FESTIVE & SEDUCED
Shelley Munro
Book 5, House of the Cat
Table of Contents
Blurb
Note to Readers
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Excerpt – Blue Moon Dragon
Excerpt – My Scarlet Woman
About Shelley
Other Works by Shelley
Copyright Page
Blurb
Santa Claus is coming to town…
Feline mates and best friends shouldn’t hold secrets close to their chests, yet Camryn O’Sullivan is convinced something is going on with her shapeshifter man, Ry Coppersmith. Their lovemaking has dwindled to almost nonexistent and she’s tried everything from sexy lingerie to bluntness but nothing breaks the sexual drought.
Life on the planet of Viros is everything Ry has ever wanted. He has a beautiful mate, two cute children and many close friends, yet all is not well in his world. Problems—nagging personal concerns—abound. This time last year, he and his crew visited Camryn’s home planet of Earth and celebrated Christmas. They have their memories, yet they aren’t the same, and he knows Camryn misses her twin brother. A Christmas-tinged diversion might help while he struggles to subdue the complications messing with his head and his relationship with Camryn.
Note to Readers
Welcome to Viros and the House of the Cats. In this story, I have taken characters from previous books in the series and put them together for Christmas. After all, Christmas is a family occasion. If you need to refresh your memory or haven’t read all of the previous stories, please read the brief character descriptions below to understand how they fit into the House of the Cat series.
Ryman Coppersmith – a black leopard shifter and mate to Camryn O’Sullivan. Captain of the ship, Indefatigable.
Camryn O’Sullivan – formerly a horse jockey from Earth, Ry and his crew kidnapped her to help win a bet. You can read their story in Captured & Seduced.
Jannike Hondros – Ry’s second-in-command. She is queen of Viros after becoming the mate of King Lynx Leandros and Duke Shiloh Tetsu. You can read their story in Seized & Seduced.
Kaya Ignatius – another of Ry’s crew.
Nanu – Ry’s engineer and pilot.
Mogens Vere – Ry’s medic and seer.
Gweneth Swithin – part of Ry’s crew and mate to Ellard Tetsu (Shiloh’s older brother). Their story is Hunted & Seduced.
Jarlath Leandros and his mate Keira Cloud are mentioned briefly but don’t make an appearance. Jarlath is Lynx’s older brother. You can read their story in Claimed & Seduced. Ellard Tetsu also features in this book.
And finally, if you’re interested in learning more about the Christmas visit to Earth, which is mentioned throughout this book, grab a copy of Merry & Seduced.
Best wishes for a wonderful Christmas!
Shelley
Chapter 1
Planet Viros
“Ry Coppersmith is impossible.” Camryn O’Sullivan, former jockey from Earth, glowered at the retreating back of her feline shifter mate. His black hair, currently loose, lifted in the gentle breeze as he dodged locals shopping at the market stalls and socializing with friends in the cobblestone market square. She lowered her gaze to his perfect backside and watched until he disappeared under the archway into the honey-colored stone castle.
The castle, hereditary seat to the House of the Cat and home to the king of Viros, perched on top of the hill like a benevolent dragon guarding the residents of Viros, the only city on the planet of the same name. Buildings spilled down the terraced hillside until the city reached the protective walls below—a legacy of the on-again, off-again, currently off war with the neighboring House of Cawdor, inhabitants on the planet of Gramite. Luxurious houses and the businesses to cater for them stood on the first terrace below the castle, the accommodation and stores becoming smaller and less illustrious with each successive and larger terrace. A central staircase leading from the bottom terrace, just near the city gates, allowed citizens and visitors access to the various streets and ended at the public square outside the castle.
“What’s wrong?” Jannike asked, her frown fierce as she rubbed her swollen belly.
“Ry is driving me crazy with his overprotective careful-you-might-break-a-nail behavior.” Camryn threw her hands up in a theatrical gesture, raising her gaze from the sea of dwellings and businesses, past the sliver of forest visible beyond the wall to the perfectly clear blue skies of Viros.
A snicker came from one of her friends and she whirled to nail them with an evil eye, but the culprit had turned poker-faced. She suspected Kaya—the only unmated one of her friends. Kaya’s bright blue eyes, the exact color of her chin-length, straight blue hair, held explosive humor, and Camryn wanted to yank on her pointy ears in retaliation.
The truth—the blue-hair minx didn’t know any better.
Camryn folded her arms across her chest in a silent dare for Kaya to laugh again. Just wait until Kaya found a mate. Camryn would make popcorn, sit back and observe the show.
“It’s not funny,” Camryn said. “I can’t leave the room without him panicking, and if one of the twins starts to cry, he loses every scrap of color. Quick, let’s go to the refreshment shop on the corner of the square before he changes his mind about letting me go out for a few cycle marks.”
A flymo zapped overhead, the snub-nose utility vehicle with its chubby, gray rounded body was popular with the locals for shifting cargo and people around the city. It darted around the square and landed out of sight, somewhere on First Upper Street. The pilot knew better than to fly over the public no-fly area, currently full of the locals promenading under the shady trees. At night those trees sparkled with tiny lights. More restaurants and market stalls sprang up and impromptu entertainers thrilled the evening spectators, bringing the square to vibrant life.
Camryn fell into step with Jannike Hondros, Kaya Ignatius and Gweneth Swithin, all of whom arrived on the planet of Viros with Camryn and Ry on their ship the Indefatigable. Somehow, the planet inhabited by mainly black leopard shifters, had become home.
Jannike, a tall statuesque blonde from the planet of Manx Two, had settled into her position as the mate of both the king of Viros, Lynx Leandros, and his best friend, Shiloh Tetsu. Gweneth, a half-feline with long straight black hair and laughing green eyes, had found a mate in Shiloh’s older brother, Ellard. And Kaya…well, according to Kaya, she kept busy conducting mate auditions. Her mantra—fun, fun, fun with a side of hot sex.
Kaya held open the door, and they filed into the cool and rustic depths of an estaminet—a small cafe to any Earthling. The Royal didn’t attract the wealthy since the owner subscribed to the plain furnishings and no-frills school. Instead, he placed his energies into the food and beverage part of his business. A winning combination. Most feline ladies didn’t patronize this estaminet, preferring the one farther along the square with outdoor dining. A place they could see and be seen.
Camryn and her friends enjoyed this one because the other customers didn’t point and gossip. Here they could have relative privacy and be themselves instead of the mates of important felines.
“You complain about Ry.” Jannike rubbed her swollen belly and sank onto a straight-back chair with a groan. “Try being the queen of Viros with two mates, then you might have something to whine about. Lynx and Shiloh insist on me having a security guard.”
Camryn gave her a royal salute, one finger extended with no regard to Jannike’s royal status. “I’m still shocked Ry let me leave the castle for refreshments. He’s
hovered like a bad mood since the twins’ birth.” And something else was going on with Ry. Not that she intended to confess their lack of bedroom rumbles to her friends.
Gweneth scanned the room and took possession of another chair. Her stomach didn’t bulge with advanced pregnancy like Jannike’s but as Kaya had commented cheekily, they’d all been knocked up well and truly.
The non-pregnant Kaya smirked, her blue hair swishing to reveal one pointy ear. “So where is this security guard? I can’t see him.”
“I ordered him to stay outside and to give me space.”
Kaya’s grin widened to toothy. “Used the imperious queen tone, didn’t you?”
“Shut up.” Jannike jabbed a finger in Kaya’s direction, her blonde ponytail swishing with the force of her movement. “I might be pregnant but I still have brain cells. I can get rid of an annoying tail without breaking a sweat.” She groaned without warning and pressed a hand against her belly. “You know the rugby game the hunky All Black men play in New Zealand? The baby or kitten or whatever you want to call it is playing the sport now.”
Camryn offered her friend a sympathetic pat on the arm since her twins—daughter, Azura, and son, Sevile—had played the same kicking game.
Kaya’s horrified gaze riveted to Jannike’s belly. “Nah, they’re practicing their kick-boxing.”
“One! I am having one child,” Jannike declared, her cheeks paling. “Lynx and Shiloh promised.”
They peered at Jannike’s stomach until she covered it with her hands. Kaya grinned, and Camryn felt an echo of sympathy. She’d expected one child. The medical team had thought she’d have a single since all tests had revealed one, but the day before the birthing Mogens, their seer, had said two, and two arrived with noisy objections.
“I’m sure you’ll have one child,” Camryn soothed. “Don’t forget I’m a twin myself. I shouldn’t have been surprised.” Jannike’s belly did enter a room well before the rest of her, though.
“We’re both having one child a piece,” Gweneth said firmly. “We should change the subject.”
“We can talk about sex,” Kaya said. “I met a new man. His bedroom skills are—” She broke off as Sheera, an Incorporeal and a new arrival on Viros, popped into view. One sec empty air filled the spot, the next Sheera stood beside their table.
Her pale white features and eyes and long straight white hair contrasted strikingly with the pair of skinny black jeans and the hot-pink T-shirt she wore. Sheera and Gweneth had met on the planet of Narenda and become close friends. Gweneth had been very excited when it was decided Sheera and her partner Leeam would come to live in the city of Viros.
Sheera sparkled, her pinprick glacier-blue pupils widening and emphasizing her happiness. “Did I hear the word sex? Music to my ears.” Sheera and her partner came from the Incorporeal race and survived by absorbing sexual energy. Camryn wasn’t entirely sure how it worked, but she was happy they were able to scoop up the energy without physically standing in the same room.
“I met a new man.” Kaya’s neatly plucked eyebrows waggled. “It’s amazing how good the sex is when a man has two cocks. A pity he was only here overnight, otherwise I might have considered keeping him for a while.”
“So that’s why I’m feeling healthy and full of vitality,” Sheera said.
“Ellard and I might have helped with the sexual energy,” Gweneth confessed.
“It wasn’t me,” Camryn blurted. “We’re not having sex.” She clapped her hand over her lips, saw her gaping friends and raised her digits to cover her eyes. Talk about a blabbermouth. She glanced around for the owner. “Maybe we should place our order?”
“No sex?” Jannike asked.
Kaya cocked her head. “Is Ry having an affair? Do you have a man on the side?”
“No! Of course not. Ry wouldn’t cheat on me. I’d know.” She massaged her racing heart. “We’re mates. We can read each other’s minds.”
The owner trotted over with menus and distributed them. He gave each woman a respectful nod, his cinnabar skin tones characteristic of the Redd race. Thick black-and-red dreads, tied back in a tail, helped to showcase his sharp cheekbones, the beak of his nose and his pointy jaw. No one said anything until he departed with a swish of scarlet robe and a click of boots on the earthen floor.
“I don’t understand. You had sex. Leeam and I scooped up sexual energy from your suite of rooms last night,” Sheera said. “Not that we looked, of course. We are not peepers.”
“I know you don’t spy on us.” Camryn felt heat crawl into her cheeks as her friends shifted their attention from Sheera back to her. Damn! She hadn’t blushed for ages, and now she’d have to say something. She knew her friends, and they wouldn’t leave this alone until they received every detail.
Things had changed at the castle since Gweneth and Ellard had brought Sheera and Leeam home with them. Every resident understood their responsibility to keep the Incorporeal couple hale and healthy. The Incorporeal race lived in a symbiotic relationship with other compatible races, gifting them with material items in exchange for receiving sexual energy. Of course, some unscrupulous people sought to enslave the Incorporeals in order to profit from their powers. Worse though, if she and Ry continued in the way they had since the birth of the twins, Leeam and Sheera might decide to find another home. Leeam’s uncle had only considered the location as a residence once he heard how many couples inhabited the castle. If this experiment proved successful, they would recruit other couples willing to help feed and increase the number of Incorporeal people in the city.
Camryn studied her fingernails until she became aware of the throbbing silence surrounding their table.
Gweneth placed her hand over Camryn’s and squeezed lightly. “What’s going on, Camryn? Do you think Ry has another woman?”
“Of course not. I don’t know what the problem is. All I know is if I make my amorous intentions clear, Ry tells me he’s tired or he’ll get me off with his fingers or tongue.”
“Is that what happened last eve?” Sheera asked.
“Yes. I wanted to make love. Ry acted interested, but it never happened. He gave me an orgasm, then went and had a shower. A cold one. His skin radiated enough of a chill to freeze me like a block of ice when he returned to bed.”
“Can’t you seduce him?” Jannike demanded. “Put on some of your sexy lingerie.”
Camryn sighed. “Already tried. It didn’t work.”
“Why don’t you push him onto his back, straddle him and get busy.” Kaya tucked her silky blue hair behind her ears. “That’s what I’d do. A man can’t resist a woman who takes the initiative.”
Camryn gave up trying to read her menu and slammed it shut. “Tried it and Ry decided he needed to go and help Lynx and Shiloh inspect the building improvements. His rejection made me feel awful, and I haven’t tried again.”
Gweneth tapped her chin, her manner contemplative. “Men are idiots. Have you asked him what is wrong?”
“Yep.” Camryn pulled a wry face, still feeling the sting of rejection from her mate. “He said he had a headache.”
A moment of startled silence bloomed—a pause that stretched and became uncomfortable. Mortifying silence. Awkward silence. Puzzled silence.
“Odd behavior for Ry,” Jannike said finally.
Camryn nodded, relieved none of the other women dared to laugh at her because this sex thing with Ry tangled her mind into knots. “Life seemed much easier when he’d grab me and kiss me until my brain went on a hike.”
“There is something to be said for the alpha lover,” Gweneth said.
“I don’t understand why Ry won’t make love to me, yet he’s so over protective in every other aspect of our lives. It doesn’t make sense.”
Jannike snorted. “Men are foreign creatures, especially the ones from Viros. You never know how they’re going to react in a given situation. Aw, phrull it.” She stroked her belly until the kicks subsided. “I don’t know how you managed this pregnancy stuff. Sudde
nly changing into a feline after I mated with Lynx and Shiloh blew my mind enough. This is…more. Scary.”
“It gets better,” Camryn said and reached over to squeeze Jannike’s arm, full of sympathy. She had also become a feline shifter after mating with Ry. It seemed the feline genes were strong and overpowered other DNA, and Camryn understood Jannike’s unease. “I promise.”
“So what are you going to do about Ry?” Kaya asked.
“I have no idea. Let’s change the subject.” She’d thought of nothing else for days and long sleepless nights and still nothing made sense. She cast her mind about for another topic. “I couldn’t sleep last night, and it suddenly hit me it’s almost Christmas. Hard to believe it’s a whole rotation since we were at home.”
“I think about Amme a lot,” Gweneth said with a sigh, her gaze drifting as she thought of the cyborg woman who had acted as her nanny for so many years before she’d fallen in love with an Earthman called Marcus and decided to stay on Earth. “Sheera, remember I showed you Marcus and Amme’s depiction? So many great memories of our Christmas holiday. Let’s order. Maybe food will help settle your busy baby, Jannike.” She shared her broad grin with them all. “Cakes will make me feel better.”
A waitress—one of the owner’s daughters, judging by her hair and complexion—took their orders of spiced tay for everyone plus honeycakes. Camryn had developed a fondness for the crisp rounds of cake, served in layers with a jug of warm honey syrup then sprinkled with chopped nuts from the barvkov tree. The honeycakes reminded her of baklava. Something nice to soothe her ruffled feelings.
Silence reigned while they attacked their honeycakes.
“Tell me about this Christmas thing,” Sheera said after taking a sip of her tay. “What do you do?”
“We went to Earth, Camryn’s home, so she could visit her twin brother and the rest of us could have a holiday,” Jannike began. “It was Christmas and we learned about this celebration and all the different ways people on Earth honor the day.”
Recollections and memories and stories of their adventures and experiences raised a flurry of giggles.
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