Caging the Bengal Tiger (21 page)

"Ten. It is done," his father said throwing the whip to the ground and walking away. Warriors stepped up to unstrap Lacey, but he had enough and broke his bonds daring anyone to say a word. "Get away from her," he ordered, unhooking Anthony. "Take Dan back to the compound. Lark is waiting for us. I'll be there in a minute with Lacey." Isaac moved up the steps, staring at the marks on her back.

"Wish they were yours master," she whispered.

"No, Lacey, I'll never take a whip to you. We'll find another way to help you, baby, but let’s get you home." He yanked the straps holding her wrist.

"It's not my home anymore, Isaac. We need to find our own place," she hissed, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"I know we'll find someplace, I promise." Isaac turned to leave, but Talhrn was there in front of them.

"I couldn't stop it, Isaac. It had to happen." He looked at Lacey. "I'm sorry, Princess Lacey, but words are serious to our kind. We don't tease or threaten, we just do. I hope you will come back to visit your friends when you are healed, because Dee will not be leaving this world again."

Lacey lifted her head and glared at him. "I will not be back." She didn't say anymore, didn't even look up to where Dee and Maybe cried for her. "Take me back to Earth Isaac, where I belong."

Not waiting another minute, Isaac transported them to her room, where Dan was already on the bed being taken care of by Isaac’s brother. As soon as they appeared, Lark looked up. "Put her next to Dan."

Nodding, Isaac laid her down and looked around the room while Lark worked on Lacey. "We need to find other quarters. This will not do. Dan, you know the area. When you are up to it, we'll discuss what I want, but first we'll speak with the other women and see what they want to do." He turned when their door banged open and the women filled into Lacey's quarters with Betsy and Sally taking the lead.

"We were already talking, wherever you want to settle is fine with us. We know we are to be mated to the warriors, but none of us will go back to that world. This is our world and we'll stay here. It's meant to be," Abby said. lifting her chin. "I'm just sorry Dee and Maya must suffer the most from this split."

"I wish I would have been there," Betsy said with venom in her eyes. "Keep your father away from me, because I will not promise not to attack him," she said, but Isaac knew every one of these women now resented their king and Akaos.

"I have done all I can. She'll heal in the next day, same with Dan," Lark said coming up to him. "I'm just sorry you had to see our father like this. I'd hoped he had changed, but it looks like he hasn't." His brother put away his equipment and medicine.

"Does Mother know he's like this? I just can't see her putting up with it and Akaos...I just can't understand it," Isaac said, going to Lacey's side, staring down at her. "But it doesn't matter, does it? We're making our own lives, and it seems yours and mine will be down here. So be it. Have you found your second
weru?"
He looked at his brother, who shook his head. "I know he's close, but no. I've explained to Sally what it means and Cavan has gone to retrieve our things. It will take time, but we'll make this world a better place, but you know they’ll be back butting into our lives."

"Yes, but this time there will be no control. Here we are in charge and I am going to make sure Talhrn knows this. He might rule our old world, but not here. Lacey will be the queen she is meant to be to her people and we will be her kings. No one will touch her again." His voice rose and the floor shook when he felt Lacey's hand on his leg.

"Easy there, my
Orak.
I'm here and not going anywhere. Abby, why don't we all talk tomorrow, but I do think it’s best we leave here and begin anew. Remember the last place we found Koti at?"

Abby nodded and smiled. "You were pissed and about to go off by yourself, if I'm not mistaken, but asshole found you." Abby sat down on the floor next to them as did the other women.

Leaning down, he kissed her cheek. "I'm going to step over..." his words stopped when Lacey shook her head.

"No, I want you to hear this. This place I'm talking about, there are about 40 homes all abandoned and surrounded by woods. I believe it was called Harper Woods and it would be perfect for us, Isaac. There is even a small school on the property, along with a training gym..." she said and he laughed.

"I'll have Anthony and Dan start looking at it tomorrow, but rest now and visit with your sisters." He looked over to see Dan trying to get up. "What do you think you're doing?" Isaac came around to the other side of the bed going to put him back into bed when he stopped.

"I need a shower and some alone time," he muttered and pushed away from him, limping.

Hearing the bed creak, he spun around to see Lacey sitting up in bed. "He feels guilty for not stopping them from taking me. I tried to tell him there was nothing that he could have done, but he didn't believe that. Dan feels he not only failed me, but you. Help me up, I'll go to him." She held up her hand and he shook his head.

"No, you lie back down and relax. I'll deal with Dan. I mean it, Lacey rest. It's been a long week. All of you need to relax. Watch some TV. I'm sure Anthony could whip up some food for the women?" He looked at Anthony and he nodded.

"No problem," he walked up to the door with Anthony. "Do you want some help with Dan?" he asked before leaving.

"No, this time I think Dan needs to realize that even though we are built to protect, we can't stop everything, even though I wish we could." Isaac turned, heading towards the bathroom.

"Are you really going to be able to cut your family out of our lives?" Anthony asked.

"I have no choice Anthony. My father and Akaos have stepped over that line, including our king." Isaac pushed into the bathroom, closing the door behind him, leaning on the door.

In the shower, Dan had his hands on the wall, his head hanging low. "Isaac, I need to be alone." He turned his head to stare at him.

"No you need me as I need you." He stripped out of his clothes and stepped in behind him. "You didn't fail us, Dan. If anything, you did more than we did. We didn't even get in one good punch. Do you think your family would mind adopting a few of us," he tried to tease, but failed. Shaking his head. "I've never been more disappointed of my family in my life. I've always looked up to Akaos even though I am older. He was the general taking my father's place, someone who would always be there for you, but now I don't know what to expect."

Yanking him into his arms, Dan held him tight, the hot water rolling off of them. Sex was not even thought of, just comfort. "My mother and father would welcome all of us, you know this. Maybe this is for the better." Dan lifted his head and smiled at him.

"What are you laughing about?" Isaac asked.

"Think about it, Talhrn has given my family the approval. They approved us being here, when Talhrn had already declared all females should not be allowed off their world." He shrugged. "He's gone back on his word. Maybe he needed to make an excuse to allow us back here. Don't get me wrong, Talhrn is an ass and there is no reason for him doing what they did as far as I'm concern."

Dan's words hit him like a ton of bricks. Talhrn had planned this. He'd known Lacey would start trouble on their world with her mouth and aggression.

Lifting her head, Lacey stared down at Isaac. When he had stepped into the shower with Dan she thought for sure they would comfort each other, but when Isaac had punched a hole through the ceramic wall, she knew his anger had hit an all-time high. Her sisters left quickly and quietly, but not before Abby had helped her out of the bed.

It had taken her, climbing up his body and hugging him tightly to finally calm him down. He hadn't said a word, but just stared into her eyes as he carried her to bed. Drying off, the four of them ate, she fed, and they all fell asleep touching and holding each other.

Oh, Lacey knew Isaac had finally figured out what had happened. Their King Talhrn didn't want her on their world. She was outspoken and had a way of causing trouble. Yep, this had been Talhrn's way of making sure she wouldn't come back, but what hurt the most was that Dee and Maya had gone along with it.

Sure when it came down to the actual punishment, both women had a fit, but they couldn't go back. They had known for days that Talhrn didn't want her there. When she had asked Dee about those women, she'd seen Talhrn stiffen and Dee glaring at him, but not saying anything.

"We'll be better off here, Lady Cat," Isaac said running his hand over her healed skin. "I'm just sorry you had to suffer, but we're all starting anew. Now come, let's go have the coffee you promised me," they climbed off the bed and left Dan and Anthony sleeping.

The sound of the coffee pot starting had her smiling. Yes, Anthony had even set the coffee for them. Lifting her up, Isaac sat her on the counter and stepped in between her legs.

"I'm sorry your friends hurt you." Isaac brushed her hair back and she smiled.

"They needed to move on, as do I. I think Maya knew this day would come, but it still hurts, and she'll always be my friend as will Dee, but we have our own paths to go and you know they'll be around, just not all the time. Now hush and make love to Isaac. I need you inside me, holding me. Never let me go, Isaac because if I lost you three...I wouldn't survive." She placed her hands on his face and covered his mouth as he pulled her forward and slid his cock into her.

The counter was perfect for their height, but once he was inside her, he pulled her off it and pushed her up against the wall. His thrusts were hard and powerful. Isaac broke their kiss. "Never again will you leave us like that," he declared, never missing a beat. "Lift one of your breasts for me, Lacey. While I suck on it, you play with the other. I want that nipple hard," Isaac ordered and at once she obeyed.

"That's my cat," he said, before he sucked her nipple into his mouth.

"I was so scared, Isaac," she said admitting to him. "I was scared you didn't want me anymore when you and Anthony left and those guards came in." His eyes got hard and he released her nipple, stopping his movements.

"You believed I would do that to you?" he asked.

Ducking her head down. Lacey nodded. "How could we not." She said.

"We?" he asked.

"Yes, we," Dan said next to them. "Five minutes after you left, your father showed up, telling us that you and Anthony didn't want us to leave, but we refused to believe him. That's when the guards came in and all hell broke loose. Lacey kept trying to call to you, but you wouldn't answer as the men proceeded to beat me and attack her."

Isaac lowered her to the ground, slipping out of her and pulling away from her. "What do you mean attack her? Did they lay a hand on her?" Isaac said in a dead voice sending a shiver up her spine.

"I'm fine, Isaac. When I saw you chained to the posts, I knew you hadn't told us to leave," she tried to put his arms around him, but he twirled away from her. "Did they put their hands on her?" he shouted. Anthony was next to him.

"Yes, they weren't gentle. If she would have been a human, she would have had bruises on her," Dan said, and she moaned. There would be no stopping him now.

Someone one knocked on the door before rushing in. Lark stopped and swore. "What happened?" he asked right before Isaac disappeared.

"He just found out they touched Lacey and your father tried to tell us that Isaac didn't want us." Dan said pulling her into his arms hugging her tight. "He had a right to know, Lacey." Dan nuzzled her neck as Anthony stepped in front of them.

"We both did. I knew their father was by the book, but this, no Lacey, this cannot happen, no matter what they think of you. No one touches a
meru
."

She looked at Lark who was pacing back and forth. "Do you think Akaos knew what he was doing?" Lark asked Dan and her.

"I have no idea. He wasn't there. I was just trying to protect her. When I find the guards who touched her..." Dan snarled and nipped her shoulder.

"It's over, I want to move on with our lives." They all turned when Talhrn, Akaos, Isaac, and their father appeared in the room. "You brought them here after what they have done!" She was furious and glared at Isaac. "I'm out of here." Lacey yanked out of Dan's arm, grabbing the shirt on the chair and heading to the door.

"Wait," Talhrn said and she snarled.

"This is my home. I don't have to listen to your ass. You might be their king, but you are nothing to me ever again." She ran escaping the room before her cat took over and tried to kill the man.

"I told you she was lying," his father yelled, stopping her in her tracks.

The cat took over, bones crunched as Lacey turned back. In three running leaps she was onto Isaac's father, her fangs at his throat. Inside the cat, Lacey fought for control.
We can't do this, think of Isaac.
Inching backwards, Lacey crawled off of their father, snarling the whole time. She glanced at Talhrn and instantly Akaos stepped in front of him. "You would threaten our king?" Akaos stepped forward, but Isaac was there in front of her.

"What are you going to do Akaos? Kill her now that your and father's plan didn't work?" Isaac accused them all. "To think I used to be proud to be called a warrior, but to stoop to hurting a female... I'm glad I'm here. I want nothing to do with any of you again. Leave! You are not welcome, ever."