A SPARTAN'S WAR

PRIDE OF PUMAS

0910 HRS, EST

Serale did not know what to expect when the son arrived at their cell but her dark green eyes watched him carefully as he spoke to the guard in the foyer and that Kavalian glanced at them and then nodded his head.

"What is happening Serale?" Danim asked her in a whisper.

Serale shook her head. "I don't know." She answered.

"Where did he take mother?"

Serale looked at him. "Danim I don't know!" She hissed softly.

Danim turned back to look at Kalis. "This one… this one scares me Serale." He said softly. "He is… he is that bastard's son!"

Serale turned back to watch as Kalis entered a code into the door control. "Quiet! He's coming in!" She whispered to him her eyes never leaving Kalis. Her eyes grew a little wider as he withdrew his ARSOC sidearm but did not point it at them, only held it along his leg.

"Gather what things you have and come with me." He spoke sternly. "No tricks and do not attempt to run. There is no place on this ship where you can hide that I will not find you. It will not be pleasant when I do."

"Where… where is our mother?" Serale asked softly.

"I did not say you could ask questions." Kalis snapped. "Move now!"

Serale snatched up several items of clothing and the lone bar of soap that had appeared with the additional clothes and pulled on her brother's arm. Danim rose to his feet and slipped his hand into Serale's. Kalis motioned them forward out of the cell and into the corridor where another Kavalian waited.

"Kalis." Popal spoke.

"Commander." Kalis said moving up next to Serale.

Kalis towered over her by several inches and was nearly twice as wide as her. Her dark green eyes took in the exceptionally sculpted muscle of his arms and chest under the dark uniform shirt. She squeezed Danim's hand making sure that she remembered to speak with him not to attempt anything with this one. They had watched him face down three Kavalians that day and there had been nothing but rage in his eyes, like he had no fear. His skin was deeply tanned and unbelievably Serale found herself thinking he was extraordinarily handsome. Serale watched him hand the Kavalian a data pad.

"These are the codes to my quarters and the security grid I have installed Commander." Kalis spoke. "Make a copy for yourself and then give this pad to my father per his instructions. No one else is to see this."

Popal nodded. "The discontent was growing Colonel. This is a sound move and I intend to advise your father of that."

Kalis nodded. "I sensed it too. With them out of the immediate area things should calm in a few days.'

Popal held up the pad. "I will do as you order with this." He said stepping out of the way.

Kalis looked at Serale. "Move into the corridor and do exactly as I say." He barked.

Serale could not keep track of the number of turns and twists they moved down. They moved down three Lifters and among corridors that all looked the same. She made out several numbers on the bulkheads but crisscrossing as they did got her very confused.

Kalis did not speak to them aside from giving them directions where to go, partly to keep appearances up, but mostly because her cinnamon and cherry scent was swarming around him and making it hard to think. Kalis took several deep breaths as they walked and tried to focus on the instruction program from Androcles about how to regulate and block scents if he needed. Or at the very least force them to the back of his mind so that they were not so prominent. He was able to succeed for the most part and finally, seven minutes after leaving the Security Cell he ushered them through the dual bulkhead doors of his quarters. Kalis turned almost immediately and sealed the doors, engaging the locks. He holstered his ARSOC and placed his forehead against the cool metal and tried to take calming breaths.

Serale looked around the large quarters they had entered. There was a great desk and chair against one wall of the main room they were in. She saw a large couch and computer monitor on the table in the center with the huge view window behind that. A small kitchen area was off to the left and an archway that led into another room. The walls were mostly bare, but Serale could see where items had either been moved or taken down. On the desk she could see three image projectors. Two were of a stunning female with long white blond hair and the second was of a younger looking male and female, the male having many of the same features as the young man in the room with them. She looked at her brother and they turned to see Kalis take a deep breath and turn to face them. He typed several commands into the door panel and Serale looked up when she heard the faint sound of dampeners of some kind engaging. Her eyes went back quickly to Kalis as he faced them.

"You may speak freely now." He said quickly. "I have engaged the audio and video dampeners. Sit… please." He motioned to the couch. Serale and Danim both were very wary and neither of them moved. Kalis moved into the small kitchen but still they did not move, watching as he poured three glasses of a blue liquid from the container and then he turned back to see them still standing there. Kalis moved back into the main room and put the glasses on the table. "I asked you to sit." He said maintaining his calm, now fully able to push Serale's sweet scent to the back of his mind as Androcles's teaching had shown him.

"Why… why are we here?" Serale asked softly. She was filled with a large amount of fear yes, but there was something about his man that caused her to feel safe as well. "Where did you take our mother?"

Kalis set his glass down and stripped out of the uniform top, leaving himself only in the black t-shirt. He sat down and lifted the blue liquid and took a long pull from the glass, downing half of it before setting it back down. "Your actions nearly six weeks ago have been fermenting among the Puma Bane troops assigned to this ship." Kalis told her as he looked up. "I… I convinced my father to allow me to move you both down here in order to protect you."

"Protect us from what?" Serale asked.

"The Puma Bane troops who would have gotten enough courage to disobey my father's orders and come for you." Kalis said. "I could not allow that to happen."

"Come for me?" Serale asked softly.

Kalis nodded. "Yes. Both of you are probably far more intelligent than me. You must know what I mean?"

Serale looked at him with wide green eyes when he said that and she relaxed slightly. "Where is our mother?" She asked again. "Is she…"

Kalis looked at her and his own eyes grew wide. "No!" He gasped. "No! My father gave her to the commander of another ship…"

"What?" Serale snarled. "To do what he does to her! You bastard! You…"

Kalis put his glass down and made to reach for her but Serale instinctively slapped him viciously across his face leaving imprints of her fingers on his cheek and rocking his head back. "You fucking monster!" She hissed savagely. "It is not enough she has to submit to your father but now she must submit as a whore to more of your people! You…"

Danim grabbed his sister's arms before she could strike again. "Serale!" He exclaimed.

Kalis's eyes flashed and changed, his dual wolf fangs bursting from his gums further than they ever had before and becoming very prominent and looking exceedingly deadly. Serale gasped and backed up against her brother as Kalis moved forward faster then either of them could react. Serale whimpered as his tall and muscular body caused her to press up against the bulkhead, his body touching hers. Danim began to try and push him off her but Kalis's hand closed around his throat and with gentle but firm pressure he backed him up to the bulkhead beside his sister. Kalis's eyes never left Serale's beautiful but terrified face and it was that look that caused the anger at her actions to slip away instantly. His eyes did not change but his fangs receded somewhat as he stared at her. Serale could feel his warmth breath on her cheek, a peppermint smell on his breath, unlike the foul breath of the Kavalians who had gotten close to her before.

Kalis drew in a deep breath; inhaling her sweet scent and feeling it reach to every part of his mind and body and actually calming him even more. "They… they are not my people Serale." He spoke softly seeing her eyes slowly turn back to look at him. "They are not my people. And you were… you were right to strike me. I should not have grabbed for you. I am sorry." Kalis turned to look at a very frightened Danim. He quickly took his hand away from his throat. "The blow you were going to try and land would have struck the side of my head Danim. You would have broken one or more of your fingers as a result. I am still half Lycavorian… and one of the traits I have acquired from that side of my blood is the thickness of our bones." He turned back to Serale and gazed at her with those changed eyes. Serale held in the gasp that threatened to escape her lips as she saw the depth of those blue eyes and how beautiful they were in their changed form. "Forgive me." He spoke softly before backing up and moving back to the couch.

"I could not stop my father from sending your mother to the other ship." He said. "They are not… they are different than normal Kavalians. And they were lying to my father about their true intentions." He looked at Serale. "I do not believe your mother is in any danger. Of either physical abuse or mental."

Serale pushed off the wall. "What… what are you saying?" She asked. "Why have you brought us here? What is going on?"

Kalis lifted his eyes to her and motioned to the couch once more. "It is a very long story. Do you wish to remain standing for all of it?" He pointed to the glasses. "I know all they have given you is water these last weeks. It is not fancy, but this Grotian Berry Juice is very good." He saw the indecision in her eyes and smiled slightly. "You watched me pour it and I have already drank half of my glass. I am still breathing. I promised your mother I would keep you and Danim safe. I will keep my promise to her."

"Why?" Serale asked.

"Because I wish to escape this… all this…" He motioned with his hand. "I wish to escape it all as well. Please… please sit down. My uncle says it is not polite to have a woman stand while you sit, and I do not wish to relate my story to you while standing up."

The tone of his voice made Serale plant her firm ass on the cushions of the couch and Danim joined her a moment later. This was definitely not what she had in mind when he had come for them.