King Attor’s father had suffered the folly of mating with one woman. She had died when Attor was born, and the old king never recovered enough to breed with more women for sons. Although he took women to his bed, he left Attor without any brothers to help lead the Var nation. So, when Attor took over the throne, he became reliant on a few nobles, like Lord Myrddin, the traitor who’d tried to kill Falke.
It was King Attor who encouraged men to have control, to drink nef, a drink that somehow calmed them sexually and gave them restraint. Falke had no need of the drink. His mother, Taura, was half Roane, and that heritage gave him all the restraint he needed. Each Prince had different mothers, except for Reid and Jarek, the twins. Jarek was out exploring space and hadn’t been home in a long while.
King Attor urged the Var men to demonstrate their worth and dependability with emotionless detachment. He taught by example, that to prove great prowess in the bedroom showed prowess in the field of battle, until strength in one meant strength in the other. Many of the elders followed King Attor’s example and took many half mates though none as many as the king. Life mates were a privilege of the lower classes—tradesmen, farmers, even hunters and lower ranked soldiers, all men who could ill afford to keep many mates on a planet so barren of women in the first place. However, because Falke was the commander, he was expected to adhere to this old way of thinking more than the others. If he were to fall in love, which he doubted would ever happen, it would be disastrous to his family’s reputation, especially amongst the elders. It would make the House of Var look weak.
Running faster, Falke pushed the limits of his healing wounds. By fighting the pain and pushing his body, he would be able to generate the energy he needed to heal himself. Listening to the wind, he tried to clear his mind. He’d been too contemplative of late. He didn’t like feeling lost, and the dreams that haunted him only made the feelings worse. He was tired and didn’t want to think about any of it anymore. The loneliness would always be there. No matter what he did or thought, he knew he was destined to be alone.
3
Sam pushed the gigantic leaf out of her way, as she stumbled over a fallen log. Blinking several times, she squinted in the hazy light. Wasn’t it supposed to be night time on this side of the planet? She was pretty sure they’d calculated it correctly, well, the computer would’ve calculated it right. They were too drunk to be calculating anything themselves. Thank the stars for autopilot. She looked down at her locator, scanning for life forms of any kind.
Just then, Lucien ran by. His pale, naked body streaked through the huge forest, as his male pride bounced for all to see. Sam shook with laughter. She was sure she’d never seen anything as funny as his milky white backside running through the trees. Then Evan’s naked form whizzed past her, his butt much more muscular.
“Come on, Captain,” he yelled, as he disappeared behind a tree.
“I’m not stripping for you two,” Sam called behind him, jogging forward to see where they went. She shook her head, still laughing. “Nice try, space cadet!”
“Hey, Sam, look,” Evan said, his voice quieting. “Lucien’s found something.”
“What is it?” she whispered, though her loud voice could hardly be considered a whisper. But, then again, neither could Evan’s.
“Shh,” Lucien hissed, waving his hands back for silence. “I’m tracking our wild, ferocious beast.”
Sam turned her attention to where Lucien was pointing. She bit her lips to keep from laughing. It was a beautiful bird with bright blue feathers. Its long tail swooped down like a legendary phoenix. With its little beak, it was anything but ferocious.
“Evan,” Sam whispered, laughing. When he didn’t immediately turn, she said louder, “Evan!”
“What?” he asked, glancing at her with a cocky grin.
“Where are your clothes?” Sam gave his naked body a glance.
For a moment, Evan looked confused, as if he’d forgotten he was naked. His glassy eyes blinked slowly and then he shrugged. He checked himself out and then shot her another, cockier grin. His eyebrows rose high on his forehead. Laughing, he shrugged again, and snickered, “I don’t remember.”
“Would you two shut it?” Lucien said really loud, placing his hands on his hips to glare at them. The bird was startled by his harsh voice and flew away. His lips twitched, and he fought to sound stern, saying, “See what you made me do? The killer blue bird is gone. There goes our wild beast.”
Evan and Sam laughed harder still, and Lucien soon joined them. Sam was pretty sure they’d finally lost it, whatever it was, and that was if they even had it to begin with. They nearly fell all over themselves, as they gasped for breath.
“What in the blazing star trails are we doing here?” Evan asked, shaking his head in wonder at their stupidity.
“I don’t know,” Sam answered, sniffing back tears of laughter. “Whose bright idea was this anyway?”
Both men looked at her with pointed expressions.
“Oh,” she chuckled. “Oops. Anyone know the way back to the space pod?”
“Yeah, I got the locator,” Lucien said, looking down at his naked waist. He felt around as if he could find it. His drunken laughter started up again. “On my belt.”
“Got a locator for your pants?” Sam asked.
Laughter was her only answer. Sam grabbed her sides. They were starting to ache. Then, her stomach growled. She’d forgotten she was hungry and hadn’t brought any food along on the little trip.
“Crap, so help me if we’re stuck here,” Evan began, shaking his fist at Lucien. It was too funny. None of them was sober enough to care that they might be stranded on an uncharted alien planet. Besides, it wouldn’t be the first time that had happened. Somehow, they always managed to get out of their little scrapes.
“Did someone leave a note for the crew telling them where we are at?” Sam asked.
Evan and Lucien both shook their head, mumbling in turn, “No.”
“Okay, then, let’s go track some wild pants! They couldn’t have walked far,” Sam said, looking around and heading in the direction of where she was pretty sure they’d just come. Lucien, who had an inborn sense of direction, stopped her by clearing his throat. When she looked at him, he pointed the opposite way. “Okay, then. Let’s go. Move it out, troops!”
Sam navigated her way in the direction Lucien indicated, using their tracks in the red dirt as a guide through the forest. She kept her head down, trying to concentrate on where she was stepping.
“We should check around,” Lucien said.
Sam and Evan stopped to look at him.
“For proof that we were here,” he clarified. “We can’t go back empty handed.”
“Uh, guys,” Evan said.
“Grab a leaf.” Sam motioned to the tree.
“Guys,” Evan repeated.
“Will that be enough?” Lucien asked.
“Uh, gu-uys!” Evan whispered, his voice coming out an insistent hiss.
“What?” they both asked at once.
“How ‘bout we take that?” Evan whispered, frozen in what looked like stunned fear. He wasn’t moving, except for his eyes.
Sam felt her heart stop just by looking at her second-in-command’s pale face. Slowly, she turned on her heels, following Evan’s gaze. Lucien gasped lightly, the only sound in the forest. Everything seemed to have gotten deadly quiet. Then, a low growl started, rumbling just as her eyes turned to the large white creature looming before them. Whatever it was, it looked angry. Sam gulped. And hungry. It looked very hungry.
“What is it?” Lucien whispered.
“I…I don’t know,” Sam answered. She tried to stop her hands from shaking. The thing had sharp teeth poking from his powerful mouth. The rumbling didn’t stop.
“I think it’s a tiger species of some sort,” Evan said. “I saw some of Rick’s pictures once. They’re big, wild cats. But, um, we’re not on Old Earth. How would a thing like that get here?”
Sam had never seen
anything like it. Well, come to think of it, the creature did kind of look like a cat she’d seen once in a New Earth petting facility but was nearly fifty times as big as that little thing. Her body shook, and she moved toward it, mesmerized by the fierce blue of its eyes. Her fingers twitched, numbingly reaching out as if she could pet it.
“Sam, what are you doing? Get the tranq!” Evan whispered, jolting her back to reality.
“I don’t have them,” Sam said, having a difficult time concentrating. She was shaken by the apparent fierceness of the beast, but she was also strangely drawn to it. Its eyes looked into hers and, despite its mean growl, she wanted to trust that it wouldn’t hurt her.
“They’re on your waist,” Evan whispered.
Sam felt like slapping her head. Of course they were. She reached down and slowly took the tranquilizer dart gun off her belt. The beast watched her every move. Suddenly, Lucien screamed and made a threatening motion. The tiger’s attention was drawn to him at the sound, breaking out of the trance that had it fixated on the captain. Sam sprung into action, a little slow in her drunken state, but the reflex was so ingrained she didn’t need to think. Instantly, she shot off three darts. They hit the animal in the neck and side.
The beast roared angrily and charged, leaping onto Sam’s shoulders so fast she could barely react. She stared up, terrified, into the large mouthful of sharpened teeth. The tiger had every chance to bite her but didn’t. It merely pressed its weight into hers, angling its face so it could stare into her eyes.
The tiger’s lids drooped, and she was aware of Lucien and Evan screaming for her, as they kicked the beast in the ribs. Her lungs squeezed, she managed a harsh, “Don’t. It’s out.”
Instantly, they stopped kicking.
“Are you all right?” Evan stood over her, looking down.
“Captain, are you hurt?” Lucien asked at the same time.
“Heavy,” she gasped. They pushed the weight off her, and she could again breathe. Shaking, they pulled her to her feet. For a long time, they stared at the fallen creature in silence.
“Blessed stars, it’s huge,” Lucien swore under his breath.
“Sam, your shirt. Are you hurt?” Evan pointed at the rip in her sleeve.
Sam reached for it, and her fingers came back with blood. She didn’t feel anything, though. “No, it’s fine. The wound is a little one. It will be gone by morning. I’m more worried about my back. This thing weighs more than a Groto boulder.”
Evan nodded in understanding.
“Why didn’t it attack?” Sam whispered, leaning over to study the animal. Her brain felt as if she was underwater. Her shaking fingers touched his soft white and black fur. “It had me. It could’ve torn out my throat before it went down.”
“Do we leave it?” Lucien asked, reaching to stroke the animal’s back, feeling it for himself.
“Hell, no,” Evan exclaimed, growing excited. “Look at this thing. We need a wild beast. You aren’t going to get wilder than that. With this thing, we’ll win the contest for sure.”
Sam felt a momentary wave of regret, but she attributed it to liquor. Her crew would never forgive her if she let this tiger go. Even on Old Earth, such creatures were rare. Her head swam, reminding her just how much they’d had to drink. Her body started to wind down, and she knew if she didn’t find her bed soon, she’d be passing out where she stood.
“I’ve got the darts,” Sam said. “I’ll stay with the capture. You two, go get those clothes and a lift. We’ll never get this out of here on our own.”
“Where are we going to put it?” Evan asked. Sam frowned. They didn’t exactly have a prison hold. The old one had been transformed into a room for Dev. He liked sleeping away from the others and wouldn’t take kindly to sharing his room with a wild animal.
“I’ve got that cage in my room. We’ll stick it in there. He won’t be able to get out.” Sam sighed. Her head was beginning to throb. “Get going.”
Evan and Lucien took off running. She watched their steps weave back and forth, unable to tell if it was her vision or if they were stumbling. Blinking, she looked down at her hand. Her vision blurred as it had been doing all night, and she closed her eyes to steady it. The soft fur called to her and she laid her head on the animal’s side. Its strong even breath and the sound of the steady heartbeat comforted her. Her fingers absently twined into the back of his head. Absently, she petted the creature, rubbing her face in its softness.
“Sam, we got it.”
Sam lifted her head, having no idea how much time had passed. She blinked, seeing Evan. Slowly, she nodded and pushed to her feet. “Good. Let’s go home.”
4
Falke blinked. His vision was blurred by the effects of the dart. He knew what it was because his father had done it to him before in training. He felt sleepy, dizzy, and a little nauseous on top of that. He recalled running through the forest, stopping as he heard a noise. Curious, he had followed the sounds of laughter. Two naked men, one pale and one tan, were with a woman.
Seeing naked men running about wasn’t an unusual sight for the commander. Being shifters, they lost their clothes whenever they changed form. There had been many nights they’d chased the enemy, only to be left naked in the middle of the great forest. What was unusual was to see naked men who were not shifters. Falke had picked up their scent instantly and knew they were alien to his homeland. Their language had confirmed that they were humans, or at least raised as humanoids.
At first, he could only see the woman’s backside. She’d worn tight black pants that hugged firmly to her slender waist and hips. Her butt was lifted, toned from much exercise, even though she was small. She had blonde hair, cut to her shoulders as if hacked at with a knife, leaving choppy waves. Then, at the men’s insistent whispering, the woman had turned around to face him. Her scent was different, soft, sweet, almost sugary. She had swayed on her feet, and he’d wondered if it was fear that caused it.
When Falke saw her face, his heart had nearly stopped beating. She was beautiful. The blonde hair had a streak of purple through the bangs. It had fallen forward over her face, partially hiding her round violet eyes. He was sure he’d never seen eyes quite that color before. He was captivated by them and couldn’t look away. She had blinked, and he’d got the sense that she meant him no harm.
Sacred cats, was his intuition off. One of the men started yelling, and the accursed gwobr had actually shot him. He’d attacked her, pouncing out of pure animal instinct. He’d felt her soft skin beneath his paws. His jaw had opened, ready to tear the throat from her neck. Then, he’d looked into her eyes again and hadn’t been able to harm her.
Blinking again, Falke brought his mind to the present and looked around the strange room. The woman’s scent was still lingering in his head. He snorted, lifting the bulky weight of his shoulders. The effects of the drug, combined with the fact that he was sore and stiff to begin with, didn’t help and he fell back onto his front paws.
As his vision cleared, he looked around. He was in a cage and at first he suspected Myrddin’s son, Lord Andras, of kidnapping him to finish what his father had started. Falke and his brothers had no proof that Andras was like his father, and were reluctant to judge him by the actions of Lord Myrddin, just as they didn’t want to be judged for King Attor’s deeds. That didn’t mean Falke trusted the boy completely.
By small degrees, he was able to take in more of his surroundings. The light was dim, but his Var eyes didn’t need it to see. His vision cut through the darkness with ease. He’d seen Myrddin’s dungeons firsthand, and this wasn’t them. The walls were constructed of metal, smooth, silver and undecorated. A low rectangular bed was set next to one wall, and he could see wrist manacles hanging from the wall where a headboard should’ve been. The metal chains were draped like material, starting in the center only to be pulled one to each side and left hanging.
Metal drawers were along one wall, as well as a mirror. There were two narrow doors next to the dresser. A contro
l panel was on the side. Through the mirror, he saw the reflection of what was behind him. It looked as if the cage was in the center of the room on a platform. He was too groggy to lift his head, but he made out the corner edge of what looked like a red and black couch.
If he didn’t know better, he’d say he was in a spaceship. Remembering the three wobbling strangers, he realized that was entirely possible. But, what would three aliens want with him? Unless Andras had paid them to kidnap him? Or perhaps the Draig? Was the dragon-shifters’ truce for peace just a front? Did they think that kidnapping a Var prince, and the commander, would aid them in an attack?
Anger and fear for his people curled in his gut. He felt helpless, unable to find out what was going on. Letting his limbs tingle with the familiar sensation of a shift, he started to draw his body into human form. Claws sank into his fingers and toes. His eyes filled in with subtle shades of dark brown, hiding the blue.
“Ahh, crap!”
The words were soft, followed by the sound of someone tripping over their own feet. Falke stopped, reversing his shift to stay as a tiger. It was the female from the forest who spoke, only her voice was softer than before and not as happy.
“Damn. My head,” she grumbled under her breath. “I’m never buying anything off a Lophibian smuggler again. That damned whiskey had to be tainted.”
Falke stayed still, watching her stumble before the cage, clutching her temples. She didn’t pay attention to him as she passed by his line of vision. He turned his head to watch her and began to shift again so that he may demand what she wanted with him in his human voice.
The woman whimpered, soft and weak, as she struggled to remove her tight black shirt. Falke stopped morphing back into cat form once more. A thread of curious excitement curled in his blood. She stood with her side to him and, to his carnal pleasure, the shirt lifted above her head baring two very perfect breasts. A strange blue marking wound around her upper arm. It looked like writing, but he couldn’t be sure. As the shirt dropped to the floor, she lifted her hand and ran her fingers back through her hair. Yawning, she scratched under her armpit.
The Bound Prince Page 2
