Page 13 of Guardians

Malik crept along the mountainside, darting from tree to tree and carefully placing his feet to make as little noise as possible. It had taken almost three weeks to determine the perfect opportunity for retaliation against the wolves. Their attack on the human camp had been savage and murderous. The humans were defenseless, struggling just to survive. And the wolves had slaughtered them anyway. The initial reaction had been to move on the lupine village in mass and kill as many wolves as possible. But cooler heads pointed out that doing so would make them no better than the wolves. Still, they had to react, to punish Elias and his pack for their senseless brutality. A measured, strategic strike had been agreed upon and today’s transfer of personnel and supplies became the target.

A break in the winter weather allowed the wolves to send supplies and relief staff to one of their perimeter outposts. The supply convoy consisted of eleven soldiers and three hovercrafts filled with valuable goods. Every person involved was a soldier, so there would be no collateral damage. The hovercrafts were extremely valuable. Each village had been allowed six upon their arrival and they had been fighting over them ever since. The supplies were also needed now that the human females were living inside the feline village, at least temporarily.

As of this morning, one hundred and nine of the human females were actively looking for coalitions. Another forty were regularly attending the nightly gatherings and the rest were frantically searching for a way to stay in the dormitories without submitting to the terms of the alliance. Their efforts were futile, of course. The only reason Zion tolerated human females was because they were potential mates and creating stable family units strengthened the entire village.

All Malik knew for sure was he was intensely grateful that Lexie had chosen his coalition. They supervised the courting process, helped it along wherever they could. But their struggle was over, their future secure. Lexie provided so much more than sexual pleasure. In three short weeks, she had transformed a military team into a family.

“Are you sensing anything unusual?” Kane asked in an urgent whisper.

Malik forced his wandering thoughts to the back of his mind and quickly scanned his surroundings. “All’s quiet. They’re still unaware of us.” Scent had been their first obstacle. The olfactory receptors of lupine hybrids were even more sensitive than those of feline hybrids. Most of the guardians simply stayed downwind of the wolves, but the ones positioned ahead were using a scent blocker developed by the birds.

“Keep scanning,” Kane directed. “They’re almost to the gorge.”

Diego and most of his Shadows were up at the raptor village negotiating the details of an alliance with the birds, so this mission had been entrusted to the guardians. Kane was the highest-ranking member, which made him responsible for the mission. The strategy was simple, a fast, aggressive ambush. They’d surround the convoy to ensure that no one escaped, take out the guns on the hovercrafts first, then capture or kill all the soldiers. Zion wanted as many as possible alive, but he’d approved deadly force when necessary.

The convoy had chosen a narrow road that wended its way through a river valley. The scenery was beautiful, but the path was strategically unwise. It left the party vulnerable every time the valley narrowed, and the walls became steep. Such a narrowing was a short distance ahead. The forward team was in position blocking the wolves’ escape. As soon as the convoy reached that gorge, the guardians would attack.

The lead craft had just entered the gorge when one of the wolves suddenly lifted his head and let out a warning howl. Damn it. The wolf either spotted or sensed one of the guardians and the convoy wasn’t yet in position.

“Move in,” Kane ordered, alerting the entire team. “They’re on to us. Move in now!”

Armored guardians as well as massive lions rushed in from all directions, easily surrounding the convoy. Half the wolves released their human forms, the other half targeted the guardians with pulse rifles. The wolves snarled and growled, baring their fangs and swiping the air with long, sharp-looking claws.

Malik’s eyes burned and his fangs distended as he let out an instinctive roar. His shift was fast and painless, a mercy he was thankful for every time he transformed. For most changing shapes was excruciating. His senses expanded and intensified. Malik could hear insects buzzing through the trees, smell the wildflowers blooming in the stray beam of sunshine. Most important, he could sense every emotion, hear every thought of everyone in the gorge and beyond. Most were confused and afraid. Only two possessed the focus of an experienced warrior.

“Go for hovercrafts,” Kane urged, and energy pulses pelted all three crafts simultaneously. Sparks flew and explosions indicated that the cats’ blasters had found their targets. The hovercrafts’ weapons had been disabled. Knowing the crews could no longer fire at them, cats rushed the hovercrafts. The pilots and gunners put up a fight, but were quickly overtaken by the guardians.

With their primary means of escape now controlled by the enemy, the wolves scattered into the surrounding trees. The lions pursued, determined not to allow a single wolf to escape retribution.

Malik chose a tall, muscular hybrid who was shouting orders at his frightened companions. Malik didn’t know if the wolf was the designated leader or if he was just more experienced than the others. He honestly didn’t care. Without trying to, Malik picked up guilty flashes of memory that revealed the wolf’s participation in the human massacre. Not only did this bastard know why the convoy was under attack, but he reveled in the violence.

Lunging for the wolf, Malik turned his head and carefully clasped his jaws around the hybrid’s throat. Malik’s instincts urged him to snap the wolf’s neck or rob the bastard of air. But the wolf was clearly a leader. He needed to be questioned before he died. The wolf howled, furiously twisting and flailing within Malik’s grasp.

The wolf raised his blaster and shot past Malik. Triumph surged through the wolf and a cruel chuckle escaped his throat. The sound was deep and demonic. Confused by the wolf’s reaction, Malik released his hold on the hybrid’s throat. Turning his head sharply, he glanced behind him and gasped. Kane!

The momentary shift in focus was all the hybrid needed to escape. He bounded off into the trees.

Releasing his shift, Malik rushed over to Kane and went down on one knee. The fucking wolf had shot Kane in the chest. Kane gasped and moaned, clearly fighting just to draw breath. Guilt jarred through Malik as he realized that Kane must have run over hoping to assist him. If Malik had ripped out the wolf’s throat, Kane wouldn’t have been harmed.

“Medical emergency. Team leader has been shot.” They were not allowed to use names on their comm system, but Zion was monitoring the mission.

“Has the scene been secured?”

Malik clenched his fists, claws digging into his palms. What the fuck? Was the mission more important to Zion than Kane’s life? “Two of the wolves escaped. Six are dead. The rest are in custody.”

“Understood. Help is on the way,” Zion assured him. “Can you stabilize team leader until the transport arrives?”

It wasn’t like he had a choice. The transport was at least half an hour away. If he couldn’t stabilize Kane’s condition, his best friend would die. “Working on it.”

Malik’s heart pounded in his chest and sensory input inundated his mind, making it impossible to think. He had to calm down, to tune out others’ emotions and focus on his patient. Rushing over to his discarded clothes, he quickly pulled on his pants. He inhaled slowly, purging his battle instincts through sheer force of will. Kane’s life was on the line, and he needed a doctor, not a soldier.

Gradually Malik’s battle instincts reversed, and his lion sank into the background. His thinking focused and his heartbeat slowed until he felt like himself again. He needed supplies. Springing to his feet, he rushed to the nearest hovercraft and grabbed the medical kit that was standard equipment on every vehicle. He ran back to Kane and opened the kit. Kane was ashen, his lips starting to turn blue. His mouth was open wide, but he couldn’t seem to draw in enough air.

Ripping open Kane’s shirt, Malik assessed the damage. The skin on his chest was burned yet unbroken. Malik grabbed the medical scanner and passed it over Kane’s chest. He held the device as close to Kane’s chest as possible without touching the damaged skin.

The impact was slightly right of center so there was no damage to his heart. His liver, however, was a mess. The right lobe had been almost entirely detached and the rest was covered with tears and contusions. Kane’s right lung had collapsed, but the left was functioning, so internal bleeding was the most immediate threat. Malik grabbed the pulsonic regen unit and carefully targeted the seeping edges of Kane’s liver. Numerous pulses finally stemmed the flow of blood. Once that was done, he made a small incision between two of Kane’s ribs and carefully inserted a thoracostomy tube. The lung reinflated and Kane gasped in a deep breath, then promptly passed out.

Malik knelt there for a moment watching the steady rise and fall of Kane’s chest. The ashen pallor eased and his lips pinkened. Encouraged by the progress, Malik scanned Kane’s chest and abdomen, making sure that the worst of the bleeding had been mitigated. Kane still had broken ribs and countless smaller lacerations, but this was the best Malik could do with these rudimentary tools.

“The transport is ten minutes out,” Flynn told Malik a short time later. “I’d like to head back with the wolves. Sitting here is too dangerous.”

“Go on. I’ve done what I can for Kane. It’s a race against time now.”

Flynn started to leave, then paused. “I’m going to contact Raphael just in case. If he wants in on the alliance, this is a good way to win some points with Zion.”

Malik nodded. Raphael was a powerful healer and Kane was in really bad shape. He’d take any help he could get right now. “Let Diego know what’s going on. Last I heard he was up at the raptor village.”

“Will do.” Flynn and the other guardians crammed the wolves into the interior of the carts and then stood on the small ledge that encircled the vehicles. It wasn’t a comfortable way to ride, but it was much faster than hiking.

It was almost twenty minutes before the transport arrived and as soon as the hatch opened, Lexie flew down the stairs looking panicked and furious. “Who did this?” she cried. “Please tell me that wolf is dead.”

Malik cringed. Not only had he failed to kill the wolf, but he’d also failed to prevent his escape. “I was focused on Kane, but I saw the wolf’s face. He will pay for this, I assure you.”

She let it go with a breathless, “All right.” Then she knelt beside Kane and pressed his hand between hers. “I’m here, mate. You’re going to be fine. We’ll get you back to the village and Malik will fix you up good as new.”

If only it were that simple. The equipment he had at the village was better than a medkit, but not by much. If he was brutally honest, he wasn’t sure he could repair the damage that had been done to Zane’s liver.

The ride back to the village was tense and silent. Lexie sat beside Kane, holding his hand and whispering to him from time to time. Malik monitored Kane closely, but was feeling more and more helpless. Kane’s injuries were nothing compared to modern medical technology. Any hospital on Earth could have patched him up in less than an hour and sent him on his way. But situations like this were screaming reminders that this was not Earth.

Malik had successfully transferred Kane from the transport to the village clinic by the time Diego and Raphael arrived. Diego took one look at Kane and snarled, “Is the fucker that did this dead?”

Another wave of guilt nearly obliterated what little remained of Malik’s composure.

“Malik was a little busy saving Kane’s life,” Lexie defended.

Her vehemence soothed Malik, but Diego had a right to be angry. “I saw him clearly. We’ll go hunting as soon as this crisis is over.”

“Show me,” Diego demanded. “I’ll go hunting now.”

It was likely Diego could tie up this loose end before they could organize a hunting party, so Malik nodded and opened his mind.

Diego swept in with less subtlety than usual and captured the wolf’s image. “Armando.” He snarled the name as if it were profane.

“You know him?” Malik was relieved. It was infinitely easier to hunt for a specific target than some nameless face.

“He’s Elias’ second in command. This will not take long. I’ll be back when Armando has breathed his last.”

Malik watched Diego stride across the room, wishing he could be in two places at once. Kane needed him, but Malik wanted—no, needed—to go hunt with Diego.

“Diego’s not going by himself, is he?” Lexie asked, her eyes also following Diego.

“He prefers to hunt alone,” Raphael told her. “And then there’s the whole invisibility thing. He’s much better at it than any of the other Shadows.”

“The invisibility thing?” Lexie looked at Malik, clearly confused by the phrase.

Raphael laughed. “Do you guys ever talk to her? You know, females are good for more than just fucking.”

“It’s a long story,” Malik told Lexie. “I’ll explain later, I promise. But I need to concentrate right now.”

For the next hour and a half, Malik tried his best to repair the damage to Kane’s body. He made improvements, but each time he thought he was in the clear, something else developed. There were so many lacerations, and closing one inevitably opened another. They didn’t have a blood supply on hand and the molecular conversion units were incapable of producing medical-grade products.

“Let me know when you’re ready for me to step in?” Raphael said as Malik paused to wipe the sweat from his brow.

“Can you fix him?” Malik asked, far beyond pride or patience.

“Maybe,” Raphael said regretfully. “It will take multiple sessions and more energy than I can produce on my own, but I’m willing to try.”

“I can pass you energy. Diego can as well.”

“I’m aware,” Raphael said, “but the energy would be most helpful if it’s passed to Kane directly.”

Malik tensed. Raphael was talking about a soul bond, the psychic link that connected mates. Their relationship with Lexie was less than a month old. They hadn’t even mentioned the existence of psychic links to her, much less pressured her to allow a permanent, soul-deep connection.

“We haven’t formed a soul bond,” he told the mysterious raptor. “Kane’s unconscious, so it’s not like we can form one now.”

Raphael waved away the excuse. “Kane’s being is on the metaphysical plane. You can interact with him there.”

“Diego might know what that means, but I sure as hell don’t,” Malik snapped, frustrated by all the non-answers. “Will you please do what you can for him now? We’ll discuss other options as soon as Diego returns.”

“Of course.” Raphael dipped his head, then walked over to the bed on which Kane lay and started chanting.

Diego paused outside the walls encircling the lupine village. He unclenched his fists, retracted his claws, and drew in several deep breaths. The task awaiting him called for his skills as Shadow leader, not a feral lion, but damn, he wanted to shift and rampage through the village, savaging every wolf in sight. His Shadow shield would conceal his physical appearance and dampen his natural smell, but wolves could also detect the scents produced by strong emotions. If he didn’t calm down, they’d be able to smell him. It wasn’t easy. Kane and Malik were the closest thing to family that Diego had, and no fucking wolf was going to harm his family and get away with it.

The wolves were out of control. Zion was a firm believer in live and let live. He didn’t care what took place inside the other villages as long as it didn’t affect the cats. The strategy had worked for the past two years, but Elias was no longer satisfied with the status quo. Frustration and jealousy combined to make the wolf leader reckless and cruel. At first Elias lashed out in small, random ways, but the arrival of the humans had given him a focal point for his animosity. The only thing that would back off an alpha wolf was someone stronger and deadlier than the wolf.

Not wanting to involve his spy in what he was about to do, Diego decided not to contact Travis. There were other ways of entering the village. He just had to be patient. He positioned himself near the main gate and waited for one of the wolves to enter. About half an hour later, the gate was opened and Diego hurried in after the unsuspecting wolf.

Twilight cast an eerie glow over the huts and houses. Diego wasn’t sure which cabin Armando lived in, but it would be near the center of the village. An oversized, A-frame building served the same function as the feline lodge. Diego didn’t know what the wolves called it, but it was clearly a gathering place. Light from inside the building spilled out into the yard where a large fire was blazing. Around the fire wolves congregated, laughing and drinking what appeared to be some sort of liquor.

“You should have seen the look on Malik’s face.” The deep, boastful voice identified Diego’s target and instantly rekindled his temper. “I thought he was going to weep like a fucking woman.”

Lethal fury surged through Diego’s system, threatening his control and making his Shadow shields waver. Killing Armando in full view of his pack would thrill Diego, but it also increased the chances that he’d be caught. Again, he needed to be patient and wait for the right opportunity to avenge the attempt on Kane’s life.

“That’s what they get for daring to take what’s ours,” one of Armando’s companions responded. “You’d think the cats would have learned by now.”

“What the fuck are you celebrating?” Elias asked angrily. “Armando might have taken out a guardian, but they killed six wolves and captured three others. They also got all our supplies, which means that outpost is now vacant, creating a hole in our defenses. You should be planning our next attack, not slapping each other on the back.” Without giving them the opportunity to respond, Elias stormed into the cabin and slammed the door.

“He’s right,” Armando said after a tense pause. “Regardless of who I shot, tonight was a loss, not a win.”

It didn’t take long for the group to disperse after that. Several of the wolves went inside, but Armando and a couple of others headed for their cabins. Apparently they were no longer in the mood to socialize.

Diego poured energy into his Shadow shields, ensuring that he wouldn’t be detected as he followed Armando through the village. They didn’t go far. Midsized and sparsely furnished, Armando’s cabin was unremarkable inside and out. Diego hurried through the threshold behind Armando and darted out of the way as the wolf closed and locked the door. He seemed glum and introspective. Clearly Elias’ opinion meant a great deal to Armando.

All Diego had to do was picture Kane’s pale face and blood-soaked chest to restore his determination. Armando had been laughing and bragging about what he’d done until the alpha wolf called him out. Well, it was time for consequences, and Rydarian justice was swift and unforgiving.

Drawing the knife from the sheath at his waist, he crept up behind the wolf and grabbed him by the throat. Armando gasped and grabbed Diego’s arm with both hands. Diego tightened his grip, keeping the wolf from making a sound. “Kane sends his regards. And you didn’t kill him so you’re dying for nothing.”

Armando went wild, clawing and twisting, kicking and punching all to no avail. Diego dug in his claws, anchoring his hand around Armando’s throat. He waited, letting fear torment the wolf. Armando was staring death in the face. They both knew there was no escape.

Diego slid his hand up to Armando’s chin and jerked his head back as he pulled the blade across his throat. The wound was deep and true, severing the carotid arteries on both sides of the wolf’s neck. Blood gushed out in a lethal torrent. Diego held him long enough for the wolf to bleed out, then he simply let go and Armando collapsed into a lifeless heap at Diego’s feet.

Anger ebbed, flowing out of Diego until he felt empty and numb. He was tired of endless retaliation, tired of the bloodshed and death. There had to be more to life than killing or it was no life at all. Leaning down, Diego wiped off his blade on the back of Armando’s shirt. He heaved a weary sigh, then disappeared into the night.

Six torturous hours had passed since Lexie learned of Kane’s injuries. She paced the waiting area of the compact clinic, much too anxious to remain still. Malik and Raphael took turns treating Kane, but even the combination of medical technology and magic hadn’t been enough to completely repair the damage done to Kane’s internal organs. He was holding on, but barely, and Lexie was losing her mind. She’d never felt so helpless in her entire life, and she hadn’t realized how much Kane meant to her until she was faced with the possibility of losing him.

“Kane’s going to be okay,” Tara insisted. “Malik and Raphael are going to keep working at it until he is, so you might as well stop worrying.”

Lexie shot her an impatient look but kept on pacing.

“Tara is right,” Diego joined in. “Malik is too stubborn to lose a patient.”

Diego had returned from the wolf village a couple of hours ago. He’d simply walked into the clinic and sat down without saying a word. Lexie didn’t bother asking him if the wolf who shot Kane was dead. Diego wouldn’t have returned unless he’d succeeded in his mission, so the answer was self-evident.

As if in response to Diego’s comment, Malik walked out of the treatment room. His features were tense and purple smudges shadowed his eyes. “Our progress has stalled out,” he admitted with a sigh. “We have to try a different strategy.”

“What do you need?” Diego asked without hesitation. “I’ll go get it for you.”

His vehemence brought a faint smile to Malik’s lips. “I appreciate that, but it’s not that simple. Kane needs energy and his body is too weak to absorb it.”

“I can pass energy to him on the metaphysical plane,” Diego offered.

Lexie had no idea what that meant, but Malik seemed pleased by the suggestion.

“That’s what we’re counting on. However.” Malik’s brown gaze shifted to Lexie. “Raphael believes that the only source of energy concentrated enough to facilitate a complete healing is a soul bond.”

“What’s a soul bond?” Lexie asked. And why had he looked at her when he said the phrase?

“There are several types of psychic links available to mates. The most complex is a soul bond,” Malik told her.

“The connection would bind our minds and integrate our spirits,” Diego explained. “We would have access to each other’s thoughts and emotions, even memories and dreams. There are no secrets from soulmates. And the link is permanent.”

Lexie tensed. On the surface a soul bond sounded romantic. But the more she thought about it, the more concerning she found the idea. “I would never be able to shut you out? What about if I’m angry or if I just need a few minutes alone?”

Malik glanced at Diego before he answered. The growing tension was palpable. “We can teach you how to shield your mind, but it takes practice and it’s temporary. For the most part, bonded mates share everything.”

Lexie shivered. They were already sharing her body and her feelings for them deepened by the day. She didn’t have any deep, dark secrets, and they had already told her about theirs. Knowing beyond doubt that her mates would never lie to her sounded damn good. But there was a serious complication.

“We can’t form that sort of link without Kane,” she objected. “He’s just as much a part of this coalition as the rest of us.”

“We would begin and then draw him into the connection on the metaphysical plane,” Diego expounded.

“I don’t know what that means.” Torn between anxiety and excitement, she started pacing again. “I know you guys can sense emotions, but why is this the first I’ve heard of psychic links?”

“We intended to ask you to consider a link once we’d been together for a month or two,” Malik said. “We would have started with a transfer link and worked our way up to a soul bond.”

She licked her lips and looked at the doorway that led to the treatment room. Kane was fighting for his life. Did it really matter what method they were suggesting? She could not allow Kane to die. “Whatever it takes,” she relented. “I’m willing to do it.”

Malik accepted her decision with a tense nod. “I’ll let Raphael know we’re leaving and why.”

A jolt of uncertainty made Lexie shake her head. “Why? Where are we going?”