Untamed Hawaiian Heat (Rift Hunters)

by MacLean, Shay

  “I guess you wouldn’t recognize me. You never could accept the fact our mother loved me more. Could you, tuakana?”

  Tiaki froze, stunned for the briefest moment. There was only one person who’d ever called him elder brother. “Thanos?”

  The cyborg bowed, though it was obvious it was meant as an insult. “In the flesh.”

  Tiaki threw another bolt and blocked the return volley of laser fire. “So you sold out, then?”

  Thanos met his eyes. A strange light glittered in them, making them shift from blue to red and back again. “I don’t see it as having sold out so much as accepting a raise in pay and benefits. I mean, look at me.” He held up his hands, now engulfed in an eerie greenish-yellow light. “Now I’m able to command that which was denied me, just like you. Plus, I get to travel the universe.”

  Tiaki focused his magic, determined to create an energy bolt strong enough to blast through Thanos’s armor. “And how much will it cost you in the end when Aizik decides he doesn’t need you anymore?”

  Thanos laughed.

  The sound sent a chill down Tiaki’s spine.

  “You really think Aizik is the one in charge?” He doubled over for a moment as laughter shook him. When he finally caught his breath, he rose up again. “Oh, they’ll be very pleased to know everything’s going according to plan despite your presence here. The Ternion has no idea what’s going on, and by the time they do, it will be too late.”

  Mateo shouted, causing Tiaki to glance over at him.

  Tiaki felt his magic reaching out, sending waves of energy to connect with Mateo’s.

  “Hmm…now that’s interesting,” Thanos murmured as he shot Mateo with his laser pistol infused with the tainted energy he’d pulled from the earth. He opened a rift beside him, stepped inside it, and disappeared.

  “No!” It was all the warning he was able to give Mateo of the impending danger.

  But it was too late.

  Mateo fell to the ground, clutching his chest.

  Chapter Seven

  Tiaki didn’t realize he’d moved until he found himself kneeling at Mateo’s side. He could hear his blood pounding in his ears while his magic screamed in horror at the sight of Mateo lying so still on the ground. “Mateo?” He grasped the hand his mate held over the wound and pulled it away. His heart stopped for a brief moment at the sight of the seared flesh.

  Mateo tried to push him away. “Leave me the hell alone,” he sputtered right before losing consciousness.

  Tiaki clenched his jaw and started to move away. He didn’t like the idea of leaving him wounded as he was, but he would respect Mateo’s wishes. He would go and disarm the mines before anyone else was injured. A hand on his shoulder stayed him. He turned and glanced up to find Ash beside him. “I can’t heal him, but I can make sure that no more of his and Kiana’s team are injured by the mines.”

  Ash glanced around, then met his eyes again. “You know what he and Kiana are to you.”

  Tiaki nodded. “My soul mates. But it doesn’t matter; I’m not a healer. I don’t have the skills to—”

  “That’s not true, and you know it. Listen to your magic, Tiaki. It will guide you.” Ash regarded him for a moment. “The soul bond is more powerful than you realize.”

  Tiaki looked down at the man he now held cradled in his lap.

  Mateo coughed in his delirium, and blood welled up through the wound where the heat hadn’t cauterized it.

  Tiaki was vaguely aware when Niki knelt down beside him and began checking Mateo. He felt his magic roiling around inside, demanding to at least try. He glanced back up at Ash. “I feel it, but you’ll have to use your powers to disable the mines the OS planted. I don’t know if I’ll be strong enough to do that after the healing.”

  Ash clenched his jaw and flicked his gaze to Niki.

  Tiaki winced, realizing he’d mentioned Ash’s abilities in front of someone who didn’t know about them. “Do you really think it would be long before they caught on after the information I provided them? Go, do what you have to do to save your friends and face the consequences.” Tiaki dismissed the man and the irritation his secrecy caused him. He moved and laid Mateo flat on the ground, then positioned himself beside his mate and closed his eyes.

  “Can you really heal him?”

  Tiaki opened his eyes and met Niki’s. “I really don’t know. The specialty of the Order of Kay is electricity. Although I also possess the knowledge of a Patefacio, one who can control the opening and closing of a rift, I don’t technically have the skill sets for healing. At least not beyond those granted to all Rift Hunters to perform basic healing on oneself.” He took a shaky breath. “From what Ash said, the soul bond is different and might be powerful enough to allow me to heal my mates. All I know is I have to try, or Kiana would never forgive me.”

  Dismissing the quizzical gaze Niki turned in Ash’s direction, Tiaki took a deep breath and laid his hands over the wound in Mateo’s chest. He reached for that place inside himself where the magic resided. It surged forth more forcefully than normal, as though it realized it would be healing his mate. He focused the energy and poured it through the channels he imagined it needed to travel until he sensed it connecting with Mateo’s magic. The two combined together and began to knit the seared flesh.

  He heard several people gasp, and he knew his hands were probably sheathed in golden light. He’d been just as awed the first time he’s seen someone healed. Pushing all thought of those around them from his mind, Tiaki concentrated on directing the magic to repair the damage from the laser blast. After a few minutes, he felt Mateo’s chest begin to rise and fall more evenly beneath his hands.

  Tiaki inhaled sharply as Mateo’s magic began to meld more strongly together with his. The elation of his mate’s magic combining with his awakened an insatiable desire to claim the man on the most primal level. He forced the hunger away and focused on healing Mateo.

  He finished weaving together the damaged tissues, much like he would when repairing a rift, then broke the connection as quickly as possible. He slumped forward, his body drained from expending so much energy at one time. Opening his eyes, his gaze clashed with Mateo’s. Tiaki was stunned anew. Mateo’s eyes had gone full black again, only this time, not only were there glittering swirls in their depths, but the edges had taken on a burnished shade of sapphire as well.

  Tiaki forgot to breathe. He’d only seen the eyes of a fully trained Rift Hunter obtain that level of change. Tentatively he reached out with his magic to try to connect with Mateo but slammed up against a shield before he got very far. Seeing movement off to his left brought Tiaki back to awareness of their surroundings. Now was not the time to pursue whatever this connection was, no matter how much his magic demanded he do so. He turned to find Ash, Niki, and Monte approaching.

  Niki knelt beside Mateo and laid a hand over his chest. “Wow. You need to teach me that trick. It’s like he was never even injured.”

  Tiaki met Ash’s gaze and almost flinched at the promise of retribution he saw there. He quickly dismissed the man’s irritation. Nothing had been more important than saving his mate. Heat flooded him anew at the sound of those words in his mind. My mates, his magic whispered, and an image of him, Mateo, and Kiana intertwined flashed in his mind.

  “Not ever going to happen.”

  Tiaki snapped his head around at the sound of Mateo’s voice in his head and met his eyes. Had he somehow projected the image of the three of them into Mateo’s mind? No, he couldn’t have. He had never experienced anything on the psychic level. Though he knew the Order of Lamorak specialized in psychic magic. He returned his attention to Ash and the others. “Were you able to disarm the mines?”

  Ash clenched his jaw and avoided looking at Monte and Niki. “Of course, but you already knew I could. However, there are several OS soldiers who somehow managed to advance nearer the base. We need to regroup and go after them.”

  Mateo drew all their attention when he started barking commands as he m
oved to a sitting position. “What the hell are we waiting for, then? Monte, take the left flank. Ash and Niki, you go with him. I’ll get in touch with—”

  “Mateo, I need you. I just triggered one of the traps those assholes were burying.”

  Tiaki frowned. Kiana?

  “Tiaki?”

  “Did you just—”

  Tiaki spun around and met Mateo’s gaze. “Yeah. I heard her.” Tiaki didn’t wait for Mateo to ask anything more before he broke into a run in the direction his magic indicated Kiana had gone.

  * * * *

  Kiana walked stealthily through the entrance of Waimea Valley, her mind a mass of confused emotions. She thanked God she’d given her team instructions before leaving the base. They knew her command style so well she wouldn’t have to give them more than a hand gesture to change their plan of attack when they came upon the enemy.

  She couldn’t get what had almost happened between her, Mateo, and Tiaki out of her mind. It had felt so right to be held so possessively between them. The restless energy she’d been experiencing of late had clicked into place and streamed forth, eager to make contact with both men. Mine, it had whispered in her blood, sending heated desire through her veins.

  She shook her head, trying to clear it enough to concentrate on the task at hand. “Jared, Newt, you know where you’re headed. Let me know if you find anything through your com links. If we don’t come across anything in half an hour, we’ll regroup and head back.”

  Kiana took a deep breath and continued on toward the beach vaguely aware of Cyprian—or Cy, as everyone called him—and Gem walking on either side of her, being more cautious with their steps than she was. Her thoughts once again drifted to the things the men—her mates…

  Where the hell had that thought come from?

  Reflecting on what had transpired between the three of them at the holding cells, that unusual energy expanded in her chest. Reaching for the memory of them. A sense of destiny washed through her. Something was going to happen soon. She could feel it.

  Radio traffic from Mateo’s team streamed through her com link. She tried to focus on what was happening, but she faltered when a sharp pain pierced her chest. She stumbled and fell to her knees. What the fuck?

  Kiana inhaled sharply as a warning to proceed with caution became a fading echo in her ear. “Where’s Mateo?” she finally managed to ask through the nausea tying her stomach in knots. “Niki? What the hell is going on? Why can’t I connect with Mateo?” she ground out as the pain intensified.

  “Mateo is down, but…he’s being taken care of.”

  Kiana frowned. “Monte? What happened?” She gritted her teeth as she attempted to rein in the pain spreading through her chest. She needed to get to Mateo.

  After a few agonizing moments, Monte finally answered. “Not sure exactly what happened, Kiana. Tiaki is trying to help Mateo. Stay put.”

  Kiana stood and started back the way they’d come. She needed to get to Mateo. Now. “On my way to your location.” She stumbled again and clutched her chest. What the hell? Breathing hard, she concentrated on Mateo and reached for him through their link.

  When she failed to connect with him, she jumped to her feet and took several steps, then froze when she felt the presence of…Tiaki? She focused her mind and reached out to him.

  She sensed Tiaki kneeling over Mateo, his hands covering a gaping wound in his chest.

  Kiana opened her mouth to scream, but no sound escaped. The need to get to Mateo grew. As she concentrated, the energy inside her began to stretch toward her men. Like it needed to unite with them. She pushed the feeling away and focused on understanding what was going on.

  In her mind’s eye, she saw Tiaki’s hands glowing with a golden light. Then she felt Mateo’s wound begin to knit together. When Mateo’s heart started beating steadily, she was finally able to take a deep breath again. She didn’t breathe easily, though, until she saw Mateo’s eyes snap open.

  An image of her, Mateo, and Tiaki together flashed in her mind followed by Mateo’s firm resolve that it would never happen. She took a couple of steps toward their location. She had to touch Mateo to make sure he was truly okay.

  “Stop, Kiana! The mines—” Cy shouted. Only his warning was too late.

  A click rang out in the sudden stillness of the forest—the unmistakable sound of a land mine being armed. Shit. Looking around, she located the rest of her team members. “Don’t move.” She froze, her mind racing to figure out the best resolution. She didn’t need to look to know her team had stopped.

  “Mateo, I need you. I triggered one of the mines over here.”

  “Kiana?”

  Kiana frowned. “Tiaki?”

  “We’re on our way, mi corazón.”

  Kiana started to ask who the “we” was, then decided she’d find out later. She needed to check on her team. She glanced over at Cy. “You guys okay?” She made sure to broadcast to the rest of her team through their com link.

  “We’re good, Lieutenant.” Gem’s voice came over the link. “Cy let us all know what happened. He said you called to Mateo for help.”

  Kiana stared at Cy. “Yes, I called for help. Stay where you are until further notice.” She regarded her tracker for a long moment before asking quietly, “You heard me call to Mateo?”

  Cy broke eye contact with her. “Yes.”

  “Petty Officer, what exactly did you hear?”

  Cy returned his gaze to her. “I heard you tell Mateo you needed him because you had triggered one of the devices.”

  “And?” she prompted when she sensed he was holding something back.

  He clenched his jaw before replying. “And I heard the one you called Tiaki say your name, Lieutenant.”

  Kiana opened her mouth to ask Cy how long he’d been able to read other people’s thoughts without being linked to them when a wave of energy rippled across her senses. Her gaze snapped in the direction she felt it come from just as the two men who’d caused this whole mess crashed through the trees not five yards from where she stood. “What the hell are you doing?”

  “We’re coming to rescue you,” Mateo called back.

  “I meant, why are you running through the forest like that? You could trigger another mine.”

  They came to a stop in front of her.

  Mateo took her hand, silently reassuring her with his touch. “It’ll be okay.” He looked at Tiaki. “Can you do whatever Ash did to disable the mines?”

  Kiana frowned. “Ash disabled the mines?” She glanced down to where Tiaki knelt at her feet, her patience with all the cryptic answers wearing very thin. Kiana raised her head and met Mateo’s gaze.

  Mateo squeezed her hand. “Yes, apparently he did.” He paused and swallowed hard. “Well, all of them on the other side of the valley. I believe the Hunter will be able to do the same here. We can discuss the rest later.”

  Kiana glanced down and met Tiaki’s eyes. Calm reassurance radiated from him. He touched her calf. Energy similar to the one she’d encountered when she’d reached out to Mateo brushed across her senses at the contact. It seeped into her veins, bolstering the comfort Mateo continued to send through their link.

  “Cy, you and the others get ready to haul your asses back to base when the Hunter has taken care of the mine,” Mateo called to her team.

  Kiana saw Tiaki turn his attention to the ground under her feet. For a few tense moments, he did nothing but lay his hands on either side of her combat boot. Then his eyes began to glow an electric blue. Black consumed the color, then changed to a burnished gold as they fluttered shut.

  The energy Tiaki had summoned inside her with his touch earlier exploded to life and reached out to her. Beside her, she felt the same reaction in Mateo. She gasped when a shock tingled across her skin from her and Mateo’s joined hands. She glanced down to find a soft sapphire glow emanating from Mateo’s fingers; the sapphire glow then twined around their clasped hands. It merged with the silvery threads beginning to radiate from hers. She
looked up to find Mateo watching her. Her brows drew together in confusion. “What…”

  “We’ll talk later, mi corazón,” Mateo whispered through their link.

  They both looked down to see Tiaki’s hands burning with a brilliant golden light. He breathed deeply until he seemed to be in a trance. A pulse of energy trembled through the ground and encompassed the entire area where Kiana and her team were scattered. Small puffs of dirt, rocks, and twigs shot up across the forest floor wherever the energy encountered a mine.

  Tiaki opened his eyes. They had gone back to their natural state, but dark circles shadowed them, making him look like he hadn’t slept in days. “It’s safe for your team to go, Kiana, but we’ll have to try something else to disable the mine you’re standing on.”

  “Cy, get Gem out of here.” Mateo took a step toward Tiaki. “What the fuck? You said you could disarm them the way Ash did.” He gestured to the valley behind them. “You deactivated the rest of them. Why not this one?”

  Tiaki looked at the scattered debris left by the mines he’d disabled. “Those hadn’t been triggered. Helping Kiana is going to be trickier to accomplish, because she activated the one she’s standing on.” He stood and swayed.

  Kiana gasped and would have moved to catch him if Mateo hadn’t squeezed her hand in warning before dropping it.

  Mateo steadied Tiaki before he fell flat on his face.

  As soon as Tiaki regained his balance, Mateo let go and stepped back. There was no mistake this time. Kiana felt the heated desire that sizzled along their link from the physical contact between Mateo and Tiaki.

  “What do we do, then?” Mateo asked.

  Tiaki was quiet for so long, Kiana feared there wasn’t a way to get off the mine without detonating it. Lord knew she couldn’t think of a way to get off the damn thing. She was pretty sure Mateo couldn’t either, or he would have spoken up.