Guardian [New World Book 6]

by C. L. Scholey

  “Someone snap your lying tail off Tonan filth.”

  “I did.”

  Roam paused. The Tonans on his planet had all voluntarily snapped their tails off as a sign of loyalty to Cobra. When a Tonan lied, his tail would grow. As long as there was no tail, there was no lying. It was important the Tonans never lied. The Tonans permitted on Bagron were all mated to human females. Roam didn’t know of any of Cobra’s Tonan warriors sent to Earth, so this Tonan was obviously a rogue. Castians were cousins to the Tonans. Tonans would hit their must cycle the same time as the Castian warriors.

  Normally, Tonans were bloodthirsty savages. Over the years, their experimenting for need of supremacy had bled most of any compassion. The Tonans on Bagron were in love with their mates. Only a human female could temper the creatures. The Tonans on Bagron were considered traitors to the unmated Tonan warriors. The renegades had sworn revenge and death to any Tonan defector. The only way to keep their mates safe was to join Cobra’s warriors.

  With exaggerated movements, Roam looked pointedly at the Tonan’s back end where the tail normally perched. He expected it to begin growing. It didn’t, the Tonan had to be telling the truth.

  Hmm. Interesting.

  “There is a Tonan vessel hovering over Earth. Do you belong to it?” Roam asked.

  “No. Now leave me be.”

  The Tonan turned to leave, but Roam jumped to stand before him. “What are you up to?”

  “That is none of your damned business.”

  “It is, if you plan on kidnapping Earth females.”

  “And you don’t?”

  His words were a surprise. Roam hadn’t thought of it that way. Cobra did want Earth females. Would Roam have to toss one over his shoulder and take her hostage? It was a disturbing thought. He didn’t want a female to fear him. He had just assumed one would be so grateful to get away from this hell hole she would fall into his arms and fall passionately in love with him.

  “You know a Castian would never harm a female.”

  “After four hundred years without females, I’m certain even Cobra would make an exception. I bet he’s chomping at the bit for females. He would do anything for his warriors. I bet he impregnated as many compatible females as he could during the female cycle, just so there would be a new crop in twenty-one years. All for his damned, beloved warriors.”

  Roam bellowed in rage at the barb to his honorable leader and jumped at the Tonan. Yes Cobra would do anything for his warriors; he even risked the wrath of his beloved mate once for such a purpose. It was near the end of the last must cycle and though nothing happened between Cobra and the human female, all knew of the strange sacrificial offer. And it was a sacrifice for Cobra.

  To any other Castian it was unthinkable what Cobra had offered, they were monogamous, to Cobra he could do no less, sacrifice his own happiness. Cobra’s mate had been angry, hurt, but Cobra had saved her son’s life. Cobra battled an internal need to remain completely faithful to his mate; he was three thousand years old. He had never taken a mate, but he had been leader almost forever. One anguished thought ruled—save his race, he was leader. There was no other reason for his judgment lapse, and his mate loved him and forgave him for even thinking such a thing.

  The two warriors fought with passion. Roam was furious; the Tonan battled as though he were desperate. Roam slashed his claws across the Tonan’s midsection; he was right, the Tonan wasn’t nearly regenerated. For a few seconds Roam saw flesh, and blood. He heard real pain in the Tonan’s howls. The Tonan smashed a clawed foot into Roam’s chest. He tried to leap away but Roam was in a rage, wanting to see more blood. Tonans were responsible for the need for human females. They murdered two entire species, female Castians, female Tonans, their filth had no limit. Leaving the Castian males alone without the love of a female mate.

  A backhand sent the Tonan spinning. Still Roam went after him. It was a bastard like this who’d killed Roam’s parents. Roam slid his talons across the Tonan’s back. The squeal of hard metal sounded, sparks flew. Roam was relentless. Finally, something to take out his frustration on. The Tonan spun to face him. The black glow of his tattoo brightened, faltered, brightened. The pair studied one another. Roam attacked, his arms a pinwheel of motion.

  A patch of shield at the Tonan’s face dropped, a gouge in his leg became bloodied at another swipe. Mercilessly Roam struck out. With his last blow the Tonan shield came down. The Tonan lay before him helplessly, exhausted, blood oozed from wounds. A hand was pressed to his chest where redness seeped down his sides. His facial expression showed his pain. Wary dark eyes gazed up at him.

  If Roam left him alone he would regenerate. The sun was shining. Roam had seen a Tonan die before. The shield would rust without its host; it would fade to dust and blow away. He supposed he could spare him, keep him hostage until Cobra came for them. At least Roam wouldn’t be alone. He would control how much sunlight the Tonan could have to keep him helpless. Roam moved forward to retrieve the fallen warrior.

  “Stop.”

  Roam heard the word screamed. He spun to see a small human female white with terror. Roam stood staring back, stunned. She was petite, long blond hair ruffled in the gentle breeze. Her gaze was fixed on the Tonan.

  “Run, Macey,” the Tonan yelled.

  The Tonan struggled to his feet, his armor slammed back over his body. Instead ,the little female ran to the Tonan. His armor went down for only a second before he grabbed her to his chest. His grey shield snapped around them both, the female was hidden from view. Roam was openmouthed. It’s his mate.

  “What have you done?” Roam demanded.

  “I saved her life. She’s my mate. It was her idea. Now go away.”

  “What else are you hiding?”

  For a second the Tonan opened his mouth then snapped it closed. He had been about to lie, Roam was positive.

  “You are scaring my mate,” the Tonan yelled instead.

  “I’m not leaving you alone here with her, even if she is your mate.” This was a new dilemma which changed everything. If left alone, the human female would die without added protection. The skies were volatile with death. Roam’s mission was to save human females—even mated ones. “I’m certain Cobra would like to speak with you.”

  “No doubt. I heard how he escaped confinement, released his men and has been slaughtering my race.”

  “Your race murdered our females and your own.”

  “I wasn’t the Tonan who killed your females. I watched my own mother die four hundred years ago. She was one of the last Tonan females alive—hidden in secret. My father died with her. His shield was down when my mother fell, he had no choice but to die with her. I saw all of it. It was the day my armor covered me. I was raised by a cruel male Tonan after I wandered the forest for days, alone.”

  Something wasn’t right. Roam was confused. It was possible a female Tonan could have existed four hundred years ago. A slim and rare possibility. The Tonan wasn’t lying, Roam would know if he was. He could scent deception.

  “What do you mean you heard Cobra had escaped? You say that like you were privy to some great secret. How long have you been on Earth?”

  “Five years.”

  Roam was astounded. So much so he took a step back. The Tonan before him had missed Cobra’s escape. He would have no idea Castians and Tonans coexisted on Bagron. He wasn’t wary of Roam because he was an enemy, he thought Roam was out for any Tonan blood he could spill.

  “Cobra has offered sanctuary to any Tonan mated to a human.”

  The Tonan stood thinking, he would know a Castian warrior does not lie, they were incapable of falsehoods. “I don’t trust you.”

  Roam supposed he wouldn’t. The feeling was also reciprocated. “For your female’s sake you should consider my offer. There are worse creatures out there, hunting human females. The Gorgano can’t get past your shield, but they could murder your female with a simple thought if they come across her alone and unprotected.”

  “Are th
ey huge beasts? I ran across a beast with long white hair and red eyes. I avoided it. It was over seven feet.”

  “They are the Zargonnii. They are looking for females to mate with. The Tonan overhead are no doubt in an alliance with the Gorgano. Those Tonan want all females dead to keep torturing not only Castians but their mated Tonan brothers who they think are traitors. The situation on Earth has escalated with so many hunting for females. Not to mention the encroaching waters.”

  “Damn it,” the Tonan hissed.

  “If your race finds you with a female, and no tail, they’ll slaughter you both—if you’re lucky, it would be a fast death, though I highly doubt it. Rogue Tonan are brutal with human females. When Cobra comes, you can come back with us. In the meantime, I’ll stay with you and help you protect your mate.”

  “You can’t stay with us.”

  “Why?”

  “You don’t understand. I can’t allow you…What I mean is; you just show up and expect me to believe you, that all is well with Castians and Tonans.”

  Roam was getting annoyed. He was trying to help the bastard. The Tonan wasn’t lying, but the prick was as sure as hell evasive. “I—don’t—lie. I am a Castian warrior, not a Tonan. Not all Tonans are welcome on Bagron, only the mated ones. All I was trying to do was offer my help for the sake of your female—just the female. I don’t trust you either.” The Tonan’s black tattoo shone bright displaying high emotion, Roam just knew under that shield he was being glared at. Roam grew angrier. “Fine then, suit yourself and let your little mate have her mind blown to pieces—along with you the second she dies.”

  “Damn you.” The Tonan snarled the words, ground them out in fury. “You’ve almost depleted my shield and I can’t calm her down and heal my wounds.”

  The Tonan’s shield dropped, the little female clinging to him was sobbing hysterically. Roam felt a wave of pity, as well as awash with guilt. He had forgotten she could hear everything when she was in there with him. The Tonan shield would not allow her detection, but she could see through it. Now that the shield had dropped Roam felt her anguish, her fear. The Tonan was no longer bleeding but looked strained.

  The Tonan was wiping her tears away but they fell too fast. She was talking and sobbing, her words were incoherent. Roam tried to make out what she was mumbling.

  “The shield is gone. She fell this morning. We were waiting for you to come home to heal the owie. What do we do?” The woman had slipped from the Tonan’s arms but had her body pressed against him.

  “Everything will be fine, Macey, sweetheart; don’t cry, please. Ally will be okay.”

  Roam was once again astounded. “Ally is your daughter?”

  “Yes.” The woman was still sobbing amidst the Tonans attempt to soothe her. “Taz, the Tonans are bad enough, you told me about them, their cruelty, but now Zargonnii and Gorgano and this Castian. What’s next? Weren’t the storms bad enough? Why do we keep suffering? What will hunt us next?”

  “This is a Castian warrior. He won’t hurt you.” The Tonan, Taz, said, he cast a grudging glance at Roam. Roam relaxed when the Tonan’s armor didn’t go up and no tail appeared. “A Castian warrior would never harm a child.” Again the grudging look, but still no tail.

  So the bastard may not trust me, but he knows I’m no monster.

  “Where is the child?” Roam asked with some worry. “You didn’t leave her all alone did you?”

  “Of course not, she’s…”

  Macey slammed her lips closed. Roam knew immediately what she had been about to say. “There are others.”

  “They are all human and have no idea what I am. You can’t come back with me in your armor. You’ll scare the shit out of them,” Taz said. His back was ramrod straight. His jawline twitched. Roam narrowed his eyes onto him, how could he have no tail, yet the humans didn’t know what he was?

  “If you have a child they must have seen—something.” All Castian and at one time Tonan children received a piece of their father’s shield to keep them safe from any harm. There was no shield stronger. At four or a little earlier a female child lost her shield but was able to be shielded by any male Castian or Tonan. It fostered a deep protective feeling toward males, and the females who lost the ability to be shielded at twenty-one would search for a mate. When males became of age, around four as well, they developed their own shields which stayed with them for life.

  Most Tonans were too selfish to give their children a piece of their shield. That Taz must have, said something about his honor, in fact it spoke volumes. Living in this nightmare of a world, the girl would need what added protection she could get. If the shield was gone, Roam’s help would be doubly required.

  “They think little Ally is a miracle baby,” Macey explained, her sobbing subsiding to a hiccup and sniffles. “The first time her shield went up for protection it saved her during a storm we had gotten caught in. A tree fell on her, but when it settled she walked out from under the branches and leaves harmlessly.”

  “How many others?” Roam was excited. If that was the only time the baby shield had been seen it meant only one thing—no males were part of their group. Unless related, a baby shield wouldn’t allow any males near her or her mother when it came up.

  “Four not including me, Macey and Ally,” Taz said.

  “Four females?”

  “Four scared females. I sense your distrust of me but I assure you, none know what I am. It’s for a good reason. One is a child, thirteen. Her sister is in her early twenties. They lost loved ones to Tonans and are terrified of my species. So terrified I was afraid to tell them what I am. Also afraid if they knew what I was and if I was decent so too would the others be, and we both know that’s not the case. I love them and would do nothing to hurt them. One woman is in her sixties and the last one is, well, she’s…”

  “Her name is Jinx, and she’s a lovely young woman.”

  “Yeah right,” Taz muttered.

  Roam was feeling uncomfortable. He had come close to killing a Tonan responsible for six lives. No wonder his shield was so weak. With Taz’s shield down Roam could sense everything from him, worry, helplessness, confusion. Trusting a Castian warrior would go against everything Taz had learned. But so many females were precious. The humans Taz protected would be invaluable. The Tonan children on Bagron were valued just as high as any other female. They too were half human and would make good loving mates.

  Roam had to see those human females. His heart raced for a moment until being calmed by his shield. Taz might not trust him, but knew a Castian warrior to be honorable with females. Roam didn’t trust Taz either, but the look on his mate’s face was so sorrowful.

  “I’m sorry I attacked you, Taz. I had no idea. I can only imagine what you think of Castians. But I swear Cobra has taken any Tonan with a human mate under his wing. You and the others will be safe on Bagron; you have the word of a Castian warrior.”

  Roam wouldn’t offer his word lightly.

  “Is there really a safe place for us?” Macey asked, her sad eyes looked at Taz so hopefully Roam scented his restricted disbelief falter. “What did this warrior mean about the rising water? How much more danger are we in?”

  “I know what this world is like,” Roam said. He immediately sensed Taz’s discomfort. He obviously had kept the information from his mate. The worry must be astronomical, knowing his mate and the others would eventually drown. Perhaps he should let Taz explain in his own way their impending demise. Roam, after all, had given them a lifeline. There would be no more concern—after they actually boarded the ship.

  “The destruction and the uncertainty on this planet is great. Every area has cause for concern. Macey, your child would have others on Bagron just like her to play with. Unconditional acceptance. There are others like your mate, who mated human females from Earth, from here, Macey. You would be protected by many warriors who respect and value females. I’m certain Taz has told you your child is unique; all children are in their own way. But where I come from
there are many four-year-old females who are half human and half Tonan. All of the children are coveted, and loved. Your little one would be embraced by welcome arms. Including mine.”

  Roam knew Macey was immediately all for the idea; her scent of excitement was profound. He had offered her and her family a better world; more importantly, he offered her child acceptance and hope. Taz was still distrustful, but Macey’s scent would be too hard for her mate to ignore.

  “The others don’t know what I am,” Taz said. “They are my family; at least I consider them to be. When the time is right we can tell them, but not yet. They have seen Tonan warriors slaughter family members.”

  Roam was astounded with the scent engulfing Taz. The proud warrior was afraid of losing his loved ones to deceit. More so was the fact he couldn’t stand the idea of any of them fearing him. Grudging respect built. The proud warrior before him was vulnerable. A strange and yet appealing aspect in a Tonan.

  “I will also tell you Jinx watched a Castian take her older sister away, Taz continued. “She hid, not knowing what to do. The Castian had no idea she was near or he would have taken her too. Tonans and Castians were battling, it was chaos. Human men were slaughtered. Human females scattered into the wind. Jinx was half dead when I found her. At the time, she was of an age I could heal her in my shield without her knowledge. To say she hates both Tonans and Castians wouldn’t begin to explain her feelings. Both our species ripped everything away from her in a single night. I healed her body but her emotions were a train wreck for a very long time.”

  Roam was appalled. “A Castian kidnapped her sister? And never came back for her?”

  Most assuredly a Castian would have come back for her sister once the older sister realized she would be safe.

  “I don’t know if he did. The area we were in was too explosive. I had to move my family to where it was warmer, where the sun shines and I can regenerate and keep them safer. That was another continent ago. If he came back, Jinx would have been long gone, she couldn’t stay and wait alone. I couldn’t allow that to happen.”