Shield - A New Species Fanfiction (Wild at Heart Chronicles, Book 1)

Chapter 14

Chapter 14

X-013 picked up their scent the moment Randall opened the van's back door to inject him with the sixth dose of tranquilizer. New Species. Seven canines. One feline. There were also ten distinct human male scents mingling in the air, all ones he'd never encountered before.

It appeared the Mercile guard was unaware of their presence. 

"Where the fuck are you, asshole?" Randall yelled into the cell phone as he took another syringe from his gear bag. "Nicolai called at least six times since my last text. That bastard's fuckin' pissed, D. We should've hit the road fifteen minutes ago, and now the place is crawling with those NSO freaks. This is your last chance. Meet me here in five, or I'm leaving without you."

Randall pocketed the cell phone and climbed into the van, approaching the cage with caution.  X-013 growled at the human, but there wasn't much he could do to stop him. After Dougal and the other guards had taken Paige from him, he'd been forced into a sedated state for hours. By the time he became aware of his surroundings, his hands were bound by chains and they'd wrapped a thick collar around his neck. Randall had wired the thing to shock him into submission should the male attempt to attack.  X-013 had already been electrified a dozen times since the drugs had begun to leave his system, but he was determined to break free and search for his female. 

Don't give up, big guy. No matter what.       

For his little warrior, he'd fight until his last breath.

X-013 gritted his teeth as he pulled the chains at his wrists, feeling sweat bead over his forehead with the strain. They were tied to his back, and since he'd been forcing them apart once his strength had begun to renew, the moment they snapped and his hands were free he threw his entire weight against the cage. Caught by surprise, Randall scrambled back to avoid the impact and lost his footing. With a startled yell, he stumbled from the van and fell backwards onto the ground. X-013 snarled and threw himself against the cage once more, jerking it forward with his brute strength. Then, the male threw himself to the floor and with a deafening roar he thrust his powerful legs against the bars and the door to his cage burst open just as he heard Randall let out a strangled, "Jesus, fuck!"

The Mercile guard shot to his feet, spun and ran for his life.

X-013 launched himself from the van after his prey.

Had he not been intent on snapping the guard's neck, the male would've taken notice of the group of black uniformed men running alongside his peripheral vision. They blended so well with the darkness, their scent didn't register until they'd begun to flank him and Randall. One of them broke formation and launched himself at X-013 in an attempt to tackle him to the ground, but the male twisted mid-step and grabbed his attacker by the back of his neck. He tossed the uniformed man a few feet in the air and whirled in time to deflect a second attack, this one from a male much more formidable than the first.

They circled one another as his companions kept their distance, but had spread out to form an enclosure with their presence. None of them pointed their assault rifles toward him; their intent was containment, not termination. This, he was accustomed to. X-013 ignored them for now, his attention riveted to the male in front of him. He ripped the collar from his throat and sized up his opponent. The helmet, black hood, and pair of black goggles he wore hid his features and made him appear inhuman, but the scent he could pick out reassured him he was feline. His large frame was covered from the neck down with tactical gear, every inch of skin protected by padding and reinforced plates. X-013 had grown up in the presence of soldiers to understand their purpose, though the white NSO lettering on the male's vest assured him these men were not Mercile.