Sehra's Honor

by Kama Spice

  Rawa stepped away from the females crowding up to Sehra and leaned into Inuku’s ear. “Brother, I don’t know what the leaders have in store for me and Sehra. But I am readying myself for flight if necessary.”

  Inuku nodded. “I will be at your side.”

  Rawa nodded and took stock. He scanned the grounds, deciding the best route out would be toward the east—back in the direction they had come. They would have to wait until nightfall and slip away unnoticed. But they would take off toward the Eastern Ridge Mountains, beyond prince Kelum’s grounds. Rawa knew there was rich land out there—perfect for a new pride to settle on and begin cultivating. There was fresh water from the mountain lakes and an abundance of the sacred Mun’hai tree.

  He knew too that the king and his forces would be prepared for the three to escape. Though they were not prisoners, Rawa knew if the king forbade a union between him and Sehra, they would not get far. Their escape would need to be meticulously planned, without a single detail left to chance.

  He kept one eye on Sehra while the other was sharply attuned to the movements of her den members. They were trying to intimidate her with hissed comments and too-loud barbs. But she held steady.

  He watched as she leaned her forehead against an elder female’s. She looked so vulnerable in that moment. He wanted to grab her, bundle her in his arms and whisk her away immediately. Away from this place, these Lith’hah, these grounds that had left a ring of sadness around her eyes. There was a fragility despite her obvious strength, something once broken but now healed, that Rawa would give his life to protect.

  If he could. His life didn’t seem to want to end. If he could regenerate after dying, what on earth would kill him?

  A curl of unease spiraled through him. He and Sehra would have much to talk about once they were settled. Their reunion after so many years had been littered with obstacles so far, but once there was calm and stability, they would bond properly. They would share secrets and pains and joys as True Mates should.

  There was a pause in the din of conversation and Rawa turned to see the king and queen return. His muscles tensed at the thought that this couple held his fate in their hands. They would decide whether he would have to fight further to be with Sehra or whether he was free to call her his. His jaw clenched involuntarily at the thought that yet again, even though he had fled to become an Independent, to answer to none but himself, his destiny would be decided by others.

  He took Sehra’s elbow and led her back to her seat. Inuku was already waiting at his. He sat down once Rawa and Sehra joined him.

  The other pride members took their seats and an edgy silence took hold.

  Every muscle in Rawa’s body was poised for action. He knew there would be nothing to do here. Not now. But every inch of him was ready for a fight.

  “We have arrived at a decision,” the king said. He turned to look at his True Mate, interlacing his fingers with hers. “Making a True Mate vow is one of the most important decisions a Lith’han will ever make. For that reason, we understand well, the desire for a father and mother to ensure their cubs are mated with the best possible match.”

  Members of the pride were nodding in agreement around him. Rawa dug his elbows into his thighs, pressing his knuckles to his forehead. He and Inuku would begin planning immediately after this hearing. They had no choice but to find a way out. Rawa would not settle for anything less. If it took him the rest of his days, he would find a way to get Sehra out of here.

  “And yet,” the king said, “it has been a matter of grave concern to your queen and me that our kind has begun to make vows out of a desire for greater influence and power.”

  Rawa looked up. He noticed too that both Inuku and Sehra sat riveted in their seats.

  The queen took up where the king paused. “We are gifted by the Ancients with abilities that are meant to enhance the lives of all Lith’hah.” Her voice was richer than he remembered it. It slid over his ears like silk. “Part of our gift as Lith’hah is the ability to sense who our True Mate is. When we are in his or her presence, we are filled with a desire greater than any other. We long to be next to them, whether in their arms or in their thoughts, each and every waking moment.” Her eyes lit on Rawa then Sehra before she continued. “To know when we’ve met our True Mate is the greatest gift our ancestors have bestowed upon us. To silence a knowledge from not only the deepest place within us but from the pool of ancestral wisdom we are blessed to access, is nothing short of sacrilege.”

  The king released her hand with a caress then stood. “It is our decision that the Independent of Copper lineage, Rawa, and the female of Onyx lineage, Sehra, are free to mate as they wish. They are free to rejoin this pride and shall be welcomed back with warmth and open arms.”

  Rawa didn’t hear anything after “are free to mate as they wish”. He grabbed Sehra and pulled her to him as pride members burst into shouts and cries around them—some in support, some in angry dissent.

  “You’re mine,” he said, a note of wonder laced throughout his words.

  “And you are mine,” she managed before pressing her lips to his.

  Inuku rubbed his knuckles roughly into Rawa’s scalp as he kissed Sehra. “That’s it,” He laughed. “We’re free!”

  Pandemonium raged around them, but Rawa felt as if they were the only three on the planet.

  “Silence!” the king bellowed, bringing Rawa back to his current surroundings. The king waited until the crowd had settled before continuing. “Furthermore, the lieutenant and his sons shall be investigated for the illegal running of gold human coins among Lith’hah. There shall be a hearing pending the investigation.”

  There were more shouts and cries of dismay amidst a smattering of cheers.

  The chief protector faced the crowd. “Your Leader King and Queen have spoken. Let their commands be carried out at once and any member with disagreement make peace with their leaders’ judgment.”

  * * * * *

  Rawa, Sehra and Inuku followed the chief protector up to the king’s den. The hearing had gone well into the early hours of the morning, but the king had asked the three to join him for one final matter afterward.

  His den was up on the highest of peaks in the area and the three had shifted into their cat forms for the climb. When they arrived at the large outdoor terrace, the guards allowed automatic entry. All of them had been at the hearing earlier.

  Rawa took in the palatial den. There were Mun’hai trees everywhere—clearly transplanted from wherever they had been growing. A stream burbled somewhere behind the den, and an opening had been carved into the roof of one room for night sky viewing, and sunlight during the day. It was nice, Rawa decided, but he would do it differently.

  His palace would be grand. He would use some of the stone he’d seen in the Extreme North for the walls and floors. He would carve flat planks that swung out in place of leather flaps at entrances to dens. He’d seen them at some of the kings’ dens in the Western Territories. They said these were better to keep out serpents and, along with an unbroken stone wall around the perimeter of a pride grounds, more of a deterrent for roaming Independents who meant to take over a pride.

  Rawa would never give up a pride he’d created with Sehra. He would carve these flat planks out of the finest wood from the mammoth trees he’d seen in the Western Territories, trees the size of this one palatial den. And he would surround the den with flowers, the many strange and fragrant varieties he’d seen during his travels through the far Eastern Territories. Flowers with scents that traveled for miles and lingered on the skin for hours, in colors so vibrant they pained the eyes if gazed at too long. He would create a pride grounds fit for a Lith’han like Sehra.

  The king and queen were reclining on outdoor seats, strewn from the rock of the mountain. They each held a cup of brew and several of their attendants stood nearby, ready to do their bidding.

  “Welcome,” the queen said warmly as the three shifted back into their human forms. She waved her arm tow
ard the seats that had been set up for visitors. “Please join us.”

  The queen was lovely. A good sixty years in age, with each year adding a deeper layer of beauty. Rawa knelt before her and kissed her hand. One day Sehra would ripen and surpass this queen’s beauty. And he would be reclining at her side.

  “You are welcome,” the king said, “to rejoin the pride.” He gestured toward Inuku. “All of you. We would be blessed to have you again. And I would personally ensure none of you are harassed—that the pride welcomes you with the warmth of den members.”

  Rawa caught Inuku’s glance.

  “Your Majesty is most kind,” Rawa said. “We are humbled by your offer. But my companion and I have been wandering Lith’hah for years. Inuku and I will continue our travels.”

  “But you cannot remain Independents with Sehra at your side,” the queen countered.

  “No,” Rawa said slowly. He leveled his gaze at the king. “I plan to start my own pride. Beyond the Eastern Territories where no Lith’hah have settled.”

  The king’s expression hardened. Male Lith’han were extremely territorial, after all.

  Rawa spoke quickly. “I have nothing but the highest regard for your pride, Your Majesty. This is the pride of origin of my mate—whom I plan to make my queen. There will always be strong ties between our prides and, with us there, you will have two allies in the Eastern Territories.”

  The king was thoughtful for several moments.

  Rawa could sense Sehra’s nerves as her gaze swung from one male to the other.

  The king stood and drained his cup.

  All eyes turned to him, waiting for his next words. He turned his back, folding his arms across his chest and planting his feet shoulder width apart while he stared out into the night.

  Rawa saw the queen knit her brow, her eyes steady on her mate’s back and shoulders.

  Rawa stood his ground. If this king was threatened by a new pride in a far-flung territory, he was not half the king Rawa had thought.

  The king finally turned. “You would be a formidable adversary, were we to go to war,” he said.

  Rawa gave him an even stare. “I would fight to the death to protect what is mine. As any good king should.”

  The king paused before breaking into a smile. “I shall be glad to have such a worthy Leader King as an ally in the far Eastern Territories.”

  Chapter Nine

  They’d been traveling for days when they came up on the land that would be their pride grounds.

  “We’ll set camp here,” Rawa said, shifting into human form and dropping his bundle on the ground.

  Sehra looked around. There was something about this land. Something that spoke to her from deep within the center of the earth, traveling through her legs and coursing back out through the crown of her head. It was a powerful sensation and one she couldn’t ignore. It set her entire body pulsing in sync with the life around her. And even before Rawa returned from exploring the terrain, she knew.

  He came back hours after dinner, when Inuku had already fallen asleep and Sehra was gazing up at the shifting night sky. “This is it,” he said, sliding one large, powerful hand along her back and stopping to rest on her thigh. “Home.”

  “I know,” she said, turning her body toward him. “I felt it as soon as we arrived.”

  He slid his hand back up along the length of her, stopping to cup her breast. He rolled the nipple between his knuckles.

  Sehra shivered. She watched the hard, rough skin of his knuckles gently pulling and teasing the taut puckered flesh of her nipple. They’d made love freely, endlessly, during the trek here. Most times Inuku watched, pulling at his long, hard shaft until he came, either with them or just after. Never once did Rawa invite him to share their intimacy. It would be a while before they opened their mating to others, Sehra knew. She read it in Rawa’s thoughts. He was hungry only for her right now and wanted to make sure she was hungry only for him. They had been too long apart. Too many years of longing.

  She had not told Rawa yet that her gift of thought reading had flowered since they left her pride of origin.

  “What are you thinking?” he asked, staring down at her face intently.

  “Of our lovemaking,” she rasped.

  He bent his head and gently nipped at her puckered bud.

  Sehra gasped.

  “What of our lovemaking?”

  “That it is glorious,” she said, allowing her gaze to lock with his. “That it is a celebration of all that is achingly beautiful within us and within our world.”

  He pressed himself against her, his cock pressing into her mound.

  She threw one leg over his hips, grinding her pussy against him and sliding along his length.

  “I love you, Sehra,” he murmured against her lips.

  She ran the tip of her tongue along his lips. “As I love you.”

  “Are you in my thoughts right now?”

  “No,” she said, her eyelashes fluttering as she looked away.

  “You’re lying,” he said quietly. He pulled back. “Sehra, you have to be honest with me.”

  “You don’t want to hear it,” she answered. She didn’t want to have this conversation right now, especially when her pussy ached for his touch and her skin burned for his caresses.

  The muscle at his jaw jumped. He rolled onto his back and stared up at the stars.

  Sehra tried to stay out of his thoughts, but her desire for him kept launching her into his head. She knew he thought his gift inferior to hers, but she didn’t know how to let him know she didn’t feel that way. That she saw him every bit her equal in their abilities.

  We both have powerful gifts, Rawa. They are just powerful in different ways.

  “Get out of my head,” he growled, standing up.

  Sehra sat up. “Don’t go.”

  He walked toward the waterfall and she followed, not speaking until they were by the water’s edge.

  “Rawa, how can we grow together and live as mates if you cannot accept my ability?”

  “You didn’t have this ability before,” he said.

  “You sound like you did when you were a cub,” she said, reminded of the day she’d stumbled upon him at the river. The day she’d seen his face heal within minutes from a beating that would have left most permanently scarred and disfigured.

  He spun around to face her. “And you? Running in and out of my head without permission—that is the work of an adult?”

  She shrank back. “I haven’t mastered it yet, Rawa. Give me time. I’m still learning.”

  Regret fell across his face as he pulled her close. “Forgive me.”

  She threaded her fingers through his hair. “We will learn together.”

  “There is something else,” he said, looking into her face.

  She searched his eyes, working hard to stay out of his thoughts. “What is it?”

  “When they were holding me prisoner—” He stopped and seemed to gather the right words. “They almost killed me.”

  Her eyes closed as she remembered the feeling that had overcome her when every instinct had told her he was dead. “I know,” she said. Her words came in a strangled thread. “I felt you leave me—this earth.”

  “I was dead, Sehra,” he said softly. “My body had ceased, completely, to function—for more than several minutes. But I came back.”

  She opened her eyes slowly. She looked at him carefully as the meaning of his words took form. “What are you saying?”

  He untangled himself from their embrace and walked to a large boulder, heaving himself onto it. “My body regenerates itself. I’ve always known that. It’s what we Coppers do. But every single one of the Coppers before me who had the gift, died—and stayed dead.” He stopped at stared straight ahead. “No one has ever come back from the dead, Sehra.”

  She stared at him for a moment before climbing up onto the boulder. “Are you saying…you can’t die?”

  “I don’t know,” he said, turning to face her. “A
ll I know is that I did die. And now I’m here.”

  She drew a sharp intake of breath. “And you were worried about my ability? How am I supposed to keep up with that? I know with certainty that I will die.”

  He dropped his head into his hands. “I don’t know what it is. It could have been a rare one-time thing for all I know.”

  Sehra closed her eyes and looked deep into the darkness. She shook her head. “No. It wasn’t a fluke,” she said, opening her eyes. “It was destiny.” Something in her knew this. She didn’t question how she knew, just trusted that it came from a source far wiser than she. “It wasn’t your time to die.”

  He looked up, staring hard into her eyes. “So I’m not immortal?”

  Sehra knew he was struggling to accept her newfound power, her ability to do things he could not, her power in areas he couldn’t match. She knew too that he struggled only because those were areas he could not be at her side. Places she could go where she would be alone, without his protection. Places she could go and he might lose her again.

  She opened her mind and poured all of those thoughts into his. “This is what I know,” she whispered. “I do not know if you’re immortal. I’m an intuitive. I communicate with the ancestors. And I can read some thoughts in some Lith’hah—mostly those with whom I have a deep connection…so far, only you.”

  He grabbed a fistful of hair at the back of her head and pulled her mouth to his. He kissed her hard, parting her lips with his and plunging his tongue in, sweeping it through her mouth and across her teeth. When he stopped, he leaned his head against hers, still holding her by her hair.

  “We’ll figure it out,” he said. His voice was rough and gravelly. “Whatever comes, whatever our abilities, we will figure it out.”

  “Yes,” she whispered. She didn’t care if he was immortal. Didn’t care if some in the world they lived in didn’t accept their union because they were of different lineages. Theirs was a truer love than any she’d seen in all her years. She would live by his side for as long as the Ancients, in all their wisdom, allowed.