Page 10 of Guardians
Darkness had fallen by the time the human refugees reached the feline village. Kane signaled the guards to open the gate, but they hesitated.
“Did Zion approve this?” the head guard called down from the tower. “It looks like you brought their entire camp back with you.”
“The wolves attacked. There was no choice. Now open the fucking gate!” Kane’s voice rang with urgency. It was too dark to see who was up there, but all the village guards fell under his authority.
After another pause, one side of the gate swung open, allowing the refugees to enter. Kane hurried the humans through the gate. He wouldn’t breathe easily until they were inside the safety of the walls.
“Now what do we do with them?” Diego asked after the last human had entered.
Kane glanced around the grassy clearing. The humans were in less danger now, but they looked even more frightened. They’d congregated in small groups, some of them still sobbing. They were clearly waiting for directions and Kane wasn’t sure what to tell them. The best he could do was deal with the essentials.
“They need food and shelter,” Kane mused. “Flynn oversees housing. I can’t start assigning cabins without his permission.”
“I’ll go find him.” Diego jogged off toward the dormitory where Flynn and Levi had relocated when they offered their cabin to Tara and Bianca.
“What the hell is going on down here?” Zion’s voice boomed through the clearing, snapping every head in his direction. He stormed toward Kane, his strides long and purposeful.
Kane squared his shoulders and took a deep breath. He knew this fight was unavoidable, but he hadn’t wanted the conversation to take place in front of the humans. “The wolves attacked. Hundreds of humans are dead.” He moved closer to Zion and lowered his voice. “They were completely defenseless, but the wolves didn’t care. They just slaughtered them anyway.”
Zion’s eyes narrowed and his fists clenched as he looked over the ragtag group. They were filthy and traumatized, half-starved, and despondent. “What the fuck am I supposed to do with them?” he responded in a similar whisper. “If we feed them and shelter them, they’ll have no reason to cooperate with the alliance. It’s hard enough to keep all of us alive. I’m not running a goddamn charity!”
Lexie gasped and then moved up beside Kane, resentment smoldering in her green eyes. “We just watched over a hundred people murdered in cold blood. How can you worry about the alliance?”
“Lexie,” Malik warned from behind her. “That’s enough.”
“The alliance is the only reason you’re here,” Zion growled out. “My people need mates, so I’m willing to tolerate humans. If you cannot adapt to our ways, that decision can change.”
“Don’t threaten me,” she shot back, openly glaring at the pride leader.
Zion moved closer, forcing her to tilt her head way back. “You’re a claimed mate now, human. Start acting like one!”
Kane wrapped his fingers around her upper arm and tried to pull her away from Zion. The stubborn female dug in her heels.
“I don’t give a shit if I’m claimed or not,” she yelled right back. “Your attitude is inexcusable!” She poked him in the chest with her index finger as her tirade continued. “I’m not suggesting you abandon the alliance, just show a little compassion.”
Dismissing Lexie with a scowl, Zion turned to Kane. “We’ll discuss what to do with the humans in the morning. Tonight, you will teach your mate appropriate behavior, or I will reassign your coalition. My guardians must set an example for the rest of the village. Maybe a few months of hard labor will motivate you to stop indulging your female.” Without giving Kane the opportunity to respond, he turned around and stormed off toward the lodge.
“What the hell is wrong with you?” Malik flared. “Talk about inexcusable.”
Lexie turned on Malik and her volume built right along with her ire. “It’s inexcusable to expect common decency? Even in the wild lions grieve! Zion was being an asshole, and I don’t regret telling him off.” Twisting away, she returned to the milling throng of humans, doing what she could to keep them calm.
Diego returned a few minutes later with Flynn and Levi in tow. “We just passed Zion,” Flynn said as he reached Kane. “He looked like he was ready to string someone up by their toes.”
“Yeah, that would be our lovely mate,” Malik told him with a sigh.
Kane pushed his fingers through his hair, exasperated by the entire situation. “Lexie pissed him off so badly that he threatened to reassign us to some thankless, backbreaking task.”
Diego’s brows drew together, and he glanced around for Lexie. “What the hell did she say to him?”
“It wasn’t so much what she said as how she said it.” Malik shook his head as if he still couldn’t believe what he’d heard. “Zion doesn’t deal well with insubordination.”
“I’ll deal with her disrespect when we get home,” Diego promised, his voice low and cold.
“Her misbehavior reflects on all three of us,” Kane stressed. “We need to discipline her together.”
“I agree,” Malik added. “She needs a strong reminder of our expectations.”
“Maybe I don’t want a mate after all,” Flynn said with a subtle smile. He was clearly amusing himself at their expense.
Kane heaved a sigh of frustration. The last thing he’d needed tonight was Lexie’s rebellion, especially when that rebellion was aimed at Zion. The decision to bring the humans here challenged Zion’s authority and now their mate showed open contempt. She’d taken a tricky situation and made it a whole lot worse.
“Did you figure out where to put our guests that will cause the least disruption?” Kane asked Flynn.
Flynn nodded, all hints of amusement falling away. “We should be able to fit most of them in the new dormitories. The rest can use the surrounding cabins. That will contain all the females within two adjoining clusters, which will make them easier to supervise. There’s only a handful of males, so they can bunk with us. Levi and I will make sure they’re not harassed too severely.”
A rockslide last spring wiped out four cabin clusters and a section of the perimeter wall. Luckily no one was killed, but it made housing uncomfortably crowded while the structures were rebuilt. Zion decided to increase the capacity of all the dormitories while they were at it, so the construction had been done in stages. The first two clusters reopened a few months back and the craftsmen were putting the finishing touches on the final two now. There was minor work yet to be completed, but all the buildings were habitable.
“That should work,” Kane agreed thoughtfully. “Zion wants to meet with me in the morning to discuss long-term plans for the females. He’s sure to be hostile, but it makes sense for you to be there too.”
“He’s pissed at you, not me,” Flynn pointed out. “I’ll be happy to watch the fireworks.”
“Well then, let’s get them settled so we can all get some sleep,” Kane suggested.
Flynn waved him on. “Go deal with your mate. I can take it from here.”
“They also need something to eat,” Malik warned. “They’ve been living on protein bars for weeks.”
“I’ll take care of it. Unless you want to dig fence post holes for the next few months, you have better things to do.”
“Thanks.” Kane turned to the crowd and whistled to get their attention. “This is Flynn. He’s going to take you to your new quarters. Most of you will be in the two large dormitories. The rest will be in the surrounding cabins. The cabins are first-come-first-served. Speak up quickly if you want a little more privacy.” Everyone just stared back at him blankly, so Kane concluded, “You’ll also be given something to eat. Just follow Flynn.”
“Right this way,” Flynn called out cheerfully.
Lexie started to follow the crowd, but Malik rushed over and stopped her. “Don’t even think about it.”
“You’re with us,” Kane stated sternly.
“I’d rather stay with the others for a night or two. They need help adjusting to?—”
“No,” Diego said emphatically. “Your place is with us.”
“But I really want?—”
“Don’t argue,” Kane interrupted her this time. “You’re in enough trouble as it is.”
Her jaw dropped and she put her hands on her hips. “I’m in trouble because your boss is obnoxious?”
“We’ll discuss this when we reach our cabin,” Kane insisted.
She glared at him, but fell into step as he headed for their cabin cluster. She’d been doing so well. Kane couldn’t believe her behavior a few minutes ago. And why the hell had she chosen Zion to go off on? She’d seen firsthand how intolerant he was of belligerence.
Diego shoved the door open and motioned her inside. She hesitated, glancing backward, then reluctantly entered the cabin. Malik entered after Kane and pulled the door closed behind them. Silence encompassed the cabin, making it seem menacing and still.
Lexie moved to the center of the room, then spun to face Kane. “So what did I do that was so damn terrible?”
She knew exactly what she’d done, and her attitude was still rebellious. Kane shook his head. It was going to be a long night if she kept this up. “You were disrespectful to the village leader and refused to back down even after it became obvious that you were making him angry.”
“Zion is a coldhearted asshole,” she protested. “There was no reason to back down.”
“You’re an occupant of this village, which means Zion is your boss too,” Kane argued. “You don’t have to like him, but you will show him respect.”
“He’s a heartless tyrant,” she persisted. “If more people would stand up to him, maybe he’d?—”
“A tyrant would have ordered all the humans back out into the forest,” Diego defended. “They’re here because Zion allowed it. For that matter, so are you.”
She just glared at him defiantly.
“You were disrespectful to me as well,” Malik pointed out. “Am I a heartless tyrant?”
“No, you were defending one,” she snapped.
Talking to her right now was clearly a waste of time. Kane understood that she was lashing out because of a deeper hurt, but her behavior still needed to be corrected. The power structure within the village hadn’t developed out of preference. It was a necessity. Instincts among the hybrids ran deep, and Rydaria was a dangerous place.
“Undress and get on your knees,” Kane ordered.
Her hostile gaze shifted to him, but she simply said, “Not this time. Zion was being a jackass. I don’t regret telling him off.”
“Then it is our job to make you regret it,” Diego warned.
Lexie’s heart thudded painfully in her chest as her mates closed in around her. Each wore a harsh, disapproving expression, but she refused to give in. Always before, she could see the wrongdoing in her behavior. This was different. Zion deserved every word she’d said to him. She’d called his attitude inexcusable because that was what it had been.
“Every human on this planet went through hell tonight. We deserve a little compassion,” she defended.
Kane swept her up in his arms and Diego tugged off her boots and thick wool socks. She kicked and squirmed, not caring if Kane dropped her, but Diego was just too damn fast. After setting her back down, Kane stripped off her coat and then her sweater. She slapped at him and twisted away. He simply ignored her efforts and accomplished his task in seconds.
The cabin was cool, not cold, but Lexie still shivered. She kicked out at Malik as he took off her jeans, yet he easily eluded her bare feet. Clad only in her bra and panties, Lexie felt her senses begin to stir. Her nipples pebbled beneath her bra cups, her pussy ached, and goosebumps lifted on her arms. It was so unfair to battle her own body when she already had three powerful adversaries.
“It’s too damn cold in here for this nonsense,” she muttered, crossing her arms over her breasts.
“We need her focused on the lesson,” Kane said without taking his eyes off her. “Someone stoke up the fire.”
Diego stood on Kane’s left, hands clasped behind his back. When Kane looked at him expectantly, he simply turned and looked at Malik.
Chuckling, Malik went to the fireplace and deftly built a small blaze. Despite its diminutive size, the flames quickly chased the chill from the air.
After Malik returned to Kane’s right, Kane began. “You will be spanked for being disrespectful to the village leader and one of your mates. If you finish stripping and willingly submit to the punishment, it will be less severe. If you continue to rebel, we’ll be forced to restrain you and the punishment will be harsher. The choice is yours.”
Lexie tensed, anger rolling through her in expanding waves. “And who deals with Zion’s disrespect? His callousness and arrogance?”
Diego turned to Kane and said, “Sounds like she’s made her choice.”
Kane nodded, but he didn’t look pleased with the outcome. “Go on.”
It was the only warning Lexie got before Diego lunged for her. He backed her against the nearest wall and held her there with one of his large hands wrapped around her throat. He didn’t squeeze. He collared and controlled her with the subtle demonstration of his strength. Their gazes locked, clashing as Lexie glared up at him.
“Reach back and unhook your bra,” he ordered.
“Fuck you,” she whispered.
“Oh, we’ll get there, pet. Have no doubt about that. But you’re not ready for the privilege of our cocks.”
She rolled her eyes. “Only a narcissistic pig would consider his cock a privilege.”
His fingers tightened, warning her without hurting her. He reached behind her and released the clasp on her bra with a snap of his strong fingers. “Now take it off.”
She just glared at him. She was tired of being bullied, tired of submitting her will to theirs. She’d made this much too easy for them. From their first encounter in the lodge, she’d given in. Well, this situation was different because she’d done nothing wrong. “I don’t deserve this,” she insisted, “so I’m not going to cooperate with any of you.”
Apparently tired of her defiance, Diego ripped her bra off and threw it aside. Her breasts bounced as she twisted and arched, trying to stop him. He spun her around and pushed her against the wall. Lexie gasped and yelped as her naked flesh collided with the cold wood planks. He dragged her arms to the small of her back and held them there while someone else pulled down her panties. She kicked out blindly, but it did no good. They soon had her naked and on her knees.
Their manhandling only fueled her fire. They could spank her, humiliate her, and fuck her until morning, and it wouldn’t change a thing. Zion was a heartless asshole, and she would not apologize for telling him off!
“Last chance, sweetheart,” Malik warned. He moved in front of her and tilted her face up until their gazes locked. “We won’t offer you mercy again.”
His role in these sessions was usually minor, so it surprised her that he was right in the middle of things tonight.
“I did nothing wrong,” she stated emphatically. She’d always believed in standing up for what was right, or at least those things she believed in strongly. She tried to fight for human and animal rights, to defend those without the strength or the means to defend themselves. That was why she became a conservationist.
Malik wrapped a braided cord around her wrists and pulled her to her feet. He led her into Kane’s bedroom and positioned her about four feet away from the end of the bed. Working with Kane, they stretched her arms over her head and secured them to a bracket on the ceiling using a long, coarse rope. Thank God they hadn’t used the rope to secure her wrists. That thing would have rubbed half her skin off.
Diego knelt in front of her and wrapped a wide cuff around each of her ankles. She glanced around, but didn’t see a way to fasten them down. She must not understand their purpose. Then he took a metal bar and fastened it to the inside of one of the cuffs. Confused more than concerned, she watched what he was doing. Kane pulled her legs apart, wide apart, and Diego quickly extended the bar. What the hell? Diego fastened the bar to the other ankle cuff, and she realized that she couldn’t close her legs. The device kept her open, helpless to prevent whatever they chose to do.
“I didn’t agree to this,” she said as fear welled inside her. They’d never restrained her before, had never needed to. And thanks to the bar between her ankles, she couldn’t move in any meaningful way. She was helpless, utterly at their mercy. “Untie me, right now!”
Kane slapped her ass just hard enough to draw her attention. “No mercy. Remember? The opportunity for leniency has passed.” His hand smacked one side of her bottom and then the other, making her gasp and twist her hips. “Now, you’ll pay the price for indulging your pride.”
“What about Zion?” she protested. “Who’s going to deal with his pride?”
“We’re not bonded with Zion,” Diego stressed. “You’re our mate, which means we are responsible for your behavior.”
“There was nothing wrong with my behavior,” she stressed, though she sounded less confident than she had a few minutes ago.
Kane strolled across the room and slid open the door to his closet. He reached for something inside, but she couldn’t see what it was until he turned back around. Her eyes widened and her breath caught in her throat. She didn’t know a lot about whips, but with a sturdy handle and multiple strands, she was pretty sure that was a flogger.
He swung the flogger and the strands swished then smacked against his boot. “You lived in Texas, correct?”
What the hell did that have to do with anything? She looked at him, brows drawn together. “Yes. Why?”
“If you met the governor of Texas and he was acting like an arrogant ass, would you poke him in the chest and tell him that his attitude was inexcusable?”
It took her a moment to make the connection. “That’s not what happened. I didn’t just meet Zion.”
“Fine. Let’s put it in context. If you negotiated an alliance with the governor of Texas one day and witnessed him berating one of his generals a few nights later, would it have been appropriate for you to interrupt and start an argument with him?”
She licked her lips. From her perspective, she’d been defending her people. But there was always more than one perspective. She shook her head. “He didn’t just berate you. He was threatening to turn us away.”