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Part 27

With a start I jerk awake as a thunder clap shakes the room. I look around sleepily at the empty library as Shadow moves against me in his sleep muttering under his breath. I slowly extricate myself from under his head and carefully guide him so he lies down on the couch we were sharing. After making sure I didn't wake him I move to the fire place and stir up the fire that had died down.

Once the fire is crackling warmly I move to the bookshelf and begin browsing the books on it as the storm outside rages more fiercely than before. Grabbing a book off the shelf I go to my desk in search of my reading glasses. Just as I find them another flash of lightning followed instantly by a clap of thunder shakes the house. Looking out the window I see where the lightning has struck the edge of the forest and started a small brush fire that is soon put out by the falling rains.

Letting out a sigh I sit down at my desk and put on my glasses before I start flipping through the book putting together lesson plans for the next week. Half way through making the lessons I take my glasses off and rub my eyes mumbling to myself, "I don't remember the last time I had to put together this much material for so many pupils."

Just then a pair of warm muscular arms wraps around my neck as Shadow places his head on my shoulder and questions me softly, "Are you complaining about your students?"

I lean back against him and let out a soft growl of contentment before answering, "Not at all. It's just been a very long time since I had so many students learning so many things at once. I think that it's time that I start stepping back from being Alpha and let Jasper have a bit more lead in the day to day of the pack affairs."

Shadow nibbles at my neck affectionately before responding, "Do you think he's ready?"

I nod, "Yes I do. Course he won't be taking full responsibility for some time yet, but he is ready to step up. Plus letting him have more control has an added bonus."

He pulls back from me a bit and looks at me with his head tilted to the side in a quizzical look as he asks, "What kind of bonus?"

I grin up at him mischievously, "Well if I spend less time taking control of all the problems in the pack I will have more time for you." With that I give him a quick kiss on the tip of his nose as a grin spreads across his face.

Turning back to the lesson plans I have been working on I put my notes in the open book and close it marking my page before saying, "What do you say we find Jasper and have a chat with him?"

For an answer Shadow lets go of my neck and makes for the door only stopping to wait for me to catch up. Chuckling I follow Shadow out of the room as we set off in search of Jasper.

After going through most of the house we head for Jaspers bed room, that being the last room for us to check. As we reach his room I knock on the door. From within comes a muffled, "Come in."

Opening the door Shadow and I step in to find Jasper relaxing on his bed with a book in his paws. He looks up as we enter and quickly shuts the book with a look of surprise as he asks, "Seeker, what can I do for you?"

He waves at a chair in the corner of the room as he sits up on the side of his bed awaiting my explanation of seeing him. I settle myself in the chair as Shadows leans against the window sill before I begin talking. I take a deep breath and start, "Jasper have you ever thought about one day leading a pack of your own?"

He looks at me confused thinking about my question for a moment before answering, "No not really. I just always figured I would serve as your beta for as long as I was able before stepping down."

He raises an eyebrow with a cautious look, "Why are you asking?"

I let out a small laugh before I say, "I'm not going to ask you leave or anything if that's what you're thinking my friend, far from it."

He visibly relaxes at my words causing another laugh to escape my mouth before I continue, "You always did take things a bit serious and would often start thinking of the worst possibilities. Not always a bad thing it has kept you from being disappointed in the past. All in all not a bad quality for a beta to have when serving his alpha."

Jasper blushes a tad bit as I give him the small praise. Taking a breath I keep talking, "It is also a trait that serves alphas as well, though they have to learn when to temper it as well and not always assume the worst about things." He looks at me with a raised eyebrow as Shadow tries to hide back a grin.

With a slow voice Jasper asks,"Why are you telling me this Seeker? Is something going on that I should know about?"

I look at Shadow grinning before looking back to Jasper saying, "You could say that. As you know with guardians returning to the world they are going to need a teacher and leader and I am the only one that can fill that role."

Jasper nods but doesn't say anything choosing not to interrupt me as I continue, "Since my attention is being stretched even more than normal now and will be in even more demand in the future I have decided that the time is approaching for me to step down and a new alpha to take my place."

A heavy silence stretches out between us as Jasper just stares at me his mouth slightly open. Eventually he finds his voice again, "You're going to step down? But who will lead the pack?"

I just look at him with a raised eyebrow not saying anything.

A moment later his jaw drops again and he says, "You want me to take your place?"

I smile and nod, "Yes I do Jasper. You have always put the welfare of the pack ahead of your own. In recent months you have shown yourself to be a reliable leader, especially when I was injured and unable to fulfill my duties. During that time you took on my responsibilities without complaint or problem. In all the years I have known you I knew that you would make a fine leader one day, now you are getting that chance."

It's a good thing that Jasper was already sitting on his bed because I think he would have fallen over if he hadn't been. I just sit there as Jasper soaks it in a bit that I want him to take my place as Alpha of the pack.

Eventually I break the growing silence saying, "You wouldn't take over right away obviously. For now you will just be watching me a bit more and learning. I will start having you give your opinion on matters that will affect the pack and even have you making some decisions of your own."

Jasper looks at me then at Shadow and back to me before swallowing and asking, "Do you think the others would even want me as Alpha?"

That causes Shadow to let out a bark of laughter, "Of course they will, did anyone question you for a second when Seeker was hurt? No, they did everything you said without question putting their trust in you. We all trust you Jasper, just as much as we trust Seeker."

Shadows words seem to spark something in Jasper and his stunned look begins to vanish as he speaks to me directly, "You really think I would be a good leader?"

Nodding I respond, "I have thought so since the day you showed up on my door step giving your brother orders despite the fact he was bigger than you and carrying you barely conscious at the time. You have all the natural qualities of a leader and given time will be a great one."

Jasper leans forward resting his arms on his legs looking down at his hands as he lets out a sigh, "I'm honored that you think so highly of me Seeker, but I don't know if I am ready for that kind of responsibility. I mean, you just told me this afternoon that I can become a guardian along with Rick and now you tell me that I am your choice as your replacement as Alpha. It's just a bit of information overload right now."

I nod, "I understand Jasper, take all the time you need to think about it. But as for you not being ready, I am convinced you are even if you don't see it yet."

I rise to my feet and place a paw on his shoulder as I walk by him towards the door saying, "Just remember, the greatest leaders in history had the position thrust upon them, they didn't seek it out or want it." I pat his shoulder one more time and leave the room with Shadow.

Just before the door closes behind us I hear Jasper call out, "Oh Seeker." I poke my head back into the room and ask, "Yes?"

He looks over at me and says, "I wanted to tell you that Rick and I talked some after you left and we decided that we would be honored to accept."

A grin of pride spreads across my muzzle as I nod at Jasper saying, "Then it looks like we have some planning to do." With that I back out of his room closing the door.

Once the door is closed I turn and see Shadow grinning happily at me as he says, "Looks like we will soon have two more guardians doesn't it."

I let out a chuckle, "Yeah it does. Soon there will be at least one of each class. It has been a long time since the last gathering of an earth, air, fire, and water guardian, far too long."

..........

After leaving Jasper's room the two of us head downstairs to the kitchen in search of some food. Along the way a pair of cubs come running around the corner laughing. As soon as they round the corner they catch sight of Shadow and I but it is too late for them to stop as both of them run head first into our legs, looks of horror on their faces.

The cubs bounce off our legs and fall on their backs with grunts. Shadow and I both look down at the two of them with smirks as they try and right themselves. With a chuckle I get down on one knee and start helping them to their feet.

The older of the two a girl with brown and white fur around nine years old is the first to her feet. The other, a grey and white furred boy about seven, gets to his feet soon after. As soon as they are both back on their feet and steady they look up at who they ran into and shock with a little fear crosses their faces as they realize who we are.

The girl starts to stammer, "A... Alpha S... Seeker sir, sorry we didn't see you."

I grin at her, "I think that much is obvious." I recognize her and her brother from the lessons I have been giving to the cubs from Wolfie's pack.

I raise an eyebrow and ask, "Rei, what are you and Alastor doing running around the house?"

She looks down at her feet a little sheepishly as she folds her ears back on her head, "We were playing since we can't go outside because of the storm."

I nod slowly saying, "So you were running and not looking where you were going?" She nods shyly. With a sigh I shake my head fighting back a chuckle, "You two go play down stairs, and keep an eye on where you are going ok?" I place a paw on her shoulder as she looks up at me.

With a grin she nods again and grabs her brother's hand and the two of them head off down stairs moving at a much slower speed than before.

From above me I hear a chuckling and look up to see Shadow smirking. I ask, "What has you so entertained?"

Shaking his head he says, "I just keep thinking you would make a great dad one day." I roll my eyes and stand up not saying anything as we continue on our way to the kitchen.

............

Following our noses to the kitchen we find Rosalie in full cooking mode once again and giving orders to anyone within reach.

Shadow and I stand off to the side watching as she directs a steady flow of food from the kitchen to the dining room. Eventually she spots the two of us and rounds on us saying, "If you two are going to stand there the least you can do is help out." With that she throws a pair of aprons at us and points at a pile pots in the sink, "Since you have missed out on the cooking, the least you can do is help with the cleaning."

Catching the apron with one paw I raise an eyebrow at Rosalie but don't say anything. She catches my look and sighs, "Please will you help with the cleaning Seeker?"

With a smirk I say, "That's better, after all this is still my kitchen Rosalie."

Shadow and I move to the sink and begin washing the dishes while she finds a stool and collapses onto it wiping sweat off her forehead. With a sigh she says, "Sorry for barking orders at you Seeker, just been busy cooking all day and trying to keep all those girls working and keeping your pack out of the kitchen at the same time has been a bit stressful."

I nod as I wash out a gravy pan before saying, "Well it may not help your stress level much, but I thought you should know that soon you will have two more guardians to train with."

Rosalie sits up straight on her stool and looks at me with wide eyes, "What do you mean two more guardians?"

Shadow is grinning as he responds,"Rick and Jasper are going to be guardians as well. There will be four of us trying to beat Seeker now in practice."

She lets out a bark of laughter that sounds almost wolfish, "Maybe we will have a chance now."

She goes quite for a moment then says, "I am going to guess that Rick will be an earth guardian while Jasper is air right?"

I look at her with a raised eyebrow, "They are in fact. How did you guess that?"

She shrugs, "Rick always seemed the more stable and more likely to defend others while Jasper was always had more of a leadership personality."

I nod saying nonchalantly, "That's also why I have chosen him to replace me as Alpha."

Rosalie lets out a gasp and stares at me open mouthed after my statement.

For a solid minute Shadow and I dry the dishes we had been washing before she finds her voice enough to speak in a shaking voice, "You are... stepping down as Alpha?"

I set down the dish rag I have been using and turn to look at her crossing my arms, "I will be eventually. But not right away."

She swallows before asking, "But why?"

I let out a sigh, "With the return of guardians you all will need a teacher and as more are made the needs of my students will be increasing. Because of that my focus would be split between running this pack and being your teacher. Eventually one or both would begin to suffer from that split attention. So I have decided to head that problem off before it happened."

She continues to stare at me like I had lost my mind, "But you founded this pack, built it to what it is today."

I take a deep breath before continuing,"Yeah I did, but now I have an opportunity to build another group that will have much more responsibility and a greater impact on the world as a whole. That's something that I can't afford to mess up."

Eventually Rosalie calms down and changes how she is looking at me from a look of disbelief to a look of admiration and pride, "Well if anyone can make the new guardians into the force of good that they are destined to be its you."

I smile at her praise, "Thank you I know that the new guardians will become a force to be reckoned with and that we will be able to protect the world better than before."

Just then a loud booming voice shakes the house, "Last son of Atlantis, I call you out to fight."

I look at Rosalie and Shadow and see the same questioning fear in their eyes that is gripping my heart for just a split second before we all bolt from the kitchen to the front door.