Monsters & Guardians

By Kay Elle Parker

*Please be aware that this is a DARK romance with elements some readers might find disturbing.*

She's not going down without a fight...

Fierce and feisty, Raine knows when she's being hunted. It's a sixth sense, part of who she is and a parting gift from her broken past. No family, no friends, she is a true self-made woman, independent and reliant on no one but herself.

Unbeknownst to her, she's caught the attention of a bachelor pack of werewolves--five burly brothers, exiled from Ireland by their father until one of them stakes a claim on their mate and, in doing so, inherits the title of pack Alpha.

They intend to take her, the vicious little redhead with murder on her mind, and make her submit to one of them before her estrus cycle runs out--few mortal women are compatible with werewolves for breeding, and time is of the essence.

But Raine refuses to offer her submission, fighting for her freedom and her life, to the monsters demanding everything she has to give, everything she might have been, everything that makes her the woman she is.

When the new world she finds herself trapped in becomes a battlefield of blood and fur, will her captors be her monsters or her guardians?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Kay Elle Parker
• Release date: Jan 31, 2019
• ISBN: 9780463354575

Book preview

Dedication

To my top team of beta readers who have helped me down this previously unnavigated road of non-consent, debauchery and reverse harem, you are amazing people and deserve to be acknowledged for giving me so much of your time during the writing of Monsters & Guardians.

I know there were times you hated me, so I apologize for that, but this journey would have been left unfinished if not for you standing with me and making me see I could do it.

So, much love to you all:

Nanette, Saskia, Beth, Annie, Charlotte, Sam and Sara.

Monsters & Guardians

Prologue

Two Years Earlier – Maigh Cuilinn, County Galway

Father, this is preposterous! You can’t expect us to—

Quiet. Don’t ever presume to tell me I cannot use my influence as Alpha of this pack to kick you into touch, Dubhlainn. Oldest son of my loins you may be, but you haven’t earned the right to challenge me yet, boy. Fergus O’Callaghan speared his first-born son with eyes the color of amber trapped in sunlight. Bright, all-seeing eyes set in a weathered face of age, war and leadership. Five sons I have. Five strapping men born of my blood—the blood of centuries of warriors—and not one of you have proven yourselves fit to lead this pack. Not one of you have taken a mate, though by the gossip running through the village, you’re quick enough to fuck the nearest bitch who comes begging. Not one of you have made an effort to extend the O’Callaghan line beyond yourselves. At this rate, the title of Alpha will be thrown down as a reward in the fighting pits!

Taking great delight in the set of his sons’ shoulders and the unease in their eyes, Fergus stood straighter and growled low enough to set the hairs on his arms rising. They should be worried, impudent little bastards. Thinking they were entitled to everything he had worked and fought for since childhood. None of you are guaranteed to take my place when I step down as Alpha. The title has been held in our family for almost two centuries, and you risk throwing it away. Fergus jabbed a gnarled finger toward the smallest of his offspring. Although at six-three, Cabhan was hardly small. My second son. Meant to be your brother’s right hand if he ever sits in command. Found drunk and half-knotted inside a serving bitch. A sterling fucking example of leadership, is it not?

Cabhan ducked his dark head, his young face cast into shadow in the great hall where punishment and reward could be dealt hand-in-hand. But Fergus’s keen eyes—he might be coming to his sixty-fifth birthday but, by God, his eyes still held the magic of the wolf—picked up on the faint blush working over his son’s cheeks and neck. It was a drunken folly, Da. Nothing came of it.

Fergus’s temper snapped. Nothing came of it because the lass was taken to Mother Moira and the problem taken care of before it could start, he snarled furiously. Did you think she’d be left to luck and nature, boy? Are you so fucking stupid at twenty-seven years of age that you believe you’re infallible to the ways of Mother Nature?

No, Da.

I will not have the line perfected by years of our forefathers ruined by five spoiled whelps who barely pull their weight by day and fuck away their nights. The decision has been made final between myself and the Council. Until such a time as you can prove you have become worthwhile and responsible members of the pack, you are to leave the village. The first of you to bring back a suitable bred and bonded bitch will be considered first-in-line for command.

Dark green eyes glared at Fergus from beneath a creased brow. A genetic throwback to Fergus’s own great-great-grandfather, the inestimable Padraig O’Callaghan. Only this pair belonged to Malachi, his middle child of the five brothers. "Banishing us, Father, because we’re enjoying life? Jesus, how many stories have you told us over the years of your foolish, wild and drunken escapades?"

There’s no denying that, Fergus allowed with a nod. Wild and reckless, I was, for a long time. And I had a mate waiting for me when I settled down. Your mother knew what I was, who I was, and what power she would have access to once I took leadership of the pack. He grinned, remembering fondly the bitch who had whelped him five sons any wolf could be proud of—under other circumstances—and who had died a good decade past. Never has there been a more power-hungry bitch than that one. She would have made a fantastic Alpha if she’d been born a male.

You never loved her. The murmured words caught the Alpha’s attention, along with the surprise and...was that bitterness?

Fergus narrowed his eyes at Finn, the youngest and softest of heart. The boy was barely into his twenties and would make a better healer than a warrior. For sure, he’d never make it to Alpha—the pack would eat him alive within a week. That Finn could speak of love, the lack of it, was yet another indication of his inability to lead.

Love did not further a pack into greatness, did not ensure survival of their species in a time when their numbers were already dwindling. Love was a crutch, an excuse, a flimsy concept waved around to draw bitches in like bees to the honeypot.

Aye, I never did, just as she never loved me. We fulfilled our destiny, boy. Five strong sons, born and bred to be valiant warriors and firm leaders. She ruled by my side for thirty-five years. Love was never a part of our dynamic and we were the better for it.

That’s why you’re still alive ten years after her death. Finn’s haunting gray eyes—a throwback to times long past as there hadn’t been a wolf with gray eyes recorded in the pack’s history for almost four hundred years—bore into his father’s with accusation. A true pairing, a true bond, means you should have died when she did, or not long after.

One of them was learning. Fergus acknowledged Finn’s angry scowl with an easy nod. There were tricks to being Alpha of a pack, little shortcuts that ensured leadership continued long after the death of a spouse or child. Smart lad, Finn. Just like your mother. Breeding a bitch is a far cry from fucking one for fun. Breeding is a commitment, one no wolf takes lightly. Find one whose company you don’t mind, who can take your knot without too much screaming, and you shouldn’t have too many problems.

What if she doesn’t want to be bred? There are tales of unquenchable lust, of females who beckon to males unknowingly with pheromones. Innocent females with no comprehension of what we are. Quinn, dark eyes gleaming with fury, lifted his head to stare Fergus down. You think to banish us from the village, away from the females of our own kind, who are physically designed by nature to accept our forms? How much damage do you think we’re capable of inflicting upon mortal women? You’d expose the pack that way?

Fergus showed his teeth in a wide, white snarl. Expose the pack in any way, shape or form, and I will send the full wrath of your brethren down on your heads, sons or no. This is your chance to prove to me, to the Council, that you are not self-indulged, worthless fucking idiots. Fail and you will not return here. Dead or alive.

They were bristling now, all five brothers born from the same womb and yet as subtly different as they were alike, and the scent of their rage was like a drug in Fergus’s blood. They would make an intimidating force out in the world, and hopefully that pulsing aura of danger would suck bitches in and give the pack a fresh wave of genetic material into an otherwise stagnant pool of DNA.

Too many wolves of breeding age were related closely enough to make mutations and defects a common occurrence. More than two dozen pups over the past three years had been drowned at birth for just that reason, and more still had fallen prey to ‘accidents’ as they grew older and their imperfect flaws revealed themselves.

The pack did not allow defective stock to survive—there wasn’t the physical resources to support any wolf who couldn’t provide for itself. No time for bitches to be fussing over pups still crawling at six months old instead of running and shifting.

So new blood was required, and if wolf bitches couldn’t be found and claimed, mortal females were compatible enough to be bred and carry offspring to full-term. They just didn’t last too much longer after the birth, for the most part; their healing abilities were ridiculously limited and often the cause of their deaths once the pups left the safety of the womb.

You are to be gone by first light. Whether you hunt your mates down as a bachelor band or go your separate ways, it’s of no interest to me. But you will not step foot within fifty miles of Maigh Cuilinn without a bitch attached to you. You are my sons, but until you prove yourselves to be the warrior wolves I know you can be, you will no longer be my heirs.

Fergus’s words echoed around the great hall with finality. The order had been passed and was unbreakable now—there was no going back for any of them. He took one last look at the produce of his loins and saw strength, ruthlessness, compassion, determination and unflappable control in the faces so like his, so like his Sheila’s.

They were the future of the pack, if they embraced the beast inside.

Without another word, Fergus strode from the head of the hall, down the wide stone aisle flanked by flickering sconces of flame, and returned to the life he’d spent decades cultivating, not giving his sons even a backward glance.

They would fend for themselves, prove themselves, or they would die.

It was the way of the pack.

Chapter One

Present Day – Somewhere Outside Boulder, Colorado

Raine

Eyes were on her.

Raine moved quickly, quietly, through the unsettled nighttime darkness like a shadow, merging with nature as the prickle of awareness strengthened along her nape. She didn’t know who or what, but she was well aware she was being stalked. Had been, in fact, for damn near a month.

She didn’t like it.

Hunting things was her specialty. Wayward bears, wolves, moose that strayed too far toward civilization were the bulk of her day job—relocation or termination depending on the infraction and the animal. Highly skilled with knife, bow and gun, she worked alone, with confidence, and strived for the best outcome for the wildlife every time.

It quite literally gutted her if she was forced to end a life.

Her night career, however, was a little different and the reason she was out under the unsettling orange-hued full moon on this late September evening. Reports had come in of several livestock mutilations across the county and all signs indicated a pack of wolves migrating into the area. Teeth and claw marks were pretty specific, Raine thought as she remembered the sheriff’s report. Wolf, most likely a bachelor pack heading for cover for winter.

Unfortunately, they’d cost a few farmers a substantial amount in dead stock.

Luckily for her, she had knowledge her counterparts didn’t have access to and she’d put together a haphazard theory based on what she knew and what she felt. These were no ordinary wolves, that much was clear. Too big, too cocky, and using tactics only a human brain could devise to trap and kill their prey.

So, she was looking for shifters or weres.

She cursed as her foot slipped off a rock, caught her balance, and kept moving. The pack was tracking her and, by her estimation, had been doing so for over a month. Which meant they’d crossed state lines and had no qualms about running her to ground when they thought the time was right.

At first, she’d believed she was paranoid from too much time on her own and the nature of her after-dark endeavors, but it became clear that she was in someone’s sights when she felt eyes all around her wherever she went. Not to mention the dark, seductive scent of...something she couldn’t quite place but drove her hormones insane.

A twig snapped over to her left, deeper into the trees. For now, she was staying as far out in the open as she dared—she’d seen the result of their hunting tactics and she wasn’t amenable to being their snack for the night. But it seemed it wouldn’t make a difference; shadows parted from the darkness on either side of her, ushering her into a pincer trap. As she started to run, they kept pace, veering nearer despite the rocks and trees she was aiming for.

Driving her into a dead end.

Fuck. She slammed to a halt, her Army-grade boots skidding on loose earth, and spun around in the same movement, taking off in the opposite direction before her pursuers, all four of them, realized their quarry was bolting in the opposite direction.

Raine fumbled for the six-inch knife in the sheath tucked into her belt, gripping the handle firmly. Using it might become necessary and she wanted it in her hand as a warning if nothing else.

A goddamn mountain stepped out of the trees, cast in darkness, looming over her like God. She squeaked, dodged, and sent up a prayer as hot, thick fingers grazed over her arm, almost finding purchase. She yanked for good measure, ensuring he couldn’t get a hold, and sprinted for the trees. Maybe she could find cover for a few minutes, catch her breath, but she knew there would be no reprieve now.

Her heart rate and breathing were through the roof, impossible to contain and reduce to normal levels. The pack would hear her a mile away without a word passing her lips. And she was sweaty, her body pumping out her location in waves of fear, broadcasting trapped female to whichever male got close enough first.

So much trouble. How did she always get herself into so much fucking trouble? Her feet pounded the ground to the same rhythm as her heart, and then the ground vibrated as the mountain charged after her, no light-footedness from him.

Raine ducked and weaved through the trees, gauging spaces and sneaking through the smallest ones to gain an advantage over her main pursuer. More than once, she rapped hard into an unforgiving trunk or caught her flesh on branches, bark.

And she was tiring.

Two figures cut ahead of her, urging her like sheepdogs to take a left turn into whatever corral they’d devised for her. The one at her back made no move to tackle her, just kept pushing her steadily away, and the other two were nowhere to be seen.

She zipped right, heard a low and amused male curse, and strived for every last drop of energy she had left. If she had another two minutes’ flight left in her, she’d be lucky. Rough terrain was taking its toll. Her legs were turning to rubber, no longer long, powerful strides but jolting, wobbling half-steps as her chest burned and her oxygen levels depleted.

She stumbled, almost went down but by the grace of God managed to stay upright. Sheer force of will kept her moving despite her body screaming at her to stop, to rest, before she seized and died from overexertion.

Finished yet? His voice was like boulders tumbling down a mountainside; rough, deep and resounding. We can go all night, little rabbit.

Yeah, she just bet he could. Panting breaths wheezed into pathetic growls, useless against the likes of him. She thought he’d probably be laughing his head off at the inanity of her pathetic threat, but she didn’t stop running. Couldn’t. While her threat might be a bluff, his presence and that of his pack—because she sure as hell didn’t want to meet the actual Alpha if he wasn’t it—was nothing but reality.

The ground became rocky, lethal in the darkness. Although her eyes were used to the gloomy light now, they were blurring with exhaustion and tears of fatigue. Little more than hobbling now, she strained to put one foot in front of the other, mind on autopilot, until she dropped to her knees in defeat.

Body thrumming with adrenaline, she waited for two things—her system to crash, and hands to claim her. The hilt of her knife was slippery in her hand and she valiantly tightened her grip on it. She had others, hidden here and there, but she imagined they would be discovered by the wolves in short order.

The ridiculously-sized mountain walked over to her, calm and contained, and the fucker wasn’t even breathing hard. Raine’s gaze swept over him, squinting as she tried to study the form looming over her. At five-nine standing, she wasn’t a small woman. Fit and lean, she was pleased with her appearance and her body.

But this monster was infinitely massive. She would say six-six at best guess, and physically proportioned to match. Shoulders so broad he could perch her on one and another opposite. A chest to match, well-defined and muscles looking like carved idols for a woman to worship. His goddamn arms—she had a thing for arms and although she detested this stranger for putting her in this position...her imagination told her she could do things to those arms that would make the wolf blush.

Washboard stomach, not an ounce of fat on his waist...well, anywhere really.

Then the rest of him was lost beneath a pair of tattered jeans that stretched deliciously in all the right places as he crouched in front of her, bare feet and all. Just taking a breather or are you done?

Fucking cocky wolves, she muttered to herself. Even worse when they’re Irish.

Caught that, did you? Evidently amused, he threw his head back and laughed, allowing the odd twang of Ireland she’d heard evolve into the full accent. You’re an astute one, gotta give Cabhan that. Are you afraid, little rabbit?

She snapped her teeth at him when he reached out to stroke her sweaty cheek, slapped at his hand with her empty one. Now was not the time to give away her weapon. I’m not a fucking rabbit. Call me that again and I’ll kick you in the nuts.

The monster grinned at her. That’s all very well and good, little rabbit, but it won’t stop what’s coming. My brothers would just have to take their turns fucking you while I recover, and when I do...you wouldn’t like the consequences.

Shit, on her knees was a really bad position to be in. Raine shoved unsteadily to her feet, unsure they’d even hold her upright, but they didn’t fail her. Swaying, she shook her head in denial. I’ll kill you all before that happens.

Leave the virgin be, Dubhlainn. Another voice, softer and appealing, carried through the trees. You’ve run the lass to ground; terrorizing her isn’t going to help anything, is it?

Virgin? The monster snapped.

Virgin? Raine laughed at the same time and thought, How the fuck does he know that? Don’t be ridiculous. Just because I refuse to fuck five complete strangers in the middle of nowhere does not mean—

I can smell you, sweetheart. My nose is a little keener than my brothers’ and beneath the fear, I can smell your arousal. Very sweet, untainted. A tall, dark-haired man stepped out of the trees with the rest of the pack in tow. And God help her, the brotherly resemblance was a slap to the face. You can’t be allowed to take her first, Dubh. She won’t take you fully, not the first time.

She damn well will!

Her eyes bounced from man to man. Dark head to dark head. Although their features differed only slightly, by the smallest of angles at most, the biggest difference was their eyes. Not one brother had the same color; green, blue, amber, brown, and gray.

They were fighting over her virginity as though she wasn’t standing in front of them, she realized. The monster had pushed to his feet and was toe-to-toe with his brother, the one with the soft voice, arguing over knots and ties and bonds. The other three were avidly watching their siblings like a tennis match.

So why was she stood there, doing the same? Raine ran a checklist through her head. Breathing? Slowed, manageable. Heart rate? Still elevated but screw it. Body? Completely exhausted but desperate times called for drastic, punishing measures.

She inched back, keeping her eyes on the pack. Staying here was going to result in pain she wasn’t ready for. Another step, another, another. Barely stifling a squeak of surprise when she bumped into a boulder, she froze in place but the argument was only escalating.

Dark green eyes met hers and a wicked smile flashed over a devastatingly gorgeous face. The wolf winked at her, tipping his head to the side as if to indicate she should run.

So she did, skirting carefully around the big rock at her back and fleeing like the hounds of hell were snapping at her heels. Which they would be, she thought in near panic, as soon as they realized she was gone.

Exhaustion took over quickly. Maybe one hundred yards passed before she needed to force herself forward, wishing she could whip herself for a faster pace. She heard masculine voices raise into shouts and hoped the two brothers would start brawling, buying her more time not to run but to hide.

Hiding was her only option now. Her goddamn legs were like lead weights and there wasn’t a prayer she could make it to safety before they found her. The question was, up or down. If she went up, climbing one of the tall trees, they could simply wait her out if they wanted. If she went down, took shelter beneath a cluster of rocks or beneath some tree roots, they’d just dig her out.

She was so fucking screwed, it was unbelievable.

For a long, depressing moment, Raine contemplated curling into a ball and letting fate do what it would. That big brute would rape her, leave her hurting, and pass her off to his brothers, but she would survive, right? Broken in body did not mean broken in mind.

It was the outraged howl that got her moving. Furious and disbelieving, as though the hulking bastard couldn’t fathom she’d slipped out of his grasp. For a few minutes, at least. A few more minutes where her body was her own and not property of a raging bull with dishonorable intentions.

Just a little further, Raine. Please, you can do this. There’s got to be somewhere.

Her heart plummeted when a tall, broad figure stepped into her path as though he’d been waiting for her there all along. She whimpered, brought the knife up to lay against her throat, and watched eyes the color of wet moss widen in alarm.

Please don’t do that, he murmured, obviously finding the knife a good reason not to step closer. You don’t want to die, poppet. You’re exhausted, that’s easy to see. But you can’t outrun us, you can’t hide from us. Let me take you away from here before my brother overpowers the rest of my kin; it will give him chance to calm himself. Give you an opportunity to rest and recover.

The cool edge of the knife bit into her skin as her hand shook. A trickle of warm blood dribbled down her neck, annoying her with the tickle. She snorted derisively. Rest and recover before the five of you rape me, you mean? How considerate of you.

It is, he agreed without a hint of arrogance, considering the nature of our beasts. Would you hand over the knife, precious, before you slit your own throat? I don’t trust the way you’re shaking.

Whether it was the lull of the Irish in his voice, or just the underlying resonance of dominance, Raine almost obeyed. The blade inched away from her neck, her eyes caught up in his, before she realized he was a good three feet closer. Teeth bared, she pressed it back to her throat and stopped him in his tracks.

Fucking Irish bastards and their idiotic accents. Why me? Why tail me for a goddamn month and kill all that livestock? Did you do that to draw me out, get me out here looking for you?

Green-Eyes winced, folding his arms over his barrel of a chest. We picked your scent up in Texas. Followed you into Oklahoma and then here. The stock, well, that was part-ruse, part need to eat if I’m honest. Living as the wolf takes energy and energy requires food. Luring you in at the same time was an added bonus.

Trap. It had been a trap all along, and she’d been dumb enough to fall into it willingly enough. She sucked in a deep breath, blew it out and considered her options. And while she considered, a wall of tension gathered at her back.

Brothers, Green-Eyes said calmly. No sudden moves if you would.

For fuck’s sake, Malachi, have you not got the bitch tamed yet?

Raine flinched, digging the knife deeper into flesh at the sound of the brute’s voice. Tears filled her eyes, the first one finally sliding free and down her cheek. The one called Dubhlainn. Stupid goddamn name. Sounded like Dove-lin.

Don’t call her that when she has a weapon against her throat, Dubh. Malachi, the one with hypnotic green eyes, smiled at her gently. He doesn’t mean it in the context you’re used to, petal. A bitch is a female wolf in our world—a mate, a companion.

Did they all think she was short a few brain cells? What the brute said, he meant. Liar. Her eyes flickered frantically as the wall behind her spread out, surrounding her with sexy, lethal men.

Malachi in front and just to her right, the monster behind. An amber-eyed wolf placed himself between Malachi and Dubhlainn on her right as the gray-eyed, soft-voiced young wolf eased up beside her and another wolf, this one with deep chocolate-toned eyes, situated himself between Malachi and the gray-gazed one.

Completely surrounded, Raine knew she had to make a choice.

This is alarming, the young one said soothingly. "We—most of us—understand how confusing, how frightening this must be for you, Raine. It can’t be helped, just as what comes next is out of all our control. Animals work on