CAPTURED: 9 Alpha Bad-Boys(210)

Soon, they were entering a small building located on the west corner of  the grand gardens. The small domed building was bright and airy on the  inside and was filled with all different shapes and sizes of plates,  bowls, and cups made from the special mineral clay found along the  streams that ran down from the mountains.

"Nënë, how are you doing?" Titus asked, walking over to give his mother a kiss on the cheek.

"I'm fine," she replied with a raised eyebrow as she looked at her two  sons before turning her gaze on Vox. "Hello, my lord," she said with a  graceful bow of her head.

"Greetings, Illana," Vox said walking over and brushing his lips along his aunt's cheek. "How have you been?"

She smiled and shook her head. "I am well. Now, out with it. You three  only came to see me when you were in trouble as cubs. What mess have you  gotten into this time? You know your father isn't going to believe me  if I try to cover for you, don't you?" she said, looking at Titus and  Banu.

All three men chuckled as they stood back. "This time it is for a  different reason we are here, Nënë. Vox thinks you might be able to help  us piece together the attacks on our family," Banu said with a grin.         

     



 

"Ah," Illana responded quietly before walking over to the sink to clean  the mineral clay from her hands. "I knew this time would come," she  murmured. "This must not go anywhere else," Illana said as she turned to  look sternly at her two sons. "It pertains to Banu as well, but I hoped  that I would not have to tell him for a while yet. It would appear the  time has come to share a little of our family history that is known to  few."

Over the next hour, Illana related a tale of four brothers who were the  first rulers of Sarafin. One ruled the forest kingdom, one ruled the  city near the ocean, one ruled the desert kingdom, and one ruled the  ancient city as its guardian. The gods had divided their world so none  was more powerful than the others, but together they would be  practically invincible. To know who the true rulers were, they were  marked with a symbol. Each symbol was unique to the warrior, but when  placed together the symbols marked the location of the Heart of the Cat,  a gem so powerful it had the power to either heal their people or  destroy them. The four brothers, concerned that the gem would fall into  the wrong hands, hid the stone in a location only known to them. As they  buried it, the symbols formed on each, mapping the location so it could  never be truly forgotten. Only the leader of each kingdom would have  the mark. If that person were to die, then the mark would appear on the  next ruler. But, if the line were to die out …

" … Then so would our people. Over time, legends built up about the  location until it became more myth than reality. But, make no mistake,  it is very real," Illana finished. "Vox, you wear the mark as will your  son. Just as Titus does since his father passed the throne onto him.  Banu, you also bear the mark since the death of your father." She turned  sad eyes to her youngest son.

Banu's eyes narrowed in confusion. "I don't understand. My father still lives."

"No," Illana replied softly. "While your father and I consider you our  son, your true parents died days after you were born. Your father was my  younger brother. Your parents were murdered in their sleep. They had  been drugged in an attempt to capture the desert kingdom, which is your  true heritage. Your nurse stole you away in the night and brought you to  us. Arimis went to avenge my brother and his mate's murders, but the  desert had swallowed the kingdom. That is one of the many myths  surrounding it. Only two of the kingdoms are known-the ocean and city  kingdoms. The other two remain hidden until their rightful rulers return  to the throne."

"Why? Why would you not tell me years ago about my parents?" Banu asked  clenching his fists in disbelief and rage. "You let me think all these  years I was your son. Why would you not tell me?"

"I have lost three of my siblings to tragedy. I could not bear to lose  any more of you," she said calmly, looking at him intently. "You became  our son the moment I held you in my arms. I loved you as assuredly as if  I had given birth to you. If I had told you before the wars, you would  have gone searching for the kingdom. You were too young to go. Then the  wars took you away."

Banu swung around to stare out the window of the workshop, gazing  blindly over the garden. "You said you lost three siblings. Who was the  other, and who and where is the fourth member bearing the mark?" he  asked harshly, turning to stare at the woman he had always considered to  be his mother.

A tear ran down Illana's cheek, but she did not turn away from the harsh  stare. "Mia," she whispered. "She was taken as a baby and never found. I  have to believe she lived. She bore the mark of the hidden forest."

Vox listened in disbelief as everything he and his cousins had ever  known came apart. His own fury with his father mounted as he thought of  the information withheld from him. He was the King and should have been  told of the legend and its effect on his family and people, especially  now that he had a mate to protect.

"What happens if there is no one to bear the mark showing the hidden  resting place of the Heart of the Cat?" Vox asked knowing deep down the  answer.

"Sarafin will fall," Illana answered quietly.

"That is why Raffvin wanted me, Titus, and Banu. He knows about the  mark, but how, and why didn't he just kill us?" Vox asked coldly.

"He needs us and Mia or any of her children who may bear her mark,"  Titus replied calmly, piecing the puzzle together. "He could not kill us  if he wanted to find the Heart of the Cat and capture the power of the  gem. He ordered our deaths when it appeared that he would not be able to  find Mia or her descendants."

"We do not even know Mia survived or if she had any cubs," Banu stated in an emotionless voice.

"Yes, we do," Vox said with a sharp-toothed grin. "If she had not  survived, then our world would have fallen already. We have family to  find, cousins. Whoever is working with Raffvin must be aware of the  legend as well. If that is the case, they may be working on their own  agenda and not necessarily with Raffvin."

"Great!" Titus growled out as he ran his hand over the back of his neck  in frustration. "So, is there anyone out there not wanting to capture or  kill us?"

"My lords"-a guard burst through the door suddenly-"Lord Vox, your mate has been taken!"





Chapter 23

Riley laughed at Tamia, Bob's mate, as she related how she had captured  the huge Gelatian's attention. Bob just chuckled and rubbed against the  large peach-colored female. They enjoyed the afternoon as Riley teased  both of her former "mates" about abandoning her while they told their  mates how she almost blew everyone up, not once but twice.

"Doral and I need to go to the market. Would you like to come?" Tamia asked politely. "It is not far."

"I would love to go!" Riley said with an excited grin.

Vox had kept her practically a prisoner at the palace. Okay, that might  be a bit of a stretch, but she hadn't been anywhere outside the ocean  city and she wanted to see the beautiful ancient city. It reminded her  so much of some of the pictures she had seen of the older cities in  Europe and since she never got to see them, she figured she might as  well enjoy this one.

"We will return shortly," Doral said, giving Fred a kiss on both lips with a blush.

"Very shortly," Fred's left head responded with a soft growl while he  held onto both of her hands for a little longer than necessary.

All three women laughed as Doral pulled free with a vivid blush covering  her face. They picked up the baskets by the door that they would need  to carry their purchases. Riley adjusted her oversized purse over her  shoulder and nodded to the two guards that Vox left. She knew better  than to argue with them following her around. Vox should have been born a  bulldog because he wouldn't budge on her wandering around without a  couple of guards always tagging along.

"So where to first?" Riley asked as they stepped through the gate.

"There is a market where many different fruits, vegetables, and breads  are sold. Bob does not eat meat, but Fred does. We will go to the market  first. There is another market a few streets further where they sell  beautiful cloth and other things," Doral replied as she moved rapidly  through the crowded streets.

Riley followed the clipped pace Doral set. She might be small, but she  was a bundle of energy. She was so happy her two friends had found  someone to spend their lives with. Fred had told her that his older  brother had been killed in a dispute over credits, and his father wanted  him to return. He had talked at length with Doral and both of them  decided that they did not want to raise their young on a fueling  station. Bob had become a prominent silversmith in the small village he  had settled in on Curizan. That was where he met Tamia who had also  sought refuge after escaping captivity from a slave trader who made the  mistake of challenging a Curizan warrior. The warrior had freed Tamia  and brought her back to his world to live. She had been working as a  seamstress in the village. Both men decided they wanted to start fresh  and had already established their homes there.