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While still in the territory of Kai's clan, they came to an area seldom hunted or visited by them. The ruins were old. Some said the clan had once lived there, but Kai doubted it. To him, it looked more like an old Western ghost town, without the ghosts. He remembered two summers ago, running into two members of the bear tribe not too far from there, and wondered if they had any inkling about his problems. He couldn't worry about that now.

  Gazing around, he saw that few of the buildings stood upright, most lay in crumbled heaps of aged timber and broken glass. A barn of some kind at one end, and about halfway up the street an old store, were the only things still recognisable. There was a well in the centre of the settlement, and a few trees adorned what had once been a boardwalk. Most of the town square was covered in grass taller than the cats. Against the backdrop of the hills, it had an almost romantic feel to it.

  The scent of the female went straight into the ramshackle town.

  Keeping to the shadows as much as possible, Kai crept forward. His senses were filled with her and he was having trouble concentrating. The soft padding of his lover's feet behind him somehow comforted him.

  A jarring thump from ahead stopped him cold. Aric's body touched his arse and he glanced around. A questioning look met his gaze, but for the moment he was unsure.

  Aric slunk forward, belly so low it nearly touched the ground.

  'There is nowhere to hide,’ Kai sent the mental message to Aric and hoped he would understand the meaning of it even if he didn't catch every word. He glanced from where the noise had come from to the rubble around them. They couldn't trust the two buildings still standing, and the further into the town they went, the further they were from escape if they needed it.

  He leaned forward and with his nose nudged Aric's bum. His lover turned.

  All hell broke loose.

  The high-pitched shriek of a cat came from ahead, another from the left.

  Kai leapt and was instantly bowled over by something dark and heavy hitting him from the side.

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  Chapter Two

  Kai tumbled to the ground and rolled head over tail. Righting himself, he jumped to the side before a scruffy, dark tawny cat with streaks of greying fur pounced again. With a howl, Kai reared his forefoot back and, with all the power he had, knocked the beast off his feet.

  Glancing quickly around, he spotted Aric rolling in the dirt with another cougar whose coat was of a similar ochre shade. Kai bounded towards the pair, determined to rescue his lover, but for an instant had to stop and determine who was who. Fangs and fur flew in a cloud of dust. One cat rose over the other, muscular haunches pressing the bottom animal into the ground. Kai saw the creature's tail was skinny and bore scar tissue near the dark tip, whereas Aric's was long and plump as a healthy cougar's should be.

  With a forceful swing of his paw to the attacking cat's skull, Kai sent the beast plummeting into a patch of tall grass yards away. He padded forward to check Aric, but a blur at the corner of his eye grabbed his attention. The first dark monster had returned, lunging at him, his jagged teeth bared. Kai darted out of the way just in time, snarling as the animal leapt past him. The mangy cat landed on his feet, spinning in a cloud of dust to make another run at Kai.

  Bracing himself for the onslaught, Kai crouched low, and the animal sailed over him. He pounced next, dragging the beast into the dirt with his paws. The two cougars rolled sideways, hind legs flying.

  From the nearby dustup and screeching howls, Kai knew Aric and the other cat fought again. Infuriated, Kai mustered his strength to put an end to the battle now. Rising on his hind legs, he extended his claws and swiped a powerful paw at the greying cat's face. He connected, hearing the grisly sound of tearing flesh.

  His aggressor yowled in agony and recoiled, shaking his head, sending spatters of blood spraying around him. Kai stared at the animal, trying to see if he recognised him. The clear yellow eyes didn't look familiar, he was definitely not a member of Kai's clan. The creature watched him, seemingly debating, and Kai growled a fierce warning. ‘Just try me.'

  Spitting blood, three deep slash marks oozing crimson from the side of his face, the attacker slunk into the surrounding brush.

  Turning back to his lover, Kai witnessed the strange, tawny feline swipe his claws across Aric's shoulder. His beautiful, golden lover screamed in pain and dropped to the rugged ground.

  Bastard! Before the beast could strike again, Kai was on him. He sank his fangs deep into the animal's fleshy thigh. Clenching his jaw tight, Kai shook his head, ripping a chunk of meat and fur from the shrieking cat.

  The moment he let go, the animal got his feet under him and raced off on three legs. Kai spat the bloody mouthful into the grass and turned quickly back to Aric. He nuzzled his lover's hindquarters with his nose and slowly moved upwards, checking for signs of any further injuries.

  The black-tipped tail curled just as Aric raised his head.

  Kai looked closely at the claw marks on Aric's shoulder. They were bad, not life threatening but bad enough to need attention. Kai let out a breath of air he hadn't realised he'd been holding. He licked the wound carefully. Aric flinched and grunted. Placing one paw on his lover's side, Kai held him down gently as he cleaned the slash while the feline writhed in pain.

  Once he was sure the deep wound was clean, and the blood flowing freely wasn't tainted from the claws of their adversaries, he released his mate. He ran his tongue up the golden cat's neck then nuzzled his ear, purring.

  Aric brought his nose to Kai's, and they rubbed whiskers.

  'Can you walk?' Kai asked.

  Aric didn't even attempt the considerable effort it took for mental communication. Clambering to his feet, he wobbled for a moment, but then steadied himself. He raised his head and watched Kai.

  With a nod in the direction from which they'd come, Kai set out, Aric at his hip. They'd return to the clan cave where he could tend Aric properly. No matter what, he couldn't risk his lover's life. If the wound became infected, he could lose his leg, or worse.

  He glanced back, making sure Aric was able to follow, and then one last time at the abandoned town. The scent of the female had been lost when the four males fought. They'd find it again—they had to. For the time being, though, tending to his lover was Kai's main objective.

  * * * *

  It took them some time to get back to the caves. Kai refused to push Aric because of the wound he'd taken. He knew his lover was also his bodyguard, but thinking of him in such pain tore at Kai. For the last few hundred feet, he watched the cat closely, trying to determine if he'd be able to carry on with the hunt. The thought of being without him, for even a short time while he regained possession of the amulet, made his blood run cold.

  When they got back to Kai's chambers, they morphed into human form. Kai grunted, groaning as his bones shifted and his spine realigned. His limbs stretched, the muscles and sinews elongated, his sight, hearing and sense of smell faded. The sensual feel of his human side emerged and his erection pulsed wildly. The exhilaration of being a cat, the power and agility of that form, could never be matched by the gangly human body. But the sex, and the sensation of his skin in the open air rather than covered with the pelt, was amazing. The heft of his balls didn't change, the throbbing of his manhood was the same, and the ache he felt for his lover would always be there.

  He crouched on the floor, naked, and looked at Aric. The golden-haired man was beautiful no matter what shape he took. Kai felt his cock twitch at the sight of his smooth-skinned lover. “Are you all right?” His voice sounded raspy, as it always did at first.

  "Fuck! My shoulder burns like fire.” Aric rotated the injured muscle and sobbed with pain.

  Standing, moving towards him, Kai looked the man over. “Nothing else hurts? No other wounds?” He ran his hands carefully over Aric's flank and up his side.

  "I don't think so.” Aric pushed himself awkwardly to his feet, favouring his injured side. He glanced at where dried blood clun
g to his shoulder and new, fresh blood trickled down his arm.

  "I can tend to this.” Kai gripped his arm carefully. “Lie on the bed. I'll get some water and the powders."

  Aric nodded and stretched out on his stomach on the furs. “Who were those guys? I've never seen them before."

  "Their scent was unfamiliar. The grey cat's eyes were yellow. I'd remember someone like him.” Kai wet a cloth, taking it and a small black pouch to the bed. He sat beside Aric, swabbing the wound gently.

  "They were just there. I never sensed the attack."

  "The smoke masked them. I was foolish. I let my guard down when I smelled the female."

  "We had no idea what we were getting into. Next time we'll be better prepared."

  Nodding, Kai opened the pouch. “I won't make that mistake again.” He sprinkled some silver powder from it onto Aric's shoulder. He thought of the amulet and missed its protection all the more as he tended his lover's arm. If he'd been more careful, listened to the talisman's warning instead of lusting after the woman, none of this would have happened.

  "Damn!” Aric's breath hissed in as the sharp sting of the powder hit. He squirmed violently.

  Kai held him firmly. “Give it a moment. The pain should subside soon.” He wanted to hold Aric in his arms, comfort him until the pain passed. Finally, the man's struggling stopped and Kai rose then returned the pouch to the box on top of his chest. Looking back, he studied the prone man. “Better yet?"

  "Yes, it is, much better.” Aric relaxed into the pelt. “Thank you."

  "Anytime, you know that. I feel responsible for it happening in the first place. If I'd only listened to the amulet...” Kai sat next to Aric's hip and ran a hand over his back. He grasped one buttock and squeezed, enjoying the feel of the taut muscular cheeks against his palm.

  Aric groaned, but not in pain. This was another type of groan, and one Kai loved to hear. He watched Aric widen the spread of his legs.

  Kai smiled. He grabbed both arse cheeks and rolled onto his stomach between Aric's strong thighs. “I'm hard just looking at you."

  Inhaling, Aric bucked his hips. “I wanted you up on the rock bluff. I knew it wasn't the right time, but damn it! The sight of you as a cougar arouses me.” He chuckled. “The sight of you as a man does too."

  Massaging the fleshy mounds, Kai smiled. “I feel the same way. If it weren't so important to find the female and retrieve the talisman, I would have mounted you in a heartbeat. Now I realise this has turned out to be a more complicated situation then we thought. The female definitely wasn't working alone, and thinking about when we were fucking, there was something ... not quite right. She seemed scared, but didn't say why. She might have been too afraid of someone to talk to me."

  Being careful not to use his arm and shoulder too much, Aric struggled to his knees and thrust his bum towards Kai. “It could take awhile to find her—and the amulet—especially with those goons between her and us."

  "Yes.” Kai pushed up and knelt behind Aric. Leaning forward, he nuzzled his nose between the firm cheeks. “We need to formulate a plan and return to our search as soon as possible. But first you need to recover. And while you're doing that, I need just a taste.” His tongue darted out, circling Aric's puckering anus.

  "I need it too,” Aric mumbled breathily. “But I need more than that. I need you, Kai.” He pressed his arse backwards.

  Gripping Aric's thighs, Kai forced his tongue into the musky hole. He pushed past the tight outer ring, stretching the rosebud. Aric's anus fluttered and accepted him, sucking his tongue in deeper.

  He pulled away reluctantly. “You were badly injured. You should rest. This can wait."

  "No, Kai.” Aric reached back and gripped him by the wrist. “The healing powders are working already. I couldn't run on it yet, but if I lean on my other side, I'm not putting pressure on it. Besides, it's dark outside, and you know we'll have better luck resuming our search in the morning. We need this now. This is important too, for both of us. I love you."

  Sliding one hand between Aric's legs, Kai fondled the heavy balls hanging there. They were soft, covered with a light coating of yellow fuzz and sexy as hell. He groaned.

  "Yes!” Aric hissed, hips bucking.

  Reaching further forward, Kai grasped the thick shaft of his lover's hard erection. It was long and full and felt as comfortable in his hand as his own cock. How many times had he stroked the turgid staff? Countless encounters spent milking creamy, warm seed from the engorged rod, each time trying to excite and please Aric a little more. Kai drained the heavy balls of their nectar often, occasionally sucking Aric to completion with his mouth, as he knew the man loved.

  Usually Aric sucked him, and almost always raised his arse for his plundering, for Kai's pleasure and his own. It wasn't by Kai's instruction, but more a matter of what pleased them both.

  Right then, Kai desired to work out his frustration on Aric's delightful bottom. Kai licked around the area hungrily, wetting it for the ride ahead. He sat back on his heels, stroking his own shaft firmly. A shot of saliva in his palm provided the lubrication, and he drove one finger into Aric's eager arse. Well versed in their particular form of play, it didn't take long for Aric's anal muscles to loosen enough for a second finger to join the first. His groans of approval encouraged Kai to spread his digits wider then thrust them in and out. When he deemed the man ready, he withdrew his hand and slapped him lightly on the arse.

  The tip of his engorged cock was already slick with pre-cum. He replaced his fingers with the crown of his cock, nudging into the nicely stretched hole.

  Aric groaned, pressing his bum backwards.

  "Patience, golden boy.” Kai swatted one arse cheek, continuing to push his cock forward, deeper. “I know, it feels so good. Your body surrounds and holds me like a silken cocoon."

  Another whimpering moan answered him and he revelled in the pleasure he was giving.

  Kai chuckled, driving his manhood in to the hilt. His balls slapped flesh and they drew up, tingling. “That's it. Yes, boy. Good ... so very good.” He thrust repeatedly, his pace quickening, pushing in deep then pulling out to the rim. The sensation was exquisite. Kai's balls churned with imminent climax.

  He reached around and grasped Aric's shaft. It throbbed, the head pulsing and sticky with pre-cum. Matching his thrusting movements with his hand, Kai coaxed Aric to join him in the climb towards nirvana.

  His lover cried out a primal yowl and exploded, shooting ribbons of warm cream over Kai's hand. Again Kai thrust himself in, and again was rewarded with a stream of his lover's cum spurting in his palm. He milked the last of the nectar from Aric's dripping cock before releasing it and grabbing his hips. Thrusting with pent up desire, Kai grunted, his own climax erupting. Pulsing heat poured from him into Aric's tight channel, lubricating his arse further as Kai shuddered and shot the last of his seed.

  Spent and sated, Kai pulled his cock from its tight embrace. He dropped face down on the bed, drawing Aric with him, an arm draped over his back.

  Aric yawned. “Need to rest before our journey."

  "Rest. Journey.” The words were barely out of his mouth when Kai's eyes closed. His head swirled with things he needed to do, but just then, he needed to sleep.

  * * * *

  Visions of ancestors whirled in Kai's dreams. Cato, the first cougar to hold the golden talisman and truly understand what that meant, loomed over him. He was tall and dark and incredibly imposing, even with the great slash marring his face from forehead to chin. Beside him stood his mate, Kissa, an almost white-haired woman who had borne him many offspring in their years together.

  During those years, and the hundreds previous, the individual clans had been at war. Tearing each other apart, each small family group met rarely and only for the exchange of women. They seemed to need more territory and game, their numbers rising and falling like the tides. It wasn't just the cougar tribe with its multitude of family clans, but those of the wolves and bears as well.

 
; The world of the changelings was one of constant turmoil and bloodshed.

  One day while on a scouting trip, Cato ventured into a cave not far from the ghost town where Kai and his mate had been attacked. Inside that cave he'd found three amulets among a pile of very old bones. The bones of changelings.

  When he picked them up, one felt incredibly warm in his palm. Ornate gold filigree encased the most amazing bronze-coloured stone he'd ever seen. Upon closer inspection, he saw the delicate gold was twisted into the shape of a cat's head. Looking at another of the objects, he found a brilliant red stone enclosed in the head of a wolf. The last, a deep blue gem, was held by a bear.

  Kai turned in his sleep and the visions faded. Semi-conscious, he reached over and pulled the warmth of Aric closer. The injured man rolled onto his side, offering his back and bum. Spooning against the muscular length, Kai sank back into a deep slumber.

  The dream returned.

  The gems had spoken to Cato, telling him of a way to end the conflict—a way to live in peace for all the clans. Each stone must be given to the race indicated by the delicate threads of gold. Among those races, only one could hold the talisman. That one must have a life mate who would stand with him through everything. He must also have the good of all the family clans of his breed in his heart.

  It was an enormous task, but one Cato and his love, Kissa, had gladly taken up. They first travelled between the cougar clans, going from one to the next, covering all the territory where they knew their kind flourished. The amulet gave them the power to show the families that if the fighting continued, the changelings would soon die. They succeeded not only by explaining verbally, but by reaching into the very minds of their fellow cats. Some tried to protest, but those who wanted peace soon buried their cries. Mothers, grandmothers, fathers and the young, all craved harmony between the cougar clans. Only the young men, seeking glory or to show their bravery, sought to battle. Cato showed them the error of their ways, in the vivid, gory detail that only a true mind-to-mind communication could do. He showed them that if they continued to kill each other, while other clans also sought power, in only a few generations the clans would all die out. There was no way to refute the visions.