Untamable Lover (Worlds of Lemuria: Earth Colony Book 2) (15 page)

Her face heated as a rush of blood raced up her neck and into her cheeks. “My mother abandoned us—me and Sidea. I can’t be like her…I won’t
ever
become a mated female.”

Tension lines appeared on his forehead and around his pursed lips. “You’re passionate about that, aren’t you? Don’t worry, you’re safe with me.”

An empty hole grew in her chest. As much as she would never bow down to a male, a part of her longed for the love and companionship the mating would bring. Against her will, she imagined what it would be like to be his mated female. Tears threatened to form, but she clenched her jaw and wouldn’t give in to the emotions roiling through her.

“You’ll return with me to the Keep. Once we have assembled a proper search team, we’ll look for Ram.” He expected to be obeyed, that much was obvious in not only his tone, but also his firm stance and rigid posture.

Before he stripped her of her rank, she’d have followed his command without question. Now, though, she considered herself a Pride of one. “I came out here to find Ram and avenge my sister.”

“You’ll have your opportunity, when we return.” He nodded toward the way they’d come.

“I’m not going with you.” She held her ground, challenging him with her steady gaze.

He raised an eyebrow and a low chuckle escaped his lips. “You are ever a surprise, aren’t you?”  

Her mouth fell open. She’d expected him to get angry, demand that she return. Instead, he’d laughed. She shook her head, trying to understand him.

“I can’t force you to return to the Keep, you’d run again. That would be pointless.” He stepped closer, invading her personal space. His unique scent skittered across the sensitive nerves in her nose, pulling her in. “Instead,” he moved a few stray hairs from her face, his fingertips trailing over her ear and down her neck, “I’m going with you.” 

“What? No.” She stepped back, away from his gentle touch that made her ache to say yes.

“I can’t force you to return to the Keep. You can’t prevent me from following you.” He smirked. The old Demir she knew so well was back in his unique, rare form.

She crossed her arms. “Fine, but I want the kill. Ram is mine.” She wasn’t sure what she’d signed up for, but a part of her, deep inside, couldn’t wait to find out.

Chapter Twenty-Five

Zedron stared at the open bottle of chantelberry wine perched on the edge of the table. His gut twisted and bile rose in his throat. Expensive and hard to obtain, the wine was from his favorite collection, reserved solely for special occasions. His attention focused on Carine—his new problem. “Next time, bring me the correct bottle.” 

Carine raised her gaze to meet his. The skin around her lips tightened, and fight gleamed in her eyes. “That
is
the bottle you requested.”

Her determination and will sent a shiver of excitement along his nerves. “Surely, you don’t mean that. I requested the muldoberry wine. The difference is hard to mistake.” He took a step forward, invading her personal space. 

She flinched, but held her ground.

He smiled. “You’ve made several, similar errors. I suspect you choose to spite me.”

The tips of her hair flew around her head, sparks crackling with her indignation. She glanced at the door and nibbled her bottom lip. 

“Try it. See what happens.” He peered at the irremovable gilded arm bands he’d placed on her soon after they’d arrived home. Built with the finest new technology, he controlled her whereabouts through the link to his personal communication device. The current setting—only his home.

 Her attention narrowed on the door, and the muscles in her arms visibly tensed. 

His pulse raced.
Do it, do it.

She bolted for the door, gripped the handle, and yanked. Warm, fresh air wafted into the room. With a grace and beauty he had to admire, she ran for freedom and bounced against the invisible barrier. Her small cry rang in the air.

She landed on her rump. A loud whoosh escaped her lips. 

He laughed, the sound bubbling up from his chest. 

She glared at him, her brow furrowed, her lips pursed. The air around her head sparked with the electricity from the ends of her wild hair. 

He couldn’t help the smile that formed on his face. He stepped toward her and offered his hand.

The intensity in her grey eyes spoke of her fight. A thrill skittered along his arms. 

She refused his offer and stood unaided. On her feet again, she turned to face him. “Shall I get you the
muldoberry
wine?”

He smiled. Although she’d given in this time, they were far from through with their training. “That won’t be necessary, Carine. Why don’t you,” he pointed to her shirt which had ripped during her fall, “change, and then prepare for dinner. My guests will arrive soon.”

She peered at the bottle of wine and the briefest smirk crossed her face. When her gaze returned to him, she spoke, her words contrite and overly sweet. “Of course, master.” 

As she walked past, he chuckled. Breaking her in was more entertaining than he’d anticipated, but he’d spent far too much time with her the past few days. So much so, he’d neglected to check in with his characters in the war on Earth. Time to rectify that issue. 

*****

Ram ran his fingers along his chin, stroking the bare skin. He picked up a half-full Smirnoff’s bottle from the warped wooden table and poured two fingers of alcohol into the bottom of his empty cup. The liquid hugged the inside lip of the mug as he swirled the contents. With one swift move, he tilted back his head and the vodka raced down his throat. The burn made him shiver. He closed his eyes in delight. 

“My lord.” Jakar’s strained voice broke through the silence in the old cellar. 

Ram’s moment of peace ended. The scales on the back of his neck flared. He opened his eyes and glared at his first lieutenant. A piece of translucent skin hung from Jakar’s arm, catching Ram’s attention. Ram pointed to it and raised an eyebrow.

“What?” Jakar asked.

“You’re shedding.”

“Oh. Yessss.” Jakar tugged at the skin, pulling a large chunk that ran from his forearm to his shoulder. He held it up to the light. “Perfect.” His tongue whipped out of his mouth and wrapped around the skin, which disappeared into his mouth.

The vodka in Ram’s stomach threatened to come up. He grimaced. “You’re disgusting. You do know that, don’t you?” 

Jakar smiled, his serrated teeth lining up like knives in a chopping block. He retrieved a couple of the empty vodka bottles strewn across the table. With a full armload, he put them back in one of the boxes lining the dirt walls. 

A spark fizzled from the overhead lightbulb, causing Ram’s body to cast a strange shadow against the wall. The electricity in the room prickled his skin. Sweat beaded along his upper lip. “Oh, no.”  

The current in the air could mean only one thing.
Zedron.

Jakar turned to stare at Ram.

A cool breeze filtered down the stairs, turning the banister white with frost. The small crystals stood at odd angles and reflected the ceiling light with a strange beauty. Ram’s nose and ears numbed under the sudden drop in temperature.

At the bottom of the stairs, a nebulous blue mist took the shape of their god, Zedron. He wore a fine Italian suit with patent-leather wingtip shoes. His brown hair cascaded around his shoulders. He stood with his head held high. 

Zedron held Ram’s gaze with his piercing blue eyes. “You failed.” 

Ram’s blood froze. The weight of his failure sent him to his knees. Good thing, since it was grovel time. 

“My Lord, Zedron. It is a…pleasure to see you again. Your choice of Earthling clothing is…stylish.” He swallowed and almost couldn’t get the lump in his throat to go down.

Zedron glanced around the room and his lip curled in distaste. “You live in squalor. Well, not for much longer.” He wiped his hands over his sleeves and sent a disgusted glare around the room.

“My lord. To what do we owe the pleasure of your visit?” Ram’s voice wavered.

“Noeh is still alive. Do you know what happens to my characters when they fail?” Zedron smiled, but his eyes were hard and unfeeling.

The contradiction sent a chill along Ram’s scales and over his back. “Lord Zedron. I have some news, something that will ensure we will win this war.”

“Do tell. I’d like to hear why I shouldn’t kill you now.” Zedron walked over to the table cluttered with empty cups, used syringes, and beakers. Selecting an empty syringe, he brought it to his nose, taking a large whiff. He turned and stared at Ram. “Panthera blood.”

A glimmer of hope formed in Ram’s mind. He stood and faced his god. “Yes, I used it to create a new serum. All of our brood has the ability to shift into panther form.” He clapped his hands together, unable to contain his giddiness.

Zedron raised one eyebrow. “Really?”

Ram looked at Jakar. “Show him.”

“As you wish, my lord.” Jakar took one look at Zedron then dropped his gaze. He crouched on all fours, his hands grinding into the dirt, brow furrowing as he concentrated. His back arched. A hiss escaped his lips. To his credit, he didn’t cry out like the first time he’d changed.

His body contorted, clothing disappeared underneath his skin. Jakar resembled a Panthera without hair, blue and red veins visible under the translucent skin. He growled and bared his serrated teeth. His tongue whipped out of his mouth, coming close to Zedron’s shoes.

“The brood has practiced in their new form and is ready to fight, Lord Zedron.” Ram closed his eyes for a brief moment. He didn’t want to see the expression on Zedron’s face. If the god wasn’t pleased, this would be Ram’s endgame. 

A low chuckle filled the room and grew until it shook the earth. Pebbles and dust filtered from the rafters. Muffled grunts and shouts erupted from above as Ram’s brood reacted to the mini-quake.

“Well done.” Zedron wiped a tear from his eye. “You’ve earned another chance. I won’t be so forgiving next time.”

Ram bowed his head. “Thank you, Lord Zedron. I’ll make you proud.” 

The lines in Zedron’s face tightened and his focus narrowed on Ram. “I have a certain…” Zedron waved his hand in the air, “
animosity
for Demir. If the opportunity arises, be sure to make him suffer before you kill him.”

Ram’s pulse increased. “My pleasure, my lord.”

A flash of blinding light lit up the room. The coolness in the air retreated. Zedron was gone. 

Chapter Twenty-Six

Demir pushed through the dense undergrowth, the blackberry brambles
catching along his pant legs. Like giant spiders, the dead, brown vines rose from the ground, eager to trap him in their grasp. Even the animals seemed to avoid this stretch of land. The dense canopy of trees blocked the moon, but his cat-like eyes adjusted to the dimness. 

He turned to glance at Aramie. Determination lined her eyes. A lock of her hair snagged on a blackberry vine, pulling the fine strands over her ear. She jerked her head. “Damn it.” 

Despite the cold winter night, a bead of sweat rolled down his back, cooling his skin. His teeth ground together and caused his jaw to ache. He should’ve dragged Aramie back to the Keep. Instead, he’d given in to her wishes. Now, he trekked through the forest, in search of his enemy, with Aramie. His father was right—he was weak. He hated himself all the more.

“Why’d you stop? We can’t pause, we have to keep going.” She placed her hands on her hips, her hurried breaths easing in and out of her parted lips. 

He focused on them, remembering their luscious appeal. With effort, he pulled his gaze up to her eyes. “We’re not searching for Blue Pool. We hunt for Gossum. One will lead us to Ram.”

She huffed and crossed her arms. “Blue Pool exists—”

“That I stand here before you is proof that it does,” he gripped her elbow, the skin on skin contact sending all kinds of sparks over his fingers, “but you won’t find it—not again.”

She focused on his hand and with a slow ease, she pulled away. The loss of contact sparked a bout of frustration in his chest, causing him to grind his teeth. She bit her lip and exhaled. “Blue Pool is where we last saw Ram. We have to find him. I won’t give up.”

He looked into the dark cover of evergreens. “We take to the trees.” 

Aramie pursed her lips and surveyed their surroundings. She seemed unwilling to give up on her chosen path. He’d have to try harder to convince her.

“You know as well as I they are cunning and elusive. Did you expect them to let you waltz right into their lair?”

“No, of course not.” She closed her eyes for a second. “I need revenge—for Sidea.”

“I have no doubt we’ll find our enemy. Let’s go.” He changed into his panther form and climbed the nearest pine tree. His claws dug into the bark, giving him the grip he needed to scale into the branches. 

Aramie followed. 

They travelled among the trees for several minutes before they came upon evidence of their enemy. A shriveled Gossum skin hung from one of the branches. The thin membrane flew like a flag in the soft breeze. The faint astringent reek burned Demir’s sensitive nose.

Aramie’s fur rose between her shoulder blades.

Demir crept down a couple of branches, then leapt to the forest floor. His paws landed on the soft pine needles that muffled the sound. 

Aramie joined him, and as her soft fur rubbed against his, a quiet mewl escaped her lips. 

His heightened senses focused on her. The scent of strawberries cascaded over him, easing its way into his heart. Her coat shone in the dim light. He wanted to rub himself all over her and mark her with his own scent. The predator in him took over, clouding his thoughts.  

He panted as he circled her. His cat would launch himself at her at any moment, taking her down, dominating her into submission. 

A low warning growl emitted from her throat, announcing her intention. She’d fight him. That spurned him all the more. She’d been driving him crazy all night, he couldn’t hold back any longer.

One moment, a female black panther taunted him with her yellow eyes, the next—Aramie stood before him in human form. She held out her hands in supplication. “No, Demir. Please.”