“I’m not sure. There are so many things that could go wrong. Logan is dead set on killing my father and taking the Pride over.”
“He and I are due a confrontation. He won’t be able to sneak up on me and drug me again. Challenging him will be a pleasure.”
“You have everything figured out.” She cupped his cheek and stroked gently. “You make it very easy to love you, Rafael Cruz,” she said, her voice shaky as strong emotions coursed through her.
“Good, because I have loved you for a very long time, Sanura Bast, and I plan to make this all right. Nothing will stand in my way. It’s been a long time coming.”
“How is it you manage to say all the right things?”
“You would be the only person who’s ever accused me of that. I have a suggestion for what happens after we deal with Logan. How about we turn this one night stand into a vacation? I think we could both use some time away from the Pride to get to know one another better. To do all the things together that we’ve missed out on.”
“Mhmm, I like the way you think, Rafe.”
“I want to hear about Logan’s plans. Tell me what you found out, kitten.”
Sanura stayed cradled in his arms and reiterated all the things that she’d found out about Logan, including what he’d been wanting to do and who he was planning to use in his schemes. It was a grand feeling to get everything off her chest and to be able to lean on Rafael instead of herself. All that was left to do at this point was to call Logan out on his lies and to save the Pride.
Chapter Five
“I’m not sure this a good idea.” Rafael shifted in the backseat as they approached the Pride’s land.
“I’m the Chief’s daughter. They’re not going to search my car, even If I have been M.I.A. for twenty-four hours. Stay under the blankets and lie still.” She’d spent an hour saturating the blanket with her scent and mating pheromones. One whiff and the guards would be scrambling all over themselves to back away and let her through.
Pulling up to the gates that protected their land, she rolled down her window.
“Sanura! Everyone’s been looking for you. Are you okay?” The brown-skinned man with hazel eyes and a rich baritone looked genuinely concerned. It made her feel guilty.
“Sorry, needed some to clear my head, and telling anyone here would’ve ended up with a detail.”
He inhaled, and his eyes flashed yellow. Spine stiffening he stepped away from the car. “That you’ll have to take up with your father.” He waved her inside, and she rode past the checkpoint, mentally cheering. The first part had gone down without a hitch. If only everything else could be as smooth.
“We’re good,” she whispered. Mentally prepping herself for the shit storm about to descend, she took deep breaths in, exhaling through her nose.
“Thank God.” His head appeared at her right elbow. “On a scale of one to ten, how pissed do you think your father is?”
“Eleven. In his mind, Logan is the model Pride member, and I’m lucky to have his attention directed at me. The blatant disrespect I’ve shown him won’t sit well.” She shook her head. “This is going to break his heart.”
“Better his heart than his life.” He nudged her arm with his head. The silky strands of hair tickled her arm.
“I know you’re right. I just wish I could spare him the pain this betrayal will inflict. He took Logan in when his folks died, groomed him to take over.” A thought bomb exploded. “Oh my God! Do you think he killed his own parents?”
“I wouldn’t put it past the sick bastard. There’s something off in his brain, a darkness that’s spread more and more as the years passed. I bet the deeper we dig, the more disturbing facts will come to light.”
Her stomach churned. “I just want him gone.” If she never saw his face again it’d be too soon. But people like him, they never stopped. They kept coming back until they were put down like a rabid dog.
“You know the penalty for this will be death.”
“I know … but law dictates we give him a trial in front of the council.”
“Your father can override that and given the situation, I wager Logan will be lucky to live another day. Chief Aren was never one to suffer fools, and he’s old school. You run with the Pride, never against it.”
“That’s not the right way to handle things. We need to make an example of him. Humiliate him. Let everyone know his evil deeds. I don’t want a copy cat or some misguided loyalists. This needs to end here, now. I want a fresh start.”
“You’re shrewd. I like that.” She peered down and rolled her eyes at the smile curving his lips upward.
“It’s necessary. Like you said earlier we need to bring them into modern times.”
As she pulled onto her father’s property, her heart began to beat double time. Parking in front of the house, she felt her fingers shake as she unbuckled her seat belt.
“Let’s go now before I lose what little bit of nerve I’ve gathered.” She wasn’t a coward by nature, but she was a daddy’s girl. With her mother gone, her father had been everything to her growing up. To this day he was her hero. Bringing this to his door, seeing the momentary disappointment in his eyes would cut her to the quick. The five-minute walk up to the door felt more like an hour. She rapped on the wooden barrier. Seconds later it swung inward, and she was lifted off the ground, engulfed in her father’s exuberant hug. For a moment she allowed herself to enjoy the safety he offered as she hugged him back.
“Sanura, don’t ever do that to me again. Don’t you know I’m an old man?” He held her out, examining her with his eyes.
“Dad, you are spry and crafty. I’m sorry I couldn’t share this with you. There were extenuating circumstances.”
“What do you mean?” He set her on the ground, brow furrowed. His body tensed, his lip curled upward, and a growl rumbled in his chest.
“You dare bring him here! After what he did!” If looks could kill, Rafael would be on the floor.
“Daddy, it’s not what you think!” She held her hands up, palms outward.
“You were always blinded by your school girl crush! I saw what he did to the human woman, ripped her pelvis wide open. She’ll never be able to have children!”
“It wasn’t his fault.” She grabbed his arm. “Please, Daddy, we have proof about that incident and so much more. Logan isn’t what he seems to be.”
“Now you want to drag him into this!” He shook his head
“Please! I have proof!” She gestured toward Rafael, opening and closing her hand, and he placed the burned CD in a slip cover in her palm. Waving it in front of her father she willed him to cast aside his prejudgments. “Just listen to it. That’s all I ask.”
Rafael stood a few steps behind her, head bowed in a submissive pose.
“Fine, but daughter, I warn you. It’d better be worth my time. I love you, but I can’t turn a blind eye to such a blatant act of defiance against our laws.”
“Trust me, it is not I who has broken the laws.” The bitter taste of anger coated her tongue.
“Come in before we are seen.” He stepped back inside and allowed them to enter. She walked down the hall and into his office, fired up the desktop, and slipped in the CD. The tension in the room was thick. Her father’s power prickled along her skin.
“Here Dad, its ready.” She placed her body between the two men to become act a live buffer. Grunting her father sank into his leather chair and pressed play. The words that rolled off Logan’s tongue sounded worse the second time around.
“How can this be? After all I provided for this boy! I’ll rip his throat out myself.” His voice distorted as his body began to prepare for the change.
“Dad! No! He should be shamed in front of everyone. If you kill him now it won’t be nearly what he deserves.”
Her father paused. “You’re right, daughter. We must set things right with both men.” He peered at Rafael. “Tell me what the two of you have planned.”
****
Revenge.
Finally his hour of redemption was at hand. Everyone was gathered in the religious hall he remained outside of, strategically placed on a building roof top that gave him the perfect view of the ceremony space. His scope remained trained on Logan’s every step. The shot through the open window was clear. If only the thing housed bullets instead of tranquilizer darts. Chief Aren insisted one shot to the head would be too good for him. He wasn’t so sure. Words circled in a loop in his head.
Dressed in a three piece grey-suit Logan strutted up to the altar where the Shaman, and he used the word term loosely knowing he’d been bought, stood. Chief Aren walked inside through the opposite entrance with Sanura beside him, her arm tucked neatly into his.
The lust in Logan’s eyes sickened him. Rafael’s finger twitched, itching to pull the trigger. Logan’s smirk faded when Sanura and her father arrived beside him.
“My people, today was meant to be a celebration, but now it serves as a trial.” Aren’s voice carried, and whispers spread through the room. “Hear the damning proof.” He raised his hands and his second in command hit the remote. The recording of Logan’s phone conversation began to play through the speakers on the wall.
Logan’s eyes darted back and forth. “You don’t believe this is real, do you? It’s obviously a set-up! He knows his time as Chief is coming to an end, and he’s not ready to let go.” He waved toward Aren.
“How dare you accuse my father of treachery when it’s you who stabbed the man who groomed you to be his successor in the back! You sicken me! How many others have you killed to get your way?”
“Shut up, whore! I smell his stench all over what was meant to be mine! You’d say anything to save his hide.”
A ferocious growl rent the air, and she swiped at him, leaving a claw mark across his face. Logan froze, his eyes bleeding into the yellow green of the puma, and he bounded. Rafael fired a shot but missed. He rolled on the ground with Sanura in their puma forms. Rafael squinted, trying to get a decent shot. If I miss and incapacitate her, he’ll rip her throat out. Blood spattered onto the floor, whose he couldn’t say. The crowd fell back in a rush to escape the battling beasts.
A giant mass of wiggling golden fur rolled across the floor. Powerful jaws took chunks out of each other’s flank. A yelp sounded through the room. Someone was hurt. The larger animal balanced on three legs. That’s my girl. She bared her teeth, her gaze locked on his throat. Thwack.
This time his aim was true, and the dart embedded itself in Logan’s side. If he let her kill him, she’d never forgive herself. But when the animal was upon you and your emotions were strong, human reasons fell to the wayside. He tossed his weapon aside, shifted and bounded for the stairs. His mate needed him.
When he reached her side, she was like a frozen statue, still and unresponsive. He mewled a greeting and padded closer. Her greenish yellow jewels were glazed over, and she stared unseeing off into the distance. Alarm filled him like quicksand, and he dove into their mental link. The mental area she existed in was a barren wasteland. The cracked, dry floor reminded him of the savannas they were originally from.
“Sanura!” He swept the area with his stare and found nothing, so he walked on. Where could she be hiding? The sun beat down on him, sweat beaded on his brow and his upper lip. Twisted trees rose up from the land, warped and dry like the lands they existed in. In the far distance he spotted one giant tree. Squinting, he made out her shape. She sat on the ground with her arms around her knees. Her loneliness broke his heart. Shifting to his Puma, he loped across the desert and came to a halt in front of her. He nudged her arms until she glanced up. He connected to her mind as he sat there in front of her in his puma form, though in his mind’s eye he saw her in her human form and she would see him likewise.
Rafael?
He nodded.
What are you doing here?
I will always follow you, querida. Why did you hide inside yourself?
I almost killed Logan, would’ve if you hadn’t knocked him out with your dart. I lost control of my animal … that’s never happened before.
You’ve been holding potent emotions inside you for a long time when it comes to Logan. I don’t think anyone could blame you.
It’s not who I am!
I never said it was. No one is perfect.
How can I lead anyone when I’m a loss cannon myself?
You’re not. We’ve all come out on the wrong side of the battle with our beast. That you haven’t until today is extraordinary.
Don’t blow smoke up my ass, Rafael!
I’m telling you the truth. In this matter I am older and have more experience. You’d see if I lied.
Gentle tendrils of awareness tickled his brain. Her sour disposition shifted to something lighter.
Now, are you ready to come home with me, where you belong?
“Yes.” She nodded her head, yielding a tiny smile.
They retreated from her mind, returning back in human form to the chaos that awaited them. Her father stood guard in front of them. The giant puma was still as regal as he had been when he was young.
“Rafael?” The wounded whisper tore at his heart.
“I’m here.” He brushed her face with the back of his knuckles.
“What do we do now?”
Her father shifted, rose and held his hands up, gaining silence.
“Now we try him. Here and now you will decide his fate! Knowing what he planned for us, I won’t suffer his face in this village even one more day.”
“Kill him! Remove his animal spirit! Banish him!” The cries blended together as the crowd surged forward. Anger permeated the air. He peered over at the man who lay in a heap, wondering if they’d revert to animal instincts and attack, ripping him to shreds. Can’t say I’d shed a tear.
Chief Aren inclined his head, raising his arms again and gaining silence.
“We will take away what he desired most, power. Stripped of his animal and banished, he will be left for the human world.”
Rafael hissed. It was rare that such a harsh punishment would be delivered. To lose an animal was a fate worse than death. You spent the rest of your life feeling lousy, imbalanced, searching for something you would never be able to regain.
The ancient dialect of his people filled the room. The air grew heavy. Power pressed against his chest, making it harder to breathe. A brilliant golden light formed over Logan’s body. Aren closed his fist and jerked it back. A puma shape clawed its way out of Logan’s chest. His body jerked, and a ghostly cry echoed in the room. The shape flew into Aren, and the climate in the room began to come down.
“It’s done.” Aren turned to his right hand man, Bryan. “Take him out of the state and make sure he understands if he returns he’ll be killed on sight.” The pain visible in Aren’s eyes as he turned away spoke of his devastation.
“Today we also welcome back a member wronged. Rafael, come over here, son.”
He removed his arm from Sanura’s waist and walked over to Aren.
“I owe this man an apology. I should have looked closer into the incident, but I too am subject to failings like pride and misplaced trust. I hope you will welcome back our brother with open arms because he is Sanura’s chosen mate.”
Silence fell. A lone clap sounded, joined by others until a thunderous round of applause filled the room. His heart lightened. Acceptance. It was more than he ever hoped for. Sanura moved up to wrap her arms around him. With his mate by his side and the Pride behind him, the end to his torturous exile arrived.
Chapter Six
Two Months Later
The loose ends had been taken care of. Her father had passed the mantel of Chief-to-be to Rafael who’d spent every day getting to know the people of the tribe once more. The Elders had been resistant, but it was clear everyone was ready for a change. Her thoughts turned to her husband, the epitome of a cat he was soft spoken until he had something to say. His laid back attitude won people over, but she knew he could spring into action in a millisecond.
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Today they would make things official, remarrying in front of the tribe in a ceremony that was a blend of Pride tradition and human. She’d been pleased with their match, but the little girl inside her did want an opportunity to wear the sleek white dress, and a day dedicated to her and the love she shared with Rafael. Butterflies danced in her belly as she studied her reflection in the mirror.
The mermaid dress molded to her form on top and belled out, accentuating her curves. The champagne color seemed more fitting than stark white and made her cocoa skin glow. She’d chosen to wear her hair loose and curly, the way her man liked it.
“You look gorgeous.” She smiled at her Aunt Charmaine in the mirror. Her mother’s sister was the guiding feminine force in her life.
“Thank you.”
“That man of yours isn’t going to know what hit him, which is saying a lot. The eye sex the two of you constantly engage in makes me forget my age.” She fanned her face.
Sanura laughed and shook her head. “You aren’t that old, Aunt Charmaine.”
“We both know I am, but I’ll take the compliment.” Stepping up behind her, Aunt Charmaine fluffed her hair. “You look so much like your mother right now. She would’ve loved this dress too.”
Sanura sniffed, fighting back the tears that rushed to the surface. “I wish she was here too.”
Wrapping an arm around her, her aunt smiled. “She is. Enough of sadness, this is a celebration.” Straightening out, her aunt stepped back. “Are you ready?”
“Yes.” She nodded her head and lifted her skirt up.
Together they walked out of the room they’d dedicated to getting ready to the females who waited below. Tradition said she’d be accompanied by the women of her mother’s tribe. Aunts and cousins filled the foyer of the building up the road from the field where they’d set up the tent.
The Bond Page 4