Sarazen's Vengeance: Book 1.1 (14 page)

He knew, had known the entire time, he would be separated from Andi during the hunt. It was the whole purpose of the festival. Now with the threat of an unknown enemy potentially lying in wait to take her down…

Ohlen, I’ll be with Tarek. Nothing will happen to me.
 

Andi’s voice was like a cool wind through his mind. Under normal circumstances, it would have been enough to calm him. It did not this time. Until this moment, he hadn’t ever thought of the festival as an antiquated and ridiculous practice. What other proof did he need? They had bonded. Andi 
was
 his mate. Irrefutably. Participation was now just a formality.

Hey
,

Andi reached up to touch his jaw. Turning his face back her way so he could see her smile.

It’s going to be alright.

Fury continued to rise. It was 
his
 job to reassure 
her
. He was the warrior. He was the one who had too many cycles to be counted of experience fighting an unseen enemy. Yet here she was, his mate, reassuring him that everything was going to be fine. Andi made this assumption that he was somewhat civilized. She had no idea what a struggle it was at this moment to not allow his beast to return to its feral state. She laughed, concealing the sound of it against his chest.

Ohlen? I have every idea. I’m inside your thoughts. I feel what you feel. You’re just too pissed off to notice that I’m not scared.

He took a deep breath. Then another. He listened to the plan with one ear, his attention torn between it and speaking to his mate.

-
You will not leave our quarters until we land. Not for any reason. I will give you the security control code to bar the door and you will stay there unless I personally come for you. Understood?

He could offer her no comfort or kindness. Not with the gravity of this treacherous situation. He would take no chances, allow no opportunities for her to be hurt.

Understood. Small problem.

-Name it.

I’m hungry. I didn’t eat anything this morning when I woke up.

He sighed, thankful she had not. She would have ingested the toxin meant to silence their bond. And that was the root of his fury. Their bond made her feel safe. Feeling his presence constantly within her, made her feel safe, and these traitors intended to take that from her. If he discovered who the traitors were on board, there would not be anything left of them for Tarek to punish.

Ohlen?

Why did she sound amused?

-What?

Did you forget that you gave me every memory you have on how to defend myself? In my human form or on four paws?

Ohlen narrowed his eyes at her, scowling. He had not forgotten. He was immensely grateful that Tarek had granted him permission to utilize the information transfer. That was not the point and he told her so. The point of giving her his memories had been to ensure she was able to protect or defend herself until such time as he was able to get to her.

Isn’t that what’s going to happen now? And I won’t be alone. You know that.

That she was correct, made it not one iota less infuriating.

****

Andi had not been wrong about the forest. It was every bit as primeval as she had thought it would be. Only more intimidating because it was so dark under the canopy. According to Tarek, the festival went on for the equivalent of three weeks. Thereby giving everyone an opportunity to locate their potential mate and…it was unmitigated chaos.

If she hadn’t already had a bond with Ohlen, she could see how finding him could have been more than just difficult. Honestly, she didn’t understand how anyone could find anything in this much disarray. It made a little bit of sense now why it took so long for any of the Sarazen’s to find a mate.

Tarek had shifted into his beast form and of the three other warriors who did the same, he was by far the largest. The top of his head stretched up a full two feet over hers. Golden fur covering every inch of his muscular body. Ohlen had demanded that she shift into her beast form too. Wanting her to have every advantage possible while out of his sight.

So here she was, trotting alongside Tarek on all fours. Looking at the world in streams of heat and vibrant color. Assaulted by an overwhelming number of scents and sounds. Twitching with every twig snap or rough growl in the distance. So low to the ground that her belly fur brushed the grass.

Grass. What a strange feeling 
that
 was. Spongy, sometimes sharp. Every step releasing another burst of smell. God, there were so many scents to smell!

-Andi, relax. I can feel how overwhelmed you are. Take a moment. Take a breath. Focus on the sound of my voice. Imagine your nose turning to my throat as it did last night and breathe deeply. Find my scent. I have yours already. I will be with you soon.

Ohlen’s voice filled her mind. Brushed away all the other sounds cluttering everything up like the sweep of a broom. She did what he said and pictured last night. Remembered how she had sat spread across his lap with her face buried in his throat. Chest to chest, discovering the pleasure of riding his cock in that position.

Her entire body broke out in sensual chills. Made her fur ripple all the way down to the very tip of her tail. The next deep breath she took, she caught a tiny tendril of that musky scent unique to her mate. Joy flooded the mind of her beast. Made her leap forward towards it, her paws silently bounding over the forest floor. She didn’t make it far before the golden beast behind her roared. The bone-rattling sound had her dropping into an immediate crouch. Her cat swallowed nervously. Lowered her head in submission as she looked at the larger beast that was Tarek.

He jerked his head at her. Smacking the ground with his paw like he was commanding her to fall back into line. Andi whined, crawling a few more steps in the direction she knew Ohlen was. Tarek’s ears flattened to his skull. His growl made leaves actually fall from the trees above them.

-
What’s wrong? What happened?

At the worry in Ohlen’s demanding tone, she hung her head and moved back over to where Tarek waited with the others. He chuffed, lifting his muzzle to scent at the air and turned in the direction she’d wanted to go in the first place.

Nothing, Ohlen. I caught your scent and wanted to follow it. Tarek um, barked at me.

-
Don’t you dare leave his side!

But I can smell your-

-Do. Not. Leave. His. Side.

Andi grunted derisively at Ohlen’s snarl. Earned herself a dirty glare from the golden beast, too
.

She wasn’t sure how long it actually took for both groups to meet, but it felt like endless hours. Even at a slow pace her beast was beginning to tire. Until Ohlen’s scent strengthened, then it was all ahead full. Tarek perked up too. Nudging at her with his nose as though giving her permission to take off.

Andi made it a whole foot before Ohlen’s ginger beast leaped off the small overhang to her left. Flying through the air above her with a victorious snarl. He hit the dirt on silent paws. Claws digging furrows into the ground to stop his forward momentum. Feeling playful, overjoyed to be reunited, Andi shot out of his reach. Jumped up when he lunged for her. Hissed playfully at him when his paws met nothing but air. She teased him with a smack of her tail across his furry face. Her beast was enjoying this.

His head hung low, watching her circling him with glowing eyes. His whiskers pulsing with his heavy pants like he was out of breath or something. Had he run the whole way to her? With no warning, Ohlen’s beast pounced. Wrapped his strong legs around her to wrestle her to the ground.

Andi could feel him in her thoughts. Feel him searching through her emotions. Testing her scent while they grappled and played. Even rolling around on the forest floor, Ohlen was making certain he didn’t push her past her comfort zone.

That alone, caused her beast to submit. To relax beneath his heavier body and let him snuffle at her throat. Exposed the vulnerable underside to him with the certainty it was safe. He didn’t disappoint her. He rubbed his cheeks over her throat. Chuffing his victory as he left his scent on her fur. Licked his chops with satisfaction when she was thoroughly marked.

He nipped at her haunches to get her on her feet. Earning himself another smack of her tail across his face. The ginger beast stayed right beside her, almost on top of her while he herded her towards the rest of their group.

Exhausted, Andi slumped to the forest floor. She was a small distance away from where Clary was snuggled up to Tarek. Smiling at her from her human face as she sat between Tarek’s enormous paws. Ohlen stood over where Andi had collapsed for a while. Lifting his nose to scent the air. His eyes touching on every shadow until Tarek turned his head and barked a short sound. Jerking his golden head up.

He keeps doing that. What does it mean?
 Andi asked. Yawning so wide she felt her jaw pop.

Ohlen lay down half over her, grunting when she went belly up. All four paws in the air.

-To settle. Rest, my one. We will be here until the sun rises.

So long
?

-Yes. If any potential mates are in this forest, they will come.

You sound really certain, Ohlen.

-I am certain. The scent of humans is not a difficult trail to follow
.

He grunted and lay his chin on her shoulder. Resting, but alert to every single bit of movement in the trees around them.

Are you saying humans are easy to smell because we stink?

She teased him. Thumping him with her paw. He thumped her back.

-First, my one. You are no longer human. Evident by the fact that you lay here in your fur. Second, no. Humans do not stink. The scent is simply unique. No Sarazen has ever smelled the like.

Oh. Gottcha-
 Andi yawned again, turning to better curl into Ohlen’s fur. - 
I’m so exhausted after that hike. Can I sleep?

-Of course you can. The altitude is different on this planet. I am not surprised you are fatigued. I will stay right here with you and wake you when it is time to go.

****

Ohlen stayed curled around his dainty black beast until the sun came up. There was not much light under the canopy of the trees. Barely enough to tell that it was morning. Andi had slept deeply throughout the night despite the constant cacophony. The trust it took not only for her, but for her beast to have allowed her to sleep so deeply, was immeasurable.

Ohlen nudged Andi’s shoulder, calling to her softly to wake. She groaned, uncurling from the little ball she’d made of herself. Stretching out from whiskers to tail. Languishing for a moment before opening her eyes. He got lost in staring at her. At the deep brown of her eyes. Her pupils enhanced by the jagged ring of purple. Unique. He almost wished that somehow in the exchange of blood, that dark brown of her eyes might have ringed his pupils. Some visual sign that he belonged to her too.

What?
 she grunted.

He bent and bumped her muzzle with his. Rumbled for her softly.

-Nothing. Just looking at my mate. D’anick has blankets and gowns in his pack if you wish to change back.

Andi grunted at him and rolled over to wrap her smaller paws around his neck. Nuzzled at the underside of his jaw before she lay back to yawn again.

Nope. Walking back on four legs will be easier than two.

-Pity. I had intended to carry you back.

She paused in her grooming. Tilted her head over to where Tarek was shrugging into a pair of trousers. Clary was already standing on two legs, wrapped in a blanket. Andi looked back at him, blinking her long lashes over her feline eyes.

It’s a long way.

His beast chortled, 
-You are very small, my one. I could carry you across half this planet and not tire. If you remain in your fur, I will show you how to hunt down breakfast.

She made a strangled sound of disgust and pushed away from him. Swatting him with her tail when his laughter echoed along their bond. Despite the desire of her beast to hunt prey, Andi found it distasteful.

I’ll change back.

After making a short stop, Ohlen carried his mate out of the forest with a smile on his face. They returned to the ship and passed the officials waiting with the scent of a very successful mating fresh on their skin.