Rebel Kato (Shifters of the Primus Book 1) (10 page)

I
don’t have
time for the lift, so I pull Liandra close to me and jump from the edge of the platform. I am proud when she doesn’t even scream. She only clutches me tighter and presses her face against my chest. Her legs wrap tightly around my waist. I can still feel the wetness of her pussy against me. For a brief moment, I consider if I would have enough time to bring her to climax while we fall. I dismiss the idea.

Of course I would. But now is not the time.

Air rushes against us as we pass thousands of Lumanis—the blue creatures that drift upward to mate. Their glow helps me to see in the darkness, but my eyes would be strong enough even if there was no light at all. I use the size of my body to catch the air, steering us through the twists of branches and leaves that would splatter us into a fine mist if we were to hit at this speed. I see smoke ahead, so I let only my right hand shift enough into my panther form that my fingers gain hard, calloused pads. I use them to grab at a Loris vine and squeeze, feeling the immediate sensation of blinding heat on my palm. We slow quickly, and I am able to use the rope to dramatically alter our trajectory.

We loop through the air toward another vine. I catch it. Our speed is slow enough now that the vine does not burn and I am able to shift my hand back to its natural form. I use the vine to gently land on a thick branch that runs between two platforms. I shift some of the muscles in my legs to panther form, but not so many that Liandra will not be able to hold on, and run. It almost feels as if we move faster than we fell. The wind is like needles against my face at the speed we move. I take a massive leap when we reach the end of the next platform, spanning several dozen yards with the jump.

I land with a skid and stop. “You will wait here,” I tell Liandra.

The platform I now stand on is in ruin. It is the village we were staying in. I can only think that Altak must have found out we were taking refuge here. I clench my fists, stalking forward. But a thought grips me. I remember my pride and how it led me to foolishly leave the females of my family behind while I thought I went on to face a greater threat. So I turn back to Liandra, who, still nude, waits at the edge of the platform. By herself, with her pale skin of the stars, she looks so beautiful and fragile. I look back to the ruin of the village, seeing warriors still hacking at each other. But most of the dead wear the plain garb of villagers and most of the victors wear the green and gold of my father’s clan.

I could help them. But I could lose her. I grit my teeth, nearly roaring with frustration.

Liandra seems to sense my thoughts and she moves forward, her large eyes looking up into mine. “I will find a safe place to hide. I won’t forgive you if you let these people die. I know you can help them.”

I stroke her cheek and then nod. I know I do not have time to waste for sentimentality so I take her blessing and go. I try to ease my mind with the knowledge that I will cause too much carnage for any warriors to spare a thought for hunting stray females. When I enter the battle, they will only know fear and terror. Liandra will be safe. She
must
be safe.

I
watch
Kato charge toward the fighting, his body stretching and growing golden fur until he takes the form of a huge panther. He hits his full stride and it’s as if a jet engine is attached to his back. I can only see a gold blur streak toward the fighting. Half a second later I hear the sounds of his rage and their fear.

I don’t stand around to watch. Instead, I find the nearest building and run to it. Luckily, the home must have normally had a female inside who was close to my size. I picked out something practical from her wardrobe and put it on—a simple robe-like covering with pants beneath. Kato wouldn’t be thrilled to see me in something so modest, but I think he would rather me be inconspicuous anyway.

For a few minutes, all I can do is wait. I can hear his roar and the screams of men outside. Every time I don’t hear a roar or a scream for a few seconds, I begin to worry that something has happened to him. But then it always returns. I sit in the corner of the small building, knees pulled to my chest, hugging myself tightly. I can’t help worrying for Mira, but I know she is safer than she would be with me. Davoso likely has her stowed away in some deep ice cave, using the warmth of his naked body to—okay, Lia. Not the image I want in my head right now. I try to picture them huddled around a fire but keep seeing my sister’s naked flesh wrapped up in his. I cringe.

When did I get such a dirty mind? It must be a side effect of following around the perfect male for three days and sharing his bed.

I hear heavy footsteps and stand, expecting to see Kato covered in wounds. Except I still hear his roar and the screams outside. Shit. In what isn’t my most groundbreaking idea ever, I quickly run and hide under the bed. I spend the next few seconds cursing myself for having such a stupid idea. Right above where I was sitting, there’s a nice, big, open window. Didn’t I think to wonder why the sounds of battle were so clear from inside the building? I could’ve just hopped out the window and been in the clear.

But it’s too late. I see a pair of golden legs slowly stalking through the room. I have only seen two Umani with gold skin in my time on this planet, and one of them is still out there fighting by the sounds of it. The other. . .

The feet stop directly in front of where I lay. Then a face appears, tilted sideways and twisted with an evil smile. King Altak’s face. “You breathe so loud, starling.”

His arm snaps out and drags me from beneath the bed by my hair. Before I can scream, his other hand clamps my mouth shut. I bite his finger as hard as I can but he doesn’t flinch.

“You’re not slipping away this time.
Jungle kitten.
”

My eyebrows pull together in confusion. How does he know about that? Maybe it’s just coincidence. It could be a common term of endearment among his people. But still. . . Could he have had listening devices somewhere in this village? Maybe all over Umani? Is that how he knew where to find us?

He drags me out the back of the house and to a shuttle that waits, engine still running, at the edge of the platform. I am able to just barely glimpse a huge golden panther swipe across three warriors and knock them over the edge.

Kato. . . My eyes brim over with tears. Not for myself, but for knowing that if anything happens to me, he will never forgive himself. He will think of this as another failure. It will destroy him. I try again to scream but Altak’s hand over my mouth is like a vice.

Altak shoves me roughly in the shuttle. He throws me on the floor. Hard. My head hits the metal and my vision swims. I think I am about to lose consciousness but barely hold on. I try to stand but can’t find strength in my limbs. Apparently unafraid of what I might do, Altak takes his seat and begins to pilot the ship, not even sparing a glance for me. I clench my teeth, trying my hardest to stand but every time I manage to get a knee beneath myself, dizziness overtakes me and I slump back down.

From where I lay, I can see through the front window of the shuttle that we are going down. Really far down. It looks as if we’re about to dive beneath the endless pile of leaves and foliage of The Dead Sea where monsters of nightmare swim. I brace myself, unsure of why he would sacrifice himself to kill me, terrified of what will happen if we enter that bottomless, monster-infested pit. The leaves grow larger and larger until I can see that some of them are the size of houses. Then we plunge inside.

Except there are lights all around us. We’re in a tunnel that goes straight down. I wonder if I have lost consciousness and this is all a dream. But no, it feels too real. There must be some hidden passageway beneath The Dead Sea. The passage narrows until there must be less than an inch of clearance on any side of the shuttle. I realize this is my best chance. Altak won’t be able to afford to step away from the controls. If I can just. . . What? Distract him enough that he crashes the ship and kills us both?

I stop struggling to my feet and sigh, realizing I am at his mercy. For now. I know somewhere my Kato is coming for me. He must know already. I know he will come in all his rage and wrath and he will destroy anything that stands in his way. I just worry that there’s no way he could find this tunnel. How could he? It looked like any other part of the endless expanse of dead leaves. Altak must have had some sort of tracking device or beacon he was using. Or maybe a landmark I didn’t notice somewhere above the opening.

“Where are we?” I ask. I’m surprised by how weak my voice sounds. How hard did I hit my head?

“Your grave,” says Altak.

“If all you wanted was my death, you would have killed me by now. You want something else. What is it?”

“Clever. I’m beginning to see why Kato was manipulated by you into defying his father and rebelling against his family.”

“I didn’t trick him,” I say.

“No? You didn’t use your snatch to enslave him? My son who has always been so level-headed suddenly forsakes everything he has known to be with some soft creature from the stars? You are nothing. Your species is weak. You lived on a soft planet and couldn’t even tame that. You have no place among the Umani. You are homeless. You have no identity.”

“We made it this far on hope. Generations of my people lived knowing nothing but the hope that their sacrifices could let their children or even their children’s children live a normal life again. That’s power. That’s strength. So don’t pretend you know us or anything about us. You who uses your
strength
to capture a lone woman and threaten her. It’s you who is nothing.”

He growls, unable to turn to look at me while he still navigates the narrow tunnel. He loses the facade of calm he was trying to hold. “You’re a bitch. A slut sent by your species to fuck my son to buy your lives. That is all you are. Currency.”

“Kato chose me. He could have had any woman on that ship and he chose me. How do you explain that?”

Altak says nothing, but I hear a low growl still coming from where he sits. Finally, we leave the tunnel and enter into a large hangar. He lands the ship and rises from his seat, turning to me with clenched fists. “I think it is time that you learn a lesson. This is a lesson your clever tongue won’t save you from either. It is a lesson about strength.”

Altak pulls back his fist and I curl in on myself. Kato. . . Please find me.

W
hen I finish killing
the last warrior, my claws are covered in dried blood and viscera and I am panting. Though I am exhausted, I waste no time running back to where I left Liandra. I find her scent and follow it to a small house. Something catches my nose and I freeze. My father’s scent too. . . I follow both scents and realize his was right beside hers. Then I find a trail of smell leading behind the house. There is a vague mist of scent a few feet into the air and then nothing.

He took her in a shuttle. He took my
kouva.
I close my eyes, feeling the beast within me rising closer and closer to my conscious mind, threatening to take me over completely. Part of me thinks the only way I will reach her and save her in time is to let it happen. To let the panther become me and give myself up to it. Sacrifice my conscious mind to the beast in exchange for its power. But I know there is no returning from this. When a shifter gives himself over to the beast, he is lost.

I will sacrifice anything for her.

I let the rage take me. My anger swells, swirling and roiling within. The panther pulls at me, growing stronger with each moment. And then I feel myself growing even larger. My shifted panther muscles increasing in size and strength. The power of my senses doubles, and then triples.

My consciousness begins to slip. Instinct takes over. My last thought is that the vague puff of scent is now a clear, red-hot trail blazing through the night. I see it with my sharpened eyes and smell it with my nose. The trail winds between the trees and then plunges straight into The Dead Sea.

Nothing will stop me. I am lost as I feel myself hurtling through the night air, bounding from tree to tree with leaps strong enough to leave craters in the side of each tree.

M
y face is
bloody and my body aches from where he hit me. But I do not cry. I do not whimper. I take his punishment with the dignity that I know would make Kato proud. And I suffer it because I know for each blow and insult Altak brings down on me, Kato will repay him one thousand fold. He will make Altak bleed and beg and cry for his life.

I know he will find me somehow.

Altak paces before me, tapping a curved knife against his open palm. “You know?” he asks, pointing the knife at my eyes. His hair is disheveled from all the times he has run his hands through it and the sweat covering him. His eyes are slightly wide, almost crazed. “I should have known someone like you would come along. Kato never forgave himself for what he did. It was his fault, you know. My wife, my daughters. They died because of him. I thought that was why he rejected every female we offered him. But it was just that he hadn’t found one who was a big enough whore yet. Like you.”

I spit in his face. He pauses, shakes his head, and then licks it from his lips, laughing. “That desperate to have your fluids in me, are you?”

“You’re pathetic,” I say. “I thought you had some kind of plan for keeping me alive. But you just wanted a chance to flex your shattered ego on someone, didn’t you? Kato smashed your army, destroyed your men in the village, and now you have to run and hide from him while you stroke yourself here and try to convince me that you aren’t a failure.”

He raises his eyebrows, knife lazily trained on my throat now. “
I’m
pathetic?” he looks around, as if confused. “Are we—”

A blood-curdling roar echoes out from the tunnel behind us. I barely turn in time to see Kato in his panther form emerge. Except he’s larger than I have ever seen. He’s easily the size of the shuttle we took to get here. And his eyes are two blinding spots of gold, so bright that I’m forced to squint against their light. Something is wrong. I feel it.

Kato sees Altak and his lips pull back in a snarl. He slowly stalks toward us. I hear Altak’s knife clatter to the metal grating beneath us. “Kato. . .” he says. “You fool. . . You gave yourself over to the beast. You are lost.”

Gave himself to the beast? What does he mean?

Then Altak laughs, an unsettling high-pitched whine that ends with a barked cough. “I’m damned if I don’t join you and damned if I do. Very well. . .I’ll join you, if only so your whore can watch you die before I gut her.”

Altak crouches, his eyes going wide and wider still until it seems they might burst from their sockets. His back arcs, growing hair and his clothes split. He takes the form of a panther, but only a third the size of Kato. And then another change washes over him. His eyes grow brighter like Kato’s, except they are green. His skin ripples as new muscles grow and stretch. He throws back his panther head and roars loud enough that I have to cover my ears. Once the change is complete, he is only slightly smaller than Kato.

The two charge, locking in combat. Teeth gnash at furry flesh and paws swipe, raking long gashes in golden skin. Kato pins Altak and punishes him with a series of fierce swipes to the belly, but Altak manages to turn Kato over and use his hindlegs to land a thundering kick to Kato’s face. Three long red lines ooze blood across Kato’s eye and snout.

I want to do something to help but I know I can do nothing. In this form, they are both so large that I could stand beneath them without my head quite reaching their bellies.

Kato shakes his head, clearing it after the blow. He prowls around Altak, gaining speed and then unexpectedly sprinting in the wrong direction, away from Altak. But then I see his plan. He uses the wall to push off and surge through the air. Altak tries to leap at Kato as well, but Kato’s momentum pushes Altak backward. They struggle, paws swiping and legs kicking, heads battling for purchase. Then Kato’s teeth sink into Altak’s neck.

Altack roars in pain, claws ripping at Kato’s back. Altak manages to free himself from the bite but then Kato gets a paw against the front of Altak’s neck. Altak pushes with all his strength to free himself, but Kato does not relent. His muscles strain, flexing until every single line on his body stands out in sharp relief. He presses more, releasing a deep roar that sounds more like thunder. Finally, when I think Altak is about to win out, Kato’s paw jerks downward with a final exertion of power and there is a sharp crunch.

Altak’s body immediately goes limp, paws flopping out to the sides lifelessly.

Kato stands, impossibly bright golden eyes trained on me.

“Kato,” I say softly.

He does not respond. He paces around me in a slow circle, not looking away. I begin to feel like prey. I think of what Altak said. He gave himself to the beast. . . Does that mean?

Kato moves forward.

“Kato. It’s me. If you did this for me, I just want you to know that I forgive you. If you’re in there somewhere and watching but you can’t stop it. I forgive you and I love you. It’s okay.” Tears fill my eyes but I mean every word. It breaks my heart to think that he might have to watch as the power he needed to save me is the same power that destroys me. “I forgive you. I’ll always be your
kouva
.”

He pauses, an almost human look of uncertainty creeping into the panther’s face.

I step forward, placing my hand on his leg and then laying my head against the soft golden fur. “It’s okay,” I whisper.

I feel the familiar vibrations of his purring through his leg. His head comes down toward me and I know this is the end. But instead, a big, wet, very warm tongue licks me from neck to crown. My hair stays standing in a comical spike above my head. I look up at him and he looks innocently back at me.

Then he begins to shrink. It’s slow, but I watch as he reverts back to his natural form. He kneels, naked and shaking. His body is badly injured. He looks up at me, eyes still glowing unnaturally bright. He blinks several times and his eyes return to normal. Then they soften.

“My
kouva
.”

I run to him, wrapping him tightly in a hug until I hear him grunt in pain. I realize there are deep gashes beneath my arms and I pull back. “Oh! I’m so sorry! Kato. . .”

He kisses me deeply, pulling my arms back around him.