The Hunt for Freedom

Chapter Twenty Eight

    A full contingent of battle ready warriors is ready to accompany me to my suite. Abe gets one whiff of the lust filled air and emits a warning growl. He is not my mate as of yet, but he is clearly not attempting to share me. The others lower their heads, and back down to his challenge. After training with Abe for years, no one wants to take on Abrax Kalb.

The salty night breeze has a welcome chill to it as we walk hand in hand to the house. The sun is dipping below the horizon, leaving us captivated with an exhibition of magenta streaks, mixing and swirling with clouds that hold dark golden hues, enchanting us for a brief moment of unspoiled beauty. I have so many emotions coursing through my body, this romantic scene seems to be setting the stage for a display of my not so pure thoughts.

I panic, I drop my bag, shift, and tear away from Abe. If I don't get away I don't know if I can resist the temptation to tear off his clothes and devour him. My panther is somewhat soothed by the run, but she cries out for our mate. I didn't realize we were even searching for a mate, she and I really need to communicate more. A primal scream rips from my throat. I scent Abe before I can see him. He has shifted and has given chase. Instinct would make it impossible to walk away when he hears the mating call of a feline in heat.

He nuzzles me and I give in to the pleasure, nipping at his neck while rubbing my backside against him. He bites my neck, not hard enough to hurt me, and begins to mount me. He is aroused and I can see his eyes lower and hear the guttural growl of a male cat wanting to mate. I jump sideways, and manage to break his hold. I stare into his eyes in a lust filled challenge, and I see his eyes darken. His attempts to bite my neck again in the age old mating dance of the wild cat. It is a seductive move, used to lure the female into a submissive position. No female would be forced in this situation, but the pretense is sexy. Before I can break his hold and continue the seductive dance, we are met with the sound of thunderous pounding. The ground practically shakes as four werecats approach at full speed.

Everyone shifts, and all are naked. I am thankful that Abe thought to bring me a long shirt in his bag he had tied to his leg. The male cats never seem to mind being in their naked human form, and from my vantage point, it is easy to see why. Bronze skin covers gloriously sweaty bodies that heave after the exhaustive run. I scent fear and know that they have not brought good news.

Thank the goddesses these gorgeous creatures interrupted us. The lust leaves me as fast as the anger leaves Abe when the tallest man announces, ''There are two humans at the ice cream shop!"

I immediately send out a mental message to every face I can conjure in my mind. Similar to a mental telepathy phone tree, I ask them to do the same. In their naked state, no soldier has a cell phone. After living on the island, most begin to rely on thought transferring, leveling cellular technology for the humans.

Not knowing if the mistake is innocent, or if these humans have dark motives I take Dalya with me into town. Her female presence dispels her ferocity but with her, I know I am safe. Not content to be left behind, Abe disguises himself at the grocery store adjacent to our destination. A full regimen of soldiers stay back about a hundred yards in case the situation escalates.

Dalya and I breeze into the ice cream shop, appearing to be two girlfriends stopping by for a late night treat. I send out mental messages of greeting to all the feline customers I see, asking them not to show me any differential treatment. I see nods of acquiescence all around, and I realize that they don't know what to make of these humans either.

It is a young couple, appearing as moonstruck lovers who can't keep their hands off each other. I scent their humanness, but there is something more here. It is almost like a deliberate attempt to smell human that has gone awry. The scent is overbearing, and after living with humans most of my life it is ringing all the danger bells and whistles in my mind.

I see the look on Dalya's face change to a placid blank stare. She has locked eyes with the male, instantly disabling her and rendering her a drooling pool of wasted space.

Dragons! This is not one of the ones I saw in Utah. He has long blond hair braided half way down his back. He is casual in jeans and a well worn leather jacket, his casualness would work if humans were ever allowed here. I pretend not to notice the mesmerizing eye lock, but knock into Dalya causing her to stumble. She snaps out of the spell and gains her composure in an instant. She meets my eyes, without words or thoughts, it is clear she knows what we are up against.

The proprietor of the shop cluelessly walks over to take our order. I am not sure if the female is a weredragons too, but she seems happy enough to be eating ice cream with a complete hottie. I am guessing she is one of the humans that has gone missing from the human town.

I'll just have a strawberry cone." I say, somehow managing to sound calm.

Dalya catches on, and adds, "Can I get cookies and cream? but I'll take mine in a cup"

Neither of us look at him, but rather Dalya tries to engage the female in conversation.

"I just love your sandals," she coos in her fake sweet voice that taunted me all through high school.

The female, dressed in tiny jean shorts and midriff bearing t-shirt, just stares through us, mumbling and nodding, obviously pre-programmed to look like she was having a good time with her date. Smiling and nodding still, she looks up at him, he is scowling at her but she doesn't notice. Her stare is blank, her pupils huge.

He turned to us, his hand reaching into his front pocket. His hand shoots out, throwing gold dust into the air aimed directly at us. Collectively, the local werecats recoil like a vampire in the sun. Chaos reigns momentarily as we all dodge the dust. The customers look appalled at the particles of gold that could end any of our lives. Thankfully, gold has weight so it doesn't linger in the air, within seconds the dust settles to the floor. We jump as the door slams shut. The female is still standing there, nodding and smiling, absolutely no clue that her date has run out on her.

"Catch him alive, but don't look directly at him!" I yell to the soldiers waiting just outside the shop. "I want him alive!"

The soldiers are at attention but the puzzled looks on their faces tell me everything I need to know.

"Catch who Princess?" Farsi says, his men listening intently.

The weredragon had vanished.