grimaced and he sighed deep in his chest. “So, it's come to that? Am I supposed to teach you how to court a female now?”
Shakra ducked his head, ears going lopsided as he struggled to explain. “Not... females...”
“No?” Shang said. “That Tikena has come of age too. I smelled her when she went by with her pack of fawning attendants. Shameless.” The last he hissed disapprovingly. “It’s someone else?”
“Not females,” Shakra repeated. “I know about females...I...”
Shang sighed again. “I am attempting to avoid what I know you are about to reveal. If you are wise, you will agree with me, allow me to advise you to ask a werewolf instead of a werelizard, and begin your exercises.”
“I... can't do that,” Shakra admitted. “I'm sorry... It's Tamarind.”
“The lion,” Shang clarified as he stood up again and paced the room.
“Werelion,” Shakra corrected in a small voice.
“As far as Warden Kol is concerned, he's a spotted skunk that needs killing, and the truth is of little importance!” Shang fumed. He stopped in front of Shakra and glared. “Of all creatures... If your urges are for males, there are many forest werewolves that would be eager to lift their tails for you and keep it behind their teeth.”
Shakra went white and then red. “It's Tamarind... just Tamarind,” he said in a choked voice.
“A werelion... Can you even mate with it?” Shang demanded incredulously.
That was too blunt. Shakra wasn't about to retort that he had seen that he could, or that Tamarind had purposefully shown him that. “It's more than that,” he said instead. “I feel... something for him. I don't know how it happened, but it's there.”
“Your warden will not stand for this,” Shang warned. “You have signed the werelion's death warrant for certain.”
“We haven't done anything!” Shakra couldn't help exclaiming, and then more quietly, “I doubt Tamarind even feels the same way. He just wants his freedom.”
“Best you keep that in mind,” Shang warned. His dark eyes were hard. “You know the darkness in a person's soul. You see it every day here. Don't let your wayward heart make you drop your guard with that one. He may use it to his advantage.”
“I'm not a child!” Shakra retorted fiercely.
“I can smell that you aren't,” Shang replied. “You can't let anyone know about this. You can't pursue it unless you plan to leave this place and your title behind.” He leaned close for emphasis. “And if you do choose that road, make sure you leave quickly and under cover of night, because Warden Kol will not lose his power through you so easily.”
Shakra knew that he was right, but he also knew that one thing was true. “I will not give up my title to Warden Kol, no matter how I feel.”
Shang straightened and he looked down his full height at Shakra. “Make sure that you have the stomach for the consequences of that decision then.” He stepped back, hands held wide. “Now, shall we leave hearts behind and practice your fighting skills? I think that you are going to need them very shortly.”
Shang trained Shakra hard and he was exhausted and aching by the time he was allowed to go. Loping quickly back to his rooms, he found the door closed and Lormar nowhere to be found. In a state of near panic and red fury, Shakra opened the door and hurried inside, only to run right into Lormar's back. Lormar grunted and half turned, but his attention was on a laughing Kyrill, who was being bowled over by a leaping Tamarind. Shakra felt his blood chill as he watched Tamarind use his large hands to grab Kyrill in close and then almost envelope him as his back legs cushioned their impact with graceful ease. The werelion's head dipped and fangs gleamed as he latched them onto Kyrill's throat. Kyrill, still laughing, went limp, supple, sand colored werefox looking defeated and fragile in Tamarind's strong grip.
Shakra felt a rush of heat all through his body as he watched
Shakra ducked his head, ears going lopsided as he struggled to explain. “Not... females...”
“No?” Shang said. “That Tikena has come of age too. I smelled her when she went by with her pack of fawning attendants. Shameless.” The last he hissed disapprovingly. “It’s someone else?”
“Not females,” Shakra repeated. “I know about females...I...”
Shang sighed again. “I am attempting to avoid what I know you are about to reveal. If you are wise, you will agree with me, allow me to advise you to ask a werewolf instead of a werelizard, and begin your exercises.”
“I... can't do that,” Shakra admitted. “I'm sorry... It's Tamarind.”
“The lion,” Shang clarified as he stood up again and paced the room.
“Werelion,” Shakra corrected in a small voice.
“As far as Warden Kol is concerned, he's a spotted skunk that needs killing, and the truth is of little importance!” Shang fumed. He stopped in front of Shakra and glared. “Of all creatures... If your urges are for males, there are many forest werewolves that would be eager to lift their tails for you and keep it behind their teeth.”
Shakra went white and then red. “It's Tamarind... just Tamarind,” he said in a choked voice.
“A werelion... Can you even mate with it?” Shang demanded incredulously.
That was too blunt. Shakra wasn't about to retort that he had seen that he could, or that Tamarind had purposefully shown him that. “It's more than that,” he said instead. “I feel... something for him. I don't know how it happened, but it's there.”
“Your warden will not stand for this,” Shang warned. “You have signed the werelion's death warrant for certain.”
“We haven't done anything!” Shakra couldn't help exclaiming, and then more quietly, “I doubt Tamarind even feels the same way. He just wants his freedom.”
“Best you keep that in mind,” Shang warned. His dark eyes were hard. “You know the darkness in a person's soul. You see it every day here. Don't let your wayward heart make you drop your guard with that one. He may use it to his advantage.”
“I'm not a child!” Shakra retorted fiercely.
“I can smell that you aren't,” Shang replied. “You can't let anyone know about this. You can't pursue it unless you plan to leave this place and your title behind.” He leaned close for emphasis. “And if you do choose that road, make sure you leave quickly and under cover of night, because Warden Kol will not lose his power through you so easily.”
Shakra knew that he was right, but he also knew that one thing was true. “I will not give up my title to Warden Kol, no matter how I feel.”
Shang straightened and he looked down his full height at Shakra. “Make sure that you have the stomach for the consequences of that decision then.” He stepped back, hands held wide. “Now, shall we leave hearts behind and practice your fighting skills? I think that you are going to need them very shortly.”
Shang trained Shakra hard and he was exhausted and aching by the time he was allowed to go. Loping quickly back to his rooms, he found the door closed and Lormar nowhere to be found. In a state of near panic and red fury, Shakra opened the door and hurried inside, only to run right into Lormar's back. Lormar grunted and half turned, but his attention was on a laughing Kyrill, who was being bowled over by a leaping Tamarind. Shakra felt his blood chill as he watched Tamarind use his large hands to grab Kyrill in close and then almost envelope him as his back legs cushioned their impact with graceful ease. The werelion's head dipped and fangs gleamed as he latched them onto Kyrill's throat. Kyrill, still laughing, went limp, supple, sand colored werefox looking defeated and fragile in Tamarind's strong grip.
Shakra felt a rush of heat all through his body as he watched
Similar Books
