Between Two Tiron

by Rebecca Airies

  * * * * *

  “I bet that wound hurts, doesn’t it, you fucking animal?” a harsh male voice called in a taunting tone. “I won’t miss the next time. I’ll put you out of your misery. I won’t let you suffer.” A stone skittered in the passageway, kicked by a careless boot.

  Golden eyes patiently watched the bobbing light on the wall at an intersection of hallways. Secure in the knowledge that she was hidden from human eyes and senses, she waited with predatory patience. A dull throbbing from her hind leg made the tiron edgy, heightened her temper. She listened as his uneven, slow footsteps carried him forward and the sound of his breath, a dry rasp that spoke of some congestion, came closer.

  Her muscles tensed, but she didn’t move. This man hunted her, would kill her. If given the chance, he’d kill Nerisa. A snarl curled her lips, but she made no sound. She wouldn’t give him any indication, any warning. He wouldn’t get the chance to cause any more harm. He’d die before he got close to her.

  “Do you think you can hide, little animal?” The man laughed. The beam of light bobbed, weaving across the stone walls and floor as he moved forward along the passage, stepping over some of the debris of small collapses, but small bits of it crunched under his boots. “We have all the time we need to hunt you and get rid of the bodies. No one will hear any message you tried to send.”

  Come closer, Lina silently urged, her lips pulling back from sharp lethal teeth. She knew exactly where he was and how much closer he’d have to come before she got her chance. You’ll soon discover that it won’t be you who will be hiding a body.

  Her body tightened, muscles coiled with tension as she waited for her prey to wander into reach. As soon as he was close enough, she’d ensure that he was no longer a threat to any shifter. He would die now.

  “You might as well come out. I’ll make it quick and easy,” the man coaxed.

  You will soon learn what quick and easy is. She waited. Unmoving, ready, all predator.

  She heard the scuff of his boot on the floor, just a light scrape. The loud fool was close, moving toward the T-intersection of the hallways one slow step at a time. He came around the corner in a leaping bound, his bow at the ready and pointing straight down the hallway. He played his light over the wall and the debris of fallen sections of wall and ceiling.

  He either missed or didn’t notice the way two fallen pieces of ceiling seemed to grow out of the wall, blocking half the hallway. She didn’t care which it was. The slabs were propped against one another and with all the rubble looked innocent, a solid mass. There was a deep niche between those pieces and the wall.

  He paced around the fallen debris and passed her. She attacked from the back, taking him completely by surprise. Her teeth sank into his neck as her powerful, feline body hit his back and legs, claws sinking deep. She wrenched violently and heard a snap as his neck broke, severing his spinal cord.

  Lina shifted to human form and dragged the body into a room farther down the corridor, hiding it out of sight, behind some debris. She checked her wound and noticed that a trickle of blood was running down her thigh. Although it throbbed and pain lanced through her with every movement, the bleeding would stop soon. Even now, only thin trails flowed down her thigh.

  She shifted back into tiron form and returned to her hiding place. There were at least two more men who might come this way. She was certain that they hadn’t yet done so. They wouldn’t get past her. She would protect Nerisa.

  She crouched in the dark, ready to defend her life. When they noted their friend’s absence or discovered the end of their own search, they would come. Men like these never ceased to hate and when they thought they had an easy kill, they never walked away from it. She wouldn’t let them succeed in their aims.

  * * * * *

  Shard led the way. They made no effort to hide their presence. They wanted Lina to know they were coming. She’d be edgy and on the hunt, prepared to attack. They wanted her to know before they approached her that those coming down the hallway were friends and not the enemy who had hurt her.

  “Lina, we’re coming to help you and Nerisa,” Kaleb called out, his deep voice echoing down the corridors.

  “Lina, call out if you’re safe. There was only one man who came down this passage. One ran into the forest as we arrived. The other is in another corridor. Vellis and Belan will deal with him.” Shard waited after he had shouted this, giving Lina time to answer.

  The rumble of a tiron growl came back to them. “I am safe.”

  “Come out. Lead us to where you’ve left Nerisa, i’ma.” Kaleb looked down the hallway, trying to see if there was any movement. “We’ll take you home.”

  Shard waited, listening and watching for any movement.

  Shard laughed as he saw her furry golden head peer around the corner. “Yes, rao nari, it’s really us. Where have you stashed Nerisa and what did you do with the man who came this way?”

  “I hid him,” Lina growled as the reminder of those who had hurt her stirred the rage of the beast once again.

  Shard heard the rising anger. The tiron was very definitely in control. It had been injured, its life threatened and probably felt cornered. That was a bad combination in any being, human or animal.

  “Take us to Nerisa, Lina.” Kaleb hoped that reminding her of the woman she had been protecting would distract the animal within.

  She turned and stepped into the darkened corridor. A beam of light spotlighted her for a moment and then illuminated the hallway in front of her. She didn’t falter as she led them to the room.

  As they entered the room, Nerisa sprang to her feet and ran to Avick. She jumped into his arms and held on tightly. His arms wrapped around her, holding her close as his head lowered. His chin pressed against the top of her head and they simply stood like that for a few moments.

  “Change forms and get dressed, i’ma.” Shard motioned for Caron to go find the body. There might be some sort of identifying marking on it. “We’ll see to your wound.”

  Lina stalked over to her pile of clothing and turned her back to the group. Muscles shifted and fur receded as her body reshaped. With slow movements, she dressed, trying to ignore the spikes of pain shooting through her thigh. It had been easier to do when she’d been focused on staying alive and protecting Nerisa. The burning ache flared with each movement.

  She turned and tilted her head as she looked first at Shard, then at Kaleb. “You know being drawn into a thent is supposed to be a stabilizing thing. It’s supposed to take away some of the uncertainty and most of the danger a lone Santir faces. In all my years alone, I was never shot with an arrow.”

  “Lina, with you, I doubt we’ll have much boredom in spite of the strength of the thent’s numbers.” Shard smiled at her as he walked over to her.

  “Who are—were—those men?” She ran her hand over Shard’s bare arm.

  He wore a mottled brown and tan sleeveless shirt with matching mottled pants. Kaleb wore mottled green camouflage clothing. The body-hugging clothing delineated their muscled forms, making them seem more rugged, dangerous. She had never before seen anyone look sexy in camouflage. Most people either looked dangerous or silly in the battle gear. Shard and Kaleb did look dangerous, but even more appealing in it.

  “Except for the one you took down, the others should be alive.” Kaleb curved his arm around her and pulled her back against him as Shard knelt at look at her wound.

  “As to the men, we don’t know who they were. We had no idea that they were here.” Shard gently probed the wound and then wrapped it.

  “Maybe you could help us to figure that one out.” Kaleb brushed his hand over her stomach before he released her.

  “It’s time to go back to the camp. We’ll have our physician look at your wound, but it should be fully healed within a day or two.” Shard swept her up, cradling her in his arms.

  * * * * *

  The interrogation began the moment she’d shown them the device she’d used to bring the ship to her. She knew exa
ctly why they were angry. Because she hadn’t told them of her little tool, they were wondering exactly what else she’d kept from them. As if she’d purposely set herself up for just this type of result. At least they were conducting this interview in the privacy of their tent.

  “Why didn’t you tell us of this device you used to bring the ship to your location?” Shard demanded.

  Lina rolled her eyes in exasperation. “First of all, that particular device is so seldom used that I didn’t even think about it when I was telling you about the custom modifications that I have made to the Sendar. I don’t carry a list of every tool I’ve ever used or own around with me.”

  “Don’t get flippant.” A soft warning growl rumbled in Kaleb’s order.

  “Second, I haven’t had much time to think about the Sendar and if I had missed anything since we returned to the planet.” She continued with the explanation, cautious of inciting them further. Not because she was afraid, she’d just had enough drama today. “I didn’t have it with me when I went after Nerisa because if I was spotted by someone on the way there or back using it would have caused more trouble than it would solve. The ship uncloaks when that function is activated.”

  “Why did you take it with you when you went for a walk with Nerisa? Were you expecting trouble?” Shard narrowed his eyes as he leaned closer to her.

  “No, it was just habit to grab it in an unknown situation. I didn’t even really know if I had it. I had to search my pockets to make sure. I hardly ever leave the Sendar or my camp without some of my gadgets. It’s something I do almost every time I get ready to leave.” She glared at him and raised her chin. “Do you think about putting on your belt and weapons when you get dressed?”

  Kaleb’s head tilted and he seemed to be thinking about it. “You’re right. I don’t think about it. It’s just natural to grab them.”

  “What kind of missions did you do for Central Command?” Shard smiled as he negligently studied the thin palm-sized comp she sometimes used.

  “Almost anything, as long as I didn’t consider it a suicide mission.” Lina shrugged.

  “Did you ever work on any other shifter-human mating rescues?” Kaleb folded his arms and waited for an answer.

  “Yes,” she answered simply. She wouldn’t lie to them about it.

  Both men went completely still. She didn’t even see them draw in a breath. Suddenly, she was very nervous. She could feel the intent in them. From the fierce frowns on their faces, an observer could understandably believe that this was the first that they’d heard of her dealings with Central Command.

  “You mean you did this regularly?” Kaleb asked. “You’ve succeeded in taking the mates of other shifters?”

  She endured the two glares directed at her by the two men standing across from her. Gods, she felt like pacing. Actually, she felt like walking right out of the Dura-tent, but knew she wouldn’t make it. She could understand that they were angry that she hadn’t told them of it, but this change in subject mystified her. Somehow, they’d gone from her inventions to discussing her missions with Central Command.

  “They weren’t mated. I never took a woman who had been more than found.” She stamped her foot and glared at them as she repeated what she had told them only moments ago. It was either stamp her foot or kick one of them. “I didn’t break any shifter laws.”

  “That’s true, but you walked a fine edge.” Shard’s right hand braced on his hip as he stared down at her, anger still simmering in his dark gaze.

  She glared back at him, just as angry. “No, I didn’t live a sheltered, protected life. I was doing a job and some of those women were terrified. Nerisa was scared. The women I took were terrified of the men who had found them, of shifters.”

  “You know that a shifter would never hurt his mate.” Kaleb’s eyes narrowed and the staccato delivery of the words informed her that he didn’t believe her.

  “Those women didn’t know that. A few of them didn’t even know that they were mates to the men. They thought they were going to be eaten or sacrificed or something similarly vile.” She threw up her hands and turned to begin pacing, but Shard’s hand caught her shoulder and turned her back to him.

  “It’s not uncommon for a woman to panic, especially if she doesn’t know much about shifters.” Shard nodded, but the look on his face remained stern.

  “The men were idiots. In some cases, I spent most of the journey to the meeting point reassuring them and explaining things so that when the men did find them, they wouldn’t be quite so scared.” Frustrated, she heaved a sigh and waited. She knew she wasn’t going anywhere.

  Kaleb’s scowl twitched a few times.

  Shard apparently decided to redirect the subject back to the original topic. “Is there anything you haven’t told us?” Shard raised a brow and waited.

  “After that session of ‘what is this’ that you conducted through my bags and the Sendar, I doubt it,” Lina huffed, crossing her arms under her breasts, but then she qualified her answer. “That is it at least as far as what I have with me. I have some projects at my home that are in various stages of completion.”

  “Your home is with us now,” Kaleb barked, his tone hard.

  “Yes, it is.” She gave her agreement readily. She knew that any qualification or hesitation would draw the beast within them, but that wasn’t why she said it. She’d mated with them. For years, she’d tried to ease the yearning inside her but now, it was gone. She didn’t feel restless. The tiron was content.

  Shard and Kaleb both nodded, clearly pleased with her quick answer.

  “We’ll have to learn as much as we can from the equipment we found and their clothing since the two surviving men committed suicide rather than be captured. As you seem to be familiar with various technologies, you can help us find the rest of their party and their ship.” Kaleb stepped forward and wrapped an arm around her.

  Chapter Nine

  The dampening units the men had used were archaic. It didn’t take much time to decide that the group was either poorly funded or the bulk of their money had gone for other things. The same could be said of the sidearm the men had carried. Their clothing had been sturdy and made for rough conditions, but it hadn’t been of high quality.

  “I think we should recommend the search begin at the anomaly we found on the scan.” Technician Meral pointed to a printed version of the scan he mentioned.

  “You’d be wasting your time. It’s not there.” Lina felt obligated to warn the man.

  She raised a brow as the technician she’d been working with pointedly ignored what she had said. It wasn’t because he was only suffering her presence. It was because she, due to an order given by Shard and Kaleb, couldn’t provide proof for her beliefs. She wanted to strangle her two mates, but getting her hands around Technician Meral’s throat for a few moments would also improve her mood. His insistence on first seeing solid proof of her claims before he even considered her ideas was driving her insane.

  The group of people gathered to learn what they could about these men knew a few facts. They had lived in a small camp. They had had no communication devices on them. Also, they surmised from the taunts and insults thrown by the man who had hunted Lina in that ruin that the men were from one of the hate groups that targeted shifters.

  That information seemed to fit with the destruction that had been found in two sites. The destruction had been obviously deliberate. Pottery had been smashed and walls had chunks hacked from them.

  Shard and Kaleb returned from their search for the men’s companions and she glared at them as they walked toward the table. A small camp had been found, but the lack of supplies and the lack of sign that the men had been hunting for their food had led Shard and Kaleb to believe that that had not been their primary camp.

  “Do you have anything for us?” Shard asked.

  “There is some disagreement between us on a few things.” Technician Meral looked significantly at Lina who gave him a sweet smile. “We all agree that they hav
e been here for some time, most probably longer than we’ve been on Nariu Minor. We also agree that there are more than those three men on the planet.”

  “What don’t you agree about?” Kaleb looked at her, smiled and then frowned as she glared at him.

  “Most of us believe that their ship is somehow hidden on the planet.” Meral again looked at her.

  “What do you believe, Lina?” Shard stepped forward to the table and fingered a pair of the trousers from the camp.

  “Their ship isn’t on the planet. I’m certain about that.” She clenched her fists, trying to accomplish anything under those restrictions was impossible. “I missed them. I wouldn’t have missed a ship.”

  “You sound confident.” Kaleb chuckled.

  Gods, they seemed unaware of how far she’d been pushed today. Much more and she’d do something rash. Lina took a deep breath to keep from screaming at them. There had been one point when she’d been ready to walk. If she’d been able to get near her ship, she’d have taken off and considered coming back later. “They showed me the area where they think the ship is and I admit that there are manufactured materials there. I would have shown them how I know that that place is not the ship, but it seems that I’m not allowed on board my own ship, the Sendar, unless either you or Kaleb is with me.”

  “You know that you’re very good with technology. It’s just some precautions until we’re certain that you’ve settled in.” Shard seemed unconcerned by the fire blazing in her golden eyes, the fisted hands pressed to her side and the tense body posture.

  “I know that I’ve given you no reason to distrust me and that it’s an insult.” She growled, but closed her eyes as she grabbed for control. “That isn’t the point. I need to get into the Sendar and onto one of the monitors there so that I can show them how I know that the site they mentioned isn’t hiding the ship you are looking for.”