Vulcan's Woman (15 page)

“We’re going to rest awhile. Will you watch Birmon?”

The creature jumped up at the sound of his name and waddled
toward Wisteria.

“I would have,” Ivy replied, her gaze following him to
Wisteria’s feet.

Wisteria smiled and bent down to pat him on the head. “I
guess you’re coming along.” She stood. “Ivy, we’ll be back shortly. Will you be
all right?”

Bronto turned on his heels and glanced first at Wisteria
then at Vulcan. “I won’t take my eyes off her,” he said.

“I’m sure you won’t,” Vulcan chuckled under his breath. He
reached for Wisteria’s hand. She took hold of his fingers, rested her head on
his chest and let him guide her to the hut.

“Ack. Ack… Ack.”

Wisteria stopped at the entrance. “Birmon, your timing is
bad,” she said on a sigh. The little monster had the persistence of a child.
“What?” she asked, but when she turned she discovered he wasn’t vying for her
attention after all. He’d found a worm and he was yanking and tugging it from
the dirt with his teeth. It stretched and snapped in half. The section
partially hidden in the ground completely disappeared, the other he slurped
into his mouth. “Birmon, drop that,” she shrieked.

“He needs to eat, sweetheart. He’s hungry.”

“He’s chomping on a worm.”

“It’s better than nothing.”

But worms?
“Certainly he can find something more
appetizing. Like a cricket or a beetle-bug.”

“Let’s let him eat in peace,” Vulcan said, taking her hand
and tugging her inside the hut. When the flap closed she was scooped into his
arms, flush against his body, and his lips descended on hers before she’d taken
her next breath.

She dropped the frock without a second thought to wrap her
arms around his back. Her knees weakened and her heartbeat skipped.
Instinctively she ran her hands up and down his back but his furs caused a
barrier between her fingers and his flesh. She hadn’t waited all day to caress
an animal hide yet she was too enthralled by his tongue slipping against hers
to ask him to remove it.

He slid his hand beneath her hair, untied the straps of her
garment and very slowly dropped it to the ground. Despite his warm furs nestled
against her naked flesh, she shivered.

He walked backward to the supply crate and removed a condom.

“Can I do it?” Wisteria asked, pausing to chew her bottom
lip. “May I apply it this time?” She enjoyed the thrill of watching him touch
himself but she’d yet to actually touch his cock outside his loincloth. He’d
done the caressing and kissing and running his tongue along her entire body.
Why couldn’t she repay him? Licking him in the same manner seemed formidable
but if he’d tasted her, why couldn’t she taste him?

Her fingers trembled as she removed the package from his
outstretched hand. “Should I apply it before I taste you?”

His brows rose. “Taste me?”

“Like you did to me.”

“I don’t expect that from you.”

“But I want to. Is it not okay?”

His face tilted upward and he closed his eyes. The bump in
his throat bobbled right before he looked into her eyes. “No, you don’t apply
it until I penetrate your vagina. Come,” he said, taking hold of her hand.
“Let’s relax near the fire.”

“Will you help me, Vulcan?”

He removed his furs then lifted her hand and placed it on
his chest. “Yes, but I’m sure your instincts will take over.”

As she lifted her other hand and placed it near the first,
she patted her lips on the chest muscles in between her palms. They were hot
and hard and she ran her fingers over the contours. His scent drifted to her
nostrils. Deep inside her an aching need festered. The urge to touch him grew
stronger, as if she couldn’t get close enough to his body.

He sucked in a breath and rested a hand on the back of her
head. Gently. But she felt the power and determination in his grip. It
intensified as she kissed a trail to his nipple and sucked it into her mouth.
Depending on her memory, she mimicked his actions, suckling and nibbling and
circling her tongue around the tip. Then she patted her lips across his chest
to the other side.

“Sweetheart, you don’t need
my
help.”

She didn’t respond. She couldn’t. She was too caught up in
the thrill of touching him so freely. Running her fingers over his masculine
body set her tummy on fire.

Little by little she lowered her fingers to his hips until
they snagged the loincloth. While she tried tugging it down he unfastened it
and tossed it aside. His cock sprang forward, brushing against her belly, the
tip leaving wet splotches on her skin. She avoided the urge to run her fingers
over the damp spots because she refused to remove them from his rock-hard,
powerful hips. They flexed while he shifted his weight from one foot to the
other. She’d never been so physically focused or tuned in to another human
being. She smelled him. Breathed him. Tasted him.

Crouching to her knees, she twirled her tongue in circles to
his lower stomach, where his patch of hair brushed against the underside of her
chin, then lower still until it rested on his cock. Having her face so close to
his private area sent a whirlwind of excitement up and down her spine. She
leaned back and fisted his cock in her hand. Her fingers wouldn’t connect full
circle and she moaned softly, remembering how it felt when buried inside her.

It would be so easy to lie down and make love to him now but
she wanted to experiment too desperately to give in to the urge.

She stole a quick glance at his eyes and found him watching
her through narrowed lids. His jawbone was clenched and sweat lined his brows.
She used the moment to her advantage, tracing her tongue around the head of his
cock. He hissed in a mouthful of air.

At first she thought she’d hurt him but he slid his hands in
the hair above her ears, pulling her head slightly forward.

“Take it in your mouth, Wisteria,” he said, his voice
strained as if in pain.

But that wasn’t the case or he would have broken loose.
Instead he appeared to be guiding his cock closer.

She parted her lips and as gently as possible inserted the
tip between her teeth. His hands tightened in her hair and he slightly shoved
his hips forward. At a snail’s pace he began moving backward and forward.

It was too large to wrap her tongue around, so she licked
the underside with every stroke. During each maneuver he slipped deeper. She
took as much as she could until it banged into the back of her throat. The
section that wouldn’t fit, she stroked in her fist. Then she lowered her opposite
hand from his hip and grabbed his testicles.

His teeth gnashed together and he threw his head back. If he
felt the same sensations she had when he’d tongued her she knew pressure built
on his insides. The only way to break it was to increase speed. She slid her
mouth forward then back, sucking the tip of his cock gently before her lips
rushed forward once again. Little by little, after falling into a steady rhythm
rather than delivering sloppy strokes, she quickened the pace. His hips jerked
back and forth as he pumped his shaft in and out of her mouth.

“Stop, Wisteria. Enough,” he grimaced.

“Mmm-mm,” she replied as best as she could, considering she
couldn’t speak. The power of having control over him filled her with an immense
amount of pleasure. The emotional jolt caused a huge awakening.

The tension in his features indicated he’d reached the
bursting point where blood caught fire and the brain exploded in colors, and
she wanted to suckle him through it. His testicles hardened in her palm. His
hips raced. Then his grip tightened in her hair and he groaned as warm seed
squirted her throat. She swallowed the odd-tasting liquid and suckled him
gently until his organ softened in her mouth.

He reached beneath her arms, pulled her to her feet and held
her close. Words were lost in the moment as his hands roamed up and down her
spine as his heartbeat thumped against her cheek.

“Was it okay? Did I do it right?” she asked, nuzzling her
nose closer to his chest, inhaling the scent she’d never tire of.

“Better than okay.” He guided her onto her back on the hides
near the fire and lay down on his hip beside her. “You’re making it impossibly
hard for me to leave,” he said, removing strands of hair from her face.

What a slap. The impact of such an upsetting subject so soon
after sharing intimacy brought her to tears. She didn’t like it. At all. She
tried burying her face in his chest to hide the blubbering but he lifted her
chin and looked in her eyes. “Then don’t go. Stay here,” she said.

“I have a different life there.”

“Can we please not talk about it?” She scooted as close as
possible to his body and folded her hands beneath her cheek. “Just hold me.”

Wisteria opened her eyes to darkness pouring in through the
ventilation hole. She bolted upright, throwing the fur cover aside. Neither
Vulcan nor Birmon were inside the hut.

Or Ivy.

How could she have left her sister alone in an unfamiliar
place? Hopefully Bronto hadn’t stranded her also. She couldn’t bear the thought
of leaving Ivy frightened and alone.

After splattering her face with cold water she hurried
outside but stopped abruptly when she heard Ivy giggling near the fire. Bronto,
Birmon and Vulcan were sitting with her, as well as Trice and two other
tribesmen. Possibly Rocko and Grunt. She couldn’t tell from their back sides or
their long dark hair and shoulders.

Vulcan spotted her immediately and stood. Firelight danced
along his body, emphasizing his broad chest. When he smiled his facial features
brightened. “Good evening, Wisteria. I thought you’d sleep until morning. Come
get something to eat.”

As she ambled to the circle of people and hugged her sister,
who smelled peculiarly sweet, Vulcan filled a bowl of berries and he handed it
to her after she sat down. Unlike Ivy, who sat with her legs crossed, Wisteria
folded her legs to the side. A lesson in acting a lady was in her sister’s near
future, who wouldn’t stop laughing when nothing was being said or done to laugh
about.

“Ivy, what do you find so funny?” Wisteria asked, smiling at
the sound of laughter.

“My apologies,” Bronto said. A toothy grin lightened his
dark eyes. “She’d accidentally indulged in the wrong beverage.”

As in, the same type of
silly elixir
the men in her
clan partook of occasionally? “How does one
accidentally
indulge?”

“Oh Wisty, don’t be such a dead fur.”

A dead fur? It appeared Ivy had not only accidentally
indulged but had
over
indulged as well.

Vulcan grinned. “After you finish eating, sweetheart, we’ll
take her for a cold swim to sober her up.”

“You have to admit,” Bronto added, “she’s pretty adorable in
this state.”

Ivy was adorable in any state, and against Wisteria’s better
judgment, she admitted it was comical to watch her laughing for no reason.
Wisteria wished she had reason to laugh but her emotions were soured by the
reality of her near future. The worst part ― looking at Vulcan, knowing he’d
become a memory that’d haunt her dreams forever. Watching him smile and
interact with Bronto and Ivy while wishing she had a future with him hurt
beyond words.

She gobbled down the last berry in the bowl and sighed while
she set it aside. She knew what she had to do and she needed to act during the
first opportunity. Hopefully before Ivy became too cozy with Bronto. Maybe that
wasn’t the proper word, because if she got any cozier, she’d be sitting on his
lap. Better acquainted, perhaps? Or infatuated.

He’d be returning to Earth with Vulcan. Why set her up for a
broken heart too? It hurt. She’d not wish the heartache on her own sister.

Ivy hiccupped then clasped a hand over her mouth and
giggled.

Vulcan chuckled. “Ready for that swim?” he asked, assisting
Wisteria to her feet by the hand.

Bronto offered the same courtesy to Ivy but she bounced off
his chest and stumbled backward. He caught her before she fell then he lifted
her into his arms and carried her like an infant.

Vulcan took the long route and guided them leisurely through
the meadow to the forest. It was probably best to have walked slowly so Ivy
wouldn’t get too jostled and vomit. Bronto didn’t seem to mind carrying her,
displaying a constant smile. Well, Wisteria noticed a smile every time she
glanced over her shoulder. She couldn’t hear their discussion but Ivy wouldn’t
stop laughing.

It’d been a long time since Wisteria heard the pleasant sound.
There wasn’t much to laugh about at home with their clan. Ever since the Flesh
Eaters had chased them from their original habitat, most seemed to have lost
the desire to carry on with their daily lives. Their new area lacked color and
they slept in cold, gloomy caves but at least they had a place to call home.

“Ack.”

Wisteria stopped and turned around. Birmon had grown tired
and lagged behind. “Sorry, little guy. I wasn’t paying attention,” she said.
She picked him up and carried him the remaining way.

The moonlight cascaded along the lake, illuminating the
yellow underbelly. A golden hue shimmered around the entire embankment and
water surface, reaching toward the sky. She stopped and admired the
breathtaking view. It glowed as if they’d stepped into daylight. It was the
most beautiful sight she’d ever seen.

Beneath the crystal water, red, yellow and purple feathery
plants swayed in the gentle current. The multicolored rocks sparkled as if the
rays shined directly upon them. It was so clear, even the tiniest grains of
sand were visible.

She couldn’t believe the brightness of the surroundings. It
was as if the daylight had unfolded.

She crossed the stepping-stones and laid Birmon beneath her
favorite tree then she entered the water in the knee-deep section where Bronto
lowered Ivy to her feet.

“Eek,” Ivy shrieked. She giggled while dunking her hands in
the lake then she splashed Bronto, saturating his face and furs.

He laughed and lunged forward, scooping her in his arms
before he dunked her completely under.

Poor Ivy. The water seemed colder than normal and it pierced
Wisteria’s flesh as she walked in deeper. Chills raced up her spine and her
skin thickened with gooseflesh. After a quick brush to her arms she kicked her
heels off the underbelly and dove forward, submerging herself completely.

She swam fast, kicking her feet and stroking her arms to the
deep section. She treaded water while watching Vulcan disappear beneath the
surface near the shore.

“Stop! Stop it,” Ivy screeched in laughter as Bronto lifted
her and dunked her again.

Wisteria was so intrigued by their play she hadn’t noticed
Vulcan approach until he appeared directly beside her. He pulled her into his
arms with her back facing his chest. She closed her eyes and slowly reopened
them. Colorful fish were swimming around their feet. She’d swum with them
enough to know they wouldn’t bite or nibble on her toes. They seemed as
intrigued with her as she was with them.

She rested her head against Vulcan’s chest and again closed
her eyes while he swayed his arms and legs to keep them above water. It was a
beautiful, peaceful evening surrounded by moonlight and its illuminating rays
reflecting off the lake. She could remain floating in Vulcan’s arms in her
paradise for an eternity.

A familiar caress of soft scales brushed across her shins.

Her eyes popped open and she looked beneath the water. The
two-headed snake was circling their legs. “Loo-La,” she called, reaching
beneath the surface to skim her fingers along its back.

“You’ve named the serpent?” Vulcan asked, sounding
surprised.

“How else will it know I’m talking to it?” she asked as if
he were dense.

His arm tightened around her waist. “It listens?”

Why wouldn’t it? “Of course it does.”

Just then it rose in front of Wisteria, blinking and bobbing
both heads before they sprang past her to investigate Vulcan up close.

Wisteria glanced over her shoulder. “It won’t hurt you. Or
they won’t,” she corrected herself.

“I’m not scared,” he said, glaring into the snake’s eyes.

“Don’t they have beautiful colors?”

“Yes they do.”

Presumably bored with Vulcan, Loo-La returned to Wisteria
and lapped her cheeks with both tongues. She giggled and covered her face.
“Okay, that’s enough.”

“Wisty!” Ivy shrieked.

Wisteria’s gaze shot to Ivy, who stood in the ankle-deep section,
facing the forest. Something had definitely sobered her up, whether it was the
cold water or whatever had caught her attention.

“Look,” she shrieked again, pointing toward the feather
tree. “Oh my gosh. Come quick.”

Wisteria followed the direction of Ivy’s finger. Boar and
Dahlia were strolling hand in hand from the forest, their faces tilted toward
the grass. They didn’t seem to acknowledge Ivy, nor did they look up during her
outburst of excitement. “Vulcan, it’s my brother. Loo-La, take us to shore,”
Wisteria urged.

The serpent darted underwater and settled between her and
Vulcan’s thighs. When Wisteria wrapped her arm around Loo-La’s necks, the snake
zigzagged to the embankment. Rather than retreat into the lake as usual, it
slithered along the ground near Wisteria.

Ivy gasped and jumped behind Bronto, pulling him backward
until her feet hit dry land.

“Don’t be frightened, Ivy, Loo-La won’t hurt you.”

“Wha-what is the infatuation be-between you and odd
animals?” Ivy stuttered, her teeth chattering.

Wisteria smiled and looked at her brother and Dahlia. As
they passed the feather tree and approached the embankment, neither
acknowledged them. Birmon flapped his wings in a frenzy and squawked. He
slightly lifted off the ground then fell, then lifted again and fell. Each
attempt brought him closer to Wisteria. “Boar?” she said, bending down to lift
Birmon.

Loo-La poised to strike. “Sssssss.”

“Loo-La, that isn’t nice,” Wisteria scolded. “That’s my
brother.”

The serpent didn’t move.

“Boar?” Ivy repeated. “It’s Ivy and Wisteria. Where have you
been?”

He didn’t respond, nor did he appear to notice her. Not
until he and Dahlia reached the surrounding rows of flowers where they froze as
if afraid to touch them. “It’s Ivy and Wisteria,” his emotionless voice mocked.
“Where have you been?”

“We’ve been so worried,” Ivy said. She stepped forward but
Bronto grabbed her by the arm.

“Something isn’t right,” Wisteria murmured. “Look at them.
They’re acting strange and are unresponsive.”

Loo-La coiled around Wisteria’s feet and reclaimed the
striking position, hissing and exposing its fangs.

“You’re right,” Vulcan agreed. “Stay back.” He took hold of
Wisteria’s hand and squeezed it gently. “Wisteria, do you remember the mutant
that walked into the camp, and our prior conversation?”

She nodded.

“Look at their legs.”

She reluctantly lowered her gaze. Gray scales covered the
outside of their thighs and calves. Her heart deflated. “It’s true,” she
whispered in dread.

“How is that possible?” Ivy yelped, visually assessing their
bodies. “Boar, what’s wrong? What happened to you?”

“Boar, what’s wrong?” he repeated. “What happened to you?”

Just then Loo-La struck. Neither Boar nor Dahlia tried
deflecting the snake, nor did they flinch when its teeth sank into their flesh.

Green, gooey liquid spurted from the gouges in their
throats. Ivy screamed and covered her face. Wisteria gasped and clasped a hand
over her mouth. When the serpent sprang back it slithered into the lake.

Vulcan and Bronto exchanged glances.

“Ladies, go with Bronto,” Vulcan stated. “He’ll walk you
back to the huts.”

“We can’t leave him,” Ivy protested.

Bronto took hold of Ivy’s arm and turned her in the
direction of the camp. “That isn’t your brother, Ivy. What you see is not
human. I’m sorry you had to witness this. Come with me. Vulcan will catch up.”

Wisteria preferred to stay but she suspected Vulcan planned
on destroying them as he had the man from the flesh-eating tribe. She couldn’t
witness the demise of something that looked like Boar even if it wasn’t her
brother.

But was it?

No, it couldn’t be. Humans didn’t have scaly skin and green
blood. No, that was not Boar. It wasn’t.

It was a mutant.

She tried covering her ears but it didn’t block the sound of
air swooshing when Vulcan unsheathed and began swinging his knife.
No
screams of pain. Please, no screams of pain.
It would signify they
were
human. What if something evil possessed them? What if they were cast under a
temporary spell by poisonous berries? “No screams. No screams,” she quietly
begged but the reigning silence proved Vulcan was right.

Her tummy was in knots by the time Bronto walked them into
camp. Men bustled back and forth to the cooking pot while Jade replenished
eating utensils and set a stack of bowls on a bench near the fire.

Wisteria grabbed Ivy’s hand and led her to an area not as
congested near the forest. She sat down by her sister, settling Birmon on her
lap as Bronto headed back into the forest, presumably to help Vulcan.

“Wisty, I don’t understand what’s happening,” Ivy whispered.
“How could those people look exactly like Boar and Dahlia, yet not be human?”

“They are mutants, but no one can explain how or why it
happened.”

“What are mutants? How did they get scaly skin? Did they get
bitten by a fish or a snake?”

Wisteria shook her head. “That isn’t possible. A poisonous
bite would kill them or make them very sick, not turn them into a creature.”
She hoped that were true. “Mutants are strange things, sort of like Birmon.”

“Then where is our real brother and Dahlia? Why haven’t they
returned home?”

Wisteria glanced in Ivy’s eyes but decided not to relay the vague
information Vulcan had told her. “Maybe they have while you’ve been away.”

Ivy wrapped her arms around Wisteria’s elbow and rested her
head on Wisteria’s shoulder. “I’m scared,” Ivy confessed.

“You don’t need to be.” Not yet anyhow. Not until they
abandoned Vulcan’s and the Barbarians’ protection to return home. Unfortunately
that would take place sooner than expected. The thought of Vulcan leaving was
getting harder and harder to digest.

“Where’s Tyran?” a man shouted.

Wisteria glanced upward at the sound of Vulcan’s voice. Ivy
lifted her head.

Jade walked from the supply hut. “In his hut, sir,” she
replied impishly. “Taking notes.”