Dark Side Of The Moon (BBW Paranormal Were-Bear Shifter Sci-Fi Romance) (13 page)

“It
is humble, but it is mine.” The door closed behind her and he was pulling her
not very gently toward the bed. “And it will be yours.”

“Oh...”
For a minute she was confused. “Wait. You want me to sleep with you? Here?”

“Does
the room not please you?” He glanced around as if seeing it for the first time.
His brows drew together. “It is rather masculine. I can change...”

“I
don’t mean that. I meant...you expect me to live with you? Sleep with you
here?”

When
he looked back at her, she saw the darkness in his eyes, the veiled expression
of hurt. She reached up, touched his cheek.

“I
didn’t mean...” She let her hand trail down to his neck, fingering the silver
chain at his neck. “I’ve never lived with anyone before, other than my parents.
It would be...difficult, maybe?”

The
dark look in his eyes receded. “Ah, then that is what is bothering you. It is
not me that you object to?”

On
some level she thought she should be, but being this close to him, to his
warmth, that heady scent...her thoughts were scattered. “You were going to
convince me of something?”

He
nodded, then lowered his head. He nipped her lower lips between his teeth,
sucking it briefly. It bordered on the edge of pain, but then he let go to
flick his tongue over her lip. She let her lips fall open and his tongue
slipped further into her mouth as he lips met hers. His tongue was firm,
mobile, exploring the recesses of her mouth, flirting and teasing against hers.
She responded, her tongue following his as he drew hers into his mouth.

She
was dizzy with arousal, her body moving against Taso’s even if her mind said
this was going too fast. His hands had come between them, working the
fastenings on her tunic. In the back of her mind she realized he must have done
this countless times with...

“Do
not think of her. I do not. You are in my heart now. She is only in my mind, a
memory.”

He
didn’t wait for an answer, not that she really had one. He’d undone the
fastenings of the tunic, and she shrugged out of it. The dress was easier to
undo, the simple ties coming undone in seconds. It swirled down in a puddle of
fabric around her feet. Reaching behind her with a deft movement, he pulled the
fabric out of her hair.

She
stood naked while he took a step back from her, his fingers moving to the
fastenings on his tunic, watched as it fell to the floor. The silver necklace
rested against his skin, catching the light. She’d never been with a man who
made getting undressed such a sensual event. She swallowed hard as he reached
for the drawstring on his pants. Beneath the loose fabric she could see his
erection, pushing against the cloth.

She
was staring and face flushing, she blinked, managing to pull her gaze back to
his. He was looking at her with smoldering eyes, completely and unadulterated
desire flashing in them. No man had ever looked at her like this, not even
remotely like this. It was just as intoxicating as his cologne, now mixing with
the deep musk of his own personal scent.

His
eyes never left hers as he pulled the drawstring loose, and let his pants fall
to the floor. Every instinct told her to keep her eyes on his, but some deeper,
base desire drew her eyes down, over his broad chest, past the silver necklace,
lower still, eyes drawn like a magnet to steel.

“What
you see gives you pleasure?”

She
licked her lips, her mouth gone suddenly dry. “Yes...” Her words came out as
barely a whisper. Swallowing hard, she tried again. “Yes. Yes, it gives me
great pleasure.”

It
was then that she realized his eyes were no longer locked with hers, that his
gaze was traveling over her body, lingering at her breasts and hips, and then
lower. It was as if the heat from his eyes left a trail on her skin, then set a
fire inside at the place where he was looking at now. Something about how he
looked at her made her weak in the knees, as if she’d run too many laps without
enough water. Right now it felt good, a feeling she could get used to, very
quickly.

“Come...”
He held out one hand, and she took it. He pulled her forward quickly, spinning
her so that she hit the edge of the bed with the backs of her thighs. With a
squeak of surprise, she landed on her back on the bed. Taso stood for a moment
as she lay on the white linen, her breath catching in her throat. From here,
each flat plane of muscle was outlined in the light from the window, the
ripples of muscle on his stomach...the pale skin of the scars on his chest.

She
parted her lips, trying to say something, anything, but all her words were
stuck somewhere in her head, jumbled and confused in the flood of arousal that
looking at Taso had sent rushing through her.

The
only thing she could do was let her thighs fall open, tell him with her body
that she wanted him, how badly she wanted him.

The
mattress dipped under his weight as he knelt on the bed between her knees. She
reached for him, and he lowered himself down onto her, her arms wrapping around
him, her legs coming up. The soft skin of her thighs brushed against the taut
muscles of his hips, then higher, past the gentle curve to his waist.

His
hands came up, cradling her face as his drew closer. For a moment he was so
close that all she could see were his eyes, dark and luminous, lit by some
inner fire. Then his lips touched hers, and she closed her eyes, the
overwhelming need to have him inside her so strong she pulled him roughly down
with her legs. There was a grunt from him as his hips met hers, his chest
crushing her breasts.

But
the agonizing truth was he was still holding himself back, the head of his cock
teasing against her, his back arching slowly away, hips rolling down. The kiss
deepened, and in her desire she whimpered against his mouth, urging him with
her hips, her hands, her mouth. The only response she got was a smile against
her mouth, and the arching of his back as he pulled away from her again, as the
delicious feel of the head of his cock moved away from where she wanted it to
be.

Frustration
overwhelmed over her desire. Unlocking her ankles and planting her feet on the
bed, she wound an arm through one of his. From there, it was only one move she
needed to make, a push with her foot against the bed—softer than the mat at the
gym—and she had Taso on his back.

He
looked up her, and for a moment, she thought he would be angry, but she saw
only admiration flirting with desire.

“You
are unpredictable. And you are not passive. I like this, very much.”

Her
breath was coming in short gasps. “I’d like it more if we could stop fighting
for control, and...”

“And?”

“And
you could keep your promise to me.”

 “Promise?”
His brows drew down briefly, but she saw the humor in his eyes. “Ah, yes. I
remember.”

In
the space of a heartbeat, he had her on her back, his knees forcing her legs
apart, his hips grinding down on hers. This time there was no teasing, no
arched back, no movement of his hips keeping him away from her. This time there
was only the sudden hard movement of him, the brutal, but delicious thrust of
his cock as he slid into her. She cried out, a sound more like that she made
fighting the alien on the hot and dusty planet. The sounds were primal, almost
guttural, issuing from deep inside her. They felt primitive, but right,
absolutely right.

Taso
jammed his hips down on her, his lips hitting hers in another rough kiss. She
met him fully, hips rising up to meet his, crashing into him over and over. Each
thrust into her brought another wave of arousal and desire to the surface, the
waves coming closer, turning into one long rising tidal wave of passion so
powerful she was helpless under it. She surrendered, fingers digging into the
linens, arching up sharply against Taso, her body shuddering as her orgasm
broke.

Eyes
closed, she let the shrieking orgasm tear through her, tearing her mouth away
from Taso, thrashing her head from side to side. Above her, over the thundering
sound of her heartbeat in her ears, she heard Taso cry out, a long low sound
that seemed to come from his very soul, more of vibration against her chest
than a sound, a deep counterpoint to her high-pitched cries. 

“Max...”

She
opened her eyes. Taso was lying beside her, his long hard thigh thrown over her
hip. Blinking, she turned to look at him. With a smile he reached up, pushed
the hair back from her forehead.

“Did
I convince you of anything?”

“Did
you...oh, right.” She breathed out a sigh, turning to look at the gauzy canopy
overhead. “You gave it a really good try.”

“But
you do not love me...yet.”

His
finger moved over her cheek, to her ear, tickling the hair at the back of her
neck. Then his finger moved to her chin, turning her face to look at him.

“You
do not love me.”

His
eyes were dark, serious. It hurt her heart to say the truth even though she was
already shaking her head.

“No,
Taso. I can’t say those words...not yet.” She reached out and took his hand,
kissing his fingers. “You’ll have to give me more time. It’s too soon.”

He
was already rolling toward her, mouth seeking hers. Before the kiss, on the
tangled linens of his bed, she heard his words.

“Then
I’ll just have to keep trying to convince you.”

With
a smile she’d come to recognize, he pushed her back into the mattress, and she
let him try to make her believe she loved him. And for a minute, at the end, as
another orgasm made her cry out, for a minute she thought it might be possible.

Someone
was knocking on their door. Taso was awake instantly, climbing out of the bed.
She squinted, wondering what time it was. The skies had been gray for so many
days, it was hard to tell early morning from later afternoon.

“What
is it?”

“We’re
being attacked. Wolves. And lions.”

She
sat up, watching as Taso began pulling on his armor. He glanced at her. “I need
you to stay away from the battlefield…to stay safe.”

For
the past few weeks he’d said that to her each time they’d been attacked.

She
could watch the scrimmages from the walls, safe but hardly at ease. From here,
the sounds of the battle were remote, the cries of bears and wolves and lions
muted, the screams of those attacked barely audible. It was like watching a
tiny game being played far below her. But it was real. Because when Taso came
back, he would be covered in blood, bitten and scratched. She’d draw him a
bath, and climb in with him, adding whatever color bath oil he asked for. She’d
bath him, washing away the dirt and blood, until he was clean. They’d eat, make
love, and sleep. And she’d wait for the next knock on the door, the next sound
of men running toward battle.

Every
time she watched, she’d hear Taso’s words, the ones he’d said on the ship. That
he’d been looking for a mate, someone to stand beside him, someone to come back
home to. She knew that he didn’t want her fighting on the battlefield, but to
simply be his equal in life, and to support his decisions as Alpha. It was part
of the reason they brought Earth women to their planet, not just to produce
heirs, but because they weren’t insistent on fighting alongside their men,
unlike the female shifters on this Planet. Well, she was fulfilling the last
part. She was there for him.

But
something was changing inside her. Every battle she watched made her feel as if
it were her people out there, her own—if not Clan, at least people she
recognized. Spoke to as she moved around the palace. She had yet to leave the
building, simply because she was afraid of getting lost.

It
tore her heart to watch and stand by, helpless. She keenly felt Taso’s
frustration at each attack, particularly by those who had spoken of peace, the
lions and tigers. The wolves...they expected those attacks. But the others tore
at his heart, worried him. He would talk to her, long into the night.

“I
don’t know what to do, how to approach them. All we can do now is fight, until
we can make them think that peace might be a better way.”

He’d
look at her, and she could read between the lines. There was no
we
; there
was only him fighting.

Until
one day, when he returned from another battle. She bathed him, then climbed
into bed.

“Taso...”

He
was on the verge of sleep. “Yes.” His voice was hoarse, just above a whisper.
“What is it?”

“Take
me with you, the next time the wolves attack. Take me with you to fight
alongside you. Please.”

She
thought she heard him grumble something, a likely no. And then he was asleep.

* * *

“Max.
Wake up.”

The
urgency in Taso’s voice cut through her sleep. She was awake instantly, sitting
upright in the bed. She knew exactly where she was, who she was with. Any why.
She’d asked for this – begged him to see her as a true equal in every way – and
now it was time to fight.

“They
are attacking. The north wall.”

“They?”
She felt panic rising in her chest, though she didn’t understand what was
happening. Taso was naked, on the other side of the room. His room. Standing in
front of an open closet. “Who is attacking?”

“The
Moonbay Clan. Wolves.” Taso threw her a set of armor, shirt and pants. “We need
to hold them at bay. They are incensed with the talk of peace. Are you ready?”

She
nodded, pulling the armor over her head. It felt familiar, comforting, even
though she hadn’t worn any in a very long time. She’d seen what it could
withstand on Taso, but she wasn’t a bear, with thick skin underneath the
strange metal mesh, or spikes on her back. Or equipped a double, or even triple
row of razor sharp teeth.  

“I
need something...want something. A weapon.” Her clothes from the previous night
were still on the floor, and she found the fabric strip. With quick fingers,
she braided her hair, tying it securely with the fabric.

He
glanced at her, then nodded. “I wish you would not fight like this. I would
remain broken forever if something ever happened to you.”

“I
understand how you feel, Taso…but I need to fight. I need to do my part to
protect this Clan.”

“You
are better protecting the Clan by producing heirs to continue our lineage,” he
replied, rather bitingly, but he quickly softened his voice, and pulled her
into his arms. Wrapping his hands around her shoulders, he kissed her sweetly
on the forehead, then nuzzled his face in the crook of her neck.  She
could feel his hot breath against her skin. “I understand that the reason I was
drawn to you was the very reason you insist on fighting today… you are a
warrior as I’ve always said. I guess you aren’t that different from the women
of this Planet, after all.” His voice turned into a whisper, and he held her
even tighter, though she didn’t think that was possible. “Is there anything I
can say to change your mind?”

She
shook her head, and squeezed him harder. “No, this is what I was born to do. I
feel it in my bones. This is what I am meant to do, as part of this Clan.”

He
sighed deeply, but she could feel a shift in his body, the tension still there,
mixed with the fear of losing her, but a deeper understanding…or perhaps, he was
just tired of arguing about it, and finally realizing that there was no
changing her mind. She had watched countless battles with the safety of
distance between her and the battlefield, but now it was time she was one of
the Clan.

“As
you wish, woman. But we must be quick.”

She
slipped into the shoes Taso had left for her. They, too, were the blue metal mesh,
molding to her feet. They felt light, but she knew she’d be able to kick down
any door—or wolf—that stood in her way.

Taso
was already down the hall, and halfway down the first set of stairs. She had to
run to keep up. She thought she knew where she was, but it was clear after only
a few twists and turns that she was hopelessly lost.

She
heard a crash and turned a corner to find Taso in a small dark room. He flicked
on a box lamp, and in the dim light she saw the dim glow of weapons. Metal
weapons. She moved past Taso, eyes wide. Some were fantastical, multiple-headed
spears, and curved swords that looked lethal, but out of her league.  Yet
some looked amazingly like modern-day weapons.

“What
are these? Where did they come from?” There were racks holding swords of all
lengths, shelves with daggers. There were bows and arrows, the strings rotted,
the fletching on the arrows torn and tattered.

“They
are relics. Some from past civilizations. Some are more recent.” He reached out,
fingering a sword. “Hundreds of generations ago, we fought man against man,
suppressing our shifter ability. When that changed...” He blew out a frustrated
breath, turning to her.

“We
need to hurry. Choose your weapon.”

She
reached out for a spear, a tall thin shaft of what looked like bronze. It was
light, flexible, and the end looked fairly sharp, but it wasn’t sharpness she
was looking for. She’d taken a class with Japanese fighting sticks, and now she
wanted something that had balance. There was a carved hand-hold and she gripped
that, testing its weight, the shift of that weight as she lifted it, and then swung
her arm. Taso watched, an impatient look on his face.

She
nodded at him. “This will do.”

He
nodded, and before she was out of the room, the light was out. She trotted
after him, slamming the door behind her. Just having the spear in her hand gave
her a sense of confidence. Maybe false confidence, but still, it made her feel
better.

She
didn’t even try to remember how to get to the barracks. And it didn’t matter,
because they didn’t end up there. Taso pushed open a door, and they burst into
a high-walled courtyard. Taso rushed ahead, but she stopped, staring, unable to
comprehend what she was seeing.

There
were men, women, some already shifted, some in the process of shifting.
Watching Taso change once had been a shock. But watching a group of these Clan
members shift was a horrific, barbaric-looking process. Everywhere she looked,
she saw a man or a woman in the throes of shifting, their bodies contorted,
arms and legs thickening, shortening, mesh armor stretching.

A
woman near her cried out, her head back, neck arched back so far Veronica was
certain it would break, but as she watched, the woman’s face widened, her
cheeks flattening, her nose and jaws lengthening. Veronica’s blood went cold as
thick sharp teeth erupted from the woman’s mouth. With a growl that was part
pain, part triumph, the woman brought her head down. Veronica was looking at
the face of a bear, not yet a bear. An arrangement of spikes crowned her
forehead, four or five, vicious and sharp. In the space of a few minutes, the
woman had changed into the bear-thing in front of her. The bear growled, shook
its head, and then was gone.

“Max...
here.” Taso waved her over to the wall. “Follow me. I will lead. Remember...”
He gave her a startlingly disarming smile. “Kill only wolves. No bears.”

She
was going to answer, but before she could take a breath, he threw his head back
and she knew he was gone to her. She watched as his body armor stretched, as
thick dark fur started to show where the armor didn’t cover him. She wanted to
look away, didn’t want to see the man she’d just spent the night with, turn
into a bear, with multiple rows of fangs, spikes and horns.  Yet despite
herself, she found it was impossible to look away.

His
arms and legs grew thick and muscular, his shoulders widening. As bad as that
was, watching his face change into a bear was almost too intense for her. She
couldn’t imagine how painful it must be, couldn’t even begin to understand how
his body could withstand the whole change, how his jaw could hold all of those
teeth, the double row of fangs that gleamed at her, long and sharp, ready to
kill.

Then
suddenly, he was on all fours, a ferocious yet beautiful creature, standing in
front of her, shaking his head from side to side. He grunted, bumped her leg
with his head.

“Yeah.
Okay. Let’s go.”

She
was surrounded by bears, brown and black, all growling, all with different arrangements
of spikes on their backs, some in lines, some with double rows. They were all roaring,
showing so many teeth she couldn’t even begin to comprehend how many. They were
banging against her as they moved forward to the big gate. She looked up. Men stood
at the top, pulling on chains. She heard the Clank and rumble, and the gates
swung open.

The
bears rushed forward, fierce, but strangely graceful in a brutal, dangerous
way, and she was carried with them. It wasn’t until her throat hurt that she
realized she was screaming with them as they charged. They formed a rough wedge,
the point driving out through the gate, the bears behind her fanning out to the
sides.

The
wolves had already engaged what must have been a small outrider party of bears.
There were small scrimmages happening all around her. She was lost for a moment
in the swelling ranks of bears until a jet-black wolf came flying through a gap
between two huge bears, heading straight for her.

For
a moment, it charged, and she looked at death. It was a wolf-thing, but with
six legs, all of them tipped with long claws that tore the ground beneath it.
Its yellow eyes met hers, and for a startled moment, she thought she heard it
yip in surprise. It skidded to a stop, pulling back snarling lips, showing her
its teeth. Only one row, thank heavens. Then it raised its tail, and all
illusions that it was like any other wolf she ever saw, quickly vanished. It
had a barbed tail, a club-like thing that it swung menacingly behind it. It was
just as dangerous coming, as going.

Without
even thinking, she raised her spear, gripping it with both hands. Swinging hard,
she hit the surprised wolf in the head. It fell down, but got back up, shaking
its head. For a moment she saw the surprise in its eyes, surprise that she
wasn’t a were-bear, or surprise that she’d attacked she couldn’t be sure. Then
it snarled again, and she saw white teeth flecked with spit. And she saw that
the wolf wanted her, wanted to taste her blood.

Her
heart was in her throat, thumping hard. Her hands shook and she took a step
back. The wolf growled, and took a step toward her, its size legs working in
eerie unison. Every instinct in her told her to turn and run, that this was a wild
animal.

And
every girl knows, you run away from the big, bad wolf.

But
this wasn’t a fairy tale. This was beyond that, beyond all rational thought.
For a terrible moment she was confused, lost...scared. The wolf took another
step.