Dark Side Of The Moon (BBW Paranormal Were-Bear Shifter Sci-Fi Romance) (16 page)

The
bed had been made with fresh linens, crimson, the color of her dress. Against
the gray stone in the room, it looked lavish, wanton. Pure sex.

His
kiss started at her forehead, his lips brushing against her eyes, coming to
find her mouth. She felt his fingers moving against her shoulders, undoing the
ties of her dress. With a soft swish it fell to the floor around her feet. She
was naked, pressed against Taso.

His
hand slipped down her back, to cup her ass. “You did not wear anything beneath
your dress.” The words were whispered against her shoulder. “Do I need to speak
to Iria about her service to my new mate?”

She
laughed, her head tipped back as he caressed her skin. “No. I didn’t find
anything I thought was quite right for the occasion. So I didn’t wear
anything.”

“There
were other clothes?”

His
fingers moved lower, probing between her legs, against the crease where her ass
curved to meet her leg. For a minute, she forgot his question. The palm of his
hand was hot against her skin, his fingers strong, sure of their destination.
Without conscious thought she rolled her hips against him, let one foot slid to
the side. She felt his smile against her breast.

“You
are hungry for something more than delicacies.”

“I
am. Most definitely.”

“You
have not answered my question.” His head dipped lower, kissing a line down the
round fullness of one breast.

“Question?”

“The
location of your underclothes.”

“Oh...I
didn’t feel like wearing any.” She had more to say, but it was lost in the gasp
she made as he pulled her hard nipple into his mouth. She reached up, wrapping
her fingers into his thick hair, holding him against her, pinned between his
mouth on her breast, and his hand behind, holding her, moving slowly between
her legs.

Every
place she touched came alive, and as his hand moved further between her legs,
she slid her leg up his muscular leg, hooking her calf over his hip. His hand
slid along the underside of her thing, fingers teasing, tensing against her,
gripping her hard. With a sudden jerk he pulled up, tipping her off balance.
She went backwards, landing with a startled yelp on the bed.

She
looked up at him, only for a moment. Her body wanted him, the damp nipple he’d
abandoned pulling up hard and tight in the absence of his warm mouth.

He
pulled his tunic over his head, then undid some fastening on his pants. They
dropped to the floor, and he stood, naked and hard, looking down at her.

“You
didn’t wear anything either, Taso.”

The
mattress sank under her his weight as he climbed between her knees. “I did not
feel the need.”

Her
laugh was smothered in his kiss. It was hard and brutal, very much like the
first kiss they shared. This was no tender lover with his virginal bride. This
was a powerful warrior, claiming the spoils of his campaign. Well, she was just
as much a warrior as he was, and she was going to claim her spoils.

The
brush of his teeth against her lips drew a thin trail of blood. She ran her
tongue out, teasing against his, tasting her blood. But she wanted his, wanted
them mixed in her mouth. She drew him in, sucking greedily on his lips, then
biting, just enough to taste. He grunted at the bite of her sharp teeth, but
she felt his smile against her mouth.

Beneath
her, she felt his hand groping against her ass again, fingers digging into her
flesh. The kiss deepened as she repeated her movements, rolling her hips up off
the mattress, throwing her leg around his waist. But it wasn’t his hand this
time that ran between her legs, but the hard heat of his erection.

He
was inside her in a heartbeat, spearing her to the core. She arched away from
him, the suddenly sensation of him filing her trigging a startling wave of
pleasure that rippled through her body. The kiss was forgotten, the taste of
blood fading from her lips. She threw her head back as he stroked in and out of
her, harder and faster, his breath harsh against the curve of her throat.

It
took only moments for them to climax, for him to grunt and moan, drive himself
into further than she thought possible. The she felt the warm rush of him, and
she cried out with him, the wave inside her turning to a crashing ocean of
ecstasy. Her body took on a life of its own, thrashing beneath Taso until she
threw her arms wide, fingers tangled in the crimson linens, her back arched
like a bow. Taso lifted his head, and she met his eye, seeing in them the feral
passion she felt raging inside her.

With
a final groan, he fell against her, then rolled away with a sound that was more
pain then pleasure. They lay, not touching, for a moment, until he reached over
and pulled her against him. She fit her curves against the hard angles of his
body, amazed at the perfection in the way they meshed. She was sated,
heavy-limbed, and she closed her eyes.

*  *  *

“Come.
Stand up.”

Groggily,
she let him stand her up as he pulled the brilliant bedcovers down. Obediently,
she crawled under the cool linen, waited for the comforting dip and movement as
he got in beside her. He was warm, slightly sticky with sweat, and she curled
against him, breathing in the scent of sex, and Taso, and the two of them mixed
together. It was a heady fragrance.

She
lay in his arms, shivering slightly as the perspiration dried on her skin.
Beneath her, she could hear the steady beating of Taso’s heart. For a moment
she thought this was as good as it could ever be. She was, for all intents and
purposes, married. To a man who cared about her, loved her, like she never
thought possible. She let her mind drift, let go of all the thoughts that had
crowded her head all day. When Taso started to speak, it took a moment for her
to understand what he was saying.

“But
you still do not love me.”

“What?”

“You
love my world, this country. You fight for it as if it is your own.” His chest
rose and fell as he took a deep breath. “But you do not love me.”

She
was wide awake now. “I’m sorry...”

“Do
not apologize for it. It is the way you feel. I cannot change that, nor ask for
more. I am happy that you love where you are. I can only hope you can come to
love me, in time. Now, go to sleep.”

He
lifted a hand, and set it on her head, stroking her hair. It was such a gentle
movement, so soft, she wasn’t really sure when he stopped, or when she slipped
over the edge into sleep.

She
woke sometime later, still resting on his chest, his hand on her hair. He was
snoring softly, but she let her hand move down, over the rippling muscles of
his stomach, past the cup of his navel, to the ruff of hair. He stirred as she
touched him, said something in that language she couldn’t understand, but she
was pretty sure he wasn’t saying no to her this time.

In
the dark, she smiled, rolling onto him, her hand between them. He was already
growing hard, even though his eyes were still closed. She smiled, even though
he couldn’t see her.

“Your
hunger is back, woman.” His voice was low. “As is mine.”

In
the dark, he let her push him back, let her take him, and take control. Her
hunger for him rose up, all-consuming. She took her pleasure, and gave him his,
until they lay still again, sated and satisfied.

She
was drowsy, coming back from the edge sleep, back to Taso, with his arms still
around her body. Her arms and legs felt like she’d just gone ten rounds with
the heavy bag and run a mile. It was a good, hard-earned feeling. If she’d
known before that sex could make her feel like this...

 “You’ll
always have a voice with me. I will always listen. Always. And if you have
learned to love my country before me, I will have to accept that. It is all I
can do.”

“I
know.” She reached up, found his hand, and wrapped her fingers around his. “As
long as you remember to always listen to me, we’ll be fine.”

His
laugh was gentle, his breath stirring the hair along her hairline, and she gave
in to the well-earned sleep that claimed her.

With
her new status as peace-broker, and wearing the beaten silver necklace Taso had
given her on their bonding day, Veronica undertook the role of diplomat. It
wasn’t something she took to naturally, but she carried Taso’s fierce desire to
see the Clans united, at least in some manner. And she carried his words. At
first she could only read his proposals, speak his words. But the longer she
traveled, the more she read from his papers, the more at ease she became.

When
she approached the Moonbay Clan for the first time, after many months of failed
attempts at meetings, and broken promises, she spoke from the heart. From her
heart.

The
Byakko Clan—the tigers—emissary had come with her, both of them with a
battalion of guards from both Clans, to speak to the Moonbay wolves. They had
gotten as far as the outer gate, met by the Moonbay emissary, with the entire Clan
behind him. The emissary was short, a round man with bristly gray hair and a
full beard. He had beady black eyes, and she imagined him as a wolf, a thickset
animal with six short legs.

He’d
looked her up and down, eyes finally resting on her necklace. Then he looked
into her eyes and breathed out a derisive laugh.

“They
send a woman, and expect me to take what she has brought with her seriously?
What, does Mikel Taso need to hide behind a woman? Is he too fearful to speak
with us? He values his own skin more than I value mine, I think.”

Her
first thought had been to tell the pompous ass to shut up. But she couldn’t do
that. She drew herself up, shoulders back, spine straight.

“Mikel
Taso sent me on his behalf, as an honor to me. I am his mate, and I am here to
discuss a treaty of peace. It’s time we stopped killing each other.” She took a
step toward the man. She was easily half a head taller than he was, and might
have been able to take him in the ring with those short arms. “Mikel Taso
values peace above all else, but make no mistake, this offer of peace is for
your benefit, even more than ours. At this rate, the Moonbay Clan will be wiped
out come spring.”

He’d
nearly choked in response, his face flushed in rage, but reluctantly, he stepped
aside, and with her head held high, she led the group through the Moonbay Clan
gates. As she heard the doors close behind her, she was thankful no one could hear
the beating of her heart, because it was thudding away hard enough that she was
sure the front of her dress moved with each beat.

*  *  *

Over
the next few months, she’d come to accept her place in this alien world. The
men and women in the barracks treated her as their equal, but respected who she
was with, who she was now bonded to. She fought beside them, wielding her spear
against enemy shifters, listening to their grunts and howls as she screamed her
battle cry alongside of them. She fought with them, and for them, as one of
them.

She
fought alongside Taso as well. But it was less and less that he was fighting
alongside of her, as much as he was watching over her. It had been a subtle
change, but a noticeable one. They’d always had each other’s backs, but now it
seemed he was more focused on her safety than he was on the battle at hand.
She’d see him nearby, catch sight of him, not fighting, but watching her. Then
charging in to deflect whoever or whatever was coming at her. She felt like she
was playing clean up, dispatching his kills with her spear, but never making
the kill herself. That he was protecting her. That he was afraid for her life.

Moonbay
wolves were at the gate, literally, and she’d gone with Taso to the wall.
Looking down, she saw them, sleek black wolves engaged with thick burly bears.
It was horrific to watch, even from this height. Watching her fellow Clan mates
being torn and bitten, seeing the blood, the fur being ripped from their
bodies...

“It’s
all so senseless.”

“It
is.” Taso’s voice was low, almost sad. “It is, and I don’t know how to make it
stop. I do not know how to make them stop.”

She
knew he meant the Moonbay Clan. The wolves stubbornly refused to agree to any
peace treaty. No matter who approached them, the wolves refused to cooperate.
They’d even gone so far as to forbid her entry into their province, after the
one and only disastrous meeting when she had tried to talk sense with the
leader, but it had amounted to nothing. She, and the other emissaries, had left
after only half an hour, during which they’d only had insults hurled at them
from the Clan leader.

“We
should go...” She turned away, but he put his hand on her arm.

“No.
I will go. You...you should not.”

She
frowned, looking down at his hand on her arm. His fingers curled around her
wrist, his grip like steel. “Taso? What are you doing?”

“You
cannot fight any longer. You...” His eyes met hers, and she stopped pulling
against him.

“What
is it? What’s wrong?”

“Nothing
is wrong, my love…everything is exactly as it should be.”

“Taso,
I don’t understand.”

“You
are able to bear me children now. Whatever the thing you took that made your
body stop accepting me…it’s gone.”

“Oh...”
She breathed out a sigh that was something like relief. “The pill has finally
worn off. Yeah, I know. That happens. It’s taken longer than I thought it
would.” She relaxed, pulled against his hand, but he didn’t let go.

“So
you know what that means?” He stepped closer, his body almost touching hers, her
hands now pressed against his chest. She could feel his breath against her
cheek. “It means you can conceive. And that means I cannot let you fight.” He
tipped his head. “Down there.”

“But...I’m
not pregnant.” He was silent a heartbeat too long. “I’m not pregnant, am I?”

But
she could see in his eyes that she wasn’t, even before he shook his head. “No.
Not yet. But the possibility is there.” He finally let go of her wrist, but he
didn’t step back.

“And
I do not want to lose you, not now. Not when it is so close.”

A
sudden rush of anger flooded through her. “Listen, Taso, I made it perfectly
clear to you, after that first battle, that this is what I wanted to do. Not to
be sequestered in your rooms, bearing you children. I told you then...and you
agreed. I want to fight. Do you remember what you said?”

“You
said you found your voice. That you found...”

“Not
what I said, what
you
said. You said you would always listen to me.
Always.”

He
held her gaze, but she knew he understood her. He understood everything she was
saying.

“I
am listening. And I’m asking you to listen to me now, Max. You are forbidden to
fight. I’m sorry..”

With
that, he turned and stalked out of the room. From the hall, she heard a sound
that startled her. It was the sound of a key turning in the lock. He’d locked
her in his rooms. She sank down in bed in disbelief.

Son
of a bitch.

She
had more to say, much more, that day when he’d returned from battle. And the next
day when there had been wolves. For days, he locked her in. And for days, she’d
pleaded for him to let her fight once more.

But
he only turned away, and each time he locked her in, ensuring her safety. When
he returned, she refused to speak to him. But she couldn’t hold the anger when
he reached for her in the night. Withholding the only thing that brought them
together seemed cruel, but she was furious.

With
anger still raging through her, she watched him walk away yet again. Then she
turned back, looking down at the battle below. She waited, and then Taso
appeared, charging out of the gate, the spines on his back catching the weak
sunshine. He engaged the first wolf that came across his path. He tore into it,
slashing with his big feet, the claws and spines on his paws ripping the wolf
open from stem to stern. She thought she heard the crunch as Taso bit down on
the wolf’s skull, but she knew it was only in her imagination.

The
scrimmage was small, as far as these things go, fewer wolves fighting fewer
bears. Taso fought like she’d seen him fight when she first arrived, during the
first times she’d fought with him. He was aggressive, fearless, like the man
she’d fought with at the start. The man who valued her for her strength and
power, and her own fearlessness. The man who had been the first—the
only
person to love her for herself.

The
man she loved more than life itself
.

It
hit her like a physical blow. She really did love him.

Something
came undone inside her, the anger toward Taso dissolving in a rush pent up
emotions. The man she loved was down there, fighting for his people. For her,
for that matter. And she was up her, watching. Her place was beside him, no
matter what he said.

She
turned away, ran to the door and turned the handle. It refused to move. He’d
locked her in, again. With her ear to the door, she listened. There were voices
in the hall. Slamming her hand against the door, she called out, yelled at the
top of her lungs.

Someone
stopped, there were voices, and then the sound of a key turning. Either Taso
hadn’t told the rest that he locked his mate away during each battle, or
someone was outside who didn’t know. It didn’t matter. The door swung open, and
she ran past the startled face of the main in armor.

 A
few men were in the courtyard, waiting to be called, or already back from
fighting. She didn’t care. The gate was open just enough, and she slipped
through the opening, running toward Taso, toward him and the wolf he was
fighting.

It
wasn’t until she was there, with them in front of her, the snarls and growls
filling her head with fight song, that she realized she had no weapon. But it
didn’t matter. She could see Taso, and he needed her. She ran, feet pounding the
ground, a shrill battle cry tearing from her throat.

Taso
was on the ground on his back, the wolf with two legs, on his chest, two sunk
into his thick torso, two on the ground, claws dug into the soft earth. It
looked almost comical, if she was in the mood to laugh, but she certainly
wasn’t. Taso outweighed the wolf by at least a hundred pounds, but the wolf was
crazed, foaming at the moth, spit and blood flying. Taso must have wounded it
at some point.

As
she ran, Taso swung one huge paw through the air, raking it across the wolf’s
back. It shrieked, and then with horror, she saw the wolf drop its head, teeth
sinking into the thick skin of Taso’s neck. She was close enough to hear the
sickening sound of teeth tearing flesh, something like bones crunching.

She
ran forward, threw a kick into the wolf’s ribs. The force broke its hold on
Taso, and as it lifted its head, Taso rolled, sending the wolf flailing onto
its back, six legs flailing into the air. It scrabbled for a moment, then
gained all its feet, snarling. Taso shook himself, eyes darting between the
wolf and her. She saw anger and rage...and the fear she’d seen in him before.

The
wolf charged her, hitting her in the stomach. It knocked her flat on her back,
but before the wolf could do more than growl in her face, Taso backhanded the
wolf, thick spines shredding armor and fur and skin, knocking it away, like
swatting a fly. The wolf landed in a crumpled heap, and didn’t get up.

Veronica
pushed up, getting to her feet. Taso turned on her, teeth bared and for a
moment she thought he was going to knock her back down, but he only growled at
her and turned away.

She
remained on the field of battle, fighting behind him, alongside of him, the
number of wolves dwindling until they were facing each other, both breathing
hard. With a rough shake of his head, he shuffled toward the gate. The men
above tugged the chains, and it opened just enough to let them in. Before she
slipped through, she looked back. Coming from the trees, she saw men with
carts; they were coming to retrieve their fallen, to take them back to bury as
fallen heroes. It made her sad beyond anything to think of the families
waiting, and then having to wait again for the men with the carts.

By
the time she reached the courtyard, Taso had already shifted, and he was
waiting for her. There was no way to avoid him, but she was ready for him, and
for the fight she knew was coming.

“Listen,
I need you to...”

“Not
here.” He grabbed her hand, pulling her out of the courtyard, growling at her
under his breath. “Not here.”

He
dragged her almost all the way to his rooms before she managed to pull her hand
out of his grip. It garnered her a glance over his shoulder, but he kept going.
She ran after him, until he flung the door to his rooms open, and she staggered
inside.

“Okay.
Now will you listen?”

He
had her in his arms before she could tell him no, not this. She wanted to tell
him, but her body wanted him, so badly she felt it in every nerve, every cell.
When he kissed her, she was ready, her lips crushing against his. The coppery
taste of blood filled her mouth, but she wasn’t sure if it was his or hers. She
didn’t care.