A Forgotten Kitten (Sea-anan Saga Book 2) Read Online Free PDF Page B

be found!”
    Sev stared at her. “Again, forgive me. I am here now. I didn’t think you would miss me so soon,” he teased with a smile.
    “Hmph.” Areo was in no mood to play. She turned her back to him and crossed her arms under her breasts. Her right foot tapped on the wooden floor.
    “I really am sorry, Areo. How about we sit down? You can ask me all the questions you’d like.”
    Areo peeked over her right shoulder and saw Sev pointing to the council table. She stomped over to the nearest chair and plopped down. She pretended to stare at her interlaced fingers when she was actually watching Sev’s every move.
    Sev took the seat at the head of the table and openly stared at her. Areo fought the urge to finger the tingling spots left behind by his heated gaze. She was relieved, yet also disappointed, when he looked away.
    “So…what is on your mind?”
    It was Areo’s turn to focus on him. “Well, the others had said this is not your homeworld. They weren’t comfortable talking about it to me.” She shrugged. “Maybe because I’m not one of you. But I still would like to know what happened.”
    “I see.” Sev regarded the Oceanan symbol at the center of the table while he spoke. “Our homeworld was Oceana, located faraway from here. It had slipped out of her orbit and drifted in the direction of her sun. Consequently, she was caught by its gravitational pull and they eventually collided.”
    “I see.” Areo averted her eyes. So typical of the feline race, she thought, her indignation rising quickly. Still, I expected Sev to know better. Uncle Challen never taught him to be pretentious. “So you took it upon yourself to change this planet’s name and call it your own. That was quite arrogant of you, don’t you think?”
    Sev shifted in his seat. “No,” he replied. His face took on a more stern expression. “When I arrived, this untamed planet didn’t have a name. With the consent of the civilized natives, I christened her Oceanica.”
    “I see.” Skeptical, Areo searched his eyes for the truth. “They were actually all for this?”
    Sev sat straighter. “Yes, they were.”
    Areo responded with a respectful nod. After all, Oren’s death made Sev the new king. “Are the cats in the castle the only ones here on Oceanica?”
    “No. There are thirty clans residing here. Hopefully, there are many more on the way.”
    “Only thirty?”
    The number broke Areo’s heart. She could not keep her feelings from showing on her face. She held no love for the Oceanan race, but she did not wish for their annihilation. The hard lines around Sev’s mouth softened, as did his voice.
    “For now. I’m sure more escaped Oceana’s destruction. You see, our fleet was only capable of flying on warp speed three, so we do not expect them for another two years. We are optimistic, and we keep a diligent watch over the stars for them.”
    “I see. How many Seacats reside at the castle?”
    “A total of seven, including myself. Several more choose to live with their families in the nearby villages.”
    “That’s all?”
    “For now, as I said before. More will come. I’m sure of it.”
    His optimism and strength touched her soul. Areo lowered her gaze to the table. Sev’s stare was more intense than sheremembered. In their youth, she had been the bolder of the two. Now she found herself being the one to shy away.
    “How long have you been living here?”
    “Almost three years.”
    Her eyes met his in a hurry. “Three years! Where were you living before that?” Belatedly, she caught herself and lowered her voice several notches as she tried to cover-up her slip. “I mean, how old were you when Oceana collided with her sun?”
    Sev regarded her from behind half-lowered lids. “Eleven.”
    “So you were eleven when she exploded. And you lived here for three years. Where did you live during the years prior to arriving here?”
    Sev’s lids lowered further.
    “Sev?”
    “That’s a long story.”
    Areo