Taurus (Guardians of the Stars Book 1)

by Kim Faulks

  His gaze drifted over my trousers and collared shirt, “In those shoes?”

  My veins jumped like a damn nerve, pulsing as my heart sped. I licked my lips and flayed this sonofabitch inside my mind. Kill him, my dragon whispered. Kill him and let’s be done with it. I swallowed hard as beads of sweat ran between my shoulders. Not yet. He knows what happened. He knows where they are. Find the wolf. “They’re an all-day wear. I paid good money for the comfort. Let me guess. Echo pack. Am I right?”

  I caught the flinch. His gaze met mine. “You a cop?”

  “No. No cop.”

  He moved ahead of me, kicking the pan on the ground, then taking in what remained of the camp. “Then what are you doing here?”

  “Looking, same as you.”

  He straightened. “This is pack business.”

  I flinched. “What do you want with them?”

  The smile stilled. His eyes now sparkled for a different reason as he turned to face me. “What’s it to you?”

  “One is a friend.”

  “They attacked my pack in the middle of the night. Sneaked past twenty of us asleep.”

  “Wow, passed twenty of you. That’s impressive, how many were there?”

  “One, as far as we can tell.”

  I arched my brow. “One wolf sauntered past twenty. I’d hate to go up against him.”

  His brow furrowed. One corner of his lip rose in a sneer. “You trying to say something?”

  “Your pack is camped to the west, isn’t it?” My mind raced, struggling to see the puzzle, even though, deep down, I knew the pieces already fit.

  “How do you know that?”

  I replayed the accident. She’d been running east—I turned, glancing back through the trees—covered in someone else’s blood—the blood of a male wolf. The pine needles crackled underfoot, but the sound didn’t come from my feet.

  “You’re not out here hiking and you’re not a cop. Why’s a human interested in pack business?”

  He couldn’t scent me. He didn’t know.

  “How do you know the attack came from these wolves?”

  The asshole burrowed into his pocket and yanked something free. Between his fingers I stared at the broken piece of the crystal. Vibrant green splattered with red. Bloodstone. The air left my lungs, and for a second none replaced it. I stared at the broken piece of stone as the wolf edged closer. The tapered end would fit perfectly with her necklace. “Bloodstone, from a member of the Bloodstone pack. I won’t ask again. What do you want with them?”

  “Not my problem.” I whispered. The words tasted like bile in my mouth.

  The prophecy and the flame-haired wolf collided. We were connected to the very fabric of this world. We’d veered off-course and now were were given an ultimatum—return as a Guardian, or perish. Each one of my family were give the same conditions, in the same horrific vision.

  In my mind, the wolf was the one in flames, screaming, reaching for me. I stared at the broken piece of crystal, then lifted my gaze. “You will not harm them—any of them.”

  “And how does a mortal intend to stop me?”

  I can’t let him hurt her… I won’t let him hurt her. “I can’t answer that as a mortal….”

  The bull roared in my belly and my dragon filled me with fire. Agony ripped through my head. I grasped my forehead as horns broke the surface, driving me to my knees. Sticks and rocks bit into my palms.

  Bones snapped. The pain stole my breath. I stared at the ground as my spine bulged, stretching my skin until it could stretch no more. Flames licked with razored tongues, splitting my skin. I wrenched my head up, sweat dripped to the ground, glistening with blood.

  “Jesus. What are you, man?”

  The wolf blurred, then sharpened. Kill, my dragon whispered. Kill him or he’ll kill her. I pierced the ground with claws. Agony sliced like daggers down my spine, tearing tree limbs free.

  Bloody wings trembled like a newborn, spreading up and out.

  Free. The dragon howled.

  I missed you, dragon.

  Inside my mind, my dragon smiled, revealing rows of sharp teeth. Show me, he whispered. Show me how much.

  I tensed. Thick tendons on my arms tightened, straining until every shudder ravaged my body. The sting lashed like a thousand whips. Flayed nerves pulsed as one wave of agony after another paralyzed me.

  Fresh skin split. The air to my wounds stung like acid, spreading through the webbed wings like wildfire. The underbrush scraped my tender new appendages. My horns snapped small branches as I yanked my gaze left, searching for the wolf.

  I lunged forward, slamming my palms against the ground. My nails lengthened into talons, and slowly turned my head to glance over my shoulder. The power waned inside me, like a faded memory of something that’d once been great.

  A pathetic sound slipped from my lips at the sight. What was once vibrant and red, now looked like clotted old blood. Fluid seeped from the fragile skin of my wings, widening like a thousand hungry mouths. My wings hung like damp towels on a hook.

  Screaming… my wings were screaming.

  So I screamed.

  The fire surged. Flames licked the air from my mouth, then were gone along with the sound, leaving the deafening silence to swallowed me.

  “Fuck me.” The wolf choked.

  I wrenched my head up at the sound. My arms trembled. My knees locked and released as I climbed to my feet. The wolf’s eyes widened as I swayed, half-man, half-beast. I couldn’t complete the shift.

  In his eyes I saw the hideous creature I’d become.

  My horns looked like brittle trunks, shattered… fragile. Mottled brown scales on my face swallowed the light. I blinked, trying to see the blood red, but it was gone. No. My dragon. Where was my dragon?

  Right where you left me.

  To die!

  The roar shattered my mind. I stumbled. My knee gave way. Sticks pierced my leg like spears as I hit the ground. Dead inside. All of you, dead.

  I clawed for an anchor. Victor. Bastian. Zadoc… Xael. They slipped from my hold. They couldn’t help me.

  Your line starts and ends with you.

  Green eyes echoed from the darkness, coming closer. The smile from those beautiful lips quietened the flames.

  Bloodstone was my salvation. Bloodstone and green eyes.

  I drove my foot against the ground, stumbling, clawing the dirt to get to my feet. Branches snapped in the distance, leaves scattered under frantic steps. I narrowed in on the sound.

  I won’t let him hurt you, my dragon whispered.

  I dragged my wings behind me. Broken branches opened my flesh as I barged through thick underbrush. Protect her. Protect. Her.

  I drove my body forward, gaining speed. Frantic eyes stared back at me as he glanced over his shoulder, then surged ahead, pulling away.

  No.

  My muscles shrieked, shaking under the hundreds of years I lived as a human and not a beast. My cry burned my chest as I drove my useless limbs into the air. The air held under the membrane of my wings, and for a second, I felt free.

  Wind buffeted my body as I swept forward, snagging the end of his boot as the tender skin of my wings shredded. I swallowed the pain as the wolf tumbled, falling to land on his back under me.

  “No!” The wolf shoved his hands in front of his face as I settled over him.

  But my dragon knew no mercy.

  And he was ravenous.

  Nails punctured my skin as the rest of the pack disappeared between the trees. Maddy held on, gripping me with one hand and her swollen belly with the other. I stared down at the bright red smear that soaked through her crotch, then found her terrified gaze.

  “My baby,” she whispered through bloodless lips. “Please, don’t let me lose my baby.”

  Fear gripped me tighter than her hands ever could. Maddy wobbled for a second before her knees let go and she crumbled. I caught her fall and held her tight against my chest as I eased her to the ground. “I’ll run, get the healer
.”

  Her backpack spilled. Tins of food rolled, stopped by a foot at the edge of my vision. I flung the heavy sack from my shoulders and fumbled to remove the elk fur jacket. “You’re going to be okay. You hear me? You’ll be okay. I’ll get Buck.”

  “Wait.” Her grip slid to my wrist as I shoved the fur under her raised head. Bloody fingers left a mark. “Don’t leave me.”

  “I’ll wait with her.” I jerked my head up at the sound. The lone wolf who’d walked behind our pack for the last few months came close. She stared at Maddy’s swollen stomach, then turned to me.

  I spun to the trees as the last of the men disappeared. “Hey! Wait,” then turned to the strange, newest member of our pack. “Odessa, right?”

  She nodded, shaking blonde hair from her shoulders.

  I lifted Maddy’s hand toward her. “Stay with her. Hold her hand. Don’t let go. I’ll be as fast as I can.”

  I didn’t wait for the tagalong’s response, driving my feet into the dirt as I lunged. Don’t let Maddy die. Don’t let her die. Don’t let her die. The words mingled with the frantic beat of my heart.

  We’d walked for hours, circling the town to get south. But we weren’t far enough—we could never be far enough. Running and sacrificing, that’s all we knew—that was all we had.

  I beat my way through the thick-set bushes, forcing my aching feet faster, passing the long trail of other women in our pack. I felt every stare, every hope, and every fear. The younger ones glared with defiance in their eyes. I could hear their thoughts. That won’t be me. I won’t let it.

  No matter how hard we strove to be equal, the cruel truth was we females weren’t and never would be as valuable to the pack as the males. Our lives turned into a battle of survival.

  The other mothers hurried their children along, heads down. They wouldn’t lift their heads to stare back—they knew the truth. We were all a Maddy in our own way—an inconvenience, a burden easily discarded. So we made no sound, we drew no attention to ourselves, or each other.

  I sprinted ahead catching sight of Walker’s back. I licked my arid lips and forced a wheeze. “Walker.”

  He turned. His deep frown narrowed just that little bit more. He hated me. He blamed me. I saw the truth in his eyes. “Something’s wrong with Maddy. Get Buck.”

  His stare widened. Slowly turning, he glanced behind me. “Is it the baby?”

  “Yes.” His eyes widened, his lips parted. I could see the need rise, such a primal need to care for the mother of his child. Yet, his teeth gnashed as he snapped his mouth shut.

  “If you care for her at all, you’ll get Buck now.”

  In a blink he was moving, turning to race ahead. The top of his pack bounced, striking the back of his head. Hurry. I braced my hands on my knees and sucked in the pine-scented air. For Goddess’ sake, hurry.

  Walker’s voice rang out. First there was a murmur, then a call. I turned and made my way back to where Maddy lay.

  Children skipped and danced by as I passed the other women of our pack. They looked at me and my chest ached at the desperation in their eyes.

  Don’t call attention to us. Don’t cause any trouble.

  Odessa’s voice drifted to me as I passed the last of the women and children. “You’re not going to lose your baby. They say I have special gifts, you know. I can see into the future.”

  I slowed my steps at those words. It was the first time I’d spoken to Odessa. She didn’t walk with the pack, only behind us. This was the first I’d heard of her gifts. I slowed my steps, watching her lean over Maddy.

  “Are you telling me the truth?” Maddy’s whimper slipped deeper into a grunt. The helplessness in her voice stole my breath.

  “Always. You’re going to have a beautiful girl. She will bring you much happiness.”

  “Quiet. Not too loud. They might….” I hushed, turning to find the men. “They might overhear.”

  Maddy whipped her head left, then right. Her breaths were harsh, speeding with each second she rode the brutal wave. I glanced toward the juncture of her thighs. Bright blood soaked the front of her shift.

  Too much blood.

  Even I knew that.

  I shuffled forward, skirting the two women to stop at her feet. Maddy’s tanned skin looked ashen, but her brown eyes never left the wolf beside her. Something hovered around Odessa. Some whisper of other toyed with the edges of my mind. I narrowed in on Odessa as Maddy whispered. “And you? What do you see in your future?”

  The lone wolf straightened, her head slowly rose as she set her amber eyes on me. “I see water. Lots and lots of water.”

  A thread unraveled from my thoughts. I followed the tether to this tiny wolf. I didn’t know her—no one did. We scented her one morning, walking behind the pack. With each day that passed she came closer and closer until she mingled with those at the back.

  She was just one lone wolf in a sea of hunters. I looked around—one lone wolf who stayed, when everyone else had left.

  “Hold on, Maddy. Buck’s coming.” I whispered, dropping to my knees. “He’s coming.”

  Odessa nodded and climbed to her feet, bowing her head. “I’ll leave you two be.”

  “Wait.” I lunged and grasped her thin arm. “Please, stay.”

  The quiet words slipped from her lips. “If she wants me to.”

  “Yes.” Maddy growled, thrashing against the dirt. “I want you to.”

  I lifted my head at the slow, heavy thuds. Buck jogged toward us. His white beard hid glowing red skin. The old man puffed and panted, slowing to a walk and dropped his backpack to the ground. “Maddy, what’s happening, darlin’?”

  “I’m bleeding. The baby’s coming.” She forced her words through clenched teeth. “It’s too early, Buck. It’s too earlyyy!”

  “I guess the little one’s saying otherwise, honey. We need water, you two. Start a fire. Get it nice and hot. We need towels and cloths. And we need to move her over to the shade. I’ll get the men to do that. You women will have your hands full.”

  I nodded, rising to my feet. “Can you stay, Odessa? Hold her hand. Keep her calm.”

  Odessa nodded. “Of course.”

  I shoved my palm against the ground and climbed to my feet. Walker raced toward us, tearing his terrified gaze from Maddy’s bloody thighs to me. “What do you need?”

  “Wood.” I stumbled toward the small bank of trees, sticks and branches scattered the forest floor. “I need to make a fire.”

  Walker followed me, leaving the others behind. “You take care of her, Abrial. I don’t want the others to think I’m weak.”

  I flinched at the words. “Is a man weak when he takes care of his own child? Or the woman he lays with?”

  “To the others, yes. I have to be strong. I have to show them I can lead.”

  “A leader goes without for the sake of those in his pack. A leader protects them at all costs. That’s a leader, Walker. What they’re teaching you to be is weak. Someone has to fight for those he loves and those who love him. Someone has to make a stand.”

  “It doesn’t work like that. You, of all people know this. Women do the work, bear the children. We’re not the same as each other, Abrial. We’re never going to be the same.”

  I shook my head. “You’re right. That’s never going to happen. How can you be a leader, when you have nothing to lead?”

  My vision blurred. Sweat dripped from my forehead to sting my eyes. I turned from Walker to scrounge the ground for kindling.

  “What’s the hold up?”

  The sound of Hurron’s voice made the hair on the back of my neck rise. I straightened. “The baby’s coming.”

  “Can’t she walk a little farther? We can take a break—”

  I spun, my lip already rising in a snarl. “No. She can’t walk further. Her baby is coming, Hurron. If she keeps going, we could lose her and her child.”

  The emptiness in his eyes said more than words ever could. I searched the dirt, trying my best to keep the venom f
rom my words. “If she loses the baby and it’s a boy, then you’ve lost one more warrior. Or don’t you even care about that anymore?”

  A spark ignited in his lifeless gaze. He dropped his head. “Fine. We’ll make camp then.”

  I turned away, lest he see the disgust on my face.

  We didn’t need the wood. The fire inside me burned hot enough for all of us.

  The pine trees blurred. My sweat mingled with tears to slide down my cheeks. All I saw was the blood on Maddy’s clothes and the fear in her eyes. Unseen hands clenched my throat.

  Keep walking.

  Carry the food.

  Tend to our fires.

  Spread your legs.

  Bear our children.

  Look up at me.

  I will sell your body. I will sell your soul.

  Were we worth so little?

  The sticks in my arms rattled. I tried to still the shake. What if Buck can’t help her? How far are we from the town?

  Why would the humans help? I had no other choice. I had to try.

  A scream tore through the forest, scattering the birds above. She’ll never make it. But I can. Haunted brown eyes and sunken cheeks filled my mind. My steps slowed… then stilled, tethered by a memory I couldn’t shake. A memory I didn’t want to shake.

  I’m not going to hurt you. I only want to help. His soft words belied the fire in his eyes. He wasn’t human. So, why would he help us? My pulse quickened. The beat was thundered, like that of a wolf racing at break-neck speed. Running, running.

  Why would he help?

  Because he wants me.

  The wolf stopped, panting. I felt my inner animal focus on Marcus, the man who’d nearly run over me. He wanted me. I closed my eyes and whimpered and the wolf echoed in kind. He wanted me. His fire licked long, languid strokes inside my belly, warming a stony hearth which had been cold—until now.

  No, there has to be another way.

  “This will get you started while I gather more.”

  Walker dragged thick branches behind him. He swiped the sweat from under his short blonde hair and stared at me. We were the same age. We lived together, played together—loved each other. He was my best friend—my cousin. I loved him like a brother and yet, we’d become strangers.