A Lost Kitten Page 17

  Rau stopped in between John and Jasira with his arms open. “What’s gotten into you?” Rau scolded Jasira. “Control yourself!”

  John lifted Dena into his arms. “Keep Jasira here!” he instructed Rau. He rushed Dena to her parents’ home.

  After leaving Dena in her parents’ care, John returned to Jasira’s house. He opened the door and noticed a tornado had hit the place. He detected Jasira’s life force pacing the room. He slammed the door closed.

  “What were you thinking?” he hollered. “You can’t go around killing people! No matter how angry they make you feel.” He picked up the rocker and placed it on the ground hard. “I would have handled it, Jasira. You didn’t need to beat her to a pulp!” He went to the dining chairs and fixed each one. “You overreacted and you could’ve killed her! Is that what you wanted?”

  He felt Jasira approach him. She punched his right shoulder once. His anger rose higher. “What’s wrong with you?” He glared at her aura. “I know you died when you were three, so your parents didn’t get a chance to teach you right from wrong, but you’re not a killer! You’re a teacher! You should know better! You should have let me handle it!”

  John lifted the table off its side and slammed it on its legs. He then passed a hand over his face. He needed to calm down. It seemed Yudit and Rau were not kidding when they said Jasira had an explosive temper. That was all he needed. A dead soulmate with a McCall-like temper.

  He stood beside the table, following Jasira’s pacing energy with his preternatural senses. “Jasira, I’m sorry. I never should have dated her. I thought she was the one who kissed me at the castle. When I learned that she wasn’t, I should have ended it immediately, but I didn’t know about you, and I didn’t see any harm in entertaining myself while I waited for Bogdan. I’m sorry. I didn’t do it to hurt you.”

  Jasira continued pacing, giving John the impression that she was not listening to him. He refused to let her believe he could be untrue to her. He jumped in front of her. Surprisingly, she actually stopped and did not go through him.

  “Jasira, I love you. I would never betray you.” Sorrow filled his heart. “My soul won’t allow it. It desires no one but you.”

  Jasira saw the genuineness of John’s words in his expressive eyes. She considered his face. He was young and handsome. Her gaze lowered. He was powerful. No woman could look at him and not want to become his lover. A fierce possessiveness entered her being. She grabbed the front of John’s shirt and shoved him against the table.

  “Jasira!”

  Jasira slanted her mouth over his, determined to wipe away all traces of the women in John’s past. Dena would have to wait for a Seeker to bring her kindred spirit to Surreal. John was not Dena’s ticket off Surreal, not her future. John was her kindred soul. She was not going to give him up. And she was definitely not going to share him with a solid woman.

  Jasira tugged at his pants as she ended their kiss. John glanced down and saw her exposing him. She knew exactly how to make John forget the world around him, and everyone in it. She aggressively pulled his pants down past his hips.

  “What are you doing?”

  Jasira placed his placid member in her mouth. He sharply inhaled. She slowly rotated her tongue around the tip, then sensually stroked the length of him. She enjoyed the taste of him, the satiny feel of his skin. She loved it best when he was firm and steel hard.

  “Jasira…you don’t have to do this. I’m yours. You don’t have to convince me of anything.”

  Jasira cupped him and drew harder on his growing length. She peeked up at John’s face and saw his eyes igniting. Relief and joy filled her heart.

  “Jasira…” It was no use. Jasira was his soulmate. He had no power to resist her. Jasira swiftly had him going up in flames. John growled and pushed into her mouth.

  Jasira suddenly released him. John’s senses were glued to her. He knew she remained close to him. Jasira grabbed his shirt and made him turn around. She pulled him forward. The table shook before John’s thighs hit the edge.

  “Jasira…I don’t understand. What do you want from me?” He sharply inhaled at feeling her legs wrap around his hips. John groaned. He extended his arms and braced himself on the table. “Guide me.”

  Jasira’s fingers curled around his erection. John’s brows drew together. He watched on as Jasira guided him to her. His breath caught at seeing the skin move.

  “Jasira, I can see the impression of your—” His words ended on a cry. Her tight sheath made him forget his next words.

  Jasira took a firm hold of his hips and brought him forward. John immediately took charge. He glanced at his hips and noticed an indentation circled his waistline. He felt Jasira’s feminine muscles close around him. He looked at his tool and saw his flesh stretching and retracting. His passions soared.

  “I can see your touch.” John’s excitement rang in his voice. “You’re leaving an impression.” He reached for Jasira’s legs. “Damn it! I still can’t touch you.” His claws extended. John anchored himself to the creaking table. He pushed harder. “I want to touch you.” His eyes shone brighter.

  Jasira opened John’s shirt and touched him instead. John watched his skin dance as Jasira squeezed and molded his chest and arms. His fingers curled. Those sharp claws dug deeper into the wood. Jasira’s arms slipped underneath John’s extended arms and around his back. She arched against him, pressing her body to him.

  John urgently rubbed his torso on hers. “I want to mark you.” He leaned into her. “I want to make you my wife!” His thighs banged against the table as he gave Jasira all he had.

  The table creaked loudly while it shook vigorously beneath them.

  “Tell me you want me. Tell me you want to marry me.” John felt Jasira squeeze his shoulder once. She hungrily kissed him. John roared into her open mouth. “You are my wife, Jasira.” His hips surged faster. “You are my wife!” His core exploded.

  A mighty roar was followed closely by a loud crash.

  Jasira cried out. She grimaced and moaned. A sharp, burning sensation spread across her head and back. She tried to catch her breath. What was that? She had never felt it before. She tried to move but John pinned her.

  She pushed with all her might and managed to place John on his back. She cried out and reached for her back. Laying back down, she took deep breaths and tried not to move. Jasira figured out what that sensation was. She touched her forehead.

  It was pain.

  .

  Chapter 12

  Dena’s parents were enraged by Jasira’s attack on their daughter. They went to King Yudit and demanded that he punish Jasira. King Yudit told them to return home. He would make certain Jasira understood her actions had consequences. After they left, Yudit ordered two guards to escort the headmistress to his office. The guards arrived at Jasira’s home and began pounding on the door.

  John frowned. “Go away!” he shouted at the ones behind the loud, annoying noise.

  The banging continued. John ignored it. He stretched and turned onto his left side. A sharp object stabbed his waist.

  “Ouch!” He searched beneath him and saw broken pieces of wood.

  John sat up and looked around. His shirt covered his hips. He was on what was left of the dining table. He checked the time. It was five o’clock in the evening.

  “At least I didn’t sleep the entire day away,” he grumbled. The banging grew louder. John scowled at the door. “Be quiet! I’m coming!”

  As he put his shirt on, John reached out with his senses, looking for Jasira. He found her in the bedroom. He got to his feet and quickly pulled his pants up from around his knees. The bedroom door opened. He glanced in Jasira’s direction.

  “Stay there,” he ordered her. He unlocked the front door and swung it open. “What’s wrong with you? Don’t you know how to knock?”

  Two tall, rugged looking guards glared back at John. One had black hair and a shaggy beard. The other was a clean-shaven redhead.

  “We came for
Jasira,” said the bearded guard.

  “On the king’s orders,” the redhead added.

  John stood erect. He did not move from the doorway. “What for?”

  “That’s none of your business.”

  The bearded guard looked over John’s right shoulder. “Jasira, you are to come with us.” He pushed John, trying to enter the house.

  John was ready. He shoved the man several feet away from the house, along with his companion. “Don’t you touch her!” Their aggressive behavior elicited a protectiveness in John that bordered on savagery.

  “Get out of our way!” shouted the black-haired guard.

  “We’re here under the king’s orders!” repeated the beardless one. “This does not involve you!”

  “The hell it doesn’t.” John sensed Jasira moving toward the doorway. “Stay in the house!” he yelled over his shoulder. “What does King Yudit want with her?”

  “Get out of our way.” The beardless guard stepped forward. “Jasira, come with us!”

  John roared. The redheaded guard froze in place and paled. The bearded man stared at John with his mouth open. Jasira was forgotten.

  “Jasira stays where she’s at.” John crouched into a ready stance.

  By the wall, several guards overheard the roar. They left their posts to investigate. They arrived at Jasira’s house and saw two of their fellow guards confronting the outlander. They flanked their comrades for support. One removed his weapon from his back and aimed it at John.

  Their presence gave the bearded guard courage. He stepped forward. “Jasira, you will come with us if you know what’s good for you.”

  “And you will back away if you know what’s good for you,” added the guard with the gun, looking at John.

  John ignored him. He did not feel threatened by the eight men or the weapon. His focus was on the bearded man. “Did you just threaten her?” John’s eyes ignited into a fiery brown. “A foolish thing to do.” He slowly extended his claws. “You must have a death wish.”

  The armed guard raised his gun. John’s warrior instincts kicked in. He quickly surveyed the situation. He intended to disarm the armed guard first, then rip out the bearded man’s tongue for intimidating his soulmate. He stepped forward and almost walked into Jasira’s energy force.

  “I said stay back!” He quickly positioned his bulky form in between Jasira and the guards. He felt Jasira squeeze his forearm twice.

  The guard with the gun spoke. “Jasira said she will go to the kasuhl.” He lowered his weapon.

  John looked at her. “No.”

  “You can go along.” The man looked at his fellow guards. “It’s better than bloodshed.”

  The two guards sent to retrieve Jasira unwillingly consented.

  “Fine. King Yudit is waiting in his office,” said the redhead.

  John viciously growled at the guards. “If any of you go near her, I’ll kill you.” He glared at the one with the gun. “And your pathetic gun won’t save you.”

  John gestured to his left, in the direction he wanted Jasira to walk. He sensed her energy floating away. John followed closely beside her. He retracted his claws, but it took him a long time to calm down.

  The guards remained several steps behind them all the way to Yudit’s office. John did not wait for them to announce their arrival. He pushed the door open, allowing Jasira to enter first.

  Yudit stood from his chair. “Jasira! What were you thinking?” He stormed from around his desk. “Dena’s pairunts were here.”

  John quickly shielded his soulmate with his towering frame, not liking the way Yudit charged in her direction. He sensed Jasira trying to walk around him. “No! Stay behind me.” He glowered at Yudit. “And you stay right there.”

  Yudit viewed John’s fighting stance. He made no comment on it. Instead, he switched his attention to Jasira. “What possessed you to attack Dena?”

  Jasira explained what happened.

  Yudit looked at John. “Is this true?”

  John scowled. “I’m not a Surrealan, remember? I can’t hear her.”

  “She said Dena assaulted you.”

  “Dena and I dated for a short time,” John explained. “I broke it off. She started to follow me around, harassing me every time I was alone. She did so again today outside the school. Jasira saw her and got her off me.”

  “Jasira did more than that.” Yudit turned around. He walked to his desk. “Dena’s nose is broken.” He faced the couple. “Her face is swollen with cuts and bruises. Her neck is badly bruised from you choking her!”

  “Jasira didn’t mean to lose her temper.” John glanced at the spot he sensed Jasira stood. “She’s sorry. Right, Jasira?” He was unsure if she agreed with him.

  “Sorry is not good enough,” the king said, his voice clipped.

  “I’ll pay for Dena’s medical bills,” offered John. “Just make sure Dena understands never to come near us again.”

  “You have no muhnee.”

  “I’ll have it once I return to the empire. I’ll send it back immediately.”

  Yudit glared at him. “Woomuhn seem to love assaulting you.”

  John gritted his teeth.

  “I will pay the dokter. You will pay me.”

  John dipped his head once.

  Yudit switched his attention to Jasira. “I will dismiss the charges. Dena knows the law. I will make certain she does not break it again.”

  As Yudit’s gaze remained on Jasira, John saw the angry gleam in his eyes intensify. What was Jasira saying to him?

  “Jasira?” he said.

  “What did you expect?” Yudit angrily spoke. “I gave them an order.”

  John figured Jasira was talking about the guards. Did she have to bring them up? He had just killed the issue with Dena.

  Yudit’s lips pulled back in anger. “You forget I’m your king, Jasira. Watch how you speak to me.” His icy glare landed on John. “John should not have gotten in the way.”

  John stood taller. He looked at the energy spot. “Jasira, that’s enough.”

  He did not want Jasira to start an issue between him and the king. Nor did he want to spend his remaining days on Surreal in a freezing cell.

  Yudit’s eyes turned deadly. “I understand you are upset, but I will not—”

  “Jasira, I said enough!” John yelled. “Be quiet!” He addressed Yudit calmly. “I apologize for any harsh words. The misunderstanding is over. I will repay you for Dena’s medical bills. And Jasira,” he speared her with an angry scowl, “from now on will behave herself.”

  Yudit was slow in responding. His hard stare was fixed on Jasira. “I’m sure she will. However, for her disrespect she will be suspended for two months without pay.” His sights landed back on John. “You will make sure she stays out of trouble.”

  John nodded.

  “I will make sure no other woomuhn assaults you during your stay on Surreal. Once you leave, you are on your own.” He went around his desk and sat back in his chair, dismissing them.

  “You’ve got yourself a deal.” John faced Jasira. “Let’s go.” He waited for her to move. When she did not, he barked, “Now!”

  That got her moving. John closed the doors behind him, grateful to be leaving the castle. He practically ran all the way back to Jasira’s warm home. Once he defrosted, he took the broken dining table outside and piled the pieces in the backyard. Its next life would be as firewood.

  John examined the two halves of the tabletop, smiling. It had served its mistress well. He spotted something. He knelt on one knee for a closer look. His fingers traced the claw marks left behind. He felt a twinge in his chest.

  It was the same each time they made love. It would continue to happen until his soul fused with its mate. John swallowed. That would never happen. She was dead, and he was amongst the living.

  John took a deep breath, stood, and reentered the house. He would have to make the best of what he had.

  Tuesday, the 24th of August

  As a couple
, John and Jasira had decided to stay in Jasira’s house instead of returning to Bogdan’s home. John wanted to be alone with his new wife. Sadly, Jasira being a ghost kept placing a damper on his happiness. John was getting a taste of how it would be once they returned to the empire. It would not be easy.

  The one-way conversations, the sensing of Jasira’s presence but not being able to see her, and the inability to touch her was taking its toll. He did not wish to leave Jasira, but he wanted them to be like a normal married couple.

  John knew that was impossible. What he did not know was how long he could endure it before his sorrow and longings weakened his will to live. It has been eight months since their first encounter, and he was already close to losing his mind.

  As they were preparing to go to bed, there was an urgent knock on the front door. John put his shirt back on and went to see who was at the door.

  It was an excited Andros. “John, Mira is in labor. She refuses to have strangers near her neonates. But she said Jasira can come since she’s Bogdan’s nonage freond, and she works with the local midwif in delivering neonates.”

  John did not have his translator on, but he understood enough to know that Mira needed Jasira’s help. “Right. Wait here.” He quickly reentered the bedroom. “Jasira, Mira’s in labor. She needs your help.” He sensed Jasira’s energy force moving away from the bed and rushing toward the bedroom door. He snatched his jacket off the trunk and followed close behind her. “We’re ready,” he said to Andros, putting on his jacket. They exited the house.

  “I told Rau to have Fluffy ready,” informed Andros as he led John to the stable.

  “Thanks.”

  John felt it was foolish and a waste of time that Rau also had a ladder ready for Jasira to use to climb onto Fluffy’s back. All she had to do was float upward. Instead, her energy force inched its way up the ladder, stopping behind him.

  He felt Jasira’s arms slip around his waist. “Are you ready?” he asked her. She tapped his left shoulder once. He looked at Andros. “Are you ready?”