Caging the Bengal Tiger

by Trinity Blacio

  "Thank you." She reached up and kissed the bottom of his chin. "Ready?" She turned to Maya and she nodded.

  "I will celebrate for a year straight when that asshole is dead," Maya grumbled as the three of them moved towards Sally’s room with two of their males behind them and two in front of them.

  At the room, Akaos turned to them. "There is no one in there for now, but I'm going to slip in behind you three until you inform her what is going on. Then the others can come in, so we don't scare her," Akaos explained, and they all nodded before Lacey tapped on the door.

  "Sally, do you want some visitors?" Lacey asked, poking her head inside and almost went down on her knees. Their friend couldn't even talk. She had a tube down her throat, but Sally did wave them in. Her eyes watered, and machines beeped all around her.

  Looking behind her, Isaac nodded. "Go on, we are looking for my brother now. If anyone can help her, it will be him. I love you, Lacey," Isaac said, not caring who heard.

  "Love you too, Master," she winked at him, earning a growl as she pushed into the room. "So do you have a board to write on?" Lacey asked, going around to the other side of the bed and picking up the one Sally indicated to. "You do know you are in serious trouble with us right? Didn't I personally give you my phone number, and I know for a fact Maya did also," Lacey pointed her finger at her, before leaning over and kissing the top of her forehead.

  "You should have called, Sally. No need to be alone like this," she whispered and stood back as Maya leaned over and hugged her softly.

  "Lacey's right. I'm hurt. I thought we were close friends." Maya looked down at the board and nodded to it.

  On the board she had written. Phone stolen two weeks ago. So happy to see you two. Who is with you?

  Maya pulled Dee to her side. "This is my daughter. I explained to you what I am, remember?"

  Sally nodded and wrote. Beautiful and looks like you.

  "Thank you and it's great to meet you. The man behind you is one of my mom's mates. The other men are waiting outside. We need to discuss a few things with you. Do you mind if they come in? It's for our protection and yours. Our enemy can appear in a room without notice," Dee explained as she wiped the board clear for Sally.

  Have them come in by all means and yes, I'm aware you are all cat shifters, right? Sally asked and Lacey nodded.

  "Well, we're a little more now. The men that are coming in now are warriors. They are like cops that travel from different worlds and yes they are immortal." Lacey leaned down. "So are we now." Lacey took her other hand drawing her attention. "Sweetie, we believe one of our enemies might have made you sick or did something to you. We should have known better then to friend you without some kind of protection." Lacey looked at Maya, who nodded.

  "We have a lot to discuss, but for now we are here to see if we can help you. Who has your kids?" Maya asked.

  Mom, how do you think you can help me? She looked from Maya to Lacey.

  Feeling warm hands wrap around her waist, Lacey smiled and looked back at Isaac. "Sally, this is Isaac, one of my mates. Yes, there are more. In their world, there are three men to one woman. Their family unit is called a Kith and Isaac is the head of our family."

  Very gently, Isaac leaned over and placed a kiss on Sally's head. "It's good to meet you, Sally. As you can see, Lacey here is very worried about you so it's my job to take that worry away. I have our... here we go. Sally the man that just came in is my little brother, Lark. On our world he is known sort of like your physician. Lark, glad you could join us. This is Sally. We believe she might have been compromised by Koti."

  "It's a pleasure to meet you, Sally. I'm afraid I don't have any of my instruments with me since I came right here, but let me see what I can find out and we'll go from there." Lark took her hand and jerked. He glanced down at her, than at Isaac. "This can't be right. Isaac I need to see you outside. Excuse me Sweetie, I'll be right back," Lark said, scanning her from head to toe before stepping out into the hallway with Talhrn.

  Why was he looking at me like that? And who was the other one that went out with them? Sally wrote on her board.

  "That other man was one of my mates. He also happens to be kind of like their king. God, I hate saying that," Dee said, rolling her eyes. "And if I'm not mistaken, Lark was looking at you like a male looks at any beautiful woman.”

  With a shake of her head, Sally wrote. Please, look at me. I have a damn tube in my throat and I'm a mess. Her eyes closed.

  "We're tiring you out here. You rest while we figure this out. Don't worry. We're not leaving till we get you healed," Lacey said taking the board and pen away from Sally.

  Her eyes popped open, glaring at her. "Yes, I know there is no cure for cancer, but if we think this idiot who is following us around did something to you, we might be able to help you. Maybe it isn't cancer, but something he brought from another world. You see that is what Lark specializes in. Now rest and don't worry."

  Sally pointed to the stand beside the bed. When Lacey looked down she noticed an envelope with her name on it.

  "You want me to read this?" Lacey asked, picking up the envelope. Sally nodded, closing her eyes again.

  Not liking the way this was going, she looked up at Anthony and at once he came to her. "Go on, open it. I'm right here," Anthony said, hugging her from behind.

  "We're all here," Maya reached over Sally and squeezed her hand, but Sally covered both of their hands squeezing. Before the machines started beeping, her hand fell from theirs and she had a seizure right there in front of them.

  "No," Lacey cried as Lark rushed back into the room with a medical team as Anthony pulled Lacey out of the room with the others. Tears rolled down her face. "They have to save her."

  ***

  The tears running down her face, and the whisper of her words as she turned away from them all clutching the letter to her chest had Isaac wishing he could take away the pain from their meru. A strong hand landed on his shoulder. Dan stood next to him. "We all wish it. I've never seen anyone stronger then these women. Come, let’s be there for her," Dan said softly, waiting for him to take the lead.

  "If there is one thing I am grateful for it’s that for the last few years I know you were close to her, watching out for her, them. Thank you."

  Akaos came up next to Dan and nodded. "My brother is right. You and your family have done much for our women. You should be proud of what you have accomplished. But Dan is right, she needs you all with her now, especially if..." he looked at the door they had just come from. No words were necessary.

  Their brother's meru was behind that door trying to survive, how she was his neither of them knew. Talhrn, their king said nothing as he leaned against the wall, holding Dee. Maya was wrapped in Warden's arms while Anthony stood beside their female. The woman, Sally, didn't have cancer from what Lark could tell, but something brought to this world to make it look like cancer. Eventually it would kill her if they didn't find a way to stop it.

  Hearing paper tear, Isaac walked over to Lacey. Dan was next to him and they surrounded her with their presence, waiting.

  "Dear Lacey, I didn't know how to get hold of you, but I knew my mom would find you for me. I don't have anyone close enough that knows my children as you do." Lacey stopped reading the story and took a deep breath as fresh tears rolled down onto the paper in her trembling hands.

  "She has to live, she has to..." Lacey whispered and looked back down at the paper. "I love my mother, but she is just getting too old to raise my little monsters and well, I'm sure you've heard of what happened with the last jerk of my life. Between you and Maya, I know they'll be safe. Thank you for being there for me Lacey, and believing in me. You are the bigger sister I never had, but please remember you are just as lovable as I am. Love you too, Sally."

  "Catch her," Hong-Danty yelled before her knees gave out, the letter floated to the floor and her eyes rolled back in her head as she shook in some kind of tremor. "Lark," he yelled rushing her into Sally's room with Dan a
nd Anthony right behind them.

  He laid her on the bed next to Sally's as Lacey's whole body shook. "What is this?" He held her down, trying to keep her from hurting herself.

  "Damn it!" Lark started barking orders and doctors flew into the room and out the door. "Get the other woman in here now. They are not to leave this room. I need my equipment." Lark pushed him a side and injected Lacey with something. "This will stop the seizures, but only for a little while."

  He looked at the men as Maya and Dee pushed into the room. "I need someone to see if the room next to these are empty. If they're not, move the patients. We’re going to need these rooms. Isaac, you are closet with father, I need my equipment. I have no idea what he's done with it."

  "I've brought it with me," their dad came through the door with their mother right behind them.

  "Keep mom out of here. She can't touch anything around here," Lark snapped. "Whatever this is, it's going to attack the women." Lark ordered and his father pushed his mother out of the room.

  "Do you have any idea what it is? Lacey’s pregnant. Lark, all of our women are." He said, sitting on the bed with Lacey's head in his lap. He wanted to tear the hospital apart, he was so angry and desperate. Dan moved to the other side of the bed and took her hand.

  "She can't leave us, Isaac. We just got her." Dan whispered, and jerked when Akaos started shouting as Maya dropped to the ground, followed by Dee.

  There is no one in the room to our right. Bring Dee and Maya, put them in the beds," Lark grabbed two more needles and injected both of them. "They'll sleep and the medicine won't hurt the babies, but I don't know if this parasite will." Lark ran out the door to retrieve his equipment.

  "Do you really believe your brother is the only one who can help us? I hate to say this, but I wish we would have forbid them to come here," Anthony said, looking at Sally sleep.

  "We knew the possibility that this could happen. Do we keep everyone locked up, afraid? No, our women would not want this or tolerate it, you know this." Isaac laughed. "Hell, Lacey would kick our asses."

  "You're not kidding. I've seen her when she's mad. You do not want a pissed off tiger coming at you," Dan said looking at Anthony.

  "I know you're both right, but still seeing her there fighting for her life and there’s nothing we can do? You know he planned this. He's going after your brother and will hurt anyone now. The hunted has turn things around."

  "Ina is working on healing your female from the inside. The baby is safe, Ina has it surrounded and nothing will get inside of it. Even the tiger is wrapped around the baby." Hong-Danty announced to him and the others.

  "Does she know what it is? If we knew what it is, we might be able to help," Isaac asked.

  "Your brother was right. It’s a parasite. Ina believes it comes from the Mine Providence.," His bonded told him and at once Dan was out the door looking for his brother.

  "Thank you, that’s a great start. My brother should be able to help now." Isaac only hoped that was enough information for Lark. He wanted to see the sparkle in Lacey's eyes again, hear her laughter and know she safe. He leaned down and kissed the top of her head. "Going to eat our egg, were you?" he whispered. "You know I'll tease you now, Lacey."

  A squeeze, Isaac could have sworn Lacey squeezed his hand. He looked to Anthony. "I think she can hear us."

  "Okay, I've gone through everything I have on the Mine Providence," Lark said, carrying his portable skaxis. “There are only two things on that planet that could even start to do the damage that has been done to Sally and one just is too large to go undetected. No, it's the other parasite, but more." His brother sat next to Sally where he placed her hand into the machine and allowed it to draw blood and skin samples while scanning inside her body.

  "We have a problem," Hong-Danty said.

  "What is it now? Lark has identified the parasite. We should have a cure soon," Isaac looked down at Lacey and frowned. "Lark, why is Lacey barely breathing? Did that medicine have some kind of reaction with her?"

  "That is the problem, the women are gone. Ina, Lacey, her cat, all of them. Their bodies are there but their souls have been drawn to another place and I don't know where." Even for his bonded, Hong was panicking and so was he.

  Isaac jumped off the bed and looked over at Sally. Sure enough, she too was almost dead. He looked up at Anthony and he ran out of the room and come back nodding. "The women are the same and Talhrn is furious. He's opened the link personally to the Tetraheroes. Isaac, all our women are shells." Anthony knelt down next to Lacey's bed as Dan hovered at the foot of her bed.

  The room shook, a high pitched squeal made Isaac grab his head and dropped to his knees as did everyone else in the room. "What the hell is happening?" He growled and scanned around, looking for an enemy but found nothing, before everything turned black.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Opening her eyes slowly, Lacey scanned around the room. She was not in the hospital bed where Isaac had placed her. Lifting her arm up, Lacey realized her body wasn't even with her. She was floating free of everything. "Well, shit, did I finally die?" she mumbled and jumped when someone replied to her.

  "If you died, then so did I, and I'm going to be really pissed off." Lacey recognized Maya's voice coming out of the shadows, her form a blob. "What the hell happened to us?" she asked.

  "I know one thing, Talhrn is going to be furious and we don't want him to be furious. Last time this happened the Tetraheroes were called in," Maya's daughter’s voice came in from the other direction.

  "Lacey, Maya, where are you? I can hear you, but I can't see anything. Stupid fog." Sally was there with them.

  "Follow our voices, Sally. She has to have something in her for this to be happening with us." Lacey glanced over at Maya's blob.

  "That’s what I was thinking. Sally, your mom ever tell you anything about your past? Anything about her parents and their parents?" Maya asked, watching another blob of bluish-green smoke moved towards them.

  If they had no bodies to speak of, their thoughts had to be projecting out. "You’re correct, Lacey. Even I'm stuck here in this world or wherever we are, and that’s not a good thing. Like Dee's husband, my mate will not be pleased and others will be notified," Ina said, coming in to the group.

  "I'm afraid you were pulled along with the other females and for that, I am very sorry." Something that looked like a man moved forward, but what had all five of them moving backwards was the one next to him, smiling?

  "Randle!" Maya hissed and Lacey knew something big was going to happen this night or day or whatever time it was.

  "Relax, dear ladies. I've allowed my mate to call you forth to personally apologize for all the harm he has done in your life. If I would have found him sooner, maybe I could have stopped all the needless killing. My name is Hunter Galefiend and I am King of Mine Providence."

  "As your people would say Lacey, we are in deep shit. This man is as powerful as the Tetraheroes. It's one of the reasons he stays on his world," Ina hissed.

  "I'm afraid your friend is right. I agreed to stay on this side of the world, away from the Tetraheroes. It's one of the reason's I've allowed you to be called forward. I wanted you to know you will not have to search anymore." The king placed his tentacle-hand on Koti's shoulder and squeezed, making Randle drop to his knees before them.

  "What are you doing? You told me we were mates?" Koti pleaded.

  "And we are, but before we join, we are going to try and make matters right. You have almost singly-handedly killed off an entire species. Even I don't agree with that." The king looked behind him and nodded. "Good, your King Talhrn is here with one of the Tetraheroes. Things will be handled properly now."

  Coming out of the fog, Talhrn appeared and some other being next to him scanned the surroundings. "I thought you said my queen was here?" Talhrn asked.

  "Her soul is over there with the other women. Please allow me to explain." King Galefiend said, pointing to them.

  On some level she was reliev
ed, but on another terrified. A bigger war was about to start, one that Lacey knew no one would win.

  "You are quite right, Princess Lacey. There would be no winner if the Tetraheroes and I were to battle, only death. This is why I will bring some kind of piece to your women, Talhrn." He looked down at Koti. "Once Koti is mated with me, he will not be able to leave this realm. He won't be able to do any more harm to you and yours. His powers will be stripped and he will be the one to carry my children."

  She gasped as did the other women, but then they all started laughing. "Oh my God! There is no way he's going to last through childbirth if they have kids like we do," Sally squeaked.

  Even the king smiled. "We do have children a little differently than humans, but rest assured, it’s not pain free. Sally, I bet you are confused about how you could even be here? Let me explain. The only way you could have been exposed to this parasite is that you have some sort of DNA like that of the women here. This was only to affect them, no one else. If I'm not mistaken, you carry the gene passed down through your mother. Talk to her, it has to be strong in you for you to be here, but rest assured all of you will be fine."

  The being next to Talhrn moved closer to the king. "I made sure they're children would not be effected by this. They have suffered enough from my mate’s carelessness." Hunter bowed before the entry.

  "I give you my word he will not hurt anyone again, that you can rest assured, he will be kept under hand. I allowed them to come here to reassure each of them and maybe give something back." He turned away from the being. "Queen Dee, you have suffered much at your father's hands. For that alone, I have given you a gift. You carry two eggs inside you, but the soul inside your extra egg is one you have seen before. She has been waiting for you, for the right time to come. Hope will be born again."