A Forgotten Kitten (Sea-anan Saga Book 2) (12 page)

“Then who is?”

Her eyes glistened with unshed tears. “A pureblood.” The bitter taste of those words put a grimace on her face.

“A pureblood?” Sev stared at her. “Whether you are an Oceanan or not doesn’t matter to me. What does matter is that you’re a female in heat who’s ready to mate with me.
And only me.”

Areo closed her eyes. “I’m afraid it’s not that simple.”

“Oh, but it is.” He reached for her.

“No!” Areo stepped backward. “It’s not. Go study your laws, Seacat. Then you’ll understand why things are not as simple in real life as you may think they are.”

“I don’t want to study the laws right now.” Sev’s eyes burned a path over her partially naked body. “I want to bury myself deep inside your body.” Their eyes met and held. His glowed brighter as he let out a predatory growl.

Areo could not hide the desperate yearning from her face. Sev growled louder and inched his way closer to her. Areo considered forgetting the laws and moved forward. Her left foot landed on the Sword of Power.

“No.” She retreated a few paces. “Unless you intend to rape me, I won’t join with you.”

Sev stopped. His perplexed expression conveyed his thoughts.

“You heard me correctly.” Her tears fell. “This is all we can ever have. I fear that it will have to suffice.”

“You have got to be kidding me. This will never suffice. Nor will I allow it to be the furthest we’ll ever go. We
will
consummate our need for each other.”

“No, we won’t.”

“Oh yes, we will.” Sev got off the other side of the bed. “I will mate with you, Areo. We will permanently join and be as one for all the days to come.” He snatched his shirt off the bed and headed for the doors, incensed. “I will have a look at those blast-it law books, as you and Jugar keep insisting. But heed my words, Princess, there is nothing written that will keep me from obtaining my heart’s desire.” He pinned her in place with duel copper flames. “Which is you, my kitten.”

The doors closed. Areo slumped to the ground in tears.

Sev entered the library on the sixth floor. He knew where to find the Oceanan law book. He removed it from the shelf and made himself comfortable at the nearest table. An hour passed, and his bored expression became a bemused one. He read further. His golden complexion lost color and he felt as if he could not get his breath. His heart, so full of life an hour ago, sputtered and threatened to quit. His only dream was going up in smoke.

“How can this be?” he mumbled. He backtracked a few pages and reread the words neatly written in black and white. He paled further. “No. This can’t happen.” Standing abruptly, he raced away in search of the oldest Seacat amongst them. He rushed into the control room. The one he sought was at the main terminal.

“Jugar!”

The cat swiveled in his chair. “There you are. I’ve been trying to reach you.”

“Why didn’t you tell me? Is it true?”

“Is what true?”

Sev was in no mood for small talk. “You know what!” he snapped.

“I will assume that from the look on your face, you have finally restudied the—”

“Yes. Now tell me it’s not possible!”

“I’m afraid it is,” Jugar admitted somberly.

“But how could such a thing have been written? How can anyone follow such a ridiculous law? Her parents didn’t.”

Jugar paused. His lips parted in shock then thinned in rage. “She told you?”

“Yes.”

Jugar took a deep breath, hoping to hold down his anger. “What did she say?”

Sev took a menacing step closer to his old time friend. “Everything. Including who her relatives are.”

Jugar glowered back at Sev. “I see.”

“So, tell me. I feel there is much more to this than that stupid law.”

“Yes, there is. But are you ready to face your forgotten past?”

“My past?” Sev was displeased to hear this. “What does
my
past have to do with all this?” He was contented to leave his past alone, to remember it how he chose.

“I’m not the only one who knew her on Oceana.”

Sev’s gaze narrowed suspiciously. He ignored the curious looks the Seacats in the room sent his way. His attention was on Jugar’s every word.

“She was a part of both our lives,” disclosed Jugar angrily.

Sev’s heart raced, as did his mind. “How was she a part of my life?”

“I think you already know the answer.”

Sev pictured Areo in his mind. He thought of her kiss, her responses, how she felt beneath him, the taste of her flesh, the scent of her arousal. They had all seemed familiar to him. He had thought it was because of his dreams. He was wrong.

“Did they try to keep her away from me then as well?”

Jugar nodded. “Yes.
We
did.”

Sev’s lips pulled over his white teeth. “Why? Because of her bloodline?”

Again, Jugar nodded.

“She was born of nobility!”

“No, she was not!” he harshly replied.

Sev scowled so severely his brows met. “Her mother and uncle—”

“She was not born of nobility, Sev. Go to her since she is so eager to reveal her lineage. However, be forewarned. Not all pasts are happy ones, or ones to be proud of. Unless you are willing to give up all your ideal memories, do not continue down this path.” His icy glare changed. His eyes now beseeched Sev’s. “I will speak to her. She knows her place. She has known it all her life. She will not bother you again. I will make certain of it. Go on with your life, Sev. One day you will find the pureblood destined to share your future. Only she will be deemed worthy of your loyalty and devotion. Until then, continue with your life as you have done since we arrived here. Never go to her again.”

Sev had never broken down in front of his warriors. He hid his heartache by spinning on his heel and hurrying out the door.
I can’t believe this is happening.
He paused in the hallway and leaned his head against the wall. Jugar’s words repeated themselves in his head, making him feel unsure of his next step. His dreams filtered into his mind. He had misunderstood them. His loneliness and longing for a companion must have played with his subconscious, causing him to retrieve lost memories of his life with Areo on Oceana.

Sev recalled being in Areo’s arms. To never experience such unique sensations again was unthinkable. No other female had the power to make him feel so alive. He tried to contemplate being with someone other than Areo, and a series of spasms assaulted his chest.
How can I share myself with another when Areo’s been the only one? How can I when I…

It was then that a new yet familiar feeling entered his core. Sev pushed off the wall. His choice was made.

Sev entered Areo’s room without ringing the doorbell. His mind was sluggish to register Areo still half-naked and lying on the floor. Yanking the sheets off the bed, he covered her and then gently lifted her into his embrace. Areo held him tightly as she buried her head in the crook of his neck and began to cry again.
Sev closed his eyes and held her closer, loving the feel of her in his arms. He fought back the anguish in his soul.

“I need you to try and compose yourself, Princess. We need to talk.” It took Areo a few more minutes before she could. He understood.

Areo wiped her swollen face with the sheets. “I’m OK. Did you read the law?”

Sev jerked at the mention of that nightmarish book. “Yes.” He released her at her insistence.

“Then you know why we can never be together.” She sniffed. His hands balled into fists. “How did your parents…”

“They broke the law. Obviously.”

“What happened?”

“They were punished. Leave it at that.”

“I can’t. And you know why.”

“Yes, you can. Nothing irreversible has happened. Nothing that can’t be forgotten.”

“Forgotten! How can you say that?” Sev grabbed her face. “Can you forget this?” He poured all his anger, fear, frustration, and uncontrollable passion for Areo into a long,
unforgettable
kiss.

“Sev,” she murmured breathlessly.

Sev purred while he rubbed his face around hers. Areo whimpered. He knew she understood he was scenting her his.

“Don’t cry, my kitten. I can’t bear to see you cry.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t apologize. You have done nothing wrong.” He focused on her beautiful face. “Now tell me everything. I need to know the truth.”

Her curls swayed from side to side as she shook her head in protest. The playful sight caused one corner of Sev’s lip to tug upward.

“Princess, I am not a kitten. I am a grown man. I need to know what happened to your family—your mother, Challen, and Concheetah.”

Areo’s lips tightened.

“How was their situation dealt with? How did my father respond when his right hand announced he was married to a human?”

Areo tried to pull away, but Sev held her steadfast. “Sev, please don’t do this. Don’t ask me these questions. I don’t want to be the one to hurt you.”

He gave her a lopsided grin. “How can you possibly hurt me more than what I’m already hurting inside?”

Areo avoided looking at him.
By telling you how your father had tried to brainwash you and make you a radical extremist against your own family. And how he had placed you in the hospital for just saying you loved me and wanted to marry me.

“Why do you and Jugar insist that you are not of noble birth? Leonora and Challen were top-ranking Seacats.”

“How did you know my mother was highly ranked? Did Jugar tell you?”

“No. She’s praised in the history books for her outstanding achievements and her enormous contribution to our race. Leonora was labeled a prodigy—the smartest amongst our kind.”

Areo twisted her lips. “I see.”

“She was noted until she turned seventeen years old. Then she vanishes from the books, which has me confused. So please, kitten, tell me everything. Even if it’s not what you think I need to hear.”

“But I don’t want to be the one to tell you this. Why can’t you go to Jugar? Let him be the one to cause you pain.”

Sev chuckled. “You are a sweet thing. Don’t concern yourself with hurting my feelings. Remember what I said: you can’t hurt me more than what I’m already hurting inside. So tell me, what happened to them? Why did Leonora suddenly disappear from our history books?”

Sniffing, Areo took a deep breath and gave in. “My mother participated in a peaceful science expedition to Earth. The group of scientists was supposed to remain in disguise when amongst the Earthlings. However, one of her fellow scientists screwed up, and they were discovered. The trip started with five scientists and ended with two: one being my mother and the other being the man responsible for the trip’s failure.”

She received Sev’s nod of understanding and continued. “They were nearly killed, but were rescued by Earth’s leading spies: my father, Rick McCall, and my godfather, Lance Blaisdale.”

“I see.”

Sev’s penetrating gaze made her swallow. “Anyway…while she was under my father’s care and protection, they fell madly in love. They married under Oceanan Law. They have soulscars, Sev, not lifescars. They were meant to be together.”

Sev said nothing.

“When my Uncle Challen arrived to retrieve his sister, he met my Aunt Carol Ann and instantly fell in love with her. By the time the
Star Gazer
traveled the six months to reach Oceana, my mother had given birth to her first litter, and Aunt Carol Ann was married to Uncle Challen. Again, soulscars, Sev. But this didn’t influence their decision in any way.”

“Their decision? What do you mean?”

“Are you sure you want me to go on?

“Yes, I want to hear it all.”

“Don’t say I didn’t warn you.” His unfaltering sights remained on her. Areo continued. “Your father wasn’t thrilled to have his most trusted Seacats in love and married to humans. Humans are known amongst the feline race to be”—she made quotation marks with her fingers—“‘prehistoric barbarians.’ He gave them an ultimatum.”

“Which was?”

“Either give up their soulmates, or turn in their insignias. And I can tell you this: they weren’t about to live without their soulmates. Not only did your father strip them of everything they possessed, he
never
acknowledged their marriages publicly or their offspring as Oceanans. That’s why my mother dropped out of the public eye. She was unworthy of feline recognition. That’s why I told you I’m not a Seacat like you, and that’s why I never told you that I was part Oceanan. For thanks to Oren, I am only a human and an unworthy half-breed.” Though she said the words quietly, Areo could not conceal the hatred she felt.

“How is that possible? Challen was still a Seacat when Oceana exploded.”

“No, he wasn’t. To maintain the peace, my mother, uncle, and godmother Concheetah, were forced to keep their marriages a secret and play a stupid role, a performance in front of the feline race during their trips to Oceana. But once they and their feline followers finished their assignments, they were banished from Seacat territory. Nor were they allowed to wear their insignias while off-duty.”

“What about their birthrights? Their nobility? Their wealth?”

“It was all taken from them, along with their heritage, despite their
lifelong contributions
to a blast-it race that turned their backs on them. They were left to live in poverty. Oren gave them one piece of dirt each on the outskirts of town, which my mother, godmother, and uncle chose to combine just to build a home large enough for all of us to live in during their assignments on Oceana. Because of Oceana’s high cost of living, they each had to work several jobs to be able to survive and support so many children. Not to mention they had to pay a bloody fee to have some
stupid feline
come to our home and school us, since we were alienated from society and your bloody schools.
All thanks to your father!
And if that wasn’t bad enough, each time my mom, Challen, and Concheetah managed to take a vacation, we
all
had to pack up and leave
blessed Oceana
and not return until summoned.”