Page 198 of Galaxy Circus Act One

“Mostly because we are taught to respect our traditions from a very young age. This is how it has always been and always will be. We have no problems with that, but there are laws against males and females fighting against one another. If a male does challenge a female, then he must appoint a female proxy, and vice versa,” I explain.

By then, the sound of Natalia arriving becomes apparent to all of us. She is screeching so loudly she can be heard through the closed door. I cannot wait to be done with her. The immense relief I feel that she won’t be able to attack Echo anymore is breath stealing.

“Holy fuck, that’s loud,” Eric complains, putting his hands over his ears.

“I would like to meet this Minx, and we will decide from there as well as see what the situation is down there. I would like to spend as little time as possible on Iceen, because I want to get to Celestia for John,” William tells us firmly as the door opens, and Xavier and Saxon drag a struggling and worse for wear Natalia into the room.

“You will all pay for this. My mother will rip your intestines out when she hears of my treatment,” she screams at us.

Lila and Link have moved closer to us in a bid to get out of the way, and I see Echo’s nostrils flare as he scents Lila. Jealousy starts to niggle at my mind. Why her? Why not another lightning cat? Or really, why anyone at all? We are all each other needs.

At that moment, Natalia catches sight of him, and she lunges toward him with her claws out, surprising Saxon and Xavier whostruggle to contain her. Before I can even react, Lila is in front of Echo, protecting him, her own fangs bared. Her eyes glow just like a Vilaxian’s during bloodlust.

“Step back, Natalia. I haven’t fed this morning, and your neck is looking mighty tasty despite the risk of a fur ball,” Lila snarls at her, and I watch in amazement as Natalia actually stops and listens to her. It’s almost like she’s in a trance as she steps back and allows Saxon and Xavier to get a better grip on her. The minute they tighten their hold, she starts to struggle again, hissing and spitting insults.

“Wow, she really is a nasty bitch, isn’t she?” Lila stares in amazement as the threats and foul language continue to spew forth.

I frown when I see Echo is huddled close to her, and she has put her glove-covered hand on his back and is rubbing him reassuringly. I don’t even think she realizes she’s doing it. My own jealous rage erupts, and I feel my claws extend and the teeth in my mouth change to fangs. I can’t help the growl that escapes my mouth.

She turns to look at me in surprise, and that’s when she recognizes what she’s doing. She removes her hand slowly and holds it up. “Oh relax, Maxsim, I was just protecting your mate,” she says, and with shock, I do exactly as she says.

My jealousy recedes, as do my claws and fangs. Not because I wanted them to, however, but because she said it. I feel a rush of horror replace my fear. What is she? Is that Vilaxian compulsion?

“Why don’t you shut up?” Lila shouts at Natalia, who hasn’t even stopped to take a breath during her rant. The room instantly falls silent. Now everyone looks at Lila, who appears as surprised as everyone else.

“Hmm, I guess maybe you got compulsion too,” Saxon muses.

“Enough, let’s get this done. Xavier, restrain her, and for fuck’s sake, gag her. I cannot listen to that shit anymore,” William demands and strides up onto the platform.

Everyone but Dr. Link is wearing Iceen approved clothing. As everyone else follows William, I see Echo admiring Lila’s outfit. She’s wearing all white, which must appeal to him because it’s the color of his fur. They look very pretty standing side by side. The pants are skintight and hug her curves, as does the top which dips low in front. The material isn’t very thick, so I’m guessing it’s specially treated to withstand cold temperatures. In fact, everyone is wearing outfits that are easy to move in, so maybe they are anticipating trouble and have dressed accordingly.

She’s paired it with a long, fur-lined white coat and thick, knee-high boots. I watch as she brings the hood up over her head, covering her hair. She places herself between Echo and Natalia on the small platform despite the warlock having immobilized and silenced her.

I’m not even sure she realizes she’s done it. She’s distracted as she talks to her kraken mate, who is in his human form and covered in the same kind of outfit as everyone else. I quickly insert myself between my mate and Lila while she is preoccupied. My skin itches at the thought of having her too close to him.

“Okay, Link, hopefully we won’t be long,” Eric says, the last to step onto the platform.

“Good luck, and I’ll let you know if anything changes with John.” The cyborg doctor waves goodbye as Officer Kirk hits the transport button.

Our bodies dissolve into molecules, and we are transported down onto the planet’s surface. When we reform, I take a deep breath, smiling at the smell of home.

“Holy cold as a witch’s tit,” Lila mutters behind me. The wind is howling so loudly it’s hard to hear her, and the icy particles in the air sting the face as everyone puts their head down to protect against it.

Suddenly, a yellow barrier surrounds us, blocking out the weather completely, and the noise falls away.

“Fuck, I could kiss you,” Lila says, and Xavier turns and smirks at her.

“I’ll claim it later.”

“I know you all told me it was bad, but that was way worse than I expected,” she replies as I take the lead, moving toward the large capital building which isn’t far away. The snow is knee high, and it takes the others a little longer to move through it than us cats, but eventually, we make it to the double doors.

“Maybe it would be best if you took the lead. I would like to search for my mother,” I tell William, who quickly agrees.

“Would you like me to search for her like I searched for the cyborg? It is no problem and would be done a lot quicker than if you have to go room to room,” the warlock offers, and my mouth drops open in surprise before I can stop it. He chuckles, his mist-covered body jiggling slightly with the action.

“I really have been antisocial, haven’t I?” he says conversationally to Caspian and Saxon.

“Yes, you’re a real asshole,” Saxon responds dryly.