He silently cursed himself for thinking of Paget but he couldn’t help himself. His scent had been conspicuously absent from the environment this evening which almost disappointed Damiano. He wondered if Paget was avoiding him and then wanted to kick himself since he knew Paget had every right to avoid him. He’d been horny as hell when they’d kissed; it had taken every bit of self-control he had not to drag Paget underneath his own body and claim his kitty the moment he’d held him in his arms. When they’d pulled away however, he could feel Paget quaking with fear.
He’d tried to tell himself it wasn’t his fault. His inner tiger wanted Paget… needed his mate. No one had ever told Damiano how do deal with a mate. Truthfully, he’d never thought about a mate other than how much he didn’t want one but when he’d met the feisty little kitten, all he wanted to do was kiss him, hold him, and do so much more. He wanted to sink inside his body and claim what was rightfully his. When his blood had heated and raced through his veins at their first touch, he’d realized that he’d been fooling himself all along. He couldn’t deny Paget. It would be like denying himself air.
“At least have more meat,” King Fain said. He snapped his fingers and a servant instantly appeared beside Damiano, kneeling as she offered up a silver plate piled with delicately cut pieces of sliced raw meat. Damiano smiled down at the beautiful young girl and she batted her thick lashes at him. She smelled fresh, not perfumed like some of the others who’d paraded through that night. Her medium brown eyes were almond shaped, lined with kohl, and her apple cheeks were rosy. When she smiled, her full lips thinned slightly, drawing back over perfect white teeth.
“Or perhaps you are hungry for some company, Primero,” the king drawled. “I’ve had that one. She has a particularly pleasing… talent… that simply must be experienced.” He chuckled.
All Damiano could think was how shitty it was that this pretty young thing was born into a servant class who were treated little better than slaves. She couldn’t be over sixteen and to think of the king sweating over her ripe young body, was something Dami definitely could live without. Still, the king thought that he was honoring his paladin primero by offering her up to him. He smiled at the girl and shook his head. She smiled back and moved away.
“Thank you, Your Majesty. But I need to run.” He patted his belly as he made the excuse to leave. “All of this exquisite food and hospitality has left me feeling fat and lethargic. If I’m going to be my best for you, I must shift and burn off some of this meal.”
“It’s not a bad idea. I wish I could go with you, Primero Satriale.” He glanced at Miruna who sat back on her heels, peeling a grape. She offered it to the king and he took it, popping it into his mouth. “But alas, palace business keeps me in tonight. I would like a hunt tomorrow though.”
“I look forward to seeing your beautiful hunting grounds, Your Majesty,” Damiano said diplomatically. Of course he would be going to the hunting grounds with the king. It was only one of his duties.
“I know you will enjoy them.” The king reached up and suddenly clapped his hands before turning back to Damiano with a sideways smirk. “But first, you will enjoy this.”
The music that had been playing in the background while they’d been dining switched to a sensuous beat. The curtain of beads at the side of the room was suddenly pushed aside as three people stepped into the room. They walked over to the king and bowed deeply before turning to Damiano and doing the same. The two women were dressed in orange silk bikini bottoms with see-through gauzy white shirts tied at their slender waists. The shirts fell open from slender necks to pierced belly buttons, exposing their voluptuous breasts, pink rouged nipples, and smooth tanned skin. One of the women was a blonde, the other a redhead. They were both exquisite. One tall, one short, both with waist-length hair that wound around their bodies as they glided into the room, they were tempting. Their shapely ass cheeks poked out of the thong-style bikinis.
The third person was male. He was naked except for a pair of short purple briefs that hugged his body tight, showing off his exquisite ass and impressive cock. His chest was smooth with golden hoops pierced through both dark brown nipples. His pectoral and abdominal muscles had been oiled and glistened under the candlelight in the room. Damiano couldn’t help himself. He stared openly at him, taking in the black kohl drawn around his gorgeous light blue eyes, framed by long dark eyelashes. His long ebony hair was silken and flowed around his shoulders in shiny waves, reminiscent of a midnight waterfall. His pouty full lips made Damiano want to kiss them to see if they tasted as good as they looked. If he hadn’t already met Paget, he surely would have coaxed the boy to his bed because his cock was half-hard and interested just gazing at him. Damiano’s emotions must have been written all over his face because the man smiled sensuously at him.
The two women moved to either side of the man and the three began to dance, swaying their bodies in sumptuously choreographed ripples that seemed to roll over them. Damiano sat mesmerized, knowing he shouldn’t be staring so hard at the dancers, knowing his mind should be focused on things outside the palace walls, yet unable to look away. They were stunning and sexy in a way he’d never seen before. He watched the delicate long fingers of the man’s hands, imagining how they’d feel dragging through his own hair or gripping his cock. He was as beautiful and delicate as Paget. Maybe that’s what he needed. I want to get lost in his body and forget I ever had a mate.
****
Paget peeked out from behind a curtain on the side of the banquet hall. The music had changed tempo a few minutes before and he realized almost immediately that the dancers he had chosen had finally entered the hall. He’d intentionally selected the most visually stunning man he’d ever laid eyes on… other than his mate of course. The man was little older than a boy but he had experience way beyond his nineteen years. Paget knew King Fain had lain with him and Miruna on more than one occasion. Since the boy was still welcome around the palace, Paget knew his performance in the bedroom must have pleased the king. He hoped Satriale would be equally distracted by the young slave who went by the name of Taryn.
At the moment, it seemed to be working. Satriale couldn’t take his eyes off the boy. The very fact that was true made Paget sick to his stomach. He’d deliberately selected Taryn with the hope that he would provide a distraction for his mate. I need him to forget I ever existed.
Pain sliced through Paget as he watched Taryn approach Satriale and put both hands on his shoulders. His hips continued their slow seductive thrusts as he danced for his mate. Satriale wore a passive expression on his face, seemingly fascinated with Taryn’s chest decorated with nipple rings. He was pretty. He was just what Paget wanted for his mate. When Satriale’s gaze dropped to Taryn’s swollen cock poking out of the skin-tight shorts he wore, Paget’s panther let out a low warning growl.
Paget dropped the curtain as he turned and ran away from the room. Tears spilled from his eyes and ran down his face. The animal inside him was scratching to get free. Paget needed to shift… right… fucking… now. What had he been thinking, offering Taryn to his mate? Just the thought of Satriale touching his glorious body had Paget dying inside.
****
Taryn’s focus was on him, Damiano knew it. He reached out a tentative hand and placed it on his shoulder. Immediately, the touch hurt. I don’t want him. He’s not my mate.
Yes, I do want him. I want this boy in my bed. I want to touch him. Damiano looked down the length of the dancer’s chest as he arched his back and did a slow dance for him. I wonder if he’ll arch his back when I enter him. Will my thrusts force him to come all over my chest? How will his gorgeous blue eyes look when he climaxes?
Damiano had to shake himself. He didn’t want this young boy. He wanted a lover with green eyes… he wanted his mate. He had to deny this slave. He wanted only one man even though his cock told him differently. The slave let go of his shoulders and pushed his hard cock closer to Damiano’s face. The boy moaned and Damiano looked up to glimpse his
expression where he found a mask of pure lust in his eyes. He ran his fingers through his own hair and Damiano watched the motion closely. He wasn’t terribly positive that he could resist the boy much longer. He was shocked when the slave moved up to him and straddled him, pushing his cock against Damiano’s hard on.
Damiano gritted his teeth. I need this. I need this so bad. He’s not Paget, you idiot! You need your mate!
The boy’s rigid cock slid sensuously against Damiano’s and he gritted his teeth, setting both hands on the boy’s hips as he looked him straight in the eye. It took everything he could manage to tighten his grip and lift the boy off him, setting him back on his unsteady feet. The burning at the tips of his fingers as he touched bare skin hurt like hell. Fuck that! Would he ever be able to touch another man now that he’d identified his mate? When he touched Paget, the burning was absent. That’s because you’re mated, jackass. Damiano watched the slave for a moment and then broke eye contact, moving him to the side as he looked past him to the king.
“I need to run and shift, Your Majesty.” Damiano stood up, forcing the beautiful boy to step back. He bowed to King Fain, knowing it was an insult not to take what the king offered. He was taking a chance. “Thank you so much for the incredible banquet. Do I have your leave?”
The king sat up, frowning as Miruna straightened herself. She frowned at Damiano as well.
“You don’t favor my gift to you?” the king asked, holding out a hand to the three dancers.
Damiano bowed low a second time. “Your Majesty. It isn’t that. I appreciate them more than I can ever say. The banquet has honored me deeply but I fear that I must let my tiger loose before I bed down for the evening. I want good rest so I am on my best game tomorrow, Your Majesty. I’ve asked Stevens to stay and guard you in the banquet hall.” He looked up as Stevens stepped out of the shadows and showed himself, bowing to the king and his councilor.
“You will guard me in my primero’s stead?” the king asked, looking at Stevens’s bowed head.
Stevens looked up. “Aye, Your Majesty. I and a dozen of your finest paladin whom Primero Satriale has positioned outside this room will remain on guard duty.”
The king sniffed and glanced back at Damiano. “Fine. It seems you’ve thought ahead. Go then.” He flicked his fingers toward the door. “Take your run and get your rest. We’ll expect you at the stables at dawn.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty.” Damiano bowed once again and then acknowledged Miruna with a tilt of his head before leaving the room.
“Did you hear that? He is a tiger,” Miruna whispered, thinking her words were out of Damiano’s earshot.
Unfortunately, either the king didn’t answer her or Damiano was too far away as he strode down the corridor past the paladin he’d set in place. He was pleased that Stevens had shown himself when he did. After what had happened with the dancer, he needed to run off steam as fast as he possibly could. Fucking Paget. He would have bet his life he was behind this if, for no other reason, than to throw him off his mate’s scent. I wish it were that easy, little kitten.
Chapter Twelve
C hino, Bennett, and Takemoto ran down the corridors toward the south exit of the building, passing several askari on the way. There weren’t any smiles in the hallways. Everyone seemed to be single-minded in their grief that their comrades in the control center had been attacked and slaughtered—not by a foreign enemy—but by one of their own.
Chino picked up on the scent of cat fur before they got to the door and by the time they reached it, several askari in cat form were gathered, waiting for them to arrive. Other askari were strapping breakaway Velcro holster harnesses to the backs of the shifted cats so they’d have their weapons when they shifted back to human. Chino, Bennett, and Takemoto had shifted and were being harnessed within moments of arriving at the door. Nearly six minutes had elapsed after Cleveland’s escape by the time Chino’s harness was tightened onto his huge golden panther body. Takemoto’s smaller jaguar form and Bennett’s even smaller lynx were similarly armed by the time they filed out into the warm desert air.
Just after midnight, Chino ran out into the darkness with the others, lifting his broad head so that he could catch any scent in the air. It was faint but the smell of fear and urgency was easy to pick up. He glanced at Takemoto and Bennett who both had glowing green circles around their eyes and nodded out toward the desert past the motor pool. Both cats nodded their heads and Chino turned to run. He could hear the padding of their paws behind him as he sprinted past the garage with four mechanic bays. Several askari were climbing into all-terrain vehicles but Chino knew he’d be just as fast in panther form as they were. Not only that, in shifted form, it would be easier to navigate over rocks or other obstacles, should they encounter them.
Cortez turned northwest, following the scent deep into the desert. In shifted form at night, Chino’s eyes were sharper than his human eyes in daylight. He could detect objects ahead of him with clarity at least a mile in the distance. He ran, following the scent as his ears tuned into the sound of the cats behind him and the ATVs picking up the rear. The sound of the motors in the quiet of the night was fainter than his own heartbeat which thudded in his ears.
Cleveland seemed to be headed toward a goal. He knew the compound had no other buildings than the ones at Base Camp and the training arena was in the opposite direction from where he and Dami had run that first night there. As far as Chino knew, Cleveland must be headed for a perimeter fence, perhaps the same one Nelson had breached to get to the road the night he’d accidentally hit the unfortunate askari with the Humvee.
As his eyes adjusted to the dark, Chino was able to make out the tracks of the panther they chased. They were smaller than his own but that was a given. There were very few cats whose paws were as large as Chino’s. He began to pant, keeping his sharp eyes peeled for movement in the distance. The scent of the panther ahead of him was growing stronger and it was tinged with panic now. For some reason, the scent made Chino even angrier than when he’d walked into that control room and witnessed the carnage of torn flesh and blood staining the walls and floor.
His own wounds had healed with his shift. They hadn’t been deep but the wound of seeing dead askari would stay in his heart much longer. Dami had sometimes kidded Chino about his soft heart, telling him that he was an amazing warrior but that he’d never advance in the paladin ranks if he second-guessed the inevitable kills that came with battle. Chino had tried his best to prove Dami wrong but each time he downed another man in battle, whether it be by claw, knife, incisors and jaw, or a gun, he mourned the need to do so. Things were different tonight. He’d seen the heartache on Bennett’s face as she cradled her dead friend in the control room. Tonight, Chino wanted revenge and he wanted it now.
They ran across barren open desert marked by scattered cactus and scrub for miles, Cleveland’s scent growing stronger as they went. The quarter moon gave off little light but out here in the wilderness, the stars shone like bright beacons, lighting up the land in every direction. Chino scanned the horizon, still listening to the padding of paws and huffing breaths of Takemoto and Bennett behind him. They’d long since lost the other askari who’d started out running with them and the sounds of the ATV motors were only a quiet buzz much farther behind them by now. That attested to their own large cat speed across the desert in shifted form. When a puff of dirt suddenly rose up from the hard-packed sand and dirt ahead, Chino knew they were almost upon the askari they sought.
Got you, Cleveland.
It was times like this when Chino wished he was in human form so that he could communicate to the two askari who ran with him but absent that, he could only hope that they’d have his back when he took down Askari Cleveland as he intended. He wanted to rip the man to shreds. The adrenaline pumping through his blood combined with Chino’s panther’s need to kill at the end of the hunt, made Cleveland’s chances of coming out of this in one piece a narrow possibility. Chino tried to slow his racing heart a
s his prey was almost within his reach but when he spotted him a hundred yards ahead, his mouth filled with saliva.
Chino cranked up his speed, digging his long claws into the sand as he ate up the distance between himself and the large cat, closing the distance to fifty yards in no time. He suddenly began to sense very real panic from the shifter in front of him. His scent had changed to from fear to utter panic and an emotion which he’d never expected. Why do I smell betrayal?
Had Cleveland been betrayed? What the fuck was going on here?
Chino redoubled his efforts, eating up the distance as he got closer and closer to the panther in front of him. The fact that he was about to bring down another cat shifter of his own race hit him then. It had happened before of course. With as many battles as he and Damiano had fought in the past, Chino had been forced to kill more than one of his own species. It never failed to leave a lump in his throat and a pit in his stomach for days afterward though. He knew bringing down this beautiful cousin of his would cause him grief, enemy or not.
When Chino was within twenty feet of the panther askari, he picked up on a whole new scent, one he’d smelled a million times before… resignation. He’s going to surrender.
Almost the moment the thought popped into Chino’s mind, he knew he’d won. He’d outrun the cat and they had him. No one else had to die tonight. Suddenly, Cleveland put on the brakes, skidding into the sand so hard that the air was filled with sand, dust, and a shower of tiny rocks. Chino dug his claws into the earth, coming to an almost immediate and surprising stop just as the panther shifted back to human.
“Stop! Don’t shoot! I give up,” Cleveland shouted.
The sound of more skidding rang out behind Chino just as he rolled through his own shift. He’d barely straightened to his full height when a gunshot rang out. To his utter shock, a bullet hole appeared in the center of Askari Cleveland’s forehead. The man’s mouth opened to a grimace as blood poured down over his nose even before his legs gave out beneath him and dropped his body to the desert floor with a resounding thud as he fell face forward. Chino stared for a split second before he was simultaneously reaching behind his back for his holster and pivoting to look behind him. What he saw shocked him to his very core as a second shot rang out.
The Tiger King (Paladin Shifters Book 1) Page 13
