Shared Mercy Book 5 of the Guardians Saga

CH 16.3 No Betraying Alex...Ever

After the enforced hug, the three brothers gathered closely around each other inside the tent. They whispered back and forth, soft as mice, like father whispering to his children, telling them a bedtime story. The tent was dark, the only light from the glow of the campfire flickering through the open tent flap.

Alex sat on a log with her chin in her hands, her elbow on her knee and knees together. Her hair hung in her face and her eyes are closed. She lifted her hand and motioned for Drake to be silent. The light from the fire flickered and danced across Alex's face, giving her an otherworldly appearance. Her eyes were fixed on the fire, and her face was expressionless. She looked like a statue carved from marble. The only movement came from the flames, which licked at the dry wood and cast shadows on the ground.

"I still think this is some sort of trap," Rile whispered.

"Drake alerted you to The Adversary," Cale replied. "You saw that he turned down the false Alex."

"I think he made a deal with it," Rile said. "Think about it. It makes sense. The Adversary blinds Alex by linking her to him by this whole redeemed thing. How else would Drake overcome her hatred of pimps? The deal is done and he yells for me."

"Perfect sense," he said finally. His voice was soft, like he was thinking out loud. "But what kind of deal? What could Drake possibly have that the Adversary would want?"

"Not to sound like an egomaniac, but probably me...and Alex," Rile said.

Drake hissed softly, like the sound like a blade being drawn from its sheath, and Alex shook her head at him.

"They dishonor you," Drake said quietly.

"They don't think I can change," she sighed. "They're right: I am crazy."

"I have faith in you, just as you have faith in me," Drake said and his brown eyes blazed with sincerity.

"I'll ask them to be perfect when I'm perfect. And Cale defended you," Alex said. "But I'm discouraged. Let's take a walk."

They turned. Drake kicked back so that his heel struck a log. It crackled off the campfire and Rile exited the tent at the sound.

"Alex?" he asked.

"I'm feeling too filthy for you to touch me," Alex said but didn't turn to face him. "And too frightened to be alone, so Drake will watch my back."

"Alex, please don't say that, don't do this."

"Don't worry. I'm my old self, right? Not like I can change."

Gabe stalked out of the tent. "Stealing my family again, Drake?"

"Treat them better and I couldn't." Drake also didn't turn around.

"He's not stealing me." Alex ruffled her hair. "We're just taking a walk."

"That's how it starts," Gabe said.

Alex growled in frustration and whirled on Gabe. She shook a finger in his face. "I'm going for a walk. Nothing else. Drake behaves himself. He has repeatedly said I'm not his type. If he lays a claw on me, I'll blast him back to his old cave and y'all can have at him if Flint doesn't kill him first. Now let your psycho teammate go for a walk to blow off steam."

She turned around and walked back to Drake, who had decided to watch after all. She linked arms with him, twirled him, and they walked right into a portal.

**

Razz looked out the portrait window overlooking the red rock landscape dotted with barrel cacti and scrubby sage. The sun was setting behind the canyon face, shooting yellow and crimson rays vertically and diagonally. Zilik and Lok, both a somber brown, sat side by side at the polished granite table that extended almost the length of the room, papers scattered in front of them.

Alex and Drake stepped out of the portal next to Razz. Alex exclaimed happily at the sight of him and they clung to each other. Alex swore that if love had a scent, it would be the scent of Razz: leather and citrus and something undefinable.

Zilik and Lok stood up, their color changing to green, but hesitated at the sight of Drake. Drake's hand hovered over his dagger, but didn't draw it.

Razz looked over from his hug and said, "Last time you appeared without Rile and now you appear with a different Agama male. Who is this?"

"Always the observant one." Alex pecked the side of his muzzle with a quick kiss. "This is Drake. I'm not his type."

"She's not," Drake said cheerfully and his hand dropped away from his dagger.

"I'm training him to be a Guardian. Drake, this is Razz. He's my," Alex fumbled for words. "Most wonderful supporter in the universe. He's, as you say, united, to the beautiful and tolerant Teela, they have two marvelous children together, and he knows everything going on in his world."

Zilik made a noise.

Alex winked at him. "That's Zilik. He's saving his world using the political realm. Still Council President?"

Zilik inclined his head. "I am. For now."

"Excellent. I had the honor of being his body guard once. Next to him is Lok, his very able assistant and friendly rival."

Lok sidled up to Alex, took her hand, and kissed it. His tail twined around her leg and his color lightened to a bright green. "Alex is very much my type. I look forward to working with her again."

Zilik hissed softly at him but Alex laughed gently.

"Lok, we discussed how monogamous I am." She shook her finger at him but her eyes were twinkling.

"Once again, you appear without the male you are supposed to be monogamous with. Did I tell you that I established an underground escape route for the Anolis males?" Lok said. His voice was light and playful, but his eyes were sharp and searching.

"You did?" Alex hugged him.

He leaned into the hug and his tail coiled up to her thigh. "Did I earn, as you say, brownie points?" His tail was warm and strong, wrapping around her like a living rope. She could feel the muscles rippling under the skin.

"Most definitely," Alex said. "You're in. Razz, do you want to call the usual suspects and drag in a large bed somewhere? Get me up to speed. I feel a slumber party coming on."

"A large bed?" Drake asked.

"The group bed concept is very much embraced on this world," Alex said. "Or perhaps I very much embrace it. One-on-one is far too intimate, so there will be none of that. Everyone piles on a giant mattress, there's planning, I fall asleep dead to the world, and if there's more planning, I miss it."

"That sounds perfectly innocent and acceptable," Drake said amiably.

"Don't pair off with anyone," Alex said. "Or I'll kick your leathery butt back to Olam."

"No betraying Alex," Razz said. "I remember your name and your face, Drake."

Drake looked at three sets of hard, glittering, reptilian eyes. They all stared at him, unblinking.

"No betraying Alex ever," he said with fervor. "I will never do anything to hurt her. Ever."

***

A/N

Dedicated to faithful readers

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