A Seacat's Love (Oceanan Trilogy Book 1) (31 page)

Challen hesitated for only a second. “What…did…you…just… say?” He angrily pronounced each word slowly as he stood up from behind his desk.

Standing his ground, Tigif refused to be intimidated by Challen’s height, build, or strength. He held his head high and declared, “I am in love with your sister Leonora.”

The towering lion made his way around the desk. “You better start explaining.”

“I only started talking to Karla because Leonora would not give me the time of day when I tried to get close to her. I noticed she was very close to Karla, so I thought what better way to get to the female I love than to get close to someone who can help me get my foot through the door? Shortly after, I noticed that Karla’s way of thinking was worse than Leonora’s. I had to come up with a plan and fast before I failed completely. Therefore, I allowed Karla and everyone to believe that she and I were going to be legally joined. But in truth, I only needed enough time alone with Leonora to enchant her. So, now I am here with the intentions of coming clean and asking for Leonora’s hand in union. We are in love and wish to be legally joined.”

“Oh really?” Challen’s eyebrow had been stuck in its favorite position since Tigif began explaining. “So now you are hoping that I am both understanding and a romantic—that I would see your actions as purely innocent and done purely out of love for the female you wish to make your lifemate.”

Challen paused long enough to give the cat a false sense of victory. “Instead of the malicious, conniving, calculative way that it really is.” He released a dry chuckle. “Do not hold your breath. These past two tides you have been following me, trying to get on my good side. Had me wondering why, but now I see clearly.”

Challen covered the remaining space between them in two long strides. “Now let me make
you
see clearly.” He grabbed the six-foot-three tiger by his shirt collar and easily raised him off the floor until he was looking into a pair of gray ice crystals. “If I ever see you near Karla or Leonora again,
I will kill you!”
He stressed the last four words before literally throwing the annoying feline out of his chambers.

Leonora sat in a chair, staring out at the billions of twinkling little stars that streaked past her window. She contemplated for the
umpteenth time about how she was going to live without her soul mate. She recalled every moment shared with him.

She unconsciously caressed her belly while she cried.
Oh Rick. Rick
. She covered her face with her hands. The pain was proving to be too much for her to handle. The thought of Rick possibly being dead refused to stop entering her distraught mind.

“Nora? Sweetheart, do not cry anymore.”

Leonora’s head snapped up. Tigif seemed to have appeared from nowhere as he knelt before her. “It has been two tides. Forget him.”

“How did you get my access code?” She scowled at him. “How dare you enter my chambers! Go away and never enter here again!”

“Leonora, I love you. I want you for my lifemate. I would take care of you. I would give you all that you need.”

“I need Rick,” she bitterly snapped. “Can you give
him
to me?”

“I am twice the male that
human
will ever be!”

Leonora jumped from her seat. “You will never be like Rick McCall! Nor will you ever take his place!” She pointed to the door. “Now get out!”

Tigif slowly stood from the floor. “Oh, really? I have just spoken to your brother. I have asked for your hand.”

Leonora’s glower remained. She was not surprised by what Tigif said, but she was surprised that he did not ask Challen sooner.

“You must know he did not take it as I had hoped he would.”

“What did you expect? Karla is his sister, you mongrel.”

“That is why you must go to him and tell him that you have agreed to join with me.”

“Wha…What?”

Tigif’s lip curled in a sneer. “You heard me.”

Leonora pointed to herself. “You expect me to do that?” She began to laugh, the first time in two tides. “You are out of your cat’s meow.”

“If you do not, then I will be forced to tell him that you and I are already lovers.”

His words quickly sobered her. “He will immediately think that you raped me and will kill you where you stand. You are promised
to Karla, remember? He knows I would die before I would betray my sister.” She was not bluffing.

“Fine then! I will tell him you lost your virginity to a
human
. Let us see how he will respond to that.” He stormed out of her bedroom.

If Tigif had expected Leonora to stop him, he was in for a shock. Leonora returned to looking out the window. She pressed her lips together.
It does not matter if you tell Challen about Rick. In a few more weeks, everyone will know
. As the stars streaked by her window, Leonora caressed her barely swollen belly and unborn cub.

“Do you have a death wish, cat?” Challen blocked the entranceway. He was not allowing Tigif to enter his chambers.

“No. But I do have something to tell you that might be of interest to you.”

“What can possibly be of more interest to me than finding out how long it would take me to snuff the life out of you?”

“The loss of Leonora’s virtue to the human who saved her life.”

Challen jolted to attention as if being struck. He quickly rebounded by punching Tigif squarely in the jaw. Tigif landed on his back, skidded across the floor, and banged into the opposing wall. Oblivious to how the cat landed, Challen stomped down the corridors in search of the one who could confirm the tiger’s accusations.

He stormed into his sister’s quarters unannounced. “Leonora!”

Here it comes
. {Yes, brother.} She did not bother turning away from the window.

“Tigif was in my quarters, informing me of an improbable dalliance between you and a certain Predator.”

Leonora braced herself. Her brother was speaking verbally, which meant he was enraged and needed to vent. Well, it was going to get worse. “Why do you say that?”

“Because for the last two tides he has been on my tail for your hand in union, after I have already promised Karla’s to him,” he angrily spat “He is only trying to get me to agree to a union between the two of you.”

“What did you say to him?”

“I punched him in his face and sent him reeling onto the floor.”

“Good,” she replied, with a firm nod.

“I take it you approve.”

“Of course.” Leonora turned around and met her brother’s angry stare. “He deserves no less after what he has done to Karla.”

“I agree.” Challen regarded her carefully. “He said you were in love with him. I said he was crazy. Which one is it? Do you love him?”

“There is only one male that I am in love with.” Lifting her head high, Leonora pushed her shoulders back and met her brother’s eyes. “I am in love with Rick McCall.”

At first, Challen’s features showed no reaction. Then his handsome face contorted with rage. “Then it is true! You mated with him!”

“Yes,” she proudly acknowledged.

“How could you mate with him? He is not an Oceanan! He is a
human!
The race that killed our friends!” He pointed to her. “
Your
colleagues!”

“Rick is of the same race, but not of the same make.”

“Your virtue was for your soul mate or lifemate, not for some
human
, blast it!”

“I love him, Challen. Rick was, is, and will always be my soul mate,” she calmly stated.

“Wrong,” Challen said with finality. “
Tigif
will be your lifemate.”

Leonora anxiously said, “You cannot tie me off to Tigif.” She was determined not to allow another male to touch her.

Challen yelled as he headed for the door. “The blazes I cannot! You just watch me!”

Leonora was waiting for this moment. She quickly reached for her skirt. “Challen, look!”

Challen stopped, turned, and watched his sister, who, with a triumphant smile on her face, parted her skirt, displaying the cluster of scars on her left thigh. Challen’s features transformed into a hideous mask of rage. His eyes lit up. Beyond the ability of speech, he expelled a loud, ferocious roar at Leonora. Whirling on his heels, he left her quarters.

As he charged into the bridge, Challen bellowed, “Turn this ship around!”

Everyone on duty froze in his or her place. They all stared at him openmouthed, hoping they had misunderstood.

“What did you say?” asked Jugar who was in the middle of giving an order.

“You heard me. Turn this blasted ship around!”

Jugar was afraid to ask, but he had to know. “Where are we going?”

Challen stopped in front of the captain’s seat and faced the giant monitor. His lips pulled back, tight over his white teeth. “Back to planet Earth.”

Everyone on the bridge exclaimed their surprise and displeasure, except for Jugar. He had expected Challen to one day return to Earth—but not this soon.

“Am I speaking Alturiun?” Challen glowered at everyone in turn. “If this ship is not turned around in five seconds…”

There was no need for him to continue. The moment he started his threat, the crew jumped to complete his command. He spun around and plopped into his seat.

Jugar casually sat down next to him. “Why, may I ask, are we returning to planet Earth?”

“To retrieve the newest member of my family,” grumbled Challen.

Saturday, the 20th of September

Cobra’s Safe House

Arizona Mountains, Earth

Lance entered his team member’s mountain home. He waited until Carol Ann closed the door to ask his question. “How is he?”

“Not good.”

Lance held up a manila envelope for Carol Ann to see. “I have something here that will cheer him up.”

“I sure hope so.” She walked passed Lance and motioned for him to follow. “He should be up.” She led him to the back room.

On that terrible night, four months ago, Rick’s beach house was stormed by enemy troops. They destroyed everything in their path, searching for clues that may lead them to the aliens. All they found were unmade beds and an open front door, stating that someone
had been
there. They tried to uncover who owned the house. The paper trail led them to an elderly woman who had vanished. With no fingerprints and only a sketch to rely on, Anderson had no reason not to believe Lance’s ploy to exonerate himself and McCall.