Total pages in book: 93
Estimated words: 88048 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 440(@200wpm)___ 352(@250wpm)___ 293(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 88048 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 440(@200wpm)___ 352(@250wpm)___ 293(@300wpm)
“Because she’s a female, first and foremost.” Commander Rarev’s golden eyes had gleamed dangerously. “And as Monstrum warriors, we are bound to protect all female life, as you know.”
“We had a female life to protect—Lynx and I did everything we could to keep her safe.” The bitterness in Saxon’s tone was plain to hear. “But the Goddess took her anyway, despite everything we could do.”
“Saxon, you know I’m sorry for your loss.” Commander Rarev’s voice had gentled. “But we’re in a new universe now—possibly there’s a chance to start over. Not necessarily with a new mate—” he added quickly, seeing the dark, angry look on the Lykan’s face. “But with a new job, at least. I need the two of you and so does…” He looked at the readout on his Com-U. “So does Mistress Mirabella. Will you take this assignment or not?”
“We’ll take it,” Lynx had said firmly. “It’s better than moping around the ship, thinking of the past which can’t be undone,” he added, shooting a glance at his Bond-Brother, who seemed about to protest.
Saxon hadn’t liked the idea, but he had gone along with it. Lynx didn’t ask him for much, but he had demanded this—they needed something new, some way to move on. He bore the same grief the Lykan did, but as a Felinus Monstrum, he bore it differently. Their mutual loss was a melancholy thing for him—a collection of sweet, sad memories of what they had once had and could never have again.
For Saxon, the pain had turned to bitterness—a deep anger at the Goddess and at Fate itself. More than once Lynx had feared his Bond-Brother might do something foolish or suicidal. For a time, he even feared he might attempt a full-Shift and there was no coming back from that without a mate to call him from his Fur Form to his more humanoid appearance.
If he had done that, Lynx would have had no choice but to commit Shai’ki’rai with him, ending both their lives, as he had sworn to do so many years ago when they first took their oaths. But somehow, Saxon had kept himself from it—maybe because he knew he would be ending Lynx’s life too—not just his own.
Lynx often thought that if only his Bond-Brother would allow himself to mourn their loss normally, he might get at least partially over it. But Lykans were dark and angry males and they didn’t grieve like the Felinus did. Lynx himself had wept until he thought his heart would break and Saxon had held him…but he had never shed a single tear himself. Not one. He just got more and more angry and bitter and moped around their domicile always half-Shifted…
Speaking of which, he was half-Shifted now, Lynx thought, frowning. He always thought that his Bond-Brother looked like the Egyptian god of the dead from Earth—Anubis—when he was in this form. He was still humanoid, standing upright with hands and feet instead of paws, but he had a wolf’s face and his skin was covered in a shaggy black pelt with silver tints. His pale blue eyes burning like liquid fire and his sharp white teeth were bared as he banged on the door.
“Just look at you,” Lynx said to him, frowning. “Of course the girl’s not going to open the door with you looking like that! Pull it in—at least try to look less frightening.”
He himself was in a complete non-Shift. Anyone might think he was a regular Kindred warrior from this universe, with his smooth, furless skin and long, golden-brown mane of hair pulled back from his face—the better to show his completely human-looking features. Well, mostly human. He had golden eyes and a golden tint to his skin that still made him look somewhat alien—just not as frightening as his Bond-Brother was at the moment.
“Come on—you know I’m right,” he said to Saxon, who was glaring at him with those burning blue eyes. “She’s never going to let us in if you insist on going around half-Shifted like that.”
Saxon growled with irritation but a look of concentration came over his wolf’s face. After a moment, his big, muscular body began to change. His furry ears moved from the top of his head down to the sides and became less pointed. His muzzle shortened into a regular humanoid face and his eyes were no longer burning—they were just pale, piercing blue. But he still wasn’t completely where he needed to be.
“Go on,” Lynx said, making a motion with one hand. “All the way. Get rid of the fur.”
Saxon made a sound of disgust but with a final effort, the shaggy pelt which covered his body was absorbed into his skin, leaving him almost as smooth as Lynx—though he did still have a mat of short, black curls on his broad chest, which matched the short, thick black hair on his head.