True Traitor (First Wave Book 7)

by Mikayla Lane

  *****

  Tricia hunched over the steering wheel, trying to control the pain swamping her abdomen. Tristan placed his hand on her belly, and she sighed in gratitude that he had again stopped the contraction, halting the premature birth of her daughter.

  She smiled at her beautiful son.

  “Thank you, baby. Are we close to Daddy?” she asked.

  Tristan looked towards the tunnel wall on the right and pointed straight ahead. Tricia sighed, nodded, and kept driving down what seemed to be an endless tunnel. She couldn’t help but worry—they hadn’t encountered any other hybrids since Tristan had blocked that one group.

  She was afraid that they were driving right into a trap, and her heart stuttered in her chest when they turned a corner and sure enough the area opened up into a cavern with mouths to three other tunnels. It wasn’t the tunnels that were bothering her, though. It was the group of 20-something armed hybrids holding them at gunpoint and the massive one-eyed man that terrified her.

  She stopped the vehicle while Gibly jumped past her and Tristan and stood on the hood with his fur standing on end as he hissed and spit at the hybrids. The other cats with him lined up in front of the vehicle.

  The hybrids gasped in surprise when Gibly spoke.

  “I would not attempt to stop my brothers. We will protect these people with our lives.” Gibly said. The other cats hissed and spit in agreement, and the hybrids took a step back.

  “Take them!” the one-eyed man roared and raised his sword.

  The hybrids hesitated, but the man stormed forward, pushing the hybrids out of his way as he approached the cats. Just as Gibly jumped down and headed towards the man, Tristan stood and stepped out of the vehicle.

  As he walked towards the large man, Tristan glowed with a blinding golden light. When everyone could see again, they all stepped back from the large, winged warrior heading right for Fiorn Erikson. The only indication Fiorn noticed the change from child to man was the slight skip in his stride.

  Tristan was within feet of the man when he threw up his left hand and gesticulated wildly in the air before a golden barrier sprung up between the cats and the hybrids, leaving Fiorn cut off from his hybrids.

  Once the barrier was up, Tristan continued his movements in the air until a large tendril of golden energy sprang from his fingertips and pulled Fiorn to him while his right hand connected with the man’s head.

  “You will allow us to pass unharmed,” Tristan’s deep, strong voice boomed.

  Fiorn stood mute, unable to move as the child/warrior held him paralyzed. Even after the boy let go of him, he was unable to move. He watched in horror and fascination as the warrior turned back into the child, and he climbed back into the vehicle, followed by the cats.

  Fiorn watched as the child rocked and grunted, looking to the right as he pointed ahead. The heavily pregnant woman nodded her head and slowly moved the vehicle around Fiorn and through the golden barrier.

  Fiorn didn’t get to see the golden barrier surround the vehicle and cats as they passed the stunned hybrids, who’d long ago lowered their weapons.

  “I’m sorry. We don’t want to hurt anyone. We just want our people back,” Tricia said as she drove past the hybrids.

  With Fiorn’s back still turned, he never saw several of his people nod at the pregnant female and child with respect. It wasn’t until several minutes later that the hybrids checked to see if their leader could move yet.

  Fiorn’s eyes blazed with fury as he looked at his incompetent strike team. His rage only increased the longer he was paralyzed while the hybrids walked around him helplessly.

  Fifteen minutes later, when Fiorn was finally able to move again, he began stomping and roaring at his team.

  “Damn it, go get them!” he ordered.

  Fiorn shook his head and raged when most of them disappeared down the wrong tunnels. Clutching the hilt of his ancient sword in his hand, he stormed off down the correct tunnel, thankful a vehicle wasn’t far away.

  With his rage fueling him, he plotted ways to deal with his traitorous people while went to find the woman and child himself.

  *****

  Gracus and Rebecca had gotten to the cave system in record time with the sheriff leading the way. They were stunned when they arrived to find a heavily armed group already at the gates.

  Sheriff Joe stormed up to the man.

  “Who the hell are you?” he demanded.

  Gracus and Rebecca walked up to the sheriff and placed a hand on his arm.

  “They’re hybrids,” Gracus said, looking at the man who was obviously in charge.

  The man nodded his head.

  “I’m Frankie. We’re supposed to be here to keep anyone from getting back in because this is where Fiorn saw you leave from.”

  Gracus nodded his head.

  “Do we really want to do this?” he asked, thinking of his own team as he looked around at the heavily armed group in front of him.

  Frankie raised his hands.

  “Hey, I’m not in charge here. But, I heard the delicate flower is on her way, so we left the door open for you, and you can take the vehicles we used to get here,” he said before handing Gracus a comm.

  “I programmed the directions in, just follow them and you should get to your people in no time. If you don’t shoot first, we won’t shoot—most of us anyway. So try and remember that,” Frankie warned them as Gracus took the comm.

  Gracus nodded his head, more than a little stunned at what the hybrids were doing.

  “What about out here?” he asked, knowing they needed to keep the humans from coming to the tourist attraction.

  Frankie and the others laughed.

  “We’ve got it closed down and are doing a seismological study, considering recent events. Don’t worry, no one else will get in; we look like the human military, and no one has ever questioned us. Most people don’t challenge heavily armed military looking groups,” he said confidently.

  Rebecca stepped forward.

  “Thank you,” she said.

  Frankie laughed.

  “Don’t thank me. Just make sure the delicate flower knows I helped you,” he said as the others nodded.

  A female stepped forward.

  “Come on, I’ll get you to the opening,” she said.

  Once inside the cave again, Rebecca couldn’t hold it in any longer.

  “Who is the delicate flower?” she asked.

  The female hybrid laughed.

  “She’s the mate of Fiorn Erikson. I have no doubt you will be meeting her. She’s wonderful and much loved,” the female said, turning to smile at her.

  Rebecca smiled back, still confused.

  “She sounds nice. Does she not agree with her mate?”

  The hybrid laughed, the sound echoing around them.

  “Nice . . . yeah, that fits her. Sometimes. Agree with Fiorn? Almost never. Which is probably why no one has killed him in his sleep,” she said with another laugh.

  Rebecca quirked an eyebrow at Gracus, and he just shrugged his shoulders, unable to believe that they were being invited in and wondering if it was a well-orchestrated trap. The unusual rock wall door was opened, and he and Rebecca stepped inside, followed by their team.

  Sure enough, the vehicles were there and the female hybrid waved before stepping back through into the cave system. Gracus looked around at his team.

  “Do not shoot first. Understood?” he asked, locking eyes with each team member to make sure they heard him.

  Rebecca turned to look at a silent and pouting Dog’ee.

  “What’s wrong, honey?” she asked the forlorn cat.

  Dog’ee looked up, his whiskers drooping.

  “You don’t need me now,” he said before hanging his head again.

  Rebecca laughed and cuddled the kitty close.

  “Of course we still need you! You’re going to make sure that they weren’t lying to us about which way to go! We don’t want to walk into a trap, and you’re going to make s
ure that doesn’t happen,” Rebecca said with a bright smile.

  Dog’ee picked his head up, and his spirits lifted immediately, his body bouncing with his happiness again. Rebecca watched as the cat ran ahead and dramatically sniffed the air.

  “Yes, yes! This way!” he said as he took off down the tunnel.

  Gracus grinned at Rebecca as he jumped on a vehicle and she climbed on behind him.

  “Follow the cats!” Gracus called out as the others loaded up.

  *****

  Jax stood in the middle of a clearing near the base of the mountain, surrounded by her team and animal friends as she faced the blond male hybrid and his own army of animals.

  A little larger than Reven, the man stood with his arms crossed over his chest and his weapons holstered. Jax wasn’t fooled by the man’s relaxed stance and remained guarded. Although she had more people than him, he had a much larger group of animals on his side and he radiated confidence.

  Jax was stunned when the man suddenly grinned, held his fists together and scrunched his fingers into a heart.

  “This worked for Traze T’Alq with my people, so I was hoping it would work with you as well,” he said with a chuckle.

  Jax was stunned.

  “You saw Traze? Is he OK?” she asked.

  The man laughed.

  “He walked right in, did the heart thing and got directions and vehicles. Most of your people are getting the same treatment. We’re on orders that we don’t shoot first, so if we all follow that, this will end soon,” he said the last with a hard look.

  Jax nodded her head and turned to her team.

  “No one fires first. No one!” she yelled out before turning back to the other animal talker.

  “Who are you? Why did you take our people if you don’t want a war?” she asked curiously.

  She was surprised when the man sat on the ground and leaned back like they were having a picnic instead of a standoff.

  “I’m Sam Denison. Obviously, I’m the animal talker, like you. In fact, we should probably turn them all loose before someone gets antsy or hurt,” Sam said before he waved a hand, and all of the animals—including the ones Jax thought she had commanded—began to walk away.

  Jax watched the animals walk away peacefully and turned to Sam.

  “How did you do that?” she asked.

  Sam shrugged.

  “The ley lines enhance our abilities. Only in and around them, though. You can do it too. You just have to tap into the natural energy running through here. Hey, why don’t you sit down, you have to be tired. I’ll teach you how to do it while we wait for the delicate flower to get here and fix this shit,” Sam said as he stood and held his hand out to Jax to help her sit in the grass.

  Jax looked around at her team and the sole hybrid facing them. She took his hand and let him help her sit on the ground.

  “What is a delicate flower?” she wondered aloud.

  Sam sat across from her, facing her team, and laughed.

  “She’s basically the unspoken leader of us. When the idiots who think they’re leaders screw up, she comes in and fixes it. I heard she’s on her way, so we’re trying to make sure no one gets hurt while we wait for her,” Sam said, respect clear in his voice.

  Jax was perplexed. The situation she encountered was far different than what she’d expected.

  “So . . . it’s the idiots who took our people? Are they OK?” she asked.

  Sam laughed again.

  “Your little boy is destroying the old city system; the pregnant woman with him seems to be doing fine. Oh! And the little boy spawned these small golden spheres that have released all of the prisoners and are leading them to one another,” Sam said, still cackling.

  He wiped the moisture from his eyes as he continued to laugh.

  “I can’t wait to see the look on the legends’ faces as that little guy goes blasting his way through there. It’s got to be epic!” Sam added.

  Jax turned to look at her team, wondering if the man was insane.

  “Legends?” she asked the still-laughing man.

  Sam slowed his laughter.

  “Yeah, Fiorn and his son, Leif. You may want to tell your people that keeping the Valendrans away until the DF gets here is a good idea. We won’t fire on you guys, the hybrids, but some of ours still loyal to the legends might actually shoot one of the Valendrans,” he warned her before he took a drink from a canteen and offering it to her.

  Jax shook her head as she communicated the information to Reven, who immediately warned her to remain on guard—which she had every intention of doing.

  Back at the cabin, Reven turned to Ivint and told him what Jax said.

  “Jax says there’s a leader they call the ‘delicate flower’ on her way, and the mountain hybrids promise not to shoot first,” he said. “Tricia, Tristan, and Traze are alive and inside, and somehow Tristan is helping our other captives get free.

  The assembled Valendrans all sighed in relief at the news. For a war, it was nothing like they expected. In fact, the only danger seemed to be that they were only hours away from the situation getting out of control and being exposed to the humans.

  Ivint stood and faced the screen showing the mountain, crossing his arms over his chest.

  “Since we’re relegated to a support role in this situation, I suggest we start trying to keep this off the Internet and the news networks. True said they have people in the forest getting the humans out. Surround their perimeter and help evacuate the humans faster, and make sure no one stops to take more pics or vids,” Ivint said to Reven.

  Reven nodded his head and turned to the room, dividing the Valendrans into teams before addressing them.

  “Because of the uniforms and weapons, the humans will assume you are national guard or military. If anyone thinks to question you, just acknowledge being in the military. Don’t specify it’s the Valendran military of course,” Reven said with a chuckle.

  Ivint faced the teams.

  “Be respectful. Remember, some of them are scared, and we want to get them out of there unharmed. Try not to be intimidating unless you have to,” Ivint warned the men.

  Everyone nodded while Reven handed out assignments, just as Sheriff Joe walked in the door. Ivint, concerned something had gone wrong, approached the man with a worried frown.

  Joe saw the concerned faces at this appearance and immediately spoke to ease their concerns.

  “Don’t panic. Their people were already there and guarding the place. They gave your people everything they needed to find your guys and even had the scene under control. They said if you guys don’t shoot first, they won’t either. I left a few of my guys with yours, outside the gates with them to watch over things. But, I gotta tell you, for a war, this one is pretty pleasant,” Joe said as he tipped his hat back and scratched his head.

  Ivint and Reven looked at one another, having heard the same thing many times in the last few hours.

  “Did they happen to mention something about a delicate flower?” Ivint asked. He refused to feel stupid for asking it.

  Joe nodded his head.

  “Yeah, they mentioned it. Who is it?” he asked curiously.

  Ivint shook his head and looked over at Reven.

  “I don’t have a clue, but whoever it is, it’s the person we want to talk to. They may not be in charge of what’s happening, but they are in charge of the people. Someone wants a war, but without the people making it happen, you’re only fighting yourself,” Ivint said.

  Reven nodded his head and grinned.

  “If it is Fiorn doing this crap, then this delicate flower has effectively cut his balls off by not giving him any support. I’m betting it’s his mate. Only a mate could unman you in such a way and live to tell the tale,” he said with a chuckle.

  Ivint laughed and nodded his head in agreement.

  “I would bet you are correct, my friend. If that is the case, I look forward to meeting the delicate one who could cripple a legend in such an embarrass
ing way. On the field of battle, no less,” he grinned.

  Reven snorted.

  “Delicate one my ass. If she’s Fiorn’s mate she’s probably a hideous troll. She’d have to be in order to put up with the man. Legend or not, I found the man to be an arrogant ass,” Reven admitted.

  Ivint nodded.

  “That he was—quick to temper and not very receptive to opposing opinions. I must admit to being grateful that we may not have to deal with him while we try to establish communications with them,” Ivint said.

  Joe cleared his throat.

  “Just cause she ain’t killing ya, don’t mean she ain’t likely to knife ya in the back. If she’s calculating enough to bring down your legend, you may not want to assume anything about her,” Joe mused. He’d seen too many women underestimated, much to the horror of a man in their life. He hated to see these men make the same mistake.

  Ivint nodded his head.

  “You have a very good point, my friend. It is probably best not to underestimate anyone right now. Tell me, what assistance do you need to keep things under control?” Ivint asked.

  Joe cleared his throat again.

  “Well, if you’re pretending to be national guard, then get me a few of your teams, and we’ll get the whole town blocked off. No traffic in at all and we can monitor anyone going out. If you can take down the Internet in the area, that would be helpful,” Joe said.

  “We’ll get on the Internet right away. There are two teams outside that are ready to go, I’ll go introduce you,” Reven said.

  Ivint watched the two men leave and sighed in relief that everyone was still alive and no one was harmed. He knew how quickly and easily that could change, and he prayed Fiorn would remain leashed while they waited for his assumed mate to arrive.

  Delicate flower, Ivint thought, wondering what kind of woman it would take to tame the arrogant jerk that he remembered Fiorn to be.

  For the life of him, he couldn’t think of anything delicate surviving the man for as long as they had to have been mated. Either way, he prayed that the brave woman would arrive soon. Time was running out for them all, and the longer this went on the more likely someone would fire first.