by Lia Davis
We are bound.
For us drawn together,
Two become one.”
Almost as if she sensed the meaning and the words, she shuddered and took his hand.
Last time he waited for pomp and ceremony, but with Alyssa he wouldn't make the same mistake twice. According to Lykan law and some ancient tradition he only needed to say the vows to bind them and then make it publicly known in front of three elders. At times, doing the vow the old-fashioned way caused a flurry of activity while the male dragged the unsuspecting female to the public square to confess what he had done before anyone else got to her, and was used mostly for huge fanfare to begin a party.
He gave her a little tug and she turned, pressed her palm to his cheek and stood on her tiptoes to give him a soft, sweet kiss.
"We should get back." She yelled, though he heard her fine.
Hand in hand they left his little secret with a secret of his own. They retrieved their bowl then took their time making their way toward the ship.
Dusk had set in by the time they returned to the beach. Both a fire and Julian greeted them.
He rushed over but stopped short and held his arms out.
Alyssa bit her lip. Without pause she dashed to him and he encompassed her in his arms.
"I'm sorry." Julian kissed the top of her head.
"Julian." She leaned back and looked up at him. "We are all going to do what we were meant to do, and none of that includes wallowing or pity or sadness."
Porter crossed his arms, fighting the need to pull them apart. Soon enough Julian would back away from her as he spewed out the rhetoric to make her think him leaving would be the best thing for her and the world.
"There can't be any wallowing, pity or sadness, because you are going to be fine." With one fingertip Julian traced her lips.
Rather than arguing, she smiled.
"Let me ask you something truly important." Julian's hand snaked down to cup her bottom, giving it a slight squeeze.
He ground his teeth together.
Julian raised his eyebrows. "Did Porter kiss you while you were out on your explorations?"
By now she knew enough not to fib and nodded.
"Oh, then I better catch up." Julian pulled her in tight and kissed her.
Their mouths opened in unison and Julian even bent her back.
Porter shifted his weight from one foot to the other, holding back either joining them or tearing Julian apart. Leave it to Julian to go right for the sex.
He broke the kiss and put his forehead against hers. "I didn't know it was going to be like this."
"Like what?" She continued to hold on to Julian and held her hand out to him.
He joined them and took her hand. Her arousal already permeated the air.
"I caught some fish, so why don't we have something to eat?" Julian chuckled, gave her another kiss and pointed toward the fire. "We are going to try to get out of here tomorrow. The tide will be at its peak."
She stood her ground.
Julian glanced back at her.
"What wasn't supposed to be like what?" she asked.
Porter inhaled, waiting for the answer. Maybe he would drop the bomb.
Julian wrapped his arm around her waist. "I wasn't supposed to care."
The fire caused the tears in her eyes to sparkle.
Porter stayed two steps behind, watching Julian walk away with the female he just made his mate.
Chapter 7
The ship lurched forward, tilted right and left. Alyssa shut her eyes and held onto the chair Julian and Porter had put her in as they made another attempt to get their vessel out to sea. They were up early making the final preparations to leave including making love to her twice, or was it four times since there were two of them? Either way, she couldn't get enough. If she was going to meet the fate of humans before her who had mated with Lykans, at least she did it with passion and had the experience of a lifetime. If she wasn't, well, she knew what she wanted. She wanted them and vowed she wouldn't miss any experience with them and take advantage of everything before...
"Shh." She squeezed her hand into a fist and begged her mind to be silent. Her stomach bottomed out, but not due to the sailing. Death could be counted among those things that were endless and would never leave her.
More than any other promise she’d made, she needed to follow the words she told her males and not dwell on the negative. Still, her mind continued to want to play seesaw with her, toggling between thinking of the impending doom and wishing she could be as positive as Julian. Something told her Porter wasn't quite as optimistic, though he never said the words.
Unfortunately, no matter how she tried to clear her mind, the pall of the situation was with her every second.
The ship lurched forward, breaking free of the ilsand and her males let out a cheer.
Again reminding herself of her promise, she forced a smile. Like anyone else, she didn't truly know how much time she had or didn't have, she only knew hers was less.
Once the ship evened out, she went to the window.
Julian and Porter manipulated the boat with ease and skill, their movements acrobatic and elegant.
Porter ran toward her, dashing into the quarters. "Come here." He held his hand out to her.
"Is everything okay?" She took his hand and held her other arm out as if balancing. The ship's movements still made her uneasy.
"Yes, you have to see this." He led her outside.
Julian joined them and put his hand over her eyes. "Come on."
They guided her across the dock and stopped, Julian lowered his hand. "Look."
"That little place saved our lives." Julian put his arm around her waist.
The island they left seemed to float in the sea. A pristine bit of beach and forest where she had both found and lost her heart. She blinked at his words which stung a bit. "I'm sorry to leave it."
"Once we know exactly where we are, maybe we can come back one day." Porter pulled her in and kissed her neck.
Her throat constricted at the way he made plans. He’d barely left her alone since the waterfall, and she enjoyed it too much. No, not too much, she needed to enjoy it more. At leaving their own little oasis, she wasn't really sure what the future held. Most likely her demise, but on the off chance she lived, did these males even want her? They only promised they wouldn't abandon her.
She stared out at the island inching smaller every second, becoming lost in the sea and the endless water. Endless and eternal. Her heart sped up, she broke out into a sweat and her stomach swayed with the boat and the water.
"Excuse me." She pushed away from them and ran over to the side of the ship expecting to get sick.
"Alyssa!" They both yelled and in less than an instant took their spots on either side of her.
A drop of sweat dripped down her temple. She leaned way over, shutting her eyes against the dizziness.
"Take a breath." Porter rubbed her back.
"She's fine." Julian pulled her hair away from her face.
She breathed in, the briny sea not helping, but the breeze off the water cooled her down.
The sensation passed, floated away like their island.
They stared at her, their eyes wide, complexions paling.
She had no time for nausea or self pity and straightened. "You know I never spent much time on a boat, so I didn't know I got seasick."
Neither one moved.
She dealt with Julian first. "Do you have any idea where we are?"
He blinked, ground his teeth together and swallowed. "I know the direction we're taking but without any proper maps I only know we're heading east. With where we were headed on our way here it seemed the most logical to find another island. If we're going in the right direction, we should find another island within a couple of hours."
She nodded. "Then maybe we should steer the ship or something so we don't end up crashed somewhere else."
"Aye, aye, matey." He gave her a mock salute, kissed her
and walked away, but not before staring at Porter.
"Alyssa." Porter took her by the shoulders and turned her toward him. He looked her over, pressed the back of his hand to her forehead and to her cheek.
"Funny, no matter what the species, sometimes the world's oldest diagnostic devices work the best." She lifted her chin to him, defying him to say a word.
He set his jaw.
"It means nothing, but I hate water and boats. Maybe you should have left me on the island. I loved it there." Part of her wanted to make him promise to take her back, bury her there where she could forever be with the memory of the best few days of her life.
"We will go back." He curled his arm around her and reeled her in for a kiss.
She held onto him, and keeping with her promise, let his lips take her away. Unlike Julian who seemed to wait until they were all together to do anything with her, Porter seemed to find every opportunity to sneak in hidden kisses and touches. Maybe she should feel guilty, but she had no time for such a useless emotion.
His tongue found hers and he deepened the kiss, took her hand and pressed it to the front of his pants.
While she ran her hand down his erection, any last bits of sickness completely vanished to be replaced by desire.
He let out a growl and kneaded her breast. "I want you right now."
"Do I turn you on that fast or is it just the animal in you?" She teased him by raking her nails over him.
"What do you mean?" He grabbed her wrist, his tone sharp and accusatory.
She opened her mouth, but wasn't sure what answer to give. Animal or not, he could have her any time.
"Hey!" Julian returned. "Is this what you do the second I leave to do actual work?"
Porter huffed.
Without a pause, Julian came over put his arms around her. "Seeing the two of you like that got me instantly in the mood." In almost a copy of Porter's actions before, he took her hand and placed it on him. "I would say we should drop anchor, and maybe I would let the two of you get started and then walk in on you." He closed his eyes, put his hand over hers and pressed down.
With the two of them ready, maybe her inner animal wanted to be set free. The thought of making love for a third time, even a fourth seemed perfect.
He kissed her neck. "I don't know if we should wait though. The wolf in me wants to take over and have you right here. I can't stop myself, but I think I may have to."
She glanced at Porter. He glared at Julian. Actually, maybe they all needed to take a much needed break. "Why would you have to stop yourself?" None of them should stop anything and she gave Julian a bit of a squeeze down his length.
"Don't do this to me." Julian lowered his face to her shoulder. "I hate to tell you this, but I think I may see an island off in the distance. It would be good to stop, because I really want to check the ship out and I need to make a repair to the sail."
"I think I can control the animal side of me long enough to find out where we are." Porter stomped to front of the ship.
"Damn it, he's probably right." Julian took her hand and led her away.
She wanted to drop anchor and indulge. Instead, she looked back once more. Their island was no longer in sight.
Males, human or not, shared certain universal mannerisms, inflections and a secret language, and although Alyssa's knowledge of males was mostly limited to the two in front of her, a purely female instinct in her DNA told her something was most definitely off.
After Julian announced he might have found some land, they stood together as the island came into view.
"Is that…" Porter glanced over at her, not the look he gave her when he was aroused, or concerned, or annoyed. If she tried to define his look, it would have been that he was either caught committing a crime or wanting to hide an important fact.
Julian covered his mouth, raised his eyebrows and nodded.
She crossed her arms. "Where are we?"
Neither male acknowledged she spoke.
"Do we have to stop? Now that we know where we are, we can make it home." Porter gave her another one of those glances.
"We are two days away from Lykos and they are friendly toward us." Julian wouldn't as much peek at her. "We need to check the sail and we still need supplies."
"What island is this?" Her ignorance about the surrounding islands hit her full force, she couldn't even identify one by sight.
All she guessed about the island they approached was it must not be part of the Archipelago Federation or Lykans wouldn't be welcome. Of course that meant humans weren't welcome. The last obstacle she needed was any confrontation from another species. Like it or not she was on her way to Lykos, and it might be her last stop.
Porter wiped his face. "We don't need this. I don't need it."
"Well, I don't need it either. We are in the same situation." Julian squeezed the bridge of his nose. "That’s not what we would have said at one point."
They laughed. Staggered chuckles that spoke of an inside joke.
She wedged her way in front of them and put her hands on her hips. "Where are we?"
"You look quite fetching when you're demanding." At last Julian acknowledged her presence and grinned.
She narrowed her eyes and focused on Porter.
He took a breath. "We are approaching the Island of Gatari."
At the mere mention of the island her temperature rose, she balled her hands into fists and clenched her jaw. Not only were they approaching the island of the cat shifters, apparently her males had been here before.
Of all the places, they’d ended up here? She would rather have ended up on Echendia with the snakes.
"Its not what you think." Julian kept his tone even. "I mean not that I would know, I've only passed through there on a couple of trips."
"Be quiet." Porter barked. "She's a human."
"What is that supposed to mean?" She stomped her foot. Only a little while ago she called him an animal trying to flirt, and swore she saw anger rage in his eyes.
His eyes widened.
"He means you are too refined and sweet for the goings on at Gatari," Julian piped in. "We’ll be real fast. In fact, there is no need for you to even leave the ship."
Before she had the chance to shoot the idea down, Porter cleared his throat and shook his head.
"Or if you want to come with and police…" Julian graced her with a huge grin. "I mean join us, you are most welcome, of course."
"I've never been, so thanks, I'd be more than happy to accompany you." Once more she pushed through them to go to their quarters.
The females of Gatari were all said to be gorgeous, the perfect melding of a sleek, sensuous cat and a woman. They outnumbered the males on their island several to one, and the island became the mecca for uncouth sailors looking for an outlet. Though not a member of the Federation, tales had it that all the species visited the Island of the Cats, including the humans.
She went to the head, stared at her reflection in the mirror and sighed. With no cosmetics or anything else at her disposal, she combed her hair, straightened out her bizarre clothing the best she could and returned to the bridge.
They spoke little on their approach to the island. Unlike the oasis they left behind, Gatari seemed more of the typical island one would find. Rather than a forest and waterfalls, Gatari was laced with palm trees and small huts of ill repute.
They barely had the opportunity to dock before the cats congregated. Clothing made from the flora and fauna of the island habitat didn't do much to hide the animal underneath. With fluid movements, their feminine curves were plentiful and perfect. Their makeup emphasized and exaggerated their lips and eyes.
Try as she might, she was never able to copy that look, never had that extra something that made men stop and stare. Had Julian and Porter even wanted her or was she merely the only available female? With her sickness how long would it take for them to drop her at Lykos and take off for better, healthy, more beautiful options? The doubts she tried to push away rose t
o the surface again.
She bit the inside of her mouth to keep her words at bay, and though she wasn't a shifter with super senses, she swore she heard the cats’ purrs of delight at the two Lykans from the bridge.
"Let's get what we need to fix this barge and get out of here." Porter ran out on deck to secure the ship. Julian followed.
While her heart was unsure if it wanted to sink or swim, her mind was certain it wanted to know everything happening. She tiptoed out, joining her males. Her males.
One of the felines slithered closer. Her long blonde hair and equally long lashes were enough to lure any male in the sea. Though in her human-like form, unlike the Lykans who could blend in with humans perfectly, the Gatari's facial features mimicked those of their animal side, making them appear exotic and dangerous.
The kat inhaled and grabbed onto the one of the ropes, tilting way back and no doubt showing off her flexibility. "At last, we get some Lykans."
Alyssa pursed her lips.
"We are only here for a quick stop," Julian called down to her. "We have to return to Lykos but we need supplies to fix our sail."
The feline twisted around the rope and hoisted herself up. Well, cats were exceptionally agile. Alyssa wondered if she knocked her down would she land on her feet or fall with a splat?
"I've never heard of any Lykan being fast." The female clawed her way up to the deck, her yellow eyes taking all of them in. "Especially this time of the month. I would have thought you would be dragging several of us to one of the private rooms by now."
What did the date have to do with anything? Alyssa stepped forward.
The cat's focus landed on her and she let out a laugh. "Oh, I see you brought a pet with you, but maybe you should leave her out of our games. Remember, I'm affected by the lunar cycle as well and I don't know if I want to share."
She froze, not from the brazen words, but the ones about a cycle. What cycle? The same nagging sensation that told her instinct was spot on about her fate also sounded off a warning bell that something else wasn't quite right.
"We only need some supplies." As if to stop the female from speaking any further, Porter held up his hand.
