Lake, Ciara - Xihirah [Xihiran Shifters 1] (Siren Publishing Classic) (19 page)

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Roused from a deep sleep, her sub consciousness registered the faint sounds of footsteps. Unease filled her. She was unsure what was real or a dream. She tried to force herself to be fully awake. Amazingly, the faint but distinct smell of hatred and fear reached through the haze of sleep. Struggling against the pull of sleep, Saleeya was frozen. Every instinct screamed for her to move, to wake, yet she couldn’t rouse herself to open her eyes or move.
Wake up, wake up.
She felt as if a heavy weight pressed her down and held her eyes shut. The pain medicine and the curtain of sleep had a hold of her. Then rough hands pulled her from the bed, slapping a foul smelling rag over and into her mouth. Hands grabbed her hands, binding them brutally behind her back. Nerves already damaged screamed in agony. Fear raced through her. Disbelief followed.

At first, she thought she was having a much too real nightmare. Fighting with herself as to what to believe, reality fully and finally slammed into her when she opened her eyes to find Jarvin Manntree’s evil smirk leering into her face. Disgust darkened his features into a harsh, ugly mask. “Now the whore’s finally quiet,” he spat into her face. Saleeya’s free legs kicked. She kicked with everything she had. She twisted, fighting him with all of her power.

For such a little man, he’s stronger than he looks.
Saleeya tried to scream for help. But the rag choked her attempts.

Manntree smacked her hard in the face. “Listen, you animal-fucking whore, if you want to live a little longer, stop with the kicking. Stand up. Cooperate. I’m taking you somewhere away from here. You’ll help us be able to negotiate with the Xihirians. We’ll kill you and your animal-lover if you resist.” Saleeya glared at him. She allowed him to bring her to her feet. “Now come with me, bitch.” Jarvin roughly pushed Saleeya to the balcony’s railing where a hooked ladder hung over the railing. “Now, you animal-fucking whore, I’m going to untie your hands so you can climb down this ladder to my partners. I’m sure you don’t want me to throw you over the side. So cooperate. You hear me?” Manntree roughly untied her hands. “We don’t have a lot of time. We’re between security patrols.” He shoved her toward the ladder. “Move, bitch. Don’t make me hit you again,” Jarvin stated cruelly. Saleeya nodded her head in understanding. “That’s a smart bitch. I’ll kill you if you try to run or pull the gag from your mouth and scream. You must be used to having your mouth gagged anyway, by that animal’s cock. We’ll shoot you in your fucking head before anyone comes to your rescue. My partners and I are probably dead men anyway. We’re willing to die for the cause. Do we understand each other? No loud noises either. Go down the ladder quickly. These beasts have abnormal hearing. I’m sure you enjoy his abnormal animalistic qualities, don’t you, whore?” Saleeya carefully climbed down the hooked ladder in her bare feet. Her sheer nightgown barely covered her. When she reached the bottom, four hands roughly grabbed at her. Jarvin climbed quickly down after her. A small transport waited. The three men pushed her inside the transport. They jumped in behind her. As soon as the door closed, the pilot took off. “Hurry, fly into the jungle. We have two Xihirian minutes before their patrol passes over again.” Manntree yelled to the pilot. “The longer they don’t realize she’s missing the better for us.” Jarvin took the gag out of Saleeya’s mouth.

“Why are you doing this?”

“Shut the fuck up. Or I’ll put the gag back in your mouth,” Jarvin ground out. He raised his hand as if he was going to backhand her in the mouth. Saleeya shied back from his raised hand.

“I want to understand why this is happening to me,” Saleeya rebelliously stated.

“Vitalion and I are Realmist sympathizers. You fucking got in our way. You destroyed our plans to punish those who love abominations like the Xihirians. Now they have Vitalion, Tomron’s brother, in custody, all due to your fucking whoring,” Manntree yelled into her stunned face.

“Tomron’s brother?” Saleeya gasped.

“Yes, Vitalion is Tomron’s half brother. Now shut up, bitch. Or I’ll dump your slutty ass in this Deity-forsaken jungle. The animals and insects will devour you. That’s what you deserve. But, I’d rather trade you for Vitalion.” Saleeya decided to remain silent. They had left her hands untied. If they restrained her, she would definitely not be able to escape.

The transport traveled for what seemed like many hours. The sun started to move toward late midday. Saleeya wondered if she had been missed yet. Finally, they set the transport down in the jungle at a prepared campsite. The transport door opened. The men exited dragging Saleeya with them. “Whore, I’m going to tie your hands again. You’re going to sit down on this pallet by the fire pit.” He motioned to the mat on the ground. “I’ll not bother to tie your legs or gag you, unless you become annoying.” He sneered. “No one can hear you here. No one will come to your aid. If you run, may your Deity be with you. Your fate will be worse than what we’ve planned for you. There’re fucking vicious creatures on this abominable planet. You’re not a native. They’ll eat you up in a sec. They won’t bother to fuck you first,” Manntree maliciously warned.

“Yes, I’ll stay by the fire pit.” Saleeya nodded. “How can I escape? I have no shoes.” She looked down at her naked feet. “I’m in a nightgown, too.”

As soon as Manntree walked away, Saleeya’s mind raced, working on a plan to escape. The Realmist were evil people. They claimed a religion as an excuse to hate and kill others different from themselves. Saleeya sat listening to the four men talk. Their conversation was full of their hate-filled convictions. A born fighter, she was going to survive this madness to return to her mate and family. Silently Saleeya cried as she visualized her mother and father’s faces overcome with the sadness of losing their beloved only child. She saw Carlista holding her new babies in her arms. She dreamed of the babies Kael and she could eventually have had. She longed for the comfort of the newly found welcome of her new extended family. “I will survive,” Saleeya whispered to herself. Closely, she watched the men continue to set up the camp to prepare for full night. They erected tent-like structures. They lit three more rain-resistant fire pits designed to restrain the flame. Saleeya waited and watched. In her mind, there was no doubt that Kael would come for her. From pure exhaustion, her eyes drifted closed.

Chapter Nine

In the early morning, Kalinda had seen Kael leave his room and visit with their mother. Kalinda realized that Saleeya was alone and decided to wait a few hours and go visit with Saleeya while Kael was at work. An hour after midday Kalinda decided to go check on Saleeya. Mia had gone to help with the Council meetings as a substitute while Saleeya recovered.

Kalinda had waited a reasonable time, she thought, to disturb Saleeya. That morning, Kael had told everyone to let Saleeya sleep to heal from her injury. As Kalinda walked to Kael’s suite, she paused to look out over to the jungle and saw signs of a coming storm. The sky was darkening in the north and the winds were picking up. The storm looked to be almost here. The way the sky looked it would be a fierce storm. Smiling, Kalinda hurried on, hoping Saleeya was awake so she could take her to her special place and watch the storm sweep over them.

Kalinda knocked on the door and pushed it slightly ajar, and still no one answered. Kalinda called out Saleeya’s name several times, and still there was no response. Kalinda didn’t hear the shower or anyone in the cleaning chamber. She frowned, unease flowing over her like the approaching storm. Was she still sleeping so soundly? Pressing the door open, she slipped into the room to investigate. Torn sheets and scattered pillows were flung all over. At first sight, the disarray caused Kalinda to giggle, thinking that Kael and Saleeya were the cause of the obvious clutter.

Inhaling, her mirth faded to be replaced by terror. Faint but distinct, the stench of anger, hatred, and a strangle male tickled her senses, pushing the beast within. Panicking, Kalinda ran throughout the suite checking everywhere. The thin, vague, half-formed hope died quickly at the discovery of a rope ladder thrown back over the inside of the balcony. Saleeya was gone, and it appeared as if someone had taken her by force.

Skirts in hand, Kalinda tore from the room, running toward the guest area of the Palace where she knew her father and brother at work with the Council
members. “Father, Father,” Kalinda screamed, tears burning her eyes. The door to the conference slammed into the walls as she rushed through them, sobs escaping.

Kalinda paused, sweeping the room for her father’s imposing figure. The tears in her eyes blurred everyone that stood clustered in small groups. “Oh, Xian, Father!” Her cries drew everyone’s attention. The distinct roar of her father’s voice rose above the shocked mutters of those in attendance.

“What is it, daughter? Is it your mother?” Kliven pushed past everyone.

Sobbing, Kalinda clung to her father. It was so unfair. “She’s gone!” she whimpered.

“Who?” Kliven ushered her away from the stares and whispers. “Daughter, calm yourself, and tell me what’s the matter. Who’s gone?”

“Kael’s mate has been taken. There’s the smell of a strange man in their chamber.” Kalinda hiccupped. “It looks as if they took her over the room’s balcony. They left a ladder. I went to get her to go to take her to the observatory room, and she didn’t answer her door. I let myself in and smelled a scent of a strange man, and it looked like there had been a struggle. Then I saw the rope ladder on the balcony. Oh, Father, someone has taken Saleeya and I’m scared.” She shuddered at the roar that filled the room, terror clutching at her throat. From across the room, Kael glared fury in every line of his body as he started to shift before regaining control.

* * * *

Kael hurriedly led his father and sister back to his suite. The guard was dispatched to begin a search. One of the senior officers started barking orders. Kael rushed to enter the suite and slammed the door wide open to find the scene that Kalinda had described. He growled at the distinct odor of Jarvin Manntree. The scent was dissipating, as if some time had passed since Saleeya had been taken.

Kliven reached Kael’s side as he entered the room and assessed the situation. “Kael, we’ll find her if we have to rip this world and Kriton apart. I promise you, we will find your mate,” Kliven assured his enraged son. “Kalinda, go to your sisters, all of you will go to my chambers and remain there. I’m going to post more guards right with you. Don’t leave your mother alone. Do you understand?” Kliven demanded.

“Yes, Father. I’ll try to keep this from mother, too. She’s having a hard time with the babies.” Kalinda left the suite.

Kael and Kliven examined the suite from top to bottom and looked for any clues regarding Saleeya’s abductors. When Kael and Kliven left the suite, they headed to the Royal Offices to assemble a team and make plans to start the search for Saleeya.

“Father,” Kalista and Kaie anxiously called to Kliven as he walked with Kael towards his office. “Mother’s having the babies now. The medtor sent us for you. Mother is asking for you to come now. This labor is most difficult. She needs your comfort. Come now, it’ll be soon,” Kalista exclaimed excitedly and rushed him along. Kael stopped and looked to his father.

“Go be with your mate and comfort my mother. It’s your first obligation. I’ll see to my mate. You see to yours,” Kael told his father. “Kael, I’ll be there to help as soon as the babies and Carlista are safe. Kael, don’t kill anyone in a rage. Hold onto your beast,” Kliven warned and turned to go the other direction, following his daughters.

Kael made it to his father’s offices. On his way to the office, he dispatched orders to organize a search. “Price, I want you to organize a search by air and on foot. Have some guards shift and search the jungle near the Palace. Greyson, you and Joel question our guests and see if they have any information. Commander Conser, I want you to search the waterways. Allow no transport to leave this area without being fully searched. Watch all Spaceport traffic monitors. Officer Rayton will send heralds out across the Xihirah.” Each officer nodded and accepted his assignment. Thyson met him in their father’s office.

“Kael, we have a vid-com from Clitax Tomron,” Thyson anxiously told Kael. “It seems he has arranged your mate’s kidnapping and is threatening to kidnap all of our females and torture them right under our noses. The man is certifiably death-worthy. He wants to talk to Father to give a list of his demands. He threatens to bring us to our knees. Those are his words. His call came in through our military channels. I’ll bring him up on this vid-com.” Kael gathered his composure, sat behind his father’s desk, and waited for the vid-com to download the live transmission from Tomron.

The vid-com’s image was unusually blurry. The vid definition was extremely poor. It was obvious that the communication had been skillfully diverted and thus distorted, to destroy the Xihirian military’s tracking ability. “Greetings, I am First Leader Clitax Tomron of the Superior Realmist Faction, the true human race, whom am I addressing?” Tomron formally demanded of Kael, Thyson, and the nine other officers that had gathered in the room.

Kael responded, “I am Admoncor Kael Braeden, second son to his Royal Sovereign Kliven Braeden. What is it you want, Clitax?” Kael demanded.

“I have no desire to speak to the whelp of an animal posing as a man. I’ll speak to your father. You will address me as First Leader Tomron. Is that clear?” The image of Tomron demanded.

“My Father is indisposed at the moment. It is no slight to you. I am the Alpha Prime Son and military leader of Xihirah. I am also the heir to the throne and the one man you do not want to slight. Speak your terms now,” Kael condescendingly answered. There was a moment’s hesitation.