Dark Side Of The Moon (BBW Paranormal Were-Bear Shifter Sci-Fi Romance) (12 page)

They
went down more steps, another passage, more room, turns. She was hopelessly
confused, knew that if she ever tried to find her way back her on her own,
she’d be lost within minutes.

Find
her way
...the only way
off this planet was back up those confusing passages and stairs. The ship that
could take her back to Earth was up there. The realization that she was
traveling further away from any method of escape sent a spear of anxiety
through her. Instinctively, she glanced back, willing herself to remember which
passage, which turn, how to get back to the surface. Telling herself she was
being lulled into some kind of false sense of security. Then Taso closed
another door behind them.

“This
is home.”

The
walls looked the same, rough gray stone, but there were more men, clearly
guards in armor, lining the passage. They nodded deferentially at Taso, but
cast looks at her from lowered eyes, the same looks the other men had given
her. Looks of frank admiration as their eyes traveled over her body.

She
noticed they carried no weapons, but each one looked like he could play
linebacker on any pro football team. They all had broad shoulders, arms bulging
with muscles, legs like tree trunks. She glanced at them, and then gasped in
surprise. Not all of them were men. As Taso led her quickly down the hall, she
saw women among the guards. Women who met her eye with a raised eyebrow, a
flick of a smile. The same looks the men gave her. Acceptance and admiration.

There
was yet another door, this one elaborately carved wood, and Taso ushered her
through this. It closed with a solid thunk behind them. This room was
different, the stones were smooth faced, not so rough. There were fewer guards,
but they wore markings on their armor, small beaten silver emblems. Some wore
two and three, arranged on their shoulders. Rank of some kind. She wondered
what Taso wore, if he had many silver emblems? Or if it was reversed, and the
more you had the lower you were on the totem pole? Maybe Taso wore none at all.

“We
are almost there. Almost. You may bathe and change clothes, out of armor and
into something more comfortable.”

“This
stuff isn’t really that bad, for armor.” She ran her fingers over the mesh. “Is
this the same stuff that was on the ship?”

“It
is. You are very observant. It stretches slowly enough for us to shift, as I’ve
said. But if struck...” He reached out and flicked the mesh on her arm. It
pinged. “It protects.”

She
nodded, thinking this would be another amazing import to Earth.

“Then
we can eat.” He cast a glance at her. “Unless you wish to eat first, before you
bathe.”

She
had the distinct impression he wanted to eat before anything, and she was
starving, but she felt sticky and dirty with the dust of three planets on her
skin, and in her hair.

“I
want a bath first. A long hot bath. You can eat if you want...”

“I
will wait. I will eat with you. I think thought, I will be a better companion
if I do not smell like a bear.” He gave a small laugh. “I know how I smell
after battle. And it is not pleasant.” He glanced at her almost shyly. “I
haven’t really worried about how I smell for quite some time. It is…nice to
have to think about that again.” He winked, and then chuckled.

The
rooms they passed through began to take on the look of living spaces, less like
passages and connecting hallways. There were pieces of furniture, benches,
tables. Some chairs that looked more comfortable than utilitarian. She had yet
to see a room with a window. Every space they passed through was lit with
either the small metal boxes, or torches in holders on the walls. The air was
tinged with the vague scent of pine, and for a moment she thought of the huge
trees outside.

The
last door and set of stairs took them up higher and higher in a circle.
They
must be in one of the turrets
, she thought. Finally, Taso slid a thin
wooden door aside. The room beyond had windows and was light and airy, compared
to the smoke-filled corridors. There were benches and chairs, most covered with
cushions. Rugs covered the floor. A small fire burned in a corner fireplace.
She’d read a book once, a romance set in England, something with a knight and a
castle, and a fair-haired mistress. This room looked for all the world like the
sitting room she’d imagined the heroine in the story had, where she received
visitors, and the knight in his shining armor.

But
the windows drew her, and she walked past Taso to the glass panes. From here
she could see sky, although the sky was gray, heavy with clouds. She wondered
if it rained her, or if the sun ever shined. Or if there was more than one sun.

“Here...”
Taso pointed through another opening in the wall. “There is a place to bathe,
change clothes, to rest a bit.”

She
peered past him. There was a bathroom, clearly constructed with a man’s taste
in mind. There were no flourishes, very few decorations. There was, however, a
giant tub of some kind of pale ivory-colored stone, very smooth looking, and
something so massive it looked like it must have been carved in place. There
was no door that looked large enough to bring it through. The idea of wallowing
in hot water up to her nose was very appealing. A window set high in the wall
cast subdued light over the tub.

“This
is...beyond anything I thought possible.” She walked into the room. “It’s
beautiful.”

“You
thought we were primitive, and you’d be washing in cold water in a barrel.”
He’d followed her into the room, reaching to turn a T-shaped handle that stuck
out of the wall beside the tub. From a hidden faucet of spout, water gushed
into the tub. It was pale green against the ivory stone, and she wondered if
she’d been drinking green water all along.

“There
are things there...” He pointed to shelves laden with what she assumed were
towels. “And I will have someone bring women’s clothes. I’m afraid all I have
here are my things. And those would be far too big.”

“Thank
you.” It still seemed strange to thank the man who had taken her from her home,
but she was grateful for the bath. And above all else, she was grateful to be
alive. Taso held her eyes for a moment, then bowed and left the room, closing
the door behind him.

The
tub was filling rapidly, steam gathering over the water. It occurred to her she
had no idea how to turn off the water, and for a panicked minute she thought
about calling out to Taso for help. Instead, she took a breath, reached for the
handle twisting it the opposite way that Taso had. The water slowed, then
stopped.

She
pulled the shirt off over her head. Her arms hurt, her shoulders creaking in
protest. It was either the fight with the alien, or Taso, or the long hours of
sleep in the cramped bed on Taso’s ship. Her arms were covered in scratches and
welts, most of which she couldn’t remember getting. When she tugged down the
pants, she gasped. Her thighs were covered with big purple bruises. Belatedly,
she wondered if she’d gotten them back at the very beginning of this dreadful
adventure, fighting with the mercenaries, if that’s why she’d needed more drugs
to keep her quiet.

She
reached behind, undoing the tie that held her braid, fingers unwinding the long
strands. She shook her head, letting her hair cascade around her shoulders,
down her back. A hank of hair came away in her hand, and she stared at
it.  Then she remembered the sharp-fingered alien grabbing her hair. It
must have sheared off some of it in the fight. She curled it on the edge of the
windowsill.

Stepping
into the tub, she let out an audible sigh. The water was just hot enough to
make her wince, but she sank down, the water rising up over her chest, to her
chin, welcoming the heat, letting it soak into her muscles, down to her very
bones.

She
sat back, closing her eyes, only her head was above water. The bottom of the tub
seemed to conform to her body, places for her arms and legs to rest, rising up
under her knees, somehow carved to cradle her shoulders. Taso was right; she
had thought they’d be primitive, backward somehow, but this tub, this was
genius. If they could sell these in New York, they’d be millionaires. It had
been a mistake to think of this place, and these people, as primitive. 
Different, certainly. But not primitive.

The
water and steam began working its magic, and she closed her eyes, hunger
forgotten for a moment. She was just dozing off when someone knocked on the
door. She jolted awake, splashing water on the floor.

“Yes?”

The
door opened a crack. Veronica expected Taso, and was already covering her
breasts with her arms, but the face that appeared was female. A young girl
entered, carrying a pile of folded material and a small metal bottle.

“I
have brought you clothes. And this...” She set the clothes on a shelf and
turned back with the metal bottle. She pulled the stopper off and held it over
the water. A thin stream of carmine-colored liquid poured into the water.

“Wait...”

The
girl looked at her in surprise, righting the container. “It’s healing liqueur.
For your body. Taso said...”

The
water had turned a milky pink where the stuff had landed. She sniffed, swirling
her hand, dispersing the liquid. “It’s okay. You just startled me.” She nodded
and the girl poured the rest of the liquid into the bath.

“I
will leave you unless you require something else?”

Veronica
shook her head. “I think I’m fine. Tell Taso...” It felt odd to say his name…
to say it out loud, to someone else. “Tell him I said thank you.”

The
girl dipped her head and left. Veronica let herself sink back into the water,
holding her breath while she dunked her head beneath the surface. It smelled
wonderful, completely unidentifiable. It was subtle, resinous maybe, like
cedar. Even the texture of the water had changed. It felt like velvet against
her skin, a full softness that wrapped around her. She closed her eyes, letting
her body sink below the surface, let herself drift into sleep.

She
woke slowly, totally aware of where she was, her mind clear. She was in the
bath in Taso’s rooms, the water cooled slightly, but it still cradled her,
cocooned her in warmth and comfort. With a resigned sigh, she realized she was
going to have to get out eventually. Just a few more minutes, maybe. Then her
stomach rumbled, and that was it.

Water
sloshed on the floor as she got out, and she trailed drops over the floor as
she reached for a towel. It turned out to be more like a blanket and she
wrapped it around her. Instantly she was dry. With a tentative gesture, she
patted her hair. It took a little longer, but within minutes her long hair was
dry.

From
the pile of clothing, she took the few pieces out, laid them on a bench, and
tried to decide what went where. There was something that looked like a
sleeveless dress, in pale green, with ties at the shoulders, and a long-sleeved
tunic that she thought went over the top, in dark gray, that fastened at the
front. There was also a strip of fabric she assumed she could tie her hair
with. The fabric was fine, silky against her bare skin, and it didn’t seem like
there was any definitive size to anything. Each piece fell about her in soft
folds. Everything shimmered, catching the soft light coming in the high window.
Quickly she tied the strip of fabric around her hair, making a loose tail.

For
a minute she didn’t want to leave the bathroom. It seemed enough space to have
gotten used to, a room she was comfortable in. Out there was a whole bunch of
new that she had to deal with, new people, new surroundings, including Taso as
a leader. Taso as a man in his own surroundings. In his element. 

But
she couldn’t hide in the bathroom forever. This was a different world, utterly
and completely. And it was going to be her home…whether she liked it or not.

So
she took a deep breath and, opened the door. The girl who’d brought her the
clothes was sitting on one of the benches, but she stood up as soon as she saw
Veronica.

“Have
you been waiting all this time? I’m so sorry...”

The
girl bowed. “No worries, I’ve been instructed to wait. It is what I do. I am
Iria. If you are ready, I am to take you to Taso.”

“Okay.
Sure.”

The
girl frowned slight. “You are ready?”

Veronica
nodded. “Yes. I’m ready.”

Iria
opened another door in the room. Veronica hadn’t noticed the number of doors
that were set in the walls. There had to be at least six. Iria tipped her head
and Veronica followed her through the opening.

The
journey this time was short, just down a short hall, and through an open door.
Taso was standing at a wall of windows, looking down. When he heard her, he
turned, his expression softening.

“Max.”
His eyes traveled over her, and a frown creased his forehead. She looked down
at her clothes, baffled.

“Did
I put this on wrong? I wasn’t sure...”

“No.
It’s on correctly. It’s just...” He looked past her shoulder, and Veronica
realized Iria was standing behind her. “You are dismissed.” Iria nodded and
backed out of the room, closing the door behind her. His gaze moved back to Veronica,
a shadow crossing over his eyes.

“It’s
on correctly.” He walked toward her, then around her, hands clasped behind his
back. It was clear he’d had a bath as well. There were damp curls of hair
resting against his forehead, and his face was clean-shaven. He was close
enough that she could smell what must be his equivalent of cologne; something
spicy, rich, also smelling vaguely of pine, or cedar. Very intoxicating.

The
clothes he wore were of the same type of fabric as hers, loose pants and a
tunic, a chain of beaten silver around his neck. He looked regal and imposing,
and for a minute she was unsure of him all over again. And a little afraid.

“I
have not seen these clothes in a long time. They belonged to my mate.” He
reached out, fingering the edge of her tunic. His voice dropped, just above a
whisper. “This was her favorite.”

“I’m
sorry. I didn’t know. I can wear something else...”

His
eyes met hers, his eyes distant for a moment, but then he smiled. “No. Please.
I enjoy seeing them...again.” He took her hand. “Come. Let’s eat. I can hear
your stomach making noises from here.”

He
led her through another set of doors into a room with a small table set for
two, placed in front of the windows. The room had a brutal beauty, hard-edged
stone softened by the table set with cream-colored linen, and white plates. The
windows here were covered thick curtains of deep green, pulled back with silver
ties to show the small leaded panes. The feeling she was in some time-warped
medieval castle came rushing back to her, but this was no knight in shining
armor standing beside her. This wasn’t Earth, it was an alien planet. And this
man was Taso.

“Sit.
Please.” He pulled out a chair, a thick carved wooden thing. She sat, happy it
came with a thick cushion.

“Did
you enjoy your bath? You look refreshed.”

“It
was pretty amazing. Whatever the stuff was that Iria poured in was like magic.”

Taso
poured glasses of pale green liquid. She took an experimental sip. “Water?”

“Yes.”
One eyebrow rose in suppressed amusement. “Your water is not like this?”

“Our
water is clear, not green. From a distance, it looks blue.” It tasted like water,
sort of, only it was...more. There definitely was something more to it than
just water. “But this is something else. And I didn’t need to use any soap to
get clean. How did that happen?”

“In
the bath, the minerals Iria added create an environment that cleans as well as
restores. You do not have anything like that on Earth?”

“Not
really. I mean, we have soap for getting clean, we have things to add to the
bath to make us feel better.” She started to say something else, to elaborate,
but then she started to giggle. Taso frowned, watching her carefully. The
giggles continued and she shook her head, managing to squeak out an apology.

“It’s
just...there are so many things that are the same, but that are so very
different. It’s going to take me forever to figure everything out. Simple
things...” She held up her glass. “Even here water isn’t water. Air probably
isn’t air.” Her giggles faded away, but by then Taso was smiling.

“Yes.
The same, but different.” He looked at his glass of water, then raised his eyes
to meet hers. “And you and I. The same. But different.”

She
nodded. Taso reached for a bowl, spooned out a mixture that looked like
vegetables onto her plate. It smelled good and her stomach rumbled in
agreement. She picked up a utensil that looked like a fork, but with only two
prongs. It was hard to resist the urge to sniff the food before she took a
bite, but she managed to spear a piece of something green that looked like
broccoli. It tasted sweet, not at all like what she expected. But it was very
good. She found Taso looking at her expectantly, and she nodded. Until then,
she hadn’t realized the tension he held in his shoulders. It touched her somehow,
that he would be worried if she liked the food.

He
filled her plate with more strange looking food. She tasted each new addition
to her plate, found most of it very good. Some of it was so foreign she could
only chew and swallow and move on to something else. Taso sat back, watching
her eat. After a while she realized he wasn’t eating. She swallowed a mouthful
of food.

“Aren’t
you hungry? You must be starving.”

“I
like seeing you eat. I knew I would.” He took a drink of water. “Women who
enjoy their food...it’s a pleasure to watch.”

Embarrassment
washed over her and put down her fork. “It’s not the most ladylike thing to
watch, I suppose. I’m used to eating by myself.”

“You
said you have no one that you left behind. Does that mean there never was anyone?”

She
shook her head. “No. No one...no one serious. I’ve been on dates, sure, but
they never went beyond just a few.”

“I
cannot believe any man on your planet would not find you so desirable that he
wouldn’t want to lock you in a room and ravish you.”

She
choked a little bit on her food, reaching for her water glass. Taso was there,
filling it. When she lifted her hand she saw it was shaking. He watched her,
that look of concern back.

“Have
I said something that upset you? I did not...”

“No.
It’s not that. I mean...no one has ever said anything like that to me before.
Or said it, and actually meant it. It’s...it’s a pretty bold thing to say,
considering.”

“Considering?
Considering what?”

“Considering
you don’t know me very well…if at all.”

A
frown creased his brow. “But I do know you.” He stood up, taking a few steps to
stand beside her. “You still do not see what I see. You are a beautiful woman…
a champion, a fighter…someone who will never back down when the path of life
gets filled with troubles. It’s true that I don’t want my mate fighting on the
battlefield, but I do want a mate who will fight through hard times with me, by
my side as my equal. I know that’s who you are. So, yes…I know you because my
spirit has known yours long before we met.”

Suddenly,
he knelt beside her, taking her hand in his. There was something bright and
hard burning in his eyes, a look that frightened her just a little, but a look
that lit something inside of her, a heat that burned in her chest.

“You
are strong and beautiful and you are the woman I would give my life for. You
are the woman I want for my mate.” He squeezed her hand, so hard she winced. “I
want you...more than any woman I have ever known.”

“I
don’t...know what to say.” She heard his words, but they didn’t register. It
still seemed wrong, like a cosmic joke. That somehow he’d turn out to be like
everyone else, all the other men. There were no knights in shining armor in
castles, sweeping women off their feet, giving them riches and making them
their wives.  That didn’t exist in her world, but then she wasn’t in her
world anymore.

“You
don’t need to say anything, Max. Nothing...” He lifted her hand to his lips,
kissing her knuckles. “You just need to be the woman you are. That, for me, is
enough.”

She
let him pull her to her feet. His hands slid up to rest on her upper arms, his
fingers barely touching her. Then his grip tightened, until he was pulling her
up, almost on her toes, eyes searching her face.

“Will
you let me love you? I can do that, even if you don’t love me in return.”

She
thought it might be possible, maybe, in another time or place. This was an
alien world torn by wars...he was an alien...a shifter...

“I
can try.” Her words took her by surprise, but as she heard them, she knew they
were true.  “I can try...if you’re patient with me.”

His
brow smoothed out, and his eyes stopped searching hers, apparently finding
whatever he needed, either in her expression or her words.

“I
can wait, as long as you need.” He leaned forward, and she tilted her head,
waiting for his kiss, but he stopped, lips a heartbeat away from hers, pulling
back to look into her eyes.

“I
can still make love to you, can I not?” His lips curved into a smile and she
saw amusement in his eyes. “I would not want to deprive myself—or you—of that
pleasure.”

She
reached up, fingers moving over his face, down to his lips, tracing the sensual
curve of his lower lip. “I think we can still make love...” The word felt
strange on her lips, but she liked the sound. She smiled. “...love. Yeah, we
can still do that.”

He
smiled as he lowered his head, lips meeting hers. The kiss was that of a man
claiming possession; she felt that clearly. And somehow, with Taso, it was
alright. She reached up, winding her fingers through his hair, loving the thick
texture, the waves beneath her fingers.

They
stood, locked in an embrace, the kiss all-consuming. Passion and arousal ran
through her, so strong she could feel it in her toes as they curled against the
carpet. She’d never been kissed like this, ever, and in that moment she thought
she was the happiest she’d ever been.

Taso
broke the kiss, then pulled her against him, arms around her body. For a moment
he rested his head on her shoulder, face turned into the mass of her hair. She
heard him inhale, then breath out a deep sigh.

“You
smell like...” His voice broke. “You smell very good.”

She
set a finger under his chin, lifting his face to hers. “Kiss me again. Convince
me why I should love you.”

His
eyes met hers, the fire in the dark depths making her blink in surprise. “I
would be very happy to convince you...of anything you have doubts about.”

He
straightened, took her hand, eyes still locked with her and led her to another
door. He pushed it open with his foot, and beyond, she saw the outlines of a
bed. Even though she knew exactly where he was taking her, the sight of the big
bed, draped in white netting and with white linens, made her hammering heart
beat faster.