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“What are you doing? I told you not to touch me again,” she yelled sharply. I was still getting used to the way she spoke to me. She glared at me as well, but I kept hold of her for her own good, despite the way she struggled.
“If you get stuck out there it might kill you,” I said.
“Kill me? Rain?” she asked. “What kind of rain do you get out here?”
“This kind,” I said, because I could feel the change in the air. It simmered and it threatened and then the skies broke, and it came crashing through the jungle. The thick drops fell like daggers, slamming into the ground. It was ice cold. It slammed against the leaves over our heads and made them shake. Despite the shelter, it was not enough to completely cover us. I felt spray falling across my face and the sharp spiky sensation scratching the back of my neck and my arms. I pulled Kara close, seeking to protect her from the elements. Before us, we could see the ground being pounded by the rain, creating craters and divots in the soil. The rain was so thick that we could barely see in front of our faces. It was as though a thick fog had descended from us.
“What the hell kind of rain is this?”
“This is Gonshu’s rain. It always comes when it is time for him to wake. If you got caught out there, it could break your bones and drive you into the ground. It will not let you walk. You become a prisoner of the jungle, and it’s enough to make you drown,” I said, shuddering under the cold feeling that spread around us. Kara cowered, relaxing beside me as she realized that I was protecting her from the rain.
“I’ve never seen anything like this. Rain on my world is cleansing and refreshing.”
“I’m sure the Gonshu feels the same way about this rain, but it is his first weapon.”
“What others are there?”
“You will see as we get closer to his lair. We must wait for the rain to pass before we continue,” I said, and prepared to settle. Kara was still close to me, and she gazed out at the rain, transfixed by it as though it put her in a trance.
“This is incredible,” she said. “What other wonders does your world have?”
“I suppose you would like the diamond waterfalls, or the rivers of fire. Perhaps in time you shall see them all,” I said. Kara turned away and looked a little downcast.
“My world seems so empty in comparison to yours. There are all these great things, but mine is just… ordinary.”
“To us this rain seems ordinary. The fact that it is new makes it fascinating.”
“So, you don’t just want to go to other worlds to conquer them then, you also just want to see them for their own sake?”
I smiled. “I have always been curious. It would be wonderful to set foot in other worlds and see what else is out there. Did you never think of the same when you were younger?”
“To be honest I never really paid attention to the stories. I didn’t see that there was much point in them. I only cared about what was real. And hey, those stories turn out to be real, go figure,” she said, and laughed dryly. “Maybe I should have paid more attention to things. All I wanted was to experience life.”
“I’m sure you did plenty of that.”
“Not as much as I would have liked,” she said, and looked a little dismayed. She then turned to me and seemed to be wrestling with something. “I know that we’re not exactly friends, but do you mind if I ask you a personal question?” she asked. I inclined my head. “Have you… had a mate before? I mean, do you have children?”
“I have no children,” I said. “An Alpha must breed with the right woman, to bring about children that are going to be impressive and formidable. I wanted to wait until I could be sure that there are no better women than in the pride.”
“And now you think that I’m better?” she asked, a teasing glint in her eyes.
“I think that you have a power that is unique,” I said. She turned away at this and somehow the temperature became even frostier. She pulled away from me as much as she could, even though there wasn’t much room. We didn’t speak again until the rain ended. I couldn’t escape the feeling that I had said something wrong, although I wasn’t sure what it was. I’m sure Volkan would have been able to pick up on it, but the ways of emotion were often clouded to me.
As soon as the rain cleared, I left our shelter and reassured her that it wasn’t going to return again for some time. We then shifted back into lions and continued on our way, getting ever deeper into the jungle, leaving the plains behind. I could feel the dread creeping up my spine as we grew closer to Gonshu’s lair. The terrible image of him pulsed in my mind, throbbing as it always did. It was the Alpha’s burden to gaze upon him and perhaps I had been cruel in inviting Kara to share this curse, but in a way I was glad. These great hunts were often lonely, and there had always been the fear of dying alone present in my mind. That wouldn’t be the case this time. She may not have been an ally, but at least she was somebody.
The next stage of our journey was made more difficult because of the wet ground. Our paws sank into the mud, and there was a part where we had to walk along a narrow creek. We went carefully, knowing that a slip might cause our downfall. I kept looking back to check on Kara. My respect for her grew with every passing moment. I had to admit that I wasn’t expecting her to last this long. I thought at the sight of the rain, she would have disappeared back to the tower, instead she was showing much more fortitude. It was clear that she would make a good mate, although she was not willing to entertain the notion fully yet. I would soon see how she reacted in the face of the unfathomable though, when we reached Gonshu’s lair.
Chapter Twenty-One
Kara
I was still reeling from Axanar’s offer as we walked through the jungle. I didn’t want to say anything to him in case he brought it up again. I hated the fact that I was tempted to take it. Having an army to return with me and face the Night Fangs was a generous offer, but I would have to give up so much, and I wasn’t sure I was prepared for that.
I soon had other things to think about anyway, for we reached Gonshu’s lair. The jungle had grown over a cave. The ground was thick with vines, and the trees shrouded the place to cast it in darkness. The cave loomed ahead of us, a gaping maw that promised nothing but dread. My heart skipped a beat and an itch crawled down the back of my neck. Axanar shifted back into his human form, and he opened his bag, gesturing me over. He gave me some traps and directed me where to position them, near the mouth of the cave. He spoke quickly, warning me that Gonshu could awaken at any moment, and if he woke before we were prepared, then it could spell death for us. He spoke nonchalantly though, as though this was just a simple walk in the jungle. I suppose after all he had been through and all he had faced, this was just another day to him, and facing his mortality was something he had done more than once. I could see now why he had this hard edge to him, for so much tragedy had stained his life. I couldn’t imagine the pain he must have felt when he challenged his father, and I came close to pitying him because he was alone.
Perhaps we had more in common than I first thought.
I gathered the traps and set them up near the mouth of the cave, unable to stop myself from glancing into the opening. I was now so close to learning what Gonshu was, and I was scared. Everyone had acted like it was the most terrible thing ever, and now I was so close to it. This was something that only the Alpha should have seen, yet I was here too, and I wasn’t sure whether I should feel fortunate or cursed.
