Page 11 of The King

THREE DAYS EARLIER - AFTER TALKIGN TO HEATH AND MAGGIE

As the swirling vortex opened, Max stepped into his office and breathed a sigh of relief. He was home – hisrealhome, the one he would share with his Mate. Deep in the South American Rain Forest where his great-great-great grandfather, Maximillian Prentice I, had established the Pride Lands of the La Pantera Pride and was the only place the King ever let his guard down and relaxed.

Sadly, that would have to wait. There was one more pressing issue – rescuing Bridgette.

But still, his home was where he could think the best. It was where his sister and those he most trusted were. It was where he and Casimiro's Magic was the strongest.

Deep in the Amazonian region of southern Columbia, Abuelo Maxim claimed the entire area of what was today known as the Chiribiquete National Park when the world was still young, and there were more Shifters and Magical Beings than humans. Backing up to the Amazon River, it provided everything any Big Cat could ever want or need.

There was flora and fauna of every description, flatlands and table-top mountains known as tepuis with sheer-sided sandstone plateaus and more caves than anyone could ever catalog. Not only was he protecting the Big Cat Shifters, but Maxim, Max's father, also gave a safe haven to many species of endangered animals.

Blessed by the Celtic Pantheon, Magical Wards were put in place by The Dadga, The Morrigan, and Danu to keep prying eyes from ever finding La Pantera. With the infrastructure in place, King Maxim called to all the Big Cat Shifters of the world. Of course, the larger Prides sent their Scouts and Warriors, while it was the Kings and Queens of the smaller groups that arrived. All were welcomed. Maxim showed them proof of his Leadership as blessed by the Gods and offered them all sanctuary.

Some accepted, and some chose to go back out into the world, but all agreed they were bound by blood and loyalty and would do whatever was needed to not only protect all Feline Shifters but also humankind as directed by The Powers That Be. It wasn't long before Carrick and the other Elders of the Golden Fire Clan arrived.

As more of the Universe's Chosen Warriors, these Ancient Protectors were thrilled to find another organized group of powerful Shifters ready to do what was needed to defend all they'd been so graciously given. It took no time at all until the Big Cats and the Dragons were more than allies – they were Family. Fighting side-by-side over many millennia, these two fantastical groups battled the worst of the worst.

Remembering what it was like when he was a child, images of the past flashed in his mind. He saw a small boy with olive skin, a head of thick, dark, wavy hair, and a smile that never stopped. As the memories sped up, he watched himself grow. It was all right there.

Max couldn't help but smile as he saw himself as a young man. So full of pride, so sure he could take on the world and rise to the occasion in the fashion of the King he was to become. So sure he could do things better than those who'd come before him.

His Abuela called it hubris. His father called it a young man's folly. But it was his mother who told him to embrace those feelings while fostering his Compassion, Empathy, and Love of life. She said that only then would he be the best version of himself and a great King to his people.

His entire life was in vivid color with all the feelings and emotions, love and laughter, happiness, and...

Then, just like that, a dark cloud descended upon the Pride Lands.

He heard the roar of hundreds of Big Cats. The thundering paws of the Warriors racing to protect their borders was the battle cry he hadn't heard in more years than he could ever remember. Then, the haunting cackle of an enemy they'd never expected slashed through the peace and tranquility of his home.

Running as fast as his feet would carry him, Max moved his psyche to the back of the consciousness he shared with Casamiro and allowed the Panther King to burst forward. From one pounding footstep to the next, he went from sprinting on two feet to four. Covered in the sleek black fur mottled with ebony rosettes of the Panther King with whom he shared his soul, he was perfectly camouflaged to traverse the rainforest without impediment.

Following the sounds of his kinsmen fighting to protect those who could not defend themselves, he launched his mighty body into the meadow where he'd spent so much of his youth. The coppery scent of spilled blood smacked him across the face as he took in the most horrific sight he'd ever seen.

Bodies littered the usually lush, green, peaceful grassland. Panthers of all colors, Lions of every distinction, and every Tiger, Cougar, Jaguar, and Cheetah of every Ambush, Clan, Pride, Coalition, and Prowl with whom they had an alliance were fighting a Cackle of Hyenas, Aardwolves, and the elusive Adcrocuta, the size and number of which he'd never seen.

The battle was long. It was a fight for their very existence against an enemy they'd thought were allies.

The losses suffered on both sides were devastating - but one stood out among all the rest to the young, would-be King - the murder of his mother.

It didn't matter that he'd decapitated the murderous instigator who'd lied and deceived to settle an imagined slight by his father; Max was devastated. His heart was broken. His soul was shattered. He didn't know how he would survive.

"But you did. You more than survived; you thrived. You took your pain and rage and turned them into fuel for your desire to be the best man, the best Panther, the best King for your people that you could be,"Casimiro interrupted Max's trip down Memory Lane.

"Yes, with the help of so many of those I love and admire - including you and the Guardsmen I still call Brother."

"And those same Dragons have always been there for you and yours. You only need to call, and they’ll come to your aid. This is your Mate - our Mate. I can feel the turmoil in your soul, the fire in your belly, the need to rip through anything and everything to get to her, and I know you feel mine." Casimiro's voice rumbled. He was fired up and ready to make a point in his usual grand style.“So, what are you waiting for?”

“Details,”Max replied."When I have more information, I will contact the appropriate people. Until then, we need to get to work. I refuse to go into another situation half-cocked, acting like a lovesick fool. I made too many mistakes and missed too many clues the first time. Just like Tío Bandito always said, 'Treat all decisions like you are building something precious - measure twice, cut once.'"

Smiling when he saw Sophia at his desk, Max couldn’t help but tease her. “Since when do you work in my office?”

"Since you asked me to get information on a literal ghost…" Stopping short, she huffed an exasperated breath and then gave a single, sharp shake of her head.

Brushing an errant hair off her forehead, she poked it back into the messy bun atop her head as her eyes met his. “Okay, not a literal ghost as in specter, but ghost as in there is absolutely no information of this person or persons’ existence.”

Holding up the index finger of her right hand as the King opened his mouth to speak, his loving and incredibly intelligent sister gave another shake of her head. Motioning to the tech on his desk with the same hand, she continued. "That means I have to hack into any and every database in the entire world – like agencies most people don't even know exist in places not marked on any map. Therefore, I need tons of RAM, bandwidth, and space to see the whole picture at once – and you just happen to have all of that in spades. I mean, three hard drives the size of the Pentagon's and six of the largest screens that the tech wizard Guardsman Brannoc set up for you. That's the good shit, Bro."

“I was simply….”

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