True Traitor (First Wave Book 7)

by Mikayla Lane

  She didn’t turn to look at the men as she asked, “Is Fiorn safe with that woman and your son?”

  Grai didn’t hesitate to respond. “They will protect him while they try and determine the best way to help him,” Grai said honestly.

  “So, that’s a beast killer? Not nearly as scary as the bedtime stories Fiorn used to tell the children about them. You certainly have some handsome and talented children,” Thjodhild said with a small smile, wondering what would rock their little world next.

  Grai chuckled. “Thank you. Mikal’s brothers and their sister Angel are very special to me,” he said.

  Thjodhild stopped and stared up at Grai with wide eyes. “There’s more of them?” she asked in surprise.

  Grai nodded and she turned to continue walking. “I had no idea. Fiorn always made it seem as if they were rare on Valendra,” she said, trying to remember the stories her mate used to tell her children at bedtime of the Beast Killers.

  Grai nodded his head sadly. “This is a very different world and we face many more dangers than you are aware of. I think it would be best if we spoke of this later, after we see the kids healed and Fiorn helped,” Grai said, looking pointedly at the hybrids they were passing in the hallways, listening to every word that was spoken.

  Thjodhild noticed the eavesdropping when Grai spoke and tamped down her curiosity. This was not a conversation for others to overhear. The last thing they needed right now was more fear and rumors causing even more upset among her people.

  Thjodhild turned to Darina. “I still want the thirty minute updates on the folly. Put Slate in charge until we can return or the situation is resolved. Warn him and the others that we are quickly running out of time and it is imperative that they get the situation over with,” she said as she turned into the area of the castle that had been designed by others as a medical facility.

  The room was very large, open and airy. Several dozen beds were spaced around the room along with medical equipment, cabinets and tables. She led the way to the first row where Beta hybrid doctors and Amun were working to heal Leif and True.

  “Status!” Thjodhild asked the moment she got within hearing distance.

  Amun didn’t even bother to look up from Leif when he answered. “He’s doing very well. The cuts need another hour, the gash above his eye at least four and his lung needs 8 – 12 for complete healing, but he’ll be mobile in an hour. Other than that, he’ll have no lasting effects. I believe Dr. Skulm can tell you about True,” Amun said, before turning his attention back to Leif and the badly damaged lung he was working on.

  Grai and the others turned to Dr. Skulm and she looked up a little nervously from True and cleared her throat.

  “She’s unconscious and has several deep cuts, a sprained ankle, and lacerations that will heal quickly. Her brain though is a small concern. She has a severe concussion and it looks like she’s suffered multiple traumas to her head recently. It’ll take a few hours for complete healing, but she should be fine and mobile in an hour as well,” Dr. Skulm said quickly, glad to be done talking to everyone so she could get back to her patient.

  Thjodhild caressed Leif’s cheek before doing the same to True. “The poor things were supposed to meet and have a beautiful beginning. We need to fix this for them,” she said with determination.

  Grai nodded his head.

  “We can send them somewhere quiet when they’re better and the situation is under control.”

  Thjodhild shook her head. “No, we’ll fix it now. Five miles north of here, along the river, there are private summer homes. We can take them to one of the homes, before they wake up. Leif knows this place well and will know where they are so they won’t need to be afraid,” she said, liking the idea the more she thought about it.

  “In fact,” she said, looking at Grai and Ivint, “this is a better place for us to have our meeting of clans anyway. More private and less ears to distort what they hear. There is plenty of room for everyone and while you explain this prime to me, I can explain to you the importance of Beta Base,” she said, determined to keep the children here and close by her. Thjodhild was taking no more chances with her grandson and his mate.

  Ivint looked around the building and grinned. “I have to admit, I am dying to see this place. I’ve seen nothing like it intact on this planet and its similarities to places on other worlds is profound,” he said, truly amazed by the unique architecture and its scale.

  Grai looked at Leif and True and knew that Thjodhild was right, it would be better to have the meeting here, more so for True and Leif. His more pressing concern was Fiorn’s condition and this was the best place to try and keep what would happen with the man to a minimum.

  Thjodhild placed a small hand on Grai’s arm and smiled gently at him.

  “We can bring your mate and children. Can you think of a more beautiful and peaceful place for Tricia to recover? And the little chimera would adore the animals,” she said, hoping like hell that Grai would agree.

  She couldn’t risk anyone else seeing Fiorn in his current condition, and as his mate, she couldn’t bear to be away from him when he needed her. Whatever was wrong with him, she would remain by his side and if the Gods believed it Fiorn’s time to join them, then she would follow.

  Grai could easily feel Thjodhild’s fear for her mate and he couldn’t add to her worries. Despite his own reservations, he nodded his head.

  “Yes, let’s do it here. Can your son stand for Fiorn?”

  Thjodhild straightened her shoulders and smiled.

  “Yes, my son can stand for his father,” she said, knowing Grai was referring to who would conduct negotiations if the worst happened with Fiorn.

  Grai nodded his head sadly, hoping like hell it wouldn’t come to that. He liked Leif Sr. and he would hate for the man to lose both of his parents. Not like this.

  Grai nodded his head and forced a smile he didn’t feel.

  “Let’s see if Lara and Mikal have made any progress with Fiorn, then we can return and begin,” he said, knowing that Thjodhild would not be happy with her mate’s condition now that Lara had released him from the energy bindings.

  Mikal had expressed deep concern regarding Fiorn’s mental state since he’d awakened, and Grai was afraid that it would be hours before they had a clue as to what the unusual energy strands were.

  Fiorn was in a large cell, the iron bars much thicker and larger than in a human jail cell. The bars shimmered in golden sparkles and Grai looked curiously at Lara wondering what she’d done.

  Lara turned as they had walked into the room and seeing Grai’s questioning look she answered before Fiorn’s mate could become more upset.

  “His strength is much more than normal, you can see where he was hurting his hands trying to break through the bars,” Lara said as she pointed to a place where the bars were bent outward.

  “I reinforced the structure and added an energy disrupter so that it repels him when he tries to strike it. It will not hurt him, only make it really unpleasant to touch the bars,” Lara added when Thjodhild looked upset.

  “Unpleasant how?” Thjodhild whispered as she moved towards her unstable mate.

  Mikal stepped in her path, his unusual but beautiful eyes capturing her attention.

  “Ma’am, his mind is not his own at this moment. He may not remember who you are and may say things that may be painful. Please, remember that this is not your mate speaking. He is ill and we will do everything we can to help him get better,” he said, hoping his presence wouldn’t scare her more.

  He was surprised when she placed a tiny hand on his arm and looked at him with watery eyes and a small smile.

  “I am glad you are here, Dranovian. I ask a boon and if you grant it, I will grant your father his alliance with no conditions save that he protect and care for all of my people as I would,” she said, her voice strong and unwavering.

  Mikal already knew what she would ask and he could not refuse her request, no matter how much it would kill him and
vilify his brethren further. Swallowing the lump in his throat, he nodded his head.

  Taking her hand in his own, Mikal sent her warm and compassionate energy. Placing his other hand on her head, he did what other beast species could not do and bypassed her defenses to speak directly to her beast and her mind privately.

  “I know what you will ask and I would help you to be with your mate without conditions. This is hard enough for you without bringing those concerns into this. But, I warn you now, I will not undertake this lightly, and neither should you. We both must be convinced it is the only way. And I am easily convinced of nothing. Do you agree?” Mikal asked her.

  Thjodhild nodded her head and smiled at him. “I am beyond grateful to you and will ensure that this place will forever be a welcoming refuge for your kind. I can think of no better place to provide peace for those who take others pain upon themselves in the way your people do,” she said quietly before she turned to the ever present Darina.

  “Make it so.”

  Darina nodded her head and looked at Mikal. “Welcome to Beta Base, and thank you,” she said, her eyes tearing up at the potential loss of her friend.

  Mikal nodded, grateful that he felt no fear from these women. It would have only made things harder on him if they had. Because if they couldn’t heal Fiorn, as dangerous as he was, it would be up to Mikal to kill him. And he’d just agreed to kill Thjodhild as well, so she wouldn’t have to live without the mate she’d been beside for more than a thousand years.

  No matter how welcoming or forgiving these people may be, if he had to kill these two, Mikal would never be back here again. He’d barely be able to look at himself in a mirror, much less at the beauty of this place and the memories of how he added a dark stain on it. And this, Mikal thought, is why my people, my brothers, remain alone. It was their fate. And that fickle bitch didn’t care for him much.

  *****

  Pfc. Mikey Davis slowed to a stop at the blockade in front of him and wondered what was going on. He’d been planning this vacation since he’d gotten back from Afghanistan a few months ago and couldn’t imagine why the road to White River National Forest was blocked off by a sheriff’s vehicle, an unmarked black SUV, and what appeared to be soldiers behind them.

  He waited in his car as the deputy approached him as a courtesy to the officer.

  “Morning, Deputy,” he said, noting the badge number and the man’s casual stance.

  Deputy John Simms tipped his hat and leaned down to look in the vehicle.

  “Morning, sir! I’m gonna have to ask you to turn around and head back. We’ve had a landslide and until we know it’s safe, this area is closed to traffic,” he said, giving the same excuse he’d given anyone that had come by. Which luckily, had been pretty rare.

  The hair on the back of Mikey’s neck was standing on end and the more he studied the uniforms of the soldiers in front of him, he realized they wore no badges or unit designations. They weren’t soldiers. Not in the US military anyway, he thought.

  Looking up at the deputy, Mikey said casually, “Hey, what base did they come from? I’m on leave myself.”

  John, one of the few people who knew of Grai besides the sheriff, moved to block the man’s view of the hybrid team. “Didn’t ask and don’t care. Now, please turn around and head back to town,” he said a little more forcefully than he intended.

  Mikey had a knack for knowing when things weren’t right. It’d saved his life more times than he could count, especially during his two tours overseas. He knew damn well something was wrong here. It didn’t feel right to him at all.

  “Is there a problem, John?” Mikey heard one of the uniform clad men call out and he knew he needed to get out of there. He didn’t know why he suddenly felt so panicked, but he was going to follow his instincts.

  “I’m going,” he said, putting his car in reverse and waiting for the deputy to step back from his car.

  The moment the deputy moved, Mikey began making his three point turn and made sure to get a good look at the men in the uniforms and the black SUV parked next to the deputy’s car. He waited until he couldn’t see them in the rear view mirror anymore before he grabbed his cell phone. He tried to call one of his Army buddies but cursed when the phone flashed that it had no signal.

  “Damn!” he muttered as he threw the phone into the passenger seat.

  Mikey calculated the distance of driving around the mountain range to get to the hotel he was going to be staying at and realized it would be closer to drive to the nearest base. Not only could he grab a bunk there, but he could ask around about who those men were that were working with the deputy.

  Damn it, he thought. Either way he was going to lose a whole day driving and that pissed him off. But, if he was going to waste a day, he was damn sure going to get some answers. He wanted some peace and quiet, time to himself, but not in his car.

  Looking in his rearview mirror, he slammed on his brakes and skidded across the lane to a grinding stop. Without conscious thought he put it in park and got out. He stared in the distance, over the mountain and watched a craft shimmer in the air.

  He knew it! He’d seen the same damn things before, and he knew damn well they weren’t any kind of military craft he’d ever seen. He knew they were something else, he could feel it. Mikey could never figure out why they shimmered like that and why he could see them. He’d been with other soldiers when he’d seen them before, but no one else had ever admitted to seeing them too. Even though one had been only a few hundred yards away from them.

  He stayed in the middle of the road, his eyes focused on the craft when all of a sudden it was gone. He scanned the skies, trying to find it again, but after ten minutes he gave up and turned back to his car.

  He was more determined than ever to find out what the hell was going on here. Whatever that deputy said, he knew damn well there was more going on than a natural disaster. Getting in his car he made up his mind that even if it took his whole three week vacation, he was going to get some answers on what those craft were.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Countdown Clock to Human Discovery

  6:00 Hours

  This is a WSBC Channel 9 News update. The United States Forestry Service shared aerial footage of the Burnt Tree Ridge landslide in the White River National Forest. You can clearly see the devastation to the area, including a mile of I-70 under several inches of debris. Experts and authorities are working as quickly as possible to ensure the area is safe for work crews to check for the downed lines to the communication systems.

  They are grateful for your patience and ask that you hold out a little longer. We’ll be back with more information as soon as it’s available.

  True rolled over and moaned at the stiffness in her leg. Keeping her eyes closed, she cuddled back into the warmth of the bed and sighed at the feel of the arm that came around her and squeezed her gently.

  Her eyes flew open and ignoring all the aches in her body she spun around to see who was beside her and she let a small shriek before she clapped her hands over her mouth and studied the battered man still sleeping beside her.

  The whole right side of his chest was heavily bruised with several medibands covering the darkest areas. The gash above his eye was much smaller than she remembered but still looked awful beneath the medibands covering it, and there were several spots where she could see that small cuts had mostly healed and were continuing to do so.

  As if with a will of its own, her hand reached out and brushed his hair off of his forehead and flinched when she pulled back and saw his blue eyes looking at her.

  Feeling like she was caught doing something bad, True scrambled for an excuse.

  “Uh . . . I was making sure you were still alive. You look really . . . rough,” she said, wincing as she looked at his chest again.

  Leif pulled a hand from under the covers to rub his sore chest and looked down when he heard True gasp. He could see the medibands wrapped around his wrist, the skin beneath them was raw and b
ruised.

  “Yeah,” he said, trying to sit up, “the bastard had those bonds just a little too tight.”

  True gently pressed down on the normal looking side of his chest until he lay back down. “Don’t get up. We appear to be very safe and if the food and drinks covering available space are an indication, we’re definitely not prisoners. Looks like Nana got there just in time,” True said, hoping she was right. Still, she tried to contact Grai through the Shengari’ as the door to the room opened.

  Darina stepped inside with a large smile at the young couple. “I’m so glad you’re awake! Are you feeling ok? Do you need the doctor again?” she asked, her voice annoyingly cheerful.

  True saw that Leif was determined to sit up and she helped him before turning to glare at the happy woman. “Where are we? Are we prisoners? Again . . .” True asked sarcastically.

  Darina’s mouth fell open and she looked hurt. “Oh my . . . No you aren’t a prisoner,” she said looking to Leif to see if he remembered where he was.

  Wrapping his arm around True’s shoulder, Leif smiled down at her. “Give her a break, firefly. This is Darina, my nana’s best friend and assistant. It looks like we’re in a summer home not far from the castle and School,” he said, hoping to calm True down a little. He definitely didn’t want her to start going all nuts on Darina the way she did Fiorn. And then he remembered everything.

  “How is grandpa?” he asked, trying to slide around True to the side of the bed.

  Darina held up her hand.

  “Do not worry. The beast killer and a prime have arrived to help him. Your Nana and Grai are with him now, trying to find a way to help him. Your orders,” she said, looking between True and Leif, “are to remain here and away from the main area until things calm down.”

  When it looked like True would argue, Darina held up her hand again.

  “Those are your orders from Grai and your nana. You disobey them at your own peril as long as you tell them that I told you what I was supposed to. Personally, I think they have enough going on right now with your grandfather, an alliance, and the situation at the folly. You’d do more to help if you listened and healed,” she said, looking more at True than Leif.