The New Orleans alley was paved with iconic cobblestones, but dirty water and trash from overflowing garbage cans, combined with the darkness of a cloudy night, hid them.
Four men in the obligatory hoodies and baggy pants of a street gang struggled, fists and knives, against three tall, not quite human, figures and one angry woman in black leather.
"Alex, watch out," Gabe said. The draconic humanoid leader of his Guardian team, he kept an eye on their fights and called out instructions. He projected a human appearance but his humanoid figure and blunt muzzle made the disguise easy.
His own opponent took advantage of his distraction and ran. Two of his comrades followed on his heels.
Alex turned so that the remaining thug's fist cracked against her temple rather than the back of her head. One of the thug's large gold rings tore her scalp on the shaved side of her head and she slammed against the wall.
Although her brown hair had grown long enough to hide the craniotomy scar from her neuro-electric implants, it was short enough to allow the blood to drip freely down to her shoulder.
Rile, Gabe's youngest brother, rushed forward, staff out. "On it."
The tip jammed into the attacker's gut. He bent double and then went down as Alex kicked his knee. She blasted him into unconsciousness with her neuro-electric powers.
"Bastard. I'll strip you naked and melt down your gold for that," she shouted at the unconscious form.
"Alex," Gabe said, warning ringing in his voice.
"What?" Alex slipped off the ring and tossed it to him. "It has my blood on it. Not leaving it, or any of them, behind. I'll donate the melted lumps to the women's shelter."
"Sounds good to me." Rile unsheathed his sword and ripped through the man's clothing from neck to ankle. "Ugh. Human males are disgusting. Look at all that hair. Chest, legs, everywhere. It's gross."
"You don't know the half of it." Alex used her sword to pick the clothing off the man. "Where did you learn the term 'gross'?"
"Where else but television? You know I love learning American idioms." Rile sheathed his sword and kicked the clothing into a puddle of filthy water.
"Stop, both of you," Gabe said. "I don't know why you insist on leaving them naked."
"It's called poetic justice," Alex said. "Although they deserve worse. I'll spare you the horrific explanation of why."
"Here are the other rings." Rile hurled them at his oldest brother.
Gabe plucked them out of the air with ease. Alex tested her temple and looked at the blood on her fingers.
"Are we done for the night?" she asked. "If so, I'm off to a doc in the box."
"Let me see." Gabe approached but she turned her face away.
"Nothing you can do," Alex said. "Are we done or not?"
"Let her see the doctor," Cale, the middle brother, said, gaze intent on the gash.
"Usually we have to argue with her to go," Rile said.
"True. You may visit the human healer."
"Thank you." Anger blazed briefly from Alex's eyes but she squashed it.
"I'm coming with you," Gabe replied.
Alex let her head fall forward and her chin rested on her chest. "Why?"
I hope that didn't sound like whining.
"I'm the team leader and I want to see what the human healer does."
"You'll see when I get home."
"Will you obey my orders or not?"
Alex bit her lip, closed her eyes, and then nodded.
I will, because my only hope of returning to the Anolis home world is staying on the team.
"Cale, Rile, return home."
"I'm coming," Rile said.
"No, you're not. Home. Now."
Cale placed his hand on Rile's arm. "Let's go before Alex changes her mind about the doctor."
Rile hissed softly, but walked with Cale. Rile looked over his shoulder at Alex.
"There's one nearby." Alex turned and walked away.
Gabe caught up with her and they walked in silence.
*****
"This is it." Alex shoved open the glass door of the squat, one story brown brick building. She made a beeline for the receptionist. "Where do I sign in? Here's my money. No insurance." Alex pulled out her ever-present wad of cash.
"Seventy for initial exam. You look like you'll need stitches. That's an extra hundred, at least. Fill this out and return it to me when you're done," the receptionist said.
"That's reasonable. Thank you." Alex counted out the cash, took the clipboard, a seat by the wall, and started writing. She ignored Gabe and the blood tracking down her cheek.
The receptionist looked up at Alex when she handed in the clipboard. "Come back with me."
The door to the exam area opened and Gabe followed Alex to the doorway.
"Must you come?" Alex asked.
"Patients only," the receptionist said.
Alex smiled at her and waltzed through the doorway. Gabe sat down heavily in a leatherette waiting room chair, posture stiff. He watched the plastic clock until Alex came out an hour later, face cleaned of blood and wound neatly stitched.
"Pharmacy." Alex walked past him.
Gabe scrambled to his feet and caught up with her. "What kind of medication?"
"Antibiotics for infection." Alex walked faster and turned the corner.
Gabe turned the corner as well and caught up with her. "You're holding two pieces of paper."
"Yes I am. Here, the clinic said this was the closest twenty four hour pharmacy." Alex hauled open the glass door covered with steel mesh.
They walked through the crowded aisles of bent boxes of bandages, antibiotic cream, and ubiquitous cheap New Orleans novelties. She thrust the papers at the tired, grey-haired woman behind the pharmacy counter yellowed with age. "Here's my money." Alex riffled her cash. "How much?"
The woman peered at the scripts through her bright red, dollar readers. "I'll turn them into the pharmacist and ring you up."
Alex tapped her cash wad on the counter while the woman trundled to the higher counter and handed the scripts to a man in a white coat. She turned back to the cash register.
"Ten dollars for the generic antibiotics and twenty for the generic sleeping pills." The woman tapped on the beeping register.
Alex peeled off the bills.
"Sleeping pills?" Gabe asked. "I don't like the sound of that. Are they safe?"
"There's a risk of addiction," the woman answered as if she had said it a thousand times.
"Forget them," Gabe said.
"They're not for you," Alex said.
The woman picked up the phone, her finger poised over the keypad. "Is he bothering you?"
"He's my brother, so he can bother me without you calling security," Alex said.
Gabe hissed at Alex's lie and she shot him a malicious smile.
"Fill both scripts, please," Alex said. "I'll take care of brother dear."
She walked to the small waiting area and flung herself in a tarnished chrome chair with sagging black cushions. She crossed her legs, swung her top leg back and forth, and watched Gabe as he joined her.
"I'm exhausted and making mistakes from lack of sleep," she told him in a low voice. "I'm not endangering anyone again because I can't sleep. There's no refill on those pills, so I won't become addicted."
"You know there's an alternative."
"You made your choice." Alex stood up. "I'm not sleeping with you again."
"I didn't make the choice you think," Gabe replied. "It was never a choice between you and Cla."
"Sure looked like it to me, what with finding you in bed together naked. You impregnating her was the kicker."
"You saw me without clothing?" Gabe turned his head away and clenched his fists.
"Sorry, didn't mean to. Cla called my name so I would see y'all together," Alex said. "If you were worried about it, should have kept your clothes on, Dragon Boy."
"Alex, please," Gabe said in a pained voice.
"Oh, don't worry," Alex said, "You were easy on the eyes but very discreet, if you catch my meaning. Much better than human males."
Gabe inhaled sharply and Alex grinned wickedly.
"Alex Robicheaux?" the older woman called out.
"Right here." Alex strode over to the counter. "Thank you." She took the white paper bag with the instructions stapled to the top.
"Do you want the pharmacist to explain your medications?"
"No thank you."
"Sure you're okay, honey?" The woman peered at her over red plastic glasses.
"I am now. Thank you again." Alex swept out of the pharmacy, Gabe on her heels.
***
When they reached the driveway leading to the carriage house, Gabe touched her shoulder.
"Alex." Gabe closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He opened them again. "You are my first love."
Alex was thrust back in time. The constant, constricting ache in her chest eased as she remembered shy smiles, holding hands, a gentle touch.
The time before all the rage and pain and bitterness.
She startled at the soft squeeze on her shoulder.
"Alex?" Gabe looked at her with concern.
"Sorry, I was remembering." She shook her head. "I usually hate that, but this..." She wiped her eyes. "Never mind."
"Tell me, please?"
"It's nothing definite, only a feeling of gentleness, a lack of pain and anger. I can't remember more. It's for the best. It's long gone." Alex walked down the driveway to the steps to her second story carriage house apartment.
Gabe followed her up the stairs and into her apartment.
"It doesn't have to be long gone," Gabe said once they reached the living room. "You know me. You know I'll be honorable." At Alex's look, he added, "There's no revolution on this world. I offer you rest, Alex. You need it."
"I don't know about your honor anymore. You were in bed with Cla. Even Rile refused those fire truck Anolis females."
"Rile?" Gabe hissed. "He'll never let you rest until he gets what he wants. It's always the same with him: pursue, capture, take, leave."
"He didn't sleep with Mina."
"Mina demanded. Rile is the one who takes. It wasn't anything noble on his part."
Alex chewed the inside of her lip.
Fire truck, but that makes sense.
Gabe reached over and stroked her hair. "Please, Alex, I'm sorry, I won't hurt you again. Please give me another chance. I lost my mind temporarily. It was our first clear mission and I let it go to my head. I'm sorry, so sorry I hurt you. I was crazy protective, afraid you would die like my entire clan. I do love you. My first love."
Alex drew in her breath at the words that always overwhelmed her damaged mind, her common sense, her conscience. "You still have to leave and restart the clan."
Gabe withdrew his hand. "Yes."
"That's a good thing. It's your future, not mine. Mine's here and I accept that."
"Is that a yes?"
"You and Rile fight enough. I won't be the cause of more fights. I won't tear your family apart."
"Is that what's stopping you?"
Alex nodded.
"I'll handle Rile. I've been doing it all my life. I'll make sure our fights stay the exact same number as before. Now are we good?"
Alex nodded again and Gabe drew her into his arms. She rested her head on his chest and listened to the calming sound of his heart beating. She inhaled deeply of his woodsy leather scent.
"I'm so tired. I can't sleep without nightmares," she said. "Then I wake up and can't go back to sleep."
"Let's sleep now. We're both tired. We both need rest." He let her hair slide through his fingers.
"Rile won't give you any peace. This will upset him."
"He doesn't give me any peace anyway. He can, as humans say, suck it up," Gabe said.
Yes he can. He took what he wanted from me while I slept. Jerk.
"Let's go to bed. I'm exhausted." Alex pushed away but twined fingers with Gabe. She led him to the bedroom. "I'm not changing."
"You don't have to."
Gabe sat on the bed and waited for Alex to sit. Then he swung his long legs onto the bed. He laid his head on the pillow and Alex snuggled against him and rested her head on his chest.
Soothed by the sound of his heartbeat, the feel of his muscles encased in soft hide, the woodsy leathery scent of him, her eyes closed and her breathing evened out to that of sleep in a few minutes.
****
A/N
Dedicated to the loyal three readers who read and commented on this at the end of Book 2