Night Guardians

Chapter Four- Shot. Bang. Dead

Hello! Just like I promised them, this book is dedicated to the wonderfully supportive and kind @Enchanted_Rose! Thank you so much! Thank you everyone for reading this I really hope that you've enjoyed reading it just as much as I've enjoyed writing it! Please continue to read, comment and vote! First who do will be dedicated in my next upload this week! Enjoy!

*Beth's POV*

The night was quiet. The sky clear as black crystal, except for the twinkle of the stars and the sliver of white light from the crescent moon that hung like a lantern in the darkness.  

I let out a sigh of content.

It was so comfy here, lounging on the roof of the old Bed and Breakfast place. It was a tallish building of about three, four floors, just close enough to the forest to keep an eye and ear out for trouble. I was almost relaxed.

But I could never really be relaxed, not while I was on duty.

Cole and Garnet were the ones from the Luna Team on patrol with me tonight. Each of us positioned at separate ends on the perimeter of the forest surrounding the little town that had been so unfortunately placed smack down in the middle of our territory. Unfortunately for the humans, this little feature attracted a whole different kind of tourist.

Garnet’s mental voice was getting more impatient and restless by the minute.

I hate this. It’s so boring!

I rolled my eyes at her, even though she was over two miles away. She was patrolling the north-east sector of our assigned perimeter. Cole was closer to me, in the east sector, and I took the south. The Astro team had taken the other side of the forest for tonight, so we didn’t have to spread out as much.

Oh grow up G, Cole’s own voice entered the telepath connection. We’re on duty till sunrise and if you keep whining all night I swear I’ll hand you over to the first ghoul I find.

I grinned in the darkness at Garnet’s instant silence to the threat. The one thing guaranteed to get Garnet to behave was a ghoul threat. The one creature she couldn’t stand for anything. Not that I could blame her, I mean it was a walking, rotting corpse, not exactly attractive.

Everything ok with you, boss? Cole added.

I scanned the immediate area for any disturbances, nothing.

All clear here, I sent the soundless message to him, yours?

Yeah, no problems here, He hesitated a moment, But that wasn’t what I meant.

I started to sit up, paying more attention to our conversation.

I meant, are you ok? You seemed distracted when you got back.

I bit my lip, hard enough that I tore the skin.

Shut up, Cole. I’m fine.

Jeez, relax. I was just asking. And with that he broke the connection.

I groaned as I leaned back onto the roof tiles.

He’d been right, like he normally was. Cole had a habit of reading you like a book.

When I’d gotten to the house, I didn’t really speak for a while. They’d asked me how my first day had gone and I’d told them it’d been fine. They knew something else was up, but they never asked. They wouldn’t have dared if I was in a bad mood. After all, I was their boss.

Suddenly, I shot upright. Sharp and alert.

Something was happening nearby. To the west. By the library.

I jumped up and headed that direction, leaping from rooftop to rooftop, never slipping once.

Garnet’s voice came into my head, followed by Cole’s.

What’s happening, girl?

Boss, where’s the fire?

I was almost there. The library, something’s up, probably nothing though.

Garnet was instantly alive.

We’ll meet you there.

Garnet! But she was already gone. They both were.

At the last rooftop I leaped into the air, turning my body over mid-air and landing on my heels in the library parking lot.

Man, I really loved doing that.

My nose wrinkled in reflexive disgust. The stench of human blood clogged the air. It surrounded a black car like an invisible fog near the gate.

Behind the vehicle was a mangled human body, male, most likely middle-aged.

It wasn’t difficult to figure out what caused this. If it had been a vampire, it’d have been a lot cleaner job. Vampires didn’t like getting messy, they were very fastidious creatures. Plus they would never had wasted this much blood of their kill.

A werewolf was another matter. They tore and chewed anything with meaty flesh on their bones, especially if they were in their full state. They were simply mere mangy mutts, in my opinion, through and through.

Cole, I called, we’ve got a body. Mutts this time, can you take care of it?

His reply was instant. He must’ve been getting closer.

Great, my favourite job, body burrier.

I smiled. I’ll make it up to you, promise.

I was about to head off when I saw it. Something dark blue and bulky laid on the ground. It took me a moment to realise that it was a backpack. I picked it up, examining it in my hands. It was full up. It would’ve been quite heavy for an average human to carry everywhere. I glanced at the pool of blood on the gravel and the clean bag in my hands. There was no way this belonged to the dead human.

I turned it over and saw the designs on the front. Black lightning bolts and other doodles done in different coloured Sharpie pens.

One doodle I recognised. I frowned as I looked closer at the design. A crescent moon with A.G on it.

My fingers dug firmer into the backpack, the outline of my vision turning red. I’d drawn that.

Ash! He was here. He’d been here when the wolves were. The wolves would’ve almost definitely had seen him. He must’ve thrown the backpack in order to get away. It wouldn’t have bought him much time.

The only way he could’ve got out was the gate.

Skipping the gate itself, I ran up to the fence and leapt over it.

The gate had led into the old alley path near the allotments.

Ash was there, right in front of me, and in front of him were the werewolves, one black, one brown. Different packs hunting together? That was unusual.

The wolves saw me. The black wolf was ahead of the brown, showing that he was the alpha.

The wolf’s black eyes met mine. He flashed his teeth in a snarl.

I reached into the waistband of my jeans and pulled out my gun, pointing it to the wolf’s face.

“I’ll give you mutts three seconds.”

The black wolf ignored my warning. Both of them made a step forward.

Big mistake

“You asked for it. Three.”

I squeezed the trigger on the handgun at the black wolf, and then fired for the brown.

They both dropped after each shot.

Ash had hit the floor as soon as the shots rang out. Smart boy.

Although the bullets were only made for killing werewolves, the silver would’ve done as much damage to a human as a regular bullet.

I went over to him to see if he was in fact alright.

When I saw he was fine, I couldn’t stop the smile that escaped from my lips as I looked at him.

“Hello Ash.”