Fear swept among our ranks. My people needed a competent leader, and I wasn’t sure I was up to the task. How I wish my Grandfather would swoop in and take over. No, that wasn’t true. If I ever wanted to earn respect from my Pride, it would be in times of crisis. I just needed to channel my inner feline strength. It was time for Kaya, my panther, to make herself known. If the goddesses felt I was born to be a leader it was time I called on them for help.
I need to remember what Grandfather always said, “Just do what comes next.” I took a deep breath and steadied myself. “Ok, we need to speed up our time table. There is no need to wait till just after midnight. Let’s get all the players here in under an hour. Bring the shapeshifters, someone find Dalya,
Would you give in? Let’s hear those thoughts!
By six the war room was crowded and loud. Last minute encouragements were given and the plan was gone over again. Dinner was pizza and sandwiches, but most lay untouched as the focus was on the rescue mission. By eight everyone knew the plan down to the last detail and helicopters could be heard landing in the training yard. It was time to load up. Farsi had many trained pilots in his squad of elite soldiers and three had been selected based on their knowledge of the area. Helicopters had been secured on the mainland and rented for the evening. This solved the problem of how to get out of dragon territory with speed and stealth.
The sun rose over the horizon in shades of blue and purple stunning enough to hurt the eyes. Off the coast the clouds formed and dissipated, the winds carrying the remnants far and wide. A group of fifty or more met on the beach, looking none too rested. Katalea studied the group and saw the look of determination and hope on their faces. Tiredness showed in the hollows of their eyes,but our Pride was resilient. They would train as a unit, as they had almost every summer. Groups would be formed and leaders would emerge. Classes would start again in all aspects of training. Mr. Kalb would supervise as Abe and Dalya thought Tahtib to the younger generation
I watch Abe run down the beach and into the churning grey water, fighting my primal instinct to give chase. His body glides over the waves as powerful shoulders work like oars to a well tuned row boat. I turn and head toward Jade’s, happy to put the thoughts of Abe in the back of my mind for a while. Jade and Daniel are out sunning themselves on the veranda overlooking the toddler’s beach. Jade is resplendent in an all white bikini with just enough material to be legal. I can see her toned stomach rise and fall rhythmically with each breath in a slow pattern that suggests to me that she is sound asleep. I stand there and admire the bright yellow hibiscus
A full contingent of battle ready warriors is ready to accompany me to my suite. Abe gets one whiff of the lust filled air and emits a warning growl. He is not my mate as of yet, but he is clearly not attempting to share me. The others lower their heads, and back down to his challenge. After training with Abe for years, no one wants to take on Abrax Kalb. The salty night breeze has a welcome chill to it as we walk hand in hand to the house. The sun is dipping below the horizon, leaving us captivated with an exhibition of magenta streaks, mixing and swirling with clouds that hold dark golden hues, enchanting us for a brief moment of unspoiled beauty. I have so many emotions coursing through my body, this romantic scene seems to be setting the stage for a di
Far away from the ice cream shop, a lean rugged male studied “Cat Island” as he liked to call it, through his computer monitor. After watching the fiasco the previous evening he was keeping a close eye on Princess Katalea. She had grown into a beautiful young woman since he last saw her.He was tall, to the point of lanky when he didn’t eat enough, Essam pushed away the oatmeal brought by the servants, chock full of nuts and berries. Rabbit food he thought in disgust. An alpha such as him should be devouring flesh. The thought of a rare steak excited him, and he vowed to have one sent up before night's end. Seeing his own reflection in the window, he adjusted his wavy hair.&n
Part TwoIn The Dragon’s Lair The cliffs in this part of Ireland never fully dried. Be it the mist of ocean spray, or the endless rainfall, the caves were a beautiful view from far away but not too appealing at close range. They served their purpose for the Gruppa of weredragons now occupying them. The main cave was about a hundred feet above the pulsing ocean below, at high tide. A human would have to work extremely hard to find himself exploring here. Dragons entered in flight then shifted once on solid ground. The dense mist stood as cover, light rarely reflecting through to the actual entrance. Of all the temporary lair’s they had inhabited, this current one seemed the most ideal. At least that is what Essam believed.
She awoke with a start. She knew not where she was or how she got there. She only knew that her foot tingled from lack of circulation and that she had a whopping headache. As she lay still in the cold, dark void of space, memories of the encounter outside her master’s chamber flooded her mind. She was cold, and a draft seemed to be coming from beneath her worthless feet. She tried moving a bit, but the tingles shot up her leg and caused a moan to escape her lips. She wriggled about and discovered there was a little crawl space towards the rear of her hiding spot. This would be a great place to hide when Essam was in one of his hideous moods she thought and squirmed around feeling her way. &nb
The little maid watched the sun dip below the horizon leaving whisks of pinks and orange swirls in its wake. A distant memory of sunsets with her father rose within her and she pushed it down. Best not to let her mind wander. It would be better to stay vigilant to her immediate problems. She had stayed in the shadows of the entrance, dutifully scrubbing stone. The mindless chore gave her ample time to study her surroundings, such as they were.In the distance she could see what looked like a group of islands. They appeared green and she imagined them to be dense with trees. If she craned her head far to the right around the jutting edge of the stone she saw what looked like mountains. If there were mountains, there might just be people.As the day fought and lost to the dark, the little maid noticed the tide rising. What was a sheer drop for the poor children ea