Archaic (Reverse Harem 2)

I follow the others, carrying Hiro’s bag, and we take a car out to the river where we will paddle out into the jungle and then take the rest by foot. The walk is long and arduous, and though I thought that Hiro or Clarissa would be the ones to struggle the most, it is Theo with the hot climates and small spaces. As I walk I stare around me, taking in every movement, every crack of

leaves. My senses are heightened, and I am ready for anything.

Finally, we reach the edge of the jungle.

The clearing is unexpected, not in a part of the forest that is traveled by the locals or tourists. Still, the stone building looks abandoned with drapings of vines, animals present all around. It doesn’t seem like the place that ninjas would be training. Hiro walks forward and takes his walking stick, pressing hard on a round circle in the stone wall. A loud crunching sound echoes through the forest, sending the birds above into a frenzied flight. My eyes flash to green, my instincts telling me to chase them, but I shake it off. There are more important things afoot.

“Alright,” Sebastian says. “Who wants to make the first sweep?”

“I’ll do it,” I volunteer. I am small and can run.

I take off my clothes and hand them to Hiro, immediately beginning to shift and change into my feline form. Black fur sprouts on the backs of my arms and my body shifts and moves until I pounce quickly across the fallen leaves. I stop for a moment, rubbing my scent around Clarissa’s ankles, purring softly before running off into the cave-like structure.

Carefully and slowly I step through the damp stone hall, adjusting my eyes to take in as much light as I can. When I round the corner, I pause, stepping back and lowering to the ground. I can smell the cats throughout the entire building, but for some reason, I don’t see anyone. I dig my claws into the stone and carefully move forward, hugging the edge of the wall, using my whiskers to feel the places where the light doesn’t shine. Up ahead I see some light, and I slowly begin to creep toward the doorway.

It could be a trap, the cats knowing we came for them, hiding in the wings, but I hear no sign of breathing, no fresh scent markings. Still, I carry forward with caution, reaching the doorway and carefully crouching around the corner. The room is large, like some sort of training facility, open to the sky, trees jutting up through the stone. On the ground lay various weapons, most broken in some way and probably having been used for training. I sniff all around the area and finally relax my muscles.

They are gone, only remnants left on the ground to show they had been here. There are other tunnels, and I run through them quickly, making sure there is no one hiding. When I get back to the main open estuary, I sit in the sun coming through the canopy hanging over the top. I lick my paw, thinking about the disappointment Clarissa will feel. Personally, I am glad we aren’t facing an army of ninjas, but she has revenge in her heart, and that is a whole different ballgame.

Knowing they are waiting for me, I walk carefully back out and jump out of the caves, transforming back to my human self.

“Anything?” Sebastian asks as I pull on my pants, catching Clarissa glancing at my body and then turning with a blush.

“No.” I smile. “It is obvious they were here, maybe three or four days ago, but they have abandoned the building. No personal effects, no clothing, only discarded weapons and such. We can go in and search better but take your flashlights, it’s dark in there.”

“I am all too familiar with dark caves,” Theo says. “I’ll lead the way.”

“Right on.” I smile, looking over at Clarissa and winking.

Sebastian rolls his eyes, watching everything but I don’t care, he is no longer a threat or competition for me. I want to get in and out. As I step toward the tunnel, I pause, looking behind me in the tree line. It feels like something is out there, but I can’t see it. I shrug, figuring it’s one of the ten million species of animals in the rainforest. Still, my kitty senses are tingling, and I will keep my eyes open.

Chapter 8

~ Clarissa

>

Ikick at the broken weapons strewn across the ground, disappointed that there isn’t anything here that will lead us to where the Elite Force is hiding. It is obvious they were here and not long before, but all that is left is a shadow of their existence. As I walk back out of the dim dark tunnel and into the light of the estuary, I stop, closing my eyes and lifting my head toward the warm sun. I was so sure we would find them here. I had played it all out in my head over and over again. We would walk in, teeth snarling, claws out, and take down the foe in one fell swoop. As I open my eyes though and look over at the others taking a break, resting on the large toppled pillars in the center of the arena, I know it is a dead end.

“Come on, Miss frownie,” Penny says, waving me over. “Come take a load off for a minute.”

I sigh and clap my hands to my side and sulk over to her. I plop down on the stone and lean my head on her shoulder, disappointed, to say the least. Theo, Sebastian, and Toshi look over at me and smile kindly, knowing that I am not going to give up here.

“Awe,” Penny says sticking out her bottom lip. “Don’t be so down.

We will figure this out. It is only the first step. I can see

though, by the looks of this place and the bugs the size of your farm why they didn’t stick around here too long.”

“It’s nice being back in the Amazon,” I reply, sitting up and looking around. “Did you know this is where I first met my husband?”

“In the Amazon?” Penny gasps. “Was he a local?”

“No.” I laugh. “We were sent out here by our companies to collect samples. When I got here, Kyle was here too. We had met briefly back home, and he was very devoted to his work. He was extremely nerdy, could recite anything you wanted to know about the animals, and I was pretty sure he had never talked to a girl in his entire life.”

“And then you came along,” Penny says wiggling her eyebrows and elbowing me.

“No, it wasn’t like that at first,” I reply looking up at the canopy. “We clicked, you know? Like it happens with some people.