Prince of Cats (21 page)

“Madu,” he spoke to his friend but kept his eyes on
Neomee.  “Tell the men the temple no longer requires their
service.  They are welcome
to stay or they can leave to seek a new life.”  He brushed a thumb over Neomee’s bottom lip, “Inform the slaves they are free as well.”

“What of the Slave Master?”

Bray looked at Madu then.  “If he objects I suggest you make it the last thing he ever does.”

Madu smiled and nodded once.  “Yes brother!”  Then he disappeared with a group of
Cats trailing excitedly behind him.

“Bray?”

He turned to stare down at Neomee.

“There’s something I need to tell you.”

He watched her for a moment before his eyes hardened.  “Later.”  He pulled her up and ignored her when she protested.

“But…wait!  It’s important.”

“I too have something important to tell you.”

The ice in his tone left Neomee feeling nervous. 
Perhaps he’s upset that I attempted escape.
  “Bray I wasn’t trying to get away from you.  I…”
  She winced when she saw him inhale and knew that he’d scent her lie.  “I mean I
was
trying to escape the
temple
, but…”
  She didn’t know how to explain that she had only been trying to get away from him because of the strange way he’d made her feel.  That she was afraid of losing her heart to him. 
He wouldn’t believe me.

Bray
turned and gripped her hand to pull her along after him.  When she saw the whip marks on his
back,
she
flinched. 

“You’re back!  We need to get you to the healer.”

He simply pulled her along, ignoring her plea. 

“Bray?”  She tried to pull him to a stop only to be jerked forward as he quickened his pace.  She had no idea where he was taking her but knew it wasn’t going to be good.

In the hall, Cats rejoiced while the slaves seemed almost afraid to believe th
e truth of
their
newfound
freedom. 

Happy tears formed in Neomee’s eyes when she saw a Cat holding a collar up in front of a slave.  The small woman smiled warmly and nodded before the Cat clasped the collar around her neck then hoisted her up in the air with a triumphant smile before bringing her lips to his.  It was apparent that she and Bray weren’t the only two who experienced a strained relationship because of their status in the temple.

Looking forward, she eyed his back and felt guilty.  “Bray I’m sorry for what was done to you.  I never would have…”

“Madu!” Bray barked. 

Madu turned and raced to his friend’s side.  “The Slave Master was more than
compliant.”  A grin split his features, “I’d almost hoped he wouldn’t have been.”  He eyed
Neomee
then Bray’s back.  “I’m sorry for not getting to you sooner brother.  Adom found me to tell me what was happening.  I’d given great thought to what you’d said about our servitude and us being slaves.  It took me a while to round up enough men.”  He winced as he again eyed Bray’s back.  “I should have just gone to the altar room alone.”

Bray slapped his friend’s shoulder.  “You did the right thing.  I am grateful.”

“Will you two leave the temple?  Seek out a
new
life?”

“
No.” Bray’s quick response made Neomee’s belly drop.  “I’ll stay with the temple.  The Vizier will send troops.  We’ll need to make a stand.”

Madu nodded, “Then I’ll stay too.  We’ll defend the temple together.”  Madu nodded toward Neomee.  “What of your mate?”

He was silent so long that Neomee wondered if Bray had heard Madu’s question.
Finally he answered, “She is not my mate
.”  The
n
he jerked her forward and they were walking again.

Trepidation stole through her
even as humiliation stung at her cheeks. 
Not his mate?
  “
W-where are we going?”

“Don’t worry,” he bit out angrily, “I wouldn’t dream of forcing you into anything.”

“Look, I’ve been thinking and…”

“Me too and I think I’ve found a solution to our problem.”

“Problem?”

“Don’t worry.  We’re nearly there.”
 

Neomee struggled to keep up as Bray quickened his pace.

Chapter
22

Bray tightened his grip on Neomee’s hand as he led her through the temple.  The celebration had begun.  Both Cats and slaves alike rejoiced in the corridor
s sharing wine, embraces, and in some cases even openly sharing sex.

Still too shocked
that he’d just renounced his claim to her
, Neomee couldn’t
formulate words. 
Numbly, she followed Bray not knowing where he was leading her.

When the
y
arrived at the mouth of the temple Bray stopped and Neomee could only stare at his back as he tensed before her then released her hand and growled.  “Go!”

Neomee stared at the back of his head, uncertain she’d heard him correctly.  “What?”

“You heard me,” he turned on her then his eyes a spooky yellow, “You wanted your freedom.  You have it.  Go!”

“But…”

He grabbed her arm and pulled her from the entrance, shoving her away from him and the temple.  “Freedom Neomee, it’s what you wanted, what you were willing to die for.  It’s now yours.  You are free to leave.  No one will stop you.”  He pointed toward the horizon, “Go!”

She didn’t even bother looking out at the vast dessert that sat just beyond the village.  The village that she’d dreamed of escaping to for so many years.  Suddenly the thought of being alone, being without
him
left a hollow feeling in her chest.
  She dropped her head lest he see the tears that formed in her eyes.  “No,” she whispered.

“No?”  His tone was incredulous, mocking.  “You wanted this.”

“I-I thought I did.”

He growled.  “You were beaten for this.  Risked your life for it. 
Ran from me for it. 
Take it Neomee!”

Her gaze lifted to his, “I won’t leave you.”

“What?”

“You are my mate Bray.  I won’t leave you.”

His eyes turned cold.  “There’s no one here to whip you Neomee.  No one to beat you for your lack of submission.  I release you from my claim.  You can go
.  I won’t stop you
.”

“I don’t want to,” she threw herself at him and
startled by the unexpected action
he had no choice but to catch her.  “I want to stay with you.”  She couldn’t help her unabashed crying.  “I’ll be a better mate, I promise.  I’ll take care of you and I’ll be what you want me to be, just please don’t make me leave!”

His hands gripped her shoulders
forcing her back at
arm’s length.  “You don’t
have to do that just to stay.  You’re free Neomee.  You can leave or remain here.  Do whatever you like, but,” he reached around her and unhooked the collar from her throat, “do it away from me.”  Then he turned and stalked away leaving Neomee stunned and alone at the mouth of the temple.

Watching Bray stalk away with her collar
fisted in his hand, she felt more alone than she ever had in her life.  Turning she eyed the dessert beyond the village and glanced to the temple walls noting that Cats no longer patrolled the gates.  A chill swept over her and she rubbed her arms as she forced her sandaled feet forward toward the gate that would lead to her freedom.

***

Pacing back and forth in his quarters, Bray cursed and threw Neomee’s collar against the wall where it bounced
then landed on the floor by the entrance.

Letting her go had been the hardest thing he’d ever had to endure.  It was different when Sanura had been taken from
him;
she’d had no choice in the matter.  Neomee on the other hand
seemed incapable of finding any redeemable quality in him and it stung. 
She wanted her
freedom, to be away from him! 
He’d protected her and defended her the best he could.  Save for the time he’d attempted to mount
her, but even that had been for her protection. 

He snarled when he thought of her out in the village without protection…his protection.  She needed him and was too foolish to see it. 
She doesn’t want you,
he self-admonished.  Plowing an angry hand through his
hair,
he fought back the urge to howl. 
When he heard footsteps approaching his door he growled, “Not now Madu!”

He stopped pacing and tried to hide his excitement when Neomee entered the room.  “Forget something?”

“I know you do not understand my need to make my own choices.”  She lifted her chin slightly, “But while I have been a slave my whole life, I have always felt free in my heart.”

“Meaning?”

“Meaning I wanted to choose my own mate.  To choose my own life, to have a choice in something…anything!”

Bray’s brows speared downward, “You have the choice now Neomee.  Why come back.  You’ve been dying to leave the temple.  Now you can…so leave.”

She took a tentative step closer.  “But what I want is here.”

His eyes narrowed on her but he didn’t respond.

“Don’t you see?  I finally have a choice!”  Tears pooled in her eyes.  “For the first time in my life I finally get to make a choice about something that affects me.  This…” she splayed her hands in front of her, “this is going to be the first thing I’ve ever
had the opportunity to pick
in my entire life.”

“So what are you
saying
Neomee?”  Bray shifted his weight impatiently
afraid to hope.

Wordlessly she slowly closed the distance between them.  Her
breath came out shaky as she reached up, grab
bed
Bray by the arm, and pul
led
him
to the bed.  She sat and when he refused to follow, she looked up at him with imploring eyes until the complied by taking a seat beside her
. 
She lifted her hands and cupped his face.  “I chose you Bray.
I-I want to be your mate…if you’ll still have me.”

His lips pressed into a grim line.
 
A trick?

Staring at him for several long moments, he wasn’t surprised when she
finally
got up and headed for the door.  He knew if she had time to think about it she’d come to her senses.  It was a crushing feeling.  His Cat demanded he tackle her and keep her forever, but the man in him knew she’d never be happy if she were forced to stay.  It’s why he’d let her go in the first place.

When she got to the
door,
she turned to look at him and he tried to mask the pain he felt at seeing her go.  One corner of her sensual mouth lifted
when she turned to stare at him
and instead of walking out the door as he’d expected, Neomee bent and retrieved her collar from where it sat on the ground.  She didn’t take her eyes from his as she stood and placed it around her neck, clasping it
while her
smile broadened.

His heart thudded to a halt and he curled his fists tightly to keep from jumping up to claim what was his.  A deep rumble escaped his lips when he watched her lift her hands and pull the straps of her gown until her tunic slid down her body and pooled at her feet. 

His body actually jerked when he struggled to restrain his Cat from pouncing on Neomee.
  She didn’t miss the action and slowly stalked toward him.  When she was just feet from him she stopped and spread her arms wide and said the one word that triggered his Cat.  “Yours.”

He sprang from the bed and crushed her to him.  He heard her laughter and it sounded so right to him. 

“Easy my Prince, you’re going to crush me!”

He loosened his hold but only to pull back long enough to seek out her lips. 
His mouth claimed hers with an urgency that had Neomee’s heart racing. 
Without breaking their
kiss,
he hoisted her off the ground. 
Spreading her legs to wrap aroun
d him,
Neomee
arched until her pebb
led nipples
brushed against his chest making Bray moan. 

Holding her tightly, he crawled onto the bed carrying her with him until she was pinned beneath his hard frame.  Neomee
writhed with pleasure as Bray’s calloused hands explored her body.  He trailed wet kisses down
her
neck, his hands feverishly working to remove his kilt.  

Once naked, Bray’s fingers explored her willing body.  His fingers glanced through her wet folds and she heard his sharp intake of breath as he felt how ready she was.  “Lily
,
”
h
e growled, barely able to control his Cat.  He bent to suckle a breast as he spread her legs farther apart.  He nudged the head of his cock against her pussy.