The Last of His Kind (6 page)

Penelope's
head spun with the information overload. He couldn’t be telling the truth. Her
mother would have told her. She watched Euan's retreating back with a sense of
complete hopelessness. She was going to die in this damp cave, and for what?
One night of hot sex with a man who wasn't even human? Her heart clenched, and
the tears fell freely. If she was staring death in the face she had to be
honest with herself. It had been so much more than sex, for her at least. The
connection she'd felt to Doric had been established the day he saved her life.
Last night had just cemented it. Whatever happened to her, she couldn't let the
man she loved walk into a trap.

Her
lips moved of their own accord, her subconscious recalling the Celtic prayer
her maternal great-grandmother used to chant. Her mum, too, had used it in
moments of stress. Penelope had no idea what she was saying, but she repeated
the words anyway. Hesitant at first and then louder and louder they spilled
from her lips, echoing around the cave. Even the flick of the match lighting
the trail of petrol did not stop her. The words kept on coming. Her brain
screamed in terror as the flames licked at her feet, and all hell broke loose
in the cave.

Machine
gun fire echoed around her, and the shapes of three huge dinosaurs filled her
vision.

Oh
God, I'm going to die.

Chapter Six

Doric
circled the outside of the cave like a madman. Penelope's fear burned his
nostrils, and he roared his frustration. The entrance to the cave was too small
for him to breach in his true form, and he couldn't shift into his human shell
this enclosed by the waters of the
Loch
. The
curse would not let him, no matter how much he strained to do so. His muscles
cramped, his bones cracked and rearranged, and pain radiated through him. Yet
still he could not complete the shift.

The
Celtic words carried through on the damp air, hesitant at first, and then
gaining momentum, and his gut clenched in fear and then admiration. The ancient
protection spell she wove was not for herself, but for the people she loved, and
the pain in his body ceased. The red mist cleared, and he shook his large head
in wonder. His father's voice spoke to him, his kind eyes filling his vision,
just as the men inside the cave howled in fear. The stench of fire and
Penelope's screams spurred Doric into action, and he dove, his father's eyes
guiding him through the maze of tunnels he'd never before explored. He burst
through the cave's underwater walls and emerged into the smoke filled hollow
interior of the cavern. The ball of fire in the corner made his heart stop, and
with one almighty kick of his tail he caused a wall of water to douse the
flames.
 
Penelope's screams stopped, and
his heart clenched seeing her lifeless form hang from the pole, surrounded by
the shapes of his brothers. The tsunami-like wave of water filled the cave and
sent the men off their feet, their guns firing wildly in to the air, bullets
ricocheting off the glistening stone walls. Doric barely felt the wounds they
caused, too concerned with the sight of the woman he loved to take any notice.
Fuck it, he couldn't lose her.

Another
flick of his tail brought down Euan in his eagle form. The coward had shifted
the minute Doric had emerged from the waters of the underground lake and the
wave hit. The eagle squealed and fell to the ground, his wings broken. Euan
shifted back to human, shivering and coughing in the receding waters, and
Doric's furious roar shook the cave. The two remaining thugs screamed their
terror and took off at an awkward run towards the exit of the cave, hindered by
their various injuries, and covered in blood. They tripped over the mangled
remains of their partner in crime, who had taken the full brunt of the impact
of the wall of water. His grotesque form lay spread-eagled on the floor, his
neck broken from the force with which he'd hit the jagged sides of the cave.

Doric
stomped his webbed feet so hard the ground shook, and the precariously small
entrance to the cave crumbled, just as they reached it. Their screams echoed
and then dulled to a distant wail, when the entire entrance collapsed.

Another
roar brought Euan down again, and Doric advanced on the shifter. Before he
could raise his feet and stomp the scum bag into dust, his father's voice in
his head stopped him.

“Son,
you know that is not our way. See to your lady. She needs you.”

Doric
shook his head, huge splashes of water hitting Euan straight in the face, and
Doric roared, sending the man cowering into a ball. His dad was right; this
piece of shit wasn't worth breaking their code for. But his beloved father was
wrong on one count.

“She
is not my love, athair. She can't be. I won't risk her.”

His
father's soft laughter ran through his head, to be joined by his brothers who
still stood guard over Penelope. Unable to touch her in their spirit form they
had nonetheless protected her from the worst of the fire and the water. She was
breathing, just, short shallow breaths that barely raised her chest, her
expression hidden by the sodden strands of her hair, her delicate skin red and
bruised. She was too fragile and precious to see him like this, and he couldn't
bear the look of disgust in her eyes he was sure would be there when she opened
them.

He
was responsible for her being tied in this cave, branded a witch, and almost
burned at the stake. No, she was not his. He would take her home and stay far,
far away. It was the only way to keep her safe.

“Son,
you may be last of our kind, but sometimes I wonder how you ever survived this
long. Why do you think we're here? She summoned us. She knows who you are, son.
You're connected through the ages, fated to break the curse. Ancient blood runs
through her veins. Do not make the mistake of turning from your destiny. Our
kind did this once, and it spelled our doom.”

No,
he couldn't be right. Doric blinked and howled his agony, as the images of his
family faded into clouds of mist. He knew he would never see them again. He
trotted over to Penelope, curled his long tail around her freezing form and
waited for her to wake up.

****

For
the second time that day Penelope came round tied to that damn pole. She was so
over this whole tying up thing. She shivered in her damp robe, her skin raw
from the pebbles in the water and the heat of the fire. A comforting cool
presence surrounded her, and she relaxed marginally when the hold on her
tightened like a smooth breathing blanket. When she'd started chanting, the
heat consuming her had been immense, until the two giant shapes had surrounded
her, and she'd blacked out. Her last vision through the strange opaque shapes
had been the sight of Doric rising from the lake like an avenging dragon
breathing fire. Only it hadn't been him setting her alight. That had been Euan
and his cronies. Her eyes flew open in sudden panic and connected with warm,
golden ones in the smooth head of what was commonly referred to as Nessie.

Her
muscles tightened for an instant as adrenaline swamped her system, her body
preparing her in the flight or fight instinct. She yanked on her restraints,
and the creature's hold on her loosened. He uncurled his tail from around her,
and his very human sigh raised the ends of her hair off her face. He flicked
his sharp claws out, and she screwed her eyes shut. With two sharp tugs her
bonds fell off her and she would have fallen to her knees, had his tail not curled
round her again to steady her. Her hands encountered smooth scaly skin, and a
tingle of awareness and recognition zinged up her arms. The creature shook and
released her. He turned away from her, his whole posture defeated, or at least
as defeated as a ten foot dinosaur-like creature could look.

Penelope
felt the loss of connection like a punch to the gut, and she instantly
regretted her reaction. This wasn't some unknown creature. This was Doric, the
man she loved. And he'd come for her.

She
closed her eyes and sent a silent prayer of thanks to the elements. Blood
splattered his sides from a multitude of bullet wounds, and her heart clenched.
He was hurt, and he was walking away.

"Doric,
I'm sorry."

His
head whipped round, and she held her breath when his mouth full of razor sharp
teeth came to rest on her shoulder. He rubbed his head along her neck, ever so
carefully, and tears rose in her eyes. He pulled back, cocked his head to one
side, and his long forked tongue swiped the tears off her face. The move just
made her cry in earnest, and he trumpeted his frustration, or at least that's
what it seemed like. He stomped his feet, and the expression in his eyes was so
forlorn that Penelope had to smile. He stuck his tongue out at her, and she
laughed, making him grin, showing several rows of sharp teeth. He nudged her
towards the water's age, and Penelope froze. There was only a thin shaft of
light entering the cave now, and it wasn't from the entrance. That seemed
completely blocked. The only escape appeared to be that skylight-like opening
right above them, miles above them. How huge was this cave? And how on earth
were they going to get out?

Euan's
loud groan brought her attention to the man coming round slowly on the ground.
He screeched and tried to scramble away from her, when Doric roared with a gust
of wind that would have blown Penelope over, had he not curled his tail around
her once again. Anchored to Doric she watched Euan tumble around on the jagged
edges. Her stomach churned as he reopened just closed wounds, and she leant
further into Doric's all-encompassing presence.

"Doric,
stop, please. He needs help. He's hurt."

Doric's
whole body shook in disgust, and he snorted an almost human harrumph.

"I
don't need the fucking help of your monster, you human bitch."
 
Euan squawked the words, and the ground shook
at Doric's roar in response. Euan paled even more, and his eyes widened when
Penelope twisted sideways just enough to grab hold of Doric's face.

"Stop
it! I know he doesn't deserve it, but if we leave him here, that makes us as
bad as he. Besides, he needs to answer to the authorities for what he did.
Kidnapping is an offence, and I'm pretty sure there must be laws against
hunting on the
Loch
. And if there aren't, then
there should be. Stop grinning at me like that, you big clumsy water thing you.
What the heck are you anyway?"

Doric's
strange grin grew wider, and Penelope's heart lurched. God, even in this form,
she couldn't help but be drawn to him. He seemed human to her, far from the
monster he was purported to be. She punched his tail still wrapped around her
playfully, and he chuckled. The vibrations shook the ground around them, and
she shook her head.

"Will
you stop that? You'll bring the whole thing down around our ears."

Doric
sobered, tightening his tail around her, and she raised one hand to his face.
He leaned his huge head into it, and the emotion shimmering in his golden eyes
took her breath away. She couldn't help it. She leaned forward and pressed a
kiss against the side of his nuzzle, his skin there smooth and soft. A shudder
went through him, and his hold on her loosened. Surprise registered in his
eyes, seconds before the air around him shimmered.

Penelope
watched in stunned fascination as his huge body shrank and contorted, the bones
cracking audibly in the stillness of the cave, until he stood before her in his
gloriously naked human form. He held his hand in front of his face as though he
could not believe the transformation, and she flung herself into his arms with
a shriek of delight.

****

"I
don't fucking believe it!" Euan's sneering curse rang in Doric's ears, but
he ignored the sniveling bastard. This couldn't be happening to him, yet the
soft woman in his arms confirmed that he wasn't dreaming. He'd shifted, deep
inside the
Loch
, the curse seemingly lifted as
instantly as it had fallen on him all those centuries ago. He tightened his
hold on Penelope, not daring to believe the tender feelings swelling in his
chest like unfurling petals in the first rays of the morning's sunshine.

"Are
you okay?" His human voice sounded hoarse even to his own ears, and
Penelope nodded into his chest, before she stiffened and pushed against him. He
let her go immediately. His heart plummeted, and his gut tightened. Surely she
wouldn't reject him now?

Her
hands roamed over his body, her voice shrill, agitation coming off her in
waves.

"I'm
fine, sore, but I’ll live, but you…you got shot. Oh my God, Doric, I need to
get you a doctor. We need to get out of this hell-hole, and the exits are
blocked, and—"

She
went very still when he stopped that torrent of words with his mouth, and his
blood heated with the way her slight curves molded into his frame. He ran his
tongue along the seams of her mouth, willing her to open for him, and when she
did with a small sigh, he entered heaven. His body responded instantly as his
blood pooled in his hardening cock, and he ran his hands down her sides and
cupped her ass, lifting her effortlessly against him. She locked her legs
around his waist, and they both groaned when her slippery cunt glided along his
cock. Pain zinged through his veins mixing in with the fierce heat of arousal,
as his body expelled the bullets one by one, tiny pings on the stone ground
that echoed around the cave. Penelope froze for an instant, and then grabbed
his shoulders, her nails digging into his flesh as she tried to lever herself
up on his throbbing shaft.