Dark Side Of The Moon (BBW Paranormal Were-Bear Shifter Sci-Fi Romance) (10 page)

“The
job where you...rode something... you were a messenger. We have those. They are
very important. It is a great honor to be given that task on my Planet.” He
looked at her sharply, something passing over his expression. But he seemed
satisfied with his assessment.

“You
happened to pick the place where I was delivering a package to take your women.”
She shifted to look at him, surprised to find he was still holding her hand.

Taso
met her gaze. “I’m glad they chose that place when I saw you.” He shrugged,
worrying her knuckles with his thumb. “They went to the same city they always
do, but this time, I found what I’ve been looking for.”

“So
they always went to New York?”

“What?”

“The
city. It’s called New York. In the state of the same name. The country is the
United States.” That whole explanation seemed overly complex. “Do you have
cities and states and countries?”

“We
have cities, yes. And each Clan has territories, some more than others.” His
brows drew together. “That is the crux of the battles, the endless wars that
plague us. Clans fight, bears against tigers against lions. Wolves against
everyone. Alliances form, break, form again. You find the friend that is fighting
with you in one battle, becomes your enemy across the lines in the next. It
tears my world apart. It tears me apart.”

“But
you fight, you said you did.”

He
straightened. “I fight only when I am attacked. I no longer fight just because
there is someone on the other side of a river or a mountain, or because they
are a different Clan than mine. I only defend what I have. I do not fight for
more. And no, I don’t want my mate fighting alongside me… women are too
precious on our planet. We protect them, and treasure them more than any other Clan.”

His
voice had gone hard and cold, the softness she’d seen in his face gone. His
features had gone just as hard, angular, as if chiseled from stone. She could
imagine that image, carried into battle, defending what he believed, the ideas
that no one else seemed to care about.

“So
why take women? You said yours fight...”

“Yes,
they refuse to obey our rule that women are not to fight.” His smiled, but it
didn’t reach his eyes. “You think we should keep them home, keep them from
fighting? That would be impossible. Shifters are born to fight. It is in our
very nature, and that’s why it’s so difficult to...”

With
a bitter sound, he dropped her hand and stood up, striding across the small
cabin. “It’s impossible. We’re born to fight and die in battle, and I want to
keep them from doing just that. I am a fool for thinking I can make my world
any different, any better.”

She
watched him, saw the tension in the way he held his shoulders, the straightness
of his back. “I want there to be something else in our lives, other than
constant fighting and death. I want there to be a different end for our lives.”
He turned suddenly.

“Our
women fight, and they die. And then they do not bear us any children. We are
killing ourselves, and someday there will be no one left to fight.” His words
came out in a rush, as if it hurt to say those final thoughts. “There will be
no one left.”

“And
you think by bringing women from Earth you can make up the difference? That
we’d willingly give you children, and be happy with that?”

He
ran one hand through his hair, sending the already messy hair into complete
disarray. “I care about my world, my Clan...” The coldness in his voice made
her pull back.

“Most
Earth women do not fight…it is not part of their nature to want to stand on the
battlefield like our women so we do not have to worry about that...” Some of
the harshness was gone as he went on. “I should not care, but in the end, I do.”

“I
said before, you can’t expect kidnapped women to be happy servants. Or that the
women you take unwillingly would want to have your children.”

Taso
looked down at her. “And I cannot expect you to understand how desperate I have
become. When we found your...Earth...I thought we had found the answer. Your
women are so very much like ours, but without the need to fight. They do not
shift like our men and women do, but they bear us shifters. They eat our food, and
drink our water and do not fall sick. They accept our men...” He dropped his
eyes for a moment and she though he blushed. “And they bear children.”

“So
you found breeding stock, more or less.”

A
troubled look passed across his face. The frown deepened, dark brows almost
touching. “You make it sound cold, a brutal thing.”

“Well,
speaking from this side of things, yes, it was cold.” She stood up, moving
between him and the little window. “But I think you meant it to be something
else. You did because you could, but you didn’t feel that you really should.”

Taso
barked out a startled laugh. “You talk in riddles, Max. Speak plainly.”

“You
did something bad with good intentions.” She reached out and tapped a finger
against his chest. “In here, you thought it was a good idea.” Moving her hand
higher, she tapped his temple. “Up here...you should have realized it wasn’t
such a good thing.”

Before
she lowered her hand, Taso reached up and took her hand, pulling it down to his
chest.

“I
like the feel of your hand here.”

She
spread her hand flat, feeling the warmth of his skin through his shirt. She
didn’t want to admit she liked the feel of his heart beating through the
strange mesh on the front of his armor. It was constant, steady...the only
thing that seemed real. She lifted her head and met his eyes. They were dark
but soft, all the hard edge gone from the depths.

“And
I think you like having it there as well.”

“I
hate that you do that, read my thoughts.” She wasn’t sure if she’d meant to say
that or not.
There were no accidents...

“So
you no longer hate me, Max? Just my words?”

“Hate
is a strong word. I was very scared, very angry...confused...” She tensed her
fingers against his shirt. It might be her imagination, but she thought his
heart was beating just a bit faster. “But...”

“But...but
you do not hate me any longer.”

“I
think I understand you, if that’s what you want to hear.”

He
held her gaze and she wanted to look away, willed herself not to. Now there was
something else in his eyes, a flash of heat that echoed inside her. It wasn’t
only his heart that was beating faster.

“It
is enough for now. Being misunderstood is a thing I dislike.”

To
her surprise, he set his hand on her chest, between her breasts. “I like having
my hand her as well. I can feel your heart, know that you are alive and still
with me.” He nodded, apparently pleased with the beating of her heart.

She
swallowed, all her words lost in the darkness of his eyes, the pressure of his
hand against her chest. He made no move to slide his hand over to one breast;
he only moved closer, until she was pressed against him. She knew he was going
to kiss her and she was going to let him.

“I
came looking for a mate, Max. I told you that. I believed I found her when I
found you. I see you, in my mind, standing on the parapets of the wall of my
city, looking down over our province, sharp eyes taking in the breadth of the
land, looking for a breach in the wall, but in your heart, accepting no breach
because our enemies have been made to see a better way. If you can understand
that about me, then my heart will be full.”

“You’re
really just a hopeless romantic, aren’t you?” She tipped her head up to him.
“Just looking for peace and love in the universe.”

“I
don’t know the word you call me, but by the way you say it, I don’t believe it
is a bad thing. Is it?”

She
shook her head. “No. Not a bad thing, really. It’s why you think with your
heart, and not your head.”

His
mouth curved in a crooked smile. “And you are right.”

His
lips touched hers, and the little flash of heat inside her flared up, sending a
shiver through her. Taso’s smile widened for a moment and then she was kissing
him, or he was kissing her, but it didn’t seem to matter. It seemed right,
somehow. Some part of her had fallen away, the vision she’d carried of herself
in that now-broken mirror was gone. She had no idea who she was, what she
wanted. Or where she should be.

But
this place, with this man...it was wrong on so many levels. Still, he was warm
and solid, and in the chaos of the last days, the only thing that was constant.
He’d taken her from her home, but he’d taken her for a remarkable and
completely irrational reason: for love.

She
gave up and gave in and let him kiss her. With almost a physical sensation, she
realized she was no longer Veronica: She was Max. The mirror had broken, but
she had no other reflection than what Taso gave her. He wanted her as she was,
with all her strengths—because of her strengths.

The
kiss deepened, their hands still pressed against each other’s chests. She could
feel the echo of her heart against her hand, and wondered if he could feel his
against hers. It struck suddenly her that she’d never felt this close to any
man in her life.
Had it really taken being kidnapped by an alien to get to
this point?

For
a dizzying moment she felt the Earth move...or the metal grating beneath her
feet. But it wasn’t the effects of the kiss; Taso was turning her, guiding her
backward to the bench. She let him set her down, not breaking the kiss. He sat
beside her, and his hand finally strayed from the center of her chest, moving
with deliberation to one breast, cradling the weight of it in his hand. She
wanted out of the mesh armor, wanted his hand against her skin. She reached
down, grabbing the edge of her shirt, got it halfway up her body when the sound
of metal Clanging shot through the room.

Taso
jerked away, and she yanked her shirt down as the door behind Taso opened. A
man appeared, said something she didn’t understand. Taso nodded, replied in the
same mysterious language, and then turned to her.

“I
need to deal with this.” The heat was still in his eyes, but it was
overshadowed by a harder edge.

“Are
we crashing again?”

He
frowned, but a smile played around his lips. “Not this time. This is my ship and
it is very well maintained. It is nothing for you to worry about.” He stood,
looking down at her. “I’ll have someone bring you food and water. You should
eat.”

She
watched as he strode out of the little room, ducking through the door. Then it
slid shut with a metallic Clang. For a moment she stared at the door, wondering
if it was locked. Then she remembered where she was, on a space ship. Even if
she could walk through the door, where would she go?

It
seemed like only minutes before the door opened and a man walked through. He
carried a small box which he set down on the bench. He gave her sidelong
glance, as if judging her in some way. Then he bowed and left her alone.

The
box held a bottle of water and small packages of what she assumed was food. It
turned out to be something dried, possibly like jerky. It smelled spicy, tasted
vaguely like beef, but it really didn’t matter. After the first bite she
realized she was starving. With relish, she tore open the other packages,
finding grain-like circles, the ones she remembered from earlier, the ones that
tasted terrible. They weren’t any better now and she left them in the box.

By
the time the door slid open and Taso walked through, she had eaten everything,
minus the inedible crackers. She glanced up, suddenly wondering if this had
been meant for both of them.

“I’m
sorry...” She held out the empty box. “I ate it all. I guess I was hungry.”

He
sat beside her, picked up one of the crackers and bit into it. With a grimace
he dropped it back in the box. “I can get my own later.”

She
wiped her mouth on the back of her hand, then blushed. “Sorry again. My
manners...I have them...”

But
he was smiling, shaking his head. “I think I would like to watch you eat. You
enjoy your food.”

“I
was hungry, I guess.”

“No
doubt. The circumstances explain any lack of manners, but I don’t stand on
ceremony. Eat, please.”

She
did, although she was self-conscious being watched. But her hunger overpowered
everything else and she finished everything she’d been offered. Except for the
strange crackers. It seemed they were unpalatable, no matter how hungry either
of them were.

Finally,
she yawned, throwing her hand up to cover her mouth. Full, sated, exhaustion
didn’t just creep up; it washed over her in a tidal wave. Taso looked over his
shoulder as she yawned again.

“You
should sleep. We have quite a few hours of travel left. Come.” He held out his
hand. She took it, letting him pull her to her feet. Her body felt leaden,
uncoordinated. She couldn’t really remember the last sleep she’d had.
Yesterday? On the other ship? Memories were already growing cloudy, vague.
Sleep deprivation or drugs, or both, was playing havoc with her mind. For a
fleeting shocking instant, she wondered if Taso had drugged her again. She
pulled violently against his hand, stumbling back into the small room.