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Rory’s heart thumped painfully. That look on Siofra’s face worried him.
Our mate. Ferrell sent Rory a picture of Siofra with a ring on her hand. Then he sent a picture of Siofra smoothing her hand over the jaguar’s clean coat.
Then he sent a picture of Rory and Siofra kissing.
The last image was of Siofra with a rounded middle.
Rory cupped his forehead, pleading with Ferrell to cut it out before he got a migraine.
The images stopped immediately.
Maybe things would improve between them now.
But his jaguar did not understand that Siofra could not get pregnant. He silently told Ferrell, Please give me a minute to talk to Siofra.
Yes. Happy mate. Happy mate. Happy mate.
Why had Rory complained about Ferrell’s limited communication before? His jaguar wouldn’t shut up now.
Justin hooted as he finished cutting the titanium. “Got it. You can all leave now.”
Rory glanced over to see the gate open with chopped bars sticking out along the edges.
The Guardian appeared behind Justin.
That man could move like lightning.
Justin asked, “What about the spell?”
The Guardian said, “It appears the magic had been fed into the structure and cutting through enough bars destroyed the circuit.”
Justin stepped into the cage and then to the side, allowing room for the Guardian, who strode over to stand between everyone. He said, “Siofra, would you please give us a moment.”
Baatar clamped his hand on her arm. “No.”
Rory snarled and started for them.
The Guardian lifted a hand and everyone stopped.
Even Justin.
“Now, you can leave, Siofra. Please wait above,” the Guardian said.
She looked to Rory, who couldn’t even wink at her. With a last glance at Baatar, who could not move either, she shook her head and walked out of the hole.
Once she was gone, the Guardian released Rory and Baatar.
Baatar raised his fist and shook it at the Guardian. “You will not—”
The fist turned around and stopped short of Baatar’s nose. He looked at it cross-eyed for a moment then glanced at the Guardian, who had established his position.
When Baatar’s arm fell to his side, he lifted it up and looked at his hand, closing and opening his fingers, then gave up and crossed his arms. “I am slave to no one.”
Rory said, “Give me a fucking break. We’re not slaves.”
The Guardian arched an eyebrow at his language.
“Sorry, sir.”
Nodding acceptance of the apology, the Guardian turned to Baatar. “You will be no one’s slave. You are correct in thinking we are not like other shifters. We are an elite group of apex predators, to which you belong. You are exceptionally powerful, just as Rory is or he would not have been able to battle a tiger and a lion while protecting you.”
Baatar’s eyebrows lowered sharply at hearing Rory had protected him. He stared at the ground as if trying to recall everything. When his gaze lifted to Rory, he said, “I remember jaguar standing before I am tiger.”
“That’s right.”
“Why would you do that? You do not know me.”
“First of all, we don’t attack a human form or a shifter in the middle of change. We’re so powerful it would be like a man killing a child. That’s murder. Secondly, I knew you were Siofra’s brother, at least she considers you one. Why do you think I didn’t shift when it was just the two of us in here at first? I would have fought you as long as I could in human form. If it had come down to you or me, I would not have taken the only family Siofra has and leave her alone.”
The Guardian said, “I know this is all strange for you, Baatar, but we are a close-knit group. My Gallize take care of each other.”
“Gallize? What is Gallize?” He shook his head. “Just make me not shifter again.”
Instead of the Guardian explaining how that was not going to happen, Rory’s boss asked, “Were you happy before you changed into a tiger, Baatar?”
Siofra’s brother didn’t answer.
“You had to be suffering,” the Guardian continued. “It’s amazing you survived as long as you did without changing. I follow all the Gallize shifters from birth. I went to the village where you were born and thought you were dead along with the others who were attacked. No one laid claim to that assault. Now, I believe it may have been Cadells who wanted you merely as a tiger shifter, which your mother and father were. You were born a twin, because one died with your family. That is why I did not know you survived or I would have brought you to me by the time you reached twenty.”
“You know my mother?”
“I knew of her. I do not interfere with the raising of children. Gallize shifters become adults before I send our people to bring them to me. When that happens, I explain as much as the future shifter is willing to hear, then I call up the animal. Like Justin who opened this cage, you are a rare Gallize born into a shifter family.”
Rory looked over to find Justin had gone back up top. Poor Justin had suffered as a child born into a bear clan but unable to shift with the rest of them. He’d been chided and humiliated growing up.
He’d had the last laugh. His massive grizzly could take on any bear in that clan now.
Hard to say who had had it better since Baatar had lived an equally difficult life. Maybe worse.
Baatar swallowed hard and asked, “Why was family killed?”
The Guardian explained, “Unfortunately, when I sent someone to begin watching over you at birth, he arrived to find the small village raided and everyone dead. I went myself and discovered a tiny infant still in the birth canal. I doubt Cadells ever knew you were a Gallize, but came to poach a rare tiger shifter as he was born. I will help you uncover more about your family, but I know of none who survived.”
Damn, Rory had been crushed by the loss of his brother, but he still had family even if he didn’t see them.
Maintaining a soothing tone, the Guardian said, “You must learn how to manage your tiger as well as your shifts. I have a place for you to spend time doing that, where you will harm no one. You will have miles of open range to roam and time to work much of this out on your own. If you do, you’ll be stronger for it. The sooner you gain control and prove to me you possess this control, the sooner you’ll be able to enjoy the freedom you deserve.”
That sounded like the Guardian had another place similar to Wyoming, where Adrian still resided while he battled to lock down control of his wolf.
Baatar asked, “What if I do not want to do this?”
“Then I will keep you with me until you can gain control,” the Guardian said, his tone making it clear there would be no ifs, ands or buts.
That brought a deep frown from Baatar.
Rory didn’t blame him. He carried the highest respect for the Guardian, but he believed it was easier for a new Gallize to figure things out around his peers.
Their Guardian had no peers since the female Guardian had been missing for centuries.
Baatar let out a weary sigh, one that said he’d fought his body for a long time. “At least I do not feel too many things in my head now. Only this ... animal.”
“That sounds like a good start. Why don’t we get out of here and talk some more?” The Guardian made that request and walked out of the hole.
It took a moment, but Baatar left as well.
When Rory reached topside, he inhaled a breath of blessed free air.
Baatar had been two steps ahead, but he turned quickly and pointed a finger at Rory. “Stay away from Siofra. She is innocent. Not shifter. No reason to be around shifters.”
Rory considered his words and felt a pang of remorse at wanting her to stay with him when Baatar might be right, but then he pushed that away and said, “That’s Siofra’s decision, not yours or mine.”
Without turning, the Guardian said, “Baatar, follow me. I’d like to see you.”
The desire to refuse the Guardian was written across Baatar’s angry face, but his feet turned and he started walking. He looked over his shoulder at Rory, who grinned at the bastard.
No Gallize could resist a direct order.
That tiger had a tough future ahead of him if he fought the Guardian every step of the way, but Rory’s boss had a vested interest in the tiger shifter. In fact, it had been clear that his boss carried a heavy emotional burden from not having gotten to Baatar as an infant.
Siofra stood by one of the two Hummers now present, talking to Scarlett, who wore a T-shirt and jeans. Had she shifted? He’d missed a lot while in the hole.
He stared for a minute, heart in his chest. She’d stood her ground and told Baatar that Rory was hers. He started to call to Siofra, but she looked over at him.
Instead of smiling or waving, she returned to her intense conversation with Scarlett.
His heart dropped further and further until he’d be kicking it any minute when he took a step.
