The Guardians

After breakfast, Derek leaves the house; in a better mood. Once he’s gone, I start to clean the house. With the music blaring as I dance and clean, I can barely hear the knocking on my door. At first I ignore, knowing if it was one of the kids; they would have just walked in. Scott and Stiles both have a spare key; why I’m not sure but they do.

When I realize the knocking isn’t going to stop, I head to the door and open it up; revealing my aunt Gwen and her daughter Isabelle. Aunt Gwen looks at me with a smirk on her lips, “it’s about damn time you answer the door. I was going to begin looking for the spot where my brother hid the spare key.”

“What are you guys doing here?” I ask, letting them in the house.

“My eldest brother dragged us here,” she informs me, “he wanted to me to make sure our favorite niece isn’t in trouble.”

“He found out about Kali being here?” I ask, earning a nod from her.

“You knew she was in town?” She questions as she sits on the couch, joined by her daughter.

“She kind of attacked me,” I reply, motioning to the puncture wounds that are slowly healing on my neck.

“She found out about you working for Derek instead, didn’t she?” My aunt smirks, already knowing the answer. “They really wanted you, you know? Deucalion saw your potential.”

I look at the woman with the peroxide blonde hair and sigh, “you knew, from the start, that I wasn’t going to end up with him; didn’t you?” I ask. “You always knew it would be been Derek.”

“Guardians aren’t suppose to be in love with their Wolves,” she begins, “but maybe that’s why we’re dying out. We don’t grow an emotional attachment that makes us want to keep them protected. Even at a young age, you and Derek watched out for each other. I remember hearing your father and his mother joke saying you guys will either end up being mates or you’ll be his Guardian.”

I can’t help but to smile at the statement, knowing it was true. Out of all the guys I brought home to meet my parents, my dad always compared them to Derek; and we weren’t even dating. And I remember Talia always joking with me telling me one of these days I’ll end up being a Hale; a title I remember always wishing for.

“That was years ago,” I choke out, “Derek and I are just friends. Both of us realize a relationship will never happen; it can’t.”

“Who says it can’t?” Gwen questions, “you want to know the real reason Kali always killed Silas? He left her.”

“Kali and Silas had a thing?” I ask, “I always thought she was after Ennis.”

“Kali only started going after Ennis after your uncle left her; this was also around the time she was killing her pack.” She explains, “but your uncle didn’t want any part of her after that. He was assigned to protect the pack, not help kill it.”

“I didn’t know that about Uncle Silas.” Isabelle says, speaking for the first time since they arrived, “but what happens when a Guardian falls for the wolves?”

“Why don’t you ask, Stacy?” Gwen suggests with a smirk. “I’m sure you’re feeling the effects; the connection.”

“All Guardians have the connection; Peter already informed me.” I explain. “I connected to him after everyone thought he was dead; that’s how I found him.” Of course I leave out the part where I felt his wounds and nearly bleed all over the couch they’re sitting on.

“You’re also attached to him emotionally,” she adds, “you can feel what they’re feeling.”

“Derek and I were always like that.” I remind her, “we’ve been best friends since we were in diapers. Why do you think we always ran to each other with our problems? Out of all the people in the world Derek and I---”

“Understand each other.” Gwen finishes off with an eye roll. “Usually that’s just teenage love but for this, that’s Guardian love.

“Your father had the biggest crush on Talia since third grade. Middle school his crush was almost pathetic. He nearly lost their friendship because of it. Come high school, he knew there was no shot. He dated your mother and she ended up with Derek’s dad. But that love remained. He became her Guardian and felt everything she felt. The night of the fire, he felt her burn to death; that’s why he died.”

“I thought Gerard Argent killed him; that’s what Uncle Silas told me when I moved in.”

“He didn’t want to scare you away from the training.” She defends her brother. “A good Guardian dies with whoever they’re protecting. He didn’t want to scare you off. The family knew that you were going to be amazing at protecting. You were going to start a new generation of Guardians; a generation that’ll learn from the mistakes of the predecessors. You’ll have all our knowledge and won’t follow in our mistakes.”

“Is that why Uncle Silas trained me for the Alpha pack?” I ask her, “because I’m suppose to be the first of a new generation of Guardians?”

“He didn’t want you to follow in the footsteps of your father,” she replies, “that’s the only reason. He didn’t want you to die like your father did. The Hales are bad luck to us after what happened. He didn’t want to have to bury another Sifred because of their involvement with the Hales.”

“I’m not leaving and joining the Alpha pack.” I sternly tell her, “Derek is the wolf I was destined to protect and I’m not going to fight against what’s already written.”

A smile appears on her lips, “I didn’t think you would.”

I’m about to say something when my phone vibrates against the coffee table. Isabella picks up the phone and looks at the caller ID, “what’s a Stiles?” She asks, causing me to laugh.

“Scott’s best friend and a kid I used to babysit a lot.” I reply before taking the phone from her and answering it, “what’s up Stiles?”

“Cora’s in the hospital.” He replies, his voice sounding pretty shaking, “they don’t know what it is.”

“I’ll be there as soon as I can.” I quickly hang up and look at my aunt and cousin. “I’ve got to go, packing issues.”

“Derek issues?” Gwen asks.

“Cora Hale issues.” I reply before grabbing my keys and running to my car; only to be followed by my aunt and cousin. I look at them with questioning eyes.

“I thought Cora died in the fire.”

“All of us did.” I reply, “if you’re coming with me, get in the car now.” They both did as they’re told and we rush to the hospital in silence…