“I don’t know whether to feel sorry for Ellard or glad.” Shiloh shook his head. “Did you see her expression? Her eyes shifted.”
“Never mind Gweneth and her intentions, whatever they are,” Jannike said. “What are we going to do?”
“Investigate.” Lynx could feel Jannike’s rising panic, yet this proposition aroused his curiosity. This was an opportunity—one he’d never thought to receive. “We’ll talk to Jarlath and Ellard. Learn everything we can. Then we’ll go into the city. If the council votes against a change to the constitution, it won’t matter anyway.”
“I don’t want to be a queen. It’s not in my job description,” Jannike said.
Lynx glanced at Shiloh. “We collect information and make a joint decision once we learn more.”
“I vote no,” Jannike said. “Let’s go and have pie.”
They entered the house and came face-to-face with a woman with bright pink hair that seemed to writhe up and down. Her pink eyes seethed with curiosity as she bobbed a curtsey. “I’m pleased to meet the new king and queen. And a duke! You’d better hurry or they’ll eat your share of the pies—royalty or not.”
Jannike elbowed her way past Shiloh and pushed Lynx out of the way. “They’d better save me pie.” She followed the noise. Lynx trailed her through pretty yet functional rooms that smelled of flowers. She burst outside, through a set of double doors. Lynx strode in pursuit and sensed Shiloh behind him. They found their friends grouped around a table and others lounging on comfortable outdoor gel-chairs. Jarlath, Keira and Ellard plus the three boys—Lynx couldn’t recall their names—stood and sat with the Indy crew.
“Ah, Queen Jannike,” Kaya said.
Jannike narrowed her eyes. “Does the castle have a dungeon?”
Lynx decided he’d better intervene before things became nasty. “We’re going into the city to check things out. Anyone want to come?”
Jarlath nodded approval. “Ellard and I can give you a tour of the city and show you some of the changes. We need to call a council meeting anyhow.”
“Can I come?” Gweneth asked and fluttered her eyelashes at Ellard.
“Keira is going to show me around her farm,” Camryn said. “She has creatures called malpacks.”
“We keep our cambeests in the stables here too,” Jarlath said.
“Kelvin and I are going for a walk.” Mogens looked to Jannike. “We’ll take Royal with us. He’ll enjoy playing in the trees.”
“What’s a cambeest?” Camryn asked.
Lynx tuned out after Jarlath started describing his cambeest, Black, his shaggy coat and big feet.
I can’t get over the changes in Jarlath, he said.
And Ellard, Shiloh said. They both look relaxed instead of formal. And Ellard is still with Jarlath, despite losing an arm. If I know my father, he’d have tried to have Ellard replaced.
We haven’t argued yet.
They haven’t lectured us about our responsibilities and reputations, Shiloh said. And Jarlath’s mate is from Cawdor. I remember her. Recall the rumors when she was married to Marcus Cloud.
Ry and Camryn like them, Jannike added to their conversation. Everyone seems happy.
Apart from Jannike. Lynx’s gut bucked at the thought of losing her. Jarlath was right. He and Shiloh had always run away from their responsibilities. He got the feeling that fleeing wasn’t an option this time. If they decided to stay, she might be stubborn enough to leave, despite the mating bonds.
Later that cycle, they relaxed in the garden again. The city had been much like others they’d visited. Good points and bad, Jannike thought as she leaned back in her chair and enjoyed the breeze on her face. The scent of flowers and herbs filled her lungs, and somewhere an insect buzzed as it flitted from flower to flower. Camryn, Kaya and Gweneth sat on adjoining chairs. They each had a drink and Keira had organized snacks for them. Jannike wasn’t sure what the white things were but the saltiness contrasted nicely with the tartness of her pink drink.
“Tell me about the castle,” Camryn said.
“It’s beautiful inside. Full of treasures from other planets,” Jannike recalled. “I was frightened to touch anything.”
“It’s much bigger and grander than my father’s mansion,” Gweneth said, referring to her previous home on the planet Ornum.
“Could you live there?” Camryn asked. “Did you meet Lynx’s parents?”
“They’re away, taking a vacation on a resort planet.” Jannike scowled. “Not that it matters, because I’m not staying. No one can make me. I don’t care what the stupid council decide.”
“Why don’t you want to stay?” Camryn sipped from her drink, her eyes slicing and dicing until Jannike wanted to squirm.
“What’s wrong with how things were, how things are now? We have a good life. Why do we have to change?”
Silence fell as she stopped talking, and the urge to squirm became stronger. Something—no, it was her feline—rolled under her skin in reaction to her turmoil.
“Good God.” Camryn cocked her head. “You don’t like change. Why haven’t I realized this before? If we ever have a vote, you’re the one who votes for the status quo.” The slicing and dicing continued, Camryn relentless in her search for answers. “You like to maintain control. I always thought that was a good thing, but maybe not. Of all of the crew, you were the one who was slowest to warm to me when I joined the Indy.”
Jannike broke and reached for another mystery snack. Pretty close to a wriggle if she analyzed her movement closely. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
But she did. She liked to know the plan when it came to her own life because all semblance of control had been ripped from her when her stepfather sold her into slavery. So what if she liked routine and knowing what each day would bring. Control over her own actions, her own life made her happy. Change brought uncertainty and jerked her from the routines that made her feel safe.
“I want change. I want Ellard,” Gweneth blurted. “I’ve been thinking about it ever since we arrived.”
“But he’s older than you,” Camryn said in surprise.
Jannike stopped mid-reach for another snack. Ellard was plain too, until he smiled. Shiloh had inherited the best looks in the Tetsu family. And she hated to think it, but one arm would have its limitations.
“Looking at him makes my heart beat faster, and I felt, feel the urge to touch him whenever we’re in the same room.” Gweneth’s cheeks colored at their obvious curiosity and unspoken questions. “My insides feel as if they’re stretching and I think it’s my feline. I’ve never felt anything like it before.”
“Wait until you get to the shift,” Jannike said. “It hurts.”
Camryn picked up her drink and took a sip. “Shifting gets easier with practice. Jannike, I think you’re wrong. When we first heard those tracker lizards you didn’t hesitate to deviate from our plan. You ran straight into the face of danger without a hint of uncertainty.”
“When Camryn went missing on Ornum, you were the one who went looking for her because Ry was out cold,” Kaya said.
“But that’s different.”
“Why? Why is it different?” Camryn asked. “When you and Shiloh and Lynx were in danger and you split up so they couldn’t capture you all again, you didn’t dither about making hard choices. Why is this so different?”
“That was friendship. You and Ry are my friends. Shiloh and Lynx had become my friends. They were mates.” There hadn’t been any other option, so she’d chosen the lesser evil. The choice that let some of them remain free. “Stop. Please. I don’t want to remember.”
“Jannike.” Camryn’s voice gentled. “Don’t you see? This is something that would be good for you. If you end up as queen, you would make a fine one. Fair and compassionate. You’re brave and fearless, calm under stress. You have such a big heart.”
“No.” Jannike bounded to her feet, sending the small table and the platter of remaining snacks flying. “I’m a slave from a poor fam
ily. I don’t possess the right qualities. People will laugh. Rumors will start. The House of the Cat will become a joke because of me.” She spun around, intent on fleeing to the privacy of her assigned chamber.
“Jannike.” Lynx stood in the doorway, blocking her escape, Shiloh at his side.
To her mortification, Jarlath and Ellard had heard her outburst too.
“Excuse me.” She tried to make herself small enough to squeeze past her mates.
“Jannike.” Shiloh spoke this time as he moved to block her exit. He reached for her hand, his warmth a balm to her bruised soul. “We’ll go for a walk, so we can talk in private.”
“Take the flymo,” Keira said. “It’s a nice eve. I’ll get Hilda to pack a basket for you and you can take your meal in the clearing by the pool.”
“I know the one you mean,” Lynx said. “A good idea.”
Jannike found herself packed onto the flymo—a chubby gray utility vehicle that appeared to be used for shifting cargo and people around the city—and in short order she was disembarking in a clearing surrounded by trees on three sides and a pool on the other.
“Pretty.” It was all she could force past the lump in her throat.
“Want to go for a run?” Lynx asked.
“Yes.” It beat an uncomfortable talk. Some of the tension faded from her shoulders. She started to strip. “I picture my feline in my mind and the shift begins.” At Lynx’s nod, she took off the last of her clothes and stood naked in the clearing with her eyes closed. Her skin prickled both inside and out, heating uncomfortably until she had to bite down on her bottom lip to stem a cry. She felt a bursting, a rush of pleasure that morphed into pain.
She cried out but it was too late. The shift was on her. Horrid popping sounds filled her ears. A sharp prickle opened her eyes and she saw long vicious claws digging into what was left of her humanoid thigh. Scents burst upon her. Trees. Grass. Water. A hint of some sort of animal.
Jannike dropped down onto her newly grown legs. A black tail flicked across her nose. A feline grunt filled her ears as the two males flanked her, and sudden joy bubbled up, the stress of her cycle pushed to the far recesses of her mind.
They ran and jumped and played until Jannike’s sides heaved and thirst drove her to the pond to take a drink. Lynx and Shiloh shifted and waited while she focused to effect the change.
“I’m starving,” Shiloh said. “Let’s eat.”
The meal was delicious, although she had no idea of the identity of most of the foods. She lay back on the blanket Hilda had given them and stared up at the trees and the dappled patterns created by the beam of the solar-star.
“You’re not that scared child any longer, Jannike,” Lynx said.
Jannike bolted upright and reached for her tunic. She pulled it over her head, feeling better for the protection of the fabric. “Maybe not.” Damn Camryn for slicing open her scars, exposing her inner wounds for Lynx and Shiloh to see. “I don’t want to listen.” She scrambled to her feet and reached for her trews. More protection.
Shiloh snagged her hand. “Don’t run. It’s what Lynx and I have done for all these years. The problems don’t go away. You just pretend they’re gone. We heard what Camryn said. All of it.”
“Camryn was right. Out of all the women we’ve met over the years there is no one better qualified to rule as queen of the House of the Cats. You’re a feline and you have two incredibly strong and clever mates.”
“Don’t forget handsome,” Shiloh said. “We’re both extremely good looking.”
Jannike tugged her hand free. “This isn’t a joke.”
“No,” Lynx said. “You’re brave and intelligent. You have a good heart because you know what it’s like to be treated like bull crap. You fight for your beliefs. You would champion the people—all the people who live in the city whether feline or not. You have trusted friends to help you. All you need to do is ask.”
“This isn’t a natural fit for me either,” Shiloh said. “The locals know us as young, spoilt felines who were always causing trouble. Although my family have always guarded the king and his family, we don’t come from wealth. Not like Lynx.” Shiloh paused, as if ordering his thoughts. “My point is we can all learn together. You saw the people in the city, those in the castle. From what Jarlath said they’ll accept us as rulers as long as we present a confident, united front. That’s if the council vote for the changes. Jarlath believes they will. He spoke to most of them earlier.”
“It’s not going to be easy,” Lynx said, taking over. “We’re not pretending that. My mother can be a real bitch. I hear Keira has felt the lash of her insults, but the people who live in the city—they’re the ones who need our help. You could show them how effective a good queen can be.”
Jannike sank back onto the blanket. “What if I make a mess of this? I have no idea what a queen does. I own one dress.”
“One more than I own,” Lynx said.
She cuffed him on the shoulder. “This isn’t funny.”
“What Lynx is trying to say is we think we should stay here for at least half a rotation. It will give us all a chance to relax and grow into the position. If you don’t want to stay after that, we’ll come up with another plan to suit all of us.” Shiloh tugged on her hand again until she leaned against his chest. “We can set the rules. That’s what we’re saying.”
“If this vote thing goes through, would we have to live in the castle?”
“Yes, but there’s no reason why your friends can’t stay there too. There is plenty of room. Kaya can slide down the bannisters as much as she likes. Gweneth would have a chance to woo Ellard.” Lynx winked. “We can give everyone a job and pay them. All we’re asking is to give this a chance. None of us should consider fleeing until half a rotation passes. What do you say?”
“Make up the queen rules,” Shiloh whispered in her ear. “This sort of opportunity doesn’t come along for people like us. What the phrull does it matter if you came from a poor family or that I don’t have aristocratic breeding? We caught Lynx without possessing wealth or prestige. He loves us for who we are, not for where we came from.”
The words resonated with Jannike, made her realize she was still letting the widow win in a warped kind of way. She sucked in a deep breath and let it ease out nice and slow, then she turned in Shiloh’s arms in order to see her felines. “I love you both very much. This will be difficult, but if the council votes to change the constitution, I’ll try for at least half a rotation.” She pulled a face. “Though I’m telling you now. I won’t do tea parties or play nice with upper-class ladies, not the ones who gawked at us today. I’ll need a project, and I’d like it if you could find jobs for our friends—if they want to stay.”
“Deal,” Lynx said, his eyes glowing a feline green as he bent closer to kiss her. “You’d better start the timepiece because Jarlath is convinced the vote will pass.”
“I’d like the same deal, King Lynx,” Shiloh said. “No tea parties with prissy ladies. I had to suffer through enough of those as a kitten.”
“Deal, but, Duke, if you call me king again, we’re going to have a fistfight.”
Shiloh growled, an affronted sound that made Jannike smile. She had no idea what the future held—not a true idea—but suddenly the unknown didn’t scare her in the same way. She had two sexy mates. She had friends. She had a purpose.
“Instead of a fight, why don’t you employ your energies in other directions?” she asked and stood to remove the clothes she’d hastily donned earlier. Jannike strolled toward her felines, putting a sway into her step. Their attention zeroed in on her as she sank onto the blanket beside them. “We should celebrate our social elevation in private. I’ve heard that sex is a good remedy for stress, an excellent way to celebrate.”
“She is exquisite,” Shiloh said.
“You won’t get an argument from me.” Lynx pressed a kiss to Jannike’s back.
The solar-star continued to shine through the trees, casting dappled shadows
on the ground and their entangled limbs as they kissed and caressed and made love.
The perfect way to seal their private deal of love and togetherness.
The perfect way to step into the future.
Just perfect.
THE END
Would you like to read more? Turn the page to read an excerpt of Interplanetary Love or check out one of the other books from my back list. And don’t forget, you can keep up with future releases by joining my newsletter.
About Shelley Munro
Shelley Munro is tall and curvaceous with blue eyes and a smile that turns masculine heads everywhere she goes. She’s a university tutor and an explorer/treasure hunter during her vacations. Skilled with weapons and combat, she is currently in talks with a producer about a television series based on her world adventures.
Shelley is also a writer blessed with a VERY vivid imagination and lives with her own hero and a rambunctious puppy in New Zealand. She writes erotic romance in the contemporary, paranormal and historical genres and has several self-published titles. You can learn more about Shelley and her books at her website, or keep up to date by joining her newsletter. You might even find her lurking at Facebook or Twitter.
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Excerpt – Interplanetary Love
Copyright 2015 Shelley Munro
Warning: This book contains a tongue-in-cheek plot, a little purple-tinged prose and a man-part named Rajah. You have been warned.
Continent A, Earth, the future
Music rippled through the Starlight nightclub—the latest addition to Earth mogul Tee’s string of on-planet entertainment ventures. The urbane male singer crooned of romance and enticed lovers to take to the dance floor and smooch.
“Let’s dance, babe.”
Carly Abercombie sighed and aimed an obligatory smile at her date, Graham. Her grimace must have done the trick because he grinned and seized her hand in response. She trotted after him on her ice-pick heels and let him draw her closer on the dance floor.
Seized & Seduced Page 29
