Vulcan's Woman (12 page)

Without a thought of humiliation or shame or dread, she took
over the motion of her finger and rubbed herself hard and fast. So fast he
retracted his hand. But she felt his eyes boring into her. There. Right there.
Into her most intimate place.

The thrill was beyond words. So were his periodic groans and
the magical feelings brought on by touching herself. Her finger was drenched
and slippery and she took things a step further and shoved it into her vagina.

“Jesus, Wisteria,” Vulcan growled, fumbling with his
loincloth. “Save some for me, sweetheart.” He sat her up, stood then tossed the
cloth aside before he retrieved a condom from the box near their bed by the
fire. He rolled the condom over his cock, stroking his hand up and down the
long shaft, teasing her as he sat down on the fur. “Come here,” he commanded.

She tried gaining composure as the visual of him touching
himself surpassed the effect of touching herself. Slowly she climbed to her
feet and strode across the hut. She straddled his legs and sat down on his
thighs, gripping his face in her hands. “Rut me, Vulcan,” she begged in an
unfamiliar voice. “Like a Barbarian.”

She lowered her lips and devoured his mouth. Desperate to
satisfy her hunger, she rubbed and circled her tongue around his, inserting it
deeper and deeper toward the back of his throat.

He lifted her by the hips, situated his cock head at the
opening of her vagina then shoved her downward, embedding the entire length
inside her body.

“Ahh,” she whimpered, tossing her head back, exposing her
neck, which he took the liberty to nibble. The depth in that position filled
her beyond any expectations. It was exactly what she needed to appease the craving.

“Ride me,” he growled.

“How?” she squealed.

He grabbed her hips and raised her up then slammed her down,
shoving his cock deep. Over and over her bottom slapped his thighs. When she’d
ridden him without the help of his hands, he slipped his fingers between their
bodies and rubbed her clitoris. Not too lightly. Not too hard. Firmly with
pressure and an occasional pinch. In her state she didn’t need more arousal.
She needed to burst. Right. Now.

The pressure fizzing through her blood became unbearable. It
branched beyond her chest, and her entire body felt ready to explode.

“Vulcan, do something,” she whimpered, ramming her hips
downward and mashing her rear end into his legs. “Please,” she begged, “please
release the Barbarian. I…I…can’t―”

“Now,” he blared, pressing his thumb into her clitoris right
before he flipped her onto her back and pumped into her so fast and hard her
body jerked up and down. “Let go now,” he ordered as he placed his hands on the
sides of her head and devoured her mouth.

Her belly twitched. Her heart lurched. Then all at once her
insides burst into teeny fractions of light. She shattered and unwound. And
lowered her face to his neck and bit his shoulder hard.

“Squeeze my cock,” he grimaced through clenched teeth,
fisting her hair. “Do it.”

She did, holding the constriction as long and as tightly as possible.
His shoulders stiffened. His back turned into a mass of rock-hard muscle. And
while she locked her ankles around his waist, deepening the penetration, he
pounded her insides.

The banging triggered another internal explosion. Her tummy
tightened then jerked. Her insides constricted, pulling his cock impossibly
deeper. Within the bright, colorful blast, while holding the back of his head
and pressing teeth into his flesh, she realized how much he meant to her and
how much she needed him. She wanted to grow old with this man. Without him her
life held no meaning.

He groaned and again devoured her mouth, their chests
pressing together, his hot cock pulsing.

Drained of strength and nearly weeping, she relaxed,
concentrating on the sensation as his penis turned limp inside her. Even
completely flaccid it was still large and she felt every slight twitch.

She held him, listening to his puffs of breaths and waiting
until the pace of his rapid heartbeat thumping against her breasts returned to
normal.

Hesitantly she sat up, gazing into his eyes, and she began
caressing his cheek with her palm. For a long time she studied him, tracing his
masculine facial features with her fingertips. She could never, ever imagine
her mother and father acting this way, though it explained why they had twelve
children.

She inwardly groaned. It was not the time to think of her
parents.

“Vulcan, where did all of these things come from? Barbarians
have unique weapons, but they don’t possess razors and bottles of lotion. Who
are you?”

He rolled her bottom lip with his thumb and smiled. “Are you
sure you’re ready to hear the truth?”

“Yes.”

“Get dressed.”

She slid off his lap and walked to the waterhole, not giving
her nakedness a thought. After she submerged a small leather cloth in the water
pool she cleaned herself then stepped into her garments.

Her tummy filled with warmth while watching Vulcan tug on
and fasten his loincloth. She’d never tire of looking at his body or his
fingers while he touched himself, regardless of how innocent.

“Ready?” he asked, his lids narrowed as he backed to the
doorway and opened the flap.

Wisteria latched on to his outstretched hand and followed
him outside, staring at his masculine shoulders.

He stopped just past the hut. She nearly bumped into him but
she laid her fingers on his arm to avoid the collision. His muscles hardened
beneath her touch and they flexed when he reached forward to light a torch.

He tilted his head and smiled. “Sorry, sweetheart.”

“It’s my fault. I wasn’t paying attention.”

She sighed in a breath of contentment when he squeezed her
hand and led her into the forest a great distance from the huts. The thick
pines swallowed them but he skillfully maneuvered the flame around the
branches. She paid closer attention to his body than the torch, her insides
kindling as hot as the fire. When they reached a small clearing she peeled her
eyes off his body and watched as he squatted near a stick wrapped with a cloth.

Vulcan sensed Wisteria’s eyes on his back as he located the
door and yanked it open by the handle. She gasped when the hinges creaked and
he flipped the wooden lid over, laying it on the ground.

He walked down the first three steps and turned, offering
his hand. “Be careful. You have to walk down a flight of stairs.”

“Stairs?” She tried glancing inside the opening.

He maneuvered the torchlight to shine directly upon the
first step. “Lower one foot at a time to the board.”

She lowered her right then quickly retracted it.

“I’ve got you, sweetheart. I won’t let you fall.” He took
hold of her ankle and guided it to the step. “There you go. Now lower your
other foot.”

He guided her down all ten steps until she stood on solid
ground. She gawked at the ten-by-ten enclosure as he lit additional torches on
the walls. The space illuminated in a soft glow. Discovery of the unknown must
have frightened her because she grabbed hold of his forearm and wouldn’t let
go.

After he lit the final torch above the computer table she
stood with her mouth open, marveling at all the equipment.

“Where are we? What is all of this stuff?”

“We’re in our underground weapons shelter.” He pointed to a
metal shelf loaded with artillery, ammunition and a multitude of large and
small boxes filled with numerous supplies. “Those are guns and boxes of
bullets. They can be used to hunt, like spears and knives, amongst other
things.” He pulled the chair away from the table. “Sit down and I’ll show you
the computer.”

“Where did it come from? We don’t have the proper materials
to make those types of weapons.”

“We brought them with us.”

She glanced at him as he guided her onto the chair. “We?”

“My unit. Do you remember when I told you there are numerous
planets in the sky?”

She nodded, studying his eyes closely.

“Well, Tyran, Zephyr, Trice, Bronto, Jade, Ruby, Pearl and I
came here from planet Earth. There were two other gentlemen but they perished
during an attack on our tribe.” He squatted beside her and rested his hand on
her thigh. “We were sent here on a mission by our government.”

She looked overhead then glanced at Vulcan. “That’s a long
drop.”

“We didn’t drop from the sky, sweetheart. We arrived in a
shuttle.”

Her brows scrunched.

“It’s hidden miles and miles from here.”

“What’s a government?”

He smiled. “A group of leaders. They make rules for my
country that the people have to abide by.”

“Like your chieftain position in the Barbarian tribe?”

“Exactly.”

She made a quick visual sweep of the shelter. “And your
mission?”

This was the part he regretted. The disclosure of the
assignment as he’d known it, along with the inevitable ending. He didn’t want
her suspecting he’d used her for research purposes. She was so much more than
textbook material. Actually he didn’t look at her any differently, nor compare
her to his American people in any way. He enjoyed teaching her words from his
vocabulary and introducing her to objects from modern-day Earth. Never would he
use her as an example. Ever. “We were sent to document the lifestyles of the
people here.”

Her jaw dropped and eyes widened. “You’re going to tell them
everything we’ve done?”

“No. What happened between you and me is personal.” He slid
his finger along the bridge of her nose and smiled. “Things like what foods you
eat, what type of clothes you wear, how the clans and tribes interact with each
other. It’s all generalized information they’re seeking.”

“Then what?”

“We gather what information we can then we hand it to the
government when we return to Earth.”

Her eyes broadened and she dug her nails into his arm.
“You’re leaving?”

“Eventually, but not right away. Not until they give us
clearance. So far, I suspect we haven’t obtained the exact information they’re
looking for.”

She lowered her gaze to the ground and spun sideways in the
chair, shunning him with her shoulder. “Can we return to your hut now? I’d like
to lie down. I don’t feel very well.”

“Chieftain!”

Vulcan jumped off the ground, wrapping a hide around his
hips, then bolted to the doorway. “What is it, Trice?” he asked, tossing the
flap aside.

“Bronto’s group just returned from their hunt, sir. They’ve
located something near the mountains they want you to see.”

Vulcan stole a glance at Wisteria, where she remained lying
near the fire. Unsure whether or not she was still asleep, he stepped outside.
“What did they find?”

“Eggs, sir.”

“Eggs,” Vulcan repeated, trying not to grin. Unfortunately
he failed. Chuckling, he ran a stiff hand through his hair. “You honestly
disturbed me for this?”

“He said they’re huge. He has no doubt what laid them is
what caused the quakes.”

Damn, he was serious about this. Vulcan instantly sobered.
“How huge?”

Trice lowered his hand and sized up the distance between his
palm and the ground. “Bronto said they’re about two feet in diameter. And I
must say they’ve unnerved him.”

“I can understand why. Tell him to stay mounted while I gear
up. Also, find Tyran. Tell him he’s joining us. Make sure he grabs his camera.”

After Trice jogged toward the group of men, Vulcan entered
his hut. When done dressing in his furs he slipped his feet into a pair of
leather boots, retrieved the bison headpiece then glanced at Wisteria. He
didn’t want to leave her so soon after having made love but his responsibility
to the tribe trumped all emotions.

Utilizing their most important rule—never leave the camp
unarmed—he sheathed a dagger in a shoulder harness then sauntered across the
hut and knelt beside his woman. Yes, his woman. He’d claimed her…branded her
skin with his lips…caressed her insides with his cock…marked her in ways only a
man understood.

Although she stirred and rolled onto her back she appeared
to be still asleep. He placed his lips to her ear anyway to speak to her
through her dreams. “I’ll be back soon,” he whispered softly so as not to
startle her. “Don’t go to the lake, Wisteria. Stay in my camp where you’ll be
safe.”

Her eyes fluttered open. “Where are you going?” she asked,
her gaze a groggy image of her voice.

“My men have discovered something they want me to see.
Promise me you won’t wander anyplace alone.”

She covered herself with a hide and sat upright on a hip,
placing her hands on the ground to support the position. “How long will you be
gone?”

The long trek to the mountains would take at least three
hours and with the current time nearing noon, he estimated his arrival home
around dinner. Gazing adoringly into her eyes, he brushed strands of hair from
her cheek and tucked them behind her ear. “I’ll return before dusk. Jade will
make sure you have everything you need. Promise me you’ll be waiting.”

She studied him as if she had numerous things to say. “I
promise.”

“Stay away from the lake until I return. If you need to
utilize the woods, take a female with you. I don’t want you to venture anywhere
alone.”

Subtly she nodded. He kissed her, allowing his lips to
linger for a long moment before he laid her down and tucked the fur around her
shoulders. “Make sure you eat something.” He winked. “You’re going to need
strength later.”

When she smiled, her cheeks blushed and eyes sparkled. If he
didn’t set his ass in motion and get out of there right now, he’d strip naked
and crawl beside her beneath the furs.

He stood and walked backward to the doorway, where he
stalled and stole a final glance. Before donning the headpiece he blew her a
kiss, pushed the flap aside and exited the hut.

Trice stood beside Bronto, talking and gesturing toward the
meadow with his hands. Tyran had mounted his horse and was galloping toward the
group. The additional six men sat directly behind them near the outskirts of
camp, each heavily armed with bows, arrows and knives. Zypher was the
exception, carrying an M-16 slung over his shoulder.

“Trice, increase security around the perimeter of the
children’s camp. If you encounter any more mutants, secure the kids and the
women in the underground shelters. I want you, Grunt and a few others to stay
here. If you sense a threat, secure these women as well, but put them in the
weapons shelter.”

“Yes sir.”

Bronto steered his horse around. “You’re not going to
believe this, Chieftain.”

“So I’ve heard.” Vulcan unleashed his horse and mounted its
back. “Come, we’ve got a long journey ahead.”

Bronto nodded slightly and commanded his horse into a trot.
“I think they’re dinosaur eggs,” he said under his breath then rushed forward.

Dinosaur eggs?
They’d been on Helixis for two years
and hadn’t seen any evidence of dinosaurs to date. How in the hell had they
gotten there? He didn’t want to fuck around with any damn dinosaurs. “Let’s
hope not,” Vulcan shouted. “We thought the alien species caused problems. I
can’t even imagine.”

Bronto slowed his horse, waiting for Vulcan to catch up.
“With the alien species resembling a triceratops, there may be some relation.”

“Yeah, but what?” Vulcan asked. Theoretically he couldn’t
generate a response to his own damn question. Many undiscovered planets
lingered in space. Who was to say they didn’t have their own life forms or
species that traveled from one world to the next? He could only explain what
they’d seen, not why.

“I suspect the government knows about the mammals,” Bronto
said. “It appears they’ve assigned our names in conjunction to dinosaur types.”

“That should’ve been our first clue,” Vulcan mumbled.

At least he and Bronto were on the same page.

They’d encountered a multitude of oddities. A two-headed snake.
Birmon. He certainly was an odd-looking varmint but he was no dinosaur by any
means. Hell, maybe he was. Who knew what type of wildlife survived in this day
and age? Just because it wasn’t documented didn’t mean it hadn’t existed.

Vulcan rode side by side near Bronto through the meadow to a
stretch of miles-long rocky terrain. Finally the forest along the foot of the
mountains fell into view. When the tribe neared the trees, Bronto raised his
arm, stopping the men. After he dismounted he handed his reins to Grunt and
waved, gesturing for Vulcan and Tyran to follow.

They didn’t need to venture deep into the forest to see at
least five large, gray eggs on the other side.
Damn
.
They were
also speckled and a hell of a lot bigger than two feet in diameter.

“Holy shit,” Tyran exclaimed under his breath, followed by a
click of his camera. “The commander was right.”

Vulcan made a mental note of that comment and crept quietly
through the trees with both men at his heels. They exchanged glances of
caution, one spurring the other on until they reached the end of the wooded
shelter, as they were now in the Mountain Slayers’ domain.

Vulcan stood near a mangled, hollowed tree trunk, staring at
the large objects. Each was masked in an orange hue. He shook his head in disbelief
as he drew near the cluster of eggs and squatted, where he found a broken shell
and numerous pieces trailing toward the mountains. Tyran duckwalked to the
opposite side, snapping photos.

“Unbelievable,” Tyran whisper-shouted.

The outside egg sitting directly in the sun’s rays appeared
somewhat transparent. Vulcan studied it from all angles and damned if he didn’t
see a tail. Or what resembled a tail. He laid his hand on the illuminated
section and placed his ear on the shell. It was warm to the touch and it
slightly wiggled. He backed off and rose to his feet. “I don’t know what’s in
there, but it’s moving around.”

Tyran snapped another round of photos. “I need to dissect
one of these,” he said.

“It appears someone else had the same idea. Look,” Vulcan
stated, pointing toward the trail of jagged shells. “There aren’t any
footprints, so whatever was inside that egg didn’t walk off on its own.”

Tyran moved toward a large piece of the broken shell and
observed it closely. “Too bad I don’t have the means to transport at least one
egg to my lab. Damn it. I should’ve thought about that before we headed out.”

“Stealing from the litter is not an option,” Vulcan stated.
“I’m sure its mother would hunt down any missing eggs.”

“DNA samples are required to complete my analysis.” Tyran ran
his finger along the shell, lifting a clear string of slime that he rubbed
between his fingertips. “It’s possible this may be all I need. I’ll take a sample
with us. If it’s not enough, we’ll need to return for an intact egg. I know you
don’t agree, Vulcan, but it’s very important.”

Bronto stepped forward and cupped Vulcan’s shoulder. “What
type of eggs do you presume they are? Barbarian or not, I’d rather not become
acquainted with the animal who laid them. Nor do I want to be present when they
hatch. I imagine a baby T-Rex can be as lethal as a full-grown Tyrannosaurus.”

“I don’t know. Maybe a Brachiosaurus,” Vulcan said.
Listen
to me talking dinosaur like I’m an expert.

“Possibly,” Tyran interjected. “They could belong to one of
many sauropods.”

Bronto’s brows rose. “Sauropods?”

“The largest animals that have ever lived. You’re right
about one thing, they are definitely dinosaur eggs, but I’m conflicted about
their size,” Tyran confirmed while he pulled a pencil and measuring tape from a
leather satchel and placed the end on the highest point of the largest egg. “I
suspect the quakes we’ve experienced lately were caused by them moving into the
area.”

“Those were some bad-ass footsteps,” Bronto said then burst
into laughter.

Tyran glared at him over the tip of his nose. “You think it’s
funny? I’m talking about a hundred-and-twenty-foot-long creature that weighs
nearly seventy tons. You don’t think the ground would rumble under its feet?”

Bronto instantly sobered. “Well, putting it that way, it
gives me a new perspective.”

Tyran nudged his chin toward the egg. “Hold this in place.”

After Bronto placed his finger on the edge of the tape,
Tyran marked it with the pencil then ran the tape along the side of the shell.
He marked the ending then restarted measuring from that point. “Three and a
half feet,” he relayed in disbelief. “They may even be from a dino breed
unknown to man.”

Vulcan crossed his arms. “Sounds as though you’ve
anticipated their discovery, Tyran.”

“Honestly, I have. I had hoped to find them congruently to
our arrival on Helixis though. They’ve always inhabited this planet, but until
now they’ve resided on the southern hemisphere.”

Vulcan shook his head dismally, turned and headed back
toward the trees.

“What should we do with them?” Bronto asked.

“Nothing,” Vulcan replied over his shoulder.

Absolutely nothing
.
He refused to put his unit
and everyone else on the planet in danger of a pissed-off mother dinosaur or
whatever the hell had laid them. The mammoth creatures hadn’t caused any
problems so far. Why stir trouble now?

Sections of sparkling rocks embedded in the path caught his
attention. They consisted of various colors and sizes that Wisteria could use
for her jewelry craft. He unsheathed his knife, bent down and carefully dug
them from the dirt, dropping a handful into his holster.

“Shall we destroy them?” Bronto asked.

Vulcan stood and spun around. “Hell no.” He couldn’t imagine
witnessing the wrath of the momma. “Do you have a death wish?”

“If we demolish them, there will be five fewer dinosaurs
we’ll have to deal with later,” Bronto replied.

“And I’d rather deal with them than their mother. Leave them
alone. Let’s go.” Those eggs had already been there…how long? If in fact they
were dinosaur eggs, what was the incubation period? Months? Years?

“Tyran, we’ll contact Sumner upon our return. From your
earlier comment, I assume he’s already aware of these animals.” He mounted his
horse and raced home. The last time he’d talked to Sumner, Sumner had adamantly
denied any knowledge of the chameleon species during the prior invasion and had
commanded Vulcan to handle the situation as needed. Unfortunately the need
required a keen eye, an abundance of ammunition and an accurate shot. Tyran
discovered that attaching a magnifying glass to the night-vision goggles made
it possible to detect the species after they’d conformed to the color of the
environment. Sadly Vulcan lost two Americans and eleven primitive men before
Tyran made that discovery. Afterward he’d sat perched high in the trees,
navigating the tribe toward the camouflaged predators until they were finally
knocked off one at a time.

But dinosaurs?

Damn, his head hurt, and the pounding of stampeding horses’
hooves didn’t help matters.

* * * * *

Sledge dropped to the ground behind a group of bushes when
Ivy stopped and cautiously looked over her shoulder. He thought the twig that
had snapped under his foot would alert her. He was right.

For the past two days he’d followed her when she’d wandered
from home. He hoped she wasn’t searching for Boar and Dahlia, but searched for
someone more important, preferably the woman destined to be his mate. Since Ivy
headed in a different direction this time and ventured toward the Barbarian
camp, this could be what he’d waited for.

It was time to take Wisteria home.

And knock off the beast that’d stolen her. A band of Flesh
Eaters were hidden not too far behind, waiting to cannibalize the Barbarian
leader to the bone. In Sledge’s world revenge came at a high price.

He couldn’t wait to taste Wisteria’s flesh. That was if the
Barbarians hadn’t already rutted and gutted her like an animal.

Rutting her was his job. He’d waited a long time to plow
into her woman’s tunnel. Way too long. He wanted to hear her scream until she
begged him to stop.