Page 65 of Guardians

The coalition had just finished the cleanup when Zion arrived at their door. Making house calls was out of character for the pride leader, so they all knew something was wrong.

“Welcome back, Kane,” he greeted as Lexie led him into the cabin. “I won’t keep you. I know you’re still recovering.”

“I was just given a clean bill of health,” Kane told him. “What’s going on?”

“Diego’s spy, Travis, just confirmed some extremely troubling news. Eugene Babcock is still alive and he’s working with the wolves.”

“What do you mean, working with the wolves?” Diego objected. “Elias hates that bastard even more than we do. If Babcock is Elias’ captive, the human won’t be alive for long.”

“They’re working on something scientific. Travis has been unable to learn exactly what it is, but Babcock has been there since the massacre, so Elias has a reason for keeping him alive.”

“God damn it.” Kane muttered as he shoved his chair under the table. “This is all we need.”

“I agree. That’s why I’m here.” Zion looked at Diego. “I need your Shadows to find out what they’re doing as soon as possible.”

“I’ll go myself.”

“No, you won’t,” Zion said emphatically. “You are the Shadow leader. It’s your job to train them and command them, not to do their job for them. No more missions unless I specifically tell you to go.”

“But I?—”

“I said no, and I meant it. You’re too valuable to risk on recon missions. Send whomever you like, but you arenotgoing yourself.”

“Yes, sir,” Diego grumbled.

Clearly Zion’s decision frustrated Diego, but Lexie was thrilled. Diego preferred to work alone, which increased the danger of his missions. Training and planning missions were still important tasks. They were just a lot less dangerous. The more time he spent within the safety of the village walls, the happier she would be.

Zion clasped his hands behind his back and turned toward Lexie. “I’m better at snarling and snapping than showing gratitude. However, this is important enough for me to make an exception.”

Having no idea what he was getting at, she just looked at him curiously.

“You have done an excellent job solidifying our alliance with the humans. Without your assistance, I’m not sure the alliance would have succeeded at all.”

She started to point out that the harsh weather and lack of food would have forced a similar result. But praise was incredibly rare coming from Zion. She needed to accept it gracefully. “I’m glad I could help.”

“You honor your coalition, and you honor me. Kane has chosen well.” His lips curved into a rare smile, but the expression faded nearly as fast as it formed. “I have a new task for you. It’s rather unpleasant, but I hope you’re willing to accept it.”

“What do you need me to do?”

“Akari, one of our hybrid females, was taken captive by the wolves a few weeks back.”

Lexie crossed her arms over her chest and nodded. “I know about the attack.”

“She has become despondent and refuses to speak to anyone. She is barely eating. Her mates have tried everything they can think of, but they are unable to help her. You are compassionate and kind and having survived a horrific wolf attack gives you a common ground with Akari. Would you be willing to talk to her, see if you can get her to respond?”

“Of course I would be willing, but I know someone a lot more qualified.”

His brows scrunched together, and he tilted his head. “Who? Where can I find them?”

“In the cabin next door.” Lexie smiled. “Tara worked at a crisis center before she was hired by Nuevo Biotech. She has a lot of experience with rape survivors. She’d be perfect to speak with Akari.”

“Akari was not raped,” Zion explained, compassion warming his gaze. “Wolves and cats don’t fuck. We find it unnatural. Akari was subjected to physical and emotional abuse. She was beaten, burned, and cut.”

“In other words, tortured,” Lexie stated with a shudder. “Tara is still the best person to counsel her.”

“What drew Tara to the crisis center?” Kane asked after a tense pause. “Did she survive a rape?”

Lexie shook her head. “It was her sister, but that’s all I’ll say. It’s not a story Tara is comfortable sharing.”

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