Dark Side Of The Moon (BBW Paranormal Were-Bear Shifter Sci-Fi Romance) (14 page)

Then
Gus’s voice was there, shouting at her to stop backing up, press ahead. Look
for an advantage and take it.

She
pulled in a breath, tightened her grip on the spear, and pointed the sharpened
end at the wolf. With a shrill cry, she lowered her head, and lunged. The wolf
scrambled back briefly, but as soon as she pulled the spear back, the wolf advanced
again.

Unless
she could get close enough to impale the thing, there was no way she was going
to kill the wolf with the spear. She switched her grip on the shaft of the
spear, swung it like a bat, down low, going for the wolf’s front pair of legs.

It
jumped and turned, and she caught one of its middle legs, at a glancing blow, but
it must have been enough, because when the wolf came down, it yelped in pain,
landing awkwardly on five legs. It snarled, turned to her with snapping teeth,
but it held its ground.

She
advanced again, bringing the spear up, over her head, bringing it down with all
her strength, aiming for the wolf’s head. It stepped aside with almost comical
ease and the head of the spear thudded on the ground. The sound of what could
only be laughter from the wolf reached her.

But
before it had time to react, she swung the spear in a whistling arc, like a
scythe cutting through the air. The spear hit the wolf in the back legs, crumpling
them. It sat down hard, and she brought the spear down across its back. There
was a terrific crack and the wolf went flat on its stomach, six legs splayed
out to the sides. She took a breath, lifted the spear over her head, ready to
land the killing blow.

Then
she was on the ground on her back, the wind knocked out of her, dirt in her
eyes and mouth. Something heavy had her pinned, the arm with the spear under her
body. Hot breath washed over her, and she gagged. She struggled to open her
eyes and found herself staring into the face of a green-eyed gray wolf. It
drooled hot spit onto her skin, teeth snapping over her.

Time
went still, and she knew she was dead. Knew it in her heart and in her very
bones. She was pinned and she’d never get off this planet. She’d die here in
this strange land, and she wouldn’t even be able to tell Taso good-bye.

The
wolf pulled its lips back in a sick grin, shifting forward, three legs coming
down on each side of her body. As it did, her arm moved and she slid the spear
out from under her. The wolf lowered its head as she brought the shaft up and
around. It was far too long to impale the beast, but she managed to bang the
thing with her fist, her hand wrapped around the shaft. It hurt, the pain in
her hand shooting up her arm, yet she held onto the spear. The wolf snapped
behind its head, missing her hand by inches. As it turned, its ear brushed
against her face and automatically she bit down, hard.

Something
terrible filled her mouth, and she wanted to gag, to spit out the taste and
feel of fur and blood, to get the sticky stuff out of her mouth. She could hear
the high-pitched whine of the wolf, spiraling higher as she bit down. Then her
teeth clicked together and the wolf jerked away, howling in pain. She rolled on
her side, spitting out the end of the wolf’s ear.

She
was on her feet then, the spear raised. The wolf jumped as she rammed the spear
up and out. The wolf’s body went limp, the weight pushing her back and down,
landing her on her ass, the dead wolf landing on top of her. For a brief crazy
second, she thought if she just stayed there, under the body of the dead wolf,
she’d be safe.

Then
she pushed the wolf away, set her foot on the carcass and pulled out the spear.
It was covered with brilliant crimson blood, so bright in the gray light she
could only stare at it. Everything else faded away, everything except the
bright red blood on the end of her spear. She leaned over and threw up.

Noise
rushed up to her, the sounds of bears and wolves coming together, bodies
colliding, growls and shrieks, roars and howls. She whirled around, spear flashing
in what light there was. An unholy noise came from her throat, and she charged
at the next wolf she saw, the spear hitting it behind its middle legs, coming
out the other side, adding its blood to the blood already on the end of her
spear.

Taso
was right about her…she really
was
a warrior.

Finally,
the wolves had retreated. A few bears chased after them, then stood on their
hind legs, roaring to the sky, swiping the air with their massive paws. She
thought that was the laughter Taso had told her about, laughing as your enemies
ran away.

She
stood and watched, breathing hard, arms hanging limply at her side, until the
wolves had vanished. Blood covered every inch of her, and she spat again,
unable to get the taste of wolf blood and fur out of her mouth.

The
bears turned away from the retreating wolves, shuffling and lumbering toward
the gate. The men on top pulled the chains and with a welcoming metal Clank,
the gates opened. They went through in ones and twos, slipping through the
narrow gap, as men ran out with stretchers and carts, probably to bring back
the dead and wounded. But there was only one person she wanted to find.

Every
bear still looked like every other bear to her. Somehow that bothered her, to
the point that tears came to her eyes. The man she’d slept with...she should be
able to pick him out of the crowd. She turned in circles, looking at every
bear, trying to remember the pattern of spikes and horns, unable to tell one
from another.

The
big gates slammed shut and the courtyard was filled with the roars and growls
of bears, then gradually overlaid with the shouts and cries of men and women.
The cries turned from those of pain to shouts of triumph. Someone slapped her
on the back, someone else ran by yelling. But she didn’t see him.
Was he
still out there? On the ground with the wounded? Or was he dead?

“Come.”

She
whirled around, and there was Taso, face dirty, streaked with blood, his armor
torn. He took her hand, pulling her through the crowd. She expected to end up
in the barracks, but he took her on another long journey through the palace.
When he finally pushed open a door, it was a room she recognized. It was his
room.

And
then Taso had her in his arms, pressed against his chest. She fell into him,
buried her face against his chest and cried. Sobs came out of her, from some
deep part of her she never knew existed. He held her, rubbed her back, let her
cry.

When
it seemed like she had no more tears, he put his hands on her shoulders,
pushing her away to look into her face. She saw bemused concern in his eyes.

“I
threw up.” It seemed the perfect encapsulation of the whole experience. He
looked at her for a moment longer and then smiled.

“It
happens with your first kill. To all of us, only bears usually don’t do that.”
He reached up, stroked her hair. “You were magnificent, even if you did throw
up.” He tried to pull her back, but she shook her head and stepped away.

“I’m
dirty, and I smell bad.”

But
Taso already had his shirt off, throwing it behind him. “I do not care. You
smell powerful.”

She
started to laugh, but he covered her mouth with his. He pushed her against the
door, hands tearing at her shredded armor. She wanted him, badly, but the rank
smell of wolf blood, sweat and dirt was overpowering. With more than a little
struggle she broke the kiss and held him at arm’s length.

“Really.
I stink, and so do you. And I’m covered with blood. Wolf blood. It smells bad.
And it tastes worse”

He
eyed her for a minute. “Then we should have a bath.”

Before
she could think to say no, he was in the bathroom. She could hear water
running. The thought of bath she’d had, the silky smooth feel of the water,
the...whatever it was that Iria had added to the water...all came back to her.
She kicked off her boots and padded after him.

It
surprised her that he was naked, but only for a moment. She shrugged, then
pulled off her own shirt and pants. Being naked for Taso seemed to be normal
and from the way he looked at her, her being naked was something he approved
of. It was strange, so foreign, to be looked at, and not have them frown at
her, or point out her shortcomings. It was...a relief, actually, to enjoy the
freedom of being naked. To find someone who embraced her curves, and loved
every inch of her, just as she was.

“The
water is very hot.”

“That’s
okay. I like it hot.” She trailed a hand through the pale green water. Taso
grinned, then held out a tray holding several small containers, like Iria had
held yesterday. These were different colors; she recognized the carmine. There
was deep green; blue, light and dark; and one that glimmered like gold-dust.

“What
are those?”

“Each
has a different healing property. For us...I think this.” He plucked the dark
blue, and held it out to her. “Here. Pour this into the water.”

She
undid the little stopper and watched the stream of blue as it fell into the
water. Instead of turning the water any color, it made the water shimmer with
the iridescent colors of the rainbow. A scent like flowers mixed with honey and
rain rose up to her. Eyes closed she breathed deeply.

“This
is amazing.”

“It
suits you.”

She
heard a splash, opening her eyes to see Taso stepping into the tub. He held out
his hand and she accepted, letting him steady her as she stepped in beside her.
The water was hot enough to make her gasp, but the heat seemed to soak into
her, mix with her blood, making her want to submerge herself, to feel the warmth
soothe her aching bones.

“Oh...Taso.”
She sank down, letting the water rise up to her neck. “I could stay here
forever.”

He
sat down in the big tub, turning her easily so her back rested against his
chest. In the shimmering water, she watched the watery movement of her legs
nestled between his, pale against his darker skin.

Behind
her, she felt him tugging at her hair. “Sit up.” She did as he asked and he
snaked the long braid out of the water, taking off the fabric tie and patiently
undoing the wet hair, until it hung over her shoulders in long wet strands.

“You
have beautiful hair.” His fingers worked into the hair on her scalp, tensing
and relaxing, kneading her gently. Tipping her head back, she felt warmth as he
cupped water, and poured it over her scalp. He passed his wet hand over her
face, patiently rinsing away the dirt and blood. She felt clean, cleaner than
she could ever have imagined.

“This
stuff would really sell on Earth. You could make a fortune from this.”

He
laughed, a soft sound that set ripples moving through the water. “I think I’ll
just keep this for myself. For you, for us. I have no need for fortunes.”

She
relaxed against him, closing her eyes, letting the water, and the blue stuff
work its magic. She was aware of Taso behind her, aware of the hard muscles of
his chest, the feel of his skin against her back. Lowering her arms into the
water, she let her hands rest on his thighs. They were hard, strong legs, the
skin covered with a layer of hair that prickled just a little beneath her
fingers.

He
stirred behind her, and she felt the hardness of his erection moving against
her back. It was hard to tell where the heat of the water ended, and the heat
inside her body started. Everything inside of her felt just as fluid as the
water surrounding her. She pushed up, turning so she was facing Taso. She
slipped her legs over his, letting them move around his waist, until she was
sitting in his lap.

His
hair was damp, making the curls and waves unruly. It was impossible to resist
running her fingers through his hair, feeling the thick strands tangle in her
fingers. Eyes closed, he tipped his head back, almost purring in contentment. In
this moment, he reminded her more of a cat, and less like a bear. Like he’d
done with her, she scooped up water, letting it run over his face. The blood
and dirt seemed to melt away under her touch. Deemed clean, she leaned down,
her lips brushing against his.

His
hands slid up her torso, moving to squeeze the fullness of her breasts, thumbs
moving in lazy circles over her nipples. The sensation was a sharp counterpoint
to the warmth swirling through her, little spikes of electricity making her
shiver in the water.

She
arched into Taso’s hands, pressing herself wantonly against his touch, water swirling
around them as she rocked her hips against him.

Reaching
between them, she found his cock, wrapping her fingers around the thick shaft.
Guiding him to her, she settled down onto him, gasping in pleasure as he filled
her with a different type of heat. With another gasp, she broke the kiss,
resting her forehead against Taso’s.

He
wrapped one arm around her, pulling her against him as he slid down in the
water. Fingers kneading her breast, he bent his head, licking one hard nipple
before pulling it into his mouth. Something like a small explosion went off
deep inside her, low between her hips, and she rolled her hips forward, as the
tremors ran down her legs, making her toes curl. Taso grunted something against
her heated skin.

“No...
keep going. That wasn’t it...by a long shot.”

He
responded by sucking more of her into his mouth. She felt the edge of his teeth
against her sensitive skin, a sliver of pain making her whimper.

Taso
rocked his hips up, pushing himself into her, and she met him fully, circling
her hips as she held his head to her breast. She caught his rhythm then,
rocking back and forth, moaning as the heat rose inside of her, hotter than the
water surrounding them.

Inside
her, she could feel movement, the throb and pulse of him, the shift in his hips
as his movements grew faster, erratic. With a rough gasp, he pulled away from
her breast, looking up at her with hooded eyes. She leaned down, kissing him
hard, sucking his tongue into her mouth.

He
came suddenly, with a harsh cry, his body tensing beneath hers. She held on,
breaking the kiss, head buried in his shoulder, as he filled her with his seed.

It
was his low moan that triggered something, a long cry of pleasure coming from
some place deep inside of her. Her hips seemed to have a life of their own,
jerking back and forth, her swollen clit rubbing against Taso’s body. Wave
after wave of pleasure coursed through her, seemingly unstoppable, but nothing
she wanted to stop.

The
water sloshed around them as she held onto Taso, as she let her body follow its
course. When it was over, when the crashing waves inside her subsided to
ripples and eddies, she collapsed against him, sinking into the warm water, and
her bear’s arms.