Taz drew back and then flung Kyle away from him, his face mottled with fury. “I knew it. I knew you’d choose them over me. You’re lying about wanting to stay with me. You want to go to them, don’t you?”

Kyle could see Taz’s eyes changing again. He’d never seen Taz’s beast before. Usually the Tygerian beasts were well-controlled and came out only at times of great need or really strong emotion, but now his eyes were becoming those of a cat, the pupils growing large and elongating. A few times during the year, Taz had told him their moon was at its fullest point and their beasts roamed all over Tygeria. On those nights, he would lock his nobyo away, he said, for his own safety. Unlike the Lycan wolves, the tigers became fully bestial, and once they were completely transformed, they no longer had the thought processes of a humanoid creature.

Still, Kyle stood his ground, growling back at him when Taz made the low, inhuman noise in his throat. “Listen to me, damn it! I’ve told you over and over that I want to be with you. I don’t know how to say it any other way. You have to trust me, Taz. You can exchange me for Tarr and then I’ll come back to you as soon as I can. I give you my word.”

Taz shot him a disbelieving glare and started pacing rapidly back and forth in front of his desk, reminding Kyle of the Earthan tigers he’d seen in zoos back on Lycanus. “The word of a Lycan! Bah! You haven’t been away from them long enough for me to teach you yet how to be honest. You’d say anything to get away from me and go back to your precious family. No, I don’t believe you. How can I? I’ll find out where they’re holding him and attack them. Violence and a show of force are the only things a Lycan understands.”

He turned on his heel and walked rapidly from the room, leaving Kyle behind. He was stunned and fell down in Taz’s big chair. His family had Tarr. He had no doubt they would carry out their threats if Taz didn’t comply with their demands. Worse yet, Taz would attack the planet and many innocent lives could be lost. His family could be lost. Even…his mind skittered over the possibility that his family might kill his mate, an image too horrible for him to hold onto for long. There was simply no good outcome for this. The only way to avoid any bloodshed was for Kyle to go to them.

Thinking he might be able to wait until Taz calmed down a bit and speak to him again, he got wearily to his feet as the door to Taz’s office reopened. Wyn stood in the doorway apologetically.

“I’m sorry, sir. But Taz…I mean to say Taz-lan wants you locked in your room. I’m supposed to take you there now and make sure you’re locked securely inside.”

Kyle’s lips thinned to a grim line. Taz, as usual, was completely overreacting. Arrogant, suspicious bastard.

Wyn’s slight slip of the tongue over Taz’s name reminded Kyle that it was far from the first time the servant had used the name in his presence. Taz had never reacted with impatience or anger, hinting to Kyle that they must have a closer relationship than he knew.

“Wyn,” he said, a sudden idea occurring to him. “You’ve known both Taz and Tarr a long time, haven’t you?”

“Oh yes, sir. Since they were born. Their nobyo, who was a fine person, even though he was a human, had to travel frequently with his master, their father. He was a diplomat, you see, and he wanted his nobyo with him. In their absence, I often cared for the children.”

“I see. So you might say you care a great deal for both of them.”

“Of course,” he said, stiffening a little. “I’d do anything for either of them.”

“Anything?” Kyle said, moving closer and putting an arm around Wyn’s shoulders. “Then I have a proposition for you. If it works, and I think it will, it could save both Tarr and Taz. You know what’s happened to Tarr, don’t you? I saw your face when you came into the room to tell Taz.”

“Yes, sir, and I’m worried. I don’t know what Taz is going to do. He was frantic when he left here a little while ago.”

“I know,” Kyle said grimly. “And he’ll blame himself if anything happens, because he always does. And he’ll wind up hating me for it too, because it’s my family, even though I’ve been telling him that something like this was going to happen. He’s a stubborn man, Wyn.”

Wyn nodded. “Yes, but he’s always been that way, even as a small child. He tries to take care of everyone. It’s one of the reasons I was so happy when he found you, sir. Since you’ve been here, you’ve made him very happy.”

“Look Wyn, I have an idea. I know I can convince my family that being here with Taz is my choice. It is my choice, you know. He offered me my freedom, but he’s my mate. I can’t live without him now.”

Wyn nodded. “But as you say, he’s stubborn. And I think he doesn’t believe you won’t try to leave him, despite what he might have offered you. He would be heartbroken if he lost you, I think.”

“He won’t lose me. I promise you that. If you’ll help me, I think there’s a way out of this for all of us. But it means I have to get to my family and make the exchange before Taz attacks them. I need help, Wyn.”

The old servant looked alarmed and pulled away. “I-I can’t do that, sir. He would never forgive me.”

“He doesn’t have to know. You must know some of Tarr’s associates here on Tygeria. Maybe some of the Rogers? I know Tygeria has offered the Nilaniums asylum, and they have a camp here. If I could get a message to them, I think they might help me. My family could give them a reward, plus they’d be liberating Tarr. C’mon, Wyn. Just please think about it. But quickly, before Taz does something rash. He could kill my family, or get himself and his brother both killed or badly hurt. You don’t want that, do you?”

Lost in thought, the old man stared at him for a long time before slowly nodding his head. “I know someone. He’s a friend of Tarr’s. Perhaps he can help, but you must never tell Taz-lan I did this. He would be…” He shook his head and Kyle remembered Taz’s eyes.

“Don’t worry, I’ll never tell him. You’re doing the right thing, Wyn. This will work, and then I’ll come back and we can be happy together—you’ll see.”

“I hope you’re right, sir. But I’m an old man, and if I’ve learned anything over the years, it’s this. Most things don’t go as you plan them, and sometimes, there simply is no good ending to a problem.”

A shiver traveled down Kyle’s spine at the words, but he shook himself, and refused to believe it. This would work because it had to. There simply was no other choice.

Chapter Seven

Kyle looked nervously out the porthole of the inter-space transport and wondered what Taz was doing right at that moment. He’d been heartsick and miserable since that morning when the captain of the transport had allowed him to try to contact Taz, but Taz had refused to take the call. Refused! Kyle could only imagine what that must mean.

The “escape” from Taz’s house had gone so smoothly, it was hard to believe it. The day after he’d spoken with Wyn, there was a knock on his bedroom door and Wyn opened it to admit a large, swarthy Nilanium who gave him an interested look before nodding civilly at him. Taz had left early that morning after a restless night, still adamantly refusing to speak to Kyle about an exchange of prisoners.

In a matter of moments, the Nilanium, whose name was Robosium Jex, had agreed to Kyle’s plan and even refused the reward Kyle told him his family would pay.

“Tarr Bonnet has been my friend for many cycles,” Jex said. “And a good friend to my people. I’ll help you, Lycan, even though if Taz Bonnet finds out, he’ll have my head. Literally.” He shook his head and gave Kyle the ghost of a smile. “Well, I’ll figure it out. If you come back, he’ll get over it. If not…” he shrugged. “A permanent home is not for me, anyway. Life here on Tygeria is making me soft. I’d rather be traveling through space, I suppose, like my people have done for centuries.”

“I will come back, I promise you. This is the only thing I can think of to save Tarr and make my family understand.”

Jex nodded. “If you’re ready, we’d better go now. I have the ship waiting.”

A little startled at how quickly things were moving, Kyle nodded and found some clothes that belonged to Taz in his clothing drawers. They were too big, but better than the thong he had on, so he quickly dressed, rolling up the trouser legs and tying the shirt around him. He looked odd, but it was the best he could do. He took one last look around and then pulled out the note he’d written the day before where he’d hidden it under the mattress. Wyn had told him things might move quickly once he contacted Tarr’s friend, so he had the note ready.

The note told Taz how much he loved him and promised him he’d be back. There wasn’t much more to say really. He wondered if Taz would even read it or just rip it up in a rage when he found out Kyle was gone. Propping the note up on his pillow, Kyle followed Jex to the front door.

That had been almost a day ago, and now Taz was refusing to even speak to him. Kyle felt like some winged creature was inside his stomach, beating its wings and trying to batter a hole through it. He’d never felt so discouraged.

Someone cleared their throat behind him and he turned to see Jex standing by the hatch into the room. “We’ve entered Lycanus 3 airspace, and been contacted by your people. We told them we had you on board, and they agreed not to shoot us down and eat us. A fair trade, I think.”

Kyle tried to smile, but he couldn’t quite pull it off. Jex gazed at him and shook his head. “Don’t worry so, Lycan. Taz Bonnet will come around. His pride is hurt now, and he thinks you betrayed him. He’s never trusted Lycans, and he probably thinks this only proves his point.”

Kyle turned back to the porthole. “Well, that makes me feel a lot better, Jex. Thanks for that.”

Jex chuckled and came to stand beside him, clapping a big hand on his shoulder. “An ancient Nilanium poet once said, ‘The course of true love never did run smooth.’”