Heart of the Cat

by S. E. Smith

  He moved his hands to her forearms and quickly took over the kiss. She took several deep breaths when he lifted his head.

  “That shouldn’t have happened,” she said, looking at his chest.

  He gently lifted her chin. “Yes, it should. My cat recognizes you as his mate. While I tried to deny it at first, I have to agree with him. This is another gift from the Goddess, our ability to recognize our mate the moment we meet,” he ruefully informed her.

  Trescina felt her cat’s indignation at his words, and the knowledge of what had been happening clicked into place. Her cat’s insistence that they run was not because she was afraid of Walkyr, she had recognized Walkyr as her mate, and she had been afraid of what that would mean.

  I not admitting, her cat pouted.

  You rotten little…! Argh! Now I understand how Heather feels when she’s dealing with Zeke, Trescina retorted.

  “Trescina…. Trescina, you need not be afraid. I will not do anything to harm you… or frighten you. I have learned a thing or two from my brothers’ interactions with their mates,” he reassured her.

  “This is not the time or the place,” she said with a shake of her head and looked away from him. “I don’t know for sure, but I think one of the guys you are looking for may have followed the tracks left by Zeke.”

  Walkyr looked down the dark road that led to the two buildings he had noticed through the trees. He and Spice had already picked up on the other Sarafin’s tracks as well as scented the traitor’s path to the building that housed the animals, but he had steered clear of the building when he saw the faint shimmer of light through the trees and noticed that Trescina’s transport was not out front.

  He had breathed a sigh of relief when he saw her standing at the driver’s door hugging Cinnamon. He had replayed everything that happened since he first saw Trescina as he ran through the woods. It was hard to believe that his first day with her hadn’t ended yet.

  He remembered the first time he saw her standing in the doorway looking at him with a combination of fear and determination.

  Holding knife, his cat reminded him.

  Holding a knife in her hand, he chuckled.

  He remembered the soft brush of her breath tickling his ear as she threatened to kill him. Was that only this morning? he thought in disbelief. He couldn’t believe that so much had happened in one day.

  Perhaps days longer here, his cat suggested.

  He frowned and looked at Trescina. She was looking at him with an expectant expression. It took him a moment to realize that he was still holding her. He released her and stepped back.

  “How many hours are in this planet’s day?” he asked curiously.

  She blinked at him in confusion. “Twenty-four. Why?” she asked.

  He shrugged. “I feel like I have known you much longer,” he said before turning his attention back to the long driveway. “I will take care of the other traitor. This time, stay here and lock yourself in your transport.” His stern voice surprised her a bit.

  Trescina raised an eyebrow at his tone. “I’m not helpless, and I’m not too stupid to live. I won’t stay in the Suburban like a good little girl. Take the tigers with you. I’ll find a secure place and keep a look-out in case anyone else comes,” she said.

  Walkyr frowned at her. “The other man died during the avalanche. I found his ashes mixed in with the snow near their ship,” he said.

  “That’s fine, but I seem to remember there are two more that you still haven’t located,” she reminded him.

  He gave her a sharp-toothed grin. “I haven’t forgotten. I found no other tracks, but I have a plan to draw them out,” he said with a mysterious smirk. “Stay hidden. If I am distracted by worrying about you, I could make a mistake.”

  She pursed her lips before she reluctantly nodded. Walkyr loved the look of heated protest in her eyes. Excitement built in him when he thought of the future. If this was what his brothers felt, he could understand why they loved waking every day in their mate’s arms and acted like wet cats when they were torn away.

  “I’ll be back,” he promised, leaning forward to brush a kiss against her lips. She softly chuckled at his words. “What is it?”

  “I have an alien telling me that ‘I’ll be back’,” she replied with a shake of her head. “You wouldn’t understand.”

  A puzzled expression crossed his features before he turned away from her. He motioned for the two tigers to follow him. He considered several different scenarios on how the tigers could distract the traitor that had survived the avalanche—without putting either of them in danger. He was surprised when a different image appeared in his head—an image of a sleek black tiger with beautiful blue-black stripes that matched the spots on his own coat.

  As quickly as the image appeared, it vanished. If he’d had more time, he would have tried to learn where the Siberian tigers had seen such an unusual tiger before. His cat purred, confusing him even more.

  Shape-shift, he commanded, pushing away the distracting thoughts that could get them killed.

  Only one dying is traitor, his cat vowed with deadly intent as one by one, he and the two tigers slipped through the open side door.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Trescina paced back and forth along the road. She was uncertain about what to do. Should she run or stay? She knew nothing about the mating of her species. Obviously her cat knew just enough to keep her in the dark.

  Thanks a lot for that! I swear this has to be the longest day of my life, she silently groaned.

  She had just turned around when she saw the headlights of an approaching truck. An expletive that would have gotten her mouth washed out with soap as a child flashed through her mind when she saw the truck slowing down. Surprise filled her when the lights suddenly went out as the truck skidded to a stop a short distance from the Suburban.

  “What?! Mason…. Chad…. What are you two…?” her voice faded when she saw them exit the truck carrying hunting rifles. She lifted her hands and started toward them as a sense of fear engulfed her. “What are you doing?”

  “Are you alright, Trescina?” Chad demanded, his gaze sweeping the area.

  “Yes…,” once again her voice faded, and she silently groaned.

  Heather must have told the men. The way they were looking around spoke volumes. She was about to make up a story when the back doors of the truck opened and two other men stepped out. The weapons in their hands were different—so was the way they were dressed.

  She warily watched as the four men walked closer to her. The last two men who had exited truck took up a position on each side of her. Her hand went to her stomach when her cat hissed and clawed at her as they leaned closer and sniffed her. Out of instinct, she shoved the one closest to her and hissed.

  “Cat’s balls, what is a Sarafin female doing here?” the man that she had shoved exclaimed.

  “She smells like Walkyr,” the other man stated.

  She hurried toward Mason and Chad. “Who are these clowns?” she demanded.

  Mason grimaced and nodded. “The one you shoved is Qadir. The other one is Pallu. I think I got that right,” he introduced.

  “Where is Walkyr?” Qadir questioned.

  The one named Pallu grinned. “I’d like to know why she smells like him,” he said.

  “I smell like him because I was holding a knife to his throat this morning,” she snapped. “Who are you?”

  Chad walked over to her and placed his hand on her arm. “They are Walkyr’s brothers. At least that is what they say,” he added with an uneasy look toward the two men.

  Her eyes narrowed with suspicion. “Walkyr said there were two other men from the traitors’ ship,” she countered.

  “And when did he tell you that? Before or after you held a knife to his throat? Or was it when you were draped over him?” Qadir sarcastically asked.

  “F… you,” Trescina growled.

  Pallu’s eyes lit up. “I know what that means. Pearl says it means…,” he starte
d to say.

  “I know what it means too,” Qadir snapped. “I want to know where Walkyr is.”

  Trescina swallowed. She had heard Walkyr mention Pearl’s name. The bad guys wouldn’t know who she was, or if they did, they wouldn’t mention her with humor the way Pallu did. The more she studied the two men, the more she could see a family resemblance to Walkyr in their eyes, nose, mouth, and chin.

  “He went to the rescue center. We found tracks leading from a spaceship that Walkyr said belonged to the traitors. Someone was following the tracks Zeke left behind. Walkyr said that it was one of the traitors. One man was already killed, and he didn’t know where the other two had gone. He said he had a plan to draw them out,” she quietly explained, pointing down the driveway before she wrapped her arms around her waist.

  All four men looked in the direction she had pointed before silently looking at each other.

  “Heather’s house is behind the main building. There is an entrance in the front, one on the side, and a large receiving door in the back,” Chad explained to the men.

  “Stay here. It is best if we deal with this ourselves, if Walkyr hasn’t taken care of the traitor already,” Qadir ordered.

  “Wait!” Trescina looked at the two men. “There… My tigers are with Walkyr. Don’t hurt them. They are white Siberians—a male and a female. The male is named Spice and the female is Cinnamon,” she pleaded.

  Pallu smiled in understanding. “We’ll send them back to you. Qadir and I can save Walkyr’s butt. We’ve done it plenty of times before,” he teased.

  “Thank you,” she said.

  She watched as the two men shape-shifted and took off down the long winding driveway. Only when they had disappeared from sight did she turn to look at Chad and Mason who were still scanning the area with wary eyes, their rifles at the ready.

  She tilted her head to the side and stared at Chad with an accusing expression. Chad grimaced, looked away from her, and remained silent. Mason saw her look and shrugged. He stepped closer to her before he quietly spoke.

  “It’s a long story, but Paul lives in outer space on a planet called Valdier with his wife, Morian, and his daughter, Trisha, and her family. The aliens like to use the ranch as their personal base on Earth. Of course, we don’t advertise it for obvious reasons. We’d deeply appreciate it if you’d keep this information to yourself,” Mason explained with an almost apologetic expression.

  “What about Heather and Zeke?” Trescina quietly asked.

  Mason sighed. “Ann Marie is trying to explain everything to her,” he admitted.

  “I have a question for you, Trescina,” Chad said, turning to look at her with a piercing look.

  Trescina’s body stiffened. “Wh…what would you like to know?” she hesitantly asked.

  Chad turned to study her face. “Why did Qadir refer to you as a Sarafin female?” he inquired.

  Trescina trembled. Her fear that Heather or Zeke had revealed her secret evaporated. Her head was shaking in denial even before she choked out the words. “I don’t know what you mean,” she lied.

  Chad’s expression softened. “I think you do,” he gently contradicted.

  Walkyr slowly crept forward. The two tigers silently moved down the long hallway. They cautiously slipped through the opposing doors on each side that led into the exam rooms. Each section of exam rooms opened to another corridor. On the right side, it opened to a large room divided into a section for receiving and lab testing. On the left, Walkyr could see the spacious cages that were stacked from floor to ceiling along the wall.

  He shape-shifted and pulled the laser pistol from the holster at his hip. He stepped into one of the rooms on the left. It looked as if this room was used for operating on the poor beasts that were sick or injured. He shuddered to think of such primitive methods of healing.

  In the other room, he heard the screech of a terrified animal. He wasn’t sure if it was one of the tigers until he heard a soft growl of warning from Spice. He’d found the traitor.

  Walkyr.

  Walkyr stiffened when he felt the familiar mental touch of his brother, Qadir, reaching out to him. He glanced over his shoulder with a frown. Their connection in this form only worked if they were in close proximity. He saw Spice pause in the doorway across from him. The tiger stared at him as if waiting for guidance. Walkyr sent an image of his brother in both his two-legged and leopard form with a sense of calm to let the tiger know not to attack.

  Where are you? Walkyr replied.

  Pallu and I are coming in now. Is the traitor here? Qadir replied.

  Yes, down the corridor and to the left. He is moving through the animal holding area. I am in the third room on the left, he answered.

  Send the tigers out. We will take care of this, Qadir instructed.

  Walkyr sent a silent command to Trescina’s tigers to return and protect their mistress. He watched as Spice exited the room across from his and silently moved toward the open door. He peered around the corner to make sure that Cinnamon had also followed his instructions. He saw the tigress following the male at the same time as he caught sight of the shadowy forms of his brothers.

  Pallu had shape-shifted into his two-legged form while Qadir still retained his cat form. This would allow Qadir to connect the three of them and they could work as one. He motioned for Pallu to go up through the right corridor while he and Qadir approached from the left. Pallu nodded and disappeared.

  Is there just this one? Qadir asked.

  Yes. I think he is looking for me, Walkyr stated as an idea formed.

  What are you going to do? Pallu questioned with a slightly resigned tone.

  We need him alive to give us information. He is searching for me. There is a holding room at the far corner of the building. Pallu work your way around. I hope you have one of those poison strips on you. We may need it. Qadir, be ready to attack. I think it is time I played dead, Walkyr chuckled.

  Walkyr returned his pistol to his holster as a new plan formed. They needed information. Killing the traitor wouldn’t help them learn how far the treachery had gone. He shimmered as he shape-shifted. He silently crossed the corridor and moved down the hall to the room where he had woken after his accident.

  He slipped through the open door, nudged it closed behind him, and took up a position on the thick padding. The soft tread of footsteps told him that he had barely made it into the room in time. His cat bristled at playing dead. He wanted to attack.

  Walkyr calmed his cat. If this traitor used the same tactics the others had, the man would be dead from poison before Walkyr could restrain him. With his brothers’ help, they could use the element of surprise to capture him and force the antidote strip into the warrior’s mouth. They would have seconds—depending on the warrior’s determination to commit suicide.

  The sound of the door opening was his cue to look up with a dazed expression. Ranker’s face lit up with triumphant satisfaction as he aimed his laser pistol at Walkyr.

  “You have no idea how long I’ve wanted to do this,” Ranker stated.

  “Not as long nor as much as we have, I’m sure,” Qadir replied from behind the man.

  Walkyr rolled to the side and jumped to his feet at the same time as Ranker’s finger depressed the trigger on the laser pistol. The blast cut a scorching path across the pad, setting it on fire. Walkyr assumed his human form in the blink of an eye and grabbed for Ranker’s outstretched arm at the same time as Qadir pulled the man backwards and off balance.

  Ranker’s furious roar sent the animals in the back of the rescue center into a panic. Their loud calls of terror added to the chaos. Walkyr ripped the pistol from Ranker’s hand and held him down while Pallu kneeled on the man’s other arm. Ranker bent his head and bit down on a section of his vest. Foam began to bubble from between his lips.

  “Open your mouth,” Pallu growled.

  Ranker defiantly glared up at them. Walkyr could see the glaze of death starting to settle over the man’s eyes. A malicious smile
curved his lips.

  “Keep your mouth closed through this,” he snarled, bringing his knee up into Ranker’s groin.

  “Got it,” Pallu stated as he shoved the strip between Ranker’s lips when the man’s eyes widened and his lips parted on an agonized groan from the intense pain.

  Qadir looked over at Walkyr and grinned. “Cat’s balls, but that was low. Does your mate know you fight dirty?” he chuckled.

  “How do you know my mate?” Walkyr demanded.

  He released his hold on Ranker when the man suddenly went limp after Pallu placed a sedative patch on his neck. Pushing up off the ground, he glared at his brother. Qadir paused in the process of flipping Ranker over onto his stomach so he could restrain the man’s wrists behind his back.

  “She is at the end of the driveway with the two humans Vox told us to contact. What were you thinking? I can’t believe you brought your mate on a mission with you,” Qadir said in a tone filled with disapproval.

  “I never knew you had a mate, Walkyr. You didn’t mention it back on our world,” Pallu added. “I don’t even know how you got her onto the long distance transport. Gable never said anything either.”

  Walkyr looked back and forth between his brothers. They were both giving him dirty looks. He shook his head.

  “I don’t know what you are talking about. I just met Trescina this morning—or yesterday morning depending on the time here,” he said, pulling their very groggy prisoner to his feet for transporting.

  “This morning! That’s impossible,” Pallu exclaimed, looking at Qadir in confusion.

  Walkyr frowned. “Why is it impossible? You know that our cats recognize our mates immediately, often before we do. What’s so surprising that I found my mate here on Earth? Vox and Viper are both mated to human females,” he replied with a shrug.

  Qadir looked at him with a mixture of disbelief and amusement. “You don’t know, do you?” he prodded.

  Walkyr’s frown deepened. “Know what?” he demanded.