“You would only receive twenty of the females,” Gabriel warned. “Natalie intends to divide them equally between the villages.”
Zion growled low in his throat, the sound easily identified with his lion. “Unacceptable. Wolves do not deserve females. The fucking wolves are out of control.”
“That is one of the things Natalie is trying to fix with this agreement,” Raphael told him. “The wolves only get their females if they agree to stop raiding.”
“The wolves will never stop raiding,” Kane stressed. “Is Natalie going to stay here indefinitely to make sure they play by her rules?”
“This is the sort of shit she proposed back on Earth,” Diego grumbled. “She’s so focused on bettering the lives of inmates that she forgets to protect the general public.”
“And what about their victims,” Kane added. “Criminals are locked up so they don’t hurt anyone else. People like Natalie like to forget that basic fact.”
Zion stroked his jaw as he looked at Gabriel. “How the fuck do you pattern a prison after our villages? Most of us are military men. We’re used to a strict power structure and operating as a team. Criminals don’t play well with others. Does she expect them to?—”
A shrill alarm cut off Zion’s question. The brothers looked around in confusion, but the cats sprang into action running for the door.
“The perimeter has been breached,” Kane tossed the explanation over his shoulder as he reached the hallway.
Gabriel stood and ran for the stairs, Raphael on his heels. “It has to be the wolvesagain. No one else has a reason to attack.”
They flew down the stairs and followed the cats through the village. Anxious energy crackled in the air, but everyone seemed to know where to go and what role they would play. Wolf attacks were nothing new. Zion was joined by more of his guardians. He motioned and shouted orders as he ran. His cats immediately obeyed.
As Gabriel feared, the wolves were responsible for the attack. Hybrids wrestled all over the grassy clearing surrounding a cluster of cabins. There didn’t appear to be anything special about the target location. Cabins were arranged in similar clusters all over the feline village.
Groups of fully shifted wolves attacked fully shifted lions. Gabriel gathered mystic energy into his chest, preparing for a partial shift. A shrill, clearly female scream revealed the reason for the target. Two women darted from one cabin and sprinted toward another. Still, most of the action focused on the large barracks to the right.
A shower of sparks drew Gabriel’s attention to his left. Zion transformed in an instant, flowing from human to lion in one sustained motion. His lion self was even more impressive than his human shape. Nearly twice the size of the lions surrounding him, Zion charged with savage intensity. He batted aside one wolf with a massive claw as he caught another in his powerful jaws. No wonder the other lions followed him. Even in animal form he was power personified.
Gabriel dragged his eyes away from the bloody fight and swept the entire scene with an assessing gaze. A group of feline shifters was gathering to form a protective ring around the barracks. Were the females still inside? Why hadn’t they been evacuated?
Pushing aside the distraction, Gabriel manifested wings. His back burned and the tingling rush of energy created a pulling sensation in his torso. Most of his shirts and jackets had slits in back so he could shift without undressing. It was only when he summoned his eagle that he ended up naked.
He wasn’t sure where he could be most helpful, so Gabriel just joined the fight. He ran toward the closest group of wolves and laid into them with his talons.
A lupine hybrid lunged for him, but Gabriel spun and knocked the hybrid backward with a swipe of his wing. Another hybrid rushed to assist, attacking Gabriel from his other side. Gabriel turned in time to see the hybrid become fully wolf. Gabriel held up his arm instinctively and the wolf bit down hard. Sharp teeth sank deep into his flesh, dragging a cry from his throat.
Hearing the sound, Raphael spun sharply and kicked the wolf in the side. Gabriel’s flesh was torn as the wolf went flying. He ignored the pain and the blood streaming down his arm. Hekicked and clawed his way through the pack of attacking wolves and took his place in the line of hybrids protecting the barracks.
The fighting continued for nearly an hour, but there were simply more cats than wolves. The wolves retreated quickly once the lions outnumbered them five to one. Gabriel watched the wolves slink away into the darkness. Bitter frustration tore through his soul. How could he ever have thought they would change? It was humiliating to know that he’d defended them for so long.
Zion shifted back to his human form, unconcerned with his nudity. He approached the barracks with obvious reluctance.
Gabriel looked at his brother and shook his head as he reversed his partial shift. “We both know what he’ll find.”
“A bloodbath,” Raphael agreed as he dispersed his wings and talons. Noticing the wound on Gabriel’s forearm, Raphael shuddered. “Shift completely or that’s going to require stitches.”
As his adrenaline rush receded, searing pain spread through Gabriel’s arm. His brother was right. The bite was deep and jagged. Trying not to get blood on his clothing, he undressed carefully. Pausing to focus his mind, he drew energy into his body and summoned his bird.
Complete transformation was always painful, but the pain was exhilarating. Bones cracked and tissues tore as one shape gave way to another. His eyesight sharpened and his heart rate sped. His wings flapped and his talons lifted from the ground. He circled the area needing the sky, needing to escape the violence for a few moments before diving back into the aftermath of such a ruthless attack.
Gabriel returned to the ground a few minutes later, releasing his shift as he landed. Raphael handed him his pants and Gabriel pulled them on. “Where are we needed most?”
Diego, who stood nearby, heard the question and said, “Most of the guards inside are dead, but there are numerous wounded among the perimeter teams. They’ll need to be transported to the clinic.”
“Were any of the women hurt?”
“Two, but not badly,” Diego explained. He looked as if he’d say more, but Zion emerged from the barracks and strode toward them. “How many did they take?”
“Eighteen.” Zion was clearly enraged by the development. He swallowed hard and sucked in a quick breath, then he looked at Raphael. “We could really use your help. We have so many wounded.”
