Chapter 14: Cousins

tinton - 2 1/2 seconds
specton - 2 1/2 minutes
Toton - 2 1/2 hours
minton - 2 1/2 days
daycon - 2 1/2 weeks
quant - 2 1/2 years
galant - 2 1/2 centuries
Metson - 2 1/2 inches
maclon - 2 1/2 feet
heckson - 2 1/2 miles
tetson - 2 1/2 acres

Bill Axor (AKA Ambrose) - Lion clan
King Tomco Traxor - Bill’s dead father, Lion clan
King Tobias Traxor - Bill’s dead brother, Lion clan
Queen Trianna Axor - Bill’s dead mother, Lion clan of Mandria
Queen Niaco Traxor - Tiger clan, Tobias mate, now Bill’s
Twitty Glax - Grey Tabby clan, bill’s body guard and mate
Glenna Nox - Bengal clan, Bill’s body guard and mate
Mikos Glac - Chartreux clan
Commander of star cruiser - Wire hair clan
General Roth - Leopard clan
Henna Glac - Chartreux clan, Mikos mate, Xendran Doctor
Theta Panadon - Cheetah clan
Cornelius Glax - one of Bill’s Uncles, Grey Tabby clan
Conrad Nox - Bill’s other Uncle Bengal clan
Assassin group - Jaguar clan
second assassin group - Ocicat clan
Gregor - Cougar clan
Gwayne - Panther clan
Dawney - Panther clan Gwayne’s mate
Thomas - Lynx clan
Mileen - Lynx clan Thomas’s mate
Typree Maxor - Sub King of Mandria, Lion clan
Adina Maxor - Sub-princess of Mandria, Lion clan

Gwayne and Thomas hissed and cursed as they ran to the exits, trying to find the older male. Growling at the noble guests to move, they both dashed outside to see a figure already leaping the wall and disappearing into the crowds. Roaring, they both headed for the wall only to stop short at Ambrose’s voice.

“Cease!” He told both of them. “Would you slaughter half the populace just to find one?”

Thomas growled, an eagerness in his eyes as he hissed. “I could do that!”

Ambrose shook his head, calling them both back inside. As all three of them stepped inside, a Lynx clan female met them at the door.

“I heard what you said, mate!” She yelled at Thomas with a growl, her tail swishing back and forth at a furious rate. “Don’t think you will escape me that easily!” She said as Thomas’s eyes grew wide, and he ducked back out the open door.

Bowing to Ambrose, she gave chase as they heard a fading Thomas, “Mileen, I wasn’t that serious!”

Ambrose’s face grew into a wide smile as he heard the fading sound of swordplay. Well, he thought, might not see Thomas for a half minton or more.

Turning to walk back in, Ambrose was met by his and the other Knights’ mates. “Ah! I see that you truly are smarter than we thought!” Roth’s mate said with a smile. All three of his mates were nodding yes as Ambrose stopped with a shock.

“Who am I to get between mates, especially when he was wrong?” Ambrose told all six of the females that were smiling at him.

Gregor and Roth walked up a moment later as Gwayne shook his head and met them before they got too close. Ambrose watched as Gwayne whispered in their ears, and their eyes got huge. Both nodded quickly, then all three moved to within a half maclon of Ambrose.

Roth’s mate turned to him, “Mate, you could learn much from this one. Protect him well or all of the knights’ mates may grow upset.” Then she leaned close as she whispered, “Your comrade Sir Thomas is already feeling his mate’s wrath. Let’s hope the rest of you don’t!” She said with a sly smile that had Roth nodding and standing more on guard.

Ambrose smiled wider then pulled the three aside. “I am afraid that there will be no rest. I have been receiving word that the outermost planet of the realm is rebelling. We must stop this before it cascades into all the planets going this way.”

All three of Ambrose’s knights nodded in agreement. “You want to send our wives after Thomas and Mileen?” Roth asked.

Ambrose thought about it; true, he needed all of them, but as he told the mates, who was he to interfere? “I will ask them, though getting between those two mates at the moment might not be a very good idea.”

Gwayne nodded; he himself wouldn’t want to brave that situation. The fact that he and his mate were close friends notwithstanding, Mileen was close to unstoppable when she got going. “If you ask, see if my mate thinks it is plausible. She and Mileen have been friends for many quants. That plus I think the fact that we may be gone a while might rub her fur the wrong way.”

Ambrose was nodding the whole time. He’d learned from his father that not listening to people who had more knowledge on a subject invited disaster. “Alright, if she can, I need all of you and him ready to go within a minton.”

Gwayne scratched his whiskers as he thought. “It might be a little tight, Sire; we’ll do all we can.”

Both Ambrose and Gwayne approached Dawney, Gwayne’s mate. As soon as both males approached, her face fell. Bowing low, she straightened, “Yes, Sire? If I can do it, then I will.”

Gwayne remained silent as Ambrose had a moment of silence that he was at a loss for words. “I--” here he sighed.

Dawney looked at her mate, then her eyes grew large. “You wish for me to intervene between them? Sire! I thought you were against this!”

“I am, that is why I have come to ask for your opinion.” When Dawney’s eyes widened, Ambrose continued. “I need all four of my Knights when we leave for the outer planet tonight. We have to quell the rebellion there before it starts.”

Dawney, still with wide eyes, remained silent as she contemplated this turn of events. Niaco walked up to her, whispering in her ear. With a gasp, she nodded and turned back to Ambrose. “Sire, in order to do this, I will require all of your mates and the other knights’ mates. Mileen may not appear so, but she is ferocious with a sword. Even Thomas barely has the skill to keep her at bay.”

Rubbing his whiskers, Ambrose remembered just how fierce Mileen had been when he watched her. Also, there were the events at her and Thomas’s home. “Granted, though I need to ask--” Ambrose started.

“I have already spoken to all of them, mate,” Niaco told him when he started to turn toward his mates. “For this instance, it is more than a damn good reason. Keeping this kingdom strong is all our duties.”

“Very well. The problem is, I need him here within no more than a minton and a half. Any longer than that, I’m afraid we’ll be gone,” Ambrose explained.

Both Twitty and Glenna scowled as they hissed, “You leave without us, and there will be a heavy price to pay, Ambrose!”

Ambrose swallowed hard at the looks of seething anger from all THREE of his mates! Well, he thought, things were going to get interesting, that’s for sure.

Both Gwayne and Roth looked at Ambrose with surprise. So, they weren’t the only ones who had to fear a strong mate. Both smiled and filed this fact away for later reference.

It was almost a minton later when all three of his mates and Dawney finally returned with a tied-up and struggling Mileen. Hissing with a ferocious roar, she was yelling, “Release me! I will kill all of you! My mate can’t be allowed to be a killer! Release me now!”

Ambrose could only stare at all five of the females, bandaged and bruised as they came in. Niaco sidled up to Ambrose, licking the side of his face. “Thank you, mate, that was the best hunt we have been on in a long time!” Both of his other mates and Dawney nodded their agreement.

Ambrose could only shake his head, then walked to Mileen. “Let me go! I care not who you are! I’ll kill all who get in my way!”

“MILEEN!” Ambrose roared to be heard over her screaming. Blinking, she shook her head.

“Ambrose?” Still a little confused, she looked at the ropes looped around her. “I take it I was in the bloodlust?” Ambrose nodded, a small smile on his lips. “I see; Thomas must have angered me greatly. That’s about the only thing that makes me lose control that bad.” Looking around, she saw Thomas limping in as well. Then she turned back to Ambrose. “Perhaps,” she whispered, “he might straighten up, though I doubt it.”

Thomas looked up at her with a scathing look, which quickly softened into a look of love.

Sighing, Ambrose addressed all of them, “We have to leave for Mandria as soon as possible. I suggest that all of you assume your armor. Take as many troops as you dare to bring. I want to suppress this as quickly as possible.” Roth nodded as all of the Knights departed. Looking at the seven females, he stated, “I am sorry that we must go. Please watch over what you can here. I am leaving some troops; public opinion of the crown has finally started to turn. I just hope it is enough to hold the kingdom together until we return.”

“We are with you, mate,” Niaco said as all seven of the females followed him to the armory. Upon entering, all seven of the females’ mouths dropped open. There, in the front of the room, were seven sets of armor for them!

“I had thought that it was time that my knights’ mates also had armor,” Ambrose said, turning to his mates. “As I did for my mates. Wear it proudly.” Then he turned, heading back to the palace almost unnoticed. Making his way to the throne room, Ambrose was slowly donning his armor when he heard several armored individuals approaching.

Looking up, his mouth dropped agape as he could only stare at all THREE of his mates. ‘Damn,’ he thought, ‘they are as sexy with the armor on as they were without it.’ Shaking his head to clear it, he chastised himself. There would be time for that much later, though he thought as he stared harder, they were tempting him mightily.