Caging the Bengal Tiger (20 page)

Opening her eyes slowly, Lacey scanned around the room. She was not in the hospital bed where Isaac had placed her. Lifting her arm up, Lacey realized her body wasn't even with her. She was floating free of everything. "Well, shit, did I finally die?" she mumbled and jumped when someone replied to her.

"If you died, then so did I, and I'm going to be really pissed off." Lacey recognized Maya's voice coming out of the shadows, her form a blob. "What the hell happened to us?" she asked.

"I know one thing, Talhrn is going to be furious and we don't want him to be furious. Last time this happened the
Tetraheroes
were called in," Maya's daughter’s voice came in from the other direction.

"Lacey, Maya, where are you? I can hear you, but I can't see anything. Stupid fog." Sally was there with them.

"Follow our voices, Sally. She has to have something in her for this to be happening with us." Lacey glanced over at Maya's blob.

"That’s what I was thinking. Sally, your mom ever tell you anything about your past? Anything about her parents and their parents?" Maya asked, watching another blob of bluish-green smoke moved towards them.

If they had no bodies to speak of, their thoughts had to be projecting out. "You’re correct, Lacey. Even I'm stuck here in this world or wherever we are, and that’s not a good thing. Like Dee's husband, my mate will not be pleased and others will be notified," Ina said, coming in to the group.

"I'm afraid you were pulled along with the other females and for that, I am very sorry." Something that looked like a man moved forward, but what had all five of them moving backwards was the one next to him, smiling?

"Randle!" Maya hissed and Lacey knew something big was going to happen this night or day or whatever time it was.

"Relax, dear ladies. I've allowed my mate to call you forth to personally apologize for all the harm he has done in your life. If I would have found him sooner, maybe I could have stopped all the needless killing. My name is Hunter Galefiend and I am King of Mine Providence."

"As your people would say Lacey, we are in deep shit. This man is as powerful as the
Tetraheroes.
It's one of the reasons he stays on his world," Ina hissed.

"I'm afraid your friend is right. I agreed to stay on this side of the world, away from the
Tetraheroes.
It's one of the reason's I've allowed you to be called forward. I wanted you to know you will not have to search anymore." The king placed his tentacle-hand on Koti's shoulder and squeezed, making Randle drop to his knees before them.

"What are you doing? You told me we were mates?" Koti pleaded.

"And we are, but before we join, we are going to try and make matters right. You have almost singly-handedly killed off an entire species. Even I don't agree with that." The king looked behind him and nodded. "Good, your King Talhrn is here with one of the
Tetraheroes
. Things will be handled properly now."

Coming out of the fog, Talhrn appeared and some other being next to him scanned the surroundings. "I thought you said my queen was here?" Talhrn asked.

"Her soul is over there with the other women. Please allow me to explain." King Galefiend said, pointing to them.

On some level she was relieved, but on another terrified. A bigger war was about to start, one that Lacey knew no one would win.

"You are quite right, Princess Lacey. There would be no winner if the
Tetraheroes
and I were to battle, only death. This is why I will bring some kind of piece to your women, Talhrn." He looked down at Koti. "Once Koti is mated with me, he will not be able to leave this realm. He won't be able to do any more harm to you and yours. His powers will be stripped and he will be the one to carry my children."

She gasped as did the other women, but then they all started laughing. "Oh my God! There is no way he's going to last through childbirth if they have kids like we do," Sally squeaked.

Even the king smiled. "We do have children a little differently than humans, but rest assured, it’s not pain free. Sally, I bet you are confused about how you could even be here? Let me explain. The only way you could have been exposed to this parasite is that you have some sort of DNA like that of the women here. This was only to affect them, no one else. If I'm not mistaken, you carry the gene passed down through your mother. Talk to her, it has to be strong in you for you to be here, but rest assured all of you will be fine."

The being next to Talhrn moved closer to the king. "I made sure they're children would not be effected by this. They have suffered enough from my mate’s carelessness." Hunter bowed before the entry.

"I give you my word he will not hurt anyone again, that you can rest assured, he will be kept under hand. I allowed them to come here to reassure each of them and maybe give something back." He turned away from the being. "Queen Dee, you have suffered much at your father's hands. For that alone, I have given you a gift. You carry two eggs inside you, but the soul inside your extra egg is one you have seen before. She has been waiting for you, for the right time to come. Hope will be born again."

Dee's cry drew Talhrn forward, but he couldn't see her. "I want to hold my woman," he screamed.

His scream made Lacey black out again, only to awaken with Isaac, Anthony and Dan standing over her staring at her. Isaac had tears running down his cheeks, as did Anthony and Dan. "My
meru.
I never thought I would see your beautiful eyes again," Isaac leaned down and kissed her lips softly. "How are you feeling? Do you hurt anywhere?" he turned and yelled. "Lark, she's awake!"

"Calm down. I need to know what happened. Is Dee okay? Sally, Maya?" She tried to get up, but was pushed back down.

"You will not move from that bed till I am sure you 100%,” Isaac actually snarled, but what had her shocked was her surroundings. "Where are we? We're not at the hospital, are we?"

"No, the ones that created us brought us all here. They wanted to make sure no other females would be affected. We've been here about a week. We've had to feed you by your vein, Lacey. After Talhrn had found you four days ago, all of us have waited for you to wake up. King Hunter guaranteed us that you would wake unharmed, but we will make sure first. You are the first to wake," Isaac stated and turned again, ready to yell when Lark came into the room.

"There is no need to yell. I heard you." He smiled at her ran some kind of machine over her body after pushing his brother out of the way. "You'll need to make sure she feeds, her eggs are fine." He stepped back, but Lacey grabbed onto his arm growling.

"What did you say? Eggs? I didn't agree on having more than one child," she snarled at Isaac. "What the hell did you do?"

His brother laughed and patted her hand. "Easy Lacey, Isaac had nothing to do with how many eggs you are carrying. I'm afraid that it happens every so often. You will be fine. I'm sure the four of you will be able to handle three little ones."

"Oh my god! That's it. You three are buying a truck load of condoms from now on." She laid back down staring up at the ceiling. "This cannot be happening. Maybe it was that King. We need to go hunt him down and demand to know why?"

"I think she might need to stay in bed a little while longer," Isaac said, looking at Lars. "Honey, the King didn't put the eggs in you, you're as fertile as they come. From what the King told Talhrn, we will be organizing all of your kind. We will bring them back Lacey, your people. It is our job to find them and give them hope." Isaac sat down beside her, taking her hand in his.

"Are you really upset with having our children?" he asked, brushing her hair back away from her face.

She sighed, bringing his hand up to her mouth and kissing it. "You know I'm not, but it does scare the crap out of Isaac. I know nothing of raising children. Hell, I was still a child when I was on my own. What do I know on raising them."

"For that reason you will be the best mother," Lark said from the end of the bed looking up from his machine at her. "Even mothers that have had a loving background can have trouble Lacey, but you won't be alone. You have three men here that went crazy worrying about you and I know for a fact, Sally believed you could handle her children, otherwise she wouldn't have left them with you like she did."

"Is that why you left your family?" Lacey asked, knowing he was speaking from experience.

"No, he left because I sent him away," their father said coming into the room. "Don't you think it's time for us to discuss what happened so long ago?" he asked Lark, who glared at his father.

"What is there to discuss? You believed what was said by the other man over your son. You didn't care that I had proof of his son destroying the port just that I was there. If you will excuse me, Lacey, I'll go check on your friends and let them know you are doing fine." Lark turned to leave, but Isaac placed his hand on his shoulder, stopping him.

"It's time to let go of the past, little brother, and come back to the family. We need you, as you can see. Koti might be gone, but all of those who fought next to him are out there. Causing what kind of trouble, we don't know," Isaac stood and waited.

"I will stay with you on Earth, but I will never go back to our planet. You know once branded a trouble maker, I'll always have to be looking over my shoulder and I won't have that with my
meru
with me now." With that he left the room, leaving his father standing there.

"Maybe it's for the best he doesn't come back. His abilities would do Earth good," Isaac's father turned his gaze to her and she glared at him.

"You even try to enter my head and I'll rip you apart, old man. I don't care who you are, I've had enough of people messing with me lately," Lacey growled, and knew the tiger was close to the surface as the fur rippled under the skin.

"Don't, Lacey. You need to preserve your strength. Father, please leaves for now. When we get back to Earth, we'll set up a night for the family to come for dinner. I know Anthony was planning on cooking up a storm for it."

His father nodded, but still looked at her. "I learned my lesson last time, daughter. I will not intrude on your thoughts. I know my son can handle you," he said leaving before Lacey could rip into him.

"Handle me! Your father just said you could handle me! Why that old fart. I'll show him who handles who at dinner. Anthony, I think you're going to have to let me cook that night," she snarled and they all laughed.

"NO!" they shouted together.

***

His scream of outrage filled the stadium as Isaac was chained to the post next to Anthony. The
Tetraheroes
had demanded that Lacey be made an example of, that it was a privilege to have a warriors egg inside her and jokes about it would not be tolerated by anyone. On the throne, Talhrn paced back and forth as Dee and Maya both were restrained as they watched Lacey being brought in and chained up in the middle of the arena.

"If you do this, we'll never be back here again," Isaac screamed. "She gave her life to protect your women, yet you treat her as she if she were nothing to you."

That's when he saw Dan as four warriors carried a bloody mess into the room and chained him next to the two of them. Isaac knew he was unconscious, Of the three of them, Dan wouldn't hesitate to step in front of those who would take his mate.

On the post, Lacey's eyes met his. "I love you," she mouthed, before bowing her head and closing her eyes.

"The order has been given from the
Tetraheroes.
Our women cannot be allowed to run over us. They must be taught that each life is precious, especially theirs. Without them we are nothing, but empty machines. Our three hearts are theirs to command, but not to be abused by careless words. Isaac Featherstone, your woman carelessly sprouted about eating your young once they were born." Gasps and hisses filled the arena. "Take this lesson well, Princess Lacey. This cannot happen ever, ten strokes have been ordered," Talhrn pronounced and the audience roared with their approval, what used to be his family approved.

All eyes turned to the man that would be delivering the strokes of the whip, his father. "With smooth steady strides, his father didn't even look at him. He bowed to Talhrn before turning to let the whip crack near Lacey's head. She flinched once, but refused to open her eyes, but Dan did.

He turned his head and looked at him. "I'll never come here again, and either will Lacey. Your family is not welcome in our home," he spit angry all he could do was nod.

"They won't be. After this, there will be only us," he said and looked at the general Akaos who stood near Maya, but didn't touch her, while she screamed and pleaded with him, but his brother didn't budge. His gaze turned to his, and all he could see was cold ice. Yes, he had lost his family.

The strike of the whip rang out and Lacey gasped, but did not yell out. Isaac knew the
Tetraheroes
were also holding back the cat inside her. She wasn't allowed to shift and Ina had been sent home as soon as they had been transported here two days ago. He still couldn't believe his people could be so cold, but ever since the disappearance of Dee, their queen, things had changed and it seemed the easiest person to take it out on was Lacey.

Lark and Sally waited at their home on Earth for them. The other women were furious and hurt when they found out what was going to happen. Talhrn had waited till he knew Lacey was healed before informing Lark what was going to take place. That after her punishment they would be sent back to Earth where they were to find as many of Lacey's kind as they could, but right now he didn't know what was going to happen when they got back to the compound.