Bronto's Revenge: 2 (Barbarian Lust) (11 page)

“Keep it together,” Zypher advised. “We’re too close to fuck
this up now.”

Bronto filled his lungs through a shaky breath and stepped
back into the path. Vulcan was squatted near the opening of the lightened area.
He glanced around the corner then bolted backward and dropped to his ass,
hanging his head.

Bronto’s guts churned. Not once in nine years had he
witnessed Vulcan react so grimly. What the hell was taking place inside that
room?

It took every morsel of strength to avoid bursting inside
and demolishing the place. Trying to mentally prepare himself for the worst, he
stepped over Vulcan and looked in.

Jesus God!

He back-slammed into the wall and inhaled while trying to
compose himself. A slight foot-tap on the ground stole his attention and he
glanced at Zypher. He was moving closer and pointing in the direction of the
room. Bronto nodded then peeked inside again.

Three women lay on what looked like hospital gurneys. Their
gray fur clothing signified they were from the Mountain Slayers tribe. Clear,
thick tubes were inserted into their jugular veins. Blood flowed through the
tubes into buckets on the ground. Fifteen aliens, if not more, hustled around
the room. A mutant wandered aimlessly in a circle.

How many rounds were left in his magazine? Hopefully enough
to shoot every one of the motherfuckers.

Where’s Ivy? Where in the fuck is Ivy!

Again Bronto turned away.

“Psst.” Zypher’s eyes widened and he nudged his chin at the
room, goading him to gather his wits.

If Zypher witnessed what took place in there he’d lose sight
as well.

Another scream rang through his ears.

Ivy’s scream.

His guts exploded. He glanced inside the area, his eyes
frantically darting from wall to wall. Two women lay lifeless on the ground in
a corner. Their abdomens were cut open and their female reproductive organs were
gone. He forlornly shook his head at the decaying corpses.

He swallowed while a feeling of dread consumed him. Three
little creatures were chained to the wall beside the bodies. Creatures that
looked exactly like Birmon. In the opposite corner, one of the two missing
dinosaur babies lay huddled and chirping in fear. The other was bound with
ropes. A small tube was inserted into its stomach, draining its blood.

Vulcan stood behind Bronto and laid a hand on his shoulder.
Bronto quickly reassessed the room. It resembled an experimental lab or
hospital operating room. Heavy equipment lined the back wall—ovens or
incubators or some type of heating devices. Tubes of all thicknesses and
lengths were attached to what looked and sounded like breathing machines. One
clear tube pumped air down the throat of a baby T-Rex where it lay strapped to
a gurney. Apparently it’d perished but the aliens fought to keep it alive using
the artificial means. Broken dinosaur egg shells were stacked in piles
sporadically placed around the vicinity.

What the fuck? He wouldn’t believe it if he hadn’t seen it.

Just then two more species emerged from a dark tunnel,
dragging Ivy. Each had a hold of her arms. Her feet scraped the ground as they
hauled her into the room. She writhed between them but appeared too weak to
actually fight. A trail of blood spread from the crook of her elbow to her
wrist.

Bronto’s heart stopped.

He had to get her out of there now. Right. Fucking. Now.

He nudged Vulcan with his elbow then nodded at Zypher.
Whether they were ready or not, he was going in.

The green sons of bitches had his woman and he wasn’t
leaving until he’d blasted every last one of them to hell.

He raised three fingers and folded them one at a time,
signifying a countdown. When the third finger struck his thumb, he flew into
the room and opened fire. Vulcan was beside him within the span of a breath and
began knocking the aliens off one at a time. Long arms stretched across the
room from all directions in an attempt to steal the weapons but Bronto and Vulcan
blew the species to pieces. Bodies splintered apart and blood and guts sprayed
the air.

The two who held Ivy turned around and raced for the tunnel,
tugging her by the arms. Bronto aimed at the backs of their heads and plugged a
bullet into each of their skulls. Ivy screamed and dropped to the ground,
covering her ears.

When not a single alien stood, the gunfire stopped. Bronto
dashed across the room and lifted Ivy. She wrapped her arms around his neck and
clung so tightly he could barely breathe. Once he had her safely in the tunnel,
Zypher emptied his magazine into the equipment, disabling the machines. The
room filled with dark-gray smoke and sparks fizzled in the air.

Vulcan quickly released the women on the gurneys and carried
them one at a time into the large area just inside the mouth of the cave, where
he laid them down, then he ran back into the room. By the grayish color of
their skin Bronto knew all three females had passed but Vulcan hadn’t realized
it until he’d returned with the animals.

“Damn it,” Vulcan blurted. “Ten minutes sooner, we could’ve
saved them.”

The animals waddled behind Bronto as he fled outside,
holding Ivy tighter than he’d ever held anything in his life. She trembled and
jerked occasionally, the only signs proving she was alive.

Vulcan appeared, carrying the baby dinosaur. He laid it down
in the grass and carefully removed the bindings and the tube from its stomach.
Barely any blood seeped from the wound but he applied pressure anyway. As
Zypher emerged minutes later shaking his head, the dinosaur rolled to its feet
and waddled to its sibling.

“Wow,” Zypher said aghast. “Wow,” he repeated and dropped to
his knees. “We’ve destroyed the lab and obliterated the aliens. There will be
no dinosaur shifters created on our time. Our job is complete. It’s time to
board the shuttle and go home.”

“Don’t get too confident,” Vulcan responded. “We don’t know
if there are any more.”

“Great,” Zypher said, shaking his head. “What should we do
with the deceased women?”

Vulcan looked toward the cave. “Leave them for their tribe
to discover. They’re entitled to a proper death ceremony.”

“What if the Flesh Eaters find them first? They’ll leave
nothing but bones.”

“Zypher, we can’t worry about that. If we bury the females
we may be defying the Mountain Slayers’ customs. Nature will take its course.”

“Caw. Caw.” Birmon’s mom descended from the cave and landed
near the pond. Her three babies squawked and waddled toward her as she stood,
proudly spreading her huge wings. When they reached her talons they lay down
and huddled together.

The little dinosaurs also inched toward her and settled near
her claws, sniffing the babies.

Boom-boom
.

“Rrrrraaaaggghhh.”

Zypher jumped to his feet, aiming his rifle at the sky. “Are
you fucking kidding me?”

“Get in the cave,” Vulcan hollered.

The horses whinnied. The sound of their tethers snapping
filled the air. Then they fled into the meadow, their hooves stomping the
ground and fading in the distance.

Ivy stiffened in Bronto’s arms and squeezed his neck. She
was either in shock or too weak to scream.

“I’m out of ammo,” Zypher shouted, trying to sway the
animals away from Birmon’s mom to guide them into the cave.

No sooner had Bronto carried Ivy inside than a T-Rex stomped
through the shallow span of forest, knocking down trees. Its thick, muscular
legs passed by the cave and stopped. Birmon’s mom took flight high above its
head but the sound of her swooping wings remained in the immediate area.

The T-Rex spun, its clawed feet now facing the cave. Bronto
moved backward until his back hit against the rock wall. Sharp edges scraped
his skin but he stayed planted. If he backed up any farther they’d end up in
the tunnel. Too much smoke had filtered in it from the alien lab. If he walked
down there now they’d pass out from smoke inhalation.

“Give me your rifle,” Zypher said as he crossed the stone
floor. “Vulcan’s out there alone.”

Just then the tyrannosaur stuck its head inside the cave,
snapping it jaws. The damn thing was nearly as tall and wide as the opening. It
stopped and sniffed, its nostrils pointing at the deceased women, but its body
was too huge to burst inside. Though if it wanted to, and Bronto hoped to hell
that wasn’t the case, it had enough strength to break through the rock.

A shot rang from Vulcan’s Barrett.

“Rrrrraaaaggghhh.”The T-Rex roared, swinging its
head side to side as it withdrew from the cave.

Another blast echoed. A loud boom followed. The monster
dropped, shooting tremors along the ground that reached Bronto’s feet.

Zypher removed Bronto’s rifle from his shoulder, maneuvering
it carefully down Bronto’s arm beneath Ivy’s back. “Let’s go before we
encounter any more trouble,” Zypher said, heading outside.

The dead T-Rex lay on its side, partially blocking the
entrance. A small path remained open between its back and the outer wall of the
cave.

Bronto walked cautiously around it then jogged to the outer
edge of conifers. “I can get us home from here,” he said, stepping between the
trees. “Ivy and I made it on foot once before. Let’s hit it.”

Ivy hiccupped. The annoying burps started during her first
cup of silly elixir. The smooth-tasting liquid at least soothed her nerves. For
the first time in six days following her abduction by the aliens, she was
relaxed and content.

She glanced at her forearm and ran her fingers across the
bruise they’d caused when they shoved a tube under her skin. The puncture mark
had healed but Bronto said that was because of Birmon. She hadn’t known. As a
matter of fact she couldn’t remember anything that day after the gunfire.
Bronto said she was so weak when he carried her to his hut and laid her down,
she’d slept for two days. If she hadn’t yanked the tube from her arm when she’d
tried escaping the species she’d be sleeping permanently.

“Are you all right, Ivy?” Bronto asked.

“Yes.” Rather than turn around and face him where he lay on
his side propped on his arm, she shivered at the remembrance of the torture the
aliens instilled. The pain in their brutal grips while dragging her to the cave
hadn’t compared to the pain when they’d jabbed the tube into her arm and dug
around for a vein. The weakness she endured because of the amount of blood
she’d lost prior to her attempt to flee aided in her recapture. She’d actually
made it to the cave entrance before they wound their arms around her and pulled
her back inside. She’d been so close to dying she’d rather not think about that
day anymore.

She tightened the fur around her shoulders and sipped the
elixir. Her insides were warm and tingly but she didn’t like the fuzzy feeling
in her head. She set the cup down and curled onto her side on her new bed in
the corner.

Earlier she’d bathed and doused herself with Jade’s lotion.
The flowery scent uplifted her mood somewhat. A very little, actually. During
the past four days she’d barely stepped foot from Bronto’s hut. Not that she
hadn’t wanted to but she was too leery to walk outdoors. Everyone acted
exceptionally nice the few times that she had. She didn’t say much because she
was too busy focusing on the wilderness and eyeing the forest, looking for
things possibly hiding in the trees. She’d even moved to the corner of the hut
away from the ventilation hole. That was where her fears started. In Vulcan’s
hut where springy arms reached inside and wrapped around her like snakes and
pulled her through the roof.

She squeezed her eyes shut and forced her thoughts
elsewhere. To Wisty. To her momma. To Bronto.

She sighed heavily and smiled at the visual of his image
when all she had to do was roll over and open her eyes. He was only an arm’s
length away.

Again she sighed. He hadn’t done anything wrong, so she had
no clue why she’d turned her back on him during the past few days. He’d been
nothing but tender and he hadn’t left her side but she couldn’t look him
directly in the eyes. She tried but the amount of concern or pity displayed in
his gaze forced her to shy away.

Maybe it was because she no longer felt attractive—tainted
in a manner of sorts by the aliens. They hadn’t assaulted her intimately but
they’d pressed on her tummy with their gnarly fingers and carved a deep cut
into her skin between her hipbones with their claws. They’d done the exact
thing to the other women prior to removing their female organs. That was when
she nearly became delirious from fear, broke free, ripped out the tube and ran.

Bronto had yet to see that mark. She’d done her best to hide
it when she stripped to bathe. It’d grown red and puffy but only hurt when she
touched it.

Chills rippled down her spine and she coughed at the first
indication she was about to cry.

She didn’t want sympathy or special attention. Gosh, she’d
received enough of that lately. What had happened to her could’ve happened to
anyone. She didn’t want to be treated any differently than the other tribal
women. She just wanted to sit back and nurture her own wounds in her own way.

She swallowed and batted tears from her eyes. She’d not let
thoughts of the aliens completely destroy her. They might have stolen her
dignity. She’d not allow them to steal the remains of her emotional strength.
She already felt grotesque and poisoned from their contact. How could Bronto
want her after the ordeal? Or did her tears signify guilt because she’d
survived when the other females perished from their injuries? “Bronto?”

She sensed him moving closer. Then he hovered above her,
cupping his hand gently over her shoulder. “I’m right here, love.”

Compassion saturated his actions and tone and she mentally
collapsed. She’d selfishly avoided him too long and suffered needlessly without
his touch or strength because of pure stubbornness. “Can you hold me?”

The instant he snuggled protectively behind her and tucked
his arm around her waist she rolled over into his embrace, facing his chest.
The swift movement tugged on her belly wound but other than causing an annoying
ache, it barely hurt.

His scent reached her nose and she inhaled, savoring it.
Between the masculine smell of evergreens mixed with spices and his body warmth
she was content for the first time in days. The power surrounding her brought
forth thoughts of the possessive cave lion and its instinct to protect.

“I’m-I’m sorry,” she stuttered, her voice a hoarse whisper.

“You have no need to apologize,” he replied, kissing the
crown of her head. “You didn’t do anything wrong.”

“I’ve treated you so badly.”

“You needed time to come to terms with what happened.”

She snuggled her face against his heartbeat. “But it wasn’t
your fault. I shouldn’t have taken it out on you.”

“It’s human nature, Ivy.”

“You’re the most patient man I’ve ever met. Thank you.”

“For what?”

“For not giving up on me.”

His arms tightened and he pressed his lips into her hair.
“That’ll never happen, I’m afraid,” he said, his voice whisper-soft.

The soothing thump-thump of his heart lulled her to sleep,
where the nightmares from prior nights turned into peaceful dreams.

She woke a short time later cuddled on his lap. He was
leaning against the wall, a newly placed beam supporting his back. His hands
were wrapped around her and clasped together at her waist. His labored breaths
fluttered through her hair during each languid exhale.

She rubbed her face against his bare skin and flattened her
palm on his chest. Even asleep his muscles protruded as if flexed. She traced
the contours with her fingertips then inched them upward to his neck. She’d
desperately missed this. Touching him. Consuming him with her eyes. Having
neglected the craving she’d acquired for him so deeply made it painful to
breathe.

Carefully so as not to wake him, she shifted, giving herself
the ability to see his face. His features were relaxed and lips slightly
parted. She outlined them with her finger then sat up and pressed her mouth
against them. His eyes opened but he didn’t move as his gaze intensified,
locking on hers.

Inhaling through her nostrils, she placed her hands on his
cheeks then slid them into the hair above his ears. He said nothing but he
didn’t need to. His expression displayed so much emotion her heart fluttered.
“Make love to me, Bronto. I need you.”

Holding him wasn’t enough. She wanted him buried deep inside
where their souls fused into one. She needed it now to become a part of his
existence. The pain of separation hurt too much to survive.

She reached between them, unhooked and unwrapped his
loincloth, brushing the outside of her palm against his erection. She rose to
her knees, raising the frock to the top of her thighs. After she straddled his
lap she fisted his penis and guided the tip inside her vagina.

Despite a raspy intake of air he didn’t blink or move or try
to stop her. His arousal indicated he wanted, no, needed it as much as she did.
Her body was as wet as his was hard, eagerly waiting to accept him.

As she started to glide down the long shaft he inhaled
sharply. She moaned while her inner walls expanded, welcoming the penetration.
She nipped his lips. Lightly at first but the farther his cock sank, the more
pressure she added. By the time he completely filled her, her tongue was
slinking in and out of his mouth. It took unimaginable power to hold her eyes
open but his gaze entranced her, lending strength.

The warm, snug sensation inside her grew incredibly intense
but she refused to move. She wanted to stay like this. Forever. Until she took
her last, dying breath.

He rested his hands on her hips but neither did he attempt
to move. She couldn’t imagine what he must feel with her vagina conformed and
contracting his rigid cock. The pulsations were immense and tingly pressure
began to build in her chest. She broke the kiss to rest her forehead against
his. “I can’t take much more like this,” she panted.

Supporting her neck and back, he, as if she were fragile and
breakable, laid her on the fur. His cock hadn’t moved. In fact the penetration
deepened while he settled on top of her, between her thighs.

Resting his arms on the outside of her shoulders, he propped
himself up on his elbows and began a slow caress on the skin beneath her lower
lashes with his thumbs. The pressure caused by the slight contact between their
bodies hurt her tummy but she hid the symptoms.

“Ivy?”

“Yes?”

“I love you,” he professed.

Tears immediately filled her eyes. Gosh, she was such an
emotional wreck lately. But they weren’t tears of fear or sorrow. They were
tears of happiness. Not once had she ever wept from joy. Her life consisted of
survival and turmoil. Really, nothing significant or memorable happened that
she cared to remember.

She placed her palms on his cheeks. “I love you too,
Bronto.”

His erection seemed to grow, stretching her farther open.
She subtly gasped. Having her heart and insides overflowing with Bronto touched
her in unimaginable ways. She had no idea it was possible to feel so strongly
about a man. Many of the women in her clan were involved in forced
relationships for breeding. The poor souls would never experience what she did
now, and that was so very sad.

Ivy inhaled as Bronto lowered his lips to hers. The
tenderness in the kiss warmed her belly. It was more of a compassionate pat of
his mouth, like that of a mother kissing a child’s wound. The undertone was
more nurturing than passionate. Hopefully he didn’t feel as if must treat her
as such. He needn’t be overly gentle. She wouldn’t break.

“Move inside me,” she whispered.

Not even his kiss compared to the caring manner in which he
began thrusting his penis forward and back. He hadn’t even practiced this much
caution when he’d made love to her the first time. She wasn’t complaining
because the long, lengthy stokes prolonged the tingly sensations building in
her tummy. No words could describe the feelings slithering through her body.
“Faster.”

“I don’t want to hurt you, love,” he said in between subtle
nibbles to her lower lip.

“You won’t. I promise.”

Even so, he continued bestowing the same slow in-and-out
rhythm into her vagina. Prickles evolved at the base of her spine, branching to
different areas. Pressure continued building in her belly and chest. During
each forward glide of his penis the force intensified, creating a sluggish
burn.

Everything moved in slow motion. The pressure. The manner in
which it increased. His lips patting her mouth. His hips. Especially his hips
as they worked his cock in and out. “Bron…to.” She even spoke languidly.

“I’m here,” he breathed against her lips, withdrawing his
penis until only the tip remained inside before he began to lazily insert it
again.

Tremors wavered through her shoulders, and oh gosh, the
tingly pressure burst in her chest. Her belly twitched and vaginal walls
constricted, pulling him deeper and deeper. He groaned. Rather than pump her
insides during the internal contractions, he moved deep and circled his hips
around and around.

She gasped as the tip of his cock wedged against a mass of
nerves. Sparkly lights danced through her mind. Her back arched. She wrapped
her arms around his shoulders and held him tightly.

“I love you, Ivy,” he crooned into her ear then paused to
nibble her neck. “I love you.”

His voice was a distant melody and his words were the
lyrics. She’d never tire of hearing them.

A low grunt escaped from his throat. His hips jerked. Then
his hot seed erupted inside her.

For a long while he lay holding her. She wasn’t sure exactly
how long but she heard typical nightly sounds starting to occur outside the
hut. Crickets chirping. Wolves howling. It’d be really nice to stand in the
meadow and listen to the calming hum of the dinosaurs talking. During the past
few days she’d noticed many things she hadn’t before. But she became attuned to
things she once considered unimportant.

She no longer took life for granted. It was a hard lesson
but anything could happen. She thought she’d always be secure and protected
when with Bronto but the aliens proved that wasn’t so. They’d abducted her
while he was right outside the door. They hadn’t appeared since that day but
Vulcan said it didn’t mean they’d all perished. He told the people to remain on
guard and always watch their backs.

Bronto rolled off her onto his side and partially rose on
his hip. He reached for her frock, presumably to pull it down. “Dear God, Ivy,”
he said aghast but he retracted his hand and whipped upright, staring at her
tummy. “What did they do to you?”

She gulped. How could she be so careless? She’d done her
best trying to keep the wound hidden. Why’d she slip up now? “It’s just a
scratch,” she said while trying to adjust the cloth but he grabbed her hand and
squeezed.

“It’s not just a scratch.” He lifted her fingers to his lips
and kissed the back sides. “It’s infected.”