Sarazen's Vengeance: Book 1.1 (21 page)

Twenty Five

It was another three days before Ohlen was able to tell her what was happening. From what Ga’rae was able to determine, all fifteen warriors triaged to medical had been implanted with the banned technology. Four of the five who had gone feral, had previously been assigned as guards in the five-story fortress of the 
Asho.
They had been dismissed from their posts as soon as Tarek had taken control of the pride.

None of them had survived despite attempts to subdue and calm them.

The fifth who had reverted to a feral state was the head of the council, T’farro. He had attempted to kill three of the council members he had been in a meeting with and had died as well.

Andi insisted Ohlen be checked, terrified his sire had maybe implanted Ohlen with one of the sinister devices. He admitted he had already asked Ga’rae to perform the scan and that it was clear. She went directly to the temple within the fortress and spent the afternoon on her knees. Praying to the Sarazen’s beast god. Giving thanks for small miracles.

The ten warriors who had dropped to their knees in pain and bled from their ears had died almost immediately. The implant was placed in just such a way as to swell up and block the major blood vessels in the brain. It caused a pressure build up and eventually something resembling a cerebral hemorrhage. Only four of those warriors had been in positions to gather information. The rest had flown private transports or had access to the fortress itself.

Ga’rae reported the implants had been programed to cause the hemorrhage on command. Triggered by some kind of frequency or command phrase from whoever controlled them. One of the warriors had been guarding T’kalis in the cells. Before his brain had basically exploded, the warrior had murdered the former 
Asho
.

There were no loose ends or people to answer questions. The traitors had indeed, cleaned up their mess.

Tarek had ordered every single Sarazen across all fifteen planets to report to the nearest medic to be scanned for the implant. Ohlen told her that reports had come back from several medics across the Sarazen territory. Reports of mysterious deaths due to random traumatic brain hemorrhage or a sudden onset of feral behavior.

Several more reports of the same, from every warship commander. In total, over six thousand males and females across the territory, and another five thousand from aboard the fifteen warships had died. Eleven thousand Sarazens used as spies. The traitors had been at the implanting process, placing their puppets here and there, for a very long time for it to have spread so far. The exact reason, why the presence of the humans had been a catalyst for the traitors to come out of hiding, was yet unknown. At least it was now that it wasn’t just the humans being targeted. A larger game was being played and had been for quite some time. For now, with Ga’rae’s specific scanning protocols, the traitors would have to find new ways to infiltrate the pride.

On a happier note, Clary’s pregnancy had been announced to the entire pride, as a metaphorical thumbing of the nose to the traitors. A territory wide celebration was actually still going on in the wake of the happy news. Clary was four months along with twins and was refusing to share the sex with anyone. Not even Tarek. If she wasn’t with Tarek, Clary was constantly shadowed by Ne’tare and Te’sha. Something the new 
Asho’na
 was not thrilled with. But as she was less thrilled by the idea of putting herself in danger, she found a way to settle with it.

Twenty-Six

In the weeks following Andi’s abduction, there had been no progress in repairing the damage made by the concentrated
flurra
pollen. Ga’rae had not given up on finding a treatment, but as busy as he had become overseeing the scanning of every warrior on the continent, Andi wasn’t surprised. Gwen had taken over, getting daily scans and blood samples from her. So far, no luck. Gwen had asked her to try and purposefully do a half shift, laughing at the horrified expression Andi had made in reaction.

“I don’t know why you’re so freaked out. Other than the whole snacking on entrails bit, you’re a badass. Mama always said it’s us little ones you gotta look out for.”

Andi was starting to think perhaps Gwen was deranged. Purposefully asking her to go berserk? Yeah. Not happening. She hadn’t even shifted to her full cat form since the incident in the bunker. Ohlen had taken her to a secured area to run, but she hadn’t been able to shift so much as a claw, terrified if she let her cat out there would be no putting her back.

Ohlen hadn’t pushed her.

Ohlen was helping in any way he could with the aftermath of so many deaths, spending the majority of his time at Tarek’s beck and call. Which meant unless she was escorted by one of the other mated warriors, Andi spent a goodly portion of her time holed up in her rooms. Alone, coming to terms with the fact that she and Ohlen would never get their mental bond back. Accepting that from now on, all that would bind them together was the love they had for one another. It was enough. It would have to be enough.

As observant as her mate was, Ohlen noticed her struggling, and had asked for a few days to themselves. He must have caught Tarek in a good mood to have gotten permission.

She lay now in the circle of his arms, in their bed on board their little cruiser, looking up at the play of moonlight spilling through the water above them. The ceiling of their cabin was equipped with some kind of holo-tech. Cameras on the outside of the hull reflected images directly into the interior of the cabin, so it looked like they were laying in a glass bubble on the bottom of the ocean. It was just the two of them, hidden in a grotto on the other side of the planet, completely submerged. Some kind of fish were swimming lazily over the hull. Their scales glowing, pulsing with every swish of their tails. It was a magnificent view. Made better by the aimless patterns Ohlen was tracing across her belly.

“I would discuss something with you, my one.”

It took some effort, but she tore herself away from the view and turned onto her side to face her mate. Stretched languidly with a little moan.

“Listening,” She murmured. Admiring how gorgeous he looked in the spill of moonlight through the water.

“You haven’t shifted to let your beast free since you were taken from me. I think because you are afraid.”

A dull thud of pain, pressure against the back of her eye, was the result of her trying to feel him through their deadened link. Andi had to take a deep breath to push the sorrow and the pain away. Ohlen must have caught the scent of it and assumed the worst. He curled himself tighter around her, as though he worried she was going to push him away. Silly beast.

“Allow me to explain, please.” his eyes were so bright. Such a lovely, deep purple. Far more fascinating to stare into than even the ocean above them.

“Go on,” she urged softly.

His throat worked loudly in the quiet. “I think you fear your beast and her power now. Fear the damage you could do in that form. The loss of control. The loss of your own mind. Yes?”

Andi nodded. Trusted he was going somewhere with this.

“Blood-lust is a horrifying feeling. More so for one such as you, who has a hard time bringing even small game down for dinner.”

She huffed a little laugh. Because she did hate hunting the cute little animals that Ohlen called ‘food.’  He stroked his hand over her shoulder. Moved a lock of hair aside to rub at the scar on her skin. His mating mark. Ohlen went so far as to lean down and kiss it with a reverent sort of smile on his face. A smile that dimmed to seriousness when he met her gaze again.

“You don’t need to be afraid of your beast, Andi. Changing into your fur, whether you go into full shift or half shift, will not cause you to lose control.”

“You can’t know that. Our bond-”

He shushed her gently. “It doesn’t matter if we are never again able to speak silently or feel one another inside our thoughts. Without our telepathic connection, without anything but the sound of my voice, you came back to me from the true depths of blood-lust. Proof that the bond we share goes far deeper than any mental link. If ever you doubt it, remember you are the only female to ever have come back from blood-lust. And you did that, for me. Because you trusted me. Because you love me. That, cannot be taken from us. It cannot be diminished or destroyed. It cannot be poisoned. Our bond is stronger than anything.”

Andi reached up, smoothing back that one lock of unruly hair that fell over his brow. He was right. About all of it. He couldn’t feel the love that made her feel like she was glowing from the inside out. He couldn’t feel her trust, her absolute and unwavering trust in him. But she could tell him. Show him. Andi took a deep breath and sat up. Let the sheets fall away from her and smiled when her mate frowned at her in confusion.

“I do trust you.” she murmured. “I love you more than anything. And you’re absolutely right.”

He blinked at her, a laugh rolling out of him when she let her beast free, and changed into her fur almost right on top of him. Andi quivered for just a second. Glad she had managed to shift fully, and not into the grotesque half form. Ohlen was still chuckling when he sat up and kneaded his hand deep into her scruff.

“I had not intended for you to shift right at this moment, my one.”

Andi heaved a sigh and relaxed. Nothing bad happened. She didn’t feel the urge to tear into his flesh or sink her teeth into something to make it bleed. She rubbed her furry cheeks over his throat, purring as her eyes fell shut in relief. He set his brow to hers and whispered loudly.

“How do you feel? Any desire to hunt down breakfast?” the teasing in his tone made her growl. Made her thump him in the shoulder with her paw.

“No? What would you like to do then? Hm?”

She leaned into him, pushed him down to the mattress, and lay her head on his chest. She wiggled around to get comfortable and looked up the line of his body. He was smiling softly at her, the scent of his love, his adoration, filling her senses. He bent one arm under his head and used the other to stroke through her fur. Over and over again until she was purring.

Ohlen had taken his vengeance and claimed her as his mate. Now she had done the same for him. Telepathic link or not, their bond had been made. Andi realized she would spill all the blood she had to, to protect that bond. A sense of relief bled through her four legged body. Made the last of her tension release in a fur tingling ripple.

“We will have to return to the fortress soon, my one.” Ohlen rumbled.

She didn’t care where they went. So long as they were together.

Happily, but not the end...