Leopard Moon

by Jeanette Battista

  She watched Sek right himself. He stared at her, cat to cat. She saw him get lower on his legs, a sure sign he was going to attack. She braced herself, watching for the twitch of those back legs that would signal his leap.

  His legs launched him into the air, but it wasn't at her. He went for Cormac. Kess saw Alaric shove his son out of the way before he rolled in the opposite direction. Kess was already moving, but Sek was fast. She didn't think, just let fear and adrenaline propel her forward, bounding closer with every second.

  Sek landed lightly and jumped again, claws out and jaws open, still focused on Cormac. Cormac was trying to get out of his way but he was wounded. He'd never be fast enough to dodge. Alaric and the others were already moving, but Sek was closer. They'd listened to her and stayed human, counting on her to handle her brother and prevent a war neither side wanted. She had to win.

  Kess cut a hard right and flung herself at her brother, slamming into his side. Sek's throat was right above her shoulder. She latched onto it, jaws locking down like a vise. He struggled to break her hold, but nothing short of her death was going to make her let go of him until she was ready.

  His claws slashed at her. She raked his stomach with her back claws. More blood scent filled the cold air. Kess could feel him weakening beneath her. His body was moving sluggishly. She still hung on. Sek whined deep in the back of his throat, a pitiful sound, before finally going limp beneath her.

  She let go. His heartbeat was faint in her ears, but still there. Kess stared at the sad, broken heap of fur before her. As much as she hated him, he was her brother. She wouldn't kill him. She wouldn't have that on her conscience too.

  She limped over to where Cormac was sprawled and nudged him with her head, rubbing her cheek against him. He put his hand on the side of her neck, rubbing the strong muscles. He was alive, though the silver knife had done a number on him. His grey eyes were glassy but he gave her a weak grin. She huffed a breath at him in return.

  Kess faced the other wereleopards. The two younger ones were snarling, their faces morphing and becoming more catlike as she watched. She drew her lips back in a hiss that bared bloody fangs. She slid forward, giving herself plenty of room to move.

  "ENOUGH!" Bomani's deep voice shattered the quiet. He stepped in front of Kess, facing the other two wereleopards. "She has defeated Sekhmet in a fair challenge. You will not attack the new head of the clan."

  Kess blinked. The two wereleopards returned to normal, their usually impassive faces stunned. She hadn't fought Sek for control of the clan--that hadn't been her intent at all. She didn't want it. But apparently, she had it now.

  She changed back into her human form. She could see steam rising from her skin where the cold air hit it. Bomani inclined his head towards her, almost in deference. "You defeated him in single combat."

  "For Cormac’s life. We fought over that and nothing else." She tried to keep the panic out of her voice. How could she get out of this?

  "It still stands. The clan is yours." Bomani looked almost pleased.

  No. Absolutely not. She had no desire to go back to Miami, to live a life plotted out for her. She would make her own life, and she wanted to make it here. She looked from Bomani to the still form of her brother. He wouldn't let her go, not really. He'd be back if she tried to stay. Unless…

  "I don't want it." When Bomani opened his mouth to protest, she held up her hand. "But I will take it, on two conditions. The first: that a proxy holds the clan in my absence. Bomani, that's you." He shook his head angrily. "It has to be you. Sek can be a figurehead for all I care or you can lock him in the basement, but you will be my voice while I'm gone. Because I'm staying here. I want to go to college, to have a life."

  Bomani frowned. "This is not the way things are done."

  Kess ignored him. "Second: he is never to contact me again. The clan is to keep him away from me at all times. If I see him near me or mine again, I will not be so forgiving."

  "And if we don't agree to this?"

  Kess made her voice hard and cold, like black ice. "He dies now and I send you packing back down to Miami. And you'll tear each other apart trying to figure out who gets to be the next clan leader until nobody's left to hold the territory." She held Bomani's gaze with a steely one of her own, putting every ounce of strength she had into it.

  Slowly, he nodded. "You give us little choice. Agreed."

  Kess didn't relax, even though her bluff had worked. "Swear it. All of you."

  "By rite of challenge, we swear to these conditions," Bomani intoned in his powerful voice. He looked at the wereleopard to his left and inclined his head, indicating it was the young man's turn to speak.

  "I swear it."

  Bomani looked to the wereleopard on his right and inclined his head once more. "I swear as well."

  "It is done." Bomani gestured for the two men to pick up Sek's unconscious form. Then he turned back to Kess. His eyes were intense when he looked at her. "The clan is yours by right any time you want it. That cannot be undone. Do not forget it."

  She nodded. "Get him out of here."

  The three turned and left, carrying Sek between them.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

  Cormac awoke to see that he was in his old bedroom at the Lodge. A fire had burned down to embers in the fireplace and he lay in a bed the size of some small countries. He checked the clock on the bedside table—it read a little before four a.m. His chest still stung underneath the clean white bandages that encased him from neck to navel. The silver cuts were going to take a long time to heal. He was just grateful that it hadn’t been worse.

  He tried to sit up a little against the massive quantities of pillows and bolsters then gave it up when they sank beneath his weight. He looked to his left and saw Kess curled in the club chair by the fireplace, head pillowed on her arms. He stared at her, pleased to see her face unlined by worry in sleep. She deserved some peace.

  Cormac was debating about getting out of bed and moving her to a more comfortable position when the door to his room opened, letting light from the hallway spill inside. His father, massive against the doorframe, stood there staring at his son. "Good to see you awake," he said in a voice pitched low to avoid waking the girl. "Your mother wanted me to check on you."

  "I’m okay, I think," he answered, trying to read his father’s expression in the dim light. "How’s everyone else?"

  Alaric closed the door behind him and took a seat at the end of the bed. "Your mother is none too pleased, I’ll tell you that. But Burke and Finn are fine. Burke saw the cats down off the mountain and out of town. Griff didn’t run into any problems either with the boy that was holding her." He nodded towards Kess’ sleeping form. "And she seems to be just fine." He held up his hand to quiet his son when Cormac opened his mouth. "She was so dead-set on guarding you that your mother had to drop a posset in her tea just to make that girl get some rest."

  His father stood up and stretched. "As if anything could get into the compound unless we wanted it to," Alaric added, grinning down at his son. "Wereleopards or not."

  "She knows what they’re capable of better than we do," Cormac warned.

  "Because she’s capable of it herself." Cormac started to push himself up, but his father waved him back with a lazy hand. "I’m not saying anything against Kess. She proved herself tonight--you don’t fight for someone like that unless you really love them." He looked like he wanted to say something more, then stopped and said instead, "Get some rest, Cormac. There’s plenty to go over when it’s daylight."

  The door had just closed behind Alaric when he heard Kess say, "I knew the tea was drugged, you know."

  He turned to watch her stretch out against the arm of the chair, lithe muscles along her arms flexing and bunching. She finished her stretch and settled back. She’d gotten cleaned up and wore a t-shirt and sweat pants at least two sizes too big for her. Her damp hair gleamed in the dull light of the fire. "Mom does that to everyone at least once. It practically means you’
re family." He smiled at her. "Would you come over here and get in bed, please?"

  She stood up, raking hair out of her face. "I should go. I was only staying until I knew you were okay. Which you clearly are if you are trying to get me into bed with you." He made a face at her and she laughed. Then her face grew serious again. "I think it's better if I go."

  Cormac sighed. "You are going to make me get out of this bed and come get you, aren’t you?" He sat up, wincing as the stitches pulled uncomfortably. "It is not better if you go. I want you here where you are safe and I want you with me and I don’t care who thinks it’s better if you go. I don’t. Now get in the damn bed!" He flipped back the covers.

  Kess slunk to the bed, eyes downcast. "You are so bossy for an invalid," she complained as she slid in beside him.

  "Oh great, and you’re freezing too." He pulled her into him and felt her stiffen. He relaxed his hold but didn’t let go. He nuzzled her hair, breathing in the magic scent of her. This felt right. He waited until she had relaxed against him before he tightened his arm around her, pulling her close to him. He wanted to feel every inch of her against him. He could feel the padding of bandages on her from her fight with Sek. He rubbed her back in slow circles until the last of the tension left her and she was warm and pliant in his arms.

  She faced him, tracing his cheek and jaw with gentle fingers, ghosting over the bruises and cuts her brethren had inflicted. Her eyes were heavy lidded, the gold a soft glow beneath heavy lashes. "You sure you didn’t drink that tea?" he asked, amused to see her zoned.

  "Mmmhhhmmm," she murmured. "I flushed it down the toilet. It smelled funny." Cormac barked out a laugh. Everyone did that. He wondered why his mother even tried anymore. He watched Kess' head drop back, her neck a long graceful expanse of white against the darkness of her hair. His chest constricted and he pressed his lips against her neck, hearing her sigh softly as she arched against his mouth.

  "That feels nice," she whispered. "You have about a million years to stop." Her eyes had slipped closed. He moved to try and reach more of her, but grunted in pain as the cuts on his chest and back protested.

  Kess’ eyes flew open at the sound. She sat up, putting space between them. Cormac lay back with a defeated sigh. "Invalid, huh?"

  Kess snuggled into the crook of his shoulder, careful not to disturb his wounds. In a husky voice, she said in his ear, "Don’t worry. I’ll give you a sponge bath tomorrow." Cormac laughed again, kissing the top of her head. She was soon fast asleep.

  It took Cormac a little longer and a lot more time spent thinking about baseball and juggling kittens.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT

  It was late in the morning when Kess walked down the stairs beside Cormac, watching him carefully for any sign of a misstep. He seemed to be doing okay, though he still moved slowly from the silver wounds Sek had inflicted. He'd told her those would take longer to heal than normal. The bruises were already fading from his face and body, his were-healing handling the worst of the damage. Even the raw spots on his neck from where the collar had drawn blood were healing up nicely.

  He must have sensed her looking at him, because he looked over and smiled at her. "I'm not going to keel over, you know. You can relax."

  She was trying to come up with a clever retort when they entered the living room to find Burke, Griff, and Finn arrayed on various couches, inhaling omelets. They called out greetings to the two of them. Cormac settled himself next to Burke, and Kess caught the slight grimace he made as his stitches pulled. She looked around for Alaric and Emmeline, but didn't see them although she caught the sound of pans and dishes rattling from back in the kitchen.

  "Hey Kess," Finn called around a mouthful of food, "some pretty fancy moves you pulled out last night. Impressive."

  "Didn't know I had it in me?" she asked, trying to sound lighthearted and for the most part succeeded. "So no more cat jokes?"

  "Now I never said that," he replied, shoving another forkful of food in his mouth, then giving her a smile around cheeks stuffed full like a squirrel's.

  Emmeline and Alaric joined them, each carrying two plates and silverware. Alaric handed one to his son, while Emmeline gave one to Kess. As she did so, she whispered, "Thank you."

  Kess looked at her strangely, not understanding. Emmeline smiled and clarified. "For my son."

  She dropped her eyes, unsure what to say. It was because of her that he'd been hurt in the first place. "I'm sorry," Kess said, eyes on her food. "It was my fault."

  "Nonsense," Emmeline said briskly, giving her an encouraging smile. "Eat your breakfast."

  Kess took a seat beside Cormac. He grinned at her before attacking his breakfast. Everyone ate in silence for a few minutes. Then Alaric spoke. "The cats are gone," he said without preamble.

  "We're sure?" Cormac asked, glancing at her. He was still worried for her, even if she was not.

  Griff nodded. "Both cars left last night--we followed them down the mountain and out of town. And from what I heard, that boy is in no shape to be threatening anybody. I'm betting they'll stay gone too, if I'm reading the situation right." They all turned to look at Kess and she flushed under the scrutiny.

  "They should," she answered after a few moments. "Bomani won't allow Sek back here and neither will the clan. They swore to keep him away from me. And they don't take oaths like that lightly."

  "Do we have to worry about retaliation?" Alaric asked her.

  She shook her head slowly, trying to work it out in her mind. "No. Sek may be my proxy, but I guess I'm still the clan leader. And they aren't a big enough clan to spread out over two fronts, especially with the home territory vulnerable. It's part of why I made sure to tell you all not to interfere last night unless it was in defense of Cormac. I didn't want to give them a reason to come back for you."

  Alaric inclined his head, as if in thanks. "So we're in the clear?" Finn asked.

  "Looks that way," Burke responded, putting his empty plate on the floor and stretching out on the sofa. "Now what?"

  Kess saw Griff and Alaric exchange a look. They may say it was over, but it appeared the Alpha and the Beta were not going to take any chances. Cormac also seemed to pick up on it because he nudged her leg with his. She avoided his eyes and took a bite of her omelet. It was delicious, but anything Emmeline made usually was.

  Griff answered his son. "We do what we've always done. We protect our own."

  Cormac put his plate down and wrapped an arm around Kess, drawing her close. But Kess stared at Alaric, who was watching her with clouded eyes. Finally, they seemed to clear and he gave her a small nod. She returned the gesture, a feeling of relief running through her. While he may never accept her like Griff and Burke and Finn had, by that gesture he had offered her something she hadn't ever expected. Wordlessly, he'd said, Welcome to the pack.

  She sank back into the cushions of the couch, sliding her arms around Cormac's waist. It was more than she ever could have hoped for when she left Miami years ago. Yet here she sat, feeling like she'd been granted everything her heart desired.

  Kess felt Cormac's hand beneath her chin and she looked up into those cool grey eyes, like the clouds that gathered before sudden summer storms from her childhood. "Welcome home," he breathed. She lightly pressed her mouth to his in the briefest of kisses, still shy in front of his family, then snuggled into his embrace.

  Yes, she thought to herself. I think I finally am.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE

  Sekhmet burned, awash in fever sweat. He lay huddled in his huge bed, covers over his head to block out the world. He had not left his bedroom since they'd returned from the mountains of North Carolina. Without her.

  His wounds were slow to heal. He could speak again—not that he wanted to—his injured throat repairing itself. His stomach and chest would hold thick scars eventually, but right now they were a mess of deep lacerations and barely closed gashes. She'd come very close to eviscerating him--a little deeper and his guts would have spilled out. Sek almost w
ished she had.

  She wasn't coming back. Not to him. Kess was fooling herself if she thought she wasn't as ruthless as the rest of them. It would have been kinder to kill him.

  Bomani had a doctor and nurses brought in to tend him. He tolerated their interruptions, but he really wanted nothing more than to be left alone. He was a wounded animal; he wanted to hole up and lick his hurts and ignore the outside world. Unfortunately, such things were not possible. He knew he would need to get up soon and put on a brave show for the clan and any outsiders watching for weakness. He would need all of his strength to salvage his clan's position and power.

  But for right now, he wanted to lay in the darkness and remember his sister now that she was well and truly lost to him.

  CHAPTER FORTY

  The winter had passed, releasing its snowy hold on the mountains slowly. Kess wasn't sorry to see it go, even though it meant rainy days as spring tried to get itself together enough to make the flowers bloom. It also meant warmer days and nights and she and Cormac were taking advantage of it. She changed more frequently now, no longer trying to keep that side of herself on a leash. She no longer felt it was an all or nothing proposition. She was learning balance.

  She'd noticed a difference in how Alaric treated her too. He referred to her by name now, and not just when she was around. He seemed to have come to an understanding with his son and Kess found her presence around him accepted and even welcomed, rather than merely tolerated for Cormac's sake. She didn't want to push her luck, but she liked to think she'd proven just how much his son meant to her, and that it was enough to satisfy the pack Alpha.

  Her eighteenth birthday had come and gone with little fanfare. Cormac had asked her what she'd wanted to do for it and she had wanted to spend it with him, with no fanfare or party or gifts. She was pretty sure she had everything she could want for right now.