A Forgotten Kitten (Sea-anan Saga Book 2) (31 page)

As the days went by, Sev’s loneliness intensified. Being with Areo for over a year had changed his life completely. The thought of returning to a life without her, never again to experience what they had shared, was tearing him apart.

As if to torture himself further, he tried to imagine a life with Uma, Serena, or another pureblood feline—taking her to his bed, exploring her intimately, placing his mark on her, conceiving an heir with her. Each time, his thoughts drifted back to Areo.

Areo was his only mate. In his heart, Sev knew a pureblood lover would lack in all departments, for Areo was his soulmate. All others would fall short. And Sev would never be able to give another feline his heart, for Areo had control over that. The most he could give would be his friendship and his loyalty, for he had no desire to mate with others.

Sev gave the topic so much consideration that he dreamt of taking a pureblood to his bed. She was beautiful and eager to please him. But not once in his dreams was he able to remove Areo from his mind and allow himself to reach completion. He felt unfaithful to Areo the whole time. However, when Areo appeared in those dreams, Sev could not keep from cheating on his wife, no matter how hard he tried. His need to be with Areo was too great to be denied.

He also dreamt of that same female being pregnant. He could not shake the feeling of disloyalty to his truelove. The female’s pregnant image repulsed him; it did not matter that this feline was his wife and queen. The thought of his kitten being born from a woman he did not love was not something he dwelled long on, for it made Sev feel guilty that he could not bring himself to love the child.

Lowering the sword from his eyes, Sev took a deep breath. “The others will have to accept that I can’t return to Oceanica as their king. There will be no uprising as long as the king doesn’t take an alien as his permanent mate. King Miko will not.” He chuckled. “So, there won’t be anything to worry about.”

“There will always be something to worry about,” Jugar corrected. “What if the citizens don’t accept Miko as their new leader and demand that the rightful heir returns to the throne?”

“Then they will have to accept my half-blooded queen. I will not mate with another, Jugar. I gave my heart and swore my loyalty to that feline when she was born. She will forever be my only mate.” Sev examined the sword. “The only problem I see is the Sword of Power. Miko said it wouldn’t respond to him. It’s the source of the Seacats’ enhanced strength. I can’t very well keep it if I’m not their ruler.”

“No, you can’t. But I don’t think Challen would be thrilled if you handed it over to Miko, either. The sword chose you as its next keeper, Sev, not any of Challen’s male offspring or Leonora’s. You can’t choose a keeper for the sword. It simply doesn’t work that way.”

“I wonder why the sword didn’t choose one of Challen’s sons to be its keeper. It has been in his family since the beginning, hasn’t it?”

“Since its creation, passed down through generations. And each time, the sword chose its new keeper.”

Sev studied the gem. “I wonder why it chose me, a complete stranger. Challen’s blood doesn’t flow in me.”

Jugar shrugged. “Perhaps we may never know. But if it doesn’t choose Miko—or one of the others—as its new keeper, then I’m afraid you may have to reconsider your decision.”

“The blazes I will!” Sev’s fiery sights burned a hole through silver steel. “I have survived Oceana’s destruction. I have been reunited with my kitten after ten and a half years. Ten and a half years that were stolen from us. Ten and a half years that we could’ve spent together. Perhaps we would’ve had a litter by now. We will never get back those years, Jugar. I will not have any more time taken from me. I will not have Areo stolen from me a second time. I couldn’t stop it before, but I will stop it now.”

“What do you mean, Areo was stolen from you?”

Sev’s eyes glazed over. They became unfocused as they bored into Jugar. “Sev?” He appeared to be somewhere else. Jugar stood from his seat. He placed his wine glass on the coffee table and knelt in front of his leader. He passed a hand before Sev’s eyes several times. “Sev?” Sev did not blink. Jugar grabbed his shoulders and gave him one rough shake. “Sev, snap out of it!”

After blinking several times, Sev’s eyes focused on his longtime friend.

“Are you all right?” Jugar asked. “You seemed to have left me there for a second.”

Sev took another deep breath. “I’m fine.” He raked a trembling hand through his hair. “Let’s return to the bridge.” Sev stood. He strapped his sword around his waist as he went around the kneeling cat and center table. He exited the room without looking back.

Jugar followed after him, perplexed as to what had transpired.

A week passed without any updates on the enemy. Then one afternoon while on the bridge, Mike stood to the left of the captain’s chair. Sphin Blaisdale stood to the right side. They watched Sev peer at the sword’s gem as it glowed with power. The two men shared a meaningful glance.

Mike spoke telepathically to Sphin. {A little obsessive if you ask me. Areo is a grown woman. He doesn’t need to follow her like a hawk.}

Sphin’s brows arched upward. His head tilted to one side. Mike chuckled. Sphin could not speak telepathically, but Mike understood his expression just as clearly. {You’re right, what am I thinking? This is Sev. He’s always been obsessive and possessive when it comes to Areo.}

They glanced back at Sev. Sev’s posture stiffened and his eyes began to glow.

“Uh-oh. What did you see?” asked Mike.

Sev’s white teeth gleamed in the light. “Death.”

Sphin and Mike’s eyes met.

“Why do you say that?” asked Sphin.

“Because it’s the truth. Mike, did my wife have a prospective mate sniffing her tail before she arrived on Oceanica?”

Sphin’s and Mike’s eyes widened. Childhood memories of the last time a rival confronted Sev entered their heads. That cat was
sent to the hospital and remained in a coma for a month. Mike swallowed while Sphin rubbed his mouth with his right hand.

“A prospective mate?” repeated Sphin.

“Do not…” Sev gritted his teeth. He slowly lowered and sheathed his sword. He sat back in his seat. “I will not repeat myself.”

Mike glanced at a quiet Jugar, who sat on the steps behind Sphin. He hoped Jugar could help, but he received only a puzzled look from his godfather.

“Take it easy, Sev.” Mike got a sinister growl for that. “Listen, you were gone for ten and a half years. And we didn’t know whether you’d survived or not. You can’t expect other men not to make a move on Areo. After all, Areo is a beautiful woman. And hell, she wasn’t going to become a nun. So of course she dated other men.” Mike saw Sev’s eyes glowing brighter. “She never slept with any of them. You already know that. But, yes, she was dating someone before the attack on Sea Base Ten.”

Sev’s features twisted in rage. “Captain Stephen Miller.”

“Control yourself, Sev,” cautioned Sphin. “How did you know his name?”

Sev’s voice started low but ended with yelling. “The sword displayed him kissing my wife!”

Mike and Sphin understood. “Areo didn’t get the chance to tell him it’s over between them,” said Mike.

A ferocious roar filled the room. Sev leapt from his seat and ran toward the main window of the bridge. Gripping the frame, he let out another deafening roar. Those on the bridge had to cover their ears. Mike and Sphin rushed over to him. Jugar stood from his seat and slowly approached them.

“Sev, control yourself!” spoke Sphin. “Areo will tell him that she’s gotten married. I’m certain of it. You are the Lord of the Seacats. You must remain in full control of your emotions.”

“You didn’t hear what she said!” Sev’s claws extended and tried to dig into solid steel. “She said her place is with another, as mine is with a pureblood! She has no intention of telling him, but every intention of remaining
with him!”
he shouted.

Mike tried to calm him down. “Areo will tell him, Sev, I’m sure of it. She won’t lead the captain on. She’s not that type of woman.”

Sphin quickly added, “Besides, she’s in love with you. She bears your soulscar. She will never take another mate.”

“He’s right, you know,” put in Mike in a hurry. “She will never betray you.”

“Areo is your wife, Sev—your soulmate,” reminded Sphin. “You must have faith in her love and loyalty to you. You must not question her motives toward this other man, or she will doubt your trust in her. We Seacats take our honor and loyalty extremely seriously. You know that. And Areo is a Seacat, just like you.”

“With everything that’s happening around us, the last thing you want to do is add another obstacle between you and Areo. Wouldn’t you agree,
cousin?”
said Mike, placing a firm grip on Sev’s shoulder. He tried to reach Sev by formally acknowledging him into the family.

“Sev, Areo never stopped searching the skies for you,” Sphin informed him. “Even while she dated other men, she devoted much of her time and energy, not to mention all the resources at her disposal, to searching for you, in the hopes that she would be reunited with the only man she could ever love. She swore herself to you when we were kids. She gave herself to you as a woman. Don’t doubt her love for you. It will kill her.”

Sev’s eyes gradually stopped shining.

Mike gave his shoulder a slight shake. “That a boy. Trust her. You’ll see for yourself how much she truly loves only you.”

“All right, I will place my trust in her.” Sev leaned into his outstretched arms and breathed. He retracted his claws. “But I will not guarantee that I will not kill this
Miller.
If he places his lips or his hands on Areo again, there will be no one to save him.”

Mike rubbed his face with his hand. Sphin inhaled deep and pushed ten fingers through his hair. They knew exactly what he meant. The last time, it had taken three grown men to pull an incensed, deranged, bony kitten off an unconscious cat. Mike was curious as to how many it would take to pull a seven-foot, overly muscular Seacat off a five-foot-eleven human.

“Mike!” Sev bellowed. “Full speed ahead.”

Mike flew over to the flight controls and shifted the White Star to maximum hyperdrive. He thought back on the fool who had challenged Sev for Areo’s favors. The lynx was fifteen at the time and Sev nine. Despite the fact that Oceanans mature at a different rate than other humanoids and are deemed fully matured at age fifteen, it was still a sight when a scrawny Sev attacked and nearly killed the muscular and much taller feline for trying to rape Areo.

Sphin stopped beside Mike. Mike sent his thoughts into his cousin’s head. {Vindicator, do you remember the last time someone was stupid enough to challenge him for Areo’s attention?}

“Oh yeah,” whispered Sphin.

{Then you remember he wasn’t fully matured, and didn’t have his strength enhanced by the sword.} They worriedly eyed Sev as he returned to the captain’s chair. {How the bloody hell are we going to stop a fully matured, out-of-control, bulging Seacat, cousin?}

Sphin faced the back of the ship. He leaned toward Mike and whispered, “We’ll use a Mage to cast a restraining spell.”

{Good thinking.}

Thursday, the 3rd of March

Sphin’s White Star