Page 16 of Raven Blackwood (Cyborg Guardians #2)

Raven

Sergeant Dakin took over the supervision of cleaning up in Brislow to give me the opportunity to go back to the ranch and check on Hannah. Since I thought I had some extra time, I decided to swing by and check on Koha’vek and his human companion.

I kept my sky-cycle low, skimming over the treetops as I approached the secluded valley where Koha’vek and Ava had made their home.

The sun was beginning its slow descent, casting golden light over the rugged terrain.

I had tracked him here after the recon at the work camp, following a hunch that the former Mesaarkan soldier hadn't gone far.

I landed just beyond a rocky outcrop, the hum of my engine dying down as I dismounted.

The cabin was modest, built from salvaged wood and stone, nestled into the mountainside as if it had always belonged there.

Smoke curled lazily from the chimney, and I could hear quiet conversation drifting from the open doorway .

Cautiously, I approached, stepping silently over the uneven ground.

Through the window, I caught a glimpse of Ava seated at the table, her auburn hair catching the firelight.

Koha’vek was next to her, his massive frame slightly hunched as he listened intently.

They weren’t just hiding out together. They were living together, like any ordinary couple trying to carve out a life in a world that wouldn’t accept them.

I exhaled and knocked once on the wooden frame of the open doorway. The conversation inside halted immediately. Koha’vek’s form tensed, and he moved protectively in front of Ava as she shot me a nervous glance.

“Hello, Koha’vek, Ava,” I said evenly. “I just stopped by to check on you two. I want to make sure you aren't coercing Ava to stay with you.”

Koha’vek’s silver eyes narrowed, but he didn’t reach for a weapon or say anything.

I crossed my arms, taking in the way Ava’s fingers clutched his arm.

Ava stepped forward. “He’s not. At first, he was afraid I would tell someone if I left. But as I got to know him, I realized I don’t want to leave.”

I met Koha’vek’s gaze. “If I thought otherwise, we wouldn’t be talking.”

“You’re not afraid of what people will say if they find out?”

She looked at Koha’vek beside her, his massive frame calm and still, his eyes low as he listened. I’m not going to be ashamed of loving the person who saved me.”

A tense silence stretched between us before I sighed. “I believe you. I had to be sure. I can see that Ava cares for you, and I don’t want to deprive her of your protection and companionship.”

Koha’vek studied me for a long moment, then gave a slow nod. “Then we have an understanding.”

I turned to leave but paused at the doorway. “Take care of each other.”

Then I was gone, fading into the darkening forest, leaving them to the life they had chosen—at least until I could process what to do about them.

Koha’vek

I stood there for a long time after Raven had disappeared into the night, his presence lingering like a ghost in the shadows. I had expected a fight, but instead, I had received something I never thought possible—acceptance .

Ava let out a slow breath, stepping closer. “That was… unexpected.”

I turned to her, taking in the way her green eyes searched mine, full of questions and uncertainty.

“He kept his word,” I murmured. “He didn’t come here to destroy what we have together.”

Her hand came up to rest against my chest, just over my heart. “Then we’re safe?”

I covered her hand with mine and nodded. “Yes.”

She exhaled in relief, and I couldn’t help but pull her into my arms. She didn’t resist—she never did. She fit against me as if she belonged there, and I lowered my head, breathing in the scent of her hair, the warmth of her presence.

“I love you,” I murmured against her temple, the words slipping free before I could stop them.

She pulled back slightly, searching my face. “Koha’vek…”

I cupped her cheek, my thumb tracing along her soft skin. “I tried to fight it, but I couldn’t. You are my heart, Ava.”

A small but radiant smile tugged at her lips. “And you are mine.”

I kissed her then, sealing our fate with something more potent than any promise of safety—love.

Hannah

Pain lanced through my wrists as the ropes cut into my skin, the rough fibers biting deep. My heart pounded as the wagon jolted over the uneven road, each bump rattling my body. One of Jenkins’s men sat across from me, his face twisted with self-satisfaction.

I swallowed hard, refusing to let him see my fear. It seemed clear that they had infiltrated the ranch and lay in wait until Raven’s team and the ranchers left.

I’d barely had time to take a breath after Zach’s return before they’d come for me. With my full attention on the horse, I never heard the man come up behind me and clamp his hand over my mouth.

Now, they were carting me off to Callum Jenkins. He was the one who frightened me because of the cruel things I had witnessed him doing to various townspeople who displeased him. I suspected that he planned to hurt me to punish Raven for interfering with his operations .

The bastard had been trying to break us even before the moment Raven set foot in Brislow. And now, he had me. From everything the ranchers told us, Callum Jenkins hated Raven most of all.

The thug across from me leered at me. “Jenkins will be happy to see you. I heard he has plans for you.”

I ignored him, scanning the landscape. The road twisted away from the heart of Brislow, where Jenkins ruled like a king. At first, I thought they would take me to Jenkins’s mansion, but that was the first place Raven would come looking. My pulse quickened. If I could get loose, if I could—

The wagon hit a deep rut, sending me lurching forward. A sharp pain shot through my side, but I barely noticed. My mind was already working through every escape scenario I could think of.

I didn’t want to sit back and wait for Raven to save me.

I had to watch and wait for the chance to try to save myself. I kept working at the ropes, trying to get them off my wrists.

Raven

I knew something was wrong the second I set my sky-cycle down in front of the house. Zach came jogging toward me from the barn.

“I can’t find Hannah. I’ve checked everywhere,” he huffed, out of breath in his depleted state. “She never said anything to me about going anywhere.”

“I’m sure she didn’t because she didn’t leave of her own accord. They took her. The question is where.” I said half to myself. “There can’t be many of them left because the ranchers have accounted for all the ones we captured in town.”

“What are we going to do?” asked Zach.”

“You are going to stay here and take care of your family, and I’m going to find my mate. Once I do, then I will think about whether or not to let Jenkins live.”

“But she’s my sister,” Zach objected.

“And I love her,” I said without hesitation. “You have not recovered yet from your ordeal at the work camp. You’ll either slow me down or get yourself hurt. Hannah wouldn’t want that. Besides, someone has to stay here and take care of Grace and your baby.”

I went out to check the barn before I left. The scent of Hannah’s fear clung to the air, sharp and undeniable. My gut twisted. I scanned between the stalls and saw no sign of struggle, but I knew better. Jenkins had taken her. I saw the marks where they had dragged her from the barn.

A cold fury settled over me.

He thought he could use her to control me and that he could bargain with her life. I would make him beg for his if he or his thugs had hurt her in any way.

He had no idea who he was dealing with.

I tapped into my CPU, and my mind was already working through the possibilities. Then it hit me—Hannah carried my nanites now. They now bonded me to her. And if I focused, I could track them.

I closed my eyes and accessed my internal systems, pushing my mind outward.

There. A faint signal. Weak, but steady.

Hannah.

She was alive. And I was going to get her back.

No matter what it took. I didn’t waste any more time investigating. Sprinting from the barn, I jumped on my sky-cycle and flew off at top speed in the direction that I sensed Hannah’s nanites most strongly.