Cayden Holstin is the third son of Alpha Liam and Luna Angel. In a family of seven, he’s the only one who hasn’t found his mate besides his underage sister. His oldest brother became the pack’s Alpha, his second oldest brother is their company’s CEO, and Cayd is currently in school to become the CFO. The human university was not exciting and fun like he was hoping, finding it difficult to hide who he is and bored with the females who only wanted casual relationships. Cayden is past ready to find his mate and settle down.

Madelyn Cole is a human who was abruptly introduced to the werewolf world when she started dating a man she thought was human. It didn’t take long for him to bring her to his ‘pack’ and then refuse to let her leave. His aggressive, violent ways terrify her, and she tried to leave, but he refused to let her go. One night, in the middle of big party, Madelyn finds her opening and escapes, running as fast as she can

When Cayd and the other Guardians realize that humans are being taken into werewolf packs as slaves and omegas against their will, they will have to make a stand, to fight as they always do for those who cannot fight for themselves.

Cayd doesn’t care that his mate is a human. He trusts the Moon Goddess to give him the mate that is meant to be his. But Madelyn doesn’t want to live around the violent werewolves. She just wants to be left alone. Can Cayd convince her that he’s not like other wolves while keeping her safe from the one who is hunting her?

: Cayden

**This is the seventh book in the Guardian's Next Generation series (eleven in the overall Guardian series). References will be made to events that occurred in the other books without specific detail provided here.*

As I walk on the sidewalks in the human city where I have an apartment, I think about the last week. It’s been a whirlwind of birthdays, my twin sisters both turned eighteen and then less than a week later, they both had their Luna ceremonies one night apart. They’re mated to the two Alphas that are in an alliance with my oldest brother, Rich.

All of the males in my generation are strong Alphas, stronger than most because our mothers are Guardians. The Guardian line travels through the females in the bloodline, and besides my younger sister who is still underage, all of the female Guardians in our generation have found their mates. All the sons of the Guardians in this generation have found their mates as well. Except me.

I’m not sure why I haven’t found her. Cohen, one of my best friends, says she’s probably underage. Since I’m not yet twenty, it’s possible. He’s my age and he’s mated to my sister who just turned eighteen. If she wasn’t a Guardian, they may not have known until her birthday that they were mated, but Cohen and even Emerson, who is mated to the other twin, seemed to realize that their mates were my sisters. Emlyn, another one of my best friends is mated to my oldest brother. Her sister, Riley, is mated to Cohen’s younger brother, Clint, and Lily is mated to an elf king. So, no Guardian for me. Which is fine. My brother Xander is mated to a witch and he’s perfectly happy.

I even went to our offices, under the guise of checking out the new apartments we’ve purchased for the witches we’ve brought into the family business, hoping to smell my mate’s scent. But, I didn’t smell anything other than the herbal/medicinal scent of multiple witches.

I make a mental note to have a game night with Tate soon. Now that Maeve and Xander have a pup and another on the way, a fifteen-year-old budding witch needs friends that aren’t his sister’s mate. I know Xander means well, but sometimes a young man needs a friend who isn’t in love with his sister.

As I walk, trying to burn off the frustrated energy inside me, I realize my jealousy isn’t just about them finding their mates. All of my siblings either have pups or are expecting pups. Even my twin sisters, who just turned eighteen, announced at their Luna ceremonies that they are expecting pups. They have families, they’re settled, and I’m not. I want what my family has always had, love, compassion, and craziness. Yeah, we’ve fought. Goddess knows I went against my brother Rich when things were bad between him and Emlyn. We’re Alpha males, it happens, but we’ve always known we loved each other. We’ve always known that we’re there for each other. And, at the end of the day, they have the woman or man that they love to go to sleep with, while I go to my cold bed, alone.

I’ve decided not to return to the university. I thought it would be more fun than it was. Yeah, women were throwing themselves at me, but it was superficial, it was temporary. They were looking for a good time, not a long time. And while it was fun at first, it got old fast. Since it was a human university, I had to hide who I was, barely able to let Baron, my wolf, out to shift. Both of us became miserable and so I’ve decided to leave the university life behind and come back to my roots, taking on-line classes so I can still take my role in the company’s business alongside my brother Xander.

It worked out well that of the seven children my parents had, three of us were males and we not only had a pack that my father handed over to Rich, but a thriving company. It was always too much for my father to handle on his own, so the expectation was that Xander, my older brother, would become CEO, and I would become the company’s CFO. He’s a year ahead of me in school, having returned after a semester much as I am now. He’s been taking online courses and of course, he’s managed to find his mate, bond with her and her two siblings who she was raising, and now he has a pup, one on the way, he still goes to school and is working part-time at the company. I’m not sure how he does it, but I’m sure if I found my mate and she was willing to give me a pup right away, I’d figure it out too.

I talked to my father over the last couple of days, wanting to buy an apartment at the office building. Xander bought both of the penthouse condos in the building, making it into a large family home. Now that Maeve is working in the building as well and they’ve instituted a nursery, everything is all right there for them.

So, when I talked to my father, I told him I wanted an apartment with an option to stretch out when I found my mate and we started a family. We talked a lot about placement within the building and where I want to be located. I think he’s basically planning to buy out the entire building eventually. At this point, we own the top half of the building, but we continue to grow with lone wolves and now witches working for us and needing a place to live outside of the packs or the covens.

He told me we’d meet later this week to talk about it and we’ll also be talking with Xander about buying out the entire building. Personally, I think it’s a good idea. As the CFO, I’ll have to crunch the numbers and see how it comes together, but I’ve done some rough numbers in my head, and I think it will actually be mor profitable if we do buy out the building, rather than paying rent to someone else for the apartments that our wolves and witches need. I’m sure there are others, not just the witches, who need our help. We, the mates and children of the Guardians, are just as responsible for helping those in need as our mothers and sisters are. Both of my parents have drilled that into me, and all of us, since we were young. It’s not only what good Alphas do, but also what Guardians do. I may not have the special gifts that my sisters do, but I’m still an Alpha and the son of a Guardian.

I sigh, turning around, ready to head back to my empty apartment. It’s late, very late. You’d never know it by the street that is still crowded with people, milling about drinking, dining, and dancing. None of that interests me at all. Not until I’ve found her, my mate.

As I turn back to our office building, I think about my current apartment. It’s not bad, it’s just not what I want for a family. Maybe it’s premature of me to think about getting a larger place. What if my mate doesn’t want to live in the city? My father didn’t. He commuted so that my mother could live in the pack.

I’ve just started re-evaluating my decision when Baron sits up in my head.

‘Baron?’ I ask him, a moment before the wind blows and I smell it, smell her. The men in my family, all of them, love fruity scents. My mother smells like raspberries, Rich’s mate smells like peaches and Xander’s mate smells like strawberries. I always new that my mate would smell like fruit, I just wasn’t sure which one. But now I know, my mate smells like the sweetest, juiciest pear I’ve ever smelled.

I lift my nose in the air, drinking in her scent. She’s heading my way. She smelled me. My mate is coming to me so I stand still, waiting for her.

I open my eyes, ready to accept her, no matter what, when she literally slams into me.

“Mmmm, hello beautiful,” I murmur, wrapping my arms around her.

It takes a moment for me to realize that overlaying her scent of juicy pear is the scent of fear. My mate is terrified.

I pull back, looking down into her big aquamarine eyes.

“Please. Please, help me!” she says. I look over her head and see several wolves hunting my mate. My human mate.

I snarl, pushing her behind me.

: Madelyn

How did I ever get myself into his mess? Oh right, I fell for the wrong man. He was so attractive, so charming, until he wasn’t. He was a prince, until he became a nightmare. All those things you worry about as a kid, all the things that go bump in the night, they’re real. Werewolves are real. I know because I’ve been forced to live with them now for several months.

Alec was everything a young woman dreams of when she finds ‘the one’. He’s smart, charismatic, and he seemed to really be into me. We dated for a short time, but it was intense. He wanted to be around me all the time and I loved the attention. After a life in foster care, never having anyone who truly cared about me, I fell for it; hook, line, and sinker. In hindsight, he didn’t even have to give me that much attention. I thought he was being gentlemanly not wanting to sleep with me, but it turns out, he never wanted me for sex. He wanted a slave.

When he’d ‘confessed’ to being a werewolf, he said he wanted me to know everything about him before I decided to bind myself to him. He said he wanted to always be honest with me. So, I’d gone with him to the forest, and I’d watched him shift. I’d been shocked and terrified, but his wolf had come up and licked my cheek and it had been so much like the German Shepard I’d had in one of my foster homes, only much larger, that I hadn’t been afraid.

When he said he wanted to show me what his life was like, to see if I could be happy living with him, I’d agreed. He’d taken me to this pack and that’s where everything had changed. Rather than protecting me, he’s made me a slave, what he called an omega. I was told I couldn’t leave, ever, and I was forced to cook and clean for sixteen hours a day.

I was given no time to continue my studies, no time for anything but to serve the pack. The first time I tried to escape, he’d caught me, ran me down in his wolf form and literally dragged me back kicking and screaming. His father, the ‘Alpha’, had slapped me so hard across the face that I thought he broken my cheekbone.

“Just where do you think you’re going?” he’d snarled.

“I…I…I want to go home.”

“You are home,” he’d growled, and I’d been put in a room by myself without food or water for three days.

When they came for me, I felt like I was on the verge of death.

“Fuck! She’s human. We can’t leave her as long as the other omegas. Get her out, get her cleaned up and get some water in her,” I’d heard Alec saying.

I’d been dragged into my room, not much larger than a closet, and given food and water with the command to bathe and sleep before my shift the next morning.

And my horror had stared all over again. I learned quickly that humans are despised by the werewolves. We’re weak compared to the wolves and so they think less of us. I’m not sure why Alec chose me, maybe I was an easy target, maybe because I had no one to come looking for me, no one who cared if died. But either way, I knew if I didn’t find a way out of here, I’d remain a slave to this pack for the rest of my life.

It took a couple of months for me to finally get an opening. The pack was planning a party, inviting other packs to the come and celebrate. I think Alec was becoming Alpha and this is a big deal. I heard them talking about two of the last three Guardians accepting their mates and becoming Lunas, but since I had no idea what they were talking about, I didn’t really listen.

Instead, I began planning how I could get away. I know their senses are heightened, but I also know that Alec likes to have sex with pretty girls. He flirts with them then takes them to bed. His father is no different and since there will be a lot of she-wolves here tonight, all of the unmated males will be trying to get laid. It’s the best chance that I have to get away.

I’d been waiting for the right moment, when fate shined down on me. One of our pack’s she-wolves was making out with a wolf from another pack. He had her pressed against the wall in a hallway and he was so distracted that he didn’t notice that his keys fell out of his pocket. When they moved on, I grabbed the keys and put them into my pocket. I went to the side door, holding the keys and pressed the unlock button so I could find the car. There were patrols watching the cars, so I stayed out of sight, seeing which one flashed.

When it did, the patrols looked over, then snickered, talking about how the guy must be having a good time. I quickly rushed back to show my face a couple more times, pour more drinks for the wolves, and then excuse myself to go to the bathroom.

My window of opportunity is small, and I know I have to hurry. I rush out to the car, thankful that I’d pushed the unlock button earlier. I crawl in, not closing the door all the way. The patrols have moved away, flirting with some she-wolves from another pack. I decide to act as though I’m the owner of the vehicle and not race away. So, I get the seat set and turn the car on, quickly moving it out of the parking spot.

I see the patrols look over, but since I’m going at a normal pace, they don’t react, going back to talking to the she-wolves. I begin driving down the road, hopefully heading out of the pack lands. It’s been months and I was only on the road once, so I’m hoping this is the right way. The only thing I remember is turning right into the pack lands. So, I plan to turn left when I leave here.

When I get to the gate, I smile, but the patrol frowns. “Who are you?”

I don’t wait to try and answer, I hit the gas and take off. Almost immediately, I hear howls as wolves alert the others that I’ve escaped. I don’t stop, I keep driving as fast as I can, knowing that if I don’t get away this time, they’ll most likely kill me.

I drive until I come to a city. I need to get lost in the crowd and find somewhere to sleep. I have no idea where that might be and I realize that I have no money, no ID, nothing except the clothes on my back.

I get out and I begin to run, trying to find someplace to hide. I know they have a good sense of smell, but I’m hoping that the scents in the city will override my scent. I’ve barely made it a block when I hear tires screeching to a stop behind me. I begin running faster, terrified that I’ll get caught, that this time, they’ll kill me.

I turn, seeing Alec coming after me, fury on his face. I turn and run into a brick wall.

“Hello beautiful,” the wall, who is actually a man, says before strong arms come around me. He smells like buttery maple syrup.

The man pulls back, frowning down at me. I have a moment to wonder if this gorgeous man just walked off of the cover of a surfing magazine before my fear takes over.

“Please. Please help me!”

He looks past me and must see Alec and his goons coming for me. I’m almost positive that he growls, and he pushes me behind him.

There’s no reason for me to feel safe. I’m not at all safe. But, there’s something about this surfer-looking guy, something about the way that he just put himself in between me and Alec that has me feeling protected and safe if a way that I’m not used to.

“Who are you?” I hear Alec snarl.

“My name is Cayden Holstin. If you don’t want the wrath of the Guardians raining down on you like wildfire, I suggest you turn and walk away. NOW!” he snarls and crouches into what I know is a fighting stance.

: Madelyn

Did he say Guardians? Isn’t that what Alec and his friends were saying before? Something about twins finding their mates?

When the man, Cayden, crouches into a fighting stance, I don’t even have to duck to stay hidden behind him. Whether that was intentional on his part or he’s just that tall, I don’t know, but I stay behind him, my hands looping into the back of his pants. If Alec tries to tear me away, at least I have something to hold onto.

“We just want the girl, Alpha Cayden. She’s part of our pack and she’s distraught. We need to get her home and take care of her.”

Alpha? Oh no!

“Distraught…” he says as if he’s rolling the word around in his head but it’s not making sense. “Yeah, I might go with terrified, not distraught, based on her scent. So, I’m guessing that whatever you boys did, she didn’t like it. She’s run from you and now she’s asked for my help. If you know who I am, then you know I won’t say no to helping her or anyone that asks for my assistance,” he growls.

I’m not sure exactly what that means, but I’m thankful that it sounds like he’ll at least help me get away from Alec and his men.

“Alpha Cayden, you are severely outnumbered here. Give us the girl and there will be no problem,” Alec says.

“You think I can’t take five of you? You think I won’t kill you for going against me? The Holstins own this town. You have no say here. Run along before you get yourselves into more trouble than you’re already in,” he says.

Who the hell is this guy?

“Alpha, is there a problem?” I hear another man say, walking up on one side of me as a woman walks up on the other.

Alpha Cayden stands up. “I don’t know boys. Is there a problem?” he asks quietly, but his tone is menacing.

“No, no problem,” Alec says. “We’ll be on our way. We’ll see you soon, Maddy,” he says before I hear them walking away.

“Follow them, Jesse. Make sure they leave the city,” Alpha Cayden says.

“And if they don’t?” the woman asks.

“Show them what happens when they go against us, Penny,” he says.

The woman, Penny, looks at me. She starts to say something, but Alpha Cayden cuts her off. “I’ve got her.”

“We’ll check in with you later.”

“Thank you.”

The two werewolves take off behind Alec. I know they’re werewolves because they were both extremely attractive people and also because they are very muscular, even the woman.

I feel hands wrapping around my wrists and I try to pull away. He releases one wrist and turns. “Easy, Maddy. I’m not going to hurt you.”

I look up into his green eyes. They are startling against his tanned skin and blond hair. Geez the guy is gorgeous, but I shouldn’t be surprised since he’s not only a werewolf, but also an Alpha.

“Thank you for your help, Alpha. I’ll be on my way now,” I say, trying to pull away.

“Hey, hey. Maddy, I’m not going to hurt you.”

“Madelyn,” I say, hating the nickname that Alec gave me.

“Madelyn,” he purrs, at least it sounds like a purr. I’ve never heard a werewolf purr before. “Where are you headed?”

“Oh, I um…” I say, jerking my thumb over my shoulder in the general area behind me.

He leans down, getting closer to me. Good grief, he smells like Sunday mornings when I was young and my mother would make pancakes with butter and maple syrup. It was my favorite breakfast and made Sundays my favorite day of the week. At least when my parents were alive.

“Do you have somewhere to go?”

I don’t know why, but I feel locked in his gaze and I answer truthfully. “No.”

“Come on. I’m not letting you sleep in the street. The city isn’t safe, especially when you have a pack hunting you.”

“I don’t have any money,” I say quickly. I want him to understand that I can’t afford to get a hotel room.

“I have a place here,” he says and I’m not sure what sound I make or what he heard, but he pulls me to a stop, still having a hold on my wrist. “I’m not going to hurt you. You probably don’t know what a Guardian is, but I’m the son, brother, and friend of very powerful women called Guardians. The name is exactly what you were expect. Guardians protect those who can’t protect themselves.”

“Who got married?” I ask, sounding absolutely stupid.

“What?” he asks frowning.

“I heard Alec and his friends talking about twins finding their mates. That’s like marriage, right?”

“My sisters, Quinn and Malin. Yes, they found their mates, friends of mine, Alpha Emerson, and Alpha Cohen. Powerful Alphas who are in an alliance with my brother, Alpha Richard.”

Now it’s my turn to frown. “But they called you Alpha.”

“I was born into an Alpha family. My father is an Alpha and my mother is a Guardian. My oldest brother, Rich, took over the pack several years ago. Only the oldest son takes over the pack. My brother and I run our family’s business here in the city. Well, we will once we finish school,” he clarifies.

“Oh,” I say, feeling my stomach rumble. Alpha Cayden’s eyes flash to my stomach.

“Let’s stop and get some takeout on our way.”

“I said I don’t have any money,” I remind him.

“Hmmm,” he says, looking thoughtful. “Then I guess you’ll have to pick out what we’re eating, and I’ll pay for it.”

“That doesn’t make any sense. I don’t even know what you like? And how is that fair?”

“Lucky for you, I like everything, and didn’t you hear me tell Alpha Alec that the Holstins own this town? It’s pretty much true. I think I can afford dinner for two.”

“Okay.” I’m not sure I’d be so amenable to his offer if I wasn't starving and exhausted, and so far, this guy is being nice to me. Of course, Alec was too, until he wasn’t.

“We’re not going to your pack, right?” I ask him.

“No, but if you’d feel safer there…”

“NO! No, I just wanted to make sure.”

We stop at a street vendor that sells pizza, wings, and hoagies.

“So, what are we having?” Alpha Cayden asks me.

“Uh…” I look at the prices and see that they are all higher than I’d expect to pay. Must be city prices. “Pizza?”

“What kind?”

I open my mouth to say cheese, but Alpha Cayden interrupts me.

“Nevermind, we’ll get several,” he says before ordering a cheese, a veggie, and a meat lover’s pizza. Then he adds wings and two sodas before turning to me.

“Did you want anything else?”

I shake my head, frowning at him. How many people is he feeding? I know that wolves eat a lot. I’ve been cooking for them for months, but even this is a lot of food.

“Ohh, dessert,” he says to me then turns and asks the vendor what they have for dessert tonight.”

He orders some cookie dessert that will be hot out of the oven and then he pays.

“It’ll be about ten minutes, Alpha,” the man says.

“Thanks, Tyson,” Alpha Cayden says.

We get our drinks and we move aside to wait for our food.

“So, tell me. How did a human get mixed up with nasty werewolves?”