Darren's Surprise

Darren’s Surprise Jade Buchanan The Pridelands 1

Chapter One His pen traced madly along the wall, frantically putting down the images in his mind. He‟d long since run out of paper. He blinked, the shapes becoming out of focus. He couldn‟t quite see what he was drawing, but it didn‟t really matter. He could draw these in his sleep. The images were pouring out of him. It‟d been years since he‟d gotten this kind of inspiration. Darren wasn‟t about to lose it—wherever it had come from. He hadn‟t slept since yesterday, but he couldn‟t seem to stop long enough to even think about slowing down. Every time he drew back to take a break, he was bombarded with another image. Slowly, meticulously, he filled the walls with caricatures, roughly penned figures. He just hoped he didn‟t run out of ink before he ran out of ideas. He took time to eat briefly, then to answer the call of nature. If he‟d had more time to spare, he would have cursed the interruptions. Music played softly in the background, just at the edge of his awareness, the same fourteen tracks over and over again. He couldn‟t be bothered to change the music, it was irrelevant anyway. It was the figures that filled his mind. His arm lifted again and again, Darren couldn‟t keep up with the flickering pictures. They were changing too fast for him to keep up. He whimpered in frustration. Colors passed behind his eyelids, but he had to make do with the blue ink at his disposal. Of all the times to forget his colored inks… He was just glad he was alone for this. He‟d left his father in Calgary, despondent over Aaron‟s disappearance. Best not to think about that. He‟d come here for answers, but they would have to wait. He had to draw the figures.

**** Darren wiggled, testing the strength in the arms holding him down. Turning his head, he made room for the long, swiping tongue that was attacking the side of his neck. God, that felt good. “I want you panting for me, begging me before this is over.” The voice was low and rough, spoken beside his ear. 1

Curling his toes, Darren sighed. His head fell back, his eyes closing lazily. Something brushed his side, a hint of fur. It was soft, triggering his nerve endings and causing him to shiver in delight. The other man chuckled, sliding his palms down Darren’s sides, caressing the sensitive skin on his belly. He shifted until his head was level with Darren’s hips, then he nuzzled the skin his hands had just stroked. A rumbling, sawing noise filled the room, almost like a giant cat was lazing somewhere nearby. Darren paused when fur brushed his stomach instead of the smooth skin he’d been anticipating. What was going on here? “Do you want this?” the voice murmured. He was about to speak when a warm, velvety hand clasped his cock, squeezing in time to his rapid pulse. Darren arched his back, crying out. “Is this what you want?” Whimpering, Darren opened his eyes, trying to catch a glimpse of the other man. It was completely dark in the room, he couldn’t see anything. The man holding his shaft started to glide up and down, pressing his thumb against Darren’s slit. Stars burst in front of his eyes, almost enough to have Darren losing it completely. That was close. “Yes, baby, I think that is what you want. Come for me, I want to hear it.” Darren cried out, his body jerking with every long pull of his cock. The other man played him like an instrument, his every touch sure and deliberate. There were no hesitations, not even when he started to lick Darren’s stomach. His long tongue played with Darren’s navel, flicking in and out, a parody of what Darren wanted him to do to his ass. “You’re almost there. Yes, like that.” “Uh, oh, God, please…” “Now, come for me now.” Wordless pleas filled the room, Darren gasping and shuddering through his orgasm. He felt as if his very essence was leaving him, all because of this man above him. His shadow man. Darren panted, blinking in the darkness, trying to get a glimpse of his partner. Why couldn’t he see him? “Soon, little one. Soon.” Darren moaned, lifting his head to see that he was lying on the floor at the base of what he assumed was the couch. All he could make out was a blurry, blue-dotted monstrosity. Had to be the couch. He would never forget those giant blue flowers spread across the cream fabric. At least it used to be cream. After years of abuse by two rambunctious boys who grew up to be rambunctious men, the sofa had taken quite a beating. “And that‟s quite enough of sleepless nights for me. Where did that dream come from? Someone needs to get laid, apparently.” Tilting his neck to get rid of the kinks, he slowly sat up, conscious of the wetness that filled the front of his pants. Frickin‟ fantastic, he hadn‟t done that in years. He widened his eyes, realizing that things were blurry for a reason. Where the hell were his glasses? Wait, hadn‟t he put in his contacts this morning? Without a care for his dirty fingers, he removed his contacts, holding the clear discs in his palm. Blinking rapidly, he cursed himself silently. He knew better than to leave them in overnight. He stood up, stumbling to the stairs at the back of the cabin, bumping his shins on the couch, coffee table, and side table. Christ, that smarted! The frickin‟ cabin was only about four hundred square feet, so why did his dad have to fill it to the brim with furniture? On the way up the stairs to the loft, paper crunched beneath his feet, but he couldn‟t make out what was on the sheets. CCR was playing in the background. He had a vague recollection of hearing it last night. He stopped off at his dresser to turn off the small, battery-operated stereo. Shucking his pajama pants, he cleaned himself with a shirt lying on the ground. Sure, it wasn‟t the best option, but it was better than walking around with a constant reminder of his wet dream. He slid on a pair of faded jeans. He finally made his way to his bedside table, picking up a little green bottle. Tilting his head back, he squeezed the eye drops, cursing the liquid running down his cheeks. Seriously, the damn stuff never stayed in his eyes. He lifted the thick black frames that had been beside the bottle and slid them on his face. Stifling a yawn with the back of his hand, he surveyed the loft. A bunk bed was sidled up against the wall beside him. A single bedside table was arranged on the side closest to the stairs, nestled between the dresser and

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the bed. A large area rug was the only decoration in the middle of the room. Across from it, a very small double bed was set up, the covers strewn about as if a wild animal had slept there the night before. He tensed, spying the results of his late night. Sheets of formerly white paper littered the floor. Sketches covered the three walls. It appeared as if he‟d gone on some drawing binge last night. Picking up one piece of paper, he studied the drawing. Anthropomorphic cats sprawled along the page. A head here, a hand there, a full body just barely traced out. The next sheet he picked up had the same theme as the first. On this one he‟d focused on an ear, the pointed tip, the hint of fur shading the delicate slope. He‟d drawn the ear from the front and back and every other angle he could possibly imagine. The next sheet portrayed various tails, some rough and some more detailed. There was one covered in crescent shaped spots, and another that had a hint of stripes. Every sheet he picked up had the same theme. He‟d even used up several sheets just drawing eyes. The corners tilted up in amusement, narrowed with heat, wide with surprise. Turning his attention to the walls, he realized he‟d gone into even more detail here. A planet was stretched above his dad‟s bed, hints of trees and mountains sketched out in minute detail. Around the planet, he‟d obviously started and halted several prototypes, because small shadows of round globes circled the larger shape. He had no idea where he‟d gotten this inspiration from, but he wasn‟t going to complain. It was some of his best work recently. Apparently he only needed to come out to Bumfuck, Nowhere, to get plenty of material for his next project. The bunk bed wall and the wall by the stairs were covered with various drawings, some of his past work that had been up for years. He‟d done that over a decade ago. It‟d been so long he barely noticed it anymore. Darren scratched his belly, looking down at his chest covered only by the freckles he‟d cursed since junior high. He was barefoot, his feet peeking out from under the worn and faded jeans. They were a size too large on him—courtesy of his rebellious teenage years when he‟d been in love with a certain rapper/male model. God, that man was gorgeous. Darren sighed in remembrance. He‟d jacked off on more than one occasion to pictures of the underwear model. Hell, at least his own tighty-whiteys weren‟t showing above the waistband. Come to think of it, he wasn‟t wearing underwear. His pants were in danger of falling completely off, hanging precariously from his narrow hips. Darren sniffed, trying to remember when he‟d last had clean clothes. The jeans he‟d originally found in a forgotten cupboard set along the wall beside the stairs. He hadn‟t realized he‟d left clothes behind but he was grateful for it when his previous jeans just about stood up and demanded to be washed. Making his way down the stairs into the main room of the cabin, he looked around to see what kind of trouble he‟d gotten into out here. His dad was going to tear a strip off him. He was still mad about the two walls in the loft, and Darren had done that in his teens. Directly across from him were more anthropomorphic cats, drawn up and around the front door. Hell, he‟d even drawn on the back of the door itself. He was so screwed when his dad saw this. Cats of every species… some covered in stripes, some in spots, some furry with tufts of fur along their cheeks. The majority of them resembled lions, though, sleek and beautiful cats. With one single big cat front and center dwarfing the others. Make that cat men, since every one of them was anatomically correct, especially the large lion creature in the center of the wall. He blinked, impressed despite himself. He‟d definitely been more than generous when he‟d been shading in the cats‟ nether regions. Good on him, it‟d obviously been way too long since he‟d been laid. No way would he get away with that in a movie. Lordy, he still considered himself lucky every time he got a job on another film. The last thing he needed was for some bigwig to see this display and he‟d be laughed out of Hollywood for being a perv. Not that there weren‟t a fair share of pervs in Hollywood, but he prided himself on being above the rest of the riffraff. He turned to view the wall to his left, behind the ragged couch. The two windows interrupted the mural, but it was still impressive.

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A massive warship sat high within a galaxy of stars. He‟d paid special attention to each constellation, meticulously drawing every tiny detail. This was by far his best work. The warship was shaded intricately with blue ink, each hatch set apart from the sleek lines of the ship. What appeared to be weapons stood out from the simple style of the rest of the craft, bulging along the sides and at the front. The entire top of the ship was open, the hint of glass reflecting back at him. Shapes were present behind the glass, but he couldn‟t quite make them out. “Not bad,” he murmured. “A race of alien beings inhabiting a large planet. A ship carrying space explorers from Earth crash lands. Suddenly the cat-like aliens take the humans prisoner, binding them and using them as slaves.” He snorted, laughing at himself. “Yeah, sounds familiar. Planet of the Apes, anyone? Strike one for Darren. Although it wouldn‟t be too bad to be used as a sex slave by some of these big guys. Talk about wishful thinking.” Pacing to the kitchen tucked in on the opposite wall, he searched for something else to eat or drink, finally grabbing a can of soup from the cupboard. “Breakfast of champions. Who doesn‟t want to eat mushroom soup for breakfast?” It was completely gross, but beggars couldn‟t be choosers. There was absolutely nothing edible in the place. Mike was supposed to come up soon to bring him his groceries—looked like it couldn‟t happen a minute too soon. He might just kiss the man square on the lips if it meant he could eat something other than soup. Upending the can into a saucepan, Darren placed it on top of the wood stove. Checking the wood, he decided the stove could probably use another log. He paced around the room waiting for his soup to heat up. “Okay, no alien race. What about an urban fantasy type of society? One where cats evolved instead of monkeys? Would it still be urban fantasy if it wasn‟t about humans?” Darren scratched his belly again while he pondered the question. “Okay, no urban fantasy. Uh, shapeshifters? Hidden on a secret island out in the Pacific. They were once joined to the mainland, but a massive earthquake separated the two land masses. A band of anthropologists stumble upon the island while they‟re searching for the lost civilization of—” Darren broke off to rescue his soup before it burned. Spooning some into a bowl, he sat down on the couch, balancing the bowl on the arm. “Okay, too much like Atlantis for my liking. How about no humans? Hell, humans are overdone in movies anyway. Cats, cats, cats…” he murmured, lost in thought. “Oh, fuck it. I‟ll think up a storyline later.” Darren stared blankly at the coffee table in front of him. Aaron had insisted they bring it, even though the damn thing had been a major pain in the ass to haul up to this place. Aaron. The reason he was here. Darren sighed, rubbing the aching pain in his chest. Where was his brother? Aaron had come here two months ago, desperate for some peace and quiet. Darren hadn‟t thought anything of it until he‟d gotten the phone call from his dad that Aaron hadn‟t come home. Aaron had only booked a week off for vacation, so Darren just figured the poor guy had taken a longer break from the office. God knew Darren couldn‟t figure out how Aaron put up with all the office crap he did. He would have gone nuts years ago. But then again, the two brothers had always gravitated toward different things. It was what made them the best of friends. They both had their own interests, but they were always eager to share every experience they had. Darren had never kept secrets from Aaron, and he prided himself on the fact that his younger brother had always confided in him. Hell, Darren was the first one who ever found out Aaron was more interested in the same sex. Of course, Darren had been out for years by that time, but it was still nice that his brother had come to him. Where the hell was Aaron now? Darren hadn‟t wasted any time to come up north as soon as his dad told him what happened. He was fully prepared to kick Aaron‟s ass when he arrived, assuming that Aaron had just decided to take a few more days vacation. Didn‟t explain why he wasn‟t answering his satellite phone, but maybe his brother was just more tired and worn out than he‟d thought. When Darren had arrived at the cabin, it was completely empty. Well, not quite. It was full of Aaron‟s stuff, the overnight bag he‟d packed, the extra gear for hiking. Food filled the cupboards, freeze-dried packages that Darren had curled his lip up at. 4

But Aaron was nowhere to be found. Darren had panicked, calling everyone he could think of—starting with the cops. The RCMP had come in pretty quickly since they were stationed out of Fort Nelson, and he‟d filed a Missing Persons Report with them. They‟d sent in a trained Search and Rescue dog team but they hadn‟t found any sign of Aaron. They finally had to call the search off, but Darren couldn‟t just go home for fear that one day Aaron would walk back into the cabin. The last he‟d heard from the police was when they asked him to let them know immediately if he heard from Aaron. He had a feeling they meant that to reassure him, but he‟d seen the looks on their faces. They all probably thought Aaron was dead. His cousin Mike had come up immediately when he‟d called him, dropping everything to be here. He‟d lasted exactly a week to help out with the search before he‟d gotten tired of the quiet and returned to Fort Nelson. He‟d made the trip back to the cabin two weeks later, bringing Darren food and catching up on any news. Not that there‟d been any news. Hell, he‟d been here without a single visitor except for Mike. He was due to come back soon. The second two week period was almost up. Darren had been here for a solid month by himself. He just wanted to know where Aaron was. Hell, if Aaron had gone off with some boy toy while Darren was pacing the floors of this rustic cabin, he‟d kill his brother. But he was seriously afraid that there was something wrong. Anything could have happened to his brother. He could have gone hiking and lost his footing somewhere. He could even now be lying at the foot of some gully, screaming for help, but unable to move. If he‟d travelled farther than the SAR team had gone, they may have missed some sign of him when they‟d conducted the search. Maybe Aaron had been mistaken for a moose and shot out in the forest. Okay, maybe not a moose. Hell, a Sasquatch could have gotten him for all Darren knew. Aaron could even now be the sex slave of some giant hairy beast. It wasn‟t like Aaron to leave without letting them know he was okay. He‟d never done this before. And if something had happened to him, it didn‟t explain why the RCMP search team hadn‟t found a single shred of evidence that he was in the area. They may not have that twin radar, seeing as they‟d been born years apart, but sometimes Darren and Aaron just knew things. Like the time Darren had gone to get his ear pierced and Aaron had felt anxious right around the time Darren was waiting for the needle to be pushed in. The earring hadn‟t lasted long before Darren had removed it, but the bond he and Aaron shared wouldn‟t end that simply. They had a connection, maybe it wasn‟t as strong as a twin thing, but they were closer than every one of his friends were with their siblings. He didn‟t know what he‟d do without his brother. Darren sighed, his soup forgotten. He lowered his head, bringing up his hands to rub his face. Aaron was okay, wherever he was, Darren just knew it. So, where was his brother?

Chapter Two Durai Steinsson stood quietly on the bridge of his ship, the Azarnaz. He was aware of the movement of his pride around him, but they left him alone for the moment. He studied the small planet in front of him. It looked innocuous enough, but he wasn‟t going to take any chances. It was different from his own planet Felid. The Leos made their home on Felid, glorying in the tall grasslands and sparse mountain ranges. They didn‟t have as much vegetation as some of the other planets, but he was accustomed to his surroundings. He liked the grasslands, he felt at home there. He found it strange that this section of the planet was so forested. They had come in close, rounding to the north side of the globe. He‟d been speechless as they made their way around the planet Aaron had called Earth. There were so many different habitats. It looked as if someone had taken all the Felidae planets and thrown them together into a single globe, with a few very different places added in. This particular area was apparently where Aaron made his home and it was also where he was taken from. “Durai, I have the records you asked for.” Durai turned at the interruption, spying his sister to his right. Zula was a large female among the Felidae , her tawny fur covered sleek muscles. Beige cloth wrapped around her chest and hips, her ever-present knife strapped to her right thigh. Zula‟s tail was currently swishing back and forth, a clear sign of her nervousness. They were all a little keyed up about this. No one liked landing on an unfamiliar planet. Only two other Felidae ships had come to this place, as far as he was aware. The first belonged to the heir to the Felidae leadership, Laithe Gatti. He‟d arrived on Earth to rescue his mate, a human. She‟d been tortured by barbaric 5

means and Laithe had only her protection in mind when he landed. The other was a lone Tigris who had captured Aaron. He was the reason they were returning now. If it wasn‟t for the small human, Durai wouldn‟t set foot near this place. “What did you discover, Zula?” “They will not be able to detect us if we come in low. This area of land is not currently being watched, although we must be careful to keep north of this point. The humans have a defence system in place, and we do not want to trigger it.” Her voice was lyrical, completely at odds with her tough appearance. She‟d always hated her voice, although he didn‟t know why. It was pleasant to his ears. He flicked his ears now, studying the schematic she held in front of her, working and reworking plans in his mind. They couldn‟t afford for anything to go wrong. “Okay. We will do it that way. Be prepared for any situation when we land.” “We are almost there, Durai,” sounded a deep, resonating voice to his left. His brother, Rais, manned the controls, peering intently at the planet ahead of them. Rais was powerfully built, similar in lines to Durai‟s own figure. The two men were tall, possessing the sleek tawny pelt of their Leo parents. A golden mane framed Rais‟ face, the tips of his ears poking out. It was the only difference between the two men. Durai possessed a mane made up of golden brown fur, with some strands darkening to a lush dark chocolate color. Actually, that wasn‟t the only difference between them. Without thought, Durai brought his hand up to his right cheek. Disgusted with himself, he lowered his arm, hoping none of his pride had noticed his betraying movement. If they had, they were smart enough to pretend otherwise. Durai nodded. “Achan, alert the others.” His youngest brother immediately jumped up from his chair, stumbling over the legs before he righted himself. Durai shook his head, chuckling. Achan was barely old enough to join them. This would be his first mission. Durai wasn‟t entirely sure if Achan was ready for it, but the younger man had to start somewhere. Achan thundered down the stairs. Rais winced, waiting until he was out of earshot before commenting. “Seriously, that boy needs to learn how to walk quieter or he‟ll never learn how to hunt.” “He‟ll learn in time. As I recall, you didn‟t take too well to hunting the first time. Or was that not you who startled an entire herd of dher into running in the opposite direction?” Zula snickered, ignoring the threatening glare Rais sent her. “I don‟t believe we ever have to mention that again, Durai.” “Fine, keep quiet about the skills of our brother, and I‟ll never speak of it again. Maybe.” Durai smiled, completely taking advantage of the rights of the eldest sibling. It was his pleasure to tease them all. He loved having his family around him, and the other members of his pride fit right in with his brothers and sister. It was his duty as pride leader to watch out for them, to guide them, to listen when they had something to add. It wasn‟t easy being pride leader, but Durai had been chosen from birth to join the ranks of the fiercest and most diplomatic of Leos. It wasn‟t always about might, and who was the strongest. The current Appaliunas, the father lion, valued diplomacy more so than any ruler before him. He had brought up his son, Laithe, to follow in his footsteps. Durai had known since he was a cub that his closest friend would be the next Appaliunas. The two men had grown up together, had fought together, had taken their test to become pride leaders at the same time. If there was one man outside his family that Durai respected and cherished the most, it was Laithe. It just went to show how small this universe really was. Laithe had found his mate here on Earth. A little human named Rowan. Durai had met her, and she suited Laithe. She was exactly the type of woman he had always imagined his friend would bond with. Well… except for the fact that she had no fur. She was completely unprotected from the elements. Her skin was tender and fragile. Durai shuddered at the thought of being born so helpless. She didn‟t even have claws. Instead her nails were small and brittle. Terrifying thought. “We‟re almost home?” A small man barrelled onto the bridge, followed closely by two Felidae. The man was hairless, a tiny wrap his only clothing. The fur on the top of his head was red, and the bottom half of his face was covered with a bushy beard. “This isn‟t your home anymore,” a spotted man growled. Morgan was one of the Pardus, similar to the Leo, but possessing tawny fur covered in crescent shaped black spots and lacking the mane that set the Leo apart from the others. They normally resided on Seren, their home world, but Morgan was one of the rare Pardus who chose to live on Felid with the Leos. 6

“Take it easy, Morgan. It was a slip of the tongue.” “Mmmm, speaking of slip of the tongue…” Aaron laughed, darting out of Morgan‟s reach. Durai turned away from them, uncomfortable despite himself. He didn‟t know what it was about the small human, but Durai could hardly take his gaze off him whenever he was in his presence. It wasn‟t right. One didn‟t lust after someone else‟s mate. It just wasn‟t done. He needed to get over this or he‟d be challenged for daring to break up a mate bond. “So, that‟s it? Aaron‟s home world. I don‟t really remember much about it the last time we were here. Laithe had us all so frantic we couldn‟t think of anything except rescuing Rowan.” Durai turned his head to see Lev Gatti standing at the window. Durai wasn‟t as close to Lev as he was to his older brother, but he‟d learned quite a lot about the other man recently. Lev was the newest pride leader among the Leo, taking after his big brother. He was also the mate of both Aaron and Morgan. Durai shrugged, uncomfortably aware that he‟d been watching Lev‟s mate. The other Leo would challenge him for sure if he knew Durai had been dreaming of Aaron lately. It wasn‟t anything he was proud of, and it couldn‟t mean what he wanted it to mean. Aaron already had a mate. He wasn‟t Durai‟s to claim. If Lev didn‟t kill him for dreaming about his mate, Morgan would more than likely finish the job. “Yes, that‟s the place. We are aiming for the large body of water front and center. The details Aaron gave us show that his former abode is north of the lake. If we can enter undetected, it should give us enough time to get Aaron to his family before we encounter any other beings.” “Thank you, Durai. I don‟t think I said the words, but I really appreciate what you‟re doing for us. I know it wasn‟t easy, but we just couldn‟t ask Laithe to bring the Shahnaz here with the pride.” “I admit I was surprised when you asked. I would have assumed Rowan would want to visit her planet again.” Lev jerked his tail, the Leo equivalent of a careless shrug. “She said she wasn‟t ready to come back yet. That there was no need for her to return. She wasn‟t as close to her family as Aaron is. Plus, Laithe wasn‟t ready to leave Felid again after being away for so long. Our mother was threatening to go berserk if she didn‟t get some time to spend with her cubs again. She doesn‟t like all the things that have been happening lately.” “True, I can understand her need to spend time with her new daughter.” “Speaking of family, how are things with Achan coming?” Both men snorted, turning to view Achan coming up the stairs. He was being pushed up by the hard, clamping hand around his neck. Achan‟s shoulders were hunched, attempting to ease the pressure. “I swear, I didn‟t mean to, Khalid. It was an accident.” Khalid rumbled, his only response. He let go of Achan once they reached the bridge. Durai sighed, studying his two brothers side by side. Khalid looked angry but he wasn‟t furious. Okay, so not bad… it could definitely be worse. Durai paced over to study both men. “What happened now?” “Your brother was in my room again. Uninvited.” Khalid‟s voice rasped out, a harsh and grating sound. He didn‟t use it much, but then again, he didn‟t need to. His size was normally enough to cow anyone in his path. “He‟s your brother too.” “Not when he comes into my room uninvited.” Achan struggled to be free. Beside his brother, he looked tiny, although he was only a smidgen smaller than Durai and Rais were. And they weren‟t undersized men by any means. Khalid was just simply massive. Khalid was the one Steinsson sibling who was easy to distinguish from the rest. He was the perfect compliment of his mother and father. Khalid‟s fur was a tawny gold, highlighted with a hint of orange. Golden markings, a shade darker than his fur, covered his body from head to foot. They set him apart from everyone else on the ship. The sparse mane around his head was what set him apart from his Tigris family. Although he didn‟t have much to do with them. Of course, Khalid‟s mother was Tigris, one of the fierce and intimidating Felidae who inhabit Himalay. They were larger and more dominating than all the other Felidae but their isolationist policies ensured they would never challenge the Leos for rule over the other clans.

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Khalid shared the same father as the rest of them, but he hadn‟t always lived with them. His time apart was only remembered when he did something like this. The rest of them were used to being interrupted and constantly having others around. Khalid liked to be alone. Khalid never admitted what happened to him on Himalay, but Durai was sure he was affected by something. At times, the strangest expression would cross his face, as if he were remembering something both great and painful at the same time. “We don‟t have time for this. We‟ll be landing in minutes. Settle down somewhere.” He turned away, pausing. “Achan, find a place on the opposite end of the ship from Khalid.” He ignored the grumblings behind him. His shoulders were tense. He didn‟t know why, but icy fingers ran up his spine. Something was going to happen soon. He just didn‟t know what. Ignoring it and his pride for the moment, Durai set about preparing to land. Keeping one eye on the large body of water, he instructed Rais to set down just north of it. There was a clearing up ahead, not large, but it was enough room for them to land the Azarnaz. They set down without a hitch, his pride immediately moving around. “Are we late to the party?” Two voices rang out at the same time. If you didn‟t know them, you‟d think it was one person speaking. Durai huffed out a breath, shaking his head at his two errant pride mates. Griffin and Mazin Bolen strode onto the bridge, in perfect unison. They were identical in every way, right down to the spots covering every inch of their bodies. With one exception. Griffin possessed eyes of the darkest amber, deep and penetrating, while Mazin‟s were the color of the night skies, an unfathomable indigo. “Please explain to me why the two of you were not on the bridge when I expressly asked for all pride members to be here for every landing?” Durai growled, low in his throat. Griffin had the grace to appear humble, bowing his head in respect, but Mazin merely grinned. It was he who spoke. “Sorry, Durai, my fault. I didn‟t want to get out of bed, and you know how Griff likes to keep the peace. The poor guy was only trying to help.” “One of these days, the two of you will meet your matches, and you‟ll regret every bit of trouble you‟ve caused me over the years.” Mazin snorted. “There won‟t be any match unless she chooses Griff and I both. We come as a team, isn‟t that right?” Griffin nodded, keeping silent. It was probably easier for him to let Mazin talk. It was hard to get a word in edgewise when he got started. “All right, everyone knows the drill. We have three new men with us today, but that isn‟t an excuse for not following orders.” He nodded to Aaron, Lev and Morgan while he spoke. “We work as a pride, we stay together. You will be vigilant for any and all humans, animals and anything out of the ordinary. Is that --” “How will we know what‟s out of the ordinary?” Durai glared at Mazin. “If you don‟t know, follow Aaron‟s lead.” “You really expect us to follow the lead of a human runt who is weaker than all of us?” Lev and Morgan both snarled, stepping forward. Mazin laughed, holding his hands up. “Kidding! Just wanted to see what it would take to get a rise out of the two of you. You know, Lev, you used to be a lot more easygoing. Way more fun to hang out with before you got all serious and became a pride leader. Now you‟re starting to act like old stick in the mud here.” He smirked, pointing at Durai. Durai raised his hand, rubbing along his forehead. “Mazin, enough, before I give you a new opening in a very uncomfortable place.” “Sorry, Durai, you know I‟m not into men.” He danced out of the way of several swiping arms. That remark had hit close enough for several of the pride members to find it offensive. “Move out, before I leave you on the ship.” As one, the pride left the Azarnaz behind, stepping carefully into the vegetation. “The only thing I can compare it to is Kanad. This is the strangest place. I can‟t even detect any animals around us, human or otherwise.” Lev sniffed the air beside Durai, ignoring the look his—very human— mate sent him. “It wasn‟t like this when we came for Rowan.” Aaron sniffed. “Of course it wasn‟t. You found Rowan in a city, Vincent, and this,” he gestured wildly, “is nowhere near the city.” “Aaron, do you have any idea how far away from your abode we are?” Durai paused, surveying the land around him. They had left the clearing behind, entering a treed area. 8

Leafy green vegetation littered the ground at their feet, clinging to the trees around them and shooting up into the sky. The air smelled off, like it wasn‟t entirely clean. Whatever it was, it was almost enough to singe his sensitive nostrils. “Uh, I‟m not all that familiar with this area, even though we‟ve been coming here for years. I think I know where we are, though. If we continue in a northwest direction, we should be able to find it. There will be marked paths getting closer to the cabin. Like I said, we‟ve been coming here every summer for more years than I can remember, and I have family that lives close by. They come here all the time to hunt and trap.” “Hunt and trap what?” Lev asked. Aaron froze, the little red tufts of hair above his eyes rising almost comically. “Uh, animals. Just animals. I-I… it doesn‟t really ma-matter what kind. You wouldn‟t be familiar with them anyway.” His voice was pitched high, his movements definitely agitated. Every eye was on him now, they must all be as curious as Durai to find out what would cause the human to react that way. He was trying to hide something, no doubt about it. A hiss sounded to their right, they all swung toward it, crouching down. A creature stepped into the light, shocking them all. It looked like them, but it walked on all fours. Long and lean, with a thick tail, it was even the same color as the Leo. Baring its teeth, the creature hissed again, sending a strong and obvious threat display. Durai crouched down to the creature‟s level. He stared the creature down, yawning widely and displaying his own threat. “What is it?” Lev whispered. “It‟s a cougar. One of the big cats.” The cougar shook his head, staring them down before turning and loping off. What a strange and different world. He‟d never imagined finding such an animal. So like them, but so different. No wonder the humans had been shocked when they were first introduced to the Felidae . Durai was almost afraid to find out what other surprises were in store for him.

Chapter Three Darren tilted his head back, studying the pattern on the ceiling for about the zillionth time. Yep, definitely the same as the last time he‟d looked up. He was bored. Bored, bored, bored. Closing his eyes, he brought his hands up to rest against the soft cotton of his T-shirt. It was a little tight, yet another reject from his teens. He was embarrassed that he could still fit into the thing—even though he‟d never be caught dead in it out in public. Darren didn‟t think he‟d ever be grateful for being alone up here until he‟d put the worn tee on. He wouldn‟t have been as bored if he‟d actually kept a sheet or two of paper, but nooo, he had to go and draw on all of them. Now the only available surfaces in the whole cabin were the bath area and the kitchen counters. He‟d really rather not draw in the john, and he‟d already tried drawing on the counters. Apparently it wasn‟t the right surface for his pen. Why, oh why, hadn‟t he brought his colored inks? Of course, this would all be better if he‟d been able to bring his laptop, but he honestly hadn‟t expected to stay here for very long when he‟d first arrived. If he had known he‟d be here for a month, he would have planned ahead. It was definitely a good thing he worked in a job that was flexible. His butt would have been fired long ago for missing this much work. It was one of the perks of being an animator—you were technically always on the job as long as you had some kind of writing tool in your hand. Darren blew out a breath, lifting his wrist to check his watch. Well, looked like it was time for a change in locations. He was getting tired of sitting on the couch. He‟d call Mike in the morning on the sat phone and ask him to bring up a few more paperbacks and a whole stack of paper. The satellite phone was his only link to the outside world at the moment. The last time he‟d used it was to call his father and let him know there was no progress. His dad thought he was an idiot for staying up here alone, he wanted Darren to just accept the fact that Aaron was gone. Darren knew his father was merely grieving in his own way, but he couldn‟t let himself believe his brother was gone. Aaron would return, eventually. Darren just knew it. He jogged to the stairs, taking the steps two at a time. Reaching the top, he wandered over to his dresser, sorting through the small stack of books. Hmmm… which book hadn‟t he read about ten times already? 9

“Hello?” The voice was accompanied by a hard knock at the door. Darren froze, holding the book aloft. Was that…? “Is anyone here?” He was almost afraid to move. The voice sounded chillingly familiar. Was he finally losing his mind? Had he spent too many days staring at the ceiling? “Seriously, there has to be someone here, the cabin is definitely occupied. Would you just let me go inside and check?” For a minute, Darren actually thought the person was talking to him, but he was jolted when a second voice joined the first, murmuring quietly. Okay, that was weird. Darren tilted his head. If he was insane, would he make up one companion or several? “I can smell the human inside, his scent is strong.” Okay, now that was mean. Did that guy just imply that he stunk? His imaginary friends could just kiss his ass, because he wasn‟t going to have anything to do with them now. Darren snorted. “Okay, I‟ve definitely gone over the edge. What the hell is wrong with me?” “Dare? Mike? Dad? It‟s Aaron. Are you in there?” “Aaron?” he whispered to himself. Someone knocked on the door again. Darren jerked, startled. Slowly walking forward, he reached the edge of the loft. He leaned forward, staring over the banister to study the front door. He held his breath, hardly believing. “Okay, whoever is in my cabin, I‟m coming in. If you have a shotgun, please don‟t shoot.” Anxious murmurs sounded outside but they were too low to carry inside to where he was standing. The doorknob turned slowly. Swinging open, the door revealed a single man, bushy haired and all mountain manish with a great big red beard. Well, except for the fact that he‟d never seen a mountain man wearing a loincloth. Jesus, Mary and Joseph, was that actually Aaron? Whoa, wearing a loincloth? The man in the doorway paused, gasping at his first sight of the room. He stepped forward, ignoring the door that silently swung shut behind him. Lurching to his right, Aaron placed his hand directly against the wall where the ship was drawn out in detail. Darren cried out, turning swiftly and stumbling to the stairs. He tripped on the top step, managing to right himself halfway down with a desperate grab of the railing. Aaron had turned to face the stairs at the noise, frozen with one hand against the wall. “Aaron?” Darren shot forward, grabbing Aaron around the waist, holding him tight. Aaron‟s arms came up around Darren‟s shoulders, pressing them together. They slid to the floor, both of their legs giving out at the same time. “Oh God, I knew, I just knew you were okay—” “I‟m here, it‟s okay, I‟m fine. I can‟t believe—” “I mean, you were gone and I didn‟t know where you were—” “You‟re here, why are you here?” Their words tripped over each other, rising and lowering until it sounded like they had one voice. Darren couldn‟t let go of his baby brother, holding him tight enough to crack ribs. He buried his face in Aaron‟s neck, inhaling. His brother was safe, Aaron was here. “Where the hell were you?” he thundered, pulling back to glare at Aaron. “Don‟t you know what a shower is?” “Oh, no you don‟t. Don‟t even try to turn this around on me.” “It almost worked.” Darren shook his head, beaming big enough that it would probably hurt afterward. “It wasn‟t even close to working, naked man. Haven‟t you ever heard of clothes?” “Speaking of clothes, the 80‟s called and that era wants their T-shirt back.” “God, I missed you.” They leaned into each other again, hugging tightly. “Me too, Darren, me too.”

10

They finally released their death grips, pulling back to study the other. Darren reached up one hand to brush against the growth on Aaron‟s face. “I like it. Didn‟t think you‟d ever go for one of these, but it suits you.” “Yeah, Lev and Morgan wanted me to grow it.” He paused when Darren slapped the center of his chest. “Uh…” “Lev and Morgan?” His mouth was probably hanging open like a guppy, but Aaron had some explaining to do. The door behind Aaron swung open again. Shadows filled the entrance, he had to squint to see them. Aaron pulled back, standing up. He lifted one hand to fiddle with the arm of his glasses. Darren stood slowly, trying to breathe through the sudden tightness in his chest. “I believe that‟s our cue to enter.” The man‟s voice rumbled, that was the only word for it. It was pitched low, but it instantly captured Darren‟s attention. A man stepped forward. Okay, now he knew he was losing his mind. That wasn‟t a man. “Holy crap.” He staggered back a step, staring in shock at the cat man in the doorway. The man was surrounded by Darren‟s drawings and for a moment he actually thought one of them had stepped off the wall and entered the room. Tall—well over a foot taller than he and Aaron—the cat guy was completely covered in fur. From his head, surrounded by a mane of coarse hair, down to each toe on his feet. He had a loincloth around his hips, similar to Aaron‟s, but there the similarity ended. He was obviously muscular, with the beautiful “I work outdoors” type of muscles that Darren had always liked. He wasn‟t a gym person himself so he never exactly trusted those types. Run on a treadmill? He‟d rather poke his eye out. “Dare, I want you to meet Lev. It‟s a long story, but he rescued me, along with his family. And Morgan. He‟s the one standing behind Lev.” At his words, another man stepped forward. This one was different, with short, thick fur in a golden brown, and every inch of his body was covered in spots. Large, black crescent shaped spots. He was sleeker than the first man, and his tail was jerking madly. Whoa… he had a tail. Darren tilted his head, studying the appendage. The images from last night flickered through his mind again. He hadn‟t quite gotten that right. Swiveling his head from side to side, he desperately looked for something to write on. His fingers were itching to hold a pen. He grabbed up the blue pen he‟d been using earlier, stumbling to the front wall beside the door. There was about a square foot of unmarked wall near the floor. Crouching down, ignoring the looks the three men were giving him, he pursed his lips. Almost without thought, he brought the pen forward, keeping his eyes on the spotted tail beside him. He worked in brisk motions, small strokes that started to trace out the tail. Holding his tongue between his teeth, he delicately shaded the tip of the tail. He hadn‟t quite gotten the shape of the spots right. They were angled… there, like that. Leaning back, he studied the wall, wrinkling his nose in concentration. That looked better. “Mates, meet my absent-minded brother, Darren. As you can see, he‟s an artist. And a damn fine one too.” Darren grinned up at his brother, finally standing up. “Sorry, but I didn‟t have it quite right.” “How is this possible? I know you‟ve never met these guys before, right?” “I don‟t know how to explain it. I fell asleep in the afternoon yesterday. I woke up and I had these images in my head. It was like they were beating at the inside of my mind. I needed to get them out. I started drawing and this is what happened.” “Dare, dad‟s gonna kill you.” Darren sighed, exasperated. “I think the fact that you‟ve been missing for over two months will kind of trump the fact that I wrote on the walls a bit.” “A bit? You covered every inch of the main floor!” “Uh… and—” “The loft too? Oh, you‟re in so much trouble.” Aaron grinned madly. “Are you two always like this?” Darren glanced up, it was Morgan who‟d spoken. He had stepped forward to stand beside Lev, the two men towering over him and Aaron. “Uh, like what?” 11

“It‟s weird. I knew you two were close, but I don‟t think I expected your bond to be similar to the bond I have with the pride. I like it.” Lev smiled at them. At least, Darren thought it was a smile. He was showing a lot of teeth. He laughed openly now. “I also like how you‟ve blessed us with some very nice equipment.” Darren blushed, embarrassed to have their attention go back to his anatomically correct cat men. “Yeah, that‟s, uh, yeah.” He rubbed the back of his neck with one hand sheepishly. A heavy footstep sounded near the door. Darren wrenched his head up, studying the new addition coming into the room. He was built similarly to Lev, big and bulky. He kind of looked like a cross between a human and a lion, but it wasn‟t terrifying like most people would assume. He looked like he was close to seven feet tall, and man, were his shoulders ever wide. His mane was a mix of both dark brown and golden strands, surrounding his face like a thick head of hair. His face had the shortest, silkiest looking fur he‟d ever seen. Almost made Darren‟s fingers itch to caress the strands to see if they were really that soft. The hair on his face lightened to a soft white around his mouth, giving him the appearance of having a beard. His nose was flattened, definitely more lion-like than the normal human nose. Above it, his eyes—one amber and one white—were set amidst the silky fur. The man had his gaze locked on Darren, an inscrutable look on his face. Darren gasped. Never mind what he‟d said earlier, this man looked like he‟d stepped right off the wall. It was his lion man, the one he‟d spent hours drawing and redrawing. The one that was front and center on the wall the man was now standing in front of. Darren stumbled forward, compelled by something outside of him to get closer to the stranger. The man‟s gaze was steady on him, but Darren‟s eyes moved constantly, cataloguing each feature, comparing them in his mind to the images he‟d seen. He had gotten the lion guy perfect, right down to the slashing scar that started at his right temple and ended along his cheek, bisecting his right eye. The eye itself was milky white. The scar set him apart as easily recognizable, but Darren liked it. It gave him history, almost like he had a weight to him now that the others didn‟t. Here was a man who knew death intimately. He didn‟t know where that thought came from, but Darren couldn‟t discount it. The man was still staring at him, mindless of the others glancing back and forth between them. Darren didn‟t move, unwilling to be the first to break their eye contact. “Dare, I want you to meet Durai. He‟s one of the pride leaders, uh, I‟ll explain that later. But he is the one who helped us get here. Durai, this is my brother Darren.” Durai seemed to shake himself out of whatever he‟d been thinking about. He nodded his head at Darren, remaining silent. Darren took his cue from the larger man, inclining his head in turn. Aaron spoke again. “Right, so… explanation time?”

Chapter Four Durai could barely breathe. He was in a state of shock. The man standing in front of him was simply exquisite. Everything he would have wanted in a mate. It all suddenly made sense. All the dreams about Aaron, the yearning for a deeper connection. Only it hadn‟t been about Aaron. It had been about the man who looked enough like him that they could have been twins. Darren. The man destined to belong to him. It was enough to give him an uncharacteristic nervousness. What was wrong with him? He was acting like an untrained cub, staring at the man and then not talking to him. Right, he needed to fix this. “Your abode is pleasing.” Darren‟s eyes widened. He opened his mouth to reply, seemed to think better of it, and closed it again. Wonderful, now his mate thought he was an idiot. “Yeah, it‟s okay. Would be better with plumbing and cable, but beggars can‟t be choosers.” Durai frowned, unsure what he meant by the words. “Hmm.” Darren must have taken his reply as an interested murmur, because he started talking again. “I don‟t actually live here. I mean, I do now, but I don‟t normally. Uh, I just came up here for, well, to look for Aaron.” 12

Durai nodded, stepping further into the room and closer to his mate. He realized he hadn‟t closed the door behind him and turned to do so. He froze, caught by the images facing him. Walking closer to the wall, he drew his hand down his likeness, almost expecting to see his mirror image copy his movement. His mate‟s scent intensified. He‟d moved closer. “This is incredible,” Durai whispered. He was afraid to speak any louder in case his words affected the quality of the work. This was beautiful. It had to take an incredibly gifted artist to be able to recreate something that he‟d never seen before and make it so lifelike. “Thanks, but they‟re still a rough draft. In order to get things exactly the way I‟d want them to be, I‟d need my computer and a few more hours to work on hair texture and shapes and such.” “You should not belittle your effort. I have never seen anything like this before. There are none among my people who have this skill.” “Your people?” Durai was aware of Aaron sidling over to the seating area. He lowered himself, gesturing to his two mates to sit beside him. They were silent, watching the exchange between Darren and him. If Darren was aware of them, he didn‟t acknowledge it. “I belong to a race of people called the Felidae. Among us there are many different clans. I am Leo, as is Lev. We are the rulers of the Felidae, the guardians of the rules that govern our actions. We ensure that the peace is kept between ourselves and between the others.” Darren turned to study his brother and the two men on either side of him. “So, Morgan is…?” “He is Pardus. The strongest among them are the protectors. They often serve as watchmen over the pride leaders. They are loyal and strong of heart.” “You said clans? That means there‟s more than just the two of you?” “There‟s more.” It was Aaron who spoke. “There‟s the Lynx, and they look pretty much like you‟d expect them to. It was uncanny the first time I met one of them. “The Tigris look just like big tigers, all striped out and fierce. They live on this separate planet, and they normally keep to themselves. I was taken by one of them. That‟s how I met Lev and Morgan.” “Taken?” Darren looked horrified, looking between Aaron and himself. Durai didn‟t know how to respond so he merely met his mate‟s gaze evenly. “It wasn‟t that bad, I mean at first it sucked. But I was okay, he didn‟t hurt me. I was up here alone, and I went out hiking one afternoon. It was just after lunch. Anyway, I came around this bend and Tony himself jumped out at me. I thought I was losing it, here I was expecting him to shout out „they‟re grrrrr-eat‟ and instead he takes me aboard his spaceship and drops me off on another planet. “I was supposed to be the prize in some mate hunt. Let me finish.” He held up his hand to forestall Darren as the other man opened his mouth. “Everything worked out okay. One of the men in their pride fought on my behalf and I ended up going home with Lev and Morgan. One thing led to another, and I kind of ended up with both of them.” Durai watched the expressions fly across Darren‟s face. He wasn‟t very good at hiding his emotions. Everything he was thinking was available for all to see. The shock, the slight widening of his eyes when Aaron said “both of them.” But Durai didn‟t see the one thing he‟d been looking for intently. There was no hint of disgust. He was simply shocked, nothing more. Good. “I don‟t even know what to say. What am I supposed to say to that? I‟m seriously at a loss.” “Trust me, I know, Darren. You should have seen me when I first met these guys. I wasn‟t exactly pleasant to be around. I moped around a lot, demanded to be taken home, generally acted like a spoiled brat.” “You did no such thing,” Lev smirked. “If anything, it was the lustful glances you sent our way that were the most troublesome. Morgan and I had trouble completing the simplest task because you were constantly mooning over the two of us.” Aaron gasped, hitting Lev in the stomach with his balled fist. “That‟s a lie, Vincent, and you know it.” Darren grinned. “Vincent, huh?” “Well, what am I supposed to call him? Simba?” “Would that make this one here Scar?” Darren froze, glancing up at him. Durai growled low in his throat, coughing out his displeasure. “You find it unappealing?” “No, I didn‟t mean that! It‟s just this movie, about these lions that live in Africa and they can talk and there‟s a bad guy named Scar, and he—” “So you think I‟m evil?” This wasn‟t good, not good at all. Durai had 13

thought his mate was at least tolerant of the idea of a human being with a Felidae. But if Darren saw him as this bad guy… “No, you‟re not evil, I just meant that your scar reminds me of the one that he had. That‟s all. I‟m so sorry. I didn‟t mean to imply anything else.” Darren crowded close to him, ignoring the threatening growl Durai couldn‟t hold in. The smaller man reached up with one hand, letting it hover over Durai‟s cheek. Durai twitched, wanting to move the distance to bring them into direct contact but afraid of scaring his mate. “I‟m sorry,” Darren whispered softly. So softly that he had to twitch his ears to make sure he‟d heard him. “I didn‟t mean it. Forgive me, please?” His mate‟s scent was stronger with him this close. It was intoxicating. He was getting hard just being this close to the man. Durai stepped back, fighting himself every second. He didn‟t want to overwhelm Darren. “There is nothing to forgive. I assumed that you would feel the same as some of the others I‟ve come across. I admit I can be sensitive about the…” “Scar?” “Yes, my scar.” Darren studied him, his blue eyes wide and guileless. They were the color of the sky over Felid when the sun reached its peak. A bright and cheerful reminder of his home. “I think it adds character. It gives you something… more. It makes you look strong. I like it.” “You do?” “Okay, seriously, enough already. Either go off somewhere and fuck, or leave us in peace.” Lev stepped between them, pushing Darren back a step. Durai snarled, his fangs bared. “He yours?” Lev whispered. Durai had to mentally restrain himself. He nodded brusquely. The sight of Lev between them was almost enough for him to challenge the other male outright. Maybe Lev was right, he needed a sexual release to get rid of some of this tension. “Dare, why don‟t you show me upstairs? Maybe I can borrow a pair of jeans. These guys can get the rest of Durai‟s pride sorted out and we can all sit down and have dinner or something. It‟s getting late. We should probably be looking for sleeping arrangements too.” Aaron‟s voice trailed off as the brothers started up the stairs to the second level. He heard Aaron say something about the mate bond, about knowing that Lev was the one for him, and that Morgan came as part of the package. From where he was standing beside the door, Durai could see their heads together as they reached the upper floor. It was completely open on one side, they had no privacy at all and their words were clearly audible. He shook himself, turning and walking outside without a word to anyone else. He breathed deeply, regretting his action when he got a lungful of the dirty air. He promised himself that he would spend days praising the clean Felid surroundings when he got back home. Pausing, he considered that. Would Darren be willing to leave with him? Durai couldn‟t exactly stay here. He‟d gotten the impression from both Aaron and Rowan that the humans weren‟t as accepting of others. They said that the majority of their people would react with fear and disgust if they saw them, not curiosity and friendly overtures. He would never understand these people, but he would make an effort for his mate. He couldn‟t change the fact that his mate was one of the hairless, defenceless humans. He was certainly appealing, though. So much so that Durai was uncomfortable about staying the night in the same room as his mate. He didn‟t think he‟d be able to be that close to him without attempting some form of seduction. He simply wasn‟t used to waiting.

**** Darren glanced around him, studying the men crammed into the cabin. Men and woman, he couldn‟t forget her. Durai had returned a short while after he‟d left the cabin, bringing with him a number of other cats. 14

Three of them he‟d introduced as his brothers, and Darren had nervously waved to them. One was downright intimidating with his size, but Darren was more nervous because they were Durai‟s family than anything else. He didn‟t know why, but he wanted them to like him. He wanted Durai to like him. Strange. “Your food is not the worst I‟ve ever eaten, but it comes close.” Darren turned his head at the words to see Zula, Durai‟s sister, watching him carefully. They were seated side by side on the couch. Aaron was on his other side, whispering to Morgan who was seated on the floor at his feet. “This doesn‟t really give you a good idea of what we normally eat. The cabin‟s out in the middle of buttfu… uh… the middle of the forest and it‟s pretty hard to get in and out. We have to be prepared to bring food that won‟t spoil or rot out here since the conditions are a little rugged.” “I see.” She pursed her mouth. “I would be interested to see the rest of this place. You have me curious. I have met three humans now, and I admit that I feel compelled to study your people. We have much in common, despite our far away locations. It is fascinating.” “You know, you‟re right. I didn‟t think of that, but we do seem to have some similarities. I still can‟t believe I got all those images of you guys before you even showed up. I guess that sibling bond Aaron and I share is stronger than I thought.” Zula hummed, shifting in place. She looked like she wanted to say something, but after a minute, she remained silent. “You know, I‟m exhausted.” Aaron covered up a yawn with the back of his hand. “I don‟t even know what time it is and I‟m already ready for bed.” Darren looked at his watch. It was half past ten. He was exhausted too. He still couldn‟t believe his brother was here, sitting beside him. With all these fantasy creatures surrounding the two Colemans. It seemed like a dream. Durai‟s big brother stood. What was his name again? Cal something. Calin, Calid? Oh, right, Cal-eed. The guy was simply massive. He towered over the rest of them, and his shoulders looked like they were wider than both he and Aaron combined. “I believe I will take my rest outside. This abode is too confining for me to be comfortable.” Khalid nodded to them all, gesturing for Rais and Achan to follow him. They were the only ones left, the two Pardus brothers had barely stayed for supper before they took off somewhere. Zula looked around her. “Why don‟t you take one of the beds upstairs?” He didn‟t want her to feel like she had to leave. “This is fine. I will make my rest here.” She patted the couch. “Okay, so that leaves…” Darren looked up to find Durai, Lev and Morgan studying him. “Well, Lev, Morgan and I will take the big bed. Why don‟t you and Durai take the bunk beds, Dare? It won‟t be entirely comfy for any of us, but we don‟t have much of a choice. We‟re kind of stuck with the sleeping arrangements unless we can make it back to the ship tonight.” “As much as I want to see the ship you all came in, I think it would be easier, and less hazardous, to stay here. This is a big area to get lost in and we wouldn‟t want anyone to twist an ankle, or worse, stumbling around in the dark.” The Felidae were silent, nodding their assent. “Dare, why don‟t you take Durai upstairs to get everything ready? We‟ll be up in a minute or two. We‟ll take our time, though. No worries.” Aaron shifted his eyes to Durai and back to Darren. He grinned, lifting his eyebrows twice. Darren shook his head. Great, like that wasn‟t obvious. He stood up anyway, grateful when Durai stepped behind him without any comments. Darren waited until they reached the loft and stood beside the bunk beds before speaking. “I‟m sorry about Aaron, he isn‟t exactly subtle.” He deliberately pitched his voice low, not wanting his brother to hear his words. Removing his glasses, he placed them on the dresser. He studied the floor at his feet, fidgeting, unable to meet Durai‟s piercing eyes. Durai remained silent. Darren finally lifted his chin, studying the other man. It must have been what Durai was waiting for because he grinned right before he captured Darren‟s lips with his own. Darren moaned, caught up in the exotic taste of Durai. Spices filled his mouth, along with Durai‟s tongue. It was rough, slightly raspy, just like he‟d expect a cat‟s tongue to feel like. His cock filled with blood,

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the sudden thought that he‟d like to feel that tongue smoothing along his shaft and sucking his balls making him tense. “Are we interrupting anything?” They jerked apart, panting loudly, to find Aaron and his mates standing beside them. Lev was smiling widely, but at least Morgan and Aaron had the grace to look apologetic. Durai curled his lip, exposing the hint of a single fang. Darren gulped, unable to tear his gaze away. “Uh, why don‟t I take the top bunk?” “I normally prefer the top position.” “Jesus.” He pressed a hand to his heart, feeling the rapid thump-thump caused by that statement. “This isn‟t a dominance game. I just don‟t want to see you fall out of the bunk in the middle of the night. Besides, I highly doubt you‟d be comfy up there. It‟ll be hard enough for you to even get into the bottom bed.” He was fully aware that he was babbling, but he was just thankful he could even draw enough breath to talk after that display. Darren watched Durai closely. The other man shrugged. “Yes, it will be hard. In more ways than one. I would prefer sharing your bed, but I understand the need for separation. This small sleeping pallet is barely large enough for one of us to fit on.” Lev snickered. He was bent over the double bed, pulling the sheets back. Aaron hit him in the middle of his back, hushing Lev. Durai growled at him. Lev held his hands up, chuckling. Darren took advantage of their distraction to practically fly into the top bunk. He didn‟t want them all to see how hard he was. His cock could probably hammer nails right about now. He could picture them together. Durai would be leaning over him, sliding his thick cock in and out. Making those throaty purring noises he‟d made earlier, Durai would be whispering in his ear about how good it felt. He panted, breathing deeply. He rolled over to his stomach, pressing his aching shaft into the mattress. “Darren?” “Uh, yeah, Durai?” “Soon.” Darren gasped, his cock throbbing. God, he wasn‟t sure if that was a promise or a threat.

Chapter Five Darren was having the most incredible dream. He was under a great fur blanket, and it felt like he‟d never be cold again. He snuggled into the bed underneath him, letting out a soft sigh. Inhaling, he brought the wild scent of the fur into his lungs. Wiggling his hips, he raised his ass, loving the feel of the fur caressing his bare buttocks. He blinked open his eyes, looking at the pale blue sheets under his cheek. In the space between waking and dreaming, he could swear he still felt the fur along his back, but when he lifted his head, he was alone. Where was his cat man? That felt so real. “Shhh, if you wake Darren before he‟s ready to get up, you‟ll be sorry. He‟s a real bear in the mornings.” The voice was low, but he could still hear it over the railing. “I promise to be very quiet if you‟ll help me out with something personal.” The last word was low and drawn out. “Lev, I mean it!” Aaron giggled, and rustling sounds reached the loft. That was one thing about the cabin that was hard to ignore, there was absolutely no privacy. Everything that was said anywhere in the place could be heard by everyone else. “Too late, Aaron. I‟m awake.” He turned over, lying on his back. A face appeared at his side. Darren‟s lips curved, he turned to look at Durai. “Did you sleep well?” Durai shook his head, his eyes glinting. “I couldn‟t sleep.” “Mmm, why not? Was the bed too small?” “No, my loincloth was too small to contain the evidence of my pleasure at lying near you.” Darren felt his cheeks burn hot, he tucked his head to rub one betraying cheek along his shoulder. 16

“Time to get up, Darren,” Aaron yelled up the stairs. “I‟ve made breakfast, and if you miss it, you‟ll be eating air and sunshine instead.” “Can I kill him? Seriously?” Durai chuckled, exactly the reaction Darren had been going for. He sat up in bed, swinging his legs over the side. Apparently he hadn‟t thought this one out too far ahead. Durai‟s face was now suspiciously close to his crotch, and the morning woody testing the limits of his baggy jeans. “How could you possibly sleep in these confining clothes?” Durai frowned, his lids lowering over his eyes. Darren noticed that the right lid had no scar tissue on it. Whatever had caused the injury hadn‟t torn his eye then. He wondered why the eye had gone white. Was it just from the trauma? “Yeah, they were a bit rough to sleep in. I don‟t normally wear clothes to bed, but it didn‟t exactly seem like the right time to go au naturel , when my brother and his two whatevers were in the same room.” “Mates.” “Hmm?” Darren was studying the tip of Durai‟s ear, wondering how sensitive it would be. “They are his mates. Officially. They went through a ceremony that was presided over by the Appaliunas, our leader. He also happens to be Lev‟s father, but he was present in both capacities that day.” “Wait, you mean, Aaron‟s married?” And he hadn‟t waited until Darren was there? Okay, he‟d pay for that one. Darren would have to think of something good to make up for it. Like the time he‟d “accidentally” dropped a rock on Aaron‟s foot. The nail on his big toe ended up getting infected and fell off. For months afterward, every time Aaron did the slightest thing, the stupid nail would fall off again. It was gross, but Darren felt vindicated. Anyone not familiar with them would probably think it was mean, but Aaron had deserved it. He‟d somehow talked their dad into paying him whenever Darren had to babysit him. The babysittee should never get paid, it wasn‟t fair. Their dad had made some excuse about ensuring Aaron‟s good behaviour, but Darren hadn‟t bought it. He just knew it was because Aaron had complained about Darren getting paid and not him. Ah, the joys of siblings. They were closer than anything now, but growing up they‟d had a few bumps along the way. He had enough stories to scare any first time parent about the trouble two boys could get into. “If being married is similar to a bonding, then yes, he is.” Durai reached up both hands, clasping them around Darren‟s hips. “These are uncomfortable now?” Darren just stared at him, parting his lips. Durai purred—fucking purred—and grabbed the waistband of his jeans. With one gentle yank, he ripped the denim at the waist as if it were tissue paper. Darren arched up, letting Durai slide the material down his legs. His cock slapped against his belly, leaving a smear of pre-come on his T-shirt. He was always hard when he first woke up, but this time he had a feeling that Durai‟s presence had more than a little to do with it. Durai was running the pads of his hands along Darren‟s legs. “You are so soft,” he murmured. Darren reached out, caressing the muscled chest in front of him. The super short strands were like silk. He kneaded the muscles, letting the tips of his fingers burrow into the mat of hair. He found the hard nubs of Durai‟s nipples, playing with them in teasing strokes. The sawing purr from Durai was affecting him like he‟d never imagined. It was soothing, but the vibrating sound made him want to get closer, to feel that purr against sensitive flesh. He tilted his hips again, his cock bobbing between them. “Why do you have hair here?” Durai ran the back of one fuzzy hand along the inside of his thigh, close but not quite touching his balls. Whimpering, Darren let his legs fall wide open, wordlessly pleading with Durai. “You are built very different from me. Are these sensitive?” Finally, he was touching Darren‟s sac with those furred knuckles. “Fuck, stop talking and touch me,” he panted. Durai chuckled, a darkly erotic sound. “As you wish.” He took hold of Darren‟s shaft in a firm grip, holding it for a moment before releasing it to slide his fingers up and down. “You have no barbs.” “Barbs?” 17

“You‟ll understand later, trust me.” He squeezed again, getting a firm grip at the base of Darren‟s dick, pulling up until he reached the head. “Oh, God. Don‟t stop, please don‟t stop.” Darren couldn‟t remember the last time he‟d felt this explosive. Definitely had been awhile. It was like he was a teenager again, insane with need at even the slightest arousing image. Like a picture of a man in a pair of briefs. Durai snarled. “I don‟t like any other men intruding where I‟ve staked my claim. You‟ll think of me.” Darren blinked, confused for a moment. Before he could surface from his erotic haze, Durai took all thought away from him again by palming his balls with his free hand. He squeezed, rolling them around. “Please…” “Soon, Darren. Soon, you‟ll get what you need. Yes, like that, move for me, show me how much you like it.” Darren rocked his hips, fucking into Durai‟s grip. Whimpering, he raised one hand and bit into the flesh, desperate to stifle the noise. He was dimly aware that there were still others in the cabin. “Yes, Darren, move. I like it when you dance.” Durai nuzzled Darren‟s chest, his breath hot through the fabric. He grunted, releasing Darren‟s testes to shred his shirt, letting the pieces of cotton land on and around Darren. He returned to his chest, running the edge of his canines against Darren‟s nipple. Swiping out with his rough tongue, he abraded the sensitive skin. Darren cried out, unable to silence himself. Durai was forced to grab him around the back when Darren arched, tossing his head. He was probably dangerously close to falling off the bunk bed, but as long as Durai kept touching him, Darren didn‟t give a shit. Durai trailed his tongue along Darren‟s stomach, nipping the skin beside his belly button. He dipped into the hole, flicking in and out in a crude imitation of a sex act. Darren bucked wildly, so close. “Almost there, Darren. Give it to me. Give me your passion.” Durai‟s sweet breath blew across the head of his cock, right before Durai angled his head and swallowed Darren whole. He couldn‟t hold back. Tensing, locking his knees, Darren came, crying out in broken syllables. “D-Dur, oh, ai. Plea… Du… gah!” Durai swallowed, accepting everything, milking his shaft with the convulsive motions of his throat. Flopping back, he narrowly missed hitting his head against the wall. Durai was still suckling him, using that prehensile tongue to caress the base of his shaft. Darren fisted his hands in his thick mane, pulling the hair. “Good?” “I think I died. I, huh, must ha-have died. Oh, God,” he panted. Chuckling, Durai swiped his tongue along Darren‟s sac, probably tasting the salty tang from his sweat. He half heartedly swatted at Durai, convinced the man must be a machine. Darren couldn‟t feel his toes. “I think my toes fell off. Do you mind checking for me?” A hand cradled his left foot. Suddenly, his big toe was engulfed in a wet, heated cavern. Durai sucked strongly, teasing Darren with a hint of fang. Releasing the toe with a pop, Durai nuzzled the arch of his foot. “It appears that all the toes are still intact. Would you like me to conduct a more thorough investigation?” “Oh, wow. Uh—” “You‟ll have to do it later, Durai. Darren‟s breakfast is getting cold.” Lev‟s voice sounded loud and clear from the main level. Darren bolted upright, smacking into the hairy man in front of him. “Kill me now. Seriously, just kill me.” He buried his head in Durai‟s chest, trying to hide his crimson cheeks. The blood was flowing strongly. He just knew it would be obvious he was blushing. “I‟d rather kill Lev.” Durai raised Darren‟s chin, scowling. “This abode is not large enough for all of us.” “Tell me about it.” “Well, it is a small structure, and—” “Uh, I didn‟t mean literally tell me about it. It‟s just a saying here. Oh, never mind. We should get dressed.” “I believe you are the only one who is not dressed .” 18

Darren widened his eyes, a sudden realization striking him. “You didn’t…” “No, I didn‟t, but we have time later for anything we may wish to do. Do not frown so, Darren. Your pleasure is my pleasure.” “Yeah, but I‟m pretty sure I had more fun there at the end.” “Are you so certain of that?” Durai lifted a brow, smirking. “Right, uh, dressed. We should… clothes.” Snorting, Durai grabbed him around the hips, effortlessly lifting him off the bunk and setting Darren on the ground. Grabbing a pair of jeans lying on the floor beside the rug, Darren put an extra wiggle in his movement. Swat. The hard press of Durai‟s hand smarted, and his cock gave a half-hearted attempt to fill again. Darren inhaled sharply. “Don‟t tempt me.” Grinning, he slid the jeans up his legs, watching Durai the whole time. Durai‟s gaze was glued to his limbs, studying the flesh that was slowly covered by blue denim. Darren pulled the tee over his head, choosing to go bare-chested rather than find another clean shirt. Hell, he was still overdressed compared to everyone else anyway. It wasn‟t as if they would look at him funny. Grabbing his glasses from the dresser and sending one last wishful glance at the bed, Darren started down the stairs, followed closely by Durai. “Soo, the self-professed dog person has just become a cat lover.” Aaron snickered, coming around the corner to watch them enter the main room. He‟d been in the kitchen area. “What‟s a dog?” Lev sounded confused. He came up behind his mate, putting both arms around Aaron and pulling him into his chest. “It‟s an animal, most humans keep them as pets, uh, companions. I think you‟ve figured out by now that the cats around here don‟t exactly stand up on two legs and talk to us. Well, dogs are like that too. They hang around with us, but we can‟t verbally communicate with them the way we can with each other.” “Yeah, and cats and dogs have the reputation of hating each other. There‟s even a saying about it, fighting like cats and dogs. It means you don‟t get along with someone.” Darren cursed his fair skin, hoping the blush would recede sometime today. Durai was staring at him. “And you prefer dogs?” “No, I don‟t really like to keep pets around. I have a hard enough time remembering to feed myself. But I love animals, any kind, really. Even cats.” “That‟s probably a good thing.” “Aaron, you can‟t talk, so shut it.” “I‟m just saying that if you‟re going to be mated to a Leo, you should probably like cats.” Darren tensed. “Who said anything about being mated?”

Chapter Six “So, are you ever going to tell me about this mate business?” Durai paused, studying the forest around him before answering. Darren was currently guiding him around the area surrounding the cabin. It had been Durai‟s plan to familiarize himself with the territory. He knew his pride had already scouted the area and were familiar with any threats by this time, but it wasn‟t the same as Durai actually doing it himself. He would never ask his pride to do something he wouldn‟t do himself, and besides, he wanted some time alone with Darren without the possibility of being interrupted. “What would you like to know?” “Well, when Aaron took me upstairs, he mentioned something about Lev and him, about how they knew they were mates because they shared dreams. He said he can talk to Lev in his mind.” “Yes, that is the way the mate bond has shown itself with Aaron and Lev.” Darren stopped walking, turning to lean against a tree. He gestured for Durai to stand in front of him. Durai obliged him, placing both hands behind his back. “Okay, let me get this straight. You mean that not all mates know each other the same way?” “There are not many who are gifted with the mate bond. Normally it is a sign of leadership. To be given this connection is an honor that many men wait their lifetimes to achieve. Once, the pride leaders themselves were decided based on whether they received the bond or not. It is still customary to give a pride to anyone who

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is bonded and who proves he is strong enough to pass the rituals. “Each couple who receives the bond, changes it in some way. The bond adapts to suit them, to become what they need it to be.” “So, Aaron and Lev needed the bond to let them talk to each other?” “In a way, yes. The bond for them allows them to speak in each other‟s minds. It is a talent that not many share.” “What else could happen?” Durai stroked his chin, thinking about his brethren. “I know that Laithe and Rowan share the ability to see from each other‟s eyes. It came in handy when she was being attacked by a rival pride leader once. Laithe was able to see the man and what was happening in the clearing and alert the rest of us. She might have died if she did not possess the ability to warn her mate. “It is rumored that Haytham, the Appaliunas, has a unique ability with his mate. He can sense her emotions, and she can sense his. But it is told their bond is strong enough to encompass the people who are closest to them. Ariel is mated, not just to Haytham, but to his brothers as well. And his personal guard, who is a Pardus. When they are together, Haytham and Ariel are able to connect to the rest of the men, sharing every feeling and emotion.” “Wow, that‟s incredible.” “I am not entirely certain of the extent of their abilities. They do not normally talk about it, but Haytham mentioned it to me once, briefly, when I became a leader myself.” Darren was tapping his foot, digging the toes of his shoes into the grass at their feet. Durai waited, sure that Darren would ask the one question that he‟d been contemplating since Aaron‟s comment that morning. “Umm, Aaron kind of made it sound like we, uh, you and I…” “Yes?” “That you and I were mated,” he said in a rush, the words barely comprehensible. “Yes, he did make it sound like that.” “Well?” “Well what?” “Are you trying to piss me off? Cause you‟re getting darn close.” Chuckling, Durai waited for Darren to raise his head. Finally, Darren huffed, lifting his chin to glare at Durai, clearly challenging him to answer his question. “I knew the moment I saw you that we would be mated. I dreamt of you, before we landed here.” “You did?” “Yes, Darren. I believe you dreamt as well. But you received something else. I suspected it, but I didn‟t know for sure until this morning how our bond would shape.” Durai tilted his head, studying his mate. He swung his tail lazily, back and forth. “What did you suspect?” “You received more than the dreams. The dreams alone would not have allowed you to create the images within the cabin. Those are too detailed, too exact. I believe the bond is allowing us access to each other‟s memories. You saw Felid the way I‟ve seen it before. The ship on the wall of the cabin is my ship, the Azarnaz. She was gifted to me when I became a pride leader. She is now my responsibility. You should not have seen her through the dreams, but you knew enough to draw an exact replica. It was almost uncanny how close in detail you were.” Darren‟s eyes were wide with shock, his mouth opened and closed several times. “How can you be sure that‟s from memories and not some other freaky thing?” Sniffing, Durai curled his lip, disgust welling up inside of him. “I will only ask this once, and I am not entirely comfortable doing so. When you were younger, you fantasized about a man? Wearing a small piece of clothing around his…” he gestured to his own cock, unable to say the words when it was about a man Darren had been attracted to. “Oh, why can‟t you just kill me?” The words were muffled. Darren had raised his hands, burying his face in them. He sighed, lifting his head enough so Durai could see his eyes. His mouth was still covered but the words were clear. “Yeah, I liked him, then. Not now, I mean, I‟m over it. How did you know about that?” “Earlier, you must have thought about him, because I was suddenly beset with a clear image of you lying back on a bed, stroking yourself while holding an image of the man. You didn‟t look as you do now, you were

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thinner, younger. Your face had not grown into its potential.” “I don‟t understand any of this. God, it‟s all happening so fast, Durai. Isn‟t it happening fast? I‟m sorry, I just don‟t know what this means.” “It does not have to mean anything yet. I will not rush you. I have seen the ill effects of such a move before. In my youth, I knew a man who rushed his mate. She did not take kindly to the hurried attempts. It was very bad for them for a number of years before they were able to come to some kind of compromise.” Durai took Darren‟s hand, tugging him forward. Without releasing his mate, he started to walk, anxious to move again. “I know what you mean. My mom split when I was a kid. I remember her, but I don‟t think Aaron does. I don‟t even know why she left, but my dad and her just couldn‟t get along. They didn‟t fight or anything, they just wanted different things. They‟d tried staying together after I was born, but when Aaron came along, I think my mom knew that she couldn‟t handle it anymore. “I know some people just aren‟t meant to be together. And others probably need to work really hard to stay together. I‟m not saying I want an easy relationship without any challenges, but I don‟t want to be indifferent. I think I‟d die if I was in that kind of couple.” Durai squeezed his hand. “That will not happen, I swear to you. We will make this work. It may take time, but I am committed to discovering what can be between us.” “Wait, you aren‟t going to get down on bended knee and profess your undying love to me or anything?” Darren smiled, showing he was at least half-teasing with his words. Shrugging, he thought about it. He didn‟t want to gloss over Darren‟s statement. It was an honest question and it deserved a straight-forward answer. “I have been forced to re-evaluate my life on many different occasions. When I became a pride leader, I swore to myself that I would concern myself with the interests of my entire pride. You have met them all, and in time you will get to know them as well. They are mine, my people. My family. I cannot ever make a rash decision without considering how it will affect them. It doesn‟t mean I don‟t care for you. I need you in my life. Without you, I do not know if it would be bearable. Now that I have felt you, connected with you, I think I would be senseless, as if one of my limbs had been removed if you were to leave. “I don‟t like to rush things. I did once, I acted without thought to the consequences, and I ended up with a scar and the knowledge that life is fragile. The other man did not survive. I learned a lesson that day. Sometimes you cannot let your emotions guide you. There are worse things out there that can blind you if you aren‟t careful.” “You had no choice, Durai. He gave you no choice. Not when he attacked first.” Darren‟s voice was off, his eyes unfocused when Durai turned to watch him. “Wow, I understand what you mean now. It was so clear, I could see it happening. That was your memory?” Durai nodded, enfolding Darren in his arms. The other man rested against his chest like he‟d been made to fit there. “Did you bring me out here for a reason, or are we just going to talk all day?” He smiled, nuzzling Darren‟s forehead, pressing a kiss to the hairless skin. It would take some getting used to. The lack of fur. He wanted to see Darren naked, completely bare to the elements and Durai‟s gaze. He wanted nothing to come between them. Darren stepped back, a knowing smile gracing his lips. He quirked one of the red tufts of hair above his eyes. Durai raised a hand, smoothing his forefinger against that tuft of hair. “You have fur in the strangest places. You would expect your body to be either completely furred, or completely fur-free, but it is neither. Almost as if the gods could not decide what skin to give you.” “You know, in the interest of discovery, you should probably check out every area of my body that has hair on it. You may learn a few things. Completely scientific research, of course. I‟d be your willing subject. Further human- Felidae interactions, of course. Maybe build the relationships between our people.” “Purely research driven?” “Exactly. You know, I like the way you think.” Darren grinned, rocking back and forth in his arms. Durai held him, bringing their lips together again. He loved the way his human tasted. Different, less intense than the Leos he‟d been with in the past, but it was so much more appealing. There was a hint of vanil in his taste, a plant on Felid that was sought after by many of his people for its pleasing flavor. It was rare, found only in the mountain passes, and it only bloomed during periods of drought. He brought them both to the ground, keeping them together, not allowing even a miniscule of air between himself and his mate. He straddled the human, rubbing his aching shaft against the vee of Darren‟s legs. There were two pieces of cloth between them but they didn‟t lessen the relief at being so close to the other man. He needed to be inside him. He could almost 21

see them together, in the back of his mind. After this morning, he even knew what Darren‟s face would look like as he cried out for Durai to shaft him harder, deeper, faster. Darren groaned, arching his back and offering himself up to Durai. Durai tilted his head back and released Darren‟s mouth. They gasped for air. “I don‟t suppose you have condoms handy, big guy.” Darren‟s voice was harsh. He reached up to his face and knocked his glasses aside, letting them fall to the grass beside them. “What exactly is that?” Darren laughed. “I‟m not sure how to explain it, but let‟s just say it protects us both from any diseases or anything. I should have said something earlier when you, uh, you know. But it completely slipped my mind.” He looked embarrassed. His face was flushed red again. Durai ran the fingers of his right hand along one cheek, marvelling at the ability of his mate to change color. “I do not believe we have diseases that can be given to each other. But you are quite correct. We did not consider the possibility.” He frowned, not liking the thought that he may have put his mate in danger unintentionally. There was a lot he didn‟t know about humans. He‟d have to learn quickly if he wanted to keep them both safe. “Hey, no frowning. It was my fault anyway. You didn‟t know.” Darren scrunched up his face, closing his eyes. “Okay, no condoms. Although I‟m not even sure you‟d fit in one anyway, judging by the size of the bulge that‟s digging into me at the moment.” Darren wriggled, pressing into Durai, just the right amount of pressure. Durai hissed. He was hard, the frustration of not being able to release earlier had put him into a state of great need. He reached down, releasing his claws and slicing through the thick cloth at Darren‟s waist. He repeated the gesture at the side of his loincloth, impatiently shredding both sets of clothing. He wanted them naked, needed them naked. “Jesus, you owe me another pair of jeans,” Darren gasped, sliding his leaking cockhead against Durai‟s hip. His eyes glazed over, and he started to keen, low and gasping noises. “Yes, that‟s it, Darren. Tell me what it feels like. Talk to me. Move for me.” Darren bucked his hips, grinding into Durai. He pressed down hard with his hips, determined to give his mate something to rub against. His little movements were creating the most delightful sensations for Durai. His own cock was dragged against Darren‟s belly, again and again with every jerk of Darren‟s hips. “Lube, lube, lube, lube…” Darren gasped. “We need, ah, oh God, lube. N-now.” Durai growled. “I don‟t know what you‟re asking for.” Darren‟s eyes snapped open. He bared his teeth, looking entirely like a Leo. “I want you inside my ass in three seconds. Give me something slick, now! ” Durai hissed back, out of control at the sight of his little human acting like one of his own people. He reared up, sliding back and pushing Darren‟s thighs up and out at the same time. He didn‟t even give Darren a chance to speak before he was licking along the man‟s crack. He teased the puckered opening with the tip of his tongue, rasping a long swipe against the skin. Darren lurched. He tightened his grip on the man‟s thighs, holding him in place. Narrowing his tongue, Durai pushed it into the opening, his nose pressed to Darren‟s sac. His scent was strong here, going right to Durai‟s head. He even smelled like vanil. It was almost enough to have Durai‟s eyes rolling back in his head. He wanted more. Darren was mumbling, sending sighs and moans out through the forest. It was the most beautiful sound Durai had ever heard. He‟d be willing to do almost anything to ensure he‟d always have that melody in his life. He wouldn‟t give up this man. He wouldn‟t pressure him, but there was no way Durai was leaving him alone until they‟d reached some kind of agreement. He‟d willingly stay on Earth just to be with him. Just the two of them, up alone in this forest. Away from everyone else, all other concerns. He stretched the hole with his tongue, loosening the muscles that were quivering in ecstasy. Slowly, careful of his nail, he inserted one finger, feeling the heat of his mate suck him in. He wouldn‟t last long inside Darren, the man was too consuming. “Now, now, please, I need you now.” Darren‟s voice was thin and high-pitched. He was close. Durai gave one last swipe of his tongue, leaning back to survey his mate. Darren was flushed all over, his delectable body laid out for Durai‟s pleasure. His eyes were closed and his head was thrashing on the ground. His cock—his tasty cock—was an angry red, weeping from the slit. He reached for that liquid, gathering it up, causing Darren to moan in either pain or pleasure, he wasn‟t entirely sure, then he slicked up his hole with two 22

fingers this time. Grabbing his own cock in hand, Durai panted, squeezing the base to prevent himself from coming too soon. He pressed his sensitive head to Darren‟s ass, pausing. “Is this what you want?” Darren moaned. “Darren, I need the words. Is this what you want?” His voice was barely recognizable, he couldn‟t hold back the rumbling purr. “Yes, damn it, yes. Fuck me. Now.” Durai held onto the slim hips of his mate, sliding Darren‟s thighs up to either side of Durai‟s waist. His cock bumped against Darren again, causing them both to moan. He pressed in, feeling the slight resistance. He wouldn‟t accept that, this was meant to be. Waiting for Darren to relax, he continued to slide in, crooning soft words to his mate. Darren mewled, a sound very close to that a Leo would make. He‟d make his human into a Felidae by the end of their courtship. He was destined to rule Durai‟s pride at his side. He‟d never been so proud of another person before. This man was more than he deserved, but he wasn‟t going to challenge the gods or their decision to gift him with Darren. He bottomed out inside Darren, his testes resting against Darren‟s skin. Pausing, he waited for Darren to open his eyes and look at him. “Look at me.” Darren sighed, lifting his lids. His eyes were glittering, smoky blue. Full of passion. “Now, feel.” He started to slide out, gratified by the widening of Darren‟s eyes. The barbs that ringed the head of his cock caught in the folds of Darren‟s skin, raking along sensitive flesh. Darren cried out, his eyes rolling back in his head. His cock started to jerk, jetting cream to land on his belly, the head flushed red. Durai purred, reversing the slide out and thrusting back in, harder than before. “My turn.” He rocked his hips, feeling the catch of his barbs on each outward motion. Leaning down, he captured Darren‟s lips, crying his release into his mate‟s mouth. His cock erupted, sending his cream deep inside his mate. Binding them, branding him as belonging to Durai. Releasing Darren‟s lips, he roared, feeling the primal surge of emotions. He had the overwhelming urge to mark this man as his. His mate. Almost without thought, he turned his head, sinking his canines into Darren‟s shoulder, jerking his hips as the last of his seed released inside his mate. He broke off, a part of him horrified at biting Darren without asking permission first, but the majority of him was glorying in the claim. Durai collapsed, catching himself on his elbows before he crushed his mate. His cock slipped out of Darren, and he fell to the side, pulling Darren with him until he lay on his back with his mate draped over his chest. They both panted for breath. “Whatever happens, I do not want to lose you,” he whispered, pressing his lips into Darren‟s hair. “You won‟t. I‟m yours. All we need to do is figure out the particulars. But not now. I think I just died.” “You are not going to ask if your toes have fallen off?” He snorted, charmed by his mate. “No, I know they‟ve fallen off this time. Along with my legs. I can‟t feel my legs.” They were silent, content to lie together. “Can we do it again?” Durai opened his eyes, staring in shock at his mate. “Now?” “Good God, not now. I can‟t feel my arms either. I think they fell off.” Chuckling, Durai closed his eyes. “You will be fine. Another sound fucking will grow them back. I promise.” Darren‟s slap was too weak to do anything but amuse him, but at least it proved to them both that his arms definitely hadn‟t fallen off.

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Chapter Seven He didn‟t know how long they‟d rested, lightly dozing, but Darren was suddenly acutely aware of the furred mat he was resting his cheek on. That was simply incredible. His ass stung, a constant reminder of Durai‟s cock pounding inside of him but he wasn‟t sorry. He loved how Durai had made him feel, precious and cared for. Sighing, Darren shifted his legs, rubbing them against Durai‟s. “It appears as if you‟ve regained the use of your legs once more.” Darren laughed, tilting his head to peer up at Durai. “That was incredible. I‟ve never felt like that before. I swear.” “I feel the same. We fit nicely together.” Blushing, Darren ducked his head to hide his reddened cheeks. They most certainly did fit well together. Although, that made him remember something. “Uh, Durai?” “Hmmm?” Durai stroked Darren‟s back, smoothing his palm from his shoulder to his lower back. Darren arched into the touch. “Before, when we were, uh, you know. There was something that happened, and I just wanted to, uh…” Durai chuckled, running his hand lower to grasp Darren‟s ass. Durai‟s fingers teased his crack with light touches. “You wish to ask about the barbs?” Darren sat up, pulling away from Durai‟s touch but needing to see his face for this discussion. “Was that what they were?” “See for yourself,” Durai purred, lowering his eyelids to peer at him intently. Swallowing hard, Darren let his gaze wander along Durai‟s wide chest. Coming to his waist, he studied the play of muscles when Durai stretched gently. Reaching out to touch the furred belly, he let his fingers dance across Durai‟s skin. Darren was breathing hard by the time he allowed himself to gaze lower. Durai was half-hard, his cock long and thick. It didn‟t really appear all that different at first glance. Well, besides the fact that it was a different color, and that it was a hell of a lot bigger than anything Darren had ever had inside him before. He bent his head, studying the shaft. It was hairless, but that wasn‟t what caught his attention. It was the small bumps that ringed the head of his shaft that fascinated him now. Darren reached forward, stroking the tips of his fingers along Durai‟s cock, coming closer and closer to the barbs with every touch. Durai began purring again, his big body vibrating with the sound. Finally getting up his nerve, Darren ran his index finger over one bump, gratified when Durai gasped and his cock engorged with blood. The tip of his cock was wet from the liquid weeping from his slit. Darren firmed his grip, pressing against the barbs with his palm. Durai cried out. “I know what these did for me. What does it feel like for you?” Durai‟s voice was rough when he spoke. “I do not think I can describe it. It is the most intense feeling, sending pleasure throughout my body.” “What are they for?” “It helps our women ovulate when it is their time to mate. But it definitely has the added bonus of driving us and our partners wild.” “Hmm, so you like it when I touch you like this?” “If you don‟t do something more, now, I‟m going to have to turn you over and fuck you raw.” Darren shivered, flushing when Durai chuckled. Determined to drive his mate wild, he lowered his head, licking up the fluid at the tip of Durai‟s cock. It was spicy, the flavor bursting in his mouth. The big body under him tensed, Durai‟s purr halting for a moment before starting again, even louder than before. He smiled, content. He flattened his tongue to give his mate as much pleasure as he could, licking along the head of his cock. The barbs felt weird against his tongue, smooth to the touch but raised beneath the skin. Darren brought his hand up to grasp Durai‟s sac, holding it firmly. He tilted his head, sucking Durai‟s cock, running his tongue against the barbs he could reach. Determined, Darren relaxed his throat, bobbing his head up and down, trying to take in as much as he could. Durai‟s hands grasped the short strands of his hair, before palming his head and holding him in place. Darren moaned, vibrating the shaft in his mouth. He closed his eyes, letting his other senses take over. The spicy taste of Durai‟s cock, the sweet smell of him, the feel of the barbs as they ran over the back of his tongue. All of it almost enough to make Darren lose himself. 24

Durai‟s cock bumped the back of his mouth. The man was growling now, almost inaudibly. The sac Darren was holding drew up. He rolled the testes with his fingers, wanting to give Durai as much pleasure as he could. Durai suddenly tensed, letting out a mighty roar. Darren pulled up, concaving his cheeks and holding just the head of Durai‟s cock in his mouth. Salty jets of come filled his mouth, and he did his best to swallow them all down. Darren was suddenly flat on his back with Durai leaning over him. The Leo grabbed Darren‟s shaft in one big hand, gripping it tightly. Darren was so hard with need that he knew this wasn‟t going to take long. He whimpered, pushing his hips up into Durai. His mate pulled once, twice, on his cock before Darren released his seed, coating Durai‟s hand and his belly with creamy white liquid. “You drive me out of my mind. I cannot get enough of you,” Durai whispered, his voice harsh. He lowered his body, covering Darren in a furry blanket. Darren widened his thighs, bringing his knees up to give Durai more room. He smiled up at his mate, bringing up one hand to curl into Durai‟s hair. Pulling, he brought Durai‟s mouth down to meet his own. He opened his lips for Durai‟s tongue, letting the other man taste himself in Darren‟s mouth. They both moaned, the sounds mixing together. They were interrupted by the baying of hounds. Suddenly, the weight was lifted off Darren and he was lying alone. Darren scrambled to his feet, his heart in his throat. “What the hell?” He shook his head to get rid of the lingering passion clouding his mind. Durai was crouched in front of him. How the heck had he moved so fast? A low, threatening rumble was coming from the big man. His claws were fully out, his own personal daggers. This was a man who had no need of weapons. Hell, he was a weapon. “Those are hunting dogs. I‟d know that sound anywhere.” Durai flinched, not turning around, but Darren knew he had his full attention. “My dad‟s brother lives close by in Fort Nelson. He hunts here all the time, and he‟s a certified handler. Sometimes people bring dogs out here to hunt certain animals. They‟re trained to pick up a scent and follow it.” “What happens when they find it?” Durai‟s words were hard to understand, they were almost animalistic. Darren was silent. “What happens when they find it, Darren?” “The hunters come in and shoot it. Whatever it is, they kill it.” “Is this a game, then?” “It‟s a sport. I don‟t like it, I‟ve never done it myself, and neither has Aaron, but I understand why some people do.” Durai turned so fast Darren couldn‟t follow the movement. Suddenly his arms were in the uncompromising grip of an infuriated Leo. “This is why your people would not accept us? They would see us as sport?” “I-I, please, you‟re hurting me.” He flinched. Durai visibly shuddered. Slowly, he uncurled his fingers. Brushing the backs of his hands along the livid, red marks on Darren‟s arms, he grimaced. “I did not mean to. I would never hurt you.” “I know that. I‟m fine,” he soothed. Reaching up, he threaded his fingers through Durai‟s mane, pushing it back from his face. “I‟m fine.” The dogs were going ape-shit now, barking and howling. They must have treed something. He had a terrifying idea that he knew what it was. A coughing roar confirmed his guess, the sounds of an angry cougar. Durai twisted his ears. His mouth was a thin line, his tail was jerking madly. Suddenly the clearing was full of Felidae. They had come to their pride leader, and they were all as pissed as he was. “Aren‟t you going to do anything?” Achan‟s voice shook. Durai shook his head. “There are humans out there. We cannot afford to be discovered.” Aaron entered the clearing, followed by Morgan and Lev. “Trust me, you don‟t want to be discovered by them. If there are hunting dogs, the hunters are close behind them. And the number one rule of any hunter? Carry a good rifle. They‟ll take one look at you guys and it won‟t be pretty. I know you‟re fast, but against a bullet? I don‟t want to see that.” He was breathing hard, his eyes wide with unshed tears.

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“This is what you meant before? This is what you hunt up here? These beings who look like us?” Lev‟s voice was rough, the emotions clear. He turned on his mate, taking a step toward him. Darren wanted to interrupt but Durai grabbed his arm, holding him in place. The others were pacing back and forth, agitated. They obviously wanted to go, but they wouldn‟t act without Durai giving them the goahead. He was sure of it. “We need to get back to the cabin. It is closer than the ship at the moment. We cannot be seen by the humans.” Durai turned, holding Khalid‟s gaze. “Is that clear?” Khalid was literally shaking with rage. His mane was puffed around his face, his stripes standing out even more than normal. He turned his back on Durai, breathing deeply. Darren turned at Aaron‟s whimper. Morgan had come up behind him, enfolding him in his arms. Morgan and Lev faced off on either side of Aaron. Aaron shook his head, burrowing deeper into Morgan‟s embrace. “Not me, I‟ve never, I swear. My cousins have, they hunt other animals up here, in the winter. But it isn‟t in season yet. There aren‟t supposed to be hunters here. I don‟t understand. They aren‟t supposed to be here. There are laws, rules in place. They are only supposed to hunt during season and it isn’t season.” “This isn‟t right,” Darren said, his chest tight. The dogs were making such a racket that he wanted to cover his ears. Below the sounds of the hounds was the clear hissing of the cougar. He turned to Durai, crawling into the man, desperate to end the sounds. He had never reacted this way before when he‟d heard the sounds of hunting, but after meeting Durai and his family and Aaron‟s mate, it was suddenly a lot more personal. Boom. Darren squeaked, closing his eyes. He sagged in Durai‟s arms, letting his mate hold him up. The sounds abruptly died, the sudden silence terrifying. He looked to the side to see the Felidae glancing back and forth, exchanging meaningful looks. Aaron was sandwiched between his two mates, being held up just like Darren was. He didn‟t know why their reactions were more visceral but maybe it was because those were humans out there. Killing cats. They understood the threat now. The reason they couldn‟t live here on Earth. They all looked shaken. He had the sudden insight that these men weren‟t used to being the ones hunted. They were probably the hunters where they came from. It was never easy when the tables were turned. They knew fear in a way they never had before. He wished it hadn‟t happened. Without quite realizing it, they had lost something tonight. He wished he could take it back.

Chapter Eight It was a subdued group that entered the cabin. Durai held tightly to Darren‟s hand, pulling him close once they were inside. His brothers and sister followed them in, all of them too restless to sit anywhere. They had all smelled the blood when it was over. He never expected that there would be hunters here. Rowan, Aaron and Darren were so far removed from being a threat to his people that he hadn‟t given thought to what the rest of the humans might be like. They needed to leave. As soon as possible. He was responsible for his family. It was his duty to keep them safe. Aaron was curled up on the couch, caged between Lev and Morgan. He had exhausted himself crying. Lev had been horrified by his reaction, immediately ridding himself of his rage. He hadn‟t let go of his mate once since they‟d heard the shot. “We need to leave. We cannot stay here. We will remain in this place long enough to ensure the hunters are nowhere near the Azarnaz. Khalid, you are the best tracker. You will follow them, make sure they do not circle back.” Khalid met his gaze, blinking his acceptance. He wanted their blood, but he would follow Durai‟s orders. “Mazin, Griffin, go ahead of us and ensure the path is clear. If it is blocked, find another way to the ship. Achan, you will stay here with us. I do not want you anywhere near the hunters, is that clear?” His brother nodded sullenly. He looked like he wanted to say something, but he remained silent. Finally, Durai turned to his mate, meeting Darren‟s gaze head on. “I‟m coming with you.” 26

He breathed a sigh, his shoulders sagging. The tension he‟d been carrying released at the simple promise in Darren‟s voice. “I would not have it any other way. Even if I had to drag you over my shoulder kicking and screaming.” He smiled to soften his words. “You‟d try.” Darren laughed. Durai hugged his mate close, breathing deeply. Darren curled into his bigger body, as if he were made to fit there. Durai turned his thoughts to the challenge ahead. They had to get out, undetected, with hunting dogs who were trained to follow the scent of large cats. This would not be easy. He hadn‟t liked the ferocious sound of their baying. He would likely dream of it tonight. Studying the others, he considered their strengths. Khalid with his undying devotion to the pride, he would do anything to keep them safe. Rais was brave, but often foolhardy. It would be important that he keep his head on their mission and not go off alone. He would protect Achan though, they were the closest in age. Zula sat on the floor near the kitchen, clasping her knife. She looked up, meeting his gaze. Nodding, she answered his unspoken question. She would follow him. Griffin and Mazin stood beside each other, their tails wound together. Lev met his gaze when he turned to the couch. He was the only other person present who would be able to challenge any of his decisions. He may only have Aaron and Morgan in his small pride, but he was still a leader. Lev broke their eye contact, leaning down to rest his cheek against Aaron‟s hair. Darren squeezed his arms together, bringing Durai‟s attention back to him. Lev understood the need to get out of here. The same as Durai did. They needed to protect their mates. They would do anything to protect their mates.

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