Taming a Healer: 3 (Galactic Lust) (13 page)

“Do you think that means the Governance is here?”

“It’s the most likely scenario.”

“Shouldn’t we wait for them here?”

Nolan joined them and used his fingertips to brush hairs
from her face. “Gabriel and I can see to your safety, especially with the
beasts moving so slowly. Don’t worry.”

Her gaze dropped to the cave floor. “I wasn’t really worried
about my safety.”

Gabriel lifted her chin. “You mustn’t concern yourself with
what will happen to me and Nolan. You need medical attention.”

“I’ve never felt better.”

“There’s no mirror at hand or you’d understand. Your eyes,
Sadie. They’ve turned. Your irises are the color of blood.”

She rubbed them gently and didn’t notice anything strange.
“I’m not saying you’re lying, but they feel completely normal. After all that’s
happened, I wouldn’t doubt a great number of things are different now.”

“What do you mean?”

“Step away from the woman,” a man’s voice thundered from the
entrance to the cave.

Before Gabriel could distance himself, Sadie shoved between
him and Nolan and faced the group of men entering their sanctuary. She
recognized the dark blue Governance uniforms immediately. Handlers were
considered regular military and had worn them many years before.

“Walk toward us, miss, away from the hunters.”

Nolan and Gabriel stepped close to take spots at her sides.
“I take it enough of the
malicitors
have been killed that those weapons
you’re pointing will work?” she asked.

“Yes, miss.”

“Do you know it’s downright rude to point guns at normal
beings? They should be targeted at beasts, not men.”

“Please come toward us now, miss. We have orders.”

“To do what?” Sadie stared at the man.

The man glared at Gabriel. “Let her come to us.”

Gabriel opened his arms and spread his hands. “I’m not
stopping her.”

No one moved. The man appeared expectant, as if she’d walk
toward him, leaving Gabriel and Nolan defenseless. She’d never do that. “How
did you find us?”

“Short range tracking devices implanted in the hunters,
miss.”

“Do you plan on using those weapons on Gabriel or Nolan?”

“If we have to, miss. Now that we’ve located the fugitives,
we’re to report back to the rendezvous point. We’re to bring them back, dead or
alive.”

“You’ll shoot only if provoked, correct?”

“Yes, miss.”

“What about searching for other survivors?”

The man glanced down and shuffled his feet. When he raised
his eyes, he said, “In our search for the deserters, we discovered a handful of
people. They should be aboard
Defender
. We should also go, posthaste.”

“How much technology works? Can you scan the planet for
people in hiding?”

“No, miss. Lasers and basic communication works. More
sophisticated systems still can’t penetrate the remaining barrier.”

“What would it take to bring that barrier down?”

“The death of many more creatures. Too many. The Governance
won’t waste resources, especially because we have what we came after. Now, I
must insist we leave while the creatures remain weak.”

She crossed her arms. “What will happen to these two men?”

Those behind the lead man trained their weapons equally
between Gabriel and Nolan. Gabriel said, “We’ll sort things out once you’re
aboard
Defender
.”

As he took a step, she reached out and grasped his forearm.
A moment later, she also stopped Nolan in his tracks. “No. Not until we have
some reassurances that you’ll make it to the ship.”

“Be reasonable, Sadie,” Gabriel said.

“I’m not feeling particularly reasonable right now.”

“Miss,” the man said before a younger soldier stepped around
him and fired.

Sadie’s entire body grew tense when she heard the laser
discharge. As if time stood still, she released the hunters and extended her
arms. With her palms facing the soldiers, she tightened her stomach and
concentrated. With the red-hot beam of the laser inching its way across the
cave, she created a barrier to keep her, Gabriel, Nolan and the pup safe. The
invisible heated shield absorbed the blast.

“Stand down!” the lead man yelled before knocking the gun
out of the hand of the man who’d fired. “Idiot!”

She concentrated and almost effortlessly kept the barrier in
place in case another man decided to take matters into his own hands.

“Sadie,” Gabriel said, touching her shoulder. “What’s
happening?”

“We won’t be leaving after all. I won’t allow you to
surrender to be murdered.”

“We won’t be killed unless we provoke them.”

“That’s not the story you’ve told up until now. And it seems
as though some of the soldiers here feel differently.”

“They’ll give us a trial.”

“And find you guilty.”

Nolan stroked her hair. “
Shae-shondah
, we
are
guilty.”

“Healer?” the man across the cave asked. “She’s a tribal
healer?”

“Yes,” Gabriel replied. “Why?”

“She could be of use.”

And what makes you think I’d allow you to use me?

Sadie couldn’t open her mouth to actually form the words.
Maintaining the barrier sapped her strength.

“How?” Gabriel asked, his voice dropping to slightly more
than a growl.

“Lieutenant General Ryker’s wife gave orders to search for a
tribal healer while we searched for you. It seems we can deliver a complete
package.”

Ryker?
Gabriel’s brother?

“Sadie, you can stop now.” Gabriel grasped her forearm.

The hell I can. Apparently your brother didn’t give a “no
kill” order to the dolts sent to fetch you. “Dead or alive” is what they’d
said.

Nolan took hold of her other arm. “Please,
shae-shondah
.
You’re growing pale. We need to go with them before the beasts gain strength
and while the weapons still work.”

Sadie lowered her hands, scanning the men across the cave
for any sudden movement. The heat from her hands backwashed up through her arms
and gathered in her chest. Tremendous pressure built until it dissipated,
leaving her with indigestion.

“Is there anything you wish to take with you?” the man
asked.

Everything left of value stood on either side of her and at
her feet. The rest had been destroyed. Possessions meant nothing. Not anymore.
And she refused to lose the last two people or the small wolfen pup. She loved
them.

Surrounded by Governance soldiers as they walked, Gabriel
listened as the lieutenant attempted several times to contact
Defender
.
After several hours of hailing the ship, he finally received a response.

The young officer relayed information. Gabriel recognized
his brother’s voice coming from the com unit. In some respects, it pleased him
to know he’d see Gage a last time. It also troubled him that his brother would
need to oversee the unpleasant proceedings facing him and Nolan. He’d left his
brother with little choice but to supervise a trial for their desertion.
Regardless of their relationship, Gage would abide by Governance law.

“When was the last time you saw your brother?” Sadie asked
before she stumbled, rearranging the wolfen pup who’d fallen asleep within the
confines of her
ballstic
.

Can she read my mind?

Gabriel caught her before she fell. He then remembered Nolan
stating he’d mentioned Gage to her. “A decade ago. Maybe a bit more.”

“You’re not close?”

The sadness in her voice couldn’t be more apparent. He knew
what weighed on her mind and wanted nothing more than to offer her some
reassurance. He couldn’t. He wouldn’t give her false hope that he and Nolan
might be spared. “We share parents. We come from the same blood. I don’t
imagine what lies ahead will be pleasant for him.”

She stopped abruptly and turned to face him. “Will you
please stop using that annoying unemotional tone when you talk about your
death? We both know you’re not the same men who landed on this planet. Act as
if there’s a difference and he might spare your life!”

Gabriel raised his hand to cup her face. The strum of a
dozen guns immediately hummed.

Sadie’s mouth dropped open as she turned in first one
direction and then another, viewing the soldiers standing ready to fire. “What,
in the name of the heavens is wrong with all of you? If he wanted to hurt you,
he would’ve done it by now.”

The Lieutenant replied, “We’ve been briefed on what to
expect. We won’t take chances. In fact, he and Nolan present less of a risk if
they die here.”

Sadie turned on the man. “You ungrateful little horse’s ass!
How dare you speak of them as if they’re nothing but an annoyance! Do you have
any idea what these men have done for your precious Governance?”

Gabriel glanced at Nolan and found his partner also trying
to conceal a smile. Their woman could be tenacious when provoked. Because of
the years spent with hunters and her inquisitive mind, she indeed knew a great
deal about how and why hunters were trained.

“They do the work the rest of you can’t. And when they can
no longer hunt, you…” Her voice trailed off as her gaze dropped.

Nolan grasped her shoulder and she stifled a sob. Amazing, a
few short days ago she behaved as if she hadn’t cared if they lived or died.
Her unrest and sorrow now affected him as it never had before. His stomach
soured and his chest ached. He’d always been sensitive to her feelings, but
this was different. More intense.

“Bitty healer,” Gabriel said.

She turned toward him and flung herself against his chest
before stepping back and removing the sleeping pup. Slowly, he wrapped her in
his arms and straightened, lifting her from her feet. Against her ear, he said,
“You’re still tired.”

“I’m not,” she whined.

He cuddled her before placing her back on the ground. His
fingers touched her chin so she’d raise her gaze. “You can’t worry about things
that haven’t happened yet.”

“By your own admission, you and Nolan do exactly that.”

He hated the frown on her face and the sparkle of tears in
her eyes. “Well, then, allow us that burden while you rest easy and enjoy the
walk. Or if you’d prefer, I could carry you.”

She scanned the distance. The expression on her face clearly
demonstrated the pain that must lie in her heart. A smattering of cabins could
be seen from the wide trail. She knew no one lived there anymore.

Gabriel extended his hand and the procession resumed. Sadie
reluctantly trudged along between him and Nolan. Her eyes remained a deep red
and she’d once again demonstrated her newfound abilities when they’d been in
the cave. Gabriel reassured himself that regardless of what happened to him and
Nolan, Sadie would be strong enough to live on, perhaps even find an attachment
with a more suitable man.

Thoughts whirled through his mind as his mood blackened. The
thought of their woman disrobing for anyone but them caused a fire to ignite in
his chest and rise to his throat. Despite Sadie believing she’d healed them, he
knew for certain to the contrary. He’d never felt so much emotion. None of what
he experienced was good. He’d felt it before when his self-control threatened
to escape him in the throes of unbearable pain.

Funny, at the moment he felt no physical pain.

Nolan walked silently while contemplating where Gabriel’s
dark mood might’ve come from. It didn’t take another hunter to observe him to
see something definitely bothered him.

The woods they walked through cast long shadows in the light
of day. The eerie stillness was understandable. Many of the larger indigenous
animals had probably been killed by the creatures. Too, many of the smaller
ones probably perished in the extreme cold. Until recently, Natura’s climate
remained moderately warm and stable.

The further they walked, the more something didn’t seem
right. Nolan observed Gabriel bristling to alertness, scanning their
surroundings. Nolan searched the men leading and made note of the man who’d
taken his knife belt earlier. If something happened, Nolan wouldn’t be
weaponless for long. He noticed Gabriel doing the same thing, scanning
available weapons. Gabriel too seemed to sense the calm before the storm.

The pup’s ears rose as a low growl emanated from its throat.
The fur on the back of its neck bristled before rising. It clawed and whined
until Sadie put it down. It kept pace next to her, its little head turning from
side to side. Despite its young age, it too knew danger lurked in the distance.

Sadie’s strides lengthened and Nolan took note of her deep
inhalations of air. Clasping her hands together, she stared straight ahead as
if in a meditative state. Could she also sense the impending threat? Did she
prepare for a fight?

More than an hour passed in silence. Unease spread
throughout the remainder of the men. They frequently turned to glance into the
woods beside them. Those following stopped intermittently to make sure of what
lay behind.

Nolan’s hands itched to reclaim his blades. He didn’t enjoy
walking through the forest with Sadie and no weapon to defend her. Certainly
any creatures attacking them would lack strength and coordination. With their
hellishly long claws, it would only take one swipe to end Sadie’s life if they
managed to get past Gabriel and himself.

If he or Gabriel led the group, they would stop and find a
spot to defend themselves when the attack came. The lieutenant either didn’t
feel the threat or chose to try to outdistance it.

Without warning, piercing screams filled the air as
creatures dropped from the treetops onto the unsuspecting soldiers. Nolan
lunged forward, grabbing his knives from their sheath. Gabriel shoved Sadie
aside just before a beast landed where she’d stood a second before. More beasts
screamed as they ran from the cover of the brush and trees on either side of the
path. As soldiers fired, Gabriel grabbed his blades and turned to face the
rushing creatures.

Despite their slower speed, the sheer number of beasts
threatened to defeat them. Men unloaded blast after laser blast into the hordes
surrounding them, steadily gaining ground. The air turned frigid from the
massive numbers of beasts and one by one, lasers stopped working.

“Nolan,” Sadie said in a completely calm voice.

Whatever
shae-shondah
required would have to wait. In
seconds, he’d engage the enemy.

“Move aside, please, Nolan.”

The quality of her voice finally forced him to glance
behind. He found Gabriel’s arms wrapped around her waist and heard his partner
frantically whisper, “Please, don’t. There’re too many. You were so weak the
last time.”

“Then I’ll go out fighting. Nolan, come behind me. Gather
the others. I need to concentrate on the
malicitors
. I don’t think I can
keep you safe if you get in my way.”

Two backward steps placed him at Gabriel’s side. In the next
second, a hazy barrier formed between them and the beasts. Nolan turned
immediately, knowing Sadie protected them from only one side. The other men
turned with him and began firing into the growing crowd coming from the brush.

The guns, though not operating at full capacity, took down a
great number of creatures. What escaped the laser blasts, he and Gabriel took
care of with the less sophisticated weaponry. The stench of dead and dying
creatures filled the forest as the battle raged.

The heat from Sadie’s barrier couldn’t entirely account for
the rising temperature. Nolan knew it had everything to do with the sheer
numbers of beasts they’d destroyed. All at once, the ground rumbled as massive
lasers struck on either side of them throwing huge amounts of debris high into
the air. Sadie raised her hands to the sky.

Nolan tried reaching her but the ground pounded beneath
them, throwing the men from their feet. He wanted to tell her the blasts likely
came from
Defender
. With so many creatures destroyed, it could be they
found more breaches in the atmosphere surrounding Natura and could track where
they’d been pinned down.

Gabriel stood and didn’t even gain a foot before being
tossed onto his back, the wolfen pup rolled away a split second before he
would’ve been squished. Somehow they needed to make Sadie understand she didn’t
need to protect them from the ship. A moment later, Nolan realized Sadie
already knew. The smoke and debris outlined the barrier she maintained
surrounding their group. Rather than try to divert the blasts, she’d channeled
her power so that they remained unharmed by what the blasts threw into the air.

Pulse after laser pulse pulverized the circumference around
them before broadening the perimeter.
Defender
neutralized the
concentrated number of creatures systematically while avoiding their position.

As the blasts drew further away, Gabriel stood and stumbled
to Sadie. “Bitty healer, it’s over for now. Cease. Rest.”

She appeared not to hear as she looked to the sky, her arms
shaking from the effort taxing her slim body. Nolan drew near and spoke softly
to her along with Gabriel. Between the two of them, the finally convinced her
to relent.

Tears of blood streamed down her face as her arms fell
limply to her sides. Gabriel swiped her from her feet. It did look as though
she’d collapse. A fine layer of dirt and soot cascaded over them. Nolan held
her wrist, examining her blistered hand. She’d done it again.

The men surrounding them choked and coughed. A moment later,
Nolan glanced up when he heard laughter. The lieutenant in charge bent at the
waist and guffawed irrationally. Had a rock landed on his skull?

Shortly thereafter, the others joined him. The puppy howled
as its tail wagged. Nolan observed the men slap each other on the back and
saluted Sadie. At last he understood what the sentiment represented. Relief.
Actually, he too suddenly fought the urge to join them. Five minutes prior, he
imagined they’d all die horribly. Now, other than being filthy, not one of them
had fallen prey to the beasts.

“
Shae-shondah
,” Nolan said quietly. Gabriel had the
privilege of holding her. Nolan found himself requiring confirmation from her
as to her well-being. “Other than your burned hands, are you okay?”

She smiled. “I know you’re sick of hearing this, but I’m
tired, dear Nolan. Simply tired.”

He stroked her cheek, leaving a clean spot where his fingers
had smeared blood and soot. “I’m glad that’s all that’s wrong.”

“Me too.” She tried curling her fingers and winced.

“Turn your powers inward, Sadie,” Gabriel said. “Heal
yourself.”

A brilliant flash of light made them all shield their eyes.
When the light dissipated, a landing party appeared. Everyone saluted
Lieutenant General Ryker except Gabriel, who continued to hold Sadie.

* * * * *

Sadie woke in a rush, forcing herself from the nightmare.
“Gabriel! Nolan!”

“You’ve nothing to fear,
shae-shondah
,” an unfamiliar
feminine voice reassured.

Sadie sat and swung her legs over the side of the bed. It
took long moments for her eyes to focus in the dim light. “Where are they?”

The woman stood. “Take a moment to gain your bearings. Both
men are well. They’ve been fed and are being looked after.”

She stood and a wave of dizziness forced her to sit right
back where she’d been. “What do you mean,
looked after
?”

She smiled warmly. “They’re well, as is your precious little
pup. We have an animal compound aboard ship. He’s being vaccinated and very
well cared for.”

“Who are you?”

“I’m Sergeant Ryker.”

“Another of Gabriel’s relatives? Sister?”

“In-law. I married his brother, Gage.”

Sadie tried once again to stand and managed to stay on her
feet this time. “Then you have some influence over what he’ll do to Gabriel and
Nolan?”

“I do indeed have a small amount of influence over my
husband in certain situations. However, the matter of Gabriel and his partner
are not matters in which I’d interfere.”

“Because of ridiculous Governance laws?”

“No,
shae-shondah
, because Gage will weigh the
circumstances and do what he feels is right. You don’t know my husband. Please
don’t prejudge him. He’s an unusually fair-minded man.”