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The Seduction of Seleste

From the world of the mating season

Strength for Strength

Chapter 69

Keme was starting to think Seleste had a drinking problem. Perhaps Seleste and LiAnh both. But then, he hadn't known LiAnh long enough to make such a judgment. For all Keme knew, that night was the first time in his life LiAnh had ever been drunk -- though Keme highly doubted it.

As supper wound down and everyone sat back with full bellies and drunken grins, Keme noticed that his parents were slightly tipsy, as were Keeno and the king. Swaying arm in arm, Keeno and the mountain king began loud, slurred singing, and seeing that LiAnh was in a state, Kilyan dismissively asked Keme to get his brother to bed before turning away and making out with Avi.

Seeing his parents kissing was enough to make Keme hurry off with LiAnh without argument. But then he noticed Seleste: she was at the other end of the table, drinking goblet after goblet and making an ass of herself as she kissed the princess up her arm! The servants were making a game of it: they took turns filling Seleste's goblet, and each time she topped one off, they would take a drink until they, too, were drunk. God, the mayhem.

Keme had wanted to go and collect Seleste but he couldn't leave LiAnh. He started to ask Inden for help, but the winged warrior had his paws full trying to coax Kilyan and Avi to bed. Then Keeno and the king fell clean over, and Inden and Mio dove to help them up.

Keme shook his head in exasperation and asked Zee to go and get Seleste. The young male nodded dutifully and was off. After all the frosty glares and friendly questions that had been met with cold silence, Keme was surprised that Zee had taken up his request without argument. But he supposed it made sense: any friend of LiAnh's was a friend of Zee's, and Keme was friends with LiAnh now.

"Wha . . . was that?" LiAnh slurred. ". . . 'bout Seleste?"

"Nothing," Keme said at once.

With LiAnh's arm around his shoulders, Keme was turning away when he heard Seleste arguing with Zee. He looked back: she could barely hold herself up and had smacked Zee's paw off her arm. Zee stood looking indignant, his jaw standing out hard. Seleste haughtily took the princess by the arm and sashayed out. Keme couldn't believe it: Seleste had just gone off to have drunken sex!

Keme was fuming as he helped LiAnh up the stairs. A servant showed him to the guest room he and LiAnh would be sharing within the king's great hut, and thanking the young girl, Keme deposited his brother on the bed with great care. He was careful to turn LiAnh onto his stomach - lest he choke on his own vomit - then he found himself pacing the floor, wondering where Seleste was and wanting to shake her.

Keme wanted to go in search of Seleste, but he couldn't leave LiAnh alone in such a state. As Mio was passing their room, he caught him by the arm and interrogated him.

"First of all," said Mio and twisted his arm free of Keme's bone-shattering grasp. "Ow?"

"Sorry," Keme said sheepishly. "But - did you see Seleste? Where is she?"

Mio shrugged apologetically. "With the princess somewhere? Don't worry, Keme. I'm sure they didn't go far." He clapped Keme on the shoulder before moving on up the hall.

Keme gritted his teeth at the irony of Mio of all wolves telling him not to worry. Don't worry? He had every reason to worry! If Seleste and the princess were caught, there was no telling what might happen! Seleste was drunk off her ass and could fall in some mine and never be seen again! And she was sleeping with someone else! As much as it pained Keme to admit it, the fact that someone else was touching Seleste pissed him off more than anything else. It was Ahote all over again. Thinking of someone else with Seleste . . . made him want to break something.

Keme paced the floor as he tried to decide what to do. He finally sat down and tried to relax. Pft. It was impossible. He gripped the armrests of his chair and took a breath, looked around. It was a room like any other room. He and LiAnh's things had been brought to it. He could see their traveling packs and spears near the wall. Keme had half a mind to grab his spear and run into the street to find her!

"Keme . . ." LiAnh called from the bed. "Where's Seleste? Where's . . . our wife?" he said with a laugh. "I was hoping for more friendly competition."

"She's recruiting another competitor," Keme said through his fangs.

LiAnh frowned against the pillows. "Wha . . .?"

"Nothing. Go to sleep."

"No . . . you sound . . . angry."

"I'm not angry!" Keme roared. He heard an audible crack and felt the armrests crumble in his paws.

LiAnh laughed from the bed and dragged himself up on one elbow. "All evidence to the contrary," he said, his mane in his face. "What's going on? Did Sel run off with the princess? I knew she would." He laughed.

Keme looked at LiAnh incredulously as he dusted off his paws. "I'd ask how you can be so calm about this, but then - you're fucking wasted."

LiAnh laughed again and grinned stupidly. "Oh, come on, Keme! It's not like she --" He burped softly. "You know Seleste loves you!"

Keme leaned forward and buried his face in his paws. It wasn't the first time he and LiAnh had had such a conversation. He'd gotten angry when Nahimana disappeared with Seleste in her arms. The red wolf warriors had then moved in to escort them to some feast or other, and Keme grabbed one and demanded to know where they'd gone. He shook the warrior so hard, his fangs clicked. It took Kilyan and Avi combined to calm him down. And afterward, he convinced himself that it was for the best . . . somehow . . . it was a good thing that Seleste had gone off and had sex with Nahimana. Her friendship with the strange sorceress had given her access to a great deal of knowledge . . . about her powers and the frost wolves . . . yes, he told himself over and over that it was a good thing as he sat in the village square, snapping bricks with his bare paws and ignoring the incredulous stares of the red wolves. And later, after Seleste had fallen asleep between Keme and LiAnh, Keme was furious to awake to find she had been whisked away yet again. LiAnh proved a true brother in that moment, comforting him with the reassurance that Seleste loved him very deeply.

Remembering that talk, Keme suddenly felt very ashamed of himself. He looked at the pieces of wood that had crumbled away from the armrests. The smashed bits were dust on the floor, and with shame overcoming him for ruining such exquisitely carved furniture, he swept the bits away with his foot.

"If you're done throwin' tantrums and breakin' furniture," LiAnh said from the bed, "maybe I can get some sleep."

Keme saw LiAnh's head turn on the pillow and he closed his eyes. His white body was sprawled across the top fur blanket, muscular and practically glowing in the dark. His silver circlet was askew and his silky white mane spread around him in a veil.

Keme took a breath and felt his heartbeat slowing. He had to wonder why it drove him so wild. To have Seleste be with someone else, someone who wasn't also his lover, someone who wasn't also his friend . . . Honiahaka and Talisa, they were the only ones who could touch Seleste besides him. And LiAnh. Keme smiled. To think, he had wanted to snap LiAnh's spine the night he heard them fucking in the cave, and now . . . he didn't mind it. He didn't mind it at all.

After a while, LiAnh's gentle breathing rose and fell. He was asleep. Smiling fondly at his brother, Keme moved across the room and tucked him into bed. He lay on top of the covers beside LiAnh, staring at the ceiling as he waited for Seleste to return. But after a while . . . he couldn't help it. . . . he fell asleep.

Keme awoke again when he heard the soft clicking of beads. Seleste! He opened his eyes and sat up, glaring through the darkness for her. She froze near the bed - and, god, she reeked of sex, sweat, and wine. Her pale mane was a wild mess around her guilty eyes. But she looked pitiful as well. Somehow or other, Keme knew she'd had her fill of angry wolves that night.

"Your clothes are on the right way, at least," Keme said darkly. He tried not to sound angry but failed utterly. "What are you waiting for? Get in bed."

"Keme, I'm s-sorry . . ."

"Don't apologize, Seleste," Keme said wearily. "It's done." He sighed. "Come here."

Seleste came to him with her head down. He wanted to laugh: she was such a pup sometimes. He unbuttoned her shawl for her, and slipping it off, he tossed it in the broken chair. She stood very still, allowing him to unfasten and pull down her dress. She braced herself against him as she stepped out of it naked. The dress was tossed on the chair with her shawl, and then Keme had pulled Seleste down on his lap.

He spread her knees with his own knees, and reaching for the basin and washcloth on the bedside table, he started bathing her. She closed her eyes and relaxed against him as he smoothed the cloth carefully over her belly, over her breasts and sex. He washed her neck and arms as well and pointed out darkly that she had dirt under nails.

"You've been in the garden," Keme surmised after sniffing her a moment. He carefully sniffed her neck again and watched as she blushed all over. "You smell like the mushrooms and the flowers . . . and her."

Seleste's long lashes angled down and she said nothing. What was there to say? He had already asked her not to apologize.

"What happened? When you came in, you looked . . ."

"Miserable?"

"Yeah. Are you okay . . . your cheek!"

Seleste closed her eyes and turned her face away. "It's nothing --"

"It's sore! What happened? And why don't you heal it?"

"I deserve it," Seleste answered in a small voice. "I betrayed you and LiAnh, and I hurt her - I . . ." She bowed her head again and her mane swept forward.

Keme's ears went flat: tonight had been hell for her and she needed him. He set the washcloth aside and hugged her tight from behind. "If you'd just . . . lay off the bottle," he teased softly.

Seleste laughed sadly.

"I know if you hadn't been drinking, none of it would have happened."

"You're right, it wouldn't have," she whispered. "I was trying to keep from . . . I was so scared I'd get hard and she'd see!"

"Ah," Keme said as it dawned on him. Seleste didn't know how to control her erections. In hindsight . . . it was kinda funny. He tried not to laugh for her sake, though.

"How do you do it?" Seleste wondered miserably.

"You'll learn. You just have to think of something else. Think of something that grosses you out next time."

"Your cooking?"

"There you go."

They laughed.

Keme tightened his arms around her and loved the feel of her pretty laugh vibrating up from her slender body. It was nice to have her back again, her smell, the feel of her in his arms. Suddenly very content, he kissed her head. He saw her cheek bulge in a smile around the sweep of her mane.

"And you're not drinking because of . . .?"

"The sea of ice?" Seleste frowned. "No."

"Pft, you're lying," Keme said at once. When she made a scoffing noise, he added, "You do this thing when you lie --"

"What thing?" Seleste said dismissively.

"Well now, if I told you, you'd stop doing it. And then I'd never get anything out of you."

"Oh, you've some nerve, Secret."

Keme sighed. "Alright, fine. You got me there. It's just . . . you were drinking pretty hard at the sun village too. And there were rumors you drank at the wedding --"

"I did. LiAnh had to carry me to bed."

"Seleste . . . what's going on?"

"Nothing."

She sounded a little miserable and a little too calm. Whenever she was calm like that, she was lying through her fangs.

"Promise me you'll stop drinking like this. It could harm . . . . if . . . if you're . . ." He smoothed his paw over her belly, just above her sex.

Seleste closed her eyes. "I promise."

"And if you need me for anything," Keme told her, "I'm here."

There was a loud snore, and Keme jerked his head and added, "So is LiAnh."

Seleste laughed. "Thank you, Keme."

"Let's go to sleep. I stayed up all night waiting for you."

"I'm sorry . . ."

"No, it was worth it. Got to bathe you, didn't I?"

"Keme," Seleste said fondly.

Keme pulled back the fur sheet and they climbed in with LiAnh, who was dozing on his stomach, his muscular back rising and falling with each breath. Seleste snuggled in between the brothers, and Keme watched as she fondly stroked LiAnh's mane. She looked so happy and content lying between them, he had to wonder what she was thinking. Perhaps she was happy to have two males so devoted to her: one her husband and one her lover.

Keme scooted close, spooning her from behind and throwing his arm across her. "Just tell me one thing."

"What is it?"

"It's . . . over between you and the princess? Right?"

Seleste nodded glumly against the pillows. "I promise."

"I'm sorry things ended badly," Keme whispered sincerely and was glad to see her cheek bulge in another smile.

"Goodnight, Keme," Seleste whispered contently in the darkness.

"Night, Seleste."

A pause. And then . . .

"Keme?"

"Hmm?"

"You know I love you, right?"

"I know."

"Then why is there broken furniture in here?"

Keme laughed weakly. "Because I love you too."

Seleste turned over and peered into Keme's eyes. Her thick lashes fluttered in a warm smile, and he melted inside.

"So very much," he whispered.

They kissed.

---

After Seleste's incident with the princess, Kilyan decided they should not wear out their welcome with the mountain wolves. They packed up the next morning and bid the king farewell before proceeding on their way. The princess, queen, and queen mother were no where to be seen as Talib wished everyone safe travels in the throne room, and Keme was exceedingly glad. You couldn't pay him to listen to all that bickering again. He truly felt for King Talib.

"Chieftess," Talib said and his silver eyes went to Seleste, bright with affection. He stood before his throne on the stone dais and looked down at Seleste as if she were a little pup, a child he wanted to pull on his knee. Keme stared at the king, wondering what the reason was for this sudden warmth from him. Then the king opened his fist to reveal a bracelet: it belonged to the princess.

"My Tayanita wanted you to have this," Talib said softly and dropped the bracelet in Seleste's small paw.

Seleste examined the bracelet sadly, her ears flat in her pale mane. "Your majesty, I - I couldn't . . ."

Talib's brows pressed together. "Please. It is a gift from both her and I. I do not know what the future has in store for my daughter. She may meet a fate very similar to mine. I will avoid pushing her into an unhappy marriage at all costs, but . . . the future is never certain. Never," he said with a little smile, and Keme knew he was thinking of the prophecy and the Golden Age that he and Keeno had gone on about over dinner. "Taya may know a life of unhappiness for convenience's sake. We are both grateful that you were able to bring her such joy." He frowned sadly again. "Even for such a brief moment in time."

Avoiding everyone's eye, Seleste slipped on the bracelet. "Thank you, your majesty . . ." she whispered.

LiAnh smiled at her and rubbed her shoulder. "That's our Seleste," he said in amusement.

Talib smiled at LiAnh. "And I am glad the - incident - has not angered or offended . . ."

LiAnh shook his head. "Not at all. We were all a little wild last night."

A servant girl who stood nearby blushed prettily. Keme recognized her as the one who had shown them to their guestroom the night before. Standing behind LiAnh and Seleste, it finally hit him why LiAnh was taking it all so well: he'd gotten some tail!

After Keeno and Talib had said their final goodbyes, the group set out into the bright blue day. It was painful to come from the gloomy underground passages only to step into the dazzling white sunlight.

Having been given directions by Talib, Keeno guided them as they made their way up the winding path. The path would take them down and through a mountain pass, and after that, the Endless Plain would stretch before them.

The Endless Plain. Keme had overheard Keeno talking about the place with Kilyan. Keeno and his traveling companions had been stranded there once, but little had they known the Endless Plain was actually the place where Miras Eii and the surrounding sea of ice stood hidden.

As they traveled on, birds were singing overhead, butterflies were floating by, and Keme found it strange that the world could be so beautiful and bright when he felt so . . . terrified. He felt as if he was marching to his doom. They didn't know what was happening at Miras Eii, no matter what Nahimana had told Seleste. All sorts of crazy scenarios played out in Keme's head. What if the sea of ice had melted, taking the crystals and all the frost wolves down with it? What if the foxes were already dead and they had come all this way for nothing? Keme hadn't heard from Sylas since that humiliating night on the ship when he walked into his dreams. No one had heard from Sylas. It was unnerving.

Zee halted and hissed to the others, "Stop!"

Zee's heightened senses had saved their tails more than once now, so everyone stopped without question. No one said a word, just allowed Zee to listen. Keme watched the male. His eyes were staring, unseeing, into the distance. Keme strained to listen as well, but he heard nothing - No! The shift of gravel under careful paws. And a smell.

Keme's eyes slowly turned up the rocky slope of the mountain. He went rigid. A mountain lion was lurking in the brush above them, its body low in a crouch, its shoulders high. Its ears were flat and its yellow pitiless eyes peered down at them hungrily.

Everyone remained still. Keme saw Inden slowly take Seleste's arm. The mountain lion snarled softly and tensed, as if it sensed that its prey was leaning toward fleeing. It lunged into the thick of them, and Seleste screamed as Inden snatched her into his arms and took off into the air, barely missing those great claws.

The rest of them were bowled over. Keme took Keeno's elbow to his teeth as they stumbled into each other. He saw stars for a moment and felt Keeno's paw fumbling over him apologetically. Sitting up, he looked through the spots that danced before his eyes and gulped: the mountain lion was incredibly huge. Too huge to be real!

Everyone was still down when the beast lunged Kilyan's way. Avi scrambled up in time and gave it a hard upper cut to the face. Blood exploded from its crushed nose. It staggered back in a momentary daze, and she dragged Kilyan to his feet. Kilyan was scrambling for his spear when the mountain lion lunged again. It swiped, and Kilyan's spear was sent clean down the path. He ducked in time while Avi stood her ground. She gave a blow that the lion parried with a backslap: the swipe sent her flying.

"Avi!" LiAnh shouted.

The lion swiped again, and with a scowl, Kilyan curled his fingers in the earth and snatched them free, hurling dirt in the lion's eyes. It wobbled away, growling and swiping blindly. LiAnh leapt in and straddled the lion's back. His spear was no where to be seen: it had gone rolling over the mountainside and down several feet into the brush. He fought with his bare paws, beating the lion about the head, and he had managed to get one thumb in the creature's eye before it bucked him off. He spun hard across the path and stopped. He didn't move. Keme started to run to LiAnh but halted again when he saw the lion lurching after Kilyan.

Kilyan was running to Avi's body. "Avi!" he shouted. He gathered her small body in his arms and staggered out of harm's way just as the beast lunged. The roaring lion slid through the dirt, got its bearings again, and went running after him.

"Dad!" Scowling as he got to his feet, Keme chucked his spear, and the startled mountain lion skidded to a halt as the blade just missed its head. It whirled toward Keme, who glared at it from across the path.

With the lion distracted, Mio moved in. Spear above his head, he sprang at the lion with a roar that made its ears prick forward. He caught the creature in the side, but his thrust was so wild, he missed and grazed its fur in a splash of blood instead. The lion turned upon Mio, swiping, snarling with drool, bright eyes enraged. Keeno leapt forward when it swiped at Mio and took the blow instead. Keme heard Kilyan shout as his friend was knocked down. A frantic Inden dragged Keeno's body away into the air as the lion tore into his leg with jagged claws. Inden! Where was Seleste?

Keme glanced around but didn't see her. He had to do something - it was all happening so fast!

Zee and Mio were battling the lion now, and Keme saw that Mio had pulled knives and was dancing around the creature with them. He slashed and ducked and took several nasty swipes, while Zee stood high on a rock, raining arrows down on the beast.

The mountain lion was too fast for any of them. Keme ran forward and was sent flying back with a back-kick to the face. Spitting blood, he sat up in time to see Mio fly across the path. His body smacked hard against the great rock upon which Zee stood. He lay there bleeding, out cold. The lion lunged for his body, and with cold fury hardening his face, Zee kicked it square in the eye. The lion snarled and reeled back while Zee scrambled to pull his brother up on the rock with him.

His eyes narrowed with anger, Keme dragged a large rock up from the dirt and hurled it. The way was clear now: everyone was down, hurt, or out of reach. The rock went right for the mountain lion. It smacked into the back of the creature's skull with a nasty crunch. Keme was shocked when the beast didn't go down but whirled upon him, bloody face snarling, yellow teeth webbed with drool and blood. They went down together, and Keme choked as he was slammed on his back. Why was the mountain lion so unbelievably strong? He could toss boulders into the sea like pebbles, and yet this creature was bearing down on him!

The mountain lion's tawny fur filled Keme's nostrils with its musk as they struggled against each other. The creature was straining to close its teeth on his face, and he held it at bay by its sticky jaws. Good god, his arms were trembling! But very slowly, the lion was losing. Keme felt its jaw slowly giving away and heard a loud pop: the jaw dislocated and sagged in his grip. Triumphant, he was preparing to twist the creature's head clean off when it suddenly went careening away.

Keme sat up on his elbows and watched in disbelief as the mountain lion soared across the path. Its broken jaw hung off its face, but its tongue flexed as it gurgled a horrified roar. Its hulking body smacked the side of the mountain and stuck there a moment, plastered in blood, before it slowly sank to the grass and collapsed.

"Nahimana?" cried Seleste in disbelief.

Keme looked around: Seleste was perched on her knees, on a high rock on which he could only assume Inden had placed her. Now she rose to her feet and floated down to the path, mane and skirts billowing.

Keme followed Seleste's gaze and his heart skipped a beat. The red sorceress was indeed standing down the path. She fizzled with energy as her mane and gown danced around her, and it finally sank into Keme's tired mind that it was Nahimana who had sent the mountain lion flying.

Nahimana smiled at Seleste as she lowered to her feet, but Keme was surprised when she moved past her. The light faded from her as she came directly to Keme and helped him to stand.

Seleste followed the sorceress, gray eyes eager and bright with joy. "But, Nah, what are you --?"

"Seleste!" Zee called hoarsely. "Help them - please!"

Keme looked over and saw Zee kneeling in the dirt, cradling his unconscious brother. Inden carefully laid Keeno's bleeding body near Mio, and Kilyan drew near, cradling an unconscious Avi. LiAnh had been laid beside Mio, and Keme could see the glare of his white body in the grass. Seleste ran to the group and set to work, touching each and healing them with her light. Watching her, Keme thought it was a shame she didn't know any destruction magic.

Nahimana peered into Keme's eyes. She towered over him, smelling of the musk of magic and potions and herbs. She turned her head slightly as she regarded him, and he knew she was doing her mind reading trick.

"I could have killed it," Keme assured her with playful indignation.

The sorceress laughed. "No. You could not." She nodded at the bracelet on Keme's bulging upper arm. "A once-powerful sorcerer gave you that talisman." Talisman, talisman, talisman.

". . . Yes," Keme answered uncertainly.

"And the mountain lion . . . You felt the creature able to you match you, strength for strength."

"Yes," Keme admitted. "But why? This thing is supposed to protect me!"

Nahimana shook her head. "No. It is supposed to keep your magic from being taken. You are still incredibly strong. The mountain lion was simply stronger. It nearly killed your friends." She glanced over at the group, and Keme could see his mother coming to, sitting up as Kilyan helped her. LiAnh, Mio, and Keeno were also now awake, blinking and dazed after the healing light of Seleste's paws had washed over them. They hardly seemed able to sit up, and the others cautioned them to rest.

"Why was the mountain lion stronger - are you going to tell me?" Keme demanded impatiently.

Nahimana looked at him with a knowing smile, and Keme halted and bit his lip. God, he sounded like a jealous fool. Here they were, having been saved by her after a near death-by-lion, and he was being rude because she'd fucked Seleste. He silently reprimanded himself, then tried again.

"I mean, I noticed it was really wearing me down," Keme added apologetically. "Like it could have crushed me."

"It was no ordinary lion," she answered patiently. "It was sent."

Keme lifted his eyebrows. "Sent?"

Nahimana turned away. She lifted her head, addressing some unseen being as she shouted, "Old One! Show yourself!" Self, self, self!

When nothing happened, Keme glanced around and wondered if the sorceress wasn't slightly off center. Then something did happen. There was a flash of light, and a hunched old wolf stood in the middle of the path, grinning nastily as he clutched a basket.