Page 11 of Raven Blackwood (Cyborg Guardians #2)

Hannah

The morning sun was barely cresting over the hills when the first of the new arrivals rode in.

I was in the barn, checking over the livestock, when I heard the distant sound of hooves and the rumble of wagon wheels.

By the time I stepped outside, a small caravan of weary homesteaders had come into view, their faces a mixture of hope and desperation.

Raven and I met them at the gate. Tom Barrows was at the front, leading on his horse. "More of us heard what you’re doing," he said, tipping his hat. "We want to stand with you."

Behind him, families sat in wagons or on horseback, their belongings strapped down with rope and canvas. Many of them had rifles slung over their backs. A few children peeked out from the wagons, their wide eyes scanning the ranch warily.

I swallowed hard. All of these people coming to support us left me feeling stunned for a moment before I could speak. "You’re welcome here," I said when I found my voice. "We need all the help we can get. "

Raven stepped forward. "We’ll organize supplies and set up camp.” Raven paused to look at me. “Shall we have them set up in the back pasture?”

I nodded.

“Okay,” Raven continued. “We’re reinforcing the fences, digging blinds for cover. Anyone who can handle a rifle needs to be ready. When Jenkins finds out about this, he won’t sit back and let this slide."

A murmur of agreement swept through the crowd. The people who had come were tired, but I could see the fight in them. They weren’t giving up without reclaiming what was theirs.

By midday, the ranch had transformed. People worked together to fortify defenses as best we could.

The ranch and barnyard sat back from the old road with open fields in front and thick woods behind them.

We cut timber and built a fence along the front with a gate so that riders couldn’t just come inside unhindered.

Some of the men dug makeshift trenches in strategic locations around the perimeter, places where defenders could take cover when the inevitable attack came. The once-quiet land buzzed with preparation and whispered conversations about what was to come.

I did not doubt that Marcus and his cronies would be back after the way Raven humiliated them when he first arrived.

As evening fell, Raven pulled me aside near the barn. "I’m heading out tonight."

I stiffened. "To Finch’s place?"

"That’s done. Now, I need to see the labor camp for myself. If Zach’s there, I need to know how many men are guarding him."

I crossed my arms, unease creeping through me. "That’s dangerous."

"It’s nothing I can’t handle." He cupped my face briefly, his thumb brushing my cheek. "I’ll be back before dawn. Don’t wait up."

I wanted to argue, but I knew better. Raven was built for this kind of mission. He could slip through the dark unseen, gather intel, and return before anyone even knew he’d been there.

Still, I hated watching him go.

Raven

The cold night air bit at my face as I soared over the rugged landscape on my sky cycle, its quiet hum barely audible above the wind. Below, the forest stretched in dark, undulating waves, broken only by rocky outcrops and a winding river that glistened under the moonlight.

It didn’t take long to locate the labor camp.

Jenkins’s men hadn’t exactly hidden it. Why should they?

Not many in this territory had sky cycles or hovercraft of any kind, so they didn't have to worry about being spotted. From my vantage point, I counted at least ten guards patrolling the perimeter—more than I’d hoped for, but not impossible. What worried me were the prisoners.

While I couldn’t see them because they were asleep in the bunkhouse, I scanned them. They weren’t in good shape, underfed and overworked, beaten into submission. I knew I could not delay getting them out of there.

Zach had to be among them.

I circled once more, mentally mapping out the weak spots. The southeast corner of the fence had a blind spot where the patrols barely passed. That would be the entry point. But getting thirty malnourished captives out of here wouldn’t be easy.

I needed help, and I knew the displaced ranchers couldn't help me with this.

Reluctantly, I turned away, banking the sky cycle north.

My mind raced through options, calculating risks, but something caught my eye—a flicker of light isolated deep in the mountains.

It was a small thing, a subtle glow barely visible through the thick canopy of trees.

It wasn’t a campfire but something controlled.

Curious, I adjusted the course and brought the sky cycle lower, skimming over the treetops. The source of the light was a hidden structure, a cabin nestled in a secluded valley. From this distance, it seemed occupied but quiet.

I cut the engine and glided downward, landing some distance away before proceeding on foot. My enhanced vision let me navigate easily through the undergrowth. As I crept closer, I heard two voices, one a female speaking English.

I crouched silently in the shadows outside the cabin, my enhanced senses picking up this soft murmur of voices inside. The structure was modest but well-kept, a stark contrast to the harsh survivalist reality outside. Whoever lived here had made it a home, a haven in the wilderness.

Through a crack in the shuttered window, I saw a woman seated near the fire, her face bathed in the warm glow of the flickering flames. A massive alien stood beside her with a cup in his clawed hand, but he seemed content in her presence.

“You didn’t have to do all this,” she said softly, breaking the quiet. She gestured to the one repaired chair she was sitting on and then to the freshly patched coat draped over a nearby hook. “I don’t expect you to take care of me.”

The Mesaarkan exhaled, his mandibles twitching slightly. “I know you do not expect it, but I want to. The female looked up at him, surprise flickering across for lovely features. “Why?”

The alien hesitated; his gaze fixed on the fire as if searching its depths for the right words.

At last, he turned to her, his expression softer than I’d ever seen on a ‘Saark. “You are unlike anyone I have known, Ava,” he said quietly. “You speak to me without fear, without deference… and you challenge me.” A flicker of something warm passed through his eyes—something almost tender. His mouth curved slightly, the Mesaarkan’s version of a smile. “I find that I… like it. I like you.”

The female let out a small, breathy laugh, shaking her head. “I don’t know if that’s a compliment or a warning.” He tilted his head, considering her. “It is a truth.”

The silence that stretched between them did not seem uncomfortable.

She looked down at their joined hands, her fingers flexing slightly beneath his, but she did not pull away. Instead, she turned her palm up and let their fingers brush.

I hated to interrupt their tender moment, but my duty was clear. The Mesaarkan did not belong here, yet the female seemed to care for him.

Moving from under the window, I stood and walked to the front door, opening it silently. I stepped inside, my hand resting on my sidearm. Both of them looked at me, startled.

“Who are you, and what do you want?” the female cried, gripping the alien’s arm.

“He wants me,” he said. “He is a cyborg enforcer.” Noting my hand on my sidearm, he added, “I am unarmed.”

“Why are you here?” I demanded.

“I saw your light and came to investigate. I never expected to find a ‘Saark this far south in Wyoming,” I said.

“I deserted. I never wanted to be a warrior. I was conscripted and brought to this world against my will. I could not stand the cruelties I witnessed of my kind against yours. And I loved being in these mountains. I found this dwelling unoccupied, far from any others, and I just wanted to be left alone.”

“What about you, female?” I asked. “What is your name?”

“Ava Blake, this is my mate Koha’vek Draal.

He rescued me when a bear scared my horse, and she threw me.

I was banged up pretty good, and Koha’vek took care of me.

Please don’t take him. I don’t have anyone else.

He’s not hurting anybody here. Those horrible men of Callum Jenkins stole my father’s ranch from me, and he was going to force me to have sex with him.

So, I took my horse and ran away. Koha’vek has kept me safe, and I want to stay with him.

He can’t go back; they will imprison him. ”

The more I listened, the more I was convinced that this Mesaarkan deserter had not remained on Earth to hurt anyone. That a human female had taken him as her mate surprised me more than a little, but it seemed by the way she clung to him, it was consensual.

Sending him back to Mesaark is exactly what I am supposed to do,” I told them.

“Then, who would protect Ava? Jenkins has already sent men to find Ava and take her back to him. I convinced them to leave, but I doubt we’ve seen the last of them.”

“I’m working on that. I’m Cyborg Protector Raven Blackwood. I came to the Brislow area to meet my genetic mate and discovered Jenkins’s thugs harassing her and her sister-in-law. I ran them off, but they are persistent.”

“Ava Blake, will you state for my record that you have fully consented to your relationship with Mesaarkan Koha’vek Draal?”

“Yes, I have accepted Mesaarkan Koha’vek Draal as my mate,” she replied.

For the first time since I had been awakened, I was torn between my duty as a protector and what I believed to be right.

If I revealed his presence, I must arrest him and take him in.

If someone asked me if I found a Mesaarkan here in the mountains, I could not lie.

I could only withhold the information. However, I believed that removing the Mesaarkan would not be in the best interest of the female human. Then I knew I’d made my decision.

“Very well. If you stay out of trouble, Koha’vek, I will say nothing of your presence until I can find out whether the Federation will grant you asylum here,” I assured him.

Then I turned and left, sprinting back to my hovercycle, eager to get back to my female and lose myself in her.