A Forgotten Kitten (Sea-anan Saga Book 2) (5 page)

Serena was reluctant to break patient confidentiality, but Sev had no qualms about using his authority to his advantage. The leopardess caved in and sung like a canary, telling him everything from Areo’s date of birth to the severity of her injuries. He was also
informed of exactly where each wound was located. Every time Sev thought about Areo’s suffering, he grew enraged.

He admired the way the sun shone off Areo’s features. She possessed a round face with thick, dark eyebrows, rosebud lips, and a petite, celestial nose. Her eyes were soft brown and had a slight, upward curve at the outer corners. She was stunning. Sev could remain there all day staring at her, inhaling her scent that the gentle wind unselfishly shared with him.

“Great. Just great,” she grumbled.

“What is?”

Areo yelped and slapped a hand over her heart. “Jeezum, you scared me. I didn’t even hear you come in.” She left the window and made her way to him, moving catlike.

She approved the snug fit of Sev’s black pants. He wore his dark-purple shirt open in the front, with the ends tucked into the waist. His impressive musculature left no doubt he was a powerful man, and his comportment showed that he held a position of importance. Sev looked very much the part of king. And like all felines, he looked human. The difference was in his tawny complexion, catlike eyes, and pointy ears.

Areo recognized the sword Sev wore at his left side. She had grown up seeing it daily. Only then, it had been worn on different hips. A string of questions filled her head. It was time to get them answered, but she would have to tread carefully. She cannot reveal who she was. To do so would be like opening Pandora’s Box. She was already in the middle of one war. She did not want to start a second war with her childhood crush in the middle of it.

“Where have you been?”

Sev frowned at her. “At Limbo’s Lookout. Didn’t my cats tell you?”

Areo folded her arms. Standing only two steps away from Sev, she had to tilt her head back to meet his coppery stare. “No. Jugar is still in town overseeing the new construction, and the others are not very chatty with me. I wish they had. Then I wouldn’t have looked like a fool searching for you,” she snapped.

“How strange. I told them to keep an eye on you. To make certain you rested and ate properly, and to inform you that I would return from Limbo’s Lookout in a few weeks.”

“Yeah, well…they left that last bit of information out when I asked.” Areo stepped back several paces. Sev’s scent was over-whelming—too powerful for her to deal with at close range.

“I apologize. I’m at a loss as to why they didn’t tell you. Are you feeling well? You look stronger.”

Areo bit back a growl. “That’s because I’m angry and frustrated.”

“Why?”

His confusion annoyed her even more. Areo placed her fists on her hips. “Because I need some questions answered, and everyone keeps telling me that I have to speak to you about them. And guess what? You’re nowhere to be found!”

Sev stared at her. “Again, forgive me. I am here now. I didn’t think you would miss me so soon,” he teased with a smile.

“Hmph.” Areo was in no mood to play. She turned her back to him and crossed her arms under her breasts. Her right foot tapped on the wooden floor.

“I really am sorry, Areo. How about we sit down? You can ask me all the questions you’d like.”

Areo peeked over her right shoulder and saw Sev pointing to the council table. She stomped over to the nearest chair and plopped down. She pretended to stare at her interlaced fingers when she was actually watching Sev’s every move.

Sev took the seat at the head of the table and openly stared at her. Areo fought the urge to finger the tingling spots left behind by his heated gaze. She was relieved, yet also disappointed, when he looked away.

“So…what is on your mind?”

It was Areo’s turn to focus on him. “Well, the others had said this is not your homeworld. They weren’t comfortable talking about it to me.” She shrugged. “Maybe because I’m not one of you. But I still would like to know what happened.”

“I see.” Sev regarded the Oceanan symbol at the center of the table while he spoke. “Our homeworld was Oceana, located far
away from here. It had slipped out of her orbit and drifted in the direction of her sun. Consequently, she was caught by its gravitational pull and they eventually collided.”

“I see.” Areo averted her eyes.
So typical of the feline race,
she thought, her indignation rising quickly.
Still, I expected Sev to know better. Uncle Challen never taught him to be pretentious.
“So you took it upon yourself to change this planet’s name and call it your own. That was quite
arrogant
of you, don’t you think?”

Sev shifted in his seat. “No,” he replied. His face took on a more stern expression. “When I arrived, this untamed planet didn’t have a name. With the consent of the civilized natives, I christened her Oceanica.”

“I see.” Skeptical, Areo searched his eyes for the truth. “They were actually all for this?”

Sev sat straighter. “Yes, they were.”

Areo responded with a respectful nod. After all, Oren’s death made Sev the new king. “Are the cats in the castle the only ones here on Oceanica?”

“No. There are thirty clans residing here. Hopefully, there are many more on the way.”

“Only thirty?”

The number broke Areo’s heart. She could not keep her feelings from showing on her face. She held no love for the Oceanan race, but she did not wish for their annihilation. The hard lines around Sev’s mouth softened, as did his voice.

“For now. I’m sure more escaped Oceana’s destruction. You see, our fleet was only capable of flying on warp speed three, so we do not expect them for another two years. We are optimistic, and we keep a diligent watch over the stars for them.”

“I see. How many Seacats reside at the castle?”

“A total of seven, including myself. Several more choose to live with their families in the nearby villages.”

“That’s all?”

“For now, as I said before. More will come. I’m sure of it.”

His optimism and strength touched her soul. Areo lowered her gaze to the table. Sev’s stare was more intense than she
remembered. In their youth, she had been the bolder of the two. Now she found herself being the one to shy away.

“How long have you been living here?”

“Almost three years.”

Her eyes met his in a hurry. “Three years! Where were you living before that?” Belatedly, she caught herself and lowered her voice several notches as she tried to cover-up her slip. “I mean, how old were you when Oceana collided with her sun?”

Sev regarded her from behind half-lowered lids. “Eleven.”

“So you were eleven when she exploded. And you lived here for three years. Where did you live during the years prior to arriving here?”

Sev’s lids lowered further.

“Sev?”

“That’s a long story.”

Areo glanced around the room. “I don’t see myself going anywhere. Do you have a place to be?”

She caught sight of his jaw muscles tightening. Apparently, he did not want to relive his past. Her heart went out to him, but she had to know what had happened after she was taken away.

Sev sat forward and laced his fingers. “I was eleven when I was told I had to leave my home. There was an emergency evacuation of the entire planet. There was chaos everywhere. The Seacats did their best to maintain order. They made sure everyone was assigned to a Starship. I was in my chambers asleep when the leading Seacat burst into my room. Challen saved my life by dragging me aboard my sire’s ship, the
Emerald Tiger.”

The regretful look on his handsome face caused Areo’s heart to ache.

“Unfortunately, while Challen aided me, my sire was left unassisted. He was killed during an earthquake. It was just one of the many disasters plaguing Oceana. During our liftoff, I saw that other ships were able to escape. That’s how I know that many are still in transit. The
Emerald Tiger
was the fastest ship in our fleet, the only one capable of flying at warp speed five, which was why we
arrived first. While we were on board, Jugar studied the star charts and found this planet to be the nearest livable one to Oceana.”

At Sev’s disclosure, Areo’s anger flared.
Uncle Jugar, how could you?
Her fingers curled into fists.

“He relayed the information to the fleet to ensure they weren’t left to wander in space. It was a great distance to travel, and we didn’t have enough food on board to sustain life for that duration.” He shrugged. “Since there was no place along the way to obtain more food, we had no choice but to use our life-support capsules and enter a cold sleep while traveling at top warp speed for the entire trip. So, Jugar plotted the shortest course to this planet, and we all went to sleep after that.”

Areo could not believe her ears. “For eight years!”

The beautiful golden giant nodded sadly.

“Dear God! You mean to tell me that you slept for eight years without waking up?”

Again, he nodded.

Areo was flabbergasted. She could not believe it.
Well, that explains where he’s been for the last eleven years.
A new question occurred to her. “But…what about Challen? What happened to him? If he was with you aboard the
Emerald Tiger,
then he should be here.”

Sev lowered his eyes and said in a hushed tone, “Challen died. He was killed trying to return to his mate and kittens.”

Areo’s pain was instant and overwhelming. In an effort to keep control, she squeezed her eyes tightly shut, but her tears could not be corralled. The floodgates burst open.

Sev rushed to her side. “Areo, are you all right? Why are you crying?”

Areo shook her head negatively, unable to respond. She could not tell him the truth that her beloved uncle had died trying to keep them apart. It was best to leave Sev in the dark. Ten minutes passed before she was able to stop the tears from falling and excuse herself. She left Sev in the council room and went to her room.

Back in her room in Medical Wing C, Areo faced her window with swollen, unfocused eyes. Her mind was turned inward, replaying her conversation with Sev.

Sev had spent his teen years asleep. He had missed the thrill of living through the most impressionable time of his life. It was when children explored and experimented that they discovered truths and gained the knowledge necessary to help them become the mature beings they were meant to be. Sev never had that chance. Those important years of his life were gone; he could never go back in time to live them. The thought pained her.

Areo leaned her forehead and palms against the glass. Her sights cleared once the tears fell. It took a moment for her to register that the docking bay, like the entire castle, had gray, steel walls. “How ugly.” She sniffled.

The door to her room opened. Jugar entered unannounced and stopped by her bed. “Are you all right?”

She regarded the dear face. Jugar looked the same as he had on Oceana eleven years ago. He wore a pair of smoky-gray pants, perfectly pressed, a white flowing shirt tucked neatly into the waist, and well-polished, black, calf-high boots. His light-gray eyes were a startling contrast to his tawny skin and dark, shoulder-length hair.

“You guys need to put up some drywall in this place. I feel like I’m in a sardine can.” The imagery reminded Areo of a coffin, and she suddenly felt angry at seeing the cougar without Challen by his side. “Which reminds me…” She walked up to him. Poking her finger into his chest, she asked, “Why the bloody hell are you here while Uncle Challen is dead!”

Jugar’s head jerked back. “Well, excuse me for living.”

“You know very well what I mean!” she snapped, her fists flying to her hips. “What the bloody hell happened to Challen? Where in the blazes were you? Weren’t you supposed to be his shadow?”

Jugar’s light-gray eyes turned deadly. “Don’t you dare insinuate anything!” He stepped forward menacingly. “I would have gladly given my life for that cat. I loved him like a brother!” He growled at her.

Tears sprung to her eyes. Areo knew he spoke the truth. Her anger was inappropriate. “I’m sorry, Uncle.” She swiped at a tear, sniffed, then hugged herself. “I’m sorry. Tell me what happened.”

“We were aboveground at Oren’s castle, preparing the
Emerald Tiger
for liftoff,” he started. “Everything was falling apart around us. Challen had received news from Lance that you’d snuck away with Sev—again. The two of you had returned to Catlantis. He was enraged. He had hoped his family was on board his ship the
Star Gazer.
So, we went after you.” He gave her a knowing smirk. “I don’t have to remind you how we found the two of you, do I?”

“Just get on with it!”

Jugar laughed. “So, you
do
remember.”

“I’m not the one who was asleep for eight years and forgot everyone!”

He bowed his head, knowing very well what she meant.

“Why is he the only one who can’t remember?”

“I’m not sure,” answered Jugar. “He was examined from head to toe. There is nothing wrong with him. Yet he can’t remember part of his childhood.” The gleam in his eyes changed. “And you are forbidden to refresh his memory. We
do not
want a repeat of what happened on Oceana. Understood?” he reminded her firmly.