Conri (3 page)

They put Delilah on a sterile table and she groaned
with her injuries. “I need sheers.” No one said anything for a moment but a
second later Lilly brought her sheers.

“We don’t have to use them much so they should be
pretty sharp.”

“Do you not have to cut clothes off very often?”

“Oh no, we do... but we don’t exactly need scissors to
do it.”

“I am guessing that means you have some superhuman
strength?” Sarai asked absently as she cut and tore the clothes from Delilah’s
body. “All
men
 
out
!”

“I am the King, I will stay if...” Conri started as
the rest of the men left without argument.

Sarai turned to him, her eyes narrowed, the scissors
pointed at Conri, “I don’t care if you’re Jesus- get the hell out of my OR.
NOW!”
She added when he didn’t move. Lilly gasped as Conri
turned and left.

“Who and where is this nurse maid that is supposed to
be helping me?”

“I’m here!” A dark hair woman came running in. She was
dressed in scrubs and her hair was in a bun. “I got here as fast as I could.”

“Sarai this is Tiffany, she has only been a nurse maid
for a year. She is still in training. She will be able to help you or lead
if...”

“She’s still in human form. As long as she doesn’t
shift I should be just fine. I need you to stay and help. Tiffany, since you
are new I will direct you where I...”

“I do not need to be taking orders from a human.” The
woman named Tiffany spat.

Sarai looked at Tiffany as she cut the last of
Delilah’s pants away.
“Of course not.
But Conri said
that if she dies he will be handing me to her mate. I am guessing that’s a bad
thing? You still want to take lead?”

Tiffany paled. “I didn’t think so. In that case you
just conceded to follow my lead. And make no mistake, you screw up and I will
hand you over to Conri myself.”

“You call him by his first name as if you are mates.”

Sarai glared. “Let’s reiterate here,” She pointed to
her chest, “human. I don’t follow your rules. He is not my king. I will address
him as my human side deems fit.” Tiffany glanced at Lilly but Lilly was all
eyes on Delilah and doing her best to stifle a laugh.

Sarai went right into doctor mode. She started
identifying the issues, stopped the bleeding and under Lilly and Tiffany’s
guidance she cut Delilah open to repair the internal damage before she started
healing with her guts all mangled. With everything in alignment Sarai sutured
Delilah from the inside out. But just as she was halfway through closing up her
stomach the wound was knitting back together.

“Whoa.”

“With her insides repaired her body was able to focus
on the minor injuries. She will be fine by dusk now, thanks to your fast work.”
Lilly praised.

“Yea, not awful for a human.”

“
Psht
,” Lilly half laughed,
half admonished. “She did better and faster than you ever could have. You don’t
want to admit it but she just saved Delilah’s life.”

Tiffany didn’t have a chance to respond, the door to
the infirmary was thrown open and a heaping male came storming in. “Where is my
mate!” His voice bounced off the walls and Tiffany cowered behind Lilly. Lilly
didn’t make much of a defense, she was just too small.

“Stand down!” Sarai screamed over the man. The man, a
fair haired beast with purple eyes and towering her by over a foot, froze in
his spot. “Your mate is healing and resting. Your boisterous antics can cause
her undue stress. Is your goal to lengthen her discomfort?”

“And who are you human?”

“The human is Sarai and she just saved your mates
life.” Sarai’s knees trembled at the gentle cadence. The timbre of the voice
was vastly different than what she had heard earlier. “And she is my guest.”

Samson dropped to one knee, my apologies my King.”
When he stood he looked at Sarai, “My greatest appreciation for your work
healer.”

“Am I too
late!
” An older
woman, and by older she maybe had ten years on Sarai came rushing in.
 
Her black hair fell loosely in a bob around
her angular face; but tiny streaks of grey peppered her temples.

“Yes Darma but not in a bad way.
Delilah is resting.” Lily offered. The older woman rushed to the young woman’s
side.

“Mother is here.”

“Oh!” Sarai stepped back and let mother and daughter
have their moment. “Mrs....?”

“Please dear, call me Darma.”

“Oh, ok.
Darma.
Your daughter
is healing. She will need to be cleaned as I had no time for that. But as for
everything else,
”
 
Sarai
glanced at Lilly, “She will be fine by dusk.”

Without warning Darma took Sarai in her arms. “You
must be a brilliant healer. I heard her injuries were extensive. I could not
get away.” Darma looked at Conri, “Sofia has had a female.”

Conri nodded.

Sarai looked at Lilly but she was watching Conri.
Without a word to anyone Sarai excused herself. She got halfway back to the
dining hall, suddenly famished, when a hand grabbed her arm from behind. She
squeaked; she hadn’t heard anyone approach.

“My apologies.
I didn’t mean
to startle you.” An involuntary shiver ran down Sarai’s spine as she turned to
face Conri. “What you did in there was brilliant, according to Lilly. Samson
and I owe you a debt of gratitude.”

“I did my job.” Sarai glanced away. They stood in
silence.

“May I escort you back to your chambers?”

“Why do you talk that way?”

“And what way is that?”

“Like you are from a time that is
not now.”

Conri actually thought on it, “We are secluded out
here.
  
Kingship is handed down from
father to son.” Conri glanced away, his tone hesitant for just a moment.
“ And
unless the role is contested, the son carries on where
the father left off. My father served for almost a hundred years before I took
over. I learned my speech patterns from him.”

“A hundred years! He must have been very old.”

Conri shrugged, it was a very un-noble gesture. “I
find it strange myself. Large cats do not have long life spans and neither
do
humans, but for some reason when the two were fused the
life span doubled instead of shortened. It is not uncommon for us to live a
couple hundred years.”

Sarai gasped. “How old is Darma?”

“That is an odd question.”

“Delilah looks to be in her thirties, for arguments
sake let’s say Darma had Delilah at thirty. The woman would be around sixty but
instead she looks to be late thirties.”

Conri nodded. “
Darma’s
life
status is not for me to discuss but I can tell you that I am forty-one.”

“For... are you kidding me?”

“ I
do not joke often.”

“You look my age.” Conri raised a brown and Sarai
grunted, “I’m a doctor. I’m in my last semester of rotations- you do the math.”

Conri shrugged with one shoulder. Sarai’s stomach
chose that moment to remind her how hungry she was. Conri grabbed her hand and
lead her through the hall.

As they walked, Conri nearly dragging her, Sarai
couldn’t help but stare at their entwined fingers. His hand was so warm, so
impossibly warm. The warmth spread through her, into her and melted deep. A
torrent of heat swelled deep in her belly and Sarai knew her cheeks were
flushed as the heat settled low, way lower than she cared to admit. Conri
yanked his hand away and glanced back at her, “Are you well?”

“I am.” Sarai knew the flush in her cheeks turned red
with embarrassment when her voice cracked. Conri had the decency to ignore it.
He hesitantly reached for her hand again, holding his aloft as if waiting for
permission. When she didn’t give it he dropped his hand and started walking
again.

“Sit.” He demanded in a voice Sarai was coming to know
as his ‘King’ voice. They were in the kitchen and the surroundings were just as
opulent as the dining area. She slid into one of the many stools that hugged a
semi-circle quartz bar top. Sarai sat silently as she watched the Leopard king
move about the kitchen, preparing with the ease of a man who knew his way
around a kitchen. As a matter of fact she was certain he was having a love
affair with the kitchen. She was shocked.

Within the hour her meal was prepared and she dug in
with vigor. “Are you not eating?”

“We were on a hunt when we were attacked. I am the king;
I eat after the huntress does. I had had my fill when she set out to find
another kill for the rest of the group. We were ambushed and though we fought
off the attackers, Delilah is not our best fighter and she was injured. But I
am sated.”

“Who ambushed you?”

“Reprobates.”

Sarai raised a brow, “You mean rogues?” Conri nodded.

“Why would rogues ambush a huntress if she hadn’t
killed anything yet...
oh.
Oh. Damn.” Sarai started in
on her food again.

“We have a female population problem. Males are being
born five to one. And when a cub is born there is a 1 in 10 chance the cub will
not survive.
 
 
You would think with more males being born the
cub mortality rate would balance out, but it hasn’t. The odds are hitting males
and females at an equal rate.
Which means...
”

“Less females being born but more
dying.”
Neither of them said anything for a moment. “Has the cause of
this been determined?” Conri shook his head. Sarai had so many things on her
mind. She couldn’t let a dwindling population of snow leopards add to the pile.
But she felt for these people. She was becoming attached to Lilly. And she had
just become very intimate with Delilah.

“There is a prediction that the snow may break in ten
days. They think it will break for two days. We will attempt to get you home
then, if you so desire. Until then, I am afraid, you will have to stay as
my...” He cleared his throat, “As our guest. I apologize for the
inconvenience.”

“It’s ok. It will give Stella time to heal. And no one
wants to travel with a blizzard outside. But that begs the question, why hunt
when you have food here?”

Conri smiled and Sarai had to choke the gasp back. If
his voice was intoxication, his smile was an unparalleled high. She glanced
down before he answered.
“Keeping my skills sharp kitty.”
Sarai looked up sharply, Conri looked away quickly.

“If you are finished you can retire and I will send
Lilly to assist you with our accommodations. If you are not yet tired than you
can join the weeks end festivities. Sunday, I believe
its
a dance.” His nod was a dismissal and instead of pushing the ‘kitty’ comment,
she excused herself.

To figure out where she needed to go Sarai just
followed the music. When she walked through an archway, that was actually great
doors pushed all the way back, she paused to take in the sight. Men and women
of all shapes and sizes were gyrating around the floor. Not a soul was against
a wall and as the music picked up so did the joy within the room.

This grand room made the dining hall feel more like a
bedroom. It was vast with a ceiling two stories high and windows, though set
high, had to be a story tall. The music was amplified off the stone walls. But
the floor was a deep mahogany wood. The chandeliers were all tear dropped and
bursting with light. Sarai was never one for public displays of dancing but
tonight she would make an exception.

Just as she stepped into the room something became
conspicuously clear there was little to no variation in the room. Everyone had
onyx black or white gold blond hair; there was no brunette, red, strawberry
blonde, auburn or other variation of color. The faces, if you just brushed over
them, had similar features. And though the stature’s varied- men were giants
while women were particularly petite. Though to be truthful petite didn’t just
mean short or skinny, in reality it was the most archaic depiction of a frailer
gender compared to the most characterization of male dominance.

Sarai thought she might have figured out what the
female mortality problem was; she just wasn’t sure how to fix it. “Mind if I
have this dance?”

Sarai smiled widely at Kellen, “Don’t mind at all!”
Kellen grabbed her hand and pulled her into the crowd. She expected him to be
fluid with his dancing but he was just as awkward and offbeat as her. She
laughed loudly as they moved. She cheered when the crowd cheered, jumped when
the crowd jumped, she dipped low and spun about when the crowd did; albeit if
she was a beat late... it didn’t matter- she was having the time of her life.

The music changed drastically. It was almost instant; it
went from a sparking rock to a melodic, almost medieval jaunt. Kellen’s eyes
darted behind her. “My turn is up,” He said with a smile. He leaned in and
whispered, “Just follow his lead and you will be fine.” Sarai stared at him
quizzically as he stepped away.

“I’m afraid I am responsible for the music change. I
have always had an affinity for the dances that accompany this music.”

Sarai spun and feasted her eyes on King Conri. Hi dark
hair had been tamed, the blood washed from his face and arms and he had changed
into- well, well- he had changed into jeans and a black silk shirt. Sarai
decided he looked dashing. She smiled demurely, although she was a little
shocked to reference herself as ‘demure’.

“May I have this dance?” Sarai looked around at the
graceful bodies all moving as one. “I’m afraid I do not know this one.”

He smiled and her heart skipped. “Not to worry, it
easy to pick up. Just follow my lead.”

He stepped to her and bowed, like a good and proper
Jane Austin bow. Having only seen a few time-pieced movies she hastily
curtseyed and the dance began. Step in and then out, arm up touch palms, turn
in a tight circle. Step back, back in and then back out, turn in a tight circle
with a slow little hiccup-step. She was slowly getting it unit he forced her to
turn and a man had his hand up- waiting for her hand. She complied, following
the steps of the dance. The new man forced her to turn and she was facing Conri
again. She was pretty sure she had it now, it was grace and redundancies.

“I meant to ask you something.”

“And what was that?” Conri responded, his attention fully
on her.

“When you found us in the cave you shifted to a man.”

“Yes?”

“But... what I mean is.... are the myths wrong?”

“To what do you refer?”

“You were fully clothed. In the myths I am used to
when a ware-animal shifts from animal to human, they are naked.”

Conri nods thoughtfully. “Well first we aren’t ware
animas, we are shifters. Our shifting is not controlled by moon cycles.” He
chuckled but it didn’t reach his eyes. “As for our clothing- synthetic clothing
does not transfer to animal form. It is too rigid and unnatural. These jeans
would be a shredded mess if I shifted now. But! We have found, through trial
and error, that animal skin- in its purest form and untainted by chemical, can
meld into our skin and fir when we shift to our Leopard. And visa versa.
Unfortunately for us, Leopard pelts work best.”

Sarai cringed because that would mean someone of their
own kind would have to die...unless.

“Which you can get from killing a Reprobate?”

Conri’s lips twitched, it was almost a smile. “Yes.
When we die we return to or stay in our truest form. Nearly all of us return to
our animal form. The rarities are noble blood; powerful blood. Those noble of
noble blood retain the human form; it is a sign that this blood was pure and
should be revered. It’s all very complicated.”

Sarai raised a brow, “I think I understand. When you
die, your form will be a man.”

“I can only hope Sarai.”

Sarai had to look away when he said her name, she
could feel her cheeks heat and she knew it wasn’t embarrassment. The song ended
and as Sarai turned to applaud the band she realized she and Conri had been
standing still, almost embracing as they talked.
This
 
time
she did blush.

“What are the festivities for?” She asked Conri over
her shoulder. “Or is
this
just general antics?”

“You see there,” He said and pointed over her
shoulder. She only had to tilt her head to follow his arm. He was close enough
that if she breathed out of her nose hard enough, the hairs on his arms would
wave.
 
She nodded. “The three cubs up
there just turned three. They are all female. And if they make it to three they
will survive.”

“Oh, well yes that is a joyous event.” Sarai wondered
if she should tell him about her observation or if it should wait.

“We value our females here, there are held at the highest
esteem. To harm one for selfish endeavors is almost as highly punishable as
harming –well...me.” Sarai looked up at Conri, “It is punishable by death.”

The music started up again and this time it was the
tempo’d
rock music. “Will you accompany me on a walk?”

“A walk?
Where? It’s storming
out.”

“The kingdom is vast; I can give you a tour. Or I can
find suitable clothing and take you to the garden.”

“I would like a tour,” Sarai said as she slipped her
hand around the Kings proffered arm.
 
As
she left the festivities she caught a glance of Stella. Her arm was still in a
sling but she danced between Flynn and Core like she didn’t have a care. When
she saw Sarai she waved wildly and smiled just as wide. But as quickly as Sarai
had her friend’s attention it was gone as she melded into the crowd.

*

Conri showed Sarai almost every corner of the
compound. She couldn’t think of any other way to describe it. It had everything
you could possibly think of. There was a school on the grounds for children in
grammar school, as well as secondary and high school. There was a library with
so many books Sarai could spend hours in there simply deciding where to start.
The library also had a few sectioned off classrooms for those excelled students
who wanted to pursue college; they could take online courses.

There were multiple gyms, an indoor swimming pool-
SWIMMING POOL- several saunas and a few spas. On the opposite of the compound
from where she stayed there was a second kitchen. It was a little more modern
and it served food all day long. There were rooms upon rooms for people to bunk
there, live there or just take a reprieve from elements. Every room had its own
bathroom and there were several rooms that had adjoining doors to give families
the space to be close but not on top of each other.

There were martial arts studios and yoga rooms. There
was even a museum, a freaking museum... Sarai couldn’t believe her eyes. By the
time Conri brought her back to her room the music had died and people were
milling about deciding on the next endeavor.

“The compound is my home and the home of the guards
and their families, if they are mated. Everyone is welcomed here, but there is
an entire civilization outside these doors. We have neighborhoods and grocery
stores, even farms and small shops. No one has to stay here... they just will
on occasion.”

“Sounds like a giant family.”

Conri chuckled, actually laughed and Sarai’s knees
wobbled. “Are you sure you are ok?” He asked as he reached to steady her. She
only nodded, not trusting her voice.
 

“It has been a long day and I am exhausted. I will
retire for the night.” Retire- who says retire?

“As you wish.
I will send
Lilly to help you.”

“That won’t be necessary; I have learned my room very
well. Let her have her time, she can attend to me tomorrow.” He stared at her
for a moment and Sarai felt her stomach clench and her insides warm, like she’d
just downed a piping hot cup of coffee.

He nodded once but didn’t step away. Sarai’s mouth
watered, she wanted to touch his lips. She had never noticed how full his lips were;
they took up the perfect amount of space on his face and had a natural pink to
them. Now that she was aware of them, she wanted, almost needed to touch them.
Instead she took a step back.

“Good night Conri.”

“Good night kitty.”

Sarai barely had enough time to gasp before he was
halfway down the hall. Was he slipping up or had he just decided that was the
perfect nick-name for her.
 
Either way
Sarai was too tired to think on it. She let herself into her bedroom and was
practically asleep before her head hit the pillow.