“It’s simply a matter of safety. You see when a Cat chooses his mate, he would die before letting that mate be harmed. In this instance, Bray, or rather his Cat as it would seem, has chosen you as his mate and while he has not yet consummated his intentions, he is indeed bound to you, soul to soul by his choice. Meaning he would rather fight us all and die here today than watch you take the punishment you’ve chosen. But as you have chosen it, he must endure it as must you.”
“You can’t do this,” Bray growled, “she is mine and cannot be harmed.”
The Priest slid beady eyes to Hondo. “It is sworn that she committed the act prior to being bound.”
Hondo nodded once in confirmation.
“She was not your mate, but merely a slave. Therefore, ma’at governs and not the law protecting mates. She’ll be punished like the slave she is!”
Neomee stared at Bray. She watched his muscles bunch and strain as he struggled against the strength of the five Cats that held him bound in place.
Bray was glaring at the Priest with a look that was all fury. Neomee wondered if the Priest spoke the truth. Could Bray’s display of rage truly be directed at the Priest and Bray’s own brothers simply because they sought to punish her? They had just met, how could his protective instincts be so strong?
Neomee bit her lip as she let her eyes scan the massive expanse of his broad chest and let her eyes slide down his frame then back up only to see that he’d frozen in place as he watched her assessing eyes. She exhaled a breath that she hadn’t even realized she’d been holding.
“As I was saying, I will make you an offer.” The two Cats holding Neomee released her as the Priest approached. The Priest deftly stalked up behind her and lifted a handful of her hair up to his nose. Inhaling deeply, he smiled at Bray as Bray growled in vicious response.
“My offer is this. When you decide you can no longer take the punishment, all you need to do is scream for mercy.”
“And when I scream for mercy the pain will stop?”
“Yes, but your punishment will not. You will then receive the pleasure…and I will be the one to give it to you.”
Bray’s massive roar split the air. It startled the Priest and he stumbled back.
“Touch her Priest and you die!”
Annoyed and embarrassed the Priest stalked back to his altar, “It is her choice. She is not your mate yet! She chose the pain and if she can’t take it then she’ll get the pleasure. My pleasure.” The Priest licked his lips as he devoured Neomee with his eyes, “And it will be my pleasure.”
“I’ll kill you!” Bray forced through his clenched teeth.
“She has attempted to escape, she should be put to death.” Hondo shouted from his place among the Cats.
The Priest raised his hand and dismissively shooed away Hondo’s comment, “Her fate has been decided.”
Chapter 12
He’d failed her! Bray kept playing the thought over and over as he watched her tremble in terror standing with the Priest at her back sniffing her hair.
I’m going to kill him the instant I’m free! He jerked against his brothers that held him. Why hadn’t he waited for Madu to get off shift before tracking her down? At least then he’d have an ally in the room. His eyes roved over his brethren Cats and remembered their faces. They too would pay once he was free.
His eyes swept back to Neomee. I should have let her go. She’d be free now instead of preparing to endure punishment. Guilt ate at him. He’d known she was up to something and he’d chased her down. It was his fault she was about to be punished for her attempted escape, an escape he’d brought to attention.
Watching her lift her chin in an attempt to be brave he only felt worse. She could have accepted his consummation of his claim to her but she’d refused and the refusal had his inner Cat snarling in demand for him to force her submission. She didn’t trust him and it was his own fault. He’d scared her, hurt her and now he’d chased her down and hauled her before the Priest to accept punishment. What kind of man am I? Self loathing washed over him in waves and it was so overwhelming that he had to twist it into hatred for the Priest and his fellow Cats because he knew that if he recognized it for what it was he’d implode.
He was a Cat and as such he knew that they were held to higher standards. They were the judge of the word, the keepers of the people, the guardians of the temples. It was they who were expected to uphold the law. So why did he feel like the lowest form of life for what Neomee was about to undergo.
He roared and surged forth in a burst of emotion-invoked strength. It wasn’t enough. The Cats holding him had felt his muscles tense only a fraction of a second before he lashed out. It was all the time they needed to brace and hold tightly to his splayed arms and legs.
With little else to do he roared again. He could make threats, but without the ability to act on them they were useless. Instead, he’d wait.
***
Neomee’s heart raced. She was terrified but fought with every fiber of her being against the useless emotion. She’d learned years ago that fear did nothing but make punishment worse. What’s more, she knew the other Cats would smell it and think less of Bray for having selected such a coward as a mate. Why she should care what they thought of him she didn’t know, but she did.
She slowly walked to Bray and he stilled at her approach. Placing one hand on his cheek, Neomee pulled his ear down to her lips. For some inexplicable reason and in the midst of her terror, she had to know. “Tell me Bray, why does Hondo despise you so?” She remembered Hondo from the dining hall. He’d been the one to challenge that Bray didn’t have the right to be bound.
Bray pulled back just far enough to meet Neomee’s gaze. “It doesn’t matter!”
“It matters to me.”
Bray hesitated trying to guess Neomee’s logic at such a question at this most inopportune moment. Exhaling resignedly, Bray looked from Neomee to Hondo, his eyes igniting with sparks of hatred before he spoke. “He feels that I am responsible for the death of his sister. She was murdered by thieves who snuck into the temple. I was on guard that night. He’s never forgiven me.” His eyes darkened violently before sliding to lock on hers. “She was my mate.”
Shocked at the revelation, Neomee held Bray’s gaze before sliding her hand down the smoothness of his cheek. “You were mated?”
“Yes, a long time ago.”
Neomee looked over her shoulder at Hondo. “When somebody hurts or fails to protect someone you love it hurts very much.” The icy look Hondo was giving her sent a shiver down her spine. She looked back at Bray, “Men’s hatred is often soothed by revenge.” She sighed, “Thank you for not allowing Hondo to kill me in the catacombs as he’d wanted.” Neomee lowered her eyes and bowed her head before turning and walking to the guard holding the whip.
Bray had no idea what she was up to, but knew that he didn’t like it in the least. He saw Neomee’s lips move as she spoke to the whip man. The whip man looked down at the whip then up at the Priest. The Priest nodded and then the whip man handed the whip to Neomee who took it and looked across the room to Bray. She never took her eyes from him as she approached Hondo and held the whip out to him. Tearing her eyes from Bray, she looked up at Hondo and spoke too softly for Bray to hear.
As she walked to the altar now rigged with two ropes held by two Cats, Neomee offered, “The pain I can take, humiliation I will not.”
The Priest, offended by Neomee’s nonchalance, sneered at her approach. “Oh I promise you my child; you’ve never experienced a pain like this.”
She glared at the Priest from the veil of her sooty lashes. “You have no idea the pain I’ve experienced.”
With her back to the gallery for their viewing, Neomee slipped her arms out of her gown and let the top fall down to her belted waste, exposing her bare back. She heard the rumble from the Cats as they whispered among themselves, and she heard Bray’s unmistakable deep growl.
Confused, the Priest crossed the altar to stare at Neomee�
��s back, his mouth falling open.
The smooth golden tone of her skin was marred by deep, wide, white, crisscrosses. The dozen whip scars that disfigured her flawless skin were a testament to her words. She could endure the pain.
“On with it!” The Priest shouted to Hondo.
Hondo approached and unraveled the whip. He swung it testing the weight of it in his hand.
“Don’t!” Neomee heard Bray growl.
Hondo’s calm voice reverberated through the room, “When her punishment is finished, so is my hatred for what you have cost me. It is a gift she has chosen to give to you. Accept it.”
“Hondo…please!”
Before the first lash licked her skin, Neomee’s eyes welled with tears at the pain she heard in Bray’s plea. She knew what it must cost him to beg in front of his brothers, for a woman he’d just met and to his own enemy.
Her body was tense with the anticipation of the first lash. It took all her strength to keep her slight frame from trembling in fearful expectation.
As the first crack rent the air, Neomee’s body jerked, she bit her lip to prevent herself from crying out. She made no noise as the first lash sliced her back from one shoulder to the opposite hip.
Bray must have shifted because the growls and hisses coming from behind her sounded like someone had cornered a lion. She knew now what she’d seen the night he’d rendered her unconscious. She knew with a startling clarity that it hadn’t been a hallucination. The rumors were true. The guardian Cats of Thebes were in fact Cats.
She heard the guardians barking orders at each other as they fought to restrain Bray, but the orders were interrupted by another ear-splitting crack as the second lash tore at her flesh. She barely stifled a scream as warm silent tears rolled down her cheeks. She struggled to control her breathing, and drew blood from her own lip when she bit down too hard.
With the third lash, Neomee was taking deep gulps of air fighting to keep the blackness that clouded her vision from swallowing her completely. As hard as she fought to keep from crying out, she knew Bray fought just as hard to get to her. The yells from the men holding Bray grew louder and louder with each lash she took. She doubted any Cat was even witness to her whipping as it sounded like they were all preoccupied with restraining their Prince. It would appear that as her body wore down, Bray’s strength built up and the Cats were on the verge of losing control over him.
The Priest stood before Neomee and watched with a sinister smile as she struggled against the pain. With the fourth lash, Neomee saw the Priest jump back. He was no longer watching Neomee struggle against the pain, he was watching the Cats struggle to restrain Bray.
Fear was evident on the Priest’s face and in his voice as he yelled, “Finish it!”
One last crack and it was done.
Neomee was on her knees supported only by the Cats holding the ropes that bound her wrists, suspending her arms high above her head. Her once white gown was now crimson with her blood and finally a whimper escaped her lips as her body slumped forward.
Backing from the room, the Priest issued his orders, “Release her. Bray you are now free to consummate your claiming.”
Neomee slowly raised her head dragging in a ragged breath, “I will be taken as no man’s mate.”
The Priest smiled wickedly at her, “You will, or you’ll die. Again, it’s entirely your choice.”
Neomee watched as the Priest looked over her shoulder as he backed out the door, “Do not release him until I am gone.”
Bray’s angry roar filled the room. Then the door behind the priest closed and Neomee dropped to the floor as the ropes that bound her hands were released.
Bray was there in an instant. Strong arms picked her up and she was placed cautiously but quickly over his broad shoulder. He was shouting orders as he swiftly fled the room with her. She heard him demanding water, clean linen, and the healer, and finally she was afforded the opportunity to let the inky black haze consume her and her eyes fluttered closed.
Chapter 13
The first thing Neomee became aware of was the darkness followed by a searing white-hot pain. It emanated from her back and reached to the core of her soul.
Not instantly remembering what had happened she thought she was being tortured, burned for Amon only knew what infraction she’d made this time.
A scream left her throat and she tried to roll away from the source of the heat at her back. When hands gripped her arms she tried to fight against them but it only made the burning worse. “Stop!” she begged, tears were instantaneous.
“Lily, be still!” Bray’s ashen face appeared in front of her own. “It’s alright. You’re safe now.” One hand left her arm to stroke her sweat-dampened hair. “I’ve got you.”
Lying face down she struggled to recall the events that had led up to her current situation. It all slowly came back in bits in pieces. Her attempt at escape, Bray’s stoic face, his roar of anger, the altar room, the Priest, Hondo, the whip.
Licking her lips Neomee drew in a deep ragged breath as she scanned the room from where she lay. She recognized the room immediately; she was again in Bray’s quarters. Attempting to lift her arms to push herself up off the bed she froze in pain as she felt the movement tear at her back. Either she’d been stitched or her wounds had tried to form tight scabs that cracked and tore as she moved. Her arms shook with the pain as she lay them back at her sides.
“Don’t move.” Bray’s deep voice commanded from behind her. Crossing to stand in front of her, he dropped to his knee and held a small bowl of water close to her mouth. He dipped a white cloth into the bowl then held the cloth to her lips. “Suck on this.”
Still hazy, Neomee didn’t argue as Bray slid a hand under her cheek to lift her head slightly while his other hand brushed the cloth against her lips. She opened her mouth and Bray used a finger to tuck the cloth between her lips where she sucked slowly accepting the water. She opened her lips when the cloth was dry and Bray dunked it back into the bowl before repeating the procedure several times until the small bowl was nearly empty.
“Let me get you more,” Bray smiled uncertainly down at her before leaving her line of sight to re-fill the bowl. He returned and she accepted more of the water until her thirst was quenched. Bray used his thumb to wipe droplets of water from Neomee’s lips and cheek.
“How long have I been asleep?” Her voice came out as a raspy whisper.
“Three days.”
“Oh.” The shock Neomee felt at the revelation was not evident in her too weak tone.
Bray again left Neomee’s sight and returned with a bowl of what smelled to be some form of poultice. Without a word, he began applying the preparation to her wounds. She tensed at the coolness of the ointment and then stayed tense from the pain. Bray worked quietly and gently, as Neomee concentrated on controlling her breathing.
“Before your punishment, you had scars on your back. Who did it?”
She smiled to herself. She knew when he’d seen them that he’d demand answers. She just hadn’t expected him to demand them so soon. Shifting uncomfortably Neomee considered a lie but quickly discarded it. She knew that Bray would smell her dishonesty. “I have never been a free woman.”
“Meaning?”
Neomee thought she heard a dangerous edge to Bray’s voice, but dismissed it. “Before being sold to the House of Cats, I belonged to a wealthy family.”
“Belonged to? You mean with.”
“No, I mean to. Just as I am a slave here, I was a slave there. I’ve always been owned, I have never known freedom.”
Bray left her side to pace the room, “And the scars?” he growled.
Smiling without humor, Neomee bit her lip at the memories, “I have a long history of trying to run. After several unsuccessful attempts, Holder made an example of me.”
“Holder? Was that your captor’s name?”
“No. We were not allowed to speak his name. He was the holder of the slaves. He made sure we knew that he held our free
dom and our lives in his hands. We all called him Holder. It felt less submissive than calling him Master.”
“And the scars,” he prompted again refusing to let the matter go.
Neomee smiled now, this time the humor reached her eyes and danced across her pleased features. “It was nearly a year ago that I was made an example of, whipped for trying to escape. I never forgot the pain. After, I plotted and when everything fell into place, Holder woke strapped to his own bed. I used the same whip on him that he’d used on me.” Neomee’s smile faded, “I was almost home free when they caught me. Holder was furious. He wanted to kill me; it was what I’d expected if I were caught. I had accepted my fate. But when he told me he planned on selling me to the House of Cats…well, he knew that I’d prefer death to life-long servitude. He kept death from me.” She turned her head away to avoid Bray’s intent stare, “That is how I came to be a slave for the House of Cats, it was a form of punishment. But I’ll never stop running. Not even here, not even from the deadly and cunning Cats. Not now, not ever. Not even if it kills me.”
Silence hung in the air and Neomee wasn’t sure if Bray was still in the room. When he didn’t respond she assumed he’d left and she relaxed back into his bed. It took only mere moments for her to drift back into her much needed healing sleep.
Chapter 14
Neomee woke to Bray’s whisper, “Lily. Lily, wake up.” Neomee stirred and Bray continued, “You need to eat, to drink.”
Neomee licked her parched lips as Bray held a juicy grape to her mouth. She accepted the grape and several more coupled with intermittent cloths full of water.
“Why do you call me that?” She finally asked in annoyance between bites preferring banter to the stifling silence. “That’s not my name.”
“Lily?” He shrugged negligently, “Because it’s how you smell to me. No matter the circumstance. All I smell is the overwhelming scent of sweetness that emanates from you. You scent of the blue water lily. I could track you to the ends of the earth by your scent alone…lily.”
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