A Seacat's Love (Oceanan Trilogy Book 1) Page 8

  Her pale gaze landed on long, golden strands of hair tied neatly at the nape with a black rubber band. Amazing. He dares to go against his government and his own commanding officer to aid us. Strangers. Aliens from another world. She felt a spark ignite in her chest. Its flames flickered close to the rim of her heart. Its warmth began to heal her injured soul. He truly is a noble male like you, Challen. You would approve.

  Leonora took a hearty bite of her sandwich and relished the taste of having fresh meat to eat. She knew it would make her sick, but who cared? She now had something decent in her cramping stomach, thanks to a very special man.

  The car’s motion lulled Leonora off to darkness. From a distance, she heard a faint, familiar voice. A dear voice. It pained her, yet she desperately wanted to see his sweet face again. She concentrated on his baritone voice, and the blurred surroundings shifted into focus. She detected the scent of decaying flesh and harsh chemicals. Horror exploded within her. The laboratory! She was back inside her cage.

  “Leonora! Leonora! What is wrong?” Tamiron shouted as he vigorously shook her shoulders. “Tigif, what is wrong with her?”

  Leonora, drenched in perspiration, pretended to be unconscious in the back, right corner of the filthy cage.

  “What happened?” asked Tigif.

  “I do not know,” replied the bobcat. “Help me wake her.”

  Tigif played along, while Leonora remained unresponsive. “Leonora, speak to me.” He cradled her in his arms. “My pet, you must wake up. Answer me, please.”

  “Leonora, listen to me.” Tamiron lifted the lioness into a sitting position. “You must fight this poison in your system.”

  “What’s going on in there?” The voice came from the opposite side of the bars.

  A resounding click signified the cage doors being opened.

  “Great moons of Oceana, she is convulsing!” shouted Tigif.

  Side by side, the human scientists tentatively entered the cage with their weapons pointed at the kneeling Oceanans. The younger male remained at the door in case one of the cats tried to escape.

  “I repeat, what’s going on in here?” The graying human inched closer to the bobcat and tiger. “You two move away from her. Over there.” He directed them to the other side of the cramped cage.

  Watchful of both aliens, he knelt on one knee to examine Leonora, whose body had stopped jolting. With his gun aimed at the male cats, he searched for a pulse with his right hand. He touched her neck. Her eyes snapped open. He gasped and changed his target, but was too slow.

  Leonora, with her teeth bared in an evil snarl, eyes shining bright, stopped the gun in midair with her right hand. Razor-sharp claws extended from her left hand as she clasped his pudgy neck. Piercing the skin, she tore out his throat.

  With a look of pure disbelief, the male touched the gaping hole where his throat used to be. He stumbled a few short steps back before he slumped to the ground.

  Instead of firing his gun at the prisoners, the young assistant made a mad dash for the alarms. Tigif leapt after him as he was about to relock the doors. Tigif managed to grab a hold of his enemy’s lab coat and tackled him to the ground. They wrestled with each other until the oversized tiger managed to get the upper hand.

  The human immediately pointed his gun at the striped head above him and pulled the trigger. Tigif moved his head sideways, and the bullet flew into the light that hung overhead. With eyes aglow, Tigif roared. His right arm rose above his head. He extended his claws and made a quick downward motion, slashing the man’s throat into bloody strips.

  Unfortunately, the shot was enough to alert the two MPs who stood outside the lab. The officer who entered first immediately began to shoot at the cat-like creature bent over the lifeless form. The second officer went to sound the alarms.

  While Tigif was a moving target at a firing arcade, Leonora stealthily moved into striking position. Within seconds, the soldier’s lifeblood splattered everything.

  Tamiron appeared behind the MP who reached for the alarm button. Before the soldier could press the button, the bobcat swiftly disposed of him. “I have dedicated my life to saving lives.” Tamiron spoke to the jerking corpse. “Why have you forced me to do this? Why?”

  Leonora overheard his soft-spoken words. She walked up behind him and tapped him on his back, drawing his attention to her. “Can we go now?”

  He cupped her cheek and sighed. “Of course, my dear.”

  Outside the lab, all three heads whipped to the left. What they saw made their spirits plunge even lower than when they were imprisoned in the cell.

  “Run, Leonora!” Tamiron pushed her in the opposite direction of the incoming soldiers.

  “What?” She regained her balance. “No! I am the warrior here. Not you!”

  “You are also a female and the youngest,” stressed Tigif. “Escape and contact our people. Go!”

  “But what about you two?”

  There was no time for an answer. The soldiers were upon them, yet they were not shooting. It seemed orders were given to recapture the aliens alive. Leonora seized the opportunity and gave her opponent a sidekick to his midsection before sprinting off when he doubled over.

  Tamiron and Tigif tried to prevent the enemy from pursuing their companion. Though they put up an admirable fight, they were not Oceanan warriors and were overpowered within a few minutes.

  Racing through the compound’s brightly lit corridors, Leonora killed whomever got in her way. She thought of her friends. In turn, their faces drifted in and out of her mind. Among those fading images was that of her beloved brother, Challen.

  What am I doing? A Seacat never leaves civilians behind. She stopped in her steps and about-faced. A herd of men headed in her direction, all with blood in their eyes. That quickly changed her mind. On her bare heels, she scurried off.

  This is ridiculous! I never ran from a fight before. She paused and looked at her fists. Then again, I never felt like I was about to fall on my face, either. She anxiously scanned her surroundings. Blast it all out of the sky! Where in the blazes is that exit? This place is a maze.

  She glanced behind her. There were no guards. She released a sigh and headed onward. She saw a dim corridor up ahead and tripped to a halt. She stared at the perpendicular hallway. Her heart picked up its pace as did her feet.

  She heard shouts behind her. Several guards approached her. Luckily, she was an experienced warrior. Her skills automatically kicked in, and the four MPs were out cold within seconds. When she tried to leave, an officer materialized from another corner.

  She had acquired a knife from her latest encounter. She decided it was best to return it. So with uncanny speed and precision, she threw the knife at the guard as he came forth, hitting her mark, which was the center of the man’s heart. As he fell, Leonora rushed to the dark hallway. To the right was a closed door; the left led to another corridor. She ran in that direction.

  Desperate to escape, she turned the corner without first checking to see if it was safe. She collided with a brick wall. “Ooofff!” She was down, unable to breathe or move.

  It is only a dream, she reminded herself. The fog in her head shifted. Her pounding heart slowed to a crawl. She had not collided into a brick wall but into a being.

  “Rick,” she whispered. His solid form encased her limbs in a smoldering cocoon. Her lashes lifted. The air stuck in her throat. They were the most soulful blue eyes she had ever seen. “Rick.”

  After hours of driving down a long stretch of deserted highway at eighty miles an hour, Rick deemed it was safe to glance back at Leonora. A gun went off in his head, and his heart partook in a marathon race. Without warning, he careened off to the side of the road.

  Tigif disapproved as usual. “What in the blazes are you doing? Are you trying to kill us?!” he shouted, holding tightly to the sides of his seat.

  Rick ignored him and jumped out of the small car. He threw his seat forward.

  “Great Onssa, no!” Tigif exclaimed.

>   Rick reached for Leonora’s forehead and winced. Her fever was flaring. Her cheeks were red, and her breathing was labored. He had to cool her down fast before her temperature rose higher.

  “Turn up the AC!”

  Tigif frantically touched all the buttons on the dashboard. He succeeded in blasting the radio’s volume, and that was all. A female’s voice bounced off the doors and windows of the car. “I do not know how!” he yelled above the singer’s voice.

  “Bloody hell!” Rick leaned over the front seat to raise the air conditioner and turn off the radio. His massive form filled the car. He spared the cat a disgusted look before reaching for the driver’s side door and slamming it shut.

  The luxuries of a sports car were not created with someone of his stature in mind. He was forced to scrunch up his six-foot-two frame into the tiny space provided by the back seat. Because of the limited space, he shifted Leonora onto his lap while making a mental note to buy a bigger car.

  “Rick…”

  Leonora’s whimper transported Rick back to his old home. In his arms lay a different woman, one who had taught him how to dream. She gazed up at him. Her dark blue eyes lacked luster, life. Rick brought her closer to his chest. Mary, he mouthed. He knew it was not possible. She had been dead for three years.

  “Rick…”

  Rick squeezed his eyes shut. His heart and soul refused to release the happiest times of his life. They did not want to give up the dream of love and family, a place of belonging.

  “Stop. No more,” he murmured.

  Determined to escape his world of torment, he blinked rapidly. Mary’s image faded. Leonora’s pale eyes replaced Mary’s dark blue ones. He touched her temple, her cheek, the outline of her full pout. His breath snagged. It was the barest of touches, but it was enough to make two lonely hearts beat as one.

  “Rick,” she called to him.

  “I’m here.” He looked at Tigif. “Hand me my water bottle.”

  Tigif handed him the bottle. Rick already had the three top buttons to Leonora’s blouse opened. Tigif’s protest came as no surprise.

  “Go to hell!” Rick snatched the bottle and poured some liquid into the cup of his hand. He passed it over Leonora’s face, neck, and chest. He even poured some on her head, hoping it would bring down her fever.

  He screwed the cap in place and threw the bottle to the side. “It’s going to be all right.” He caressed her face. “I’m right here. I’ll take care of you.”

  Forty minutes had passed, and Tigif was still growling. Rick figured he felt he should be the one holding Leonora instead of a filthy human. But this was not the time for jealousy. Leonora’s life was in danger.

  “Where are we?” she finally spoke. “What are you doing?”

  Rick tensed. She sounded weak and vulnerable. Not a good sign. “What do you mean?”

  Her lips curved into a smile. “You cannot fit back here.”

  The heat of embarrassment crawled up his neck to his face.

  “Besides, you said we had to keep moving until we reach your safe house, or we risk being captured.”

  “Don’t worry about that. We need to get your fever down first.” He cupped her right cheek. “You’re more important.” Leonora closed her eyes and pressed her face into his hand. His heart warmed at the gesture.

  “No, I am all right, really. We need to go.” She tried to straighten up, but Rick’s bulky form swallowed up all the room in the back seat.

  “No way.” He shook his head. “We’re not leaving until your fever is down.”

  “My fever has not broken since it started. Nor do I think it will for a few days, unless it kills me before then.”

  Rick jolted. He worriedly searched her eyes. “I have to get access to a computer. I need to know what they gave you.”

  “Do not worry about that.” Her right hand landed on his chest. “They are searching these highways for us. We need to get to safety before it is too late. Please. Do not do this on my account. I do not want anyone else dying because of me.”

  That small touch weakened his limps. The ice caps that had reformed at his house began to shift again. “Ahem. Because of you? No…no one died because of you.” Rick fidgeted in his seat. The small movement pressed Leonora’s hip to his groins. The blood in his veins rushed to that location. He froze.

  Her lashes lowered. “That is where you are wrong. Too many on both sides have lost their lives because of me.”

  Rick’s sights skirted over the AC controls. It was on maximum, yet it did nothing to lower his rising temperature or need. He swallowed. “Nora, ahem…that was in battle and…and in self-defense. You…you didn’t intentionally—”

  “Rick, please.” She placed two slim, delicate fingers on his lips. “We need to go. And we need to go now.” Her hand moved to his cheek.

  Rick’s heart skipped a beat. He felt the wall he had built around his heart crack at her sweet smile. He could not give in. He had to resist. Her safety was more important than his injured soul.

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yes.”

  “All right then.” It took all his strength to lift her off his lap and onto the seat. Their gazes met and held. “I’ll give in this time.” He left her side and returned to his seat behind the steering wheel.

  Through the rearview mirror, he watched her close her eyes and lean her head against the seat. Her fever had not subsided. She was too weak to continue. He opted to take the chance and find a remote inn, where she could rest properly overnight. He did not want to take such a risk, but he had no choice. She was seriously ill.

  After obtaining a room in a backwoods inn, he helped the cats settle in for the night. Leonora complained endlessly about being there.

  “But, Rick—”

  “Leonora, I don’t want to hear anymore about the risks we’re taking!”

  He had had his fill of her whining, and of Tigif’s need to add his two cents here and there. They were driving him mad. He felt like he was about to snap and hurt someone. Rick threw himself onto his belly on the nearest bed and pulled a pillow over his head, hoping to block out their voices.

  “Just lie down and rest, will ya? We’ll leave at first light. God!”

  When he no longer heard her voice, Rick peeked from beneath the pillow. He was relieved to see she had gone to the bathroom. He took a more comfortable position on the bed and joined Tigif in watching a rerun of Superman.

  Rick returned later that evening with his arms filled with dinner. On entering, he saw Leonora pinned beside the door by an aggressive tiger. Her struggles caused his temper to flare.

  “What the bloody hell is going on here?”

  Tigif broke away. Leonora quickly followed with a right jab to his mouth. She rushed past Rick and out the door. Rick was confused. The hatred he glimpsed in her eyes, joined with her struggles and punch, placed his untrusting nature on red alert.

  Tigif regained his balance and made to chase after her. Rick stood tall and broadened his stance. His glower dared the cat to go farther. He was no longer McCall but the dark, menacing Predator. Tigif took two steps back instead.

  Rick thrust the food at the cat and exited the room in search of Leonora. He was going to get to the bottom of what just happened. He found her leaning against the flight of stairs at the end of the outside passageway.

  “Are you all right?”

  She shook her head no. “I need to catch my breath.” She took a seat on a step.

  Rick waited patiently until her breathing was back to normal. “Care to tell me what that was all about?”

  “Humph. Tigif and his deluded self. He was engaged to marry my sister. I learned it was all a ploy to get to me. How could I have fallen for this deception?”

  “So let me get this straight.” He faced her. “The two of you are not lovers.” She stared in response. “Well, what was I supposed to think when, each time I walked into a room, the two of you were at it?” he said in defense.

  “That perhaps it was all
one sided!”

  Rick was irritated. He did not enjoy being made a fool of. “Nora, I don’t know either of you that well to make that assumption.”

  “Oh! But you did make the assumption that I am Tigif’s lover!”

  “Only because he told me you were.”

  Her scowl showed her confusion and surprise. “I do not recall him saying that.”

  “Well, he did.”

  “Why am I even surprised he would spread such lies?” she said, shaking her head negatively.

  Rick waved his hand to dismiss the topic. “That doesn’t matter.” His left foot landed on the bottom step. He leaned forward, so he could place a supportive grip on her shoulder. “What does matter is whether you are all right or not?”

  “Yes, I am better. Thank you.” She failed miserably in hiding her irritation from her voice. “Just famished. I hope you got something good to eat.”

  Rick sensed she was unwilling to continue talking about her troubles, so he relented. He did not want to be pushy. She had gone through so much already. He did not want to add to her stress. Besides, he could always bring it up later.

  “Not anything fancy, I’m afraid. I only found a small country diner, and the selections weren’t that many. Hopefully it’ll be edible.”

  “Hopefully,” replied Tigif from the darkness.

  Leonora sat straighter. Rick stood upright. Tigif walked into the soft yellow glow that flowed down from the overhead can light. Rick sneered, and Leonora abruptly stood.

  “I am going to eat,” she clipped. She hopped off the steps and brushed past Tigif without a glance.

  Tigif’s stare remained on Rick. He had to think of something, or his plans would be ruined. “So, did she explain what happened?”

  “You already know the answer to that.”

  “I am sure she kept to her story.”

  “What story?”

  Tigif intently watched and listened to Rick’s response to his next words. “The story of how I am to marry her sister. And how we are no longer lovers. You do realize why she is saying that. You are aware of what is going on here, right?”