Apparition (13 page)

Doss had his hands on her hips lifting her then
pulling her down. Zoe was biting her lip. It was hard to straddle a man so
large and for so long and not feel it in your legs. Zoe was used to riding
Caveat whose back was broad, but Doss’ chest and ribs were so wide. His hips
didn’t taper down as much as a human man’s. All of him was raw muscle.

Zoe felt his cock fill with his seed. She groaned as
he enlarged. Soon she was unable to lift herself and she cried out. Her hands
gripped his wrists, but Doss gathered hers in one of his hands and pulled her
down over his body. He lifted her higher and as her orgasm rocked her he
gripped her hair turning her face to the side and bit her neck. Zoe slumped on
him. Doss took his time while she was completely relaxed. His one hand cupped
her bottom, rocking her lazily up and down his shaft.

When she was almost free of him, Doss bit her again
and then smiled. She loved his lazy sweet smile that warmed her heart, because
the smile was for her alone. He rolled her over onto her back and thrust
harder, pulled out slowly, thrust hard and repeated the gesture until the sweat
on his body invaded hers, colliding with the blood in her veins. Zoe came again
and Doss roared his release, setting a dozen foot high butterflies to the sky
in a panic.

Zoe stiffened when she looked up. Doss closed his armor
over them while still buried inside of her. A second later the blast from the
Tonan
vessel exploded the tree into shards and Zoe felt
them falling. She would have screamed, but the shield regulated her emotions so
Doss wouldn’t need to secrete his wetness into her. Zoe knew he had to
concentrate on saving their lives. The blast wouldn’t harm Doss but if he were
faced with hundreds of
Tonan
warriors at once, he
would tire, especially if he needed to keep her inside the armor with him.

When they hit the ground, Doss landed on his feet.
More agile than a cat he was moving, tree to ground to tree using the foliage
of the trees for cover. Faster he moved becoming the apparition he was until
the vessel could no longer trace him. When he stopped, he was panting, his nose
flaring for any scent. His shield lowered and he dropped her to the ground to
give her a once over to make certain she was all right. Zoe was terrified. She
wanted to jump back into his arms.

“It’s all right,” he soothed. “I won’t allow anything
to hurt you.”

A horrific boom was heard overhead and Zoe screamed.
Doss had her back up in his armor. He was again on the move. From a clearing,
Doss looked up. A
Castian
bird of prey was battling
the
Tonan
vessel. Zoe’s face was pressed against his
neck, but she heard him whisper the word, “
Castians
.”
Zoe heard a shrill whinny. It was Caveat and his herd.

Oh God, my
poor Caveat.

Doss went to the herd and Zoe knew he was feeling her
terror for her beloved horse. Before long, Caveat was following Doss through
the foliage to a safe place. They entered their cave and Doss quickly replicated
some clothing so they could go back out and watch the battle. Both Zoe and Doss
watched as the
Tonans
and
Castians
engaged in heated combat. Another
Castian
vessel
arrived.
Then another
Tonan
.
Explosions wreaked havoc on the foliage and Zoe was weeping. A series of
brilliant white lights exploded against the
Tonan
warships in succession. Before long, the
Castian
vessel beat back the
Tonans
.

“They’ve developed a new weapon,” Doss muttered.

“Caveat and his herd are in danger here. Is it like
this on
Bagron
, too?”

“I don’t know; I’ve never been there.”

“The
Tonans
can’t breach our
new shield.” A voice came from behind them.

Doss had Zoe buried in his shield once again. Cobra
and Loy were standing behind them. “You came for me.” It was a statement from
Doss and Zoe trembled.

“It’s time to choose, Doss. Be hunted here by both
Castian
and
Tonan
or live side by
side with the
Castian
warriors. The
Tonans
struck first. They think you’re a traitor. You have
never harmed a
Castian
to my knowledge. Hybrid or not,
you and your mate need a home. Your children will be welcome on
Bagron
, on
Ulsy
they will be
loathed and feared and hunted. If you choose to stay, it will be taken as a
sign of collaboration with the
Tonans
. This is my
only offer.”

There brooked no argument in Cobra’s words. Zoe knew
he was right, she understood what her dream had meant. So apparently did Doss.
He needed to choose a side now that he had a mate and could no longer be
impartial.

“If we go willingly, there must never be any harm to
my mate or our children,” Doss demanded. “I know what you want. I can turn the
war in your favor. I can save the lives of the human females and children and
your
Castian
warriors. I wouldn’t want to see them
harmed, but what of after? Will we be cast out, abandoned once you get what you
want?”

“I have offered Cobra a proposition,” Loy said,
stepping forward. “Be my warrior mate. We have fought before. I have taken my
last warrior mate’s chosen as a mate. The babe is content. She will be more
content when there is another protecting my back. She knows your scent already.
It’s no surprise; you were there when she was rescued with her mother.”

Doss nodded. He looked at Zoe when he absorbed his
armor and she slipped back onto her feet. “This is no life for you,” he said
and tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear.

“We will take you back to
Bagron
where there will be a home for you. Doss, you must pledge yourself to me before
you warrior mate with Loy, agreed?” Cobra said.

“Agreed.”

“Wait,” Zoe cried. “I can’t leave Caveat here all
alone.”

“Caveat is her stallion,” Doss said.

“Ah yes, the horse with the
attitude.
I recall him,” Cobra
said. “The horses are welcome on
Bagron
. Before we
launch a full assault we will be saving as many creatures as we can.”

“I can get Caveat to settle and come on the ship,” Zoe
said. “He won’t trust anyone else.”

Cobra frowned. “I need Doss’ help immediately, to
point out
Tonan
camps. I don’t want to accidently
annihilate a camp full of women and children. I have birds of prey waiting for
my command. The domed camps blend well with the foliage. They are almost
undetectable in the air and are shielded. We need a direct, well-proportioned
strike to debilitate the enemy before we can attack on land. Each strike needs
to be systematic; it’s imperative or the
Tonans
will
kill the
Castian
warriors first then begin the
annihilation of women and children.”

“I can’t leave without Caveat,” Zoe said pleadingly to
Doss. “He will keep looking for me. I can’t do that to him, he saved my life. I
love him so much, please Doss. Go with Cobra, help him. I’ll be fine.”

“I will leave a few of my men here to guard your
female while you come with me. She can get the horse. If there is trouble they
can have her safely within the ship,” Cobra said.

Doss was obviously reluctant. “I will stay,” Loy said.
“I’ll look after her like she was my own mate. Once we are warrior mates and
our blood flows I will be able to shield her.”

“But if I leave she has no shield,” Doss said.

Zoe didn’t want a camp full of women and children to
die because of her. “I’ll be fine, Doss. Save the other camps. We will be
together soon.”

Doss took her in his arms. He pressed his forehead to
hers in a silent message—he loved her, he would die without her. Zoe kissed his
cheek before the large group of men took off at top speed. Loy came to stand
with her.

“You’re very brave,” he said.

“Maybe on the outside, but my legs are shaking and I
feel
like a puddle of mush on the inside.”

Loy chuckled. Zoe set about rounding up the horses. It
was a bit hard. Caveat had no use for the
Castian
warriors, but he trusted Zoe. Still, he was hesitant to board the massive
vessel. Zoe decided he could go last. One by one the two little foals were
loaded onto a
Castian
bird of prey; they were carried
whinnying and calling to their irate dams. The mares were a bundle of attitude
and the warriors had their hands full of them rearing and bucking. It was then
Zoe remembered the
Moonway
. They were so tiny; no one
would think to save them.

Zoe whistled to Caveat, she wouldn’t be long and she
was worried the
Castians
wouldn’t go find the little
creatures, thinking them insignificant. Zoe knew exactly where they were. She
leapt up onto Caveat’s bent knee and they were off. She heard Loy shout to her,
but Caveat was flying through the foliage. Loy could catch up and then he could
help. When he saw the creatures he would understand her motivation. Besides, it
wasn’t that far from the
Castian
vessel that hovered
low to the ground with the way Caveat moved.

Before long, Zoe dismounted and stood before the
trembling creatures. “I don’t know if you understand me,” she began in a quiet
tone thinking she didn’t want to blast their little eardrums. “This place is
too dangerous. The beings that took you from your home are cruel. There’s going
to be a great battle; you might get hurt if you stay here. We’ve come to take
you to a safer place. I’m going there, too, and I promise no one will harm you.
Doss will be there. He would never let anything harm you. If you can’t trust
me, trust him. He is my mate. I would never do anything to upset him.”

Tenderly Zoe picked up the mother who held her baby.
She stroked the creatures and spoke quietly to them. She nestled them onto
Caveat’s back, they clung to his mane. One by one the creatures were lifted. They
seemed to understand her urgency. They remained where they were put. Loy
stormed into the tiny area.

“Damn it, Zoe.” His voice thundered. The creatures all
shook and whimpered. The mate of the female holding the baby wrapped its arms
around his little family. “What the hell are you doing?”

“
Moonway
.”
She hurried to explain. She wasn’t afraid of Loy, but
he was huge and a tad spooky when annoyed. Loy glanced at the creatures
curiously. She gave Caveat a slap on his rump and sent him back toward the vessel
at a gallop. “I was worried for them.”

“We need to go, now,” Loy demanded. “It’s too
dangerous to be away from the others. If Doss is going to be my warrior mate
you will be my responsibility, too. You need to trust me. You need to listen to
me when circumstances like this unfold.”

“I didn’t know if you would come back for them,” Zoe
explained quietly, eyes downcast.

“As soon as Doss and I mate, I can protect you like he
does, but until then we need to stick with the safety of the others. Once you
have your baby shield I’ll feel better. Hopefully the war with the
Tonans
will be over during this must or after the next. The
females will have almost eight simultaneous years of shield.” He cupped her
chin. She nodded.

A large charging sound from above had Zoe snap her
head up skyward, her eyes widened in terror. A
Tonan
vessel was directly overhead. Loy pulled her against him. Zoe knew he couldn’t
shield her; she would die.

So would
Doss—Oh my God, Doss!

Chapter 9

Doss had just arrived back at the
Castian
vessels from another of Cobra’s ships; he disembarked on swift claws, leaping
from the open hull to the tree tops and down. He had never in his life given
coordinates so fast, wanting to be with Zoe. Doss had been surrounded by
Castian
warriors; it was a bit disconcerting but he scented
no malice, just curiosity. It was strange for Doss, too, having only known his
mother’s people. Doss had never flown before, the experience would have been
exhilarating aboard the hum of a huge spaceship, but he had other more pressing
concerns. He had pinpointed eight camps and their destinations and Cobra was
pleased.

It was then Doss heard it. Zoe was calling.
Doss!

When the
Tonan
ship above
Zoe and Loy powered up, Doss was well on the move. Zoe was terrified. He had to
get to her. The
Castian
vessel Doss had vacated was
already bearing down on the
Tonan
vessel. It fired
but made no dent in the vessel while its shields were secure. The feeling in
the air was ominous and Doss knew they were centering on his mate. They wanted
payback. They wanted Doss to die; he should never have left her.

Doss sped past the other
Castians
racing for her and Loy; altogether they could blanket her, but Doss would be
safest. Apparition that he was, he was certain he could move fast enough but
realized his mistake; once the
Tonans
couldn’t see
him they attacked. A blast of white light and searing blue lit the sky, Doss
heard Zoe scream, and he heard a distant whinny of a panicked horse. A massive
fireball hit directly on the spot Zoe and Loy were. Doss dropped to the ground
as his legs collapsed in disbelief. He thought he would die right there. Cobra
was beside him. Even if Loy curled his armored body around her she would have
been incinerated. The flames rose high and Doss struggled to his feet. There
was nothing left for him to save.