Chapter 3 #2
“You need more than sutures, unless you want to be out of commission for the next few months. Those slashes are bone deep in places.”
“Fly fast,” Kyle urged weakly. “I’m not sure how long I can stay conscious.”
Victor walked to the nearest break in the trees and manifested wings. He took several deep breaths, saturating his lungs with oxygen, then leapt into the air. His heart thudded and his ears buzzed as adrenaline energized his reactions.
Twisting and bending, Victor maneuvered up through the trees. Kyle groaned with each forceful sweep of Victor’s wings, but they finally broke free of the canopy. The cat had to be in excruciating pain, but there was nothing Victor could do about that until they reached the raptor village.
Suddenly Kyle’s eyes rolled up and his body went limp. It was Victor’s turn to groan. Carrying another hybrid was challenging on the ground. Supporting one while flying was almost impossible.
Victor’s arms, chest and back muscles started to cramp long before he reached Eagle Village. He found a safe place to land and reached out across his psychic link to Raphael.
Kyle’s been mauled by a wolf. I need you now! He infused the signal with urgency and left the link open so Raphael could find him more easily.
On my way.
Victor took off his shirt and pressed the wadded-up cloth against the cat’s seeping wounds. Victor wasn’t sure what else he should do. He could wrap a sprained ankle or apply a simple bandage, but this was way beyond his abilities.
It only took ten minutes for Raphael to find him, but it felt like hours.
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 feeling defensive. “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 manifested wings 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.”
Victor tensed. The last thing he needed was competition. If Gabriel decided that he wanted Claire, Raphael would likely step aside. And without Raphael, Victor would not be allowed to court her. Those were the rules. “What did you think?” He tried to sound casual but failed.
“Don’t let Raphael take the easy way out. She’s perfect for you two.”
Claire threw her arms around Tara and gave her an enthusiastic hug.
“Kyle has only been here a few hours. How did you get up here so fast?” Claire hadn’t seen her friend since being taken captive by the wolves, and even in the feline village Tara had been focused on her new mates.
Claire didn’t begrudge Tara her happiness.
She just missed the closeness they’d enjoyed when the women first arrived on Rydaria.
They hadn’t known each other at Nuevo Biotech, but sharing a tent for four months and struggling to survive had created a bond many lifelong friends failed to develop.
“Gabriel sent a skimmer for me,” Tara explained. “I didn’t realize there were any working vehicles on the planet until today.”
“Many of the raptors are engineers, so they knew what to scavenge from the transport ships,” Claire paraphrased what Raphael had told her. “There’s even more tech up here than in the feline village.”
“It’s not tech that’s helping Kyle. It’s magic.” Tara sounded almost reverent. “A lot of the hybrids resent their abilities. I know Jon did and sometimes still does. But I’m grateful as hell that Raphael is no longer an ordinary human.”
Claire smiled and motioned toward a quiet corner of the bunkhouse’s main floor.
Several of the women waved at Tara as they walked by, but no one interrupted the reunion.
Claire sat in a rustic chair facing Tara and they both lowered their voices.
Being overheard was unavoidable. There really wasn’t a private room available in the bunkhouse.
Even the bedrooms lining the halls upstairs accommodated six.
“How is Kyle?” Claire asked. “I was only told that he was attacked by a wolf and needed immediate attention.”
“He wasn’t conscious when they let me see him. The wounds on his chest are closed, but Raphael said it will take numerous sessions over several days to restore him completely. I guess you’re stuck with me for a while.”
Claire waved away the comment. “I’m sorry Kyle was hurt, but I’m thrilled to have some time with you. I’ve really missed you.”
Tara reached over and squeezed Claire’s arm. “Me too. I’m sorry I’ve been so busy lately. I didn’t mean to neglect our friendship.”