Feral Magic Read Online Free PDF Page A

in the sand arena.
    Yes, all of his body was weary.  Except his heavy sex that sent licks of potent desire through the rest of him.  As he climbed the short stairs he had to suppress his lusty reaction...or at least mask it from her sight with a little illusion spell around his erection.  Something he hadn't had to do in ages, which was disconcerting and irritating...yet still pleasurable.
    But it seemed as if she was interested in him; her breathing had quickened, her skin turned rosy with blood flow.  She stole peeks at his body – which clued him in that sexual mores in this culture weren't as open as his own.
    She went into a bedroom with newly ruined curtains at the window and Dak winced. He could guess how that had happened.  The bed was nice and big, so he'd be able to stretch out.  Excellent.
    He dropped his pack and fell less than gracefully on the bed, holding Favel carefully.  The mattress rose and plunged beneath him!  A hiss broke from his lips.  Favel chortled, wiggled from Dak's grip and crawled over him, trying to bounce on him.
    Female laughter-coughing.  "Water bed," she said.
    He moved a little, but it was hard: he'd settled in a trough.  " Water?  Truly? " he muttered.
    "Yes."
    Sniffing, he didn't smell any such thing, though the strange and unpleasant odor from the envelope holding the water came to his nose – along with sweet woman, a tinge of her sweat, and Favel smells.  The cloth under him was very soft, nice to rub against.
    Favel agreed; he crept over Dak, testing his skin with his claws.  The babe rolled around, then settled in next to him, cooing and drooling on Dak's arm.
    "I'll be downstairs," the female said.
    He would rather have had Favel close by in a pen and the woman in the bed with him, even just to sleep.  But he couldn't just keep calling her "the woman."
    "Name?" he grunted.
    She straightened to her full height, still a lot shorter than he.  "Brandy Svensson."
    He tensed.  Lifted his head to scan her.  "The enemy white tiger klatch also has names beginning with that sound."  Loathsome sound.  A reminder of Bretine, of her uncle who had killed his mother and who Dak had vanquished.  The sound of the name of Bretine’s brother who'd killed Dak's brother and sister-in-law, the chief and chieftess.  The white tiger who’d murdered Favel's parents.
    Brandy sniffed loudly, said in a cool tone, "Well, I'm sorry for that.  My name is Brandy.  You may call me Ms. Svensson.  'Ms.' is a courtesy title."
    "What is your noble status?" he asked.
    Her body stiffened even more, pretty blue eyes narrowing.  "I have no noble status.  I am a commoner.  No one in this country has noble status."  She paused, hissed out a breath.  "Though we have leaders, of course, whom we choose en masse.  And, as in all times and places, wealth will buy you nearly anything."
    Using his tired abdominal muscles, Dak sat up.  Little Favel grumbled in his sleep and rolled behind him.  Dak snagged him and put the baby against his thigh.  "I am Dak of the Dark Panther Klatch.  Recently I was regent."
    "Regent, huh.  Big deal," she said, sounding sincere.
    Dak rubbed the baby's stomach and he purred.  "This is Favel, the child of my late brother and his wife.  Favel is the Chief of the Klatch."
    A caught breath from the woman.  She took a step back, frowning.  "Like the king?"
    "Yes."
    Her expression set in determination.  "Then we need to get him back home."
    "Yes, he and I must return," Dak said.  "As soon as possible."  Before Bretine found them.  Before the portal moved.

Chapter Six
     
     
    She nodded.  "I'll leave you to sleep, then."  Once more she paused.  "I don't have much meat, but you may eat all that I have.  Then we'll talk about how much I should order in.  No offense, but I do not trust you in my home alone, yet."
    "Three hours sleep should refresh me sufficiently," he said, fairly sure that he'd correctly calculated the time increments he'd picked up from