Pursued Read online

  But the change wasn’t done yet. As she watched him, the man’s ear grew more pointed and migrated up to the top of his head. His face lengthened even more until his mouth and nose formed a muzzle. His broad shoulders became broader and his blue-black hair seemed to spread down his body, changing his dusky skin into a furry pelt. Elise watched, speechless with horror, as his fingers lengthened into claws, each one needle sharp and obviously lethal. There was a swishing sound and suddenly the man had a tail—a long black one which waved from side to side, the same way a cat’s tail waves when it’s watching a mouse it wants to eat.

  “Oh my God,” she gasped. “What—”

  And then the strangely mutated cat-man pounced.

  Chapter Twenty-four

  Merrick followed Elise’s scent, his heart sinking when it mixed with that of a billib and then jumping in fear when it led him directly into the Deep Blue—the exact place he’d warned her not to go. Goddess damn it, couldn’t she stay out of trouble for one fucking minute? But under the anger he was mostly worried—scared to death that something might happen to her.

  He gave up calling her name, not wanting to alert the Ancient Ones or any predators that might be around. Instead he followed her scent, weaving around trees and dodging through the indigo underbrush as quickly and quietly as he could.

  He had come within sight of one of the massive grandfather trees, which he knew the Ancient Ones revered, when he heard voices. First it was just Elise, talking to either herself, or possibly the billib. Then a new voice joined the conversation—a deep, growling, somehow feline voice that seemed to echo through his bones.

  The voice of an Ancient One.

  Merrick felt a surge of fear from Elise. He tried to run faster but a partokk vine curled around his ankle, slowing him down. He had to waste precious seconds cutting himself free, and by then the growling, feline voice had risen to a crescendo.

  He heard Elise scream just as he burst into the small, open space around the grandfather tree. He saw the Ancient One, already in its second form, launching itself toward her, no doubt intending to rip her to shreds with its claws.

  “No!” Merrick bellowed. Throwing himself between the two of them, he grabbed the Ancient One’s wrists, stopping it just as it was about to tear into Elise. It was surprisingly strong, snarling and shifting in his grip, its mutated muzzle snapping inches from his face. I’m staring my fucking death in the face, he thought, dismay rippling through him. He didn’t know what Elise had done, but somehow she’d incited this guardian of the Deep Blue to a homicidal rage. And once the Ancient Ones set out to extract a toll, they never stopped until they got their pound of flesh.

  “Trespasser,” the Ancient One snarled in a voice that echoed painfully in Merrick’s bones. “Blasphemer. Violator. Thief!”

  “Wait a minute,” he grunted, using everything he had to grapple with the thing and keep it away from Elise. “My female meant you no harm, she just came into the Deep Blue following a billib, and I came following her to protect her. We are innocent of your charges.”

  “Liar!” the Ancient One growled. “She came wearing the sacred color, which is forbidden to all. And then she stole a branch of the holy pain-vine. She must be punished!”

  Merrick whipped his head to the side to look at Elise. She was crouched back against the trunk of the grandfather tree, wearing nothing but some red lace underwear that barely covered her breasts and pussy. Inwardly he groaned. So that was what the Ancient One meant when he said she was a blasphemer. Wearing the sacred color, red, within the Deep Blue, was sacrilege. Wearing it in the provocative, sexual way Elise was, was like going into a temple of the Goddess and pissing on the altar—unforgivable. Not only that, but he could see a broken branch of skrillix lying at her feet—clearly she’d taken it off the vine that grew up the side of the grandfather tree.

  If Merrick had been with her, he would have warned her to avoid this particular vine at all costs. The skrillix was always considered blessed, but when it grew on one of the holy grandfather trees, it was sacred and completely untouchable. No wonder the Ancient One wanted to kill her—without knowing it, Elise had signed her own death warrant!

  “I know how this looks,” he said, turning back to the being he was grappling with. Fuck but they were strong in their second form. “But it’s all a mistake. Elise is from off-planet—she didn’t know she was blaspheming or transgressing. You can’t kill her for simple ignorance.”

  Finally the Ancient One stilled. He was about a half a head shorter than Merrick but his slitted cat eyes blazed up into Merrick’s ferociously. “Whether she deserves life or death will be for the Elders to decide,” he growled. “But for the theft of the sacred skrillix, she must be punished.”

  “I understand,” Merrick said evenly. “But I am her protector. I will take her punishment on myself.”

  The Ancient One’s eyes narrowed and somehow his strange paw hands slipped from Merrick’s grasp, getting away from him before he was ready to let go. “You do not know what you offer, outsider,” he hissed. “My claws are tipped with bitter anx venom—your pain would be intense and long lasting.”

  Merrick moved warily, trying to keep himself between the angry Ancient and Elise. “No matter what you choose to do to me, seeing Elise punished would hurt me more.”

  “Hers was the crime,” the Ancient insisted. “Hers should be the punishment. He darted to one side, cat-quick, forcing Merrick to dodge to keep between him and Elise.

  “No,” Merrick insisted. “No, she—”

  “I am coming,” the Ancient One hissed, his indigo eyes glowing. “For this night’s crimes, my claws shall taste blood. Protect her if you can, outsider.”

  * * * * *

  Elise gasped as Merrick grabbed her and shoved her against the tree trunk, pressing her bare back to its rough bark.

  “What’s going on? What is he going to do?”

  “Nothing to you, baby.” Merrick pressed against her, covering her from breast to ankles, shielding her with his body. “Just hold still and don’t try to run,” he growled.

  “But that’s exactly what we have to do—run!” she protested. “We have the skrillix and the edge of the Deep Blue can’t be that far. We can make it, Merrick!”

  “I might make it but you wouldn’t,” he said grimly. “The Ancient Ones are fucking fast and strong. He’d be on you in a heartbeat. Besides, we earned this punishment. We have to take it if we want to get out of here alive.”

  “But—”she started to say and then there was a horrible ripping sound.

  Merrick threw back his head and clenched his jaw. A hiss of pain escaped his gritted teeth.

  “Merrick?” she asked, suddenly fearful. “What’s happening? What is he doing?”

  “Just hold still,” he ground out. “It’ll be over soon. At least I fucking hope it will.”

  “What?” Elise demanded. “What will be over?” Then she heard the ripping sound again and saw the face of the Ancient One, contorted with rage, appearing momentarily over Merrick’s shoulders. He raised one hand—no, paw was a better word now—and Elise saw that the sharp, curving claws were dripping with crimson. Blood, she thought faintly. Oh my God, that’s blood—Merrick’s blood!”

  Suddenly she understood what was happening. While Merrick shielded her with his body, the Ancient One was tearing his back to ribbons with its claws. The ripping sound was Merrick’s shirt and the flesh underneath it being shredded.

  This punishment was meant for me, she thought wildly. This is all my fault! Merrick told me not to come into the Deep Blue alone, but I didn’t listen. And now he has to suffer for my foolish, ignorant mistake.

  “No!” she gasped and realized that tears were running down her cheeks. “No, please stop! This is my fault!” she called over Merrick’s shoulder, trying to get the Ancient One’s attention. “I’m the one you ought to punish—not him!” When the Ancient One didn’t reply, she tried pushing at Merrick’s chest. “Move, let me out. Let me take