by Amber Kell
"Pod ejecting," a robotic voice sounded.
"Travel well, my love." Vohne's voice was the last thing he heard. Another explosion sounded, then he was free, but was he free because the captain ejected the pod or because the ship was gone?
"Vohne," Kres whispered, sinking to the floor of the shuttle. Now what was he going to do?
* * * *
Vohne let out a relieved sigh as he heard the pod disengage. Closing his eyes, he prayed to the gods to deliver his lover to the planet below.
"Please let Kreslan make it safely," he whispered.
Another explosion rocked the shuttle.
"They are putting a tracking beam on the shuttle, Your Highness."
"Let them." Vohne hoped it kept them distracted. He needed Kreslan to make it to the surface. He didn't think he could survive this reincarnation if he lost his lover so early.
The shaking of the small craft told Vohne the shuttle was truly caught. He leaned against the smooth ship walls and breathed slow breaths to calm his inner beast. Whiffs of his lover still filled the cabin, soothing his nerves. He had to believe Kreslan would make it safely and forgive him for putting him in the escape pod.
He had no illusions about his lover giving him a piece of his mind once they were reunited down below, but as long as they were together again, he didn't care what punishment Kreslan wanted to dish out.
A loud clang shook him out of his mental reunion.
Squaring his shoulders, he braced himself to face whatever came through the door.
The captain's voice came over the intercom. "Should I let them in?" Vohne pressed the intercom button. "Might as well. If they break in, they'll only damage the shuttle."
A whoosh heralded the opening of the door.
Ten soldiers marched through. Seeing Vohne, they stopped in their tracks, staring at him as if they'd seen a ghost.
Vohne drew himself up to full height. "Is there a reason you're attacking your king?"
One of the Thresl, braver than the others, stepped forward, sweeping a low bow. "Forgive us, Your Highness. We were told an imposter was on board." The man's voice was shaky as he confronted his king.
Vohne's eyes scanned the group who entered the shuttle, five male human soldiers and six Thresl. The one who approached didn't appear to have a partner.
"Where is your human?"
"He died in The Great Purge. As I am only half Thresl, I survived."
"Ahh. I am sorry." At his transformation, Vohne regained all of his memories and the memories of his people. As a king he was one of the few Thresl who could retain the history of his people. He was their memory holder. While between reincarnations, a faction had arisen that wanted to free the Thresl from their human counterparts. One Thresl mating gone wrong created a bitter and dangerous man who wanted to put an end to what he considered the oppression of the Thresl. What the leader didn't acknowledge was, without humans, there were no Thresl. The original Thresl bonded with the humans in order to become a reasoning, intelligent being and not a slave to his beast. To break from the humans and other sentient creatures was to bring an end to their sentience.
The Great Purge was the product of this twisted leader who killed the Thresls' partners. His thinking was once a Thresl gained its sentient status a human partner was no longer necessary.
After killing many Thresl mates, the leader and his followers learned a powerful and painful lesson. Without their creators, they were only half a person. Many killed themselves, and the ones who didn't went crazy.
"How did you survive?" Even a half Thresl would have problems.
The soldier shivered. "I had conditioning. I'm hoping to rematch."
"Good luck."
"Thank you, Your Highness. I have orders to bring the imposter to the ship. Would you mind accompanying me?"
As politely as he worded the question, Vohne knew the soldier wouldn't leave without him.
"Of course."
The soldiers formed an honor guard around him, now acting as his protection instead of his captors.
"Don't forget to bring the captain aboard."
"Of course, Your Highness."
Vohne yearned to immediately go find Kreslan, but he still didn't know if it was safe.
Through several winding hallways he marched alongside the other men until finally he was brought to a large, luxurious chamber covered in thick carpet with a strong handsome man sitting behind a desk.
Looking straight into those familiar gold eyes, Vohne gave a wide smile.
"Greetings, brother."
Bleine walked over to Vohne. With brutal strength, he punched him in the face.
Vohne's head snapped back, his hand coming up to cup his cheek. "What the hell did you do that for?"
"For waiting so fucking long to come back! I had to go through an entire war without you. Where the hell have you been?"
Vohne looked into his brother's eyes and knew the past several hundred years had been hard on him. Without tragedy, a Thresl could live for centuries, even though only kings went through reincarnation.
"I don't know! Why did you shoot at me?"
"Because Jallryne said a false king would be coming."
"Who's Jallryne?"
"My human. She's a seer." His brother paled at the realization. Bleine had been manipulated.
"What happened to Klia?"
"She died in the purging. Jallryne was my second attempt. We bonded, but now I'm wondering if I chose incorrectly."
"You think she likes being queen too much?"
His brother thought it over. "Maybe. There have been whispered rumors." Bleine shrugged. "I thought it was court jealousy. The castle is a different place without you, brother. I never took the official title of king. It didn't feel right since I wasn't a true one." Bleine gripped Vohne's shoulder, shaking him slightly. "I always knew you would return, even as others doubted."
Fear churned Vohne's stomach. "How will my reception be?"
"It had better be welcoming." Bleine's cold tone indicated nothing less would be acceptable to him. "However, it is a tumultuous time. A struggle for power is underway. Even without Jallryne, there are others who would love to wrest the throne from me and call themselves king. Your long absence has brought out many contenders who would never dare to challenge the throne if you were there."
"We will put them back in their place and discover who has worked against us."
In his heart he knew his brother was beside him.
"Where's your mate?" Bleine looked behind him.
"You tried to blow up my shuttle. Where do you think he is?"
"Y-you sent him down below without protection?"
"Since when does a mate need protection from my people?"
"Since there are people who would love to capture him and use him against the newly awakened king."
"Anyone who touches him will die by my hand."
Bleine shook his head. "That still won't bring him back, and sadly, there are many who will die for their cause. Besides, even if they don't kill him, they might hold him for ransom."
Vohne let out a laugh. "Holding my mate will be more trouble than they might expect."
Bleine frowned. "In the past, he has always been a dreamer."
"Not his time." Vohne smiled. "This time he's a warrior."
Bleine's expression was one of utter horror. "Then the prophecy is true."
"What are you talking about?" His brother had always been the bookish one, while Vohne was the fighter.
"All the time you were gone, I searched the vault for reasons you weren't brought back. I couldn't understand. One of the oldest manuscripts I could find said that even for the king there is a final reincarnation. It will occur when your people need you the most."
"They needed me during The Great Purge."
Bleine nodded. "Which makes me worry about what's coming now. It said that in the final reincarnation the king's mate will be a warrior. A man suited to be a partner in the coming troubles. I shared this with
Jallryne. If she is the deceiver like we believe, she'll be on the lookout for your mate. If he dies, this time he won't come back."
Fear rushed through Vohne. "We need to make sure that doesn't happen. Get this ship landed. I have to find my mate."
* * * *
It took several deep breaths and many images about the revenge he was going to take on his mate before Kres pulled it together. Picking himself up off the floor, he assessed the pod. With no idea of what situation he might land in, he popped open the provision chamber, and scanned the contents.
"Great!"
Finally, something had gone his way. The chamber was fully stocked.
The usual amenities lay inside. Food, jugs of water, snack bars, and tucked in the back, a military style survival dagger. Kres snatched up the dagger, tucked it in his boot, and filled his pockets with bars before cracking open a bottle of water. He needed to stay hydrated in case there wasn't a lot of water where he landed. Damn, he wished he'd asked Vohne more about his home planet instead of concentrating on getting into his pants. He paced the pod, occasionally glancing at the monitor to judge when he would land. If Vohne survived, he would go to the palace. Kres couldn't even think of the possibility of his lover's death. If Vohne were dead, he'd know.
A computerized voice came over the intercom.
"Impact in five minutes."
Kres sat down and fastened the buckle tight.
"You're keeping secrets from me, man-cat," Kres mused. Thinking over the hints and bits the Thresl had dropped, he worried about what the shifter hadn't shared.
"Impact in three minutes."
Sighing, Kres leaned his head back and closed his eyes. What the hell had happened to his life? A few days ago, he'd been more than happy to be a common soldier. Now he was a Thresl-mate to a king, a king who may or may not be alive.
"You have to be alive," he whispered. Luckily he didn't get much time to fixate on his lover's plight.
"Impact in one minute."
The pod slammed into the ground, bounced, and slammed into the ground again before rolling. When the pod finally stopped, Kres's insides were churning and his jaws ached from clenching his teeth.
He let out a breath of relief when the pod landed right side up.
Taking a few coping breaths, Kres unbuckled the safety harness with shaking fingers. He grabbed another bottle of water before he walked to the pod door. Programmed to release its occupants after landing, the door popped open at his approach.
"Sure, now you open," he grumbled, glaring at the silver orb.
Peeking out, Kres saw nothing but grass, trees, and a stone path. A long burn pattern scarred the earth from his landing.
"Looks like I'm walking."
He'd only taken a few steps towards the path when the sound of electronic thrumming filled the air. A whoosh of air accompanied the landing of a luxury air ship. It was a private ship, only sixty feet long emblazoned with a crest on the side.
Vohne.
Kres's heart beat doubled in speed.
Relief lightened his heart. He waited patiently for the ship to finish landing and the door to open. A pang of disappointment stabbed through his chest when a woman descended from the transportation, followed by official looking guards.
The woman approached him with a wide smile. "I was told you were on your way, King-Mate. I'm Jallryne. Welcome home."
Kres watched her approach, saw her enchanting smile and knew.
This is the enemy.
It was the expression in her eyes. As a soldier he'd learned to identify hidden motives and unfriendly opponents. She almost vibrated with rage. The closer she came with the armed men at her back the tighter his nerves became. He resisted the urge to go for his knife. Instead, he stayed as still as he could, calling upon hidden resources of control.
"I heard from my mate. The king is well and on his way to the castle. I'm to bring you to him."
Hearing that news from anyone else, Kres would have jumped up and down with joy, but he didn't want to get into that ship with her. He knew with a soldier's instinct, if he went into the ship with her, he wouldn't come out.
His gaze slid over her shoulder at the men standing at attention behind her.
The soldier on her left looked him in the eyes. Run, the man mouthed.
Kres's nerves snapped. Turning on his heel, he fled.
A scream of rage followed his disappearance. He headed towards the trees. He needed cover. He needed it now. A few stray blasts landed too close, scarring the ground beside him. From their proximity he knew it was from the soldier who told him to flee.
Anyone who could shoot that close easily could've hit him.
Not all the soldiers were on her side. Unfortunately, it only took one good shot to kill a man who had nothing but a knife to defend himself.
Long forgotten survivalist training rushed back into his mind as his feet found the quiet earth, instinctively missing the crunchy leaves and rustling undergrowth. If the deceitful bitch wasn't lying, Vohne lived.
If Vohne lived, he would find Kres. He just had to survive long enough for the reunion.
"You shouldn't be alive. She promised me you couldn't return," the woman screamed behind him.
A thick tree with low branches caught his eye. With a desperate leap, Kres grabbed the lowest branch, tucking his body close to the trunk. With slow, careful movements, he pulled himself to the branch above, his muscles screaming from the strain. Long, draping vines covered the space between branches protecting him from spying eyes.
Kres was reluctant to attack any of the soldiers. He didn't know which ones shared the warning soldier's views and which ones wanted to see his blood sprayed across the ground.
The woman was easy.
She wanted him dead.
If she came close enough, he would slit her throat with no remorse.
From his informal count of men rustling through the underbrush, there were ten of them along with the woman. He longed for his stun gun with a passion.
"Come out, King-Mate. Once you're gone, there will be no more problems. Once you're gone, there will be no more king. He'll never be able to survive your death this time."
Shit, she was going to hurt Vohne. Kres hoped if he didn't survive this, Vohne would be all right. The man-cat had said they needed more time together to be completely bonded. Kres hoped that increased Vohne's chances of living if the psycho bitch killed Kres.
Kres's mind went completely blank as his nerves vanished and a warrior calm took over.
She'd threatened his mate.
She must die.
Kres crouched among the leaves. Spreading his feet, he centered himself and steadied his balance, ready to spring and take her down. The soldiers might shoot him after, but he'd take out the danger to his mate first.
With silent motions, he slid the knife out of his boot, careful to keep his movements slow and quiet. Peering through the foliage, he watched her approach.
"Come out, King-Mate. As soon as my people at the castle take care of your mate, the pair of you can reunite in the afterlife. Maybe then he can keep better track of you."
Kres blocked out her words. He wasn't going to let her trick him into revealing his location. A bug buzzed past his ear. Kres didn't move, nor did he twitch when something bit him on the neck.
A few more steps.
She was directly beneath the trunk of the tree where he hid. Taking a slow breath, he bunched his muscles ready to leap when a series of blasts sounded through the forest. The woman's body flung back, ricocheted off the tree, and lay still.
One of the soldiers peered over at the woman. "Who shot her?"
"I did." A blond soldier walked up, approaching the body.
"I don't think so." A dark-haired soldier marched over. "See that mark through her heart. That's mine." He sounded ridiculously proud.
"Not so," the blond argued. "See that shot in her forehead. That killed her. I win."
"Hmm." The man who'd told Kres to run looked down
at the body. The others deferred to him as the leader. "We'll have to have the coroner examine the body. That will determine the winner."
Kres stilled. They had a contest about who killed her?
"What about the king-mate?" one of the soldiers asked.
"We have to find him. If we return without him, we'd best plan on living in the prison yards."
The blond spoke up. "What if he isn't worthy? We should have a plan. I've never even met the king."
Kres had heard enough. Dangling from his perch, he dropped down behind the blond. Wrapping his right arm around the soldier's neck, he used his left hand to hold the knife blade close to the man's eyes.
"Don't even think about harming my mate," he warned. With a backwards snap of his foot, he knocked out the soldier trying to sneak up on him. The man fell to the ground with a thump. "I wouldn't do that." He locked eyes with the leader, who stared back with a cautious expression.
"No need to kill him, King-Mate. He's just talking like soldiers do. He wasn't going to harm the king. Were you, Friln?"
Kres lifted the knife a fraction.
"No, sir, I wouldn't harm your mate."
Kres heard the truth in the other man's voice. "I'm not inclined to like you people very much," he said in a hard tone.
"I thought you said he was a gentle soul," another soldier said to the leader. "He doesn't look so gentle to me."
"I'm Nelrin, the captain of the guard. The man you have under your knife is my mate Friln. I'd prefer if you didn't kill him."
"Did you really get a message the king is alive?"
Nelrin gave him a surprised look. "Yes. I heard it myself." His voice turned coaxing. "Come with us and we'll take you to him."
"Give me one of your weapons."
The leader held out his weapon towards Kres, handle first. Kres released Friln, shoving him towards Nelrin. He snatched the weapon when the leader grabbed at his mate.
Kres dropped the knife back into his boot and flipped the weapon to point at the soldiers. He carefully examined each of them before he lowered the blaster.
"If any of you plan on hurting my mate, think again. Now get me to the king."
Without another glance at the soldiers, Kres turned around and headed back to the shuttle.