Heart of the Guardians: Adoring Destiny by Adrianna Adore (best books to read for self improvement txt) 📕

about vampires and werewolves, shape shifters and skin walkers, witches and wizards and all manner of unearthly and unnatural creatures. The Guardians had kept them in check, kept the portal closed and sealed so no new monsters could escape. Up until now, anyway.

“Frank told you of the other deaths? He tell you there was a breach? The portal was opened?” He asked.

“Yes.” James said “As I understand it, the guards were both killed, as was my Uncle and two men of the council when they ran down to help.”

“Correct.” Schmidt said “Frank carried the king’s body up to his rooms before he called me, nobody else needed to know about the portal or the other deaths.”

He pulled out his notebook to read the cryptic scribblings. “The wolves did it. Six of their bodies were found outside the guard room, a lot of blood from other creatures and chunks of flesh and hair from two different bears. Your uncle, of course was one of them but we think the second was your cousin, Stigmund. He’s missing, hasn’t been seen since the occurrence and he was known to have associated with the wolf clan.”

James started to protest but the detective held up a hand.

“I’m not saying he plotted to kill the king although it’s not out of the realm of possibility, everyone knew he wanted the throne. Your uncle wasn’t supposed to be down in the crypts, just the two men guarding the portal entrance. We’ll give him the benefit of the doubt, for the moment, but the fact that he’s disappeared is suspect. I believe Stigmund snuck the wolves in to the portal room for whatever reason and things didn’t go as planned. The king and the other two guardians showed up in their animal forms and tore through them. Those that survived escaped the same way they came in, the path was easy enough to follow from the blood splatter. So, I’m looking for an injured Stigmund and three more wounded wolf shifters. We’re monitoring the hospitals, of course. If anyone shows up with bites or claw wounds, we’ll have questions for them.”

“They won’t go to a hospital.” James said. “They’ll use a healer or a medicine woman.”

“Probably.” Schmidt said and closed the notebook. “but that’s where we stand. Do you know of any place Stigmund might go to get patched up? Any hideaways he might run to?”

James shook his head.

“Not really. He’s a few years younger and we drifted apart once we became teenagers. I haven’t seen him except at state dinners or formal gatherings in years.”

Schmidt grimaced and stood to leave.

“Let me know if you need anything from us.” He said. “I have to get to the coroner and make sure he doesn’t get too nosey about the cause of death. This would have been so much simpler if the press hadn’t found out, we could have said it was a heart attack or something.”

“If I get any new information on their whereabouts, I’ll let you know so you can handle it,” he added, “but they’re probably already out of the country.”

“Thanks, detective” James said and shook his hand. “We’ll be hunting for them too. They’ll be dealt with.”

“The Council has gathered.” Frank told James quietly. “They await you in the great room.”

The police captain nodded a grim goodbye and fell in behind one of the staff to show him out.

James and Frank hurried through the echoing corridors, their fine Italian shoes clicking on marble as they went deeper into the building, past the government offices and tourist areas and through the ornate double doors that led to the private quarters. The castle was vast and had always been there in one form or another, the same as the little independent kingdom. It hadn’t always been called Galador but the Guardians had always kept watch at the portal. The truth of the portal and the history of the first Guardians was lost in a fire that took place two thousand years ago. The Romans had heard rumors of uncountable riches hidden deep in the caves of an unnamed mountain. It was only guarded by a small sect of men who had devoted their lives to keeping the treasure for themselves. A legion of soldiers had searched for years and when they finally discovered the village and the stronghold they didn’t hesitate to attack. Many had died during the search but hundreds of men hungry for what had eluded them for so long were savage in their assault. They butchered the families working in the fields and set fire to everything that would burn. Only a few survived and told wild unbelievable tales of wolves and bears and lions coming to the defense of the people. For a thousand years the endless black forest was avoided and unmapped. Those who entered usually didn’t come back out. “Here there be Tygers” was written on the maps and for many centuries the forest was uncharted.

James smelled him as soon as he walked through the mahogany door of the great room. The aged council members were standing on one end of paneled room, talking quietly among themselves. At the other end, a stranger stood by the massive stone fireplace with a glass of bourbon in his hand. He was young, tall and angular with a mass of dark unruly hair. He hadn’t bothered to put on a suit or even clean clothes. He wore riding leathers and a denim vest, fingerless motorcycle gloves still on his hands. James snarled and covered the distance instantly but the biker turned to face him, a growl parting his own lips.

“What are you doing here, dog?” James said “Your kind aren’t welcome.”

“You have no dominion over me.” The man said, showing lengthening teeth. “You’re not the king.”

“Yet.” James growled and fur started sprouting as his face elongated, his own bear fangs hungry to kill.

“Stop it.” Frank said and stepped between them. “Dimitri is here under my protection.”

“You have no right.” James said, barely in control, barely