CAT SHIFTERS OF AAIDAR: ENDINGS

by Laney Kaye

  “You can’t come with me,” I said softly, tenderly. For a long time, this woman had been my only friend. My confidant.

  My conscience.

  Crossing the small room to my bed, I picked up the bag I’d left there earlier.

  “I be going with you,” she said sharply. “You not decide.”

  I sighed heavily. “I won’t let you come.”

  “You have no say.” She pressed her palm to her heart. “Understand. You need me.”

  “I can do this alone.” My hand dropped to the hilt of my blade. Warm, as if it sensed my intentions and approved.

  At that moment, Jag appeared in the open doorway.

  My knife heated further.

  Dressed in snug leather pants and a light tan beetric hide tunic, he’d tied the cords of a dark brown cloak around his neck. He strode into the room like a breath of cool air on a hot summer’s day.

  I resisted my urge to greet him. Wrap myself around him. Drag him down onto my bed, despite Terra’s presence. He might look like Tracin, but to me, he was all Jag.

  “You ready to go?” he asked. His gaze slid to Terra, and he quirked one eyebrow. “Should I come back?”

  “No.” I looped my bag on my shoulder. “I’m ready to leave.” Knowing I would never see her again, I stopped in front of Terra and kissed her cheek. I would’ve hugged her, but I knew she wouldn’t let me.

  She watched us silently as we left, her lips a thin slash on her face as the door slid shut behind us.

  I caught up with Jag, and we strode toward the southern extremity of the fortress. The Resistance had a secret entrance there, deep in a crevice at the top of the cliff. Below, a rough pillion track wove back and forth around boulders and through dense scruff, exiting at the desert floor.

  “We’re going to have to talk. Soon,” Jag said.

  I drove my gaze away from his. If I maintained eye contact, he’d see my secrets. “There’s nothing much to say, really.”

  “What was the deal with that kiss? You gonna tell me it meant nothing, it was spur of the moment? Couldn’t control your desire for me?” He paused and studied me, while I fidgeted.

  It seemed like he wanted me to confirm that it had been a mistake. I opened my mouth, determined to insist the kiss hadn’t meant a damn thing to me, but I couldn’t.

  Because maybe I’d be lying.

  “We don’t have time for this,” I said, raking my fingers through my cropped hair.

  He grabbed my sleeve when I started to charge away. “We’ll make time. For what we both want out of this, at any rate.” Pulling me close, he pressed me against the wall, and his rich scent filled my senses. I wanted to close my eyes and drink him in, but I didn’t dare.

  Needing this man would only lead to heartbreak.

  “We can’t,” I said firmly, as if I was still in control of this situation.

  He proved me wrong, like every time we came together. His lips trailed from my collarbone to my neck, and heat pooled between my legs. When his mouth slid along my jawline to my ear, I moaned.

  Think. Don’t just feel!

  “We shouldn’t.” I pushed out the words in a harsh whisper.

  “I know. You’re right. This is so fucked up. But, dammit, I can’t help myself.” His mouth took mine, soft and gentle. A kiss so quick, I could almost pretend it hadn’t happened.

  My heart wasn’t as good as my mind at pretending.

  He pulled back, his brow furrowed, his deep blue eyes narrowed in puzzlement. “We’ll work this out,” he said. “I promise.”

  “We have a job to do,” I said. “That’s it.” And, if I saw this through as intended, there would never be a time for us. My breath hitched at the thought. “You don’t know me,” I almost shouted.

  It would be wrong to let him know what I planned to do.

  I didn’t want to hurt him.

  I could handle a Jag who wanted a quick toss on the bed. A moment that meant nothing. But this Jag…This man who might be swayed by the potent hormones of the bond into believing he actually wanted it? That scared me.

  He didn’t release me immediately, staring down at me. His callused fingers traced my jaw. “You’re right. I don’t know you. But maybe I want to.”

  “We’ve got to go,” I said.

  He dropped his hand and waved for me to proceed him into the main cave chamber leading to the cliffs. We remained silent as we strode together through the dark, damp cavern. Light bloomed ahead. Late afternoon daylight. So welcome. I hadn’t realized until now how the endless darkness sucked away my soul. A harsh wind blew through the cave, dry from the desert, carrying with it a sweet, dusty, earthy smell. For a moment, I stopped and took it in. Savored it.

  But the others were waiting for us. Ahead, someone cleared their throat.

  I walked forward with Jag by my side.

  When we reached the entrance, I studied my friends.

  Janie clung to Leo, and by the tremble of her lips, she barely held in her sobs.

  Maya stood beside Herc, and I could tell she was trying to remain stoic. But fear blazed on her face.

  She’d assumed command of the Resistance when she believed her older sister was dead. When Lyrie arrived, Maya acted as if she was happy to step back into the shadows and let Lyrie take charge. But now, that solid, refined, competent woman had fled, replaced by a woman who feared for the life of the man she loved.

  Jag and I weren’t the only ones risking ourselves to infiltrate the Regime. They all were.

  The Resistance planned to create a distraction by attacking the Regime army surrounding the front of the headquarters. Occupied, there was less chance they’d catch us sneaking out the back. We’d travel until dawn, then rest during the day.

  “Wait.” Lyrie emerged from the tunnel behind us, Khal at her side. She stopped to hug Jag. “Come back safe,” she said, ruffling his hair. “We need that communicator, but we need you more.”

  He gripped her forearms and shot her a cocky grin. “I’ll do my best.”

  Khal slapped Jag’s shoulder, then gave him a brief hug. “Make it quick, or I’m coming after you.”

  Knowing how difficult it would be for him to return to the compound, this told me, more than the concern on his face, how much Jag meant to him.

  Jag nodded.

  “Aren,” Khal said, rubbing my arm. “Take care.”

  “Thanks.”

  Assuming our goodbyes were finished, I turned to leave, but Lyrie tapped my shoulder, and I faced her. “I want you to be careful, too, Aren. We also need you.”

  Stunned, I reeled backward, as if a viper, not a lean, strong woman stood before me.

  “Gods speed,” she added, her lips giving a brief curve upward.

  Unable to speak, I could only nod. This woman might not hate me, after all. Had I misjudged her?

  Perhaps, when she looked at me, she saw her past in my future.

  These women read me too easily. I could only hope Jag could not do the same.

  Herc and Maya were locked together when I passed them. Janie and Leo, too. I hated that we needed them to do this job. I’d rather they stayed here, where it was safe.

  But, really, was any place safe when the Regime was determined to exterminate us all?

  The ground shook suddenly, and we all gaped at each other.

  “Is that the diversion?” I asked, staring toward the ceiling, where dust trickled down through the light.

  “Maybe,” Lyrie said, her usually steady voice tight. “They could be retaliating.”

  Khal turned away slightly and spoke into his com. “Fuck,” he said, once he faced us again. “This is the real deal.”

  “We’re under attack?” Maya nearly shouted. Her urgent gaze sought Herc’s. “It’s not safe for you to leave.”

  Dull thuds rang out, and more dirt fell from the ceiling.

  “No choice,” Herc said grimly, brushing grit from his arm. “We need that communicator more than ever.”

  “We’ll get in, steal it,
and get out fast,” Jag said, shifting his pack on his shoulder. “Once Leo cracks it and sends the message, we’ll return and join in the battle.”

  “You’ll hold them off for a few days,” Herc said to Khal. A command, not a question.

  “No choice.” The ground shook again, and Khal narrowed his gaze, as if seeking inward. “That’ll be the catapults.” The Regime had adopted the old weapons of the mostly peaceful Glians, to use alongside their high-tech lasers and drones. “We knew it was only a matter of time.”

  “Let’s head out,” Jag said, urgency lifting his voice.

  Hurrying out from under the overhang that protected and hid this entrance into the Resistance stronghold, I gazed up at the command tower recessed into the hillside.

  The others rushed up behind me, packs on their backs.

  Herc made a signal and, after a pause, the guard called down, “All clear.”

  The sirdar gate creaked, creating a narrow opening for us to pass through. I started forward, impatient to scale the cliff and head for the compound. Never thought I’d be eager to return to that dreadful place, but, if the Resistance—and my people—were to survive, we needed that com.

  “I’ll be back before you miss me,” Herc said to Maya, full confidence in his voice. Not because he thought this would be easy, but because he must not want to worry her further. Bad enough she’d remain behind, without his protection during an attack. But her heart would be torn in two while he raced across the desert. Her fingers pinched his shirt, and she rose up onto her toes to give him one last kiss.

  Leo cupped Janie’s face, rained kisses on her cheeks and eyelids, and whispered soft words of love, telling her to hold his words close, that he’d move a planet if that was what it took to return to her. And to avoid the topside, now that the Regime was determined to break through the Resistance barriers. Tears streaked down her face as he sped toward me.

  Hustling through the gate, we four eased out into the sunshine, scanning the vicinity for hidden danger. Traveling during daylight carried immense risk, but we had no choice. Each moment could make a difference between defeating the Regime army and the death of everyone we loved.

  I yanked my hood up and over my face. I’d be sweating underneath my cloak in minutes, but I needed to protect my skin from the rays.

  By the time we reached the bottom of the cliffs, my thighs burned from exertion, and my feet ached. The distance wasn’t far, but it was steep, and the footing was uneven. It had only been days, but I’d become soft while hiding behind the Resistance walls. I used to be able to walk for days without tiring.

  Endless booms sounded and smoke billowed up into the air. I could only hope the walls would hold, at least until the guys could get back to lend their expertise to the battle.

  Pings on a boulder nearby were followed by sharp cracks.

  I jolted, my heart thudding like a pillion racing from a flock of broad-winged screes.

  “Shooter!” the guard shouted. “Drone! Quarter click away, at eleven-o-clock. Coming in fast!”

  Jag dove onto me, taking me to the ground beneath him.

  “Stay down,” he said hoarsely, lifting his head only slightly, peering around.

  Shit. Had they discovered us leaving already?

  Laser fire erupted from the top of the cliff, and a whine, followed by a dull thump, suggested someone had taken out the drone.

  We had to leave. Run. Hide.

  Herc jumped to his feet and stripped fast. “The second I shift, Jag, climb on.” He signaled to the cliff, telling them he was okay, but when he turned to Leo, his breath caught. “Hells, man.”

  I rose shakily, but had to grab onto Jag to keep from falling to the ground.

  Leo stared down to where his hand was pressed against his abdomen. Red streamed around his fingers and dripped onto the sand in a widening pool.

  At Herc’s signal, someone hollered and started down the cliff.

  “I’ll carry you both,” Herc said to me and Jag. In seconds, an enormous liger stood in front of me, a growl rumbling in his throat. He stared toward the sky, but nothing was coming for us. Not yet.

  Jag jumped up onto Herc’s back, and extended his hand to me. “Come on!”

  “But Leo,” I said, starting toward my friend. I couldn’t abandon him here. He needed me.

  “Leave him to Janie,” Jag said as I hesitated.

  “But—”

  “He’ll be okay.”

  Biting my lower lip, I reached up to Jag.

  He took my forearm, and pulled me up to sit in front of him. “Leo will have to catch up with us later,” he said as Herc darted across the sand. “After he heals.”

  Assuming he healed.

  Chapter Seven

  Jag

  Aren hunched forward, clutching Herc’s tiger-striped fur, her knees tucked in behind his massive shoulders.

  The percussion of the detonations behind us made the ground shudder beneath Herc’s paws. I twisted around to look back, trying to gauge the extent of the Regime’s commitment to the attack. Although plumes of smoke rose into the blue sky, slicing across the red sun, the barrage was intermittent, the explosions followed by pauses, punctuated by the screams of the wounded and dying.

  Hells, I hoped Aren’s hearing wasn’t as good as mine.

  Her knuckles white, she tried to look over my shoulder.

  I shook my head and nudged my chin forward. No point looking back. I’d never fled a battle before, never left my brothers in danger. But I had to trust in Herc’s strategy and Khal’s expertise. And Aren had to trust them, too.

  “The Regime isn’t fully engaged. They weren’t prepared for the attack, or the fusillade would be continuous. They’d be slamming everything they had into that mountain, to take down the walls.”

  She slanted her eyes up at me, but looked disbelieving.

  “Tennant’s been caught unprepared by Khal’s attack. What you’re seeing is just a skirmish, retaliation. Don’t worry, Khal will have it all under control.” I hoped. With Spike’s death, Leo’s injury, and Herc carrying us, he was four cat shifters down. It’d take lot of men to make up that shortfall.

  “But Leo—”

  “Will be fine,” I assured her, tightening my grip as she almost lost her balance.

  She’d have been better off riding the Lionkin, able to wind her hands in his mane. But I had my calves securely wedged in the concave space between Herc’s thigh muscle and flank, gripping his sides tight with my legs. No way would I let my bondmate, temporary or otherwise, fall.

  Hell, what was with that or otherwise thought? Temporary was the only way this deal was happening.

  Though, if I hadn’t been Jaguarkin, and had been prone to the mating instinct, Aren would have made a halfway decent mate. Smart, feisty, and sexy as all hells. If a woman was ever going to be a match for a Jag…

  I shook my head, trying to work the ridiculous notion free. We had a mission to complete, and I wouldn’t be a decent operative if I allowed my concerns to steal my focus. “We’ve all taken worse hits than that. Leo will need a day to recuperate, then he can follow us out. I’m sure the Doc will be all over him. He’ll get more care than a cat needs.” I’d not missed the way Janie clung to her mate when they parted; she wouldn’t complain about having her lover safe for one more night.

  Aren nodded but didn’t speak, ducking her chin to her chest as the wind seared us, the sun sneaking through any little gap in our clothing to roast our flesh on our bones. I grunted in surprise at the burn on my newly pale skin, and pulled my hood closer to cover the ridiculous ears I’d only given the briefest glance. Bad enough I was whiter than a dead luberfish; reddened ears wouldn’t make me feel any more confident in my new look.

  I suppressed the growl that rose in my chest, and reached forward to tweak Aren’s sleeves to cover the backs of her hands, though, embedded in Herc’s fur, they were partially protected from the afternoon sun.

  Herc settled into a long, loping stride, taking us due nort
h, heading into a land of towering dunes.

  As he labored up the side of each shifting mountain, his pads spread wide to disperse the load, the loose sand consumed his massive feet, dragging his legs deep so that he was forced to slow, each step a laborious effort.

  The wind keened around the rounded sculptures of sand, drowning the sounds of battle. It seemed the Resistance had managed to draw the Regime’s attention from us. Maybe the drone had been a renegade, or a solo unit patterned to do a more extensive sweep than the regular patrols. Whatever, the bastard thing was good and dead now, and I couldn’t hear any other incoming. Of course, even though my damned ridiculous ears were huge, there was no guarantee they could hear as good as my regular ones, which retained Felidaekin abilities even in human form.

  After four hours, the terrain changed to a plain of craggy outcrops and broken rocks scattered across the baking sands, as though childish gods had thrown a tantrum, strewing their toys on the ground. Far behind us, the smoke plumes still fouled the sky above the distant mountain range that hid the Resistance headquarters.

  Damn, I hoped the Regime hadn’t forced an entrance into the stronghold, that the smoke wasn’t a funeral pyre.

  As Aren became accustomed to the loose, rolling motion of Herc’s ground-eating pace, the tight set of her shoulders relaxed and her white-knuckled grip eased.

  I edged closer, drawing her between my splayed thighs, encouraging her to rest her back against my chest. My chin nestled into the junction of her shoulder and neck, and I pressed my lips to the sensitive spot. The spot it seemed no man had touched before me. Not that I was exulting in that fact. Well, not too much, anyway.

  “Aren,” I murmured. Stupid. I had nothing to say. I just wanted her to acknowledge my presence. Hells, every inch of this woman was virgin territory, yet she’d willingly given herself to me, in front of my brothers. Sure, she’d tried to pull back a bit in the corridor afterward, to dismiss the connection and regain her tough facade. But she’d not been able to bring herself to claim the kiss that’d shocked through both of us meant nothing.