Nick advised her to be safe and asked her to text him when she got in. He plugged his number into her phone, and she gave him a hug goodbye.

"Thanks, Nick. It was nice of you to invite me out with your friends. I appreciate it," Kat said gratefully.

"It was fun, Kat. You fit right in the group. Everyone loved you," Nick responded warmly.

She smiled as he headed to his car. As he drove off, she waved and turned to get into her car.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, she was spun around and slammed into the side of the truck. Opening her eyes, she found herself trapped between two arms and an angry face. Jason…

"What are you doing here, Jason!" Kat screamed.

"Who was that, Kat? Have you already moved on?" he sneered. "I bet you gave it up to him, didn't you, so it won't be a big deal now."

He flung her into the front seat of the truck. Kicking and screaming, she tried to get away. Managing to grab the handle of the opposite door, she opened it and fell out, rolling to her feet. She started to run as fast as she could, but she could hear him gaining on her.

Turning to see how close he was, she was shocked to witness a huge black shadow taking Jason down. Stopping in disbelief, she watched as the biggest black wolf she had ever seen pinned Jason down, snapping at his face.