Apparition (9 page)

“Just hurry back,” she said.

The scent of fear was high on her, but so too was her
determination. Doss cupped her chin. “We are emotionally tied,” he began. “No
matter where you are, I will always feel you. I will always find you.”

“Always?”

“Yes. Without you, I will die. We are mated for life.
The connection is as old as time. Even if you were on a different planet,
nothing can break our bond.”

Zoe moved into his arms. He felt her confusion toward
her feelings for him. She knew he was no liar. She wasn’t in love with him, but
she wanted to be with him. It was enough for now. He couldn’t expect her to
suddenly fall head over heels for him, she didn’t have scent memory toward a
mate. Doss knew she loved making love with him. He knew she trusted him with
her life. Zoe trusted him with her horse’s life and Doss knew that was the
highest honor she could bestow upon him. Doss was hopeful in time she would
love him, he would know the second it happened.

Doss had replicated her clothing, though he would have
liked for her to remain nude. Her skin tight white top was molded to her
breasts and went slightly higher than her belly button. Her shoulder was
completely exposed to show the world they were mated and she bore his mark. The
mark was a warning that glowed. It would tell any who gazed upon it this female
was protected. It would be death to anyone who would think to harm her.
Gray-white flexible pants matching his rode low on her hips and went a short
way down her thighs. They had bathed together in the healing waters. Her riot
of ringlets reminded him of Caveat’s mane, though when he had said this he
sensed her annoyance. She was beautiful.

Caveat whickered a warning and Doss tensed. Someone
was outside. Doss’ armor enclosed over Zoe when he snatched her up off her
feet. Her legs were wrapped tight around his middle, her arms around his neck.
She had her face buried into his throat.

“Where is she?” snapped a deep male voice.

Doss was surprised to see not a
Tonan
but a
Castian
warrior. It had been ages since he had
seen one. The two warriors regarded one another. Doss was feeling dismayed. How
had the warrior found his home? No one had ever been here before.

“What makes you think anyone is here besides me?” Doss
asked.

“I followed the scent of the stallion in the wind. I
saw the body of the first
Tonan
and then the wounded
Tonan
. If you gave him a message—he never delivered it.”

“You killed him?”

“Damn right I did.
Evil filthy
bastards.”

“One could say the same of your kind,” Doss said and
growled deep in his throat. “How many women in the slave camp wish you were
dead?”

“The warriors are young!” The
Castian
raged. “They are in must and collared. Almost all of them have never seen a
female before. The
Tonans
are forcing the women to
beg to be fucked; the women do it willingly for a few scraps of food and decent
water. The females are more terrified of being starved and beaten.
Tonans
are notorious for torture. The young
Castian
bastards have no control when a woman swears she
wants him. All they need to do is get a scent of a female, then to have her run
her hands over them is too much for them to control. I don’t condone what the
Castian
warriors are doing, and they never would under
normal circumstances. You can smell the self-loathing on them. I have never
once touched a human female that way.”

“Doss?”
Zoe whispered. “He sounds like Loy.”

“The warrior you were given to?” Doss asked.

“Yes.”

The
Castian
cocked his head.
“She’s in there with you isn’t she? You mated her?”

“She was willing.”

“I want to ask her myself,” the
Castian
snapped. “Your armor hides what she is feeling. In fact I have no scent of her
at all. There is no indication she’s even in there with you. How do I know
you’re not lying?”

“Who the hell do you think you are?” Doss howled. “I
have no tail; you can tell if I’m lying. I’m no filthy
Tonan
.”

“My name is Loy. She was given to me by a
Tonan
. She is the reason I’m free. She saved my life and I
saved hers.
Nothing more.
I had hoped to take her to
Bagron
where it’s safer. Cobra, our leader, has been
restored to power as was right. My warrior mate and I were captured a short
time ago on a rescue mission. I know your female hates me. It was the least I
could do to go looking for her, considering her actions freed me.”

“Lower your shield,” Doss commanded.

“So the stallion can ram his hooves into my back?
Forget it.”

Caveat was indeed pawing, prancing and rearing. Doss
admired his fortitude. The stallion was fearless. If Doss was to fight the
Castian
, he would rather do it while Zoe sat safely on
Caveat’s back. He was beginning to understand the helpful uses of a warrior
mate when he hadn’t before. Before he only protected himself.

“Caveat, come to me,” Doss ordered.

The stallion wasn’t used to taking commands from a
man. When Doss lowered his shield to let Zoe slip to her feet the horse was
beside him in a second. Doss grabbed Zoe’s ass and flung her onto the stallion.
Doss’ armor was already
back
in place. Zoe just sat
looking at the
Castian
.

“My captor came after me,” Zoe said warily. “Doss
saved my life and Caveat’s. I want to be here.”

The
Castian
lowered his
armor. It was in fact Loy. He looked a great deal stronger than the last time
she had seen him. Both he and Doss were the same size. He held his hands out in
supplication.

“I won’t bother you again, little female. I wanted to
thank you for your strength and courage. Your hate compelled me to find the
strength to attack when you bit the
Tonan
and drew
his blood. My warrior mate was killed by them. I need to go back and find the
woman he impregnated. My warrior mate only took her to give her a babe and his
shield. He did it to save her life.

“She has her baby’s shield so she must be in seclusion
somewhere.
Tonans
won’t be able to get near her, but
they could have frightened her into a cell if there were many. I have no idea
if they are feeding her. My warrior mate lost his life to keep her and his babe
safe.”

“You were collared, too,” Zoe said in confusion.

“By feeding off both yours and my furious outrage, the
collar couldn’t stop the warning to my shield. It was slight, but it was
enough. The smell of blood helped. The human females are safest around
Tonans
when they bleed. No female is ever bred with a
Castian
during her blood cycle. Males become increasingly shielding
of females around the scent of blood. It’s why a mated woman only has a blood
cycle twice every four hundred years. It puts a male into deep protect mode to
prepare their must and trigger it.

“When my armor snapped into place the collar was destroyed
and I was able to battle the
Tonan
and escape with
you. It’s why the women are forced into submission before they are given to a
Castian
. They are defeated and it’s all the
Castian
can sense. Your captor was convinced your beauty
would sway me. I’m eight hundred years old. I don’t sway.”

“Now what will you do?” Zoe asked.

“The female of my warrior mate will sense I’m a
relative, a friend. All she needs to do is inhale my scent and give it to the
babe. I can shield her like your mate shielded you. With her own baby shield
she doesn’t need me really, but it would be a comfort to them. The babe’s
shield will protect her, but I must free her. I need to take them to
Bagron
where I can protect them better.

“Our leader, Cobra, has an army of warriors that is building
daily. The human male children we free can be bit by a warrior mate and turned
Castian
for their safety. They are strong and learn fast.
Their anger toward the
Tonans
drives them. I need to
get my warrior mate’s female.”

“Did she mate with your warrior mate?” Doss asked. If
she did, there was no hope for her. After the babe was weaned, she would die.
Their races mated for life into death and beyond, so their legends said.

“I don’t think so,” Loy said. “I
scent
her; I feel her connection but it’s not as strong as it should be. The babe of
course is female. I feel her more strongly. She is calling for me. She knows
her father is gone and so her attention is focused on me. I’ll be able to find
them. It’s just getting them out that will be tricky. I can’t wait for Cobra.
Her mother is under duress. Once the babe is weaned there will be no more
shield. The
Tonans
may keep them and feed them. Once
the shield is gone both will be helpless and at their mercy.”

“But that will take years,” Zoe whispered.
“Held in captivity for years.”

“The
Tonans
have all the
time in the world,” Loy reminded her.

“Not
any more
.” Doss
snarled. “I’m in your debt for saving my mate. I’ll help you get your warrior
mate’s female back.”

Doss could scent Loy’s earnestness, he wasn’t lying.
Zoe had nothing to fear from this
Castian
. It was
odd; all his life Doss scented mistrust in
Tonans
,
there was no stinking smell of revulsion coming from the warrior. He didn’t
hate Doss because of lineage. Mostly Doss scented urgency, worry. And an odd
scent he couldn’t bring from his memory.

“What about your mate?” Loy asked.

Doss thought about that. If the
Castian
could trail Caveat’s scent on the wind so could others. He couldn’t depend on a
horse to keep her safe.

“I can go with you,” Zoe suggested. “If we take Caveat
we can save boys as well. Caveat can carry them back.”

Doss nodded. He could keep a close eye on her. His
shield would protect her. A human female would be better with children, more
comforting. Loy’s warrior mate’s female would feel better with her around.

“Well, you old ass-biter,” Doss said and looked at
Caveat. “Are you ready to steal more humans?”

Caveat whinnied and tossed his head. Zoe smiled.

Chapter 6

Zoe couldn’t help the shiver that ran down her spine
when they came within yards of the
Tonan
slave camp.
It was a solid domed structure; it arched like half of a football stadium,
built from massive trees with trunk-like roots woven together. Green leaves
fluttered from it, thriving with life. Doss explained this made it virtually
impossible to spot from the air amidst all the lush foliage. Inside, she knew
the walls and hallways were made like the sponge texture of the planet. The
cells within were cold and dark. The ground was hard and icy cold within the
cells, adding to any captured occupant’s discomfort.

Zoe was ensconced within Doss’ shield. Caveat had been
left just on the outskirts of the camp. The
Tonans
wouldn’t take notice of a grazing, non-threatening beast. Loy was sniffing the
air. Zoe was still amazed at the transformation of Loy when enveloped in his
ebony armor. He was terrifying and yet inspired a feeling of safety. It was a
stunning contradiction. She had little time to ponder her thoughts when both
Loy and Doss began moving. Loy had caught his warrior mate’s chosen female’s
scent.

Whereas Loy took to the high foliage of the building
structure, Doss remained lower. Zoe soon realized why. Doss zipped past two
Tonans
without detection and Zoe realized the creatures
couldn’t see Doss moving because of his color and uncanny swiftness. He really
was an apparition. Though it caused her to worry, it was exhilarating to move
so quickly with him.

Once inside the
Tonan
camp,
the two men systematically checked cells. Many contained
Castian
warriors and Zoe could only imagine Loy’s frustration over not freeing fellow
males. But his mission was his warrior mate’s pregnant female, nothing more.
Doss was after human children and as backup for Loy.

In a tiny cell, Zoe heard weeping. The occupant was
young. “Doss?” she whispered.

Doss smelled the air, inhaling deeply. “There are
three children in this cell.
All young.
All female.”

When Doss opened the cell Zoe peered into the
semi-darkness. The little girls were clothed in rags; all were under ten and
over five. There was food and water in with them. They had been given blankets.
All were filthy.

“Merciful, even for a
Tonan
,”
Doss said in disgust.

When Doss entered the cell a little girl clasped a
hand over her mouth to keep from screaming, she looked up at him in terror. Zoe
knew the children had been warned against making noise. Unless the
Tonans
were interested in sporting, a captive was to remain
silent—otherwise they would wish they had been. The thought enraged Zoe. Doss
lowered the top part of his shield and she slipped from Doss’ armor and
crouched before the girls who had their arms wrapped around each other.