Shared Mercy Book 5 of the Guardians Saga

CH. 14.1 A Present!

Pala ran through camp and up to the brothers' tent. "Mother said to come quickly to the Mercy Tent, Guardian Alex!" Pala gasped between breaths, her brown eyes bright with excitement.

The tent swung slightly in the wake of Alex's speed-burst. The brothers buckled on their sword belts with practiced ease.

"What is it, Pala?" Cale asked in a kindly tone.

"Drake—"

Rile dashed off, cursing.

"Please go on," Cale urged the little girl as he picked up his staff.

"Drake brought a female with him and there's trouble. That's why Mother said Guardian Alex needed to come."

"Gabe, are you sure you want to come along?" Cale tested his sword belt and staff holder.

"As Rile would say: I wouldn't miss this for the world."

The two brothers strode together at a ground-eating pace. The leaves overhead shuffled with the wind, shedding golden light and shadows.

Drake stood at 'his' boulder, posture straight, arms crossed on his chest, his clothes wrinkled and torn. The young female wept in the tearless way of Agama and sometimes flung herself on him. He pushed her off, pointed to the Mercy Tent, and resumed his stiff posture.

Alex landed a few feet from them and noted he smelled pleasantly of campfire, leather, and forest. "Drake? What in the name of the Portal Guardian is going on?"

The female cowered beside Drake. She clutched her clothing and bowed her head.

"I brought her to the Mercy Tent. She's being stubborn about going," Drake said in a frustrated tone, his voice deep and rich, a voice that finally shows some anger, like a tiger's cry.

"No! I love you! I don't want to go!" the female wailed and threw herself on Drake again.

"I don't love you. I bought you specifically so you could go to the Mercy Tent. Get off me." Drake pushed her off more roughly this time.

"Bought?" Alex approached.

"Yes," Drake said sourly. "My reputation precedes me. I was approached by a father with his daughter. I bartered what I had and brought her here."

"A present? For me?" Alex clapped her hands in delight. "A present! I love presents."

Drake and the female looked at her with astonishment.

"Drake's mine, honeybun," Alex said, tracing along Drake's jaw. Then she hugged Drake and kissed him soundly. "Get into that tent now, female." She pointed and there was no friendliness in her look or tone.

The female dashed off toward the Mercy Tent, sniffling and wiping her nose with a sleeve.

"What the fire truck is going on?" Rile called out as he ran toward her.

"Please excuse me," Alex told Drake. "Here comes the messy, painful part." She ran toward Rile. "Working again!"

"Why does that involve kissing him?" Rile demanded.

Alex put both hands on his chest and planted her feet to stop him. "To get rid of a clinging female, that's why. I figured it was better than the white light and accidental synchronization, right? Right?"

"How about blasting that female and dragging her into the Mercy Tent?"

"Because she would still love Drake, that's why." Alex draped her arms around his neck and laid her head on his chest. "I love you."

"Stop buttering me up."

"No I won't because I love you." Alex pressed her cheek to his chest, listening to the steady thump-thump-thump of his heart. She could feel the strength of his hands as they pressed on her arms, but she did not try to pull away. She tried a different angle. "Go away now."