Once Upon a Caveman (17 page)

His
eyes softened.  “I promise.”

“I
mean it, Rhawn.  You don’t want to piss off an evil goddess by dying.  We can
get testy.”

Rhawn’s
gaze traced over her face.  “I do not see evil in you, Lucy.”

“Maybe
you’re not looking hard enough.”

That
seemed to amuse him.  He smiled and Lucy’s insides flipped.  “Believe me, no
one could look at you more closely than I do.  I am unsure of what you truly
are, goddess, but I know it is something bright and good.”

Lucy
stared up at him and knew she was never going to be free of this man.  She
didn’t’ even
want
to be.  “Okay, you can have a couple of points for
that one.”  She decided softly.

“I
have five now?”

“Yeah. 
Fine.  Five.”  She agreed with a shrug.  “Just so you follow orders and stay
alive.”

“Do
not worry.  All will be well.”  One massive hand came over to caress her hair,
his fingers tangling in the dark strands like they amazed him.  “It is our fate
to be together.”

“I
don’t believe in fate.”

“You
did not believe in anything we have on this island, before you experienced it
firsthand.”

She
sighed, leaning into his touch.  “When you say things, they just seem to make
sense.  …Even when they don’t make any sense.  I don’t know how you manage
that.”

His
mouth curved.  “Because what I say
does
make sense.”  His free hand came
up to absently finger her shiny necklace.  “What happened to your green
beads?”  He asked after a beat.

“I
gave them to Anniah.”

“That
was kind of you.”

“Not
really.  Trust me.  These are way prettier.”

Rhawn
paused.  “That necklace is meant to be worn alone, on bare skin.”  He pointed
out hopefully.  “You should remove you fabric chest coverings and it would be
even
way-er
more prettier.”

Lucy
laughed at that.  “Nice try.”  She shook her head.  “You’re not supposed to be
flirting with me, remember?  You said you’d wait until
I
seduced
you.
”

“Those
were not my words.  I said I’d wait to
mate
with you, until you were
ready.”  He smiled and it was adorable.  “But, there is
much
we can do
to keep busy until then.”

“You’re
sort of a smartass, you know that?”

“I
am not smart.”  But, his denial wasn’t quite so forceful this time.  Maybe he’d
been listening to her on the beach and was starting to consider that endless
questions might be a good thing.  “You do not see me as others do.”

“The
way I see you is the only way that matters.  If we’re in any kind of
relationship,” and she had the strange feeling they
were
, “then
my
vote is the one that counts, right?”

His
nod was immediate and certain.  “You are my mate.”  He moved forward, edging all
the way into her personal space bubble.  Lucy found it comforting.  Years of
being a loner evaporated around Rhawn.  He pushed his way in until she couldn’t
remember him not being there.  “Your feelings are always paramount with me,
Lucy.”

Lucy
wasn’t so sure about the “mate” thing, but the rest sounded right.  “Okay, then
listen to me.  I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone as smart as you, Rhawn.  I
look at what you’ve done on these walls and it’s… amazing. 
You
are
amazing.  I mean look at these drawings!”

“I
am not sure what some of them even are.  I just paint what I see in my dreams.”

“Well,
this one,” she gestured to a small painting on the wall, “this is an airplane. 
They fly through the air, carrying humans as passengers.  And if we had one of
them, we’d be off this island in no time.”

He
moved behind her, resting his cheek on the top of her hair.  “Where would we
go?”

“Someplace
else.  Someplace better.”

“Newyork?”

Lucy
cuddled into his embrace, feeling secure.  “New York isn’t better.  I mean,
there aren’t any volcanoes, but it’s so… lonely.”

His
arched a brow.  “You said this before.”

“Because
it’s true.  The city is filled with people, but you’re by yourself in the
crowd.”  In fact, the person she’d always felt closest to was the caveman in
her dreams.  Sometimes she’d talked to Rhawn in her head, even when she thought
he was just a figment of her imagination.

As
if she was missing someone she’d never met.

“It
wasn’t Newyork that made you feel alone.”  Rhawn murmured like he was reading
her thoughts.  “You were lonely because you weren’t with me.  Just as I was
lonely because I wasn’t with you.  Separation isn’t natural between mates.  We
were meant to be together.”

Lucy
tilted her head back to look at him.  “Even when we were separated, I think
we’ve always been together.”  She whispered.

Rhawn
smiled at that.

“And
I think these pictures are genius.”  She continued.  “I think
you
are a
genius.  This is more than just stuff you saw in dreams.  Your own thoughts are
on these walls, too.”

He
self-consciously glanced away and cleared his throat.  “This one is the
oldest.”  He gestured to the picture of the blue whirlpool.  “I dream of it
often.”

Lucy
frowned slightly, her eyes tracing over the interconnected swirls.  There was
something eerie about the image.  Something familiar.  A glow and a depth that
shouldn’t be possible from basic pigments on stone.  “What is it?

“I’m
not sure.  I thought you might recognize it from your world.”

She
shook her head.  “It looks familiar, but I can’t place it.  Sorry.”

Rhawn
studied the drawing for a beat.  “Well, we start your journey across the water,
soon.  Maybe it’s what awaits us on the other side of the sea.”  He paused
meaningfully.  “Or, more likely, what we’ll find at the bottom of it.”

Before
Lucy could respond to that prime example of his smartass-ery, the whole world
began to move.  A terrible rumble sounded from deep within the mountain,
shaking the ground and the walls and the air itself.  It felt as if a giant had
lifted the cave up and was violently tossing it around.  Unable to keep her
balance, Lucy stumbled and nearly fell.

Rhawn
grabbed her before she hit the floor, holding her upright.  “Lucy, we must
go!”  He shouted over the horrific noise and pulled her towards the cave
entrance.  “This shaking is too big!”

She
certainly wasn’t going to argue.  Small stones were raining down from the
ceiling.  For all she knew, the whole damn thing could collapse.  Cracks
appeared in the cave walls, splintering through Rhawn’s artwork.  Dirt and
pebbles bounced off the floor like popcorn.

Lucy
staggered for the exit, still clinging to Rhawn for balance.  He was
half-carrying her, shielding her from falling rocks as they made it outside.  Thing
weren’t much better out in the open.  Smoke poured from the top of the volcano,
billowing up and clouding the sky.  Way, way,
way
too much steam.

“Oh
God.”  Lucy whispered.

The
volcano seemed to swell for a split second and then it exploded with a
terrifying “crack.”  Uooloa even wasn’t erupting.  She could tell, because they
were still alive.  The volcano was just letting off some steam and it
still
sounded like a thousand cannons going off all at once.

“Holy
shit!
”  Lucy instinctively reached up to cover her ears, cringing at the
noise.

When
Krakatoa erupted, back in the 1883, it was the loudest sound in recorded
history.  In fact, it was so loud that science didn’t even
classify
it
as a sound.  Technically, it had been a shockwave.  The noise generated was so
massive that it ripped the air apart, pushing through it with so much pressure
that human eardrums burst nearly fifty miles away.  At the time, Lucy first
read that, she’d thought those reports were probably exaggerated.

Now,
she totally,
totally
believed every word.

If
this was even a fraction of what a full eruption was like, no one could possibly
survive it for long.  The island would be blown apart.

“This
is worse than it’s ever been!”  Rhawn pushed Lucy back so she was against the
side of the mountain in case the path beneath them gave way.  His arms came up
to protect her head from the small landslide of debris pouring down the side of
the mountain.  “Something is changing below us!”

He
was right.  The whole forest seemed to be rolling like the waves in the ocean. 
It was impossible to see one fixed point, no matter where she looked.  Trees
fell and people ran.  Giant voids were opening up like special effects in a
movie.  As millions of gallons of water were spewed out of the volcano as
vapor, the ground beneath lost its support.  Sinkholes appeared out of nowhere,
swallowing massive clumps of trees.

The
island itself seemed to slip further into the sea, another six feet of
beachfront vanishing beneath the waves.  Jesus, whatever was going on down
there, it was indeed sinking the island.  Lucy still wasn’t sure how plate
tectonics worked in this world, but she knew that wasn’t normal.

“I
told you the ocean is swallowing us.”  Rhawn called, because he loved to be
proven right.

“I
don’t know what’s going on with the beach, but magma is moving closer to the
surface and creating the sinkholes.”  Lucy shouted back, recalling that PBS
special.  Maybe the island was built on unstable ground and that was why it was
in danger of collapse. “The heat is evaporating the water and changing the structure
of the bedrock.  It’s one of the warning signs that a major eruption is
eminent.”

“This
is not
major?
”

“I
think it’s just the warm up.”  Lucy let out a long breath as the island stilled
again and the horrendous venting finally slowed.  “Okay, for real,” she got out
hoarsely, surveying the damage and shaking her head, “we need to build those boats
faster.”

The
woman is back!

Rhawn’s
heart leaps in his chest.  It is always like that when she finally returns. 
She is all that he wants to dream about and it’s been a full cycle since he
last saw her.

She
turns to smile at him like she’s happy to see him, too.  “Hi, caveman.”  She
holds out a hand to him and he grabs it, yanking her against his chest. 
“Missed me, huh?”

He
has been desolate without her.  If he had a choice, he would be by her side
every minute of his life.  His mouth curves into a smile and his hands slide
over her body, hugging her close.  He has so little time with her and he
doesn’t want to miss a moment of it.

Rhawn
and Lucy’s Dream- Seven Years Ago

For
the next three days, Lucy insisted they work on the
ragan
night and day,
even ordering torches and bonfires lit so they could see in the darkness.

Oddly
enough, most of the Clan accepted her orders with little grumbling and set
about their work with diligent concentration.  Leaving the island might’ve
seemed like a huge risk, but staying was guaranteed death.  No one could deny
that Uooloa would soon blow.  That massive earthquake had been enough to
convince everybody and the smoke pouring from the mountaintop grew thicker each
hour.

In
many minds, escape truly was their only alternative.  Thoughts became whispers
and whispers became actions.  Even Notan had stopped pushing for Lucy’s
assassination and was helping to prepare clay water vessels for the journey.  His
excuse was that’d prayed for a sign, maybe the
ragan
were the gods’
answer.

One
by one, most of the Clan began to follow the Destroyer.  One by one, they
convinced themselves that her crazed plan was their only chance.  For a woman
who insisted she was “anti-social,” she’d taken over the job of leader with
remarkable ease.  Everyone looked to her for decisions and followed her
instructions.  Lucy just seemed to know what she was doing.  She was
confident.  Determined.

Special.

Lucy
wanted
ragan
, so they built
ragan
.  Skoll might hate Lucy, but
most people were just happy to have a constructive outlet for their
frustration.  A task that was doing
something
to help their future.

Ironically,
the Destroyer was the first one to offer them hope.

Rhawn
was still pretty sure this plan was doomed, but at least he had a committed
work force.  He’d been overseeing the
ragan’s
construction, making sure
the others stuck to the plans he’d sketched for them on the rocks.  When he’d
built his
ragan
it had taken him two weeks of trial and error.  Repeating
the process and having dozens of extra hands meant they’d be finished all ten
of them in less than half that time.  Already they’d completed most of the
work.

Since
that just meant Lucy was ten
ragan
closer to drowning them all, he felt
conflicted about the progress.  He still didn’t like all the uncertainties of
this plan.  Rhawn preferred to test and retest his ideas with controlled
variables.  There was no way to predict what might happen if they sailed off
the island.

That
worried him.

Deeply.

Lucy
seemed happy with their progress, though.  Or as happy as the Destroyer
ever
seemed.  Since she wasn’t nagging him about speeding up the process, he could
only imagine she was satisfied with his efforts.  She hadn’t destroyed the world
or killed anyone, yet.  Those were good signs.

His
mate was a difficult woman.  Beautiful and special and perfect, but difficult. 
She still insisted that he sleep on the opposite side of the cave and she
hadn’t kissed him since the beach.  He
had
won sixteen more points, here
and there, though.  That was always a joyous thing.  Rhawn was keeping closer
track of them than Lucy was, so she might not have noticed the way they were
adding up.  Or maybe she preferred to just ignore it.  Clearly, the woman had
it in her mind to resist sex for as long as possible.

Hell
if he knew why.

In
the meantime, Rhawn was content with what he had.  More than content.  His
woman was finally with him.  He could look at her.  Talk to her.  Touch her. 
She
smiled
at him.  She met his eyes without fear.  Welcomed him into
her confidence.  Relied on him for help.  Rhawn was the one she looked to when
she was unsure or moved towards when she was scared.  Lucy’s instincts
understood the truth, even if her mind wasn’t willing to admit it yet.

Deep
down, she knew they were mates.

He
may have been lonely on the island and she might have been lonely in Newyork,
but now they were finally together and it was like coming home.  When they were
done working, they would go back to his cave and sit by the fire together. 
They discussed things great and small.  Stories from her world and stories from
his.  What they dreamed of when they weren’t dreaming of each other.  Hopes and
plans and ridiculous things that mattered not at all.  Rhawn talked to Lucy
more than he’d ever talked to anyone.  And she
listened
.  Everything he
said, she paid attention to.  Like he mattered to her.  Like they were truly
connected.

It
was more than Rhawn ever imagined having.  The reality of Lucy was far,
far
better
than any of his most outlandish fantasies.  He hadn’t slept with her yet, but
if the world ended tomorrow, he would still die happy just because he’d known
her.

…But
he
really
wanted to sleep with her, so he was doing his damnedest to
make sure the world stayed put.

Needing
a break, Rhawn sat down by one of the fires on the beach and rubbed the back of
his neck.  He’d barely slept since he’d woken up from his dream of Lucy in the
cave.  With Skoll around, he didn’t like to let his guard down.

Skoll
refused to build the
ragan
and he belittled everyone who did.  His scorn
didn’t stop the rest of the Clan from pressing on, though.  The man’s hatred of
Lucy grew, as he lost his influence over the others.  Before she arrived, he
had been second only to Notan, next in line to be leader.

Now
Lucy was in charge.

Since
the woman liked to be in control, the situation suited her perfectly.  Granted,
it meant that she couldn’t be “a loner.”  Whatever the hell that meant, it
seemed to be how she saw herself.  At times, Lucy would complain about all the
people surrounding her or demand Rhawn translate blistering insults to someone
who’d pissed her off.  But mostly Rhawn saw her blossoming under the new responsibility.

And
when she smiled, his whole life made sense.

Skoll
wasn’t nearly so pleased.  Skoll would kill Lucy if he could.  Not only was she
taking his place, but she’d been spending time with Anniah convincing the other
woman that she did not have to accept Skoll’s Choosing.  That was not a popular
decision, at least among the males.  The females of the Clan seemed very
receptive to her ideas, though, and they were far louder than the grumbling for
the men.  There was no stopping what Lucy started and they all knew it.  Even
Skoll.  Anniah seemed positively smug over his fuming.

Rhawn
made sure he was either watching Skoll or by Lucy’s side every minute.  When
she slept, he watched over her.  During the day, he made sure he Skoll was
always within his eyesight.  It was the only way to keep Lucy safe.

The
night before, she’d woken up and spotted him standing by the cave entrance. 
“Why aren’t you in bed?”  She’d asked in a drowsy voice.

Rhawn
had looked over his shoulder, smiling slightly.  “Because, you instructed me to
sleep on the floor.”

“You
know what I mean.  You’ve been working all day.  Go lay down on your pile of
murdered fur and
sleep
.  I don’t want you killing yourself.”

“I’m
fine.”

She’d
propped herself up on her elbows and frowned when he didn’t move.  “Is
something wrong?”

“No. 
I am just… watching.”

“Watching
what?”

He
hadn’t answered that.

“Hang
on, are you
protecting
me?  Do you really think that’s necessary?”

“There
are some people who do not care for you as much as I do.”  He’d explained as
diplomatically as he could.

Lucy
had studied him for a beat.  “I don’t think there’s
anybody
who cares
for me as much as you do.”  She’d said quietly.  “Maybe you wouldn’t care so
much, if you knew me better.”

“I
do know you, Lucy.”

She’d
sighed and moved to stand beside him.  “No, you really don’t.  You think I’m a
goddess.”

“You
are
a goddess.”

“See?” 
She’d said, as if that response proved her point.

Rhawn
was not about to argue with nonsense.  “You are a very difficult woman.”  He’d
told her instead.

“So
they tell me.”  One of the pelts was wrapped around her shivering body.  Lucy
might complain about the animals he’d skinned to get the blankets, but she
appreciated their warmth.  Lucy winced as the night air blew through the cave’s
entrance.  “God, is it always so cold here?”

“No. 
This is our summer season.”

“Smartass.”

It
amused him that Lucy though he’d been joking.  The island’s climate didn’t suit
her.  What Rhawn considered a slight chill had Lucy bundling up under a pile of
furs.  It was why he kept the fire lit, night and day.  A sweltering cave was a
small price to keep Lucy comfortable.

Rhawn
had glanced down at her, knowing she could probably see every tender feeling
inside of him.  It wasn’t like he was trying to hide them.  “No one could
possibly
care for you as I do.”  He’d agreed quietly.  There wasn’t enough space inside
a person to feel any more love than he experienced whenever he looked at her. 
There wasn’t even a word for ‘love’ in his language and he knew that.

Lucy
had stared up at him.  “You scare me sometimes.”  She’d finally whispered.

His
eyebrows had compressed in concern.  “I won’t harm you, Lucy.  Not ever.”

“I
know.  It’s not that.”  She’d leaned into his body, her head resting on his
shoulder.  For a being with the personality of a small tornado, Lucy’s body was
so delicate.  “It’s just really, really easy to get used to being with you. 
It’s the one place I’ve never felt lonely.”

“That’s
because it’s where you belong.  With me.”

She’d
snorted at that.  “Well, that’s lucky, since I have no clue how to get back to
New York.”

Rhawn
had closed his eyes in relief at the news that she was not able to leave him.  He’d
been afraid to ask, but it was a nagging concern.  Without Lucy, he might as
well sink with the rest of the island.  He would have nothing left to care
about, anyway.  “You cannot return to Newyork?”

“I’m
thinking maybe this was a one way trip.”

“Can’t
you use your vast powers to escape?”  He’d asked and was proud of how serious
he made his tone.

She’d
winced at bit, looking adorably guilty.  “No.”  She’d muttered.

Rhawn
had nearly chuckled.  He had no idea why Lucy didn’t just admit that she was powerless. 
Rhawn could see for himself that she wasn’t capable of magic.  Whatever
divinity the woman possessed, it wasn’t going to help her escape this island.

He’d
kissed the top of her head, charmed by her.  “I would not want you to go.  My
world would be desolate and cold without you.”

“It’s
already pretty frigging cold.”  She’d snuggled closer.  “Seriously, deep down,
I’m afraid that coming here was just a freak accident.  Just a random door that
I stumbled through.  I’m not even sure how to
attempt
to recreate it.”

“I
do not believe it was an accident that brought you here.  I believe you were
always meant to come.  It’s why I dreamed of you for so long.”  He’d brushed
the hair back from her face, his body aching for her.  “Will you mate with me
tonight?”  He asked that often, but so far her answer was always the same.

“No.”

“Why
not?”

“I’m
still thinking.”

Rhawn
had rolled his eyes.  “I do not see what you are considering.  I have Chosen
you as my mate.  You desire me and I desire you.  There seems little reason to
wait any longer, Lucy.”

“Except,
I have to Choose you back, remember?”

He’d
expelled a frustrated breath.  “I am unlikely to forget.  I cannot believe I
ever agreed to such a crazed notion.”

“Oh
don’t be such a sore loser.”

“I
have not lost anything.  You merely postpone what is
going to happen
. 
Even you know that.”

She
hadn’t refuted that statement.  “Well, if it makes you feel any better, you’re
the reason I’m not actively diving to the ocean floor and looking for the
cruise ship, trying jumpstart a quirk of quantum mechanics.”  Lucy had
shrugged.  “So
maybe
I like you a little bit
.  Maybe
there are
way worse places to be than on a desert island with you.”