"I think working in the library is my favorite," Bashta said.
He had wandered into the building one day while exploring the town on his own where he promptly found Raselie. Bashta admired her a lot; they worked together to help the sick kitlings side by side during the worst of the wait for the anti-serum. When she found out Bashta was interested in the books she started teaching him to read and was amazed at how fast he learned, devouring each lesson and learning more than she would have thought possible in just a week.
It helped distract him from the stress and worry of not knowing what was happening to his clan's lands. Every night he had nightmares, his dead crying out for vengeance. His claws had punctured more than one pillow. He was just thankful that he hadn't hurt Cavel. The wonder of the books and computers in the library were one of the few things keeping him sane.
He was only helping her with small chores and in the children's area but the kitlings all loved doing crafts with Bashta. He showed them how to weave grasses into mats and small baskets and the older children got lessons in carving. Some of the older younglings sat with him as they all worked on their reading skills. The best part of all to him was reading the baby books to the infants during their story time. Their chubby cheeks and bright eyes and happy giggles encouraged him to pick very happy books just to hear them again.
"I think that's what I want to do." Bashta turned his head from where it rested on his folded arms under his chin. His legs moved restlessly and pushed the sheet down even farther, exposing his ass.
Cavel was idly tracing designs on the bare skin of Bashta's back. They were lying in the bed, the glass doors wide open to let in a breeze to dry the sweat on their skin. He trailed his fingers down to the small of Bashta's back and chuckled a little when Bashta shivered.
"That tickles," Bashta complained as he turned over. His mate had been doing everything he could to distract him as well but they were both on edge most of the time. Not right then though.
Cavel rested his head on his hand and looked down at Bashta.
"You're so hot." He leaned down and kissed Bashta then rubbed their cheeks together. Bashta ran his fingers over the line of spots along Cavel's neck. Cavel yawned.
"You're not so bad yourself," Bashta joked, "for an old guy."
"An old guy? An old guy!" Cavel looked outraged. Bashta started laughing when Cavel started poking him in the stomach. "Who are you calling old?" He slid a muscular thigh over Bashta's legs when he tried to squirm away, locking him in place. His mate was still built solid, his bulk more than enough to keep Bashta in place.
Bashta shivered as he thought of how it had felt when Cavel had rested all his weight on his back, pressing Bashta into the bed as he took him. He felt his dick stir and decided to take matters into his own hands, turn the tables a little on his dominant mate.
"First you complained about dinner being too late when you get home and now you're yawning and the sun hasn't even gone down yet!" Bashta wrestled for control and Cavel let him push him over and slide on top of him. Bashta slid his hands down Cavel's arms and pinned his wrists to the bed.
"If I remember right dinner was late because you wanted to take a shower with me and I'm tired because you woke me up early this morning."
"I didn't hear you complaining when you woke up and lifted the covers up to watch." Bashta looked down at Cavel and grinned.
"Hell no! I'm not now either," he gasped a little when Bashta wiggled, "Oh that's just mean."
"Hmm, are you sure you're up for it?" Bashta asked as he sat up, letting go of Cavel's wrists.
Cavel's hands instantly came up to Bashta's thighs and he lifted his hips, grinding against him, thrusting up hard enough to make Bashta gasp. "Oh, I'm sure."
"Not too tired?" Bashta leaned down and kissed Cavel, thrusting his tongue into his mouth and back out in one quick swipe. Cavel's hands tightened on his thighs.
"Hmmm... I'm never too tired when I'm touching you but... Cavel rolled them over and was leaning down to kiss Bashta when the phone rang.
"Damn it!" he cursed, glaring at the phone on the bed table. "How about we just ignore that?" He leaned down and started licking and sucking on Bashta's chest. Pleasure surged through Bashta, feelings he still wasn't used to making him whimper as his erection throbbed.
"Shouldn't," Bashta gasped out. He was surprised he could even think enough to protest.
The phone stopped ringing.
"There, see?" Cavel said against his chest, "Now we can--"
This time Cavel's cell phone started ringing.
"Arrrgh." Cavel glared at it and then reluctantly climbed off the bed and strode over to his cell phone on the dresser. He picked up the offending object and hit the talk button without looking at the caller id.
"Hello," he snapped.
"Cavel?"
Cavel instantly straightened up as his eyes opened wide. "Velaku. Sorry. I, ah, I didn't expect to you to call this time of day."
Velaku chuckled a little. "Your mate keeping you busy?"
Cavel blushed and Bashta laughed quietly from the bed. He wasn't used to seeing his mate so easily embarrassed. Cavel glared at him while he answered Velaku. "A little."
"Your clan?"
"Much better. Everyone has been treated with the anti-serum. Dr. Waddel has several copies of his notes about the sickness and the antiserum in case something like this happens again. We're hoping that you can catch those involved so it won't; but we're prepared just in case."
"Good, good. I'm glad to hear things are going better and your kitlings are all better. That's something I need to talk to you about though."
"Do you have news for us?" Bashta pushed up on the bed to lean against the headboard and pulled his knees up to his chest. He was more than capable of hearing Velaku through the phone. Cavel moved over to sit on the side of the bed and put a hand on one of his knees. His stomach churned during the pregnant pause.
"I do. Davis came through and he found out who has been desecrating your mate's village. They were smugglers, looking for artifacts and treasure. It looks like this isn't the only place they've been hunting either."
Bashta closed his eyes, his head coming down to rest on Cavel's hand.
Cavel snarled and his voice was distorted. "Have they been caught?"
"No. They pulled out of the area and when he tracked them back here to the States he was forced to let them go when he found them to take care of something more important."
Bashta was staring at the wall with tears running down his cheeks silently. Cavel rubbed his knee as he tried to control his temper in vain.
"What in the hell could possibly be more important than this?" he snapped. "My clan came close to dying. Others might not be so fortunate. That god damned Snake--"
Velaku interrupted him with a cool voice, "He found a captive female with an infant kitling. Black jaguars."
Cavel was speechless. Bashta was staring at him and the phone with wide eyes, his mouth hanging open. He'd been expecting a big battle, some sort of confrontation with the bad guys that they could use to assuage their pain and anger over the danger their clan had been in. Bashta needed some closure over the desecration of his village; it went beyond the pain at being the last of his clan.
He felt cheated but...
"Are they okay?" he asked quickly. Velaku heard him through the speaker.
"The kitling is. The female was feral. She died attacking the man who was holding them captive when Davis managed to set them free."
"Who was she?" Bashta whispered. He felt so bad for the kitling. He'd lost his own mother the same way and he still wasn't over the loss. How would the young jaguar cope with the loss of both their parents? When Velaku didn't hear him Cavel repeated the question.
"From what we could figure out, the mate of your mate's older brother."
Bashta was thunderstruck. He slumped back against the pillows in shock. He shook his head when Cavel looked at him. "I don't know," he mouthed. His mouth was dry and he swallowed convulsively.
"Are you sure?" Cavel asked, his hand reaching for Bashta. Their fingers tangled together and Bashta held tight, the pressure making his knuckles go white.
"I can't be certain. Davis did find security tapes with footage of the other men involved in the smuggling. There are some images of a black jaguar. I can email them to you."
Bashta just nodded when Cavel looked at him. He had to know.
"We'll call you back."
Cavel went to get his laptop from downstairs while Bashta pulled on a pair of shorts. He waited anxiously while the computer booted up; he still wasn't ready to use the sleek black machine. Cavel pulled on a pair of sweats and then brought up the internet and his email. The email was already waiting and he took a deep breath and then clicked on it.
There were two attachments.
"You ready for this?" Cavel asked Bashta. Bashta nodded but laced their hands together again. He needed Cavel's strength and his mate gave it to him, sending him a wave of love through their bond.
"Okay."
Cavel clicked on the files and opened them. The first one was a profile image; the black spots and jet black hair of an adult bonded black jaguar was easily recognizable. The man was tall but whipcord thin. It was the full facial shot in the second attachment that caught his attention.
"He looks just like me!" Bashta whispered in shock.
Cavel looked between him and the computer screen, comparing the man in the picture and the face of his mate who stared at it with a surprised look. Bashta reached out with one trembling finger and traced the curves and lines of the features that were so familiar looking. He saw them every day in the mirror.
