Pieces of Three (7 page)

Julian sat up and turned his back to her.

“Put the dogs out when they get to be a pest.” Porter took a swipe at a dresser and the furniture toppled to one side, the drawers slid out and spilled out some clothes.

“I never said that.” She toyed with the edge of the blanket.

The silence that took over the room weighed down on all of them. “What’s the plan?” she asked again, hoping it wasn’t on their list to kill her after they saved her.

“We need to assess the damage on the ship. It will be a few days before we’re ready to set sail.” Julian stood and opened the door to a small closet. “We need to find all the supplies we can.”

“Then we can pack up all nice and all and get you back to your island. Maybe if we deliver you safe and sound, you can put in a good word and find something for us with all the advances on your island.” Porter picked up some of the clothing scattered on the floor.

“I can’t.” She lowered her head.

“Of course not, why would I expect anything less?” Porter let out a sick, low laugh.

“Why would you expect anything less from the woman who stole the antidote for the garbage they injected you with?” The mistrust between their species went both ways. She jumped up off the bed. “I can’t go back to my island. I broke just about every law, my dream of being an Ambassador is over, and after being with you and injured, I may or may not be exposed to a deadly disease. I suppose I’m the pirate now.” She grabbed some clothes off the floor and stomped away.

Chapter Four

“Since we ended up right on the beach, we can still sleep in the boat for shelter.” Julian collected some more wood and tossed it in what he designated the fire area.

“Whatever, shelter, let’s fix the rattletrap and get out of here.” Porter pulled at his shirt then the cuff of his pants and continued mashing something green up in a little bowl he must have found on the ship. “Humans are short and scrawny.”

“Well they may be short.” Julian tilted his head in the direction where Alyssa walked toward them carrying some sticks and leaves. “But not too scrawny.” In a small bit of luck, the extra clothing she packed for the trip was destroyed, or he destroyed it. With only male clothing at her disposal, she took to tying the shirt below her breasts and rolling up the cuffs on the pants. At least the outfit revealed some skin.

Porter turned and grunted. “If we didn’t have her we wouldn’t have to be decent and wear clothes.”

When they woke up in bed it took every bit of his strength not to take her. If Porter hadn’t been there, he swore he could have gotten her to give in, he sensed her arousal when she looked at them. In his favor, he was noticeably nicer and more charming and he also had the long hair females adored. Yes, the lunar shift was upon them. The simple act of glancing in her direction set his body off, the way her unconfined breasts threatened to spill out of her shirt made his already tight pants positively uncomfortable. If it were anyone else and Porter would disappear, he would have had his way with her multiple times already or indulged with multiple females. Back on Lykos, the mating cycle brought out a bit of the carnal side in everyone, and those unattached made sure all their needs were met.

But this was Alyssa, a human, something he wanted since he realized humans existed. Not only a human, but one who seemed enthralled with him, had intelligence and he wanted to learn more about her, not just any human. After their argument on the ship, he and Porter found clothes and let Alyssa get cleaned up and changed. He left them on the ship to check out the island one more time. After shifting he took his opportunity to run free. They were indeed alone on the island. The only inhabitants were a few birds that must have used the spot as a resting place before flying on to more exciting lands.

While the exterior rim was trimmed with a beach, the interior was densely covered in trees and vines, and luck on their side a rather nice pool of fresh water and even a waterfall. One could call it a piece of paradise or a purgatory.

When he returned, he found Alyssa and Porter in the same positions he left them, at either ends of the ship gathering up what they could for supplies and not speaking. He took it upon himself to give them some tasks to get them away from each other.

She approached the pile and bent over to put her items down. Her backside toward him, she was in the perfect position for some mating.

Porter wiped his brow, his complexion paled and he shook his head.

Julian didn’t know if he wanted to crack up or put his arm around him and tell him he understood. They both knew how bad their situation would become. If they didn’t receive any relief by tomorrow night they would have to either lock her or themselves away to stay off her.

“What are you doing?” Porter crossed his arms.

“Gathering kindling like Julian told me to.” She didn’t bother turning in his direction.

“Are we all listening to Julian now?” He tapped his foot and stared at her backside, his mouth practically watering.

Julian forced his mouth closed wanting to find out their human’s answer. No matter how nasty Porter treated her, or how frightened she became, she didn’t back down.

At last she straightened up and turned to Porter, glaring at him. “You said yourself Julian knows more about the sea than you. He’s not trying to play doctor.”

“I’m not a doctor.” Porter corrected.

“Actually, I wanted to look at your wound.” Julian decided to put some of his own kindling on the fire.

“I will tend to her cut.” Porter stomped over.

She put her hand over her head. “I thought you said you weren’t a doctor.”

“Well not by your overeducated and overmedicated human standpoint.” He took her wrist and swiped her hand away.

“It’s fine.” Though she spoke the words, she didn’t move.

“I’ll be the judge of that.” He grabbed her chin and moved down, his face coming less than an inch from hers. “I made you a poultice.”

Julian leaned back on his heels.

“What’s a poultice?” Her voice lowered and lost some of its edge.

“It’s a mixture of herbs and other medicinal ingredients that are used to draw out infection or ease pain. I suppose it’s better than the poison I tried to infuse you with.” He tilted her head back and lifted his bowl, taking care to put his mixture on her wound. “Don’t move.”

She held on to his arm for support.

Porter reached into his pocket, pulled out a long strip of cloth and tied it around her head to hold the mash he made in place. “That should help.”

“How did you know how to do that?” She didn’t let go.

“I may not be a doctor, but I know my medicine.” He moved her hair aside.

“I never said you tried to poison me,” she whispered. “I know you tried to help.”

The way Porter gazed into Alyssa’s eyes told Julian his shipmate also wanted to get to know her better.

“Let me take a look.” Julian joined them and put his arm around her.

Porter backed up.

Julian curled around her and took Porter’s place. “I think it will heal perfectly, we wouldn’t want anything to mar your beautiful face.”

At his words her cheeks reddened and she let out a little gasp.

“Let me add the final touch.” He leaned forward and in a completely human move, gave her a light peck on Porter’s makeshift bandage.

The blush across her cheeks intensified and he sensed something else, not only her arousal but her confusion. She wanted both of them. His body still responded. If only they were alone he could quench both their needs.

“Is there anything else I can do to help?” Her big eyes looked to his for answers.

“Aside from giving us something to look at?” He grinned.

She giggled. A sweet little chirp. “Seriously.”

“I’m completely serious.” He winked. “What if you gather some of those big leaves I showed you before. They make nice ground covering so we don’t have to sit in the sand.”

“I can do that.” She tiptoed toward the trees, looking back at them twice as she left.

“Why are you sending her into a forest?” Porter pointed in the direction Alyssa took.

“She is walking to a tree. My my, aren’t we a bit protective.” He flinched the second the sentence left his mouth.

“You’ve never had anything to be protective over.” Porter threw his bowl aside. “You just want to get her all defenseless so can have your way with her.”

“Like you don’t.” He stepped forward and seized the opportunity to make Porter see what he missed out on by always denying himself. “It’s nothing to be ashamed of. We’re animals, and we have cycles. Maybe we need to make the choice for her, or are you still not giving into your natural urges.”

“She’s not an animal.” Porter turned away.

“Why don’t you go get some fresh water? The walk will do you good.” He crouched down and began arranging the woodpile.

In a flash, Porter came to his side and grabbed his collar, twisting it in his fist. “For the last time Mr. Politician, I don’t answer to you.”

“You really need to go figure out a way to pound out your frustration yourself.” He chuckled. “Humans do it all the time. At one point they said it grew hair on their palms, but now they’ve decided it’s therapeutic. Maybe that’s the route you need to go.” Hell, if self-pleasure offered him any kind of relief he would be off in the forest as well.

“I will die before I ever answer to you, and I will kill you if you touch her.” Porter shoved him away and stood up. “Make your camp yourself and listen to your own lies. There will never be another Lykos.”

He fought the need to take Porter down, but he needed the medicine man in order to get off the island. “You know nothing.”

“Live in your dreams.” Porter turned and walked in the opposite direction Alyssa took.

“Better than living for a memory.” Rather than continuing his task, once more, he let the pressure loose, shifted, and went for a run, a sorry excuse for a bedmate.

* * * *

Alyssa removed the poultice from her forehead and glanced in the mirror. The wound did indeed seem better, less red for sure. She wrinkled her nose at the rest of the image staring back at her. Julian only called her beautiful to have some fun, and yes, it was fun, but not real. After collecting her leaves she had returned to the ship trying to create some order from all the chaos. The small galley contained scant few supplies, but she collected what she could and tried to take inventory.

She made her way over to the ramp Julian cobbled together to get on and off the ship easily, stopped and looked out at the sea. Endless water.

For the first time in her life she was truly and utterly alone. Her stomach bottomed out. No parent, no job, no friend, no goals, only infinite nothing like the water. She had nowhere to go, no one of her species to turn to, she didn’t even have an island to call home .

Her heartbeat pounded in her ears. All she had to her name was ill-fitting clothes, a suitcase filled with the booty she stole and two shifters who didn’t kill her only because she saved them. She needed to run, run far and fast and get away and she spun back toward the island.

“Are you all right?” From the beach, Julian waved to her. Still in too tight pants from earlier, he must have decided to ditch the shirt. “Come here.”

She managed to get down the ramp without injuring herself further. Instinct or desperation took her right to Julian.

“Hey.” He caught her by the shoulders. “You’re scared, what’s wrong?”

“What?” She shook her head. “How do you know that?”

“I just do, I can sense it.” He smoothed her hair back.

“I was looking at the ocean. It never ends.” She wondered if he would understand.

“There’s nothing frightening there, I promise.” He pulled her in, pressing her head to his chest. “I would not let anything happen to you.”

Her cheek met smooth skin that covered pure muscle. Wolves were covered in fur, but Julian’s chest was hairless at least in his human form, and Porter only boasted a bit of hair.

Porter. She scanned their makeshift campsite. The setting sun cast an orange-grey hue on everything with shards of light shining through the trees but no sign of their third castaway.

He hooked his finger under her chin and tilted her face up. “Better?”

Caught in the way his green eyes seemed to sparkle, she nodded.

“How about we relax on the beach, since there’s nothing more we can do until tomorrow.” He slid his arm down her side until he reached her hand, interlaced their fingers and guided her over to the wood they collected. “Later I’ll make a fire.” He helped her down to the large leaves and sat next to her.

“Where’s Porter?” She continued to stare at him, his chest. Everything.

“Here let me show you something.” He ignored her question and pulled her down until they were lying side by side. “See that.”

Without Julian’s chest to concentrate on, she peered into the blue-grey sky. “It’s the sky.”

“It never ends either, but everyday you sleep under it and never give it a second thought.”

She turned to him and he did the same. Nose to nose she had never been this close to a man of any species alone before.

“Don’t be scared of things that have no end, instead take comfort in them because you know they’ll be there.” He traced her lower lip with his fingertip. “Then you’re never alone.”

“I’m always alone.” Even on her island, or what was once her island, since her father died she’d been alone though she was with people.

“Never again.” He leaned in.

Her breath caught.

Rather than connecting their lips, he moved to her ear. “Porter took a walk to get some water, I think you should go to him.”

“I don’t understand.” Wait, what game was Julian playing? Her chest tightened. No matter the species, males toyed with her.

“I know you don’t.” He gave her ear a kiss and let out a low growl. “Go to him, trust me.”

His kiss and his words created shivers through her whole body, but she found the strength to pull back and stand. A breeze blew and she wrapped her arms around shoulders.

“Alyssa.” He grabbed his shirt, stood and draped it over her. “Walk straight through the trees. He’ll be right there staring at the water.”