Three days later, Bighorn National Forest, Wyoming

Having shifted back to human form, Justin stretched his bad leg, which had gradually gotten better each day. Rory had flushed the poison out.  Next time Justin should just tie his dick in a knot and drive a nail through it.

Had to be less painful.

Technically, he was healed. If not for sparing Herc more misery, Justin wouldn’t care. 

Life as he knew it was over.

Someone else had his mate.

Want Mishka, Herc said, his misery coming through in two words. He’d said little since their mate had left.

Justin murmured, “Me too, Herc.  I’m sorry I lost our mate.”

Herc withdrew, but not like when he slept. He just seemed to pull in deep and hole up.

Cole had returned two days after leaving with Eli and tried to explain that she was secure, but Justin couldn’t hear it. He’d shifted and gone off on his own.  His friend would understand Justin’s need to be alone.

He and Herc had spent a long night roaming the rugged Wyoming country.  Every thought centered on Eli.

She would enjoy seeing this spot.

She would ask a million questions.

She would smile and they’d be naked in the next breath.

He had to stop torturing himself by dwelling on her, but he couldn’t.  He should be helping Adrian, but Justin was no help when he might be just as broken very soon. 

Moonlight danced all around him as gently moving clouds flowed past.  Eli would love that.  Daylight wouldn’t come for another hour.  Then Justin would have to face a new day.

Without her.

His throat hurt from standing on the highest point he could find and shouting her name until he was hoarse.

Adrian and the guys were probably ready to rip his tongue out after that.

Justin wouldn’t blame them.

He’d shifted and let Herc run as hard as he wanted until the big bear was ready to sleep. Instead of finding a dark cave, Justin had come back to this high spot and shifted back to human.

His human side felt numb.

He stared at everything and nothing.

Without Eli, the entire world was lifeless.

In the distance, a shadow flapped large wings and crossed between Justin and the moon.  As the Guardian’s giant sea eagle landed, power rushed around the hill and left a man wearing an elegant suit in the eagle’s place.

Power rolled off the Guardian like heat off the sun.

Justin had used up his opportunities to mouth off. He was lucky the Guardian had not shipped him to a remote location and left him warded there until he relearned manners and respect.

He was glad that hadn’t happened.

Justin held this man on a pedestal and, after three days, he could admit the arrangement that stole his mate had not been his Guardian’s fault.

Standing to show the respect he owed his boss, Justin locked his hands behind his back and stood at ease even though he was naked.

Clothes covered his body next, which Justin appreciated.

“Thank you, sir.” Justin had no problem being nude, but it was hard to face someone like the Guardian in his birthday suit.

His boss gave a brief nod and walked a few steps forward, then turned his head into the light wind. The Guardian stared out into infinity when he said, “I have an assignment for you.”

Maybe that was just what Justin needed to get his head out of his ass.  “Yes, sir.”

“Are you healed?”

“Yes, sir.”

“No loss of control?”

“No, sir. Herc and I are ready for anything you need.”

Justin started to ask more, but the whole control issue was a little dicey, and he had to keep his yap shut if he wanted out of this warded territory.

Turning to face Justin fully, his boss said, “I’m sending you to Clan Boudreaux.”

Justin’s stomach hit the ground. He had to be fucking kidding. “Why?”

So much for showing some discipline, but Justin took that one right to the gut. 

Overlooking Justin’s lack of decorum, the Guardian said, “The alpha specifically asked to speak with you about Elianna’s mating. He also told me about your childhood there. I believe he wants to patch things up.”

“You have to be kidding me,” spilled out before Justin could stop himself. The Guardian hadn’t sealed his mouth shut again and had brought the past forward, so Justin took that as permission to speak candidly about the Boudreaux alpha. “Rey Boudreaux thinks we’re going to hug and make up after years of treating me as something lower than a human?  Then he expects me to smile and stand by while I watch my mate bond with another shifter?  I can’t even believe this is happening.” Justin lost all sense of self-preservation and shouted at the Guardian.  “None of that would be happening if I hadn’t been stuck in this ward.”

“My goal is to keep you and Elianna safe.”

Justin’s righteous anger dissolved.  “Is ... is she in danger? Let me out. I’m killing anyone who tries to harm her.”

Cocking his head in that odd, eagle-like manner, the Guardian said, “She is safe, but I have reservations about freeing you. However, I did agree to send you if you would go.  Are you refusing?”

So this is what it feels like when your heart climbs up into your throat.

Justin choked down the thick lump and swallowed.  Who was he kidding? He would give anything for just one more look at Eli.  “No, I’m not refusing.” 

Admitting that cost him a chunk of pride, but Justin had no pride left when it came to loving her.

Taking his time to share whatever was on his mind, the Guardian said, “I wish the guardian for Gallize females was still around. I sense that Elianna might be Gallize based on her power and gift, but I can’t say for sure.”

“Does it matter at this point, sir?” Justin asked, weary of the emotional drain he’d been through.  “I never cared whether she was, because I knew she could take my power. But that’s water under the bridge,” he muttered, letting his voice trail off.

The Guardian must have been done with the topic. He said, “A vehicle has been delivered to the ward boundary.  One of my jets is waiting for you in Sheridan and will transport you to Louisiana, where a vehicle has been delivered to New Orleans Lakefront Airport.  No matter what you see or hear in Clan Boudreaux territory, I will have your word that you will show respect to the alpha and to Elianna. I want to know that you are ready to abide by all decisions made by me as well as those made by the alpha of Clan Boudreaux.  You represent the Gallize.”

Man, that was a tough one to accept, but Justin said, “Yes, sir. I won’t disappoint you.”

“Very well.  I will allow you access through the ward again.” The Guardian paused. “Don’t judge her unfairly,” he advised in an understanding tone. “She made a vow to a child who trusts her and she would never let him down. She’s a strong and loyal woman.”

“I hear you, sir.  Thank you. Have a good flight back, sir.”

“I’m not leaving yet. I wish to observe Adrian for a bit.”

Justin cringed.  “Now might not be the best time.  Herc pissed off his wolf last night. I heard him howling, then Cole howling. Think I heard Adrian and Cole tangle it up with Rory.”

Probably all Justin’s fault for not letting them catch some sleep.

All except Rory, who preferred to prowl alone at night.

Sighing long and hard, the Guardian said, “I have never had a group of shifters who test me as much as your generation.  I still have to locate a Siberian tiger shifter that Elianna described to Cole on the trip to Clan Boudreaux. Did he tell you?”

“No, sir. My fault. I’ve been MIA since Cole returned.”

“She had a vision, which rattled Cole until she explained.”

“It’s freaky the first time you see it.”  Justin felt bad over not being there to soothe her.  “What did she say about the tiger?”

“She claims it is one of ours and in this country. I question that because the last Siberian tiger Gallize shifter I knew of no longer exists.”

Proud of her, Justin said, “If she said she saw it, then he’s out there somewhere. Her visions are always true.”

“I have not seen him in the New England area, which is what Cole thinks she was describing,” the Guardian murmured in deep thought.  Then he seemed to dismiss that and said, “You may take whatever time you need to get your head back together before I hand your team a new assignment.”

“Yes, sir.”  Justin didn’t need a head adjustment. He needed a heart extraction. 

That was the only part of him unable to heal.

Justin didn’t hunt up Adrian or the guys before he packed the gear Cole had brought inside the ward for him.  Adrian knew the team would be coming back more often to work with him and Justin believed the Guardian would not actually show himself to the wolf at this point.

Hell, that sea eagle could probably observe from the stratosphere.

When he reached the private jet waiting for him at Sheridan County Airport, Justin was feeling more human as he entered the airplane cabin. 

Then he saw someone sitting halfway inside the luxury aircraft.

Now he understood why the Guardian had warned him about accepting everyone’s decisions.  What was left of Justin’s heart fractured and fell into a thousand pieces.

His boss had realized Justin was still in denial, and the person sitting in this cabin was the only one who could kill the last of his hope.

Walking slowly toward the child, Justin said, “Are you Nico?” He didn’t really need to ask, but he was struggling to not lose his shit in front of this little boy.

“Yes. See Elianna?”

All Justin had to do was open his mouth and speak. It shouldn’t be this hard. 

He finally said, “Yes.  I’ll take you to your sister.”

Joy filled the child’s face.

Did this mean the Guardian had not sent him to talk to the alpha so much as deliver this child?

To find closure in this last act?

Justin had never known how difficult it was to be a man and do the right thing until now.

But he could do this. He had promised Eli he would bring Nico to her.

Once he did, he was putting in for an overseas tour.

Cole, Rory and Adrian would understand. 

Justin needed an ocean separating him and Eli, because Nico was living proof she had taken a mate. How can she do that when she loves me?

Herc moaned, Mishka. Want Mishka.

Justin had tried to soothe his bear over the past few days, but clearly it was going to take a lot more time for both of them.  The Guardian had made a good point when he said Eli had too much honor to not make good on her first commitment to a child. Justin understood and had told her he’d never make her choose. His boss expected Justin to prove he was the Gallize warrior he’d been trained to be.

No more refusing to accept reality.

As the engines powered up, Justin sat next to Nico and fastened the boy’s seat belt. 

Nico smiled because this child’s world was coming together as Justin’s fell apart.  The kid had huge gray eyes. Eli had said he was a polar bear shifter.  Nico’s grin would light up a dark room.

“You Justin?”

“Yes. Who told you?”

“Eagle man.”

Unable to hold back a warm smile for Nico, albeit one hiding pain, Justin nodded.  This child sounded just like her. “Did she teach you English?”

“Yes. Said need be smart for survive.” Nico’s eyes shined with potential tears. He whispered, “Please tell.”

“About what?”

“Elianna.  Miss sister much.”

Hearing the loneliness poured into those words, Justin fought his own tears and put his pain aside. He began to tell Nico all the good things that had happened from the day Justin met Eli.

He had to start telling her goodbye at some point. He might as well hand over his memories into Nico’s good keeping.