by Vonna Harper
She licked her lips. “My sickness is catching.”
Don’t tell me that! My people need me. And I need to go on living. “What is this sickness?”
“Fever and weakness, starting slow but then…”
“What are you doing here? You should be with your medicine woman.”
Instead of agreeing with him, she shook her head. Then she ran her tongue over her lips. “I’m thirsty.”
So was he because fucking left him parched. Just the same, he didn’t think that was the only reason her lips were so dry. There was a creek nearby, but after what might have been her deception, did he want to go to the effort of carrying her to it? Maybe threatening to deny her would force the truth from her. But could he be cruel to the woman he’d just had sex with?
Torn, he looked around. The hairs at the back of his neck raised, leaving him with no doubt that they were being watched. If the watcher was another Puma, that man or woman would reveal themselves, and he didn’t fear any of the animals who shared the forest with them. But it might be one of her people, perhaps an armed warrior.
Or the Beast.
“Can you stand,” he asked, “if I help you?”
“You’d do that?”
“I have to know what’s happening,” he told her although he was still trying to come to grips with putting her needs ahead of his safety. “If I must carry you in order to learn that, I will.”
The last thing he was prepared for was the sheen of tears. “Home?” she whispered. “You’d return me to my people?”
“Would I be walking into a trap?” he asked as any Puma warrior should. “If what’s happened between us is part of a plot to destroy—”
“You think that of me?”
“I don’t know what to believe.” His honesty surprised him, but once started, he saw no reason not to continue. “Right now I feel no reason to take you to where you came from. Besides, why would you want that when you went to the effort and took the risk to come here?”
Her frown led him to believe she was having trouble following his argument. Although he’d seldom been sick, he remembered how hard it was to concentrate when a fever raged. She, this creature who’d turned his world in ways it had never been turned, was crying.
“What is this about?” He swiped a finger under her eye.
“Nothing.”
“Nothing?” Grabbing her shoulders, he shook her, albeit lightly. Then he cursed himself for touching her feverish body only to again remind himself that the damage, if there was any, had already been done. “Are you dying? Is that why you’re crying?”
“Dying? I don’t…not if…”
She was trying to keep something from him. Why had it taken so long for him to realize that? He hadn’t bothered with her garment after releasing her, and when she’d sunk to the ground, it had slid off her hands. The dress now lay a few inches away. He could have helped her back into it, but maybe any covering would make her feel even hotter. Nothing about her was hidden from him. At first he’d believed she was slight and weak, but handling her body and then having sex had taught him different. She was a worthy opponent—or was she?
Confused, he noted that she was again trying to moisten her lips. “You need water. I’ll carry—”
“No!”
“What?” Don’t tell me it’s too late!
“Let me rest, please.” Her eyes closed. “Just a little while. After I’ve recovered…”
When her voice trailed off, he decided she must have passed out. He still needed to discover what she was determined not to tell him, but that would have to wait. Carrying her meant he’d get water in her sooner, but what if she fought him? Not only didn’t he want to risk dropping her, he didn’t want to touch her again. If she asked him why, he’d tell her he still held out hope that she hadn’t infected him, when the truth was holding her against him did things to his soul that had never been done. Better, and safer, to protect that soul from further danger.
“I’ll be back as soon as I can,” he said, even though he wasn’t sure she could hear him. “You’ll be safe.” The sense that they were being watched hadn’t faded, but taking her with him wouldn’t ensure her safety since he couldn’t fight while carrying her. If some of her people had followed her, chances were they’d spirit her away while he was gone. If that happened, he’d no longer be responsible for her. No longer have to ask himself what she was doing in his world.
And if the Beast was watching, what then?
“Do what you want,” he told the Beast. “I can’t stop you.”
* * * * *
Unable to summon the courage to watch him leave, Luann contented herself with sensing Ber’s departure. She had no doubt he’d been talking to the Beast and wondered why she hadn’t begged him not to leave her at the creature’s mercy, but despite her fear, she needed to be alone.
The fever had simmered at the edge of her awareness all the time she’d been with Ber. No matter how distracting the man had been, she should have paid closer attention to what was happening to her, but she hadn’t. Then she’d collapsed.
Undoubtedly she should have anticipated that the exertion involved in sex would push her over the edge. Maybe she’d have remained on her feet and conscious if she’d told Ber she wanted nothing to do with fucking, but contemplating such a lie nearly made her laugh. Even if she’d put up a fight, he would have seen through her attempt at deception and ended it with touches that had her begging for more.
It had been worth it, she concluded. Granted, her thinking was less than clear, but if she died today at least she’d meet her ancestors knowing she’d embraced life. And him.
After giving herself time to contemplate how to accomplish the tremendous task, she rolled over onto her side and rose onto her hands and knees. Her head pulsed, and it hurt to swallow. Nothing mattered more than having something to drink, but for that to happen, Ber would have to make good on his promise to bring some to her.
Shaking her head did nothing to lessen her awareness of how dependent she was on the man who’d captured her. Afternoons in the mountains, although cooler than the valley where she lived, were hot during the summer. Having a fever contributed to her discomfort.
By concentrating on taking deep breaths, she managed to clear her head enough that she contemplated trying to stand. She might get her feet under her, but watching her ill clanspeople had taught her that the fever made them weak as babies. It was better to remain as she was.
Ber would return. Even feeling as if her life was out of control, she didn’t believe he’d abandon her. He’d want more sex, of course. The time they’d spent together had taught her that. And as soon as she felt better, she’d want the same.
If she recovered.
Acknowledging that possibility would have been harder if she’d been thinking right. As it was, she wasn’t sure she cared.
Rocking back so her buttocks rested on her heels, she studied her surroundings, at least as much as she could given that her eyes didn’t want to focus. The time might come when the mountains didn’t look foreign, but right now she’d give anything to be in the unbroken expanse of the valley she called home. Although there were a few low areas where someone might hide, most of the valley carried no secrets, while here every tree and shadow could shelter a predator or member of the Puma clan.
Or the Beast.
By rubbing her throat, she managed to swallow. Unfortunately, that left her exhausted and with no choice but to again admit that sex had contributed to her weakness. The Deer people believed in forming family bonds primarily for rearing children, and husbands and wives put their children’s welfare first, but it was understood that not all sexual needs could be satisfied by a single partner. She’d seen no reason not to respond to invitations or issue some of her own, because having sex with a number of partners should help her choose who she wanted to have her children with, but so far no one man had stood out from the others. In fact, she was beginning to wonder if she’d ever experience that emoti
on called love.
Why was she thinking about that when she might be dying? Shouldn’t all her energy be directed at getting her hands on the ferns with the power to save lives?
She had no choice but to tell Ber why she’d come to his mountain and beg him to help her gather the precious plant. Without his help, she couldn’t accomplish her vital task.
But if he knew how widespread the illness was among her people, would he lead the Pumas in an attack on the defenseless Deer?
Moaning, she pressed the heel of her hand to her forehead. If only she didn’t feel so vulnerable. Dragging her garment over to her and pulling it on left her panting and drenched. She was trying to decide where to stretch out when her nostrils caught a new and unpleasant scent. Her heart rate picked up as she grabbed her knife Ber had left for her and turned in the direction the smell had come from. The Beast was walking her way.
“Ber,” she whispered. “Please, I need you.”
Her pussy tightened at the sound of his name. With everything in her, she wished the Beast was a figment of her fevered imagination, but with each smooth stride the creature made, she became more convinced of his presence. She didn’t know where the courage to stand came from, and once on her feet wasn’t sure how long she could remain upright. Until today she hadn’t believed the Beast existed, but this massive beast with his glittering eyes and killing teeth was real. But Ber hadn’t feared him, she didn’t dare forget that.
“What do you want?” she whispered, because speaking any louder would hurt too much. Exhaustion tugged at her. She felt as if she might burn up. “He isn’t here.”
I know.
Her shock at hearing the Beast’s words in her head briefly rendered her mute. “Then what—”
You can’t change him. He is what he is, a Puma, a predator.
“I don’t want to change him. That’s not why I came.”
You’re here to seduce him and make him less of a man.
“No!”
I watched you cast your woman’s spell around him. What are you planning to do, kill him? The Beast jerked his head at her knife.
“How?” Maybe her fever was making it impossible for her to fathom how much danger she was in. Regardless, not giving way before the Beast might be vital to her survival. That and not letting the Beast know the real reason she’d come to Puma Mountain. “This weapon is small, and I’m weak. He’s much bigger than me, a warrior while I’m only a woman.”
Your sex is what gives you strength and weakens the men you touch.
“It isn’t like that, surely you know that.”
Who are you to say what I know? The Beast took another step, stopping when he was so close she could have reached out and touched him. She wasn’t sure where the courage to continue to confront him came from.
“I didn’t mean it like that,” she amended. “Your wisdom—I was told you’ve been alive longer than any human. If so, you’ve observed countless things.”
Yes.
Something in the Beast’s tone let her know he saw her comment as praise. If she could convince him that she was in awe of his wisdom maybe he’d stop feeling threatened, if that’s what was happening. But why should a creature that could easily kill her believe he had anything to fear from her?
“Then you know women can’t survive without men to protect them and hunt for them. We’re entrusted with caring for children and the elderly. That makes us vulnerable. I’d never want to do what men must, the many ways they risk their lives.”
Was that a frown? If only she could study the Beast’s expression without his fierce size making her heart slam.
Women use what’s between their legs to get men to do what they do. Otherwise, men would think only of themselves.
“I don’t believe that!” Weakened by her outburst, she sank to her knees. Now the Beast looked even more imposing. “Men are compassionate. They love their children and the women who bear them. They aren’t animals.”
Second after second passed, but the Beast said nothing. Her eyes were so hot and dry she had no choice but to close them. By the time she opened them, the Beast had taken a backward step.
I am an animal, a beast.
“You’re a puma, and more.”
Alone.
For the first time she pondered what his life must be like. As far as she knew, there was only one of him. If that was true, he lived in solitude, isolated by his terrifying body. Studying his beautiful and fierce eyes, a thought struck her, but before she could make sense of it, the pounding in her temples distracted her. She’d felt dizzy right before she’d passed out. That sensation had returned, and until it passed, she couldn’t concentrate on anything else. Pressing her hands against the sides of her head, she stared at the earth.
What is it?
“I’m sick,” she managed. She didn’t add that she was also scared.
Are you dying?
“I don’t know.”
I want you dead.
* * * * *
Ber had filled a large leaf with water and gathered it so he held the edges together. A few droplets clung to the outside of the leaf, but as he hurried back to where he’d left Luann, he knew he had enough to slake the worst of her thirst. Because he’d been concentrating on where he was going, he was within a hundred feet of her before he noted who was with her. Years of being the Beast’s companion had made him comfortable in the great puma’s presence, but seeing him loom over her changed everything.
The leaf started to slip out of his hand, compelling him to tighten his grip. Having to divide his attention between his footing and the Beast was almost more than he could handle. He didn’t dare look at Luann beyond noting that she was crumpled on the ground and staring at the Beast.
“What are you doing?” he demanded of the Beast. “She’s nothing to you.”
A rough, rolling laugh boiled out of the Beast. Just as she’s nothing to you?
This morning he hadn’t known Luann existed. Now he longed to wrap his body around her and again lose his cock in her soft cave. The depth of his need rocked him. “What do you care?”
You and I share a great deal.
Unable to deny that, he fought off the impulse to kneel beside Luann. Until he understood what the Beast was doing here and why, everything else was secondary. “I can’t share her with you. I won’t.”
What if I kill her?
Rage and fear tightened his muscles. “Then you’ll have killed me as well.”
She means that much to you?
He didn’t want to say yes, didn’t want to feel so vulnerable. “She’s sick. If I can help her, I will.”
Is that all it is? You fucked her and now you feel you owe her your time and effort?
“Yes.”
Then why would her death destroy you?
The Beast stood over Luann much as a predator guards a kill. Her faint trembling was probably in response to her fear, although her sickness could be responsible. Whatever it took, he’d defend her for as long as he lived.
“Tell me something,” he started, determined to do everything he could to make the Beast understand how vital she’d become to him. “When the females you mated with died giving birth, did you feel sorrow?” The water was getting heavy, but he’d go on holding it as long as necessary.
Sorrow?
“Grief. Regret that you did what you did?”
I didn’t kill them.
“But you forced them to carry cubs you knew would be too large. What about the cubs themselves? You must have mourned their loss.”
They never took the first breath of life. There was nothing to lose.
“Wasn’t there? They looked like you, didn’t they? They were your sons and daughters—at least they could have been.”
Yes.
“You wanted more than a female to fuck. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have gone on trying.”
You don’t know what drives me.
“Don’t I? We’re both male, but it goes deeper than that. What grieves me t
he most about being a member of a clan without enough women is knowing I might never be a father.” He tapped his chest with his free hand. “There’s nothing I want more, and if my offspring never drew breath, the pain would stay with me for the rest of my life.”
Although the Beast remained silent, his darkening eyes left Ber with no doubt that his words had touched the great puma. “The need to be a parent lives in my soul, and in yours,” he said. “I know it does.”
Yes.
Rocked by the emotion behind the single word, Ber reached out and ran the back of his hand over the Beast’s jaw. “We’re more alike than either of us knew before today, aren’t we?”
Yes.
“Then surely you understand why I did this.” He indicated the water-filled leaf. “If it is within my power, she won’t die.”
But if she does?
Determined to block out the Beast’s question, Ber knelt beside Luann. Too much heat radiated from her, and her eyes were bloodshot as she met his gaze. “You returned,” she whispered.
“I promised I would.”
Moisture suddenly glistened in her eyes, and as she settled her soft, heated hand over his thigh, his cock lifted. Despite what had happened between them not long ago, he ached to ask her to take him again. This time he’d face her and her breasts would flatten against his strength. Perhaps she’d climb onto him and wrap her legs around his hips so she could hold him tight and safe within her. She might nibble on his chin, rake his back and shoulders, grind her pelvis at him. Awed by her power and determination, he’d surrender his separate self to her and spill his seed deep inside her.
But those things wouldn’t happen because she might be dying.
Holding the leaf so Luann could drink from it without spilling wasn’t easily achieved, but at length she started swallowing. The Beast stood over them.
“Thank you,” she said, her voice sounding a little stronger. “More than I can say.”
With much of the water gone, he tied the leaf ends together and placed it on the ground. Hoping to see more signs of recovery, he rested his hand on her shoulder, but she was still hot, and there was too much red in her eyes.
