Leopard Moon

Chapter Two

Chapter Two

Sek prowled. Even when he wasn’t in leopard form he liked to think that he still moved with the lethal grace of one. His steps ate up the open expanse of grass between the back fence and the guest house, the guest house to the main building, a massive white house modeled after a Mediterranean palazzo that served as the main body of the estate. He prowled the limits of his domain, a jungle cat trapped in an expensive cage.

The sun was setting over the water, and dusk was bringing some relief from the heat. It wasn’t as bad as it was in high summer, but Miami didn’t have seasons, it just had different degrees of heat. The calendar read November but the temperatures made a liar of it.

He entered the house through the pool-side doors, the cold air like a slap against his sweaty skin. He passed room after room as he stalked down the hallway that ended at his office. The house was empty except for him and his father's advisor. He enjoyed the quiet of not having the clan sequestered here; he was a cat after all, and cats enjoyed their solitude. But he missed Kess and rocketing around the place like a marble in a maze only served to drive home her absence. Each time he walked a hallway or turned a corner, he expected to see her, and each time he didn't was like a fistful of claws to his gut. It was why he couldn't stand to go near her wing of the house very often.

Once in his office, he poured himself a drink from the bar by the door and turned on the large plasma television to hear of the day’s events. He found he couldn’t pay attention to the bobbleheaded anchorwoman spouting off the headlines. He felt too restless to concentrate. Sek rubbed his temples and took another sip of vodka.

A knock on the open door roused him. Bomani, his father's advisor, entered and from the look on his face he did not bring good news. Sek felt his neck tighten at the thought of more disappointment. "What is it?" His voice was rough from the alcohol and the tension building inside him.

"One of the investigators thinks he found your sister."

Sek felt himself rise out of his chair, but at Bomani’s upraised hand he sat down again. "The bad news?"

"He lost her."

Sek did nothing for a moment. Then he stood and flung his glass at the wall, smashing it and spraying the wall with liquor. He did not feel any better. He wanted to give his temper free rein to overturn desks and slash leather chairs and break furniture down to component parts. But Bomani was here and watching him. He clamped down on it, feeling his teeth grind together in frustration. "How?" he managed to grit out.

Bomani relayed the investigator’s report: the confrontation with Kess, her escape, the investigator's attempts to find her before giving up and calling an hour ago. Sek made an effort to listen, but the more the clan counsel talked, the more enraged Sek became. "Why would he try and grab her?"

"I would guess he feared losing out on the bonus you offered to anyone who found her."

"The orders were to observe only. I plan to collect her myself." He was seething.

"The man got greedy, Sek."

"Idiot." Not only was Kess gone and he’d have to start tracking her all over again, but the man had dared to lay his hands on her. "Call the Eaters."

Sek saw something flicker in Bomani’s eyes at the mention of the contingent of werejackals derisively known as the Eaters of the Dead. They were killers for hire and they excelled at their profession. "I think that’s a bit…excessive? He’s only a private investigator. A simple human contractor will be able to handle the job."

He touched her. "A simple human contractor won't be…thorough enough. I want the man to suffer."

"The Eaters kill clean," Bomani admonished him.

"Unless given instructions otherwise." Sek paced, his movements jerky with barely leashed anger. "Do. It." He paused. "And do not tell my father." He waved Bomani out.

Once he was certain Bomani was out of earshot, he gave in to his rage and when he left his office later, not a single stick of furniture was left in one piece. He closed the door softly behind him. He’d leave word that he was moving into a new office in the morning.