LostwithLeo

by Shelley Munro

  “Need to sleep.” Leo got out the words with difficulty.

  “Ma will want to doctor you first,” Scarlett said.

  “No,” Leo barked. “Want to lie down.”

  “It says here that someone paid for the droid to deliver Leo here, and that we need to return him to Dalcon.” Scarlett glanced at the droid for confirmation.

  “Today or there will be additional charges,” the droid added.

  “The twins were intending to go tomorrow to pick up supplies,” Saber said. “Go find them, Scarlett. Tell them to go today.”

  “Should I get Ma?” Scarlett asked.

  “No,” Leo said, his voice scarcely audible above the white noise in his brain.

  He felt his brothers moving him, but kept drifting in and out. So tired. Needed to sleep. Yeah, he’d feel better once he’d slept for a few hours.

  “Where are we taking him?” Felix asked. “To Ma or to his quarters?”

  “His quarters,” Saber said. Leo was right. They didn’t want Ma to see him like this. “Damn, he’s out.”

  He and Felix carried Leo, following the back trail to the family quarters rather than going through the middle of the complex where guests might see and ask questions.

  “He’s losing a lot of blood,” Felix said.

  “Yeah. Shifting might help, but he won’t be able to if he’s going in and out of consciousness.” What the fuck had happened to him? Saber knew there’d been something wrong, but Leo had brushed his questions aside.

  Each week he seemed to lose weight, and he’d shaved off all his hair a few days ago before taking off for Dalcon earlier this morning. His brother had become secretive, his temper uncertain.

  In Leo’s quarters, they stripped off his clothes and surveyed his wounds. There were scrapes and bites over a large portion of his body, a big wound on his belly and hip, and his dick looked an unnatural bright red.

  “Fuck,” Felix whispered. “What the hell happened to him?”

  “I’ve never seen wounds like this before.” Saber checked Leo’s pockets, hoping to discover some sort of clue as to where his brother had been, and came up with a thick wad of cash. He held it up and Felix whistled.

  “That’s a lot of money. Cage fighting?”

  “The authorities shut them down. I haven’t heard anything about an underground club opening. Besides that doesn’t explain that.” He pointed at Leo’s groin and winced.

  “I’ll get Casey. She might have seen something similar,” Felix said.

  Saber nodded, concern for his brother a tight weight on his chest. He’d tried to get Leo to talk, and now he wished he’d persisted with his efforts. Maybe Casey would be able to help. Casey Seonaid, Felix’s mate, had once been in the Dalcon military and had traveled the galaxy while undertaking her duties.

  Felix hurried away, and Saber inspected Leo’s wounds more closely. Although his brother appeared to be out, irregular spasms shook his frame. Saber’s nostrils flared and he caught a medicinal scent. Frowning, he straightened. Someone had cleaned Leo up, attempted to doctor wounds. Someone had cared enough to try to get him home. But who?

  “Hell.” He hated to think of Leo’s appearance before the mystery party had treated his injuries.

  Felix returned with Casey, and Saber stood aside to let his brother’s mate examine Leo.

  “Scurvy sky pirates,” Casey muttered, her brown eyes widening beneath the fringe of her brown hair. Her narrow face held intelligence and a fierce frown. “If I didn’t know better, I’d say they were Spiderus bites. I’ve seen it once on the planet Voracious. The female of the Spiderus race kills her lovers. It usually takes more than one session, but she gets nourishment from their essence.”

  “Essence?” Felix asked.

  “She drinks their semen and their blood. One of my men got entangled with a female. We found him dead, and the Spiderus woman had vanished.”

  “A Spiderus? So like a spider?” Saber asked. “How does that work? I sure as fuck wouldn’t roll naked with a spider woman.”

  “From what I understand, they take on a humanoid form and are very attractive. It’s only if they have a buildup of essence that they are able to revert to their other form and mate. At least that’s what I’ve heard. There are a lot of rumors floating around, and it’s difficult to discern between truth and fabrication.”

  “Christ in a campervan,” Felix said. “What do we do?”

  Casey moved closer and examined the largest wound. Leo moaned but never woke. “I don’t like the look of this one. Is that bone I can see?”

  “We need to wake him. Get him to shift to feline,” Saber decided.

  Casey picked up one of Leo’s arms and took his pulse. “It’s fast. Too fast. In this condition, I doubt he’ll be able to shift.”

  “We could treat his wounds and let him sleep for a bit,” Felix suggested. “Monitor him. He shouldn’t attempt a shift when he’s this weak anyway. The last thing we want is for him to get stuck in between.”

  Casey gawked at him and Felix. “You can get stuck? Why didn’t someone tell me this?”

  Felix went to his mate and pulled her against his chest. He tipped up her face and skimmed his fingers over Casey’s cheek, his expression one of reassurance. “It’s rare and only happens to very old or sick shifters. Occasionally inexperienced shifters too. None of us are in danger of getting stuck.”

  “Apart from Leo,” she said. “You should tell Anna.”

  Saber scowled, exchanged a glance with Felix. “I doubt Leo will want Ma to see him like this.”

  “That’s too bad,” Anna Mitchell, the matriarch of the Mitchell family, said from the doorway. A tall woman with dark hair like her children, she vibrated with determination and mother-bear protectiveness. “Scarlett told me.”

  Saber stepped in front of her, held his mother in place when she attempted to duck around him. “It doesn’t look good, Ma. He’s too weak to shift.”

  Her gray eyes narrowed as she met his resolve with a glare. Her chin lifted a fraction. “I’m your mother. I’ve seen the best and the worst of all of you.”

  Saber sighed in defeat and guided his mother to the sleep-bed. She sucked in a harsh breath on seeing Leo’s battered body clench in the midst of a spasm. He shuddered for long moments before slumping in a boneless heap.

  “Did he say what happened?”

  “He didn’t say much.” Saber’s grim visage shouted his disapproval.

  “Okay.” Ma lifted her chin and gathered determination around her like a cloak. “We’ll clean him up and let him rest. We’ll need to take turns and watch him around the clock. The moment he gains consciousness, we’ll encourage him to shift—if he seems strong enough to complete the transformation. Other than that, I don’t see that there’s much we can do apart from pray.”

  Chapter Six

  Three months later, Middlemarch Resort, Planet Tiraq

  Another one of those bloody dreams. Exhausted from working with the twins, he’d fallen asleep in his clothes. No sooner was he out than Betrys Torin popped into his head, enticing him, seducing him, fucking him during his sleep. On the brink of coming, he’d woken with a hard-on.

  No more! Not tonight.

  Leo stripped off his clothes and pictured his feline shape in his mind. The process took longer than it used to, and he had to use intense focus, the same concentration he’d required during his teenage years when new to shifting.

  “Paint the cat in your mind, son.”

  The long-ago words from his father helped to soothe the angst that popped into his psyche more and more these days, the fear he might fail in his shift and end up between.

  You can do this, Leo.

  His father had been right, and it would be the same on this occasion. He imagined his cat, the sleek, muscular lines of his body, the prick of his ears, the swish of his tail, and finally, finally the magical prickles swept across his skin. Bones cracked, reshaped. Fur started to sprout along his back. The familiar pain racked his body
, and he heard a grunt—his grunt—as the transformation took him. He dropped to all fours and embraced his feline form. His tail flicked back and forth and his senses magnified.

  The ever-present pain in his stomach faded as did the nagging ache at his temples. He left his quarters via the open terrace door and padded into the night air.

  Tonight, the briny scent of the sea drew him. He wanted to play in the waves and sprint along the white sand. Feminine voices up ahead had him stepping off the gravel path and slinking into the undergrowth.

  “Did you see the signs about the zylon creatures?” a woman asked. “Do you think they’re as dangerous as they say?”

  “They wouldn’t have signs everywhere if it was a lie,” another woman stated her opinion.

  “I’m playing safe,” the third woman said. “We’re only here for a week cycle, and I want to enjoy every moment of the capture experience, not end up sick or dead because I didn’t believe their signs.”

  Wise woman, Leo thought. Zylons were fluffy and cute, but their bites were deadly to most beings. Luckily he and his brothers had discovered the zylon bites had no effect if they were in feline form, and hunting them had become a popular diversion for the shifters.

  The three women sauntered by him, dressed in slinky outfits designed to impress. They were part of another batch of guests, drawn by word-of-mouth, to try the fantasy rooms and to indulge in the sensual treats available at the resort. The word capture filled the dining room, the reception room, the walkways. His top lip curled. Who knew he and his brothers would make a successful living by indulging women in their fantasies.

  Sex on tap.

  A dream come true for most males.

  Not for him.

  Leo dodged all of the women, stayed away from the resort and concentrated on the farming side of their operation. Their grapes were growing well, despite the tropical climate, and it would be interesting to see how the wine would turn out since typically the vines required cooler temperatures.

  Once he was clear of the cluster of chatty guests, he trotted back onto the path to emerge on the beach. Colored lamps lit the sand, but the illumination didn’t penetrate as far as the water. A night bird called from the trees, and Leo huffed out a sigh of contentment as he listened to the rush and tumble of the waves.

  He ambled along the sand, heading away from the lit area, unconcerned about the inky darkness. His night vision was excellent. He, his brothers and their employees sometimes wandered the resort in feline form. Their guests thought they were pets, and after initial concern, seemed to become used to them.

  A foreign sound jerked him to a halt. He cast out his senses, lifted his head to scent the air.

  A woman.

  Alone in the darkness, she was crying, her long brown hair a curtain hiding her face. He started to retreat, but something about the despondency of her sobs drew him closer. His nostrils flared and he stilled again, eyeing her hunched form in confusion. Her scent—it was familiar.

  He rifled his memory and stopped at a file he kept hidden, never dragged out and refused to speak of to his brothers. No. He inhaled again, a tremor sliding along his side. No, it couldn’t be.

  His feline wanted to run, wanted to hide, wanted to stay safe and secure.

  The human part of him refused to flee. He had to know, had to discover if his senses were playing him false. His heart thumped, tripped, increased in speed as he slinked nearer.

  A protest, a huff of breath emerged as truth gave him a swift kick at the glimpse of her profile.

  He knew this woman.

  Anger, pure and white, roared along his veins while he remained frozen in place. Wasn’t it enough that she seduced him in his dreams? Oh no. Now she came to terrorize in person.

  She hadn’t heard him, was too wrapped up in her misery. He could be on her in seconds, his teeth biting, tearing, breaking her neck. She’d be dead before he got a good taste of her blood.

  He stole one step closer, two steps, the urge to kill, to obliterate her from existence a siren song thundering in his brain. He trembled with the need to pounce, yet something held him back.

  The repercussions for his family, plus he wanted—needed—to know why she’d lured him in with promises of easy money. Answers to make sense of her actions.

  He sank onto the sand and pondered his options. He’d have to shift to speak with her, but instinct told him to hide his dual nature. He couldn’t have explained why, yet he went with his gut. The longer he spent in feline form the better he felt. Besides, she wouldn’t recognize him, which was an advantage.

  Leo let out a growl of warning to expose his presence.

  The woman’s head jerked up, her brown eyes widened with a flash of fear. Then she relaxed on seeing the black cat and brushed her hair from her face. Her calmness spoke of close contact with one of his brothers or friends, and the knowledge had a snarl building in his chest. No. He forced away the unwelcome emotion and concentrated on his end goal.

  Answers.

  Payback.

  Revenge.

  While the scar on his stomach would never fade, at least he’d achieve peace of mind. Leo sucked in a careful breath and waited.

  The back of her hand swiped over one eye as she knuckled away excess moisture.

  Leo padded closer, senses watchful. Some of the women disliked the big cats, feared them, and if she ran after all, his feline nature would entice him to chase.

  “Hey, kitty-cat,” she murmured, her voice thick with sorrow. She held out her hand.

  Leo considered biting, but again possible consequences for the resort had him obediently sniffing instead.

  Every one of his muscles clenched when she dared to trail her fingers across his shoulder. His growl of protest stilled her hand.

  “I’m not gonna hurt you, kitty-cat.”

  Too late. She’d already hurt him.

  Betrys Torin.

  Here at the resort.

  The craving for action clawed at him, urged him to proceed at breakneck speed. Women came to the resort for one thing. Sex and good fun. Some of them stayed, captured by his brothers and persuaded to remain as mates. Leo had never agreed with the idea—it cut too close to the bone. Betrys, and her employer Iseult Orna, had laid a trap, and he’d suffered for every minute of his naivety.

  But now…now a plan formed in his mind.

  He might have refused to take part in the resort activities, but for Betrys he’d make an exception.

  Fury morphed to excitement at the concept of payback. Hell, apart from during his sleeping hours, he hadn’t thought of sex, hadn’t desired a single resort guest, but now blood pulsed hot and heady through his veins. The idea of this woman at his mercy.

  He leaned into Betrys and drew her scent deep into his lungs. Hers wasn’t a pungent fragrance like Iseult’s but was spicy with the faint note of flowers and sunshine.

  She petted him, her hand sliding along his spine, and he suppressed a shudder with difficulty. Her touch felt good—way better than it should—and the contrast with his ruffled feelings confused him. A purr erupted without his permission.

  Leo redirected his thoughts. Retribution. It’d taste sweet, and maybe he’d nix his aversion to sex. At first he’d tried to act normal, as he had in the past. He’d danced with a woman and barely stopped himself from punching her when she’d groped his arse. After that episode, he’d stayed far away from resort dealings, and Saber let him, gave him the space he desired.

  But back to the present. He’d follow her first, reconnoiter in feline form, then at the right moment, he’d capture her and show her just what it felt like to be helpless in someone else’s power.

  The dreams meant nothing. How could they? It was his mind fucking with him. A grunt emerged, a burst of unusual humor. He certainly fucked her during his sleeping hours, and now he’d do it in person.

  Besides, he didn’t trust her. She’d recruited him, drawn him into the spider’s web, and he found it difficult to believe she hadn’t done the s
ame thing to other unsuspecting males. This would be payback for all of them.

  Betrys sniffed hard and removed her hand from his back. Straightaway, Leo felt the lack of touch and grunted a soft protest. She gave a watery smile and fished in the pockets of her robe. Seconds later, she dabbed her eyes with a square of cloth.

  Leo sank onto the sand beside her. A robe. Why the devil was she wearing a robe? The other guests wore as little as possible. In the fantasy rooms, they stripped to skin. At night during the parties and gatherings they wore tight garments, tiny dresses to display their assets. Why would Betrys wear a robe?

  The hair along his spine lifted.

  Had she come to the resort to recruit another sucker?

  His brothers and cousins, his friends…

  He cried out a silent protest at the idea. No, damn if he’d let anyone of his kind walk into Betrys’s snare. He’d stay close to make sure she didn’t sign up someone of his acquaintance.

  Betrys stuffed her cloth back into her robe and resumed her stroking.

  “I don’t want to do this,” she whispered. “It’s wrong, but Iseult wants more men like Leo. I can’t let her know Leo is alive and I’ve seen him.” She sniffed, pulled out her cloth again while every one of Leo’s muscles tensed.

  What the devil did she mean? Three times. He’d fulfilled the terms of the contract. Fuck, there was no way in hell he’d let that monster bed him again. Weakness still struck him, and it galled when he couldn’t keep up with his twin brothers. He refused to let his brothers or friends walk into the same trap.

  “I don’t want to do this, but I have to.”

  She remained quiet until Leo nudged her hand in silent demand and, after a shaky laugh, she resumed petting him.

  “One solar week. How the goddess does Iseult expect me to manage this? Tell me that, kitty-cat. Iseult expects me to fall into line with her wishes…”

  What wishes? Damn it to hell. Iseult could go fuck herself, because she wasn’t getting her hairy hands or feet on him again. Not for a million shillars. Not while he had breath to object. Not ever.