Shared Mercy Book 5 of the Guardians Saga

Ch. 6.2 The Drake Incident

Gabe and Cale were relieved to see Alex and Rile step through the portal. That evaporated when Drake showed up with eerie timing, as if he had been watching them.

"Rile! I'll have a party in your honor and you can tell us all about your mission," Drake said easily and bumped his shoulder.

"Thanks, buddy, but later, okay? I'm tired and have catching up to do." Rile winked a very masculine wink at Drake, who forced a smile and a knowing nod.

"Sure, from what you've told me, there's no way I can compete with that." Drake's smirk was also very masculine and knowing, and he winked at a very morose-looking Alex and strolled away.

"What did you tell him?" Gabe demanded when he thought, wrongly, that Drake was out of hearing range.

"That Alex is utterly remarkable and you were too stupid and arrogant to recognize it," Rile retorted.

When Cale rubbed his forehead, his tell sign that he couldn't handle this, Alex stood up between the brothers.

"Bedtime," she said cheerily, pulling on Rile's hand.

Once in the tent, Rile put his arm around her. She curled her arm under his and laid her head on his shoulder. She could hear the whisper of a fly, the creak of the tent's pole against the earth, the breath of her lover, the blood pounding in her own ears. He held her close, his leathery scent comforting, his hide smooth and soft. She listened to him talking about training and weapons and plans for the future. The rhythm of his words blended with the sounds of the western wind blowing through the trees, growing pleasantly drowsy.

***

"I can't believe Drake turned Alex against me," Gabe fumed once his brother and Alex had disappeared into the tent. He paced back and forth.

Cale said, "He hasn't turned her against you: he's hurting her, too. Didn't you see her face at what he said? Drake is planting seeds of dissension and suspicion in Alex's mind. Don't assume that one good cry is all it takes for Alex to recover from years of abuse and the damage Morgan did with that machine."

In the tent, Alex put a glowing hand on Rile's chest, spinning the golden threads to bind them together, while Gabe lay in another, feeling Drake cutting, cutting, cutting all his ties to his family.

***

Rile awoke with the luxurious warmth that was Alex. She was still asleep and he could braid her hair without awakening her. She had made it look so easy, her fingers flashing until her hair was neatly tucked against her head in shiny braids, and Rile wanted to learn how to do it. He waited until she was asleep to practice because he wanted to surprise her by doing it perfectly.

He was fluffing out the uneven braid when Alex awoke. Rile watched and waited while Alex pulled together her confused morning thoughts. When she sighed, he knew they had been unhappy ones and he nuzzled her.

Alex ran her hand over the smooth bedroll in front of them. "Gabe and Cale didn't join us last night."

Rile nibbled her ear. "Can't we have some alone time?"

She flinched and pulled away reflexively. "It's not that."

Is Gabe angry with Rile and punishing him? Or is he disgusted with me and distancing himself? What does it say about me that I'm upset over waking up with Rile alone? Nothing good.

"What is it then?" he murmured.

Like I'll tell him I'm disappointed Cale and Gabe hadn't slept with us.