Apparition (8 page)

Zoe groaned. Doss knew she felt him. Their connection
was stronger. Doss let her feel his power. She was his now and she needed to
know how strong he was to protect her. His muscular arms were wrapped tight
around her. The shield still regulated his strength but allowed him to grip her
until she could barely breathe. Doss listened for her emotions to fill him. He
stopped moving and felt her stretch to accommodate every inch of him. His seed
exploded into her when the emotion of her secretions of total submission, understanding
and safety, absorbed into his cock. Doss bellowed louder than he ever had in
his life.

My
mate
.

She cried out and again that amazing secretion mixed
and flowed through his veins. Their loving essence combined. Doss was in love
with her; he knew it would happen, but his heart near burst with the thought.
Nothing was more important than Zoe. Her body trembled. Doss could tell Zoe was
exhausted. When he pulled from her, she collapsed to her side. Her eyes closed
and she was asleep. Doss was full of his own power. He had a mate, a companion.
He would never be alone again. Love for her flooded his being. He had gifted
Zoe with eternal life. He picked her up and cradled her against his chest for a
few moments and just gazed down into her serene features. There was wetness on
his arm from her wound and smiling to himself, Doss took her to the healing
waters.

Chapter 5

Zoe woke in Doss’ arms. She almost screamed. Caveat’s
muzzle was so close his breath was ruffling her hair. She felt a little concern
for the other horses until she heard Winsome whinny a short distance away.
Caveat had moved the herd closer. Zoe’s heart almost burst with happiness. If
she wouldn’t go to him, Caveat would come to her.

“If that horse bites my ass again, it’s so totally
on,” Doss mumbled.

Zoe peeked at him, his eyes were closed. “How did you
know?” she asked.

“The second you felt scared I was awake. But because
you calmed right away I knew something familiar had taken you by surprise,” he
said. “Nothing is more familiar than that damned horse.”

Caveat whinnied loudly. “I think you offended him,”
Zoe said and chuckled. Caveat nuzzled her forehead and pulled a ringlet of her
hair across her eyes and worked it in his lips.

“Tough.”

Zoe kissed Caveat on his velvety muzzle and disengaged
her hair from his loose grasp.
Aether
called to her
stallion. She sounded a bit distressed. Zoe guessed she was too afraid to enter
the cave. Caveat turned and walked out down the long corridor. Zoe watched him
leave. His tail swayed with his rump. The urge to ride him was strong. Doss
grabbed her and pinned her under him. She groaned when he settled a substantial
amount of weight onto her. She would have to remember her mate had a predatory
look that could freeze her in her tracks.

My God, he’s
hot
.

“The only stallion you need to ride right now is me,”
Doss informed her.

Doss lowered his head and kissed her until she was
breathless. When their kiss ended, Zoe was hard pressed to take in air.

“Wow!” She gasped. “You learn fast. But it still would
be nice to spend some time with the horses.”

Zoe felt something for Doss; she could feel a new
longing toward him. It was astounding. She wasn’t in love with him and yet he
stirred so many overwhelming emotions in her. She wanted to be near him, the
pull was strong. Their mating had definitely affected her. But it was
confusing; maybe some time spent with Caveat, something familiar, would help
her sort out her feelings.

Her chin was captured in Doss’ huge hand, compelling
her to meet his stare. Zoe looked deeply into his eyes. They moved like clouds,
forming images surrounded in light grays. Zoe looked deeper. She would swear
she saw Caveat in one of the clouds. As she watched, the stallion began racing
through the heavens. Faster and faster he went and Zoe gasped to keep up with
his plight. Somehow Doss sensed her need.

“How?” she whispered.

“I’m afraid it’s hypnotism, pure and simple. My mother
would get furious with me when I was small,” Doss said and chuckled. Zoe
couldn’t keep her eyes from his gaze. “I used to love sweet things from the
replicator. My mother would be so busy watching fields of flowers in my eyes
she never saw my mouth moving while I ate what I wanted.”

“Do you still crave sweets?” Zoe asked.

Doss broke their contact; his eyes were once more
their beautiful gray. “Yes.”

Zoe cried out when his cock plunged up into her heat.
She hadn’t exactly been ready and was surprised at how wet she was. She groaned
at how good he felt. He whispered her name in such a way she would have felt
her knees weaken if she wasn’t lying down. She glided her one foot from his
calf over his ass to wrap around his middle. Her insides were warm and slick as
he plunged and retreated. His hand gripped her behind and pulled her with each
thrust to forcefully meet his hips. Zoe had never had anyone as large as Doss.

She wondered at the size of him the night before. He
had grown so big inside her. He had been sweet and caring—she had stopped being
afraid. She saddened when she thought of the other women who were captured and
tortured. Doss slowed his thrusts and rubbed a moist hand across her breasts.
Zoe, though still feeling bad, felt calmer. She knew it was something in the
secretions Doss’ body created. His touch was comforting.

“There might be a way to save them,” she heard Doss
say.

Zoe was startled. “Can you read my mind?”

“No, but since we have mated, I can hear your
emotions. I know that sounds strange, but it’s true. My secretions flow through
you and collect the information in my shield. My shield then turns them to
taste, which fills my mouth and my taste brings memories of said emotion to my
thoughts, which allows me to hear in my mind what you are feeling. I’m certain
a taste or smell triggers an emotion from you at times.”

“Sounds complicated.”

“It’s instantaneous.”

Zoe cocked her head as he moved against her. “Doss, I
don’t have your scent ability, but I
feel
you. You being so close makes me
know
I’m
safe. I’ve never felt this close to anyone. It’s like an emotional connection.”

“The closer we are, the stronger your emotion of safety
will be. It’s instinct, I keep you safe. I will forever. If you need me just
think of me hard. I can feel if you’re distressed. Every day the bond will grow
stronger.”

“Can you really save those women?”

“Let me concentrate on you first, please; you’re driving
me wild.”

Doss moved faster while gaining a rhythm. It felt
good. His hips hit hers hard and she groaned with the pressure. The next thrust
was a little gentler. He just seemed to know what she wanted. His fangs were
growing. His temples were sweating. So were Zoe’s. When he ducked his head for
a kiss he pressed his forehead to hers. Their sweat mixed and Zoe felt a jolt
of energy. She grabbed his shoulders and pulled him closer.

His powerful thrusts were tempered enough to be
exciting, not overwhelming. Every inch of him was rock solid. Zoe’s hands
trailed down his broad back to his hard ass. He was sculpted—he was her mate.
Zoe licked at his moist skin and she heard him groan. He pulled almost
completely from her then slid back and forth. His hands fondled her breasts,
his fingers teased her nipples. He lifted one of her legs onto his shoulder,
then the other. Zoe gasped at his depth. Her warrior was made to fill a woman
completely.

When his cock began to grow larger, Zoe was ready this
time. She wasn’t afraid. He had shown her she could trust him. She gave herself
to him willingly. He was the most exciting lover she had ever had. His length
stretched deeper to reach its mark. Her insides expanded to close around his
width. She was absolutely engorged with him. This time he didn’t turn her. She
looked up into his eyes as she began to ache with the pressure of his massive
sex.

Zoe groaned with exhaustion. He was a very virile man.
Sex before was good, but was done within four minutes, tops. With Doss it went
on and on until she was a wet dish rag. She couldn’t keep up. Her legs slipped
down to rest by his sides. By this time, he was entering and retreating with
great care. Zoe could take no more. She whispered his name. Doss sunk his fangs
into her neck. Zoe would have screamed with the orgasm she experienced, but she
was spent. Her body shuddered and she lay still.

Doss rocked against her once, twice and then held
still. More of his weight settled onto her.
Zoe’s eyes
widened in surprise.
Caveat was beside them again, watching.
Oh God, if Caveat
thought Doss was hurting her…
Zoe was suddenly molded to Doss. She
couldn’t move. She heard him mutter: “damned horse.” She realized Doss’ shield
was surrounding them both. Nothing could penetrate Doss’ shield, not even
Caveat. She calmed and heard Doss groan when he came.

They lay there with the shield enveloping them both.
Zoe was completely dry. No sweat or secretions. It was an odd sensation to be
in there with him. She thought it would feel like a cocoon might. Her body was
warm, her heart beat perfectly normal. Her breathing regulated. Her bodily
functions weren’t her own.

“Doss?”

“It’s all right, Zoe.”

“I’m not afraid. It’s just that this is so strange.”

“My shield can, for a time, regulate both our bodies. Nothing
can harm you in here with me. It’s how I can protect you. If I need to fight
and keep you safe, I just tuck you in with me. I can do this with children as
well. The shield takes control so they aren’t afraid. It will also stop
annoying bodily functions—if you know what I mean?”

She did. She couldn’t imagine being stuck in here with
a dirty-bummed toddler. “So you can protect our daughters and sons like this?”

“Only females.
Any son I have will develop a shield like mine after
he is weaned. He will be just as safe as you are now. All babies are created
with shields; they are indestructible—even to me. Not that I would ever be so
cruel.
And unless you have the unfortunate lineage of a
Tonan
.
A
Tonan
won’t give
a piece of his shield. They’re too selfish. Idiots if you ask me. They can’t
keep a female safe or the very vulnerable if they refuse to shield them. It’s
no wonder their breed is dying.”

“Why don’t girls keep a shield?”

“A warrior needs his shield for battle. Females don’t
battle. A warrior can protect a female until they turn twenty-one. At least
that’s what my memories tell me. I have gotten the rare scent of human females
before. It makes a warrior more protective of females and encourages their want
of a female mate. It also encourages a female to seek out a warrior mate for
protection when they are no longer children. But, a warrior would never harm a
child, especially a female child. Their armor won’t permit it. At least that is
what my
Castian
memories tell me.”

“You are half and half.
A hybrid of
sorts?”
She felt him cringe. “It doesn’t matter to me, Doss. It means
you are neither. You are unique.” She felt him relax.

Doss began to rise and Zoe realized the shield was
down. It had been remarkable. She had seen right through it. There had never in
her life been a time she felt safer. Doss strolled nude to the replicator. Zoe
watched his ass move. It was a thing of beauty. He pulled out an apple and gave
it to Caveat. Doss stared at the horse hard for a moment. Caveat whinnied,
chewed, stopped chewing, chewed, then his ears went back and the apple dropped.
Sweat appeared on his flanks. His eyes looked a bit wild and then he spun
around and left. Zoe swore his back legs moved so fast he almost ran over his
front ones.

Zoe narrowed her eyes onto Doss. “What did you do?”

“I gently explained what a gelding was.”

“But he’s a horse.”

“Even horses appear to be susceptible to my
hypnotizing gaze.”

Zoe shuddered. “I guess a picture really
is
worth a thousand words.”

*
* * *

“You will be fine here?” Doss was skeptical.

It was early the next day and Zoe had begged him to
see how he could help other female humans escape. Or
children,
could he at least save a few children? He reminded her that he could only
shield girls, not boys.
More females in his cave?
More responsibility.
Good
lord, more
emotion.
His
Tonan
half was having a field day with that one. His
Castian
half was delighted with the idea. Annoyingly, Doss
had both thoughts.

Doss’ head was spinning. In a few short days he had
acquired a mate and a herd of horses and now she wanted human children. The
Tonans
would come after him eventually if he kept raiding
them. Normally, he stayed out of their sight, both preferred it that way. Now
he had killed a warrior and wounded another. It had been worth it he thought
while gazing into Zoe’s anxious brown eyes.