by Kama Spice
With that, he plunged his tongue into her, plumbing deep inside the velvety, wet walls of her channel.
Sehra screamed, pulling hard at his hair.
He slid back up, shaking his head in an attempt to clear it. From the corner of his eye he saw that Inuku was stroking his elongated shaft, not taking his eyes off them for a second.
Rawa turned Sehra’s head to watch.
Inuku pumped harder, the scent of his lust hanging like a cloud above him, mixing with their own.
Sehra moaned and arched her body against his. He saw her eyes flutter and his chest constricted. She was the most divine creature he’d ever laid eyes on. He knew he would kill or die for her.
And then a blast of her need hit him.
He reeled with the full force of her desire and lust, and acting purely on instinct, grabbed her hips, ramming his shaft into her.
She moaned again, slamming against him, matching his need with her own until they crested the wave together.
His body convulsed against hers as he poured himself into her.
It wasn’t until he was growing soft, still lying on top of his mate’s warm, pulsing body, that he realized the Violets had awakened. They had borne silent witness, along with Inuku, to Rawa and Sehra’s mating under the stars.
* * * * *
Sehra was still sleeping when Rawa woke. The Violets had left without a trace. Not a shred of evidence that they’d even existed was left behind. Inuku was already up and had begun packing and tying things up.
Rawa watched his mate sleep for a few moments before slipping out from underneath the blanket that covered them.
“Thanks for last night, brother,” Inuku said as he approached.
Rawa tossed a leather tie toward him. “It wasn’t for you.”
“I know, but I’m grateful for it just the same.”
Rawa grinned, taking another tie and pulling his hair back into a tail. “Shouldn’t take us longer than a day and a half to reach the pride grounds,” he said. “Once we get there, we do not split up. Under any circumstances.”
“Don’t worry, brother. I don’t plan to leave your side.” He tossed his head over his shoulder. “And I know you won’t leave hers.”
Apprehension crept across Rawa’s brow. “First sign of trouble and we go,” he said. “I’ll not have anyone dishonoring her. I’d rather live on the run with her than submit to a sentence forcing me to give her to another.”
“Her den won’t give her up so easily,” Inuku warned. “She was their ticket into the upper echelons of Lith’hah society, my friend. And you are robbing them of that.”
“I don’t give a rat’s ass what I’m robbing them of,” Rawa spat.
“No, I believe you don’t. But they won’t let her go without a fight.”
Rawa knew his friend was right. But if a fight was what they wanted, a fight was what he would give them.
Chapter Eight
It was just after noon the next day when the three Lith’hah made it to Sehra’s pride grounds. Her heart fluttered as the familiar grounds came into view. She shifted into her human form, feeling the sudden urge to stay in her cat shape and sprint in the other direction. But she pulled herself up on two feet as her coat retracted and smoothed out into the warm butterscotch hue of her skin.
One of the pride’s cubs spotted them and hurried to deliver the news to the king’s chief protector.
Sehra gripped Rawa’s hand, afraid that if she let go someone would whisk him away.
The chief strode down from his den to meet them. The two protectors who’d been part of the search party were on either side of his bulky physique. “We were beginning to wonder if you’d changed your minds,” he said, addressing Rawa.
“We did,” Rawa answered smoothly, “many times in fact.”
The older Lith’han looked at him for a moment then chuckled. “Smart man. We’re ready for you. The king has been brought up to speed about the situation and we’ve set up a space for the hearing. We’ll give you a few hours to rest and eat before we begin. One of the larger dens has been prepared. There is food.”
Sehra drew a breath. “I had no idea we would begin right away.”
“The king wants this matter resolved,” the chief said. “Go rest, clean up, whatever you have to do. This hearing may well go into the night.”
Sehra gripped Rawa’s hand as they followed one of the protectors toward the dens set up for the three. “I will not be separated from you,” she said, looking up into his face.
The protector turned around. “There are two dens prepared. They are next to one another with an adjoining door, but you are not to be in the same den as we don’t know what the outcome of the hearing will be.”
Sehra narrowed her eyes. “I know what the outcome of the day will be if not the hearing.”
Rawa nodded next to her and lowered his voice. “Yes. Regardless of what happens this day, you will be mine for the rest of ours.”
Without turning, the protector said, “You are entitled to a king’s appointed advocate. Shall I have one join you to prepare your statements?”
“No,” Rawa answered. “We will be stating the truth—not prepared statements.”
The protector glanced back, gave Rawa a slight nod before leaving.
* * * * *
By the time they were summoned to appear before the king and elders for the hearing, Sehra felt rejuvenated. She’d feasted heartily on the Mun’hai berry loaf and various cured and fresh meats laid out for them. She’d bathed and rested in the comfortable den provided for her. The provisions reminded her they were not prisoners. At least not yet.
Sehra shuddered. Nor would they become prisoners, she thought, standing tall and squaring her shoulders. She had made it clear that Rawa never dishonored her. Even the chief protector could smell her desire for Rawa! He had let them travel together, unaccompanied by the king’s forces. Sehra knew the king would have heard the chief protector’s report. The Leader King would surely not imprison Rawa now on that trumped-up charge. But would he forbid their union? Could he? She and Rawa would figure out what to do if the king decided they should not be together. They just had to.
Sehra inhaled sharply when they entered the large outdoor area set up for the hearing. Her father, brothers, mother and extended den members were all congregated on one side. She, Rawa and Inuku were ushered into seats on the other. The pride members were congregated and the cubs of the pride were securely settled on the other side of the grounds with protectors and caregivers.
She settled into her seat, with Rawa on one side and Inuku on the other, acutely aware of Father’s eyes boring into her. Her brothers glared at her, Rawa and Inuku in turn, while Mother sat stiffly, her mouth a tense slash across her face.
When the Leader King and Queen entered the area, a hush fell over the members as everyone bowed.
Sehra did the same but sneaked a quick peek at the royal couple before lowering her eyes. Her Leader King was a Silver—stunning and regal with a rich, mahogany stripe down the center of his hair. His queen was a Gold, and together they were a veritable force. Sehra issued a quick prayer to the Ancients that her king and queen would be sympathetic to her and Rawa.
The leaders settled into their thrones. “Be seated,” the king rumbled. “Let us get on with the proceedings. I don’t want to make this a many-days affair.”
“Your Majesty,” said the chief protector, “may I present the advocate on behalf of the Onyx lineage.”
Sehra swallowed hard as the advocate she’d seen many times while she was growing up stood and walked toward the king and queen.
“Your Majesty,” he began, “the young female in question has displayed an insolence and disregard to Lith’hah customs and traditions. She has compromised her den by rejecting the match they arranged for her—a match that was made with her best interests in mind by her father, one of your highly respected lieutenants.” The advocate turned and pointed to Rawa. “This Lith’han is the reason she has behave
d so erratically, Your Majesty. He is an Independent who is reputed to have mercilessly killed and maimed many Lith’hah. He has somehow managed to gain the female’s trust and seduce her into his company. As a result, she has turned her back on her family and lineage, spat in the face of all that is honorable in Lith’hah society, and now seeks a union with him—at the expense of her den’s honor, reputation and future.”
Sehra felt the force of rage boiling inside her. She clenched her hands into tight fists, itching to snap the small bones at her brothers’ necks. They’d gotten smart. They knew the “dishonor” argument would never hold in the king’s court and they’d changed their angle of attack. She should have seen it coming. This was nothing new. Her brothers had learned their scheming from Father—the master schemer of them all.
Her father stood. “This situation has caused our den great misery and pain. My mate is sick with worry for our cubs and for the future of our line. I beseech you, Your Majesty…give us back our Sehra. Forbid her union with this Independent who seeks to destroy us through her. He has held a vendetta against our den since his own father threw him out. He had no choice but to become an Independent. Everyone here knows the story of their den. A broken one, full of pain and misery. Would you blame a father who wants more for his daughter? She gave up the Emerald prince of the Eastern Territories, for Ancients’ sake! What female in her right mind would do that? She is young and impetuous and not thinking clearly. She has been led astray and we are desperate for her return.”
The smell of a reined kind of violence spread from Rawa, who was next to her. She knew he simmered quietly, just as she did, fighting to keep from jumping up and tearing them all apart—the whole lying lot of them. She touched his hand, looking up at the hard, grim lines of his face, but he would not look at her.
Her brothers spoke next, each in turn.
Bylon said, “He called out many females’ names while he was held by the protectors. None of them were my sister’s!”
“Lies,” Rawa growled under his breath.
The queen flicked a look in his direction before turning back to Cylar as he stood. “We’ve known him since he was a cub. His character is questionable, he motives suspicious and he has nothing to offer my sister!”
The pride members began whispering among themselves.
“Silence,” the king ordered.
As the members settled back into a hush, the king turned to Rawa and Sehra. “You both shall have your say now.”
Rawa turned to Sehra. For the first time, she saw the inferno that raged in his eyes. “You first,” he said. His voice was taut, sizzling with the current of pent-up rage.
Sehra didn’t question him. She took several deep breaths to steady the thudding of her heart and forced herself not to look in the direction of her den members. She stood.
“Your Majesties,” she began, bowing her head toward her leaders, “I would say that I have never heard such creative fabrication of the truth in all my life…but I cannot say that. The truth is that I grew up hearing such fabrication of facts. My brothers are highly skilled at creating their own versions of events, and I dare say they learned from the best.”
“Insolence!” came a cry from the crowd.
“Enough,” the king admonished. “Any more outcries and the hearing will become private and in my quarters.”
Sehra gritted her teeth and continued—this time turning her gaze completely to the queen. “I am a female in full possession of my mental, emotional and spiritual faculties, Your Majesty. I have loved Rawa since we were cubs. I knew from before my Awakening that our destinies were written as one. I am of the Onyx lineage, whether my den claims me or not. I have a direct line to the ancestors. No male can lead me astray as long as I have that. I am able to sort the truth from lies and I am able to forge for myself a future based on my own visions, my own desires. I do not wish to be with anyone other than the male I have chosen…and that the Ancients, in all their wisdom, have chosen for me.”
She stood for a moment longer, looking into the face of the lovely queen, before sinking back into her seat.
The king nodded toward Rawa.
Sehra felt Inuku tense next to her. She touched his hand. She too wanted nothing more than to throw a shield up between Rawa and everyone else—those of her pride who had decided to direct their hostility toward him and his den.
She looked at his legs as he stood. There was raw power coursing through those rippling muscles. She knew he could easily tear any one of these males to shreds. But he stood now, tall and proud, and in complete control of his thoughts and actions.
“Your Majesties,” he said calmly, “I am an Independent, yes. And not of high lineage at that. This is all true.” He turned to the members. “Most of you have known me since I was a cub. If you did not know me closely, you knew of me. You all knew my father and my sister. We were a broken den, yes, that is true as well. But I urge you to consider this—had my father been born of higher lineage, he would not have been kept from mating with the female he truly loved—a Gold.”
Sehra saw him flick a glance at the queen.
The queen drew a breath and allowed a hand to flutter to her chest.
“Had he been of higher lineage, his skills might have been considered for the king’s forces. Had he been born of a higher lineage and had many of these privileges, perhaps he would not have had the need to drown himself in bark brew for fear of watching his cubs endure the same disappointments he had.
“As it was, my father was reared in a broken den with a father who’d spent his life doing less than he was capable. Swallowing the rage that comes with working hard all day only to see others enjoy the fruits of one’s labor. He went back to his den at the end of each day and unleashed all his rage upon his cubs and mate. My father learned to do the same. And I…I swore I would not.”
He looked down at Sehra. “I knew I loved Sehra before I was Awakened,” he said quietly. “I became an Independent because I did not think it possible to be with a female of her lineage. But I cannot live without her.” He narrowed his eyes and turned back to the king. “I will not live without her.”
Gasps ricocheted through the crowd.
“He challenges the king!” a male cried from the crowd.
“I have not challenged His Majesty,” Rawa said, facing the king squarely. “I have simply stated a fact.”
“This is why the lieutenant wants the Independent away from his cub!” another male voice cried.
Sehra was up on her feet. “No. The lieutenant wants him away from me because our union threatens his influence!”
“Sit down, Sehra,” Rawa muttered through clenched teeth. “You’ve had your say.”
“I have not,” she said, jutting out her chin.
Another male called out. “The Independent dishonors the king’s lieutenant!”
Sehra turned to the crowd. “Stop hiding amongst the pride members. Show your faces!”
No one stood.
“You see?” her voice trembled with a mixture of outrage and pure, blind fear—fear that she could, easily, be kept from Rawa if this kept going as it was. “None of you know what goes on behind closed doors in anyone’s den. My father holds many secrets. Secrets that so many of you have helped him keep.”
She turned to look defiantly at her father. His eyes were murderous clouds, warning her not to speak any further.
“Don’t worry, Father,” she said to him. “I will not reveal your dirty deeds. It is not within my code of honor to speak against those who’ve reared me. But the truth cannot be erased. It cannot be ignored. It cannot be willed away. It simply is, Father.”
There was a moment of complete silence as a blanket of tension settled over the crowd.
Then a lone, wavering female voice spoke up. “Sehra speaks wisdom beyond her years.”
Everyone turned to the voice. A female, the mother of one of Sehra’s childhood friends, spoke again. More solid and grounded this time. “My mate was killed in the last
battle,” she said, standing up. “But I know for a fact he earned gold coins by carrying out clandestine orders from somewhere. I know it had to be somewhere high up from the way he met with others carrying out similar orders—after nightfall, ensuring all tracks were covered.”
Gasps and cries erupted throughout the crowd.
“Silence,” the king boomed. He nodded to the elder female. “Please continue. Gold coins are serious matter.”
The female inclined her head before continuing. “My mate used the gold coins in the human territories, partaking of human pleasures reserved for males of that species. He was often joined by many of the males of our pride.”
“Lies!” came one voice.
“Nonsense!” said another.
“A bitter old woman’s stories!” was yet another.
But then, to Sehra’s utter astonishment, other females stood, one by one, vouching for the elder woman’s story. Each of them offered her own experience with her mate—some of whom sat right next to them.
One female broke down in tears. “I had believed this would be the end of our den. The cubs are learning excess and carelessness while I have lost the mate I fell in love with…”
Sehra’s own eyes stung as she looked upon her pride of origin—a pride spiraling downward, deteriorating under the rule of a vigilant and caring leadership because of elements within the king’s own ranks. Elements like her father.
She sank back into her seat, her legs no longer able to hold her up and Rawa sat down next to her, pulling her into his arms.
Sehra watched as the queen leaned across to whisper something in the king’s ear before he stood, anger splotching his golden skin. “The queen and I will have a few words,” he thundered, “then return with our decision. Everyone is to remain in the area until then.”
Unmasked hostility settled like a mist over the pride grounds. Sehra’s den had its supporters while many of the elder females who’d spoken up, and even members of the king’s forces who’d known what was going on but didn’t dare to speak, approached Rawa and Sehra with words of encouragement and support.