Page 17 of Their Shared Mate
Raphael landed nearby, followed by three heavily armed guards. “Were you hurt as well, or just Kyle?” Raphael asked as he knelt on the other side of the wounded cat.
“Just Kyle. They came out of nowhere. I don’t know why I didn’t sense them.” Now that help had arrived Victor’s heart pounded even harder than before. Why hadn’t he sensed danger? He was one of the most sensitive psychics in the village. Why had his abilities failed him today?
Raphael’s hands glided over Kyle’s chest. He never touched the cat, just followed the path of each deep furrow, blanketing the laceration in healing energy.
“Why. Didn’t. You. Shift?” A harsh pant separated each word as Raphael continued to work.
“There was no room for my wings and Kyle didn’t have time.” The question was natural, but Victor couldn’t help feelingdefensive. “The wolves were on us before we could do anything other than defend ourselves.”
Victor thought back over the fight. Had he done everything possible? Was Kyle’s condition his fault? No. He’d offered an explanation, not an excuse. There hadn’t been time to shift.
One by one, the wounds knitted together. “Energy,” Raphael muttered without lifting his head.
Having assisted Raphael with many healings, Victor laid his hand on Raphael’s shoulder and passed mystic energy across their psychic link. The physical touch wasn’t necessary. He had infused Raphael in the past while in a different room. Still, the physical connection made the transfer easier and faster.
Raphael continued his efforts for a few minutes more, then eased out of his trance. “He’s far from healed, but he’s stable enough to move.” He motioned to the largest and most muscular of the guards. “Fly him to the clinic. I’ll be along shortly.”
“Yes, sir.” The guard scooped up the unconscious cat, manifested wings, and launched himself into the sky.
Victor struggled to his feet and took back the shirt Raphael handed him. Blood had saturated the fabric as well as one leg of his pants. He’d need to shower and change before Claire saw him again.
“Are you okay to fly back or do I need to call for a skimmer?” Raphael asked when Victor just stood there.
“I’m fine,” Victor insisted. “Go on. I’m right behind you.”
Raphael took off with one of the guards, while the final guard waited for Victor. Victor had been hoping for a few minutes alone, but the guard was just doing his job. They manifestedwings and headed back to the village a few minutes later. The only way to hold a conversation while in flight was telepathically and he wasn’t connected with the guard. The silent flight gave Victor time to gather his thoughts. He couldn’t stop wondering why he’d failed to sense the attack. This had never happened before. Was he simply distracted by Claire and his need to claim her, or was something more serious wrong with him? Many of the hybrids resented their abilities, but no one could deny that they were part of the new reality.
The village came into view and Victor released some of his anxiety. Once he was safe within the walls, he would need to determine how the wolves had known where and when to strike. He nodded his thanks to the guard then jogged off toward the cabin he shared with Raphael. He stripped off his blood-soaked clothes and shoved them into the recycler. A shower helped restore his emotional equilibrium, but he was still plagued by unanswered questions. He donned clean clothes then hesitated. He wanted to find Claire and continue their courtship, but Gabriel needed to know about the wolf attack.
Knowing how Gabriel felt about Raphael’s decision to undertake the rescue, Victor figured Gabriel would likely be avoiding the meeting house for the next two weeks. Raphael had his hands full with Kyle, so Victor went to the cabin Gabriel shared with Patrick.
“It’s open,” Gabriel called out when Victor knocked on the door.
Victor stepped inside and closed the door behind him. The sun was bright, but the air was surprisingly cold.
Gabriel glanced up from his holo-display, but his gaze returned to the diagram as he asked, “What do you need?”
Not in the mood to deal with Gabriel, Victor just spelled it out. “Kyle and I were ambushed by wolves. Kyle’s in pretty bad shape.”
That got his attention. Gabriel turned off the display and looked at Victor. “How bad, and what were you doing with Kyle?”
“I met with Kyle to update him on the rescue mission. The cats were the ones who asked us to undertake it, so they wanted to be kept in the loop. And Kyle’s chest was slashed open by one of the wolves. I don’t think the claws caught any organs, but the wounds were deep.”
“Is Raphael with him?”
“Yes.”
Gabriel nodded and turned back to his workstation. Victor wasn’t sure if he’d been dismissed or if he should wait until Gabriel finished whatever he was doing. Gabriel activated his midrange comm system, so Victor decided to wait.
“Hey Diego, one of your Shadows was injured by a wolf. Raphael is taking care of him. Yes, it was Kyle. His mate and the rest of his coalition are welcome in the village, but I don’t think his wounds are serious. Understood.” He ended the comm and turned back to Victor. “I didn’t see a reason to terrify Tara. She likely sensed the attack, so I thought it wise to downplay the severity.”
Victor nodded. By the time the cats got here, if they decided to hike up the mountain, Kyle’s wounds would be much improved. “It was a good choice.”
A wry smile twisted Gabriel’s lips. “I’m glad you approve. Was there anything else?”
“No, sir.” Victor reached for the door handle, but Gabriel stopped him.
“I met Claire this morning.”
