Page 59 of Guardians

Diego poured energy into his Shadow shields, ensuring that he wouldn’t be detected as he followed Armando through the village. They didn’t go far. Midsized and sparsely furnished, Armando’s cabin was unremarkable inside and out. Diego hurried through the threshold behind Armando and darted out of the way as the wolf closed and locked the door. He seemed glum and introspective. Clearly Elias’ opinion meant a great deal to Armando.

All Diego had to do was picture Kane’s pale face and blood-soaked chest to restore his determination. Armando had been laughing and bragging about what he’d done until the alpha wolf called him out. Well, it was time for consequences, and Rydarian justice was swift and unforgiving.

Drawing the knife from the sheath at his waist, he crept up behind the wolf and grabbed him by the throat. Armando gasped and grabbed Diego’s arm with both hands. Diego tightened his grip, keeping the wolf from making a sound. “Kane sends his regards. And you didn’t kill him so you’re dying for nothing.”

Armando went wild, clawing and twisting, kicking and punching all to no avail. Diego dug in his claws, anchoring his hand around Armando’s throat. He waited, letting fear torment the wolf. Armando was staring death in the face. They both knew there was no escape.

Diego slid his hand up to Armando’s chin and jerked his head back as he pulled the blade across his throat. The wound was deep and true, severing the carotid arteries on both sides of thewolf’s neck. Blood gushed out in a lethal torrent. Diego held him long enough for the wolf to bleed out, then he simply let go and Armando collapsed into a lifeless heap at Diego’s feet.

Anger ebbed, flowing out of Diego until he felt empty and numb. He was tired of endless retaliation, tired of the bloodshed and death. There had to be more to life than killing or it was no life at all. Leaning down, Diego wiped off his blade on the back of Armando’s shirt. He heaved a weary sigh, then disappeared into the night.

Six torturous hours had passed since Lexie learned of Kane’s injuries. She paced the waiting area of the compact clinic, much too anxious to remain still. Malik and Raphael took turns treating Kane, but even the combination of medical technology and magic hadn’t been enough to completely repair the damage done to Kane’s internal organs. He was holding on, but barely, and Lexie was losing her mind. She’d never felt so helpless in her entire life, and she hadn’t realized how much Kane meant to her until she was faced with the possibility of losing him.

“Kane’s going to be okay,” Tara insisted. “Malik and Raphael are going to keep working at it until he is, so you might as well stop worrying.”

Lexie shot her an impatient look but kept on pacing.

“Tara is right,” Diego joined in. “Malik is too stubborn to lose a patient.”

Diego had returned from the wolf village a couple of hours ago. He’d simply walked into the clinic and sat down without sayinga word. Lexie didn’t bother asking him if the wolf who shot Kane was dead. Diego wouldn’t have returned unless he’d succeeded in his mission, so the answer was self-evident.

As if in response to Diego’s comment, Malik walked out of the treatment room. His features were tense and purple smudges shadowed his eyes. “Our progress has stalled out,” he admitted with a sigh. “We have to try a different strategy.”

“What do you need?” Diego asked without hesitation. “I’ll go get it for you.”

His vehemence brought a faint smile to Malik’s lips. “I appreciate that, but it’s not that simple. Kane needs energy and his body is too weak to absorb it.”

“I can pass energy to him on the metaphysical plane,” Diego offered.

Lexie had no idea what that meant, but Malik seemed pleased by the suggestion.

“That’s what we’re counting on. However.” Malik’s brown gaze shifted to Lexie. “Raphael believes that the only source of energy concentrated enough to facilitate a complete healing is a soul bond.”

“What’s a soul bond?” Lexie asked. And why had he looked at her when he said the phrase?

“There are several types of psychic links available to mates. The most complex is a soul bond,” Malik told her.

“The connection would bind our minds and integrate our spirits,” Diego explained. “We would have access to each other’s thoughts and emotions, even memories and dreams. There are no secrets from soulmates. And the link is permanent.”

Lexie tensed. On the surface a soul bond sounded romantic. But the more she thought about it, the more concerning she found the idea. “I would never be able to shut you out? What about if I’m angry or if I just need a few minutes alone?”

Malik glanced at Diego before he answered. The growing tension was palpable. “We can teach you how to shield your mind, but it takes practice and it’s temporary. For the most part, bonded mates share everything.”

Lexie shivered. They were already sharing her body and her feelings for them deepened by the day. She didn’t have any deep, dark secrets, and they had already told her about theirs. Knowing beyond doubt that her mates would never lie to her sounded damn good. But there was a serious complication.

“We can’t form that sort of link without Kane,” she objected. “He’s just as much a part of this coalition as the rest of us.”

“We would begin and then draw him into the connection on the metaphysical plane,” Diego expounded.

“I don’t know what that means.” Torn between anxiety and excitement, she started pacing again. “I know you guys can sense emotions, but why is this the first I’ve heard of psychic links?”

“We intended to ask you to consider a link once we’d been together for a month or two,” Malik said. “We would have started with a transfer link and worked our way up to a soul bond.”

She licked her lips and looked at the doorway that led to the treatment room. Kane was fighting for his life. Did it really matter what method they were suggesting? She could not allow Kane to die. “Whatever it takes,” she relented. “I’m willing to do it.”

Malik accepted her decision with a tense nod. “I’ll let Raphael know we’re leaving and why.”

A jolt of uncertainty made Lexie shake her head. “Why? Where are we going?”

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