Guardian [New World Book 6] (2 page)

A big shaggy head with cold, yellow calculating eyes centered their gaze onto him. Roam struggled for a moment with a name…
lion
, that’s what it was, a lion. The lion roared, exposing beautiful fangs. They were much larger than Roam’s two fangs which hung just past his bottom lip. Roam cocked his head at the creature and roared in response. He didn’t speak lion, but on his planet he knew of a human female who had begged her mate for a puppy. There were no such things on his planet so a hologram was made. Roam often heard her bark at the dog. It caught the dog’s attention; perhaps it was how you were supposed to engage with an animal, mimic it.

Something else occurred to Roam; there were no lions on his planet but there were much smaller creatures, creatures that looked similar, also in hologram form for human entertainment. The humans called them all by one name when engaging them.

“Here kitty, kitty,” Roam called, he gentled his rough voice, not wanting to scare the cute little creature.

The lion roared again. Roam smiled. He definitely had its attention. The lion curled its legs beneath him and in one fluid motion pounced onto Roam. His fangs tried to sink into Roam’s arm. When in his body-hugging, form-fitting shield, there was nothing that could penetrate Roam’s flesh. Roam pried the kitty’s mouth open, careful of his sharp talons; he didn’t want to slice into the creature by accident. The lion immediately grabbed him again. Huge paws settled around him in a hug.

“What an affectionate little thing you are. Who’s a good kitty?
Who’s a good kitty
?” he crooned playfully ruffling up his mane.

The big cat continued to maul him, lunging at him, playfully whacking him with plushy padded paws. Chuckling, Roam shoved him off and took to the trees, jumping from tree to ground to tree. The cat followed. Roam slowed his pace, knowing he would outdistance the creature within seconds if he didn’t keep his speed in check. The lion tackled him to the ground and, laughing, Roam picked him up and tossed him a few feet. The big cat was up and after him. Roam dodged this way and that with the animal hot on his heels in a wonderful game of tag. At a tree Roam leaped, landed with both clawed feet gripping the tree, then pushed away last second. The lion ran head first into the tree and dropped like a stone.

Oh shit
.

“Oops, sorry fella.”

Roam went to check on the poor thing. He lifted up a tuff of its mane, then looked deeply into its stunned eyes. Roam had never had a pet. He knew Cobra wouldn’t allow this creature on Bagron, he would think it too dangerous for humans to play with. Sighing, Roam imagined it was. Humans were so delicate.

“Come on buddy, on your feet.”

Roam lifted the lion up under its belly. The lion shook its head and on wobbly legs wandered off.

“Sorry,” Roam shouted after it.

Bored as hell Roam looked for another diversion. When he came to a pond, he stopped, startled then grinned. Three sets of eyes peeked at him from out of the water. After the lion he was feeling playful. It had been a good way to keep his mind from pondering his loneliness. There were other Castian warriors on the planet, but spread out. Many had their unmated warrior partners, some, like Roam, were alone with their thoughts. After this approaching must the next must wouldn’t occur for four hundred years, Cobra had damned well better have another place for his unmated warriors to go than purgatory.

One of the greenish creatures from the pond began to emerge. Water dripped from nose to tail. The pond was turned brown from its motion. On four scaly legs set close to the ground the massive alligator approached. The muck reluctantly gave way under the gator’s feet with sucking sounds. The reptile crawled onto dry land with Roam only a few feet away.

The alligator opened its mouth a small way and exposed its razor teeth. “Cool,” Roam muttered, feeling all wiggly inside.

The gator sprang forth and to his credit almost knocked Roam to the ground. The other two gators came to play as well. Each tugged a leg or arm. Roam couldn’t stop laughing. He hadn’t had so much fun in years. What amazing, adorable things these creatures were. Also incredibly affectionate. Humans were so lucky. A huge tail whacked him on the ass and Roam went flying.

“Woohoo,” he yelled as he sailed through the air.

Roam rolled when he landed, he bounced up and jumped on the back of one gator to the next. Each snapping their mouths open and closed. He wished his warrior mate was here, but Slay had a human female who he mated with. They had a perfect daughter together. The next must cycle would soon be upon them; it had already affected many warriors. Cobra wanted his mated warriors to spend as much time with their mates as possible.

After the Tonans had poisoned Castian females, much of the Castian race was obliterated. When it was learned human females were a perfect match for the Castians, they quickly became coveted. With Earth dying, it was a bonus for the Castians as many human females welcomed the chance to escape the ravaged planet. When a Castian mated, he mated for life. If a mated female died—so too did her mate. Cobra wanted to increase their numbers. This mating was a male cycle. The one previous was the female cycle. Cobra was thrilled with the idea of adding more warriors to his flock. Unfortunately, there weren’t enough human females to go around.

Just thinking about not having his own mate made the idea of play suddenly turn sour. The gators were approaching, but Roam had enough. He jumped up into a tree as a gator mouth almost settled onto his ass.

“Hey you, mind your manners,” he scolded.

As if he could run from his thoughts Roam took off. Picking up speed Roam moved from tree to ground to tree. He was a blur, a shadow come to life when in motion, as were all Castians. A large behemoth of an old tree flowing with long vines and character was too tempting to ignore. As Roam leaped for the tree he crashed into something hard as rock. Both he and the thing he had hit spiraled twenty feet to the ground. Roam was upright in seconds. So was the Tonan.

The Tonan stood staring at Roam. They circled one another. Roam was surprised the Tonan wasn’t attacking. Instead, he seemed hesitant to engage in combat. Very un-Tonan-like. There was something odd about this Tonan.

“Leave this planet.” The Tonan half-growled, half-spat his words.

“Why, because you say so? Yeah, I’ll get right on that, Tonan filth.”

The Tonan howled, the black tattoo on his cheek blazed brighter for a second highlighting his grey color, indication his body-hugging shield was controlling his emotions. The being was very close to Roam’s size. The Tonan glanced about, no doubt searching for Roam’s warrior mate. Castians almost always traveled in pairs. Roam watched as the Tonan fled.

Yeah, like that’s gonna happen too
.

Roam was soon in hot pursuit. Both warriors ate up the ground beneath their feet as they zigzagged across the land. It became clear to Roam the Tonan wasn’t as generated as he was. The idea was somewhat confusing. If the Tonan had been transferred from a vessel, he would have been smart enough to regenerate all he could. They should have been equally matched, or close to it.

As the Tonan leapt to a tree, Roam tackled him. The Tonan sliced at Roam’s midsection, it was laughable. Roam sauntered around him. It occurred to him what differences he noted.

“Someone snap your lying tail off Tonan filth.”

“I did.”

Roam paused. The Tonans on his planet had all voluntarily snapped their tails off as a sign of loyalty to Cobra. When a Tonan lied, his tail would grow. As long as there was no tail, there was no lying. It was important the Tonans never lied. The Tonans permitted on Bagron were all mated to human females. Roam didn’t know of any of Cobra’s Tonan warriors sent to Earth, so this Tonan was obviously a rogue. Castians were cousins to the Tonans. Tonans would hit their must cycle the same time as the Castian warriors.

Normally, Tonans were bloodthirsty savages. Over the years, their experimenting for need of supremacy had bled most of any compassion. The Tonans on Bagron were in love with their mates. Only a human female could temper the creatures. The Tonans on Bagron were considered traitors to the unmated Tonan warriors. The renegades had sworn revenge and death to any Tonan defector. The only way to keep their mates safe was to join Cobra’s warriors.

With exaggerated movements, Roam looked pointedly at the Tonan’s back end where the tail normally perched. He expected it to begin growing. It didn’t, the Tonan had to be telling the truth.

Hmm. Interesting.

“There is a Tonan vessel hovering over Earth. Do you belong to it?” Roam asked.

“No. Now leave me be.”

The Tonan turned to leave, but Roam jumped to stand before him. “What are you up to?”

“That is none of your damned business.”

“It is, if you plan on kidnapping Earth females.”

“And you don’t?”

His words were a surprise. Roam hadn’t thought of it that way. Cobra did want Earth females. Would Roam have to toss one over his shoulder and take her hostage? It was a disturbing thought. He didn’t want a female to fear him. He had just assumed one would be so grateful to get away from this hell hole she would fall into his arms and fall passionately in love with him.

“You know a Castian would never harm a female.”

“After four hundred years without females, I’m certain even Cobra would make an exception. I bet he’s chomping at the bit for females. He would do anything for his warriors. I bet he impregnated as many compatible females as he could during the female cycle, just so there would be a new crop in twenty-one years.
All for his damned, beloved warriors
.”

Roam bellowed in rage at the barb to his honorable leader and jumped at the Tonan. Yes Cobra would do anything for his warriors; he even risked the wrath of his beloved mate once for such a purpose. It was near the end of the last must cycle and though nothing happened between Cobra and the human female, all knew of the strange sacrificial offer. And it was a sacrifice for Cobra.

To any other Castian it was unthinkable what Cobra had offered, they were monogamous, to Cobra he could do no less, sacrifice his own happiness. Cobra’s mate had been angry, hurt, but Cobra had saved her son’s life. Cobra battled an internal need to remain completely faithful to his mate; he was three thousand years old. He had never taken a mate, but he had been leader almost forever. One anguished thought ruled—save his race, he was
leader
. There was no other reason for his judgment lapse, and his mate loved him and forgave him for even thinking such a thing.

The two warriors fought with passion. Roam was furious; the Tonan battled as though he were desperate. Roam slashed his claws across the Tonan’s midsection; he was right, the Tonan wasn’t nearly regenerated. For a few seconds Roam saw flesh, and blood. He heard real pain in the Tonan’s howls. The Tonan smashed a clawed foot into Roam’s chest. He tried to leap away but Roam was in a rage, wanting to see more blood. Tonans were responsible for the need for human females. They murdered two entire species, female Castians, female Tonans, their filth had no limit. Leaving the Castian males alone without the love of a female mate.

A backhand sent the Tonan spinning. Still Roam went after him. It was a bastard like this who’d killed Roam’s parents. Roam slid his talons across the Tonan’s back. The squeal of hard metal sounded, sparks flew. Roam was relentless.
Finally,
something to take out his frustration on. The Tonan spun to face him. The black glow of his tattoo brightened, faltered, brightened. The pair studied one another. Roam attacked, his arms a pinwheel of motion.

A patch of shield at the Tonan’s face dropped, a gouge in his leg became bloodied at another swipe. Mercilessly Roam struck out. With his last blow the Tonan shield came down. The Tonan lay before him helplessly, exhausted, blood oozed from wounds. A hand was pressed to his chest where redness seeped down his sides. His facial expression showed his pain. Wary dark eyes gazed up at him.

If Roam left him alone he would regenerate. The sun was shining. Roam had seen a Tonan die before. The shield would rust without its host; it would fade to dust and blow away. He supposed he could spare him, keep him hostage until Cobra came for them. At least Roam wouldn’t be alone. He would control how much sunlight the Tonan could have to keep him helpless. Roam moved forward to retrieve the fallen warrior.

“Stop.”

Roam heard the word screamed. He spun to see a small human female white with terror. Roam stood staring back, stunned. She was petite, long blond hair ruffled in the gentle breeze. Her gaze was fixed on the Tonan.

“Run, Macey,” the Tonan yelled.

The Tonan struggled to his feet, his armor slammed back over his body. Instead ,the little female ran
to
the Tonan. His armor went down for only a second before he grabbed her to his chest. His grey shield snapped around them both, the female was hidden from view. Roam was openmouthed.
It’s his mate.

“What have you done?” Roam demanded.

“I saved her life. She’s my mate. It was her idea. Now go away.”

“What else are you hiding?”

For a second the Tonan opened his mouth then snapped it closed. He had been about to lie, Roam was positive.

“You are scaring my mate,” the Tonan yelled instead.