Lake, Ciara - Xihirah [Xihiran Shifters 1] (Siren Publishing Classic) (20 page)

“Very well, you inferior beast.” There was a dramatic pause. “I have you by your fucking balls. I have your whore. You will not see her again unless you release Troyic Vitalion according to my instructions that we will transfer in writing to your military communications department. There are explicit terms and I wish to discuss them with your sire. The longer you delay to meet with our requirements, the more damage we will do to your whore of a beast. Make no mistake, if you do not do as I say, I will collect that bitch that bore you and the rest of your litter. You will listen to what I say and you will meet my demands and your sire will present himself to me immediately.” Tomron slammed his hands on his desk as he made his demands. Kael fought back a transformation. However, his voice became more beastly.

“Who’s Vitalion to you? What has he to do with all of this? Why do you want him? Go ahead and send your demands so we may see what you want. Now, I have terms as well. Take to heart my words, you gutless worm. Hurt a hair on my mate’s head or any of our women and I’ll shall rip out your heart and feed it to the carrion eaters while it still beats. There will be no place in this universe you will be able to hide from me. Trust me, Tomron, I will be your terror, and you will never find restful sleep until you die a bloody death by my claws. Is that understood?” Kael exploded. Again, he felt the hair on his back begin to grow. He knew he was so very close to losing all control and transforming. It would merely justify Tomron’s beliefs regarding his being an uncontrolled beast.

“You simple-minded animal. The demands are arriving as we speak to your military central command office. Your disrespect does nothing to help you or your bitch. We have you by her tits, and we’ll make you sorry.” Tomron slammed his fist down on his desk.

“Show me my Princess, I want to see and talk to Saleeya. Put her on the vid com,” Kael demanded.

“Please, Admoncor Braeden, you must realize that will not be possible. You will have to wait to hear her lovely voice. By the way, she’s a beauty. If not corrupted by your disgusting touch, fucked by an animal, I would take great pleasure with her, but I can’t stand to put my cock where an animal’s has been. She’s a dirty, traitorous whore, as is your mother, to the human race. I’ll teach her some important lessons. She’ll set an example for all foolish human females that copulate with animals such as you.” Tomron’s face and neck were reddened. “You inferior animals keep your bitches safer if you want to have any left.” Tomron terminated the vid-com.

Chapter Ten

Saleeya remained huddled in the rain by the fire. Her abductors were inside their tents. Occasionally they looked out to check on her. However, they seemed truly to believe she wouldn’t try to escape into the jungle’s wilderness. As the jungle darkened and the rain continued, the sounds of the wild grew louder. How she wished she could already fully transform into a Wolfton and easily escape. Saleeya watched the three men cook and eat their food. She listened to their vulgar comments regarding her, and her anger mounted.

When the rain lessened, Jarvin approached her. “Whore, I have a waterproof blanket you can sleep under this night. If I were you, I’d stay close to the fire pit. When the rain stops, it’ll keep the insects away and perhaps the vicious predators. These predators will eat you. Therefore, stay put and keep covered near the fire. You should survive the night if you stay close to the fire. If you do live, I may feed you at sunrise. Otherwise I’ll save our food,” Jarvin cruelly informed her as he tied her wrists together in front of her body. “I’m tying your hands to give us some added assurance that you won’t be foolish.” He finished binding her and returned to his tent. Saleeya stayed huddled under the blanket to keep the onslaught of rain from beating her down.

Fortunately, the rain was warm, and she wasn’t chilled from exposure, at least not yet. However, it would be only a matter of time before she would begin to suffer. The warmth of the fire felt good. Saleeya could hear her abductors talking and laughing in the main tent. Her hearing had definitely improved and her ability to see in the dark seemed to have as well. Through the trees, she could see shapes of large, four-legged animals moving about as if circling, watching, and waiting. From the distance and through the rain, Saleeya could smell what the men were drinking. It was definitely fermented. Hopefully, they would drink themselves to sleep.

Soon their chatter ceased and the sounds of the jungle seemed to increase. Saleeya could see glowing eyes watching her from behind the trees. Fortunately, the animals stayed back. Probably due to the fires placed around the camp. Saleeya shook off the blanket and moved closer to her fire pit. Jarvin had tied her wrist with some sort of thin string rope. Saleeya hoped the stringy rope would burn easily.

Saleeya scooted toward the small fire pit that held the flame and placed her wrists and binding against the heated elements keeping the fire alive. Biting her tongue to keep her screams of agony hidden, she held her wrists as still as possible. Her wrapped wrist that bound her sprain was most successful. She could hold it longer against the hot element. Finally, on the verge of fainting from the pain, Saleeya managed to tear the binding apart and break free. The sickeningly sweet stench of her scorched flesh turned her stomach.

The damage done to her arms pained her greatly; however, the alternative was to be killed by these insane men. Saleeya stood quietly and watched the glowing eyes watching her from behind the wall of trees. She selected a large stick to carry with her. She moved silently, leaving the camp without awaking anyone. They had locked the transport up tight. All the other weapons were in the tents with the men. Saleeya’s nightgown barely protected her body and her feet were bare. She hoped the lack of shoes would not slow her progress. So far, the jungle floor was soft with rotting vegetation. With a deep breath, she started out into the jungle. She reminded herself that any fate was better than what Tomron’s men had planned for her.

She knew they were never going to return her no matter what Kael did to negotiate with them. She hoped Kael realized that truth. She was as good as dead unless she escaped or Kael rescued her, and luckily, for whatever sadistic reason, Jarvin had decided to prolong her death sentence. Saleeya quietly moved further out of the camp. The jungle floor was wet and a lot easier on her feet than she thought it would be. She noticed three of the large creatures following her. She could see their glowing eyes intently watching her. In that moment, she decided to pray to Xian, Kael’s deity, for help and intervention.

Saleeya ran swiftly, realizing that the mating transformation must have affected her already. She was swifter, quieter in her movements, and she didn’t tire, as she would normally have with the same exertion. Also, her night vision seemed far improved even from earlier in the night. The jungle impressed her. It was beautiful yet deadly. Fear pumped through her veins as she ran through the trees and greenery. This area of the jungle had very little undergrowth. It was mostly clear for her to navigate.

She began to feel herded by the creatures. They followed and moved closer. At times, they howled or groaned in monstrous ways. Oddly, they remained at a distance, as if watching and waiting for her to falter. From pure exhaustion, she finally stopped near a huge tree and stood with her arms stretched out, palms against the tree supporting her body, and rested. Not wanting to lean fully against the tree, Saleeya attempted to support herself with her injured hands and wrist. Eventually she gave into the temptation and rested fully against the tree. Saleeya stood braced against the tree with the warm rain beating down on her. She closed her eyes and prayed to Xian. Too exhausted to care about the animals watching her, she drifted to sleep.

Saleeya dreamed of Kael. She could feel him touching her and welcoming him deep inside her. Her pussy clenched with the memory of loving him. She could smell his scent on her. She moaned aloud in memory. The dream brought her fully awake. Then she heard the howls grow louder. Now it was much lighter in the jungle. The rain continued to fall, and it seemed she must have slept for several hours. Although she was still bone weary, she pushed herself on. Determination to live and return to her lover drove her. All she could manage now was a slow walking pace. Hours passed, and she walked until the sun started to disappear again and the jungle returned to its eerie dimness. Still the creatures in the shadows closely herded her.

As if in a dream, Saleeya continued walking for what seemed to be an eternity. Finally, Saleeya tripped, falling over a log. The fall jarred her to a fully alert state. Picking herself off the ground, she examined her situation. A scream ripped from her throat. Her scream was so loud it echoed off the trees as if bouncing from tree to tree. The scream caused the jungle to fall oddly silent. She had fallen over a mutilated body torn to bloody shreds. It was a fresh kill, and the half-eaten remains littered the jungle floor. Shocked, Saleeya believed herself in a nightmare. Then she realized it was Jarvin Manntree’s body. He was barely recognizable. Stunned, Saleeya recognized that she had made an incredibly large circle and returned to their camp. Realizing her predicament, she looked more closely and saw two other torn-apart bodies littering the destroyed camp. The fires were out, and the transport was gone. Evidently, one man managed to escape the hell that had visited them. A beast, or more than one, had destroyed the campsite. They had eaten their fill of the three bodies. Jarvin’s body had the most flesh remaining. The tents were partially destroyed, but enough remained for Saleeya to find some shelter. One fire did continue to burn with less intensity since its fuel was waning. Saleeya located the men’s packs. Inside the packs, she found some dry food. After eating the small rations, Saleeya rolled up into the tent’s remains to sleep.

When Saleeya finally woke, the sounds of howling animals startled her. They were probably going to eat her now, she thought. The one remaining fire barely burned. It would no longer be a deterrent. Having rested enough, Saleeya decided to search for weapons, food, water, and a communication source. She found nothing more than a little food and a knife in the remaining packs. Saleeya decided to search Jarvin’s pockets. “A palm vid-com,” Saleeya shouted out to the jungle. “Thank Xian, a palm vid-com,” Saleeya yelled to the jungle again and ran back into her makeshift shelter. “Oh, damn, the men may come back.” Saleeya realized that dire possibility. She opened the palm vid-com and hoped that it would work. Hopefully she could call someone from this remote, unknown location. After all, wasn’t Xihirian communication controlled from the skies? Not wanting to call her enemy, she debated what to do. Carefully, she flipped it open and pressed the center button. A computer voice answered in a monotone voice.

“Power is low.”

“Oh, Xian, don’t let me down now. You have preserved me so far,” Saleeya whispered a prayer. She pressed the button again. “Connect me to Admoncor Kael Braeden.”

“Please indentify,” the computer replied.

“Saleeya Braeden,” Saleeya answered the communication device. For a time the device remained silent. Saleeya thought the power had ceased.

“This is Kael Braeden. Who the fuck is this?” Kael sounded furious.

“Kael, help me.” Saleeya held the palm vid-com close to her face. “Help me. I don’t have much time. The power is going to die in this palm com. Jarvin’s dead. Everyone’s dead. I think the animals ate them. Please come get me, I’m in the jungle walking in circles. The animals are following me. I don’t know what to do. I keep walking in circles,” Saleeya rambled, barely coherent.

“Saleeya, I’m here. Calm down, sweetheart. I’m going to come get you. You’re here on Xihirah, in the jungle?” Kael asked calmly.

“Yes, Kael, they brought me here in a transport, one man left in it and is gone. The rest are dead, torn to pieces. I ran away and accidently circled back around to their camp. I found the camp destroyed and the others ripped to pieces. Wild animals ate them. There are three creatures watching me now. They’ve watched me the entire time. I don’t know what to do. Should I leave this camp or stay? What if someone comes back to get the dead or looks for me?” Saleeya cried. Tears washed down her face. She could taste the salt of her tears.

“Saleeya, is this the only palm vid-com?” Kael interrupted her and asked.

“I don’t know. The other bodies are so torn up and their blood is everywhere. I didn’t look to check the other bodies or what’s left of them.”

“Saleeya, this is what you have to do. I need you to look for the sky through the trees. Hold the palm vid-com as high as you can. Find some way to place it in the open and leave it on, open and on. We’ll get a location. Go search for another palm vid-com and call Kliven Braeden’s palm vid-com. Go now do as I say. All will be well. I’m coming for you.”

Chapter Eleven

“Do we have a location?” Kael stormed into the communication control room.

“No, not yet, Admoncor, but there’s another vid-com from Tomron,” the officer replied.

“Put him through. Be silent about Saleeya.” Kael looked to his father, who had returned. Kliven had his palm vid-com out, ready to receive a call from Saleeya, and left his office, waiting for her call. The vid com came on and the image of Clitax Tomron appeared.

“Admoncor Braeden, is your father available now?” Clitax demanded.

“No, he’s still detained. What do you want?”

“What do I want?” Clitax screamed as hysterically as a madman. “Haven’t you gotten my fucking demands? You know what I fucking want.” Tomron banged a cup onto the table he was sitting at. “If you want to see your whore, you need to meet those demands. Your time grows short.” The communication abruptly ceased.