Hunting the She-Cat

by Jacki Bentley

  “No. So her lack of blood family meant that she should be grateful for crumbs.”

  “Yes.”

  “How sad.” She was rubbing the images with her delicate fingers. He followed the motion.

  She turned to look into his eyes. “Thank you. Thank you for opening it. I’ll treasure that.”

  “You have one?”

  “I do. It’s a more modern version, lighter, stores more data.”

  “I see it now that you’ve touched it but I didn’t know you had this.” She touched it, pulling him to her gently.

  “It becomes invisible.” He watched her. “Safer. They’re worth quite a lot for the jewelry value alone.”

  “It’s not a good thing to kill.”

  “You had no choice, my megisha.”

  Her eyes pooled with tears. “I could have run like hell.”

  “He would have found you and killed you to destroy the witness to his murder.”

  “I didn’t know that at the time. I sought revenge.”

  “You were a baby, with the instincts of a full grown she-cat. The trauma of your mother’s murder matured you too fast. Leave it. I’m so sorry I made you remember. I had no idea. We assumed they were killed in the crash.”

  “No, instead my life is scarred by violence and the unjust death of my mother.”

  The pressing reason he needed to clear her name was because the Prime Minister thought she was Tryth’s offspring. Tryth’s blood children had been declared dangerous, flawed because of his blood-thirty evil actions and the reliability that he passed it on in his descendants.

  “What are you thinking?” she asked.

  “Why did you lie to me when I came to your office?”

  “You mean when I denied being a shapeshifter? I … lied because my mother told me to deny my blood to strangers. She said I’d end up under a microscope. Well, those were not her words.”

  He grimaced. “Yes, I suppose she softened it for a child. But you nailed it well. From the research we’ve done, these human earthlings are an inquisitive species.”

  “Are Eliavans less ruthless natured than Earth humans?”

  He thought a moment. “No. Not really. More advanced, a few thousand years more evolved, but we are, in some ways, even more the blood-thirsty predators.”

  Driving the troubling thoughts of what he had to do from his mind for now, he moved in and kissed her softly. He wanted it to be a healing comforting kiss. But, unfortunately he’d not had much experience with those kind of kisses. It soon evolved to something more. To a man and woman kiss.

  “Give me your necklace,” he ordered.

  “What? Why?”

  “It needs to be off your neck, so you are not found so easily again. ”

  “But you just showed me how to open it after so many years of wondering if it did open.”

  He smiled at her childish tone.

  “I do,” she snapped. “I want to keep it. It’s all I have of my mother.” But she was automatically pulling it around and working the clasp. He helped her and took it off her.

  “You can’t wear it anymore. I will remove the picture and copy it for you before I destroy it.”

  “What about yours?”

  “Mine?”

  “Yes, yours. It will need to go also if you stay here with me.”

  He shook his head. “Mine is hardwired into my skin. Can’t remove it.” She looked alarmed. “But I can get permission to stay here. No one is hunting me. I’ve served Eliava well.”

  “You would stay then? Live here?”

  “Yes.” No need to admit that he might not be welcome at work after this. But he had no taste for a mission that required he blindly destroy an innocent female. “I can go back and forth. Listen to me, if we take this course you can never see Eliava. Not for many years anyway. Until the legend of the lost she-cat child who may be a royal dies away.”

  “Fine, this is my home. I have no problem with not flying through the dark of space. And I never envied the royals here. They seem like nice people in a huge public fish bowl.”

  “Apt description. You would live in a fish bowl as you say on Eliava.”

  “No way.” She snuggled into his arms and he made love to her again, long and leisurely this time.

  Chapter Nine

  As soon as Lugar began his next evening’s security patrol, he realized Sneal had been close to Misha’s cabin. Walking in this area. Recently. The scent was fresh. Fresh enough he could be lurking near here even now. He stilled, scanning the woods with narrowed eyes.

  “Bet you neglected to tell the female you’ve come to kill her.”

  The voice was about ten meters east. Morning sunlight filtered through the trees making a visual hard to come by. But he knew Sneal was in cat form.

  “You explain to her that if she’d not gone missing you would not have benefited with a better life,” Sneal demanded.

  “My circumstances with working for Tryth’s brother had nothing to do with her and everything to do with Tryth’s disappearance. Tryth hated my father because he spoke out about how evil Tryth was. What brings you here, Sneal? Thought my orders were clear enough.”

  Still in human form, the other Eliavan, Zeff, stepped out of the wood, showing himself but remained silent. From the rigid and disgusted look of Zeff, his loyalties were not with Sneal.

  “You decide she’s the princess yet?” Sneal asked, leering.

  “I have no proof yet of her parentage.”

  Sneal laughed a nasty bark. “That’d suit your plans just fine. Keep her for yourself. If that’s so, why didn’t Lord Tryth kill her when she was a child? He would have recognized the urgency to do so. Only his daughter would be allowed to live.”

  “He didn’t, that’s all we know.” No reason to betray her dark secret. A good bet Sneal knew or guessed Tryth had murdered her mother. No reason to inform him the child had struck first, that Misha had killed Tryth for murdering her mother. No need for this fool to know that much detail. Let him continue to underestimate her as a mere female.

  “No matter. Gald expects your mission finished as ordered. Or you will die yourself.”

  “Gald and I understand each other.” Not entirely accurate, as Gald had withheld a crucial thing or two about the mission from him. Lugar had known he danced with the devil in dealing with the newly appointed leader of intelligence gathering, but he’d had no choice. Couldn’t kill him outright and be done with it.

  A twig cracked. Shit. From behind him Lugar heard a whisper of movement and sensed Misha had left the cabin and entered the area. Soft and quiet with great natural stealth in cat shape so that he felt sure the other men had not yet sensed her stalking there. After overhearing all this, his sneaky little she-cat probably ached to ask just what his mission was. Best hope he could explain himself fully before she went for his throat and asked questions later.

  “Commander Rova knows his mission,” Zeff said. “As I’ve said before, we can back off and trust his judgment.” Zeff’s eyes had gone dark and deadly cold.

  “Huh. She couldn’t last if she came back -- one way or the other,” Sneal hissed

  “Even if she’s the --,” Zeff began.

  “Gald’s grab at political power could not stand if the lost she-cat came back no matter who she is. The public retells the story of the lost child and would love to know she has been found. She’d present a distracting liability for Gald one way or the other.”

  “If she comes back as a girl wronged by his father, Tryth, might be even worse for Gald,” Lugar said.

  Lugar thought he heard a small, very feminine gasp at that comment. She’d moved in, far too close for his peace of mind. He could sense her breathing.

  “Doesn’t matter if she’s Tryth’s young or not,” Sneal continued. “What matters is that Gald looks ruthless and strong as a leader in taking her out of the picture. The public won’t know. Those loyal to Gald will.”

  “As I’ve said before, I think that’d be a mistake in strategy,” Ze
ff said, moving closer to Sneal. “Best to allow her to live and reap the reflected good PR.”

  “As if Gald would ask your opinion.”

  Looking relaxed, Zeff said, “I think he should.” His eyes were cold as they watched Sneal too closely.

  Casually, Lugar tossed his head around, jerking it toward the cabin a couple short times, silently motioning for Misha to retreat, to leave the area, hoping against hope that the pitiful signal would make it clear to her he was on her side. He’d be damn disappointed in her if she tried to kill him for this. He thought he heard a low, feminine growl in reply. And, worse, not even a whisper of disturbed greenery indicated she’d obeyed. She watched them in silence, no real surprise there.

  “If you can’t kill her, Lugar, step aside, or go back home. I will see it finished. I have more important business back on Eliava.”

  Zeff morphed into a big cat. The change burst over him in preternatural time, his body blurred before Lugar’s eyes. Lugar thought for a terrifying moment he was coming toward Misha. There was no time but to make it to her. Lugar lunged backward to Misha, taking her down and covering her with his body. “Sh’iabla,” he whispered. He had no one to blame but himself.

  Zeff lunged high in the air. But he went for Sneal, taking him by total surprise. Judging from the other man’s open mouth and gaping expression, he too thought Zeff meant to go for Misha.

  Sneal and Zeff struggled, their angry cries rose and fell in the air around them.

  “What on … can’t see. Lugar, you’re smothering me.”

  The woods echoed with a wrenching crack. Sneal’s neck lolled at an unnatural angle, broken and savaged, blood spurted and he fell still to the ground.

  “Lugar!” Beneath him, Lugar heard Misha’s cry of his name in horror and shock. He moved to comfort her, cradling her head in his hands. Overwhelming relief followed the knowledge that he’d been correct in suspecting Zeff had not wanted her dead either. Still he wanted to back off with her to safety.

  “Not the little female that needed killing,” Zeff rasped, breathing hard from the struggle, he looked at Sneal’s broken and lifeless form. “I expect you’ll want to arrest me now, commander,” he said, looking into Lugar’s eyes. “Let me explain first, if you will? The queen asked me to watch this one. Her heightened instincts once again proved true and worthy of pride rule.”

  “There’s blood on your back, Lugar, so much blood,” Misha whispered. “Are you hurt?”

  “Shhh, I’m all right. You’re all right, sh’iabla?”

  Her lovely eyes were wide with shock. Remembering.

  Joseph Red Bird, in cat shape accompanied by his pride, stepped quietly out of the brush.

  “We see no grounds for arresting anyone today. A hecat that protects our Misha is one of us. Hell, from what we’ve seen of that one so far, looks to me like you deserve a reward, son. Only a matter of seconds before the lot of us did him in.” He smiled to Misha. “No one even speaks of killing our baby girl. We knew more of her kind might spell trouble. You’re not going to take his freedom away are you, Lugar?” His eyes were stern. “No one will question the loss of a large cat.”

  “Loss of life is to be guarded against. But, as Zeff said, Sneal left him no choice. I heard enough to realize Sneal had become lost to reason and sanity. Let’s get this cleaned up and bury his remains.” Still holding Misha in his arms, Lugar spoke to the other she-cats. “Walk with her to the house while we finish here. This violence brings back unpleasant memories for her.”

  Misha had a hand over her mouth to stop the vomit that wanted to spill out. Lugar was right the trauma of such a sudden death shook her. Her whole body reacted as it had after her own kill, so many years ago, when she’d stopped the man who’d murdered her mother from ever hurting anyone else again. All the revulsion came back to her now, rocking her, causing her to relive it.

  “Lugar.”

  His strong arms tightened around her and she absorbed his comfort.

  “I’m fine,” she said, but her words were pale and weak.

  Just as Zeff had done, she’d known instinctively her only chance of overcoming and killing Tryth had been surprise. This man, Sneal, had been half again bigger than Zeff. God help her, she’d watched Zeff shapeshift, knowing in her gut what he intended and had remained silent, realizing Sneal planned to kill her and likely Lugar if he stood in the way. She took a long breath. No doubt about it. She’d seen the hatred and resentment, maybe even jealousy in his expression when he’d challenged Lugar. Sneal would have used every sneaky trick to kill Lugar. He would not have let him live. She was not sorry Zeff had stepped in. But, Lugar was correct, her stomach was unsettled by the violence and all it brought back to her.

  As Lugar patted her back and whispered soothing words to her, the stark knowledge she would do again the thing that had haunted her so long was oddly soothing to her. The need to survive and protect others was as strong as ever.

  Diwa appeared at her side. “Come on, Sweetie, let’s do as your male asks and get you home,” her adopted sister said. “Your mate will rejoin you as soon as he can. Right Lugar?” Even the usually sassy bad girl, Gali stood near, looking subdued by the dark violence. She kept looking at Zeff with real fear in her eyes.

  “Don’t fret, Gali,” Diwa said. “They’re soldiers doing their work as they see fit. Papa will help them destroy all evidence so that none of this touches us or ours. In a couple weeks, Misha, you can go back to that hellacious big city and back to life as normal. Don’t think about it too hard for now. We saw this unfold from several yards into the forest, but that man hated you both. He’d’ve killed you without a qualm, so give him none.” Diwa took her in her arms for a hug, then urged her toward the cabin.

  “She’s damn right, you know,” Gali said at last. “But. Damn. That friend of your Lugar’s is cold. Handsome, but cold. I like that in a male.”

  “Gali, you are insane,” Misha said, shaking her head.

  “Yeah, I know I am. But you all love me anyway.”

  “Yes, sister, we do,” Misha and Diwa spoke at the same time.

  “You know, I always feared I had it in me to kill,” Gali mused, her voice too low for the men to hear. “Oddly my revulsion and near need to puke is pretty reassuring.”

  “Of course.” Her sister lifted her chin high. “We’re civilized people. Well, civilized part-people, part-cats.”

  “So is Zeff.”

  They’d reached the mudroom. “He saw that he had a job to do,” Diwa said. “It was an honorable kill by feline law. We will not speak of it again. Man’s law would not understand that, right Mish?”

  Misha and Gali nodded agreement. “Right,” Misha answered, emphatically shaking her head, no. “For sure the local sheriff might not understand the nuances of the situation.”

  * * * *

  “So let me see if I understand what happened.” An hour later, the others had left and Lugar and Misha sat in her family room at the cabin. Gix lay curled in a compact ball, happily upside down in Lugar’s lap. “My existence in the universe worried my possible cousin, Gallom, so much that he wanted to flex his muscles, prove himself strong, by assassinating me? Removing the threat to his power on Eliava?”

  “Gald, his name is Gald.”

  “’Kay. Gald wanted me dead sight unseen, right?” He nodded. “And he sent an expert soldier with killing skills … you … to get the job done?”

  He looked away as if seeking answers.

  At last, he stood, sat the dog in his chair and walked to her with his sexy, fluid grace, he caught her chin in his warm hand. His eyes were serious. “I am skilled in protection. I’ve had to kill in the line of service to the Pride Queen, yes. But on this mission I was, how do you say it? Underground? I mean to say I had a duplicitous purpose in agreeing to serve Gald’s mission. The enemy watched is an enemy controlled.”

  “Undercover. You were undercover as a … double agent?”

  “So was Zeff apparently, although, I did not know it. H
e was the backup plan, a second layer of protection for you in case I died in the attempt.”

  “Oh, well that’s even better. Mind you, I was really relieved to think you changed your mind about killing me. But to know you never intended to do so in the first place is far better. I think I see the whole picture now. The powers-that-be on your world wanted me left alone for years and years, so as not to bring unwarranted attention to your, our, existence as a cat shaper people? What did you call us, Homo tigon? Causing unfortunate questions from the non-tigon earthlings. They didn’t want to kill a woman. What?”

  He was shaking his head and looking longsuffering as if reluctant to tell her more. “More than that. Much more to it. Complex.”

  “Hmpf. If it’s of greater complexity than all that, I’m afraid to ask what more?”

  “You are afraid, Misha?” He gave her an incredibly sexy, slashing white grin. “No, I think not, not likely. Perhaps you should have something to eat before we go into it further.”

  “There you go again, wanting to feed me.” She smiled. “I have a feeling I’m not going to like this.”

  “This is one of those out of the hot pan into the hotter blazes things, I believe.”

  “Frying pan into the fire,” she absently corrected.

  “Misha, if you are your mother’s husband’s child --”

  “I am,” she interrupted. “My mother was not lovers with Tryth. Never. Never. Even as a child, I knew she detested him. That’s probably why he killed her. He wanted more, but knew it was hopeless.”

  “Then you are the next in line to the royal throne of Eliava’s traditional leader, the Pride Queen.”

  “What?”

  “As you can imagine, knowledge of this would cause great joy and uncertainty at the same time for Eliavans. Gald is using plausible lies, causing divisiveness among the people -- in his efforts to grab great power.”

  “Gald might be even more rabid for my blood?”

  “Worse than rabid. But he wins either way if you are gone for good. That’s why I destroyed your locator. When the time comes, you can step forward and claim your birthright -- if you choose to do so. The Pride Queen is yet a young woman, only in her middle years.”