Mauled by Destiny [Tales of the Citadel 17] (3 page)

“Be welcome here, Priina. We have not repopulated all the animals, so there are several areas that are free for your use. You do not need to worry about the hunt taking over your mind.” Priina sighed. “That is both a comfort and a misery. When can I take a run?” A voice from behind her was clear and firm.

“As soon as you put your bags down and get out of those robes.”

She turned, and Rhanos was watching her, his own bag slung over his shoulder. Argen looked bored. He wasn’t carrying any bags. “Well, as you are both settled here, I am going to be taking the shuttle up to Station 13 for an overhaul. Call me if you need me.”

She looked around and headed for the building.

Zenina-Balen kept pace with her. “You will do your training here, and when Rhanos pronounces you fit for duty, you will receive the suit that Tech has designed for you.”

“A suit?”

“It will cease your necessity for undressing before you shift. Citadel Thoola forwarded your measurements for before and after the shift.” Priina noted that the Avatar’s feet were not in contact with the ground. She was literally gliding above it.

* * * *

Inside the Citadel, Zenina-Balen led the way through empty chambers and halls. “We are still short staffed, so food units are in your rooms. You have the room next to Rhanos.” The man in question was right behind her.

Priina could feel every motion of his body and every beat of his heart. She hoped that it was simply a side effect of her transformation, because what it meant otherwise was not something she wanted to consider.

Zenina-Balen smiled as she opened the door to Priina’s room. “I will be around, just shout out if you need something.”

“Thank you. I will.” She inclined her head politely, and the Avatar walked off with a spring in her step.

“The sooner you drop your bag, the sooner you can go for a run without worrying about getting into hunting mode.”

It was so tempting that she entered her room, shucked off her apprentice robe, her bodysuit and pulled the loose wrap that the Citadel seamstress had provided her with for just this sort of thing.

Barefoot and restless, she padded back to the hall and waited for Rhanos. He appeared wearing a short wrap around his hips and a grin. Nothing more. “Come along. It has been too long since I had a free run, I can only imagine what you are going through.”

They walked together, and she admitted. “My skin is too tight and crawling with power. I jump at every sound, and I crave meat in my teeth.” He nodded, a fine sheen of sweat appearing on his skin. His torso was often exposed to sunlight, but his thighs showed where his wrap had shifted to reveal his tan line.

Priina felt her breath come faster as they made their way back into the pure air of Balen. “I don’t want to shift out in the open.” He nodded and showed her how to leave the plateau. “There are stairs carved into the stone.

You can come and go this way as you please.”

“Great.” She had a thought. “Why did Argen leave?”

“He is not the sort to wait around. He craves the touch of power, and I believe he is seeing one of the staff members on the station.” She nodded as if she understood, but she didn’t. Who would want to leave this green and growing world?

They walked down the stairs, and the forest engulfed them. Priina shivered as her beast rose inside her, clamouring to be free.

“Your instincts are powerful. You need to let them lead you instead of trying to control them.

Once you recognize what they are trying to tell you, the control will come. You have not been allowed to seek out the pleasures inherent in the change, so this is a big day for you.” Rhanos was looking around them and smiling.

Her instincts told her that he was trying not to be threatening. “How long do we have?”

“Until sundown. When Saru fades, we need to return to the Citadel and have what will translate into a great feast. If you were with a Lyran clan, your first free run would be celebrated.” She nodded, slipped the wrap off her shoulders and hung it on a tree. With a deep breath, she concentrated and let her beast come.

Her claws extended, fur sprouted, she grew a foot in height and her toes dug into the ground.

She shook her head and snapped a few times to get used to the feel of her muzzle. Her ears flicked back and forth, taking in the soft rustles and crackling of the forest around her.

She moved her tail cautiously, testing her balance. Priina had never transformed so slowly before. It was always a rush of pain and power.

Your form is lovely.

What?
She whirled around and saw the beast from that night so long ago at very close range.

I simply said that your form was lovely. You have much grace in your hunting shape.

She flicked her ears in confusion.
Thank you?

You are welcome. Now, shall we run?

She turned and let her body do what it craved.

She ran.

The trees seemed to melt out of her path as she sprinted through the woods. She ran until her blood was hot and her spirit felt free. When she became thirsty, she sniffed out an icy stream and drank her fill.

Rhanos had watched her exercise, but he was doing his own thing. He joined her at the stream and drank beside her.

The sunlight sprinkled through the treetops and dappled the rich brown of his fur into a fawn gold. If she had a normal face, she would have smiled at how pretty he looked.

Her beast was happy. It curled up in the sunlight and flicked her nose with its tail. An inward smile was once again on her mind.

After her beast was recharged, she got up on all fours and she lunged toward Rhanos. He lifted his claws to fend her off, but she went up and over him with ease, landing in the icy water and splashing him from head to toe.

Her voice was a low, coughing growl as she laughed at the disgust on his features at his wet body. He shook his form violently, and droplets of water sprayed out.

Priina knew a good idea when she saw one, so she left the icy stream and walked next to him, shaking her skin in a peculiar reflexive shudder that she had never engaged in before.

Smug, she returned to her little patch of sunlight and curled up again.

What was that?

An exercise in whimsy. I have never engaged in whimsy while in this form before. It’s fun.

Try to keep your whimsy on the dry side. I am not a fan of getting wet.

Tough. You brought me here. You will have to deal with the consequences of your actions.
Her smugness knew no bounds.

He crouched low and growled, and her beast rose to react. Priina let her.

Rhanos’s eyes were a peculiar red and gold as he hunched down and lashed his tail.

Priina moved to mimic his posture, head high and back straight. She was not his subordinate.

She was here to learn about her own abilities to make her a more effective operative.

She watched him, and the moment his weight shifted to lunge at her, her beast was up in the air, twisting to land on his back with a thud before she jumped off him and braced for his second attack.

Priina, how did you do that?

I let my instincts lead me. Can’t you jump like that?

Not from a standing start. You simply went up, paused and then came down.

She shook her fur and snorted.
If you analyze it too much, it all falls apart.

I have never seen a Lyran hover. Never.

You have never seen a Lyran like me. So, the sun is fading, and it is time to return to the Citadel. I think I have earned a snack.

Before he could respond, she was running through the forest, confident in her ability to find her own clothing once again. She thanked her inner beast as it took her directly to her wrap and shifted back to her pale self without hesitation.

She slipped on the wrap and was on her way back to the Citadel when Rhanos caught up to her.

He gripped her arm and turned her, not speaking. She met his gaze, and he stared into her eyes before he lowered his head for a kiss that was part tasting, part claiming.

Priina listened to her instincts, and in seconds, her arms were around his neck, holding on for dear life. As instinct went, she should have given it a second thought.

P
riina felt his arms around her as he lifted her against him. She also felt that he was still naked and she was the next thing to it.

She pushed away from him, and he let her go with a groan. She staggered back and got her balance as he struggled to get himself under control.

Her hands shook as she held the edges of her wrap tightly together. “That was…” He stalked to the branch where he left his clothing and tied it on with short jerks.

“Unexpected. Shall we return to the Citadel?” She stepped past him cautiously. “I think that would be wise.”

He offered her his hand, and despite her misgivings, she placed her palm against his.

Rhanos closed his fingers around hers carefully and tugged her gently back to the stairs up to the plateau.

They walked in silence.

Priina was locked in her thoughts and desperately confused by the strange hum in her body. With her life surrounded by women, her reaction to this man and her inner beast’s reaction to the savage bulk of his form were far out of her experience.

She had a few calls that she was going to make as soon as she had some privacy, but she had no idea how long the celebratory meal was supposed to take.

Zenina-Balen was speaking softly to a man who glowed with power. She said something, and he laughed, dipping his head to kiss her thoroughly.

Zenina-Balen smiled softly as they dissolved the kiss and came over to greet them. “So, how was it?”

Priina blushed to the roots of her hair. Her voice came out as a squeak, “Fine. It was fine.” Rhanos answered and kept walking. “She is a natural. A faster, smoother and more agile female I have never seen.”

“Good. The food servers are fully stocked.

Enjoy your evening.” Zenina-Balen lifted effortlessly and took to the skies. The male followed her.

“That is Zenina’s husband, Rolland-Saru, the Avatar of the star Saru.”

“Oh. Okay.” She followed step by step to the Citadel.

“Zenina’s mother and Saru’s previous host were mates. Alriel died and Olaris lived on to keep his daughter safe. They lived on Station 13 while Balen was refurbishing.”

“And came down here when the Citadel was built?”

“And the Balen Base. Olaris runs the Balen Base now that he has retired. They are slowly collecting more Guardsmen.”

“Why? Why collect more Guardsmen if there is a full contingent in orbit?”

“Eventually, Station 13 will move on its way.

Balen will be its own protector and the protector of all worlds in this sector.” The emptiness of the halls was not oppressive.

The interior had a waiting feeling, as if it was simply letting the time pass until it was full.

“Why aren’t there any other Citadel personnel here?” Priina’s instinct was to speak quietly in the empty space.

“The support staff and educators will come when there are students who wish to learn. Until then, this place is for creatures like us who need the open space and the lack of supervision.” Rhanos led her to their side-by-side rooms and grinned. “Your chambers or mine?” She bit her lip. “Mine, I suppose. I did not really have a chance to check out the interior. I just chucked in my bag and stripped.”

He grinned. “Then, by all means, your rooms. I will make some selections, and you can try out Lyran food.”

She smiled tightly. “I can’t wait.” Inside her room, she found two separate spaces.

The area closest to the door was her bedroom, and it contained a desk. The other portion was the living and recreational space. A low couch faced a large view screen and the controls were built into the arm of the furniture.

Priina held the wrap around her and took a seat on the couch, using the controls to raise a low table from the floor. “Nice.”

Rhanos chuckled. “They did not spare any expense when they constructed this facility.” He came to the seating area with a tray and set down a selection of beverages. “The food is heating. I thought you could use something to drink.”

She leaned forward and took one of the tiny cups that he filled. “What is this?”

“Kurru berry. The one next to it is Kurru berry wine. The one next to that is caf, water, then a selection of teas that we used to prepare from the plants of Drevvin. Try them and see which ones you like.”

She smiled weakly as she realized that he was fully aware she had no experience beyond the walls of the Cial city. “Thank you for knowing this.”

“There is no way you could know the ways of Drevvin outside of the walls. This will help you if we ever return to my home. I will spend the next few days giving you as much training as a Lyran youngster would get.”

She sipped cautiously and started a collection of what she preferred and what she didn’t. “What do children learn in the Lyran clan?”

“How to hunt, how to capture, how to evade a predator, all of those things and more.” Rhanos chuckled and named her rejects before he slugged them back.

“How do I learn all that in just a few days?” She sniffed at one of the teas and made a face.

“Try the Gatha tea. It is an appetite suppressant and can sustain you on a long day if you don’t have anything else to eat or drink.” He smiled.

“We use it in our water sacks when we travel.” She looked at him in surprise. “You get to travel?”

He got to his feet as the food prep chimed. “Of course. The Cial compound is one large dot on Drevvin, and the rest of the world revolves around it. We live our lives, meet with the others and engage in standard trade with representatives of other worlds. The herbs grown on Drevvin are instrumental in many medicinal treatments when the governments have restrictions on technology.”

“Really? Wow. Inside the walls, we just live day to day, growing what we can to feed the population.” She sipped at the wine again.

“Population control is urging folks to keep producing children, but the growth does not keep up with those who die. The Cial are dying though it is a death by inches.” Her conversations with her mother had proved it. She had been asked to bear a third child because Priina had left.