Prince of Cats (19 page)

She started to shake her head but the woman behind her shouted, “She’s trying to get back inside.”

“You there,”
one of the guardian Cats lifted his spear over the heads of the people in line and jabbed it in Neomee’s direction.  “Come forward.”

Her mouth open and closed several times before she finally spoke, “Oh, no thank you.  I just got turned around is all.”  She began trying to force her way back toward the temple, “I’m not trying to leave.”  She screamed when the woman behind her pinched her arm.

“Do as they say slave!”

Neomee looked at the faces of the people behind her only to find them all angered by her attempt to retreat.  “I’m sorry,” she whispered dropping her head, “I am just lost.  I got turned around.  I’m not trying to leave.”

“She lies,” a man a few people back shouted.  “You could not have been lost
when you left the mouth of the temple.” 

Neomee looked up in time to see the man focus his attention on the guardian Cats, “She is probably trying to escape.”

“NO!” Neomee gasped, “I am only lost.  I wouldn’t dare leave.”  When rough hands grabbed her and began pulling her toward the front of the line she screamed in a panic, “I am mated.  I can come and go as I please.  I do not need to escape.”  The words left her on a hysterical shriek and she was fighting tears when she was turned to face the two guardian Cats.

“State your business.”  The guardians crossed their spears
in front of her face.

She turned to look back over her shoulder and was greeted with an angry mob, clearly displeased with her keeping them from exiting.  She was trapped. 

“I-I-I,” she began. “I’m Neomee of Thebes.  I am mate of Bray, Prince of Cats. I…,” she tried to thin
k
quickly.  If she claimed to not be trying to leave she knew from what Bray had told
her that the Cats would scent the lie.  “I was leaving the temple to explore the village.”  The statement was mostly true and she prayed they would let her pass.

She stood wide-eyed and watched as both Cats flared their nostrils.  One of the Cats pulled his spear back and Neomee felt relief crash over her like a tidal wave.  The relief was short lived when the second Cat kept his spear in place.
“Wait!” 

The relaxed Cat eyed his companion before thrusting his spear forward to once again form an ‘X’ that prevented her from passing.

“Were you going to return?”

“W-what?”  Neomee felt the blood drain from her face.  There was no way to avoid the direct question.  If she lied, they’d scent it and it she told the truth then they’d know she meant to escape.  “I was just going to explore the village,” she whispered hoping they’d just accept her claim and be done.

“You already said that
,
”
t
he Cat growled impatientl
y.  “I want to know if you planned on coming back or if you were attempting to flee.”  He frowned down at her, “Well slave?  Were you attempting to escape from the temple?”

She actually felt sick to her stomach.  The scent of sweat covered bodies and the dirty ground wafted up to her.  The stifling heat didn’t help matters. 
That’s it!
  Once the idea struck, Neomee threw herself into it.  She opened her mouth to respond then feigned a swoon.  Dropping like a ton of bricks to the ground she was more than
a little annoyed that neither of the guardian Cats had even attempted to catch her.

“Get her up!” She heard the mean Cat growl.  “Ottah, take her to the Priest.  Tell him she attempted to escape and
falsely claims to be bound to the Prince.”

She was jerked up by her arms before being thrown over a broad shoulder, the action knocking the wind from her lungs.

“She’s wearing a collar Niu.  Perhaps she does belong to him.”

“She does not scent of him.” The Cat named Niu growled.

“You are certain?”

“Turn her,” Niu demanded.

It took all of Neomee’s will to keep her body lax over Ottah’s shoulder when he turned her and she felt the unmistakable press of Niu’s nose to her sex.  He inhaled loudly then pressed deeper
to sniff some more before pulling back.

“If she is his, he has not yet claimed her.  Take her away.”

Neomee waited until the murmur of voices died down and until after she felt sun shine on her backside
followed by
the shade
of the temple
before she began to stir.  “W-what happened?”  She had to remember to be careful.  While Ottah seemed much nicer than Niu, he was still a guardian Cat.  “Please put me down.”

The Cat kept on walking, “I’m taking you to the Priest.  You tried to escape and have been caught.  You must be punished.”

No, no, no, no,
NO
! 
“Please, I truly do belong to the Prince of Cats…to Bray.  He won’t be pleased that
you’re
touching me.”  She was glad that Ottah wouldn’t
scent the comment as truth
.

“He’d be more upset with me if I would have let you escape.  We Cats do not like it when our play things run away.  Bray is more possessive than most.  He’ll thank me for capturing you.”

She tried to slide off his shoulder and was rewarded with a hard slap to the ass that made her yelp. 
“You shouldn’t touch me there!”

“You should be still.”

She didn’t know what to do.  Her appeal hadn’t worked and she had nothing to bargain with
…unless.  “Are you mated?”

“Do not try to
persuade me with sex.”

She was appalled at his assumption.  “Not me!  I’m not, but I have a friend.  She is very beautiful and she’d be willing to repay your kindness if you just return me to my quarters.  She’d be
very
grateful
.”

The Cat’s feet slowed to a halt.  “How gra
teful?”

 
“Have you heard of a display?” She remembered the threat from when she’d been punished and knew that
Sabah wouldn’t be opposed to performing the act again; although, how Neomee thought she’d get Sabah to do so for her sake was a mystery.

“A display?”

The Cat was just about to set Neomee on her feet when an all too familiar voice
grated from behind them
.

“Ottah?  What are you doing with that slave?”

Neomee lifted her head and saw the Priest, flanked by two Cats, peering at them from
near the end of the
corridor.

Ottah spun
,
his interest in her offer
suddenly
gone.  “I’m bringing this slave to you for punishment.  She attempted to escape the temple and was caught.
  She pretended to lose consciousness to avoid our questions.”

They knew I was faking?

“Interesting!”

She didn’t have to look at the Priest to know that he was steepling his fingers.

“And is her mate aware that she attempted to run from him?”

She felt Ottah shift nervously.  “Mate?  We scented no mate on her.”

“Oh she has a mate.”
There was humor in the Priest’s tone, “She belongs to the Prince of Cats.  Somebody fetch him while I escort Ottah and the prisoner to the altar room.”

Not again!
  “
I wasn’t trying to escape!”  She forced her tone to sound firm.

“Ottah?”

The Cat inhaled sharply.  “It is a lie.”

Amon! 
“Priest please! 

“Please?  Now you
beg
?  Your words lead me to believe that you’ve learned your place, but your actions
speak to the contrary.”  He was silent a moment before adding cheerfully, “I hope your back has healed.”

Chapter
20

“Can you not control thi
s small, insignificant slave?
”  The Priest bellowed as Bray stalked angrily into the altar room.
 
“
And he is our Prince?
”
The Priest snorted as he eyed the Cats lining the walls.  “
I think it is time for a new appointment.”

Brays eyes locked on Neomee’s as she stood
still firmly locked in Ottah’s
grasp at the Priest’s side
.  S
he couldn’t help the relief that swamped her at the mere sight of him
. 

“What has she done?”

“What would appear to be her curse dear Prince.  You’re mate has again attempted escape.”

“Impossible!” Bray bit out.

“Ottah.”  The Priest challenged.

“It is true,” Ottah spoke up as Bray’s eyes flashed to his fellow Cat.  “Niu and I caught her
.  Ask her yourself Bray and you’ll scent the truth.”

Bray growled as his eyes narrowed on Neomee. 
She knew he was silently willing her to deny the accusation.  Instead, her
shoulders slumped and her eyes slid from his to stare at her sandaled feet
in shame
.

“I accept the punishment.”

Neomee’s head snapped up and her eyes locked
on Bray
.
  “No,” the word escaped on a strangled sigh.

“As I suspected,” the Priest sounded bored as he commenced a diatribe of virtuousness and the need for submission and service to the temple.  All the while, Bray
stood
frown
ing
at Neomee.

He must hate me now.
  Why did th
e thought leave a cold empty feeling in the pit of her stomach?  She listened to the Priest disparage her and use her lineage as an excuse for what he labeled a weakness of character.

Apparently,
Bray had heard enough.
 
“Get it over with Priest, I have better things to do then waste my time listening to your
musings.” 

Anger flashed in the Priest’s eyes before it was quickly replaced by mockery.  “By all means my Prince, let us proceed.”
 

“What?” Neomee’s voice came out breathless
as she addressed Bray
.  “Y-you can’t.  Not for me.  I’m just a slave!”

“It matters not,” the Priest smiled triumphantly, knowing that with the one act he would hurt them both.  “The Prince Cat owns you; therefore, it is his right to accept the punishment in your place.”

Neomee
winced even as she
pulled from Ottah’s grasp and raced to Bray,
her fingers digging into his shoulders.  “Don’t do this!  Please Bray
!
 
Give me away
or…or
,” her eyes darted from side to side as she sought a solution.  “Renounce your claim.”  Her imploring eyes found his, “Renounce me so that I may endure my own punishment.”

“Never!”
The one wor
d was expelled on a harsh growl.  His angry eyes held hers even as he spoke to the Priest, “Have my property taken to my quarters
and kept there until my return
.”

“Tsk, tsk, tsk,” the Priest clucked
his tongue, “Such trust for
one who has already proven herself unworthy.”  He stepped closer to Bray but kept
h
is eyes pinned on
Neomee.  “Are you still, great Prince of Cats, willing to suffer her punishment even if i
t means you’d chance her escape?  How giving will you be when you return to your quarters to find her gone?”

Amon!
  Neom
ee knew what the Priest was implying and couldn’t argue the insinuation.  She’d already
attempted
escape
twice
, but surely Bray wouldn’t think her coward enough to attempt
it again, not
while he was here suffering her punishment.  When her eyes found his she realized that is exactly what he thought.

“Chain her there,” Bray’s eyes flashed angrily and for just a moment Neomee thought she saw regret flash across his strong features before it was
just as
quickly wiped away.

“Bray, I would never…” her whispered words were quickly cut off as s
trong hands gripped
her arms
from behind
.  She
screamed
and
fought to stay with Bray
even as she was hauled backward.
“No!  NOOOOO!  I won’t let you do this for me!”  Tears of frustration streamed down her cheeks
.  Her flailing arms and legs were no match for the strong hands that drug her from the temple.  “Stop!  STOP!
  WAIT!  He hasn’t claimed me
!
”
  The words rushed out before
Neomee could re-think them
. 

She remembered that the first time she’d been whipped Bray had
been forced to
watch because he hadn’t claimed her at that point.  Regardless of the fact that the Priest saw them naked together in his bed about to consummate their mating, the act hadn’t actually been performed.
She may have been bound with the collar but she still hadn’t been claimed…not fully.