This book is free until 3/27/18
Bringer of Chaos: Forged in Fire is free on Amazon until March 27, 2018 http://amzn.to/2ABIcCI
Coming soon to Barnes and Noble, Smashwords, Kobo, and other resellers.
Science Fiction, Space Opera, Genetic Engineering, Colonization, SciFi Romance
In this scene, Pietas’ mother is critically ill and her immortal life is in danger. He’s been sitting beside the lifepod which double as a shelter, holding her hand. Pretosia, one of the sentient panthers, has adopted his mother and is lying alongside her in the pod. The telepathic panther, Tiklaus, pays a visit….
Telepathic Panther
Pietas shifted position to better see his mother. With her so gravely ill, nothing mattered more than healing her.
After a time, Pretosia’s ears flicked. The cat rose on its haunches, facing the cave entrance.
Turning to see why, Pietas found Tiklaus and two other cats approaching. He stood to greet them. “Good morning.”
Tiklaus continued alone, carrying something in its mouth. After reaching the end of the pod, the telepathic panther set down a dead rabbit.
Pretosia took a single leap and landed beside it, picked it up, and retreated deeper into the cave.
Tiklaus flicked its ears and another cat approached. After taking a rabbit from the cat’s mouth, Tiklaus flicked its ears and the other cat backed away. Tiklaus set the rabbit at the feet of Pietas and nudged it toward him.
He went down on one knee. “You hunted for me?”
The panther butted his chest, then looked back at the third cat. When it joined them, Tiklaus took the prey that cat carried and waited until it backed away. Once it had, Tiklaus swiped one massive paw at the pod and placed the second rabbit beside the first.
Gratitude swamped Pietas. It took a full minute before he trusted himself to speak. “And for my mother. Thank you. How you honor me!” He tapped a fist over his heart. “You have no idea how much I appreciate what you’ve done. I’d like to pet you, but I respect that you might not like to be touched. If I may, nudge my right hand. If not, please nudge the left.” He held them both out.
Tiklaus chose the right side and Pietas petted it.
Pretosia streaked past them and out of the cave.
While Pietas stroked the sleek back of the massive panther, the smaller Pretosia wandered back inside and sat down. It licked one paw and started cleaning its face.
“How was breakfast?” Pietas started to offer his palm to the little cat, but checked himself. A soldier did not interfere with the troops of a different commander. “Tiklaus, may I pet Pretosia?”
The panther sneezed, which Pietas took for a yes. He held out his hand to the other cat and when it nudged him, he petted it and rubbed its ears. The animal flopped down on its back with no more dignity than a housecat. He rubbed its belly.
After a few moments of indulgence, Tiklaus stepped between them.
Pretosia stood and shook itself. With one leap, it landed beside his mother. Not a whisker went too close. The panther stretched out again and curled that long tail around Helia’s head, then set one paw across her legs.
Tiklaus turned and the other cats backed away. Once they had, Tiklaus licked Pietas on the face and rubbed its nose under his chin.
“Thank you.” He scratched the cat’s ears.
Without a sound, the panther turned and lumbered off, the other cats in tow.
To read this story for free until March 27th click the link http://amzn.to/2ABIcCI
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