Once Upon a Caveman

by Cassandra Gannon

  “Believe me, they know.” In fact, he had to raise his voice to be heard over their piteous moans of despair.

  “Tell them anyway.” The only way Lucy was going to survive this was making them all too scared of her to rebel. In a fair fight, Rhawn or Warren or anyone else here could take her down. She had to assert herself fast or she’d be dead. “Tell them I’m a wrathful bitch, who will sink them into the sea unless they do everything I say.”

  Rhawn hesitated and turned at Notan. He must have translated her words correctly, because the old man looked appalled. Notan began stammering out long sentences punctuated with expansive hand gestures and beseeching glances towards Drunken Beauty. Anniah was crying, petting Warren’s hair. It was all ridiculously maudlin considering it was just Warren, after all.

  “Warren’s lost the battle.” Lucy told Notan and, even if he didn’t understand her words, he got the meaning behind them. “I am your only hope, now.”

  Rhawn translated that, too.

  Notan whispered something that could only be a prayer. Too bad for him, Lucy was the only god listening and she had bigger problems than his stupid apocalypse. Several more people started wailing.

  Lucy felt a little guilty. Since this was the only plan she had, though, she kept going. On the upside, maybe she hadn’t left school and changed the world, but she was the only person in Woodward High’s graduating class to become an evil deity.

  Top that, Taffi.

  “Look, I’m not going to throw any of you into the volcano.” Lucy promised. “I just want a way off this island.” She arched a brow at the petrified Clan. “Any ideas, kids?”

  “Only the Savior can lead us from here.” Rhawn reiterated. “And you have just killed him.”

  “Oh, he’s fine.” She flicked a dismissive hand in Warren’s direction. “I once saw him take a header off the roof of the gym and still be well enough to sexually harass the paramedic. Forget about him and concentrate. How do we get out of here? There has to be a way.”

  Rhawn’s brow furrowed like he’d never considered the idea before. Or maybe it was just that no one had ever asked for his opinion. “Well,” he finally allowed, “there is the ragan.”

  Notan started to say something else, but Lucy waved him silent.

  “What’s a ragan?” She demanded.

  Rhawn glanced at Notan, who was making the universal sign for “shut-up, stupid.”

  “Ignore him.” Lucy ordered. “What is a ragan?”

  Rhawn cleared his throat. “It is a device I invented to fish in. It floats on the water.” He pantomimed a bobbing motion in the air, his flattened palm mimicking the waves. “The Clan believes it’s wicked, but I can paddle it into the sea and gather…”

  Lucy cut him off, her eyes going wide. “Hang on, you’re saying you’ve build a boat?”

  “I am unfamiliar with this word.”

  “You sit in it, staying dry, and it moves you across the ocean?”

  “Yes. A ragan.”

  “Holy shit! You invented a boat! You’re brilliant!” She stepped forward to grab his arm and yank him down for a smacking kiss. It was only meant to last for a heartbeat, but Rhawn had other ideas.

  He drew in a surprised breath as her lips met his. A groan vibrated through him and his hand fisted around her shirt, dragging her closer. Lucy’s body was jerked against his, her feet going on tiptoe to compensate.

  Holy shit! Her gasp of surprise was swallowed by his mouth. Within seconds, he’d taken control. His lips opened against hers, his tongue claiming new territory. She’d forgotten he was fascinated by kissing. And surprisingly dominant in bed.

  And a caveman.

  The taste of him rushed over her like a tidal wave and all she could do was hang on. He shifted his body, somehow maneuvering so he was standing between her and the Clan. God only knew what kind of kinky stuff the cavemen did in their spare time, because Rhawn clearly didn’t give a damn about privacy when he wanted a woman. Lucy kind of… liked that. No one had ever wanted her like Rhawn did.

  And she had certainly never wanted anyone the way she wanted him.

  He lifted her up like she weighed about half of what she actually weighed. The heat of his chest was at her front, and the stone wall of the cave behind her, and she whimpered at the sensation. Every incredible, dirty, fun part of the dreams filled her memory and she wanted more. She wanted him. All she had to do was surrender and Rhawn would do the rest. This place was probably in some far-off Star Trek-y nebula, so normal sexual mores hardly mattered. Why not let the caveman have his way with her?

  It wasn’t like Rhawn was a stranger. He was Rhawn. She’d known him so long, he was practically a part of her. All those fragmented dreams when they’d gotten so close… Lucy could finally have what she’d been aching for. She could feel how aroused he was. The guy was really going to take her right there and no one could stop him. In another moment, not even she could stop him.

  Bad idea.

  Wait… this was a really bad idea.

  Lucy jerked away.

  Rhawn stared down at her, his chest heaving. For once, his gaze stayed locked on hers, his head titling to maintain eye contact when she would’ve looked away. Up until this point, he’d been pretty accommodating, luring her into believing that she was in control. Now he didn’t seem so tame. He stayed within her space bubble watching her intently and Lucy felt very vulnerable.

  This guy was not part of a domesticated species. She’d dreamed of him, but could she trust him? Instincts said yes, yes, yes.

  Panic told her no and it was damn hard to ignore panic.

  “That was a mistake.” Lucy quickly tried to reaffirm her status as a heartless overlord. Flattening a hand on his chest, she gave him a push. “It shouldn’t have happened.”

  He humored her by pretending he felt her shove and took a step back. Rhawn was the biggest, strongest, smartest guy in a world without laws. He could do anything he wanted to her. He didn’t have to back down for anybody. Certainly not a girl who’d been banned from the health club for her bad attitude. Men in this place didn’t woo their dates with flowers and a nice play. They could just take. It seemed to be part of their system, so it wouldn’t even be breaking any rules.

  The only thing protecting her was Rhawn himself. She didn’t like that. It made her feel out of control and vulnerable.

  “It’s alright.” He soothed, seeing her nervousness. “I can go slower, just as you like. I won’t harm you.”

  Lucy shook her head and tried to be practical. He might speak in quiet tones, but under the calm façade Rhawn was still a caveman. “You can’t hurt me. I’m the all-powerful Destroyer, remember? I’m the one who does the hurting.”

  Rhawn didn’t look so convinced, all of a sudden. “I will not hurt you, Lucy.” He reiterated softly. “Not ever. You may still bring on the apocalypse, but I’ve Chosen you as my own. I will protect you. Always.”

  Lucy wasn’t clear on what exactly that “Choosing” thing meant, but it didn’t sound good. She glowered up at him, hoping he somehow overlooked the fact that she only reached his (really wide) shoulder. “You didn’t Choose me, pal.”

  “I did.”

  “How?”

  “The Savior and I were preparing to battle for you and he fell.” Rhawn shrugged. “It was not how I expected things to go, but the outcome was clear.”

  “That’s ridiculous. I’m the one who fought him.”

  “Women can make their preferences known in a challenge. That is what you did.” In his mind, everything was settled. “It was a fair contest, Lucy. I have won you and you are my mate.” He nodded like he’d catalogued all the pertinent details, made his decision, and now he was just waiting for her to catch up and agree with him.

  Smart guys always thought they were soooo frigging logical.

  “You can’t Choose a god.” She decided. “We do the Choosing.”

  Rhawn frowned. “Where is this stated?”

  “I just stated it.”


  The caveman didn’t appreciate the randomness of that pronouncement. He reminded her of an engineer, wanting everything in his world to be neat and quantifiable. “Choosing does not work that way.” He argued. “There are rules.” Rhawn was clearly a rules-are-rules kinda guy. As far as he was concerned, he’d followed them and she was cheating.

  Too bad.

  “I’m the god. I’m above the rules.” She gave a “what can you do?” shrug just to piss him off. She was getting the distinct feeling this “Choosing” deal involved a lot of nakedness and prehistoric sexy times. No way was she being that stupid.

  No matter how incredibly tempting Rhawn was.

  His eyes narrowed, seeing that she wasn’t going to budge. “We will speak of this again.” He warned.

  Doubtful since she was on the first boat outta Land of the Lost. No sense in antagonizing the really muscular caveman too much though. “I’d rather talk about this ragan thing.” She arched a brow. “Let’s start with how many people it’ll hold.”

  Chapter Six

  “I got my master’s degree last week.” The woman says. “Thanks to these dreams, I’m a certified expert on the Ice Age, now. They inspired me to read everything I could about it and get my degree. You inspired me. I wouldn’t have gone to graduate school, if I hadn’t met you.”

  Rhawn is not sure what that means, but it pleases her so it pleases him. “I am glad.” He says and shifts her body beneath his. His teeth graze the curve of her neck. She tastes of warm honey and mysteries unexplored. He will never get enough of this woman. The fragmented pieces of dreams do nothing to alleviate his ache for her.

  “Yeah,” she sighs out and tilts her head to give him better access, “you seriously hold the best study sessions ever.”

  Rhawn and Lucy’s Dream- Ten Years Ago

  Rhawn looked down at Lucy as she looked at the ragan and saw she didn’t look happy.

  “That’s the boat?” She demanded.

  “It’s the ragan.”

  “’Cause it looks like the mutant offspring of an outrigger canoe and Huck Finn’s raft.”

  He wasn’t sure what those words meant. They certainly weren’t compliments, though. Rhawn was used to insults and derision, but he still felt his jaw tick. Ever since he’d Chosen her, the woman had been increasingly difficult. What had happened between them made her feel nervous and less in control. Lucy didn’t like it when she wasn’t in control. She seemed to be trying to cover her unease with sniping and with imaginary rules that prevented goddesses from being Chosen.

  Neither tactic would work. The laws were clear and she was his mate.

  He hadn’t meant to Choose her. Well, at least not yet. He was still fairly certain she planned to end the world, after all. But, Rhawn had watched as the Savoir tried to take her as his own and something had snapped inside of his already weak mind. He’d known that he could never allow Lucy to belong to another. That he would fight to have her, even if it meant challenging a god.

  When Warren fell, it might have doomed the island, but it had given Rhawn what he most wanted. Lucy was his according to Clan law. Now that he’d Chosen her, he’d never see the bond undone. Regardless of how much she protested that she was the one who had to perform the Choosing, he knew they were already joined. He felt it. She did, too.

  Unfortunately, the knowledge just made her more difficult.

  “It’s a ragan.” He told her flatly.

  She let out a long breath. “It’s not very big. You sure it will it float?”

  “Yes.” This was the first time anyone had ever been interested in one of his creations, so Rhawn found himself wanting her to understand it. To approve. “It took me many attempts, but the thann on the sides offer support even in large waves.”

  “The pontoon thingies?” She pointed to the thann.

  “Yes. They create stability.” Pleased that she was paying attention, he kept going. “The um’nah trees naturally float, so they provided the wood. Then I used the tar from the pits as a sealant to keep the water out.”

  She didn’t say anything. She just stared at the ragan, her expression unreadable.

  Rhawn braced for her to tell him he was an idiot. Everyone else did. …Except he didn’t want her to be like everyone else. If she laughed at him, something was going to break inside of him. Lucy’s was the only opinion that mattered.

  “It floats.” He told her, quietly. “You have my word on it.”

  Green eyes flicked to him, weighing his promise. Finally, she nodded. “Okay. So, how far can it travel?”

  Rhawn didn’t know what to make of that question, but he breathed a sigh of relief that she was taking him seriously. “It would stay afloat over a long distance.” He hedged. “Probably, even after everyone aboard succumbed to exposure and thirst.”

  “That’s good enough for me.” No one ever had any faith in his ideas, but she seemed to believe in them more strongly than even he did. “You and I are getting off this island. Now.” She made a face. “And too I guess Warren. I don’t want to have to explain to the Alumni Committee why I left the dumbass marooned in The Land Before Time.” She paused. “Only there are obviously no dinosaurs in the Ice Age.” She looked around with a stern frown, in case someone dared to contradict her.

  No one did.

  Rhawn wasn’t sure what she was talking about or what she planned to do, but there was one point he wouldn’t budge on. “However you plan to escape Uooloa, you must include everyone, Lucy. I do not wish my people to die.”

  “But, they’re assholes who hate me and locked you up in a cage. I’m not really in the mood to save them.”

  “They are my people.” He repeated. “Your people, now. They became your responsibility when you won the Ardin. We cannot leave them here to sink.”

  Her eyes rolled so strenuously, she probably made herself dizzy. “Fine. God, you’re such a Boy Scout.” She gestured to the rest of the Clan, who were hovering along the shoreline. “Tell them to make more rafts, then.” She did a quick headcount. “We’ll need ten or so. Like five or six to a boat.”

  Rhawn’s eyebrows drew together in confusion. He wasn’t surprised that Lucy agreed to save the others. Beneath her grousing, she had a kind heart. He had no idea how she expected the ragan to save them, though. “Why do you wish to build more?”

  “So we’ll have enough to carry all of us, obviously. Isn’t that what you’re insisting on?”

  Rhawn blinked. She couldn’t possibly be thinking of trying to cross the Infinite Sea. “Carry us where? There is nothing out there but water.” He pointed at the ocean. “We would be sailing to our death.”

  “That’s what they told Columbus.”

  He was unfamiliar with that word and suspected she knew it. It annoyed him. “If you wish to kill us, you could do it here on land, Destroyer. It would be less trouble.”

  “If I wished to kill you, I’d just leave you here with Krakatoa.” She retorted. “I’m trying to save you. And me…. And apparently the rest of these morons.”

  “What is that bitch saying?” Skoll demanded. He finally awoken from the beating in the cell and he was angry. Angry at Rhawn. Angry at the Clan for not punishing Rhawn. Angry with the outcome of the Ardin. And especially angry at Lucy.

  Everyone in the Clan was upset, but Skoll was one of the few who wasn’t bothering to hide it. Even Notan tried to cover his feelings. Skoll brazenly watched Lucy with open hatred, tracking her every move like he was planning an ambush.

  Rhawn flashed him a glare and deeply suspected that he’d have to fight the bastard again soon. “She is a god. When she wishes you to understand her words, she will let you know.”

  Skoll’s fists tightened. “You align with evil to protect yourself from punishment.” He spat out. “You know that she is all that protects you from execution, Rhawn the Accursed. You should still be locked in your cell, awaiting your punishment, but she set you free and now you are in her thrall.”

  Lucy glowered over at Skoll. “What’s ass
hole saying?”

  “He doesn’t like you.” Rhawn told her softly.

  “The feeling is mutual.” She wrinkled her nose in distaste. “He looks like those movie villains who keep canaries in cages so they can eat them as snacks.”

  Rhawn kept his attention on Skoll, switching back to the Clan’s language. “The Destroyer triumphed over the Savior. That was the will of the fates and you wish to challenge it?”

  “I wish to survive. For all of us to survive. Be smarter than you usually are and help us get rid of this monster. She favors you, for some bizarre reason.” Skoll’s eyes gleamed, with rage… and lust. “The men say she did something with her lips on yours. What did it feel like?”

  If he knew what Lucy could do, she would be in even more danger than she was now. Skoll would want her for his own, before he killed her. The Clan had seen the way Rhawn reacted in the cave. He’d Chosen her in front of everyone, openly challenging the Savior. If Lucy hadn’t stopped him, Rhawn would’ve taken her right there against the wall.

  Rhawn had never acted that way before. He’d never been so blatant about wanting a woman or so possessive of one. Of course the other man would be curious about kissing and what magic Lucy held. He was probably going to have to kill at least four of them, before they gave up on the idea of stealing her away.

  “She is mine.” He warned Skoll in a deadly voice. “I don’t surrender what’s mine. I will dissuade her from her evil plans, but I will not see her harmed.”

  “Her magic might be all that can revive the Savior.” Anniah put in. For whatever reason, the girl was inconsolably worried about Warren. “The Destroyer spared his life, which means she may not be as cruel as we first thought. I was encouraged by the mercy she showed. Perhaps, if we help her find a better way, she will bring him back to us and…”

  Skoll cut her off in annoyance. “The Savior is weak.” He scoffed. “We have no need for him now.”

  Some of them men seemed to agree with that. Tammoh stroked his beard, the way he always did when he was thinking. Ugghot exchanged a meaningful glance with his twin brother Uyhot. Ctindel looked over to Notan for guidance.