Challenging Saber (3 page)

Doing a little jig, Taylor opened the door and stepped out. She smiled at Carp when he walked by her. She took the opportunity to drop the key back into his pocket. He was just going to have to get a new scanner.

“Thanks again for everything, doc,” she said.

Carp bowed his head in acknowledgement. “I have instructed Hunter to take better care of you and your sisters. Now that he has claimed one of them for his
Amate
, you are under his protection.”

“Sure thing,” Taylor agreed, not understanding what an
Amate
was and deciding it didn’t matter as they wouldn’t be here long enough to find out. “Bye!”

She bit her lip when she heard Carp’s muttered words as he turned. If he thought they were strange, he needed to spend a few weeks in the outside world. With a sigh, Taylor saw Saber rise as she entered the room. The adorable alien moron still had dried food in his hair.

“Hunter, wake up,” Saber growled, bending down over Hunter’s inert body and shaking him early the next morning. He patted Hunter’s face before glancing over his shoulder at Dagger. “Anything?” He asked.

“They went out the back window,” Dagger replied, nodding to where Hunter was covered by a thin blanket. “How is he?”

“Out cold,” Saber muttered, glancing at the discarded injector. “You’d better get Carp. Hunter is going to be furious enough as it is. I don’t think waiting for him to wake up would be a good idea. It will just give those females more time to run.”

Twenty minutes later, a very pissed off Hunter sat at the same table where he had been hours ago. Saber couldn’t help the grin that curved his lips. It would appear his little human had struck once again. The smile quickly turned to a scowl when he realized where his thoughts had taken him.

She’s not mine,
he thought in aggravation.
Well, she is not mine yet, but she will be.

“Saber!” Hunter growled again, pulling him back to the present.

“What?” Saber frowned as he glared across the table at Hunter.

“I asked how Taylor was able to get her hands on a sedative injector.” Hunter asked with an accusing tone, glaring at him.

Saber shrugged and waved his hand at Carp. “How should I know? The medic and Carp would not allow me back into the examination room. Ask Carp, he is the healer, not me,” he snapped defensively. “I told you she was a little hellion. I was covered in food by the time I left her with you.”

Carp raised his hands in the air and shook his head. “I just checked her over like I was asked to do,” he retorted when Hunter turned his irritated gaze on him. “Saber insisted that the young human be examined. It was just as well that he did. Her body was showing an increase in white blood cells, indicating that she was fighting an infection. I suspect she would have been as sick as her siblings within a matter of days. Her body was also depleted of essential nutrients due to her extended period of malnourishment.”

Saber rose out of his chair and glared at Carp. “You didn’t tell me any of that! You said that she was fine,” he growled.

“I said she would be fine,” Carp corrected. “After you notified me of what had happened to Hunter, I checked the medicine cabinet in the room where I examined Taylor. She cleaned it out. I need to return to the medical unit. All I can say is good luck. I have a feeling all three of you are going to need it!” Carp bowed his head in farewell before he walked out of the door.

Saber winced when Hunter ignored Carp’s departure and turned back to stare at him. He knew what Hunter was going to say. The problem was Saber didn’t have an answer.

“Which leads me back to how the
shewta
did she get all of that past you?” Hunter asked bluntly.

Saber raised an eyebrow. “How did she knock you out?” He retorted, deciding being on the offensive was the better of the two options since he couldn’t very well say he had been too busy trying not to make a bigger fool of himself in front of Taylor than he already had in the cafeteria.

“I don’t think the how or why matters now,” Dagger finally said, turning from where he was standing by the window looking out at the compound. “What matters is that we find them.”

Saber watched as Hunter bowed his head and drew in a deep breath before he rose out of the chair. He returned Hunter’s stare when he glanced back and forth between him and Dagger with a slightly confused expression on his face. Saber knew Hunter could hear the slightly possessive sound in his and Dagger’s voices when they talked about the other females.

Saber was reminded of when they were boys. They often knew what the other was thinking or feeling without having to be told, as they had taken a blood oath that they would always be there for each other. Finding the women wasn’t just for Hunter, who had to find Jesse now that he had claimed her, it was for Dagger and Saber as well.

“Dagger’s right,” Saber agreed. “We need to find them. Hunter,” he paused, glancing at Dagger before drawing in a deep breath and returning his steady gaze to Hunter. “I believe these females are different. I… As of today, I pledge my honor as a warrior to protect them as if they were my own. The little one, Taylor, she is far too spirited for her own good. I believe you will need all the help you can get in keeping her safe.”

Dagger nodded his head. “I agree, though for a different reason,” he admitted, looking at Hunter. “I stake my claim here and now, my friend. The one called Jordan will one day be my
Amate
. I swear on my life that I will protect her… as soon as I find her again,” he added grimly.

“
Shewta
!” Hunter said, staring in shock at Dagger. “You are sure?”

Dagger flushed, but didn’t look away. “Yes,” he replied in a quiet voice.

Saber couldn’t quite meet Hunter’s gaze when Hunter turned back to stare at him. His eyes focused on the window where the girls had escaped. He moved from one foot to the other as the silence grew. Finally, in exasperation, he looked back at Hunter with a slightly tormented expression.

“She is young,” Hunter replied in a soft voice.

Saber could feel his own face heat. “I know,” he replied.

“It won’t be easy. Something tells me that she will push you to your limits,” Hunter continued.

“I said I know,” Saber growled before turning his gaze to Dagger’s amused face. “Her sister is young, too. You will have to wait as well,” he pointed out.

“Yes, but not quite as young as the other, and she doesn’t bite,” Dagger chuckled before he sobered and a frown creased his brow. “At least, I don’t think she does.”

“I think it will take all three of us to keep them safe,” Hunter replied with a grimace as he ran his hand over his neck, touching the spot where Taylor had injected him with the sedative.

“Then, I suggest we go find them,” Saber said, rubbing his hands together. “I have a little demon to strangle.”

*.*.*

Two weeks later, Saber stood outside the transport Hunter had obtained for them to search for the females. They were near the former downtown area of Seattle. Abandoned buildings in various levels of destruction stood as a testament to the ravages done to the city since the Trivators’ arrival four years before.

The destruction was not what Saber was currently thinking about though. No, at the moment he was thinking of all the ways he could throttle the three females. He released a tired sigh and stared down at the scanner in his hand.

Every time he closed his eyes, all he could see was Taylor’s body lying somewhere out in the crumbled ruins. His eyes lit up with hope, then fear, before a dark, primitive rage swept through him when a new reading showed up on the scanner. Fifteen dots surrounded three.

“Hunter,” Saber growled in fury. “Over here!”

Saber held the scanner out to Hunter before turning it to Dagger. Without another word, he attached it back to his belt and turned toward the alley leading in the direction where the figures were located. He broke into a run when he heard the sound of a scream. It was Taylor.

Saber, Hunter, and Dagger immediately assessed the situation when they reached the target area. Fifteen men circled the women. Rage unlike anything he had ever felt surged through him when he saw one of the human males strike Taylor across the face. As if in slow motion, he saw her collapse in the rubble-strewn street. The man bent over her and began ripping at her clothing.

“Kill them,” he roared as he barreled through the men standing between him and Taylor.

Saber pulled his laser sword. He cut a path through three men before they were even aware that they weren’t alone any longer. He sliced through a fourth man as he tried to scramble away, severing the main artery in the man’s throat with a clean stroke.

The man kneeling over Taylor would not die so quickly. He sheathed his laser sword at his waist. Reaching out, he grabbed the man by the back of his shirt and lifted him away from Taylor’s unconscious body.

“Hey, this one is mine…,” the human started to protest before he saw who had grabbed him. “Oh, shit!” The male whispered, paling.

“Yes,” Saber agreed, flashing his sharp-teeth at the male. “
Soco ballast,
human
!
Now, you die… slowly.
”

Saber caught the man’s hand in his when the human tried to strike him. He closed his fingers around the man’s hand and squeezed. He could feel the bones breaking under his grip.

“No!” The man screamed, fighting to break free. “Help me, damn it!”

Saber shook his head. “There is no one left alive to help you this time, human,” Saber snarled as he twisted the man’s arm, breaking it with a sickening snap.

“Why?” The male blubbered. “Why? They’re just a couple of bitches. Why do you care what we do with them?”

Saber grabbed the male’s other arm when he tried to push him away. His fingers wrapped around the human’s wrist and he quickly twisted it, breaking the human’s other arm. Leaning in, he made sure the human could hear him before he died.

“A true warrior protects those weaker than he,” Saber hissed out. “This female belongs to me, human. She is not a bitch. She is a fierce warrior who will one day be my
Amate
.”

“I didn’t know,” the man cried. “Please, I didn’t know.”

Saber stared into the man’s eyes. “What did you do when she asked for mercy?” Saber whispered as the sound of fighting faded behind him.

He watched dispassionately as the man’s eyes widened when he realized there would be no reprieve. He released the human’s broken arm and wrapped his hand around the man’s neck. With a quick twist, he snapped the bastard’s neck before tossing the male’s body to the side.

Stepping closer to Taylor, he knelt down beside her and carefully drew her torn shirt closed. He could see the steady rise and fall of her chest as she breathed. His fingers trembled as he ran them over her temple and cheek where a fine line of blood stained her skin.

He tenderly ran his hands down over her body, checking to make sure that she didn’t have any injuries that would prevent him from picking her up and carrying her back to the transport. Confident that it was safe to move her, he slid his arms under her and rose back to his feet.

He was shocked by how little she weighed. Turning, he glanced over towards Dagger who was holding Jordan. He watched in concern as Jesse turned on her heel and started to walk away. Gazing down at Taylor’s pale face, he couldn’t help but think she looked incredibly young and fragile. She also needed immediate medical attention. He strode over to Hunter and Dagger.

“Get them to the transport,” Hunter ordered, glancing at Taylor’s bloody and bruised face with regret. “I will meet you there.”

Saber glanced at Jesse’s stiff back as she walked toward an alley opposite to their entrance onto the scene. “She won’t come willingly,” he warned.

Hunter glanced at him before he turned away. “I would expect nothing less from her,” he muttered as he walked away.

Saber glanced one last time at Jesse before he turned and strode back toward the transport. He would let Hunter and Dagger worry about the other two sisters. His main concern was for the one in his arms. She was his world, whether she realized it or not.

“Goddess, help me,” Saber muttered as he carefully palmed the transport platform open. “Something tells me I am going to need it before she is old enough to claim.”

*.*.*

Saber stood inside the medical unit once again, only this time it was on the warship heading toward Rathon. He refused to stay outside when Carp had asked him. Instead, he paced back and forth waiting for Carp to finish his examination of Taylor.

He stopped when Carp stepped back from Taylor’s side. His gaze flashed to the tablet Carp was frowning at before returning to the healer’s face. He scowled when Carp didn’t immediately look up.

“Well?” Saber demanded, clenching his fists in an effort to not reach out and snatch the tablet out of Carp’s hands. “Is she going to be alright?”

Carp looked up and nodded. “Yes,” he replied with a deep sigh. “I don’t think I will ever understand why the human males treat their females like this. I must admit, I am glad we have left their world.”

“So am I,” Saber admitted. “When will she wake up?”

“I’m awake,” Taylor grumbled. “It’s kind of hard to sleep with you pacing back and forth.”

Saber immediately stepped around Carp and walked over to the bed. He stared down at Taylor. Carp had healed most of the bruising, but there was still a small discoloring. He started to open his mouth, to ask her what she and her sisters had been thinking, before snapping it shut when her eyes filled with tears.

“Don’t cry,” he grunted out as a feeling of panic began to rise inside him. “Don’t….” His voice died when the first tear escaped to course down her cheek. “
Shewta
! You are trying to rip my heart out, aren’t you?”

He sat down on the side of the bed. In the background, he could hear Carp quietly leaving them alone. He opened his arms when Taylor sat up. A deep sigh escaped him when her shoulders began to shake with her silent sobs. He awkwardly patted her back before he lowered his head and tightened his arms around her and rubbed his chin against her hair.