Davor

by Leslie Chase

  "Come with me," she asked again, knowing what his answer would be. A sadness appeared behind his eyes as he met her gaze, and he shook his head.

  "If I run with you, I'd always know that I abandoned my people. The Fire Wolves would take their revenge on them, and I wouldn't even be there to help fight. No, love, we have to part ways."

  The crushing sadness in his voice was heartbreaking, and Helen felt tears welling in her eyes. Blinking them back fiercely, she shook her head again. If this is our last time together, I will not let it be wasted on me sobbing my eyes out, she told herself. I won't!

  Instead, she focused on the moment and the man she shared it with. Reaching up, she ran her hand over the hard muscular body of her savior, feeling his heart beat in his chest. He placed his own hand over hers, holding it tight to him.

  "If this is going to be the last time we see each other," she said quietly, blushing as she spoke, "we should make it count for something."

  The pressure of his hand, the heat of his body, the power of his gaze — they made her heart beat faster and her body tremble. She took a step closer to him, chewing on her lip, and Davor watched in silence. His expression was unreadable, his body still, as he looked deep into her, but she felt the yearning in his gaze, the need for her that matched her need for him.

  They stood like that beside the stream, unmoving. Then Davor growled, a hungry, possessive sound that made Helen tremble with nerves and desire. He bared his teeth, grabbing her and lifting her against him, making her gasp as he pulled her close. Strong arms held her to him, able to feel his body through her thin top.

  As though a dam had broken and released a flood of his feelings, he kissed her hard, one hand supporting her against him, the other holding the back of her head and pulling her close. Helen gasped into the kiss, feeling the powerful urgency of his tongue against her lips, pushing into her mouth.

  The sensation was electric, sending sparks of desire shooting through Helen and igniting a fire inside her. Carrying her to the wall of the cavern, Davor pinned her to the rock. His hard body pushed her against the unyielding stone as their tongues explored each other, and Helen thought that she was going to faint from the sensations he woke in her.

  Her hands caressed Davor's body, stroking over his back, feeling the muscles move under the skin as they kissed. Trapping her against the wall of the cave, his hands were free to explore her body, stroking over her jeans and top, making her gasp as he squeezed her ass through the denim.

  When their kiss broke, he was panting too, deep rough breaths. The sound made her melt against him, and she didn't think that she could possibly want anything more than she wanted him in that moment.

  That he wanted her just as much was certain — his iron hard cock pressed against her and left her no doubt. Helen felt her cheeks heat, moaning at the thought of that inside her. She ached for it, but he was so much bigger than she'd realized.

  Davor chuckled, lifting her down from the wall and pulling at her top. He didn't seem to understand the buttons, and Helen almost laughed at his confusion. Quickly undoing the top, she let him pull it off her, nearly tearing it in his hurry to see her. Her bra followed just as fast, and Helen resisted the urge to cover herself as he looked at her breasts. A low groan escaped his lips as he watched her.

  She saw the naked need in his eyes, no false pretenses or shame in him as he reached out to touch her, caressing her gently and carefully. His strong hands felt like heaven on her, sending fiery pulses of need through her body as he took a deep breath.

  "Undress," he commanded, and Helen didn't hesitate. There was something in his voice that spoke directly to her soul, she wasn't sure she could have disobeyed if she wanted to — but she'd never find out because she didn't want to disobey. She pulled off her boots, undid her jeans and slid them down, standing naked apart from her panties. There she hesitated, flustered at the idea of him seeing her naked. Davor growled.

  That hungry, eager sound decided her, and the panties followed the rest of her clothes into a heap beside the stream. Davor stepped forward and swept her up into his arms, still growling as he pulled her to him. His mouth pressed to her neck, kissing and biting and making her arch her back, gasping and trembling in his arms.

  Without taking his mouth from her he walked them into the stream, the cool water washing over them as he lowered her. The charged feeling between them consumed her as he settled her on a rock shelf under the water, and she moaned as he straightened up and pulled back from her.

  He grinned down at her, one hand pressing her back down as she tried to rise and follow him.

  "Stay there, my love," he told her, and Helen relaxed reluctantly. His other hand stroked down, sliding under the water and across her skin, leaving a trail of fiery desire on her. Helen shuddered and bit her lip, struggling to remain still as he explored the curves of her body.

  "You are so beautiful," he growled. She could feel the tension in him, the effort of restraint, and the longing for her. But he was still holding himself back, making the moments stretch out. "I could not dream of a more perfect mate. What did I do to deserve you?"

  Looking up at him, she laughed and shook her head. "God, just look at you, Davor. I've never seen a man as — as sexy as you are. You could have any woman in the world. In the universe, even."

  "I don't want any other woman on any world," Davor said. "I want you, and no one else."

  Before Helen could answer, he lowered his mouth to her breasts, sucking a nipple into his mouth and driving all rational thought out of her head. She arched her back, pressing herself up against him, her hands stroking down his gorgeous body until they found his rock-hard cock and closed around it. The hungry growl he gave at her touch made her gasp, aching for him.

  Davor moved between her breasts, kissing and biting gently, making her pant. She didn't think that she could be any hornier, but then he slid a hand down between her legs, brushing over her pussy with a tender touch that made it pulse with need.

  "God Davor, I need you," she groaned, surprised at herself She didn't feel embarrassed or ashamed at what she was saying, just desperate for his touch. "I need you in me. Please?"

  He lifted his head with a growl and kissed her, silencing her words with his mouth. Returning the kiss eagerly, Helen gasped as he slid his fingers between the folds of her sex, parting them and gently sliding a finger inside her. A wave of pleasure radiated out from between her legs, and Helen felt her body go weak as the sensation flooded her.

  It's a good thing he's got me lying down, I don't think I could stand, the small part of her capable of rational thought commented. Most of her mind floated on a sea of pleasure, unable to think of anything except Davor's touch.

  When their lips broke apart, she tried to speak but no words came. Before she could recover her language, he slipped a second finger into her and she threw her head back with a loud gasp. Under the water, his fingers moved inside her, his thumb finding her clit and circling it.

  Helen's eyes closed tight, her hands squeezing around Davor's cock and he gasped along with her. They were both panting, eager, and she could feel him swelling in her hands.

  Finally, finally he moved between her legs, his fingers sliding from her and the head of his cock pressing to her sex in their place. Helen moaned, her body empty and aching for him, stroking him and guiding him to her. Reaching under her, he grabbed her ass and lifted her, positioning her.

  With a single smooth powerful thrust, he slid into her. The size of him shocked her, stretching her, but it didn't hurt. It felt right, like they were made for each other, and he filled her perfectly. Nothing could have felt better.

  Locked together, they waited for a moment that seemed to stretch forever. Then Davor drew back, almost pulling out of her before thrusting again, harder and faster. They rocked under the running stream, Davor's strong hands pulling Helen up to meet him with each thrust.

  It didn't take long for another orgasm to build in her, Davor swelling inside her as she
tensed around him. They panted together, their bodies shaking as they urged each other on to a shared climax.

  When it came, it crashed over them together and their cries mingled with the sound of water rushing over them. Collapsing back onto the rock, Helen lost herself in the sensations washing over her in waves of pleasure. Davor roared above her, coming deep inside her and trembling as he held himself up.

  They clung to each other, panting and recovering, their bodies weak with the aftermath of their pleasure. Helen groaned as Davor slipped out of her, feeling empty without him inside her, and he lifted her tenderly out of the stream. Even his immense strength seemed to be taxed by their exertion, but he was still able to carry her to the shore and they lay together. Helen curled up against his warmth, and his strong arm embraced her as they drifted together.

  16

  Davor

  Davor sighed, happier than he could remember being ever before. Feeling Helen resting against him was the most wonderful and relaxing feeling in all the worlds. The pleasure of their lovemaking had been more intense, of course, but this was the feeling that he knew he would miss for the rest of his life. Not wanting to disturb Helen, Davor carefully raised his head to look down at her, wondering again what he'd done to deserve someone so wonderful.

  After today, I'll never see her again, he reminded himself. It was a hard thought to accept but he couldn't avoid it. There was no other way to satisfy his obligations.

  Helen stirred sleepily against him, and then looked up, a smile spreading over her face. The light of it washed away his sadness and he stroked her back softly.

  "Good morning," she said, a faint flush on her cheeks. "Or is it afternoon?"

  Davor glanced at the entrance to the cave, where the glare of the two-sun day had started to dim. "It will be evening in a little while, and then we can move on."

  Helen's smile faded, and she shook her head. "I don't want to go," she told him. "Can't we just stay here forever?"

  "I wish we could," he said, and nothing had ever been so true. This cave might be barren, but it was full of their love and that made it feel more like home than any other place he could remember. "I'd love to settle down here with you, feed you fish from the stream, and keep the rest of the world away."

  "But we can't, can we?" Helen said. It wasn't really a question, he knew: she wasn't under any illusions about the situation. With a deep sigh, she snuggled into him again, kissing his chest and holding him tight.

  "What's your home like?" she asked after a while, and he shook his head sadly.

  "That's a hard memory for me," he said, stroking her hair. "Why do you want to know about it?"

  "Because I want to know what you're protecting, Davor," she explained, snuggling closer. "I need to hear what's so important to you. I want to know all about you, and your home means so much to you."

  Davor looked up, staring at the rock above them. He couldn't refuse that request.

  "I was born on the edge of the silver sea, under the arch of the sky," he began. "My father is Ard of the Silver Sea Clan, and a wise and fair man — the Clan was happy under his leadership. My first memory is learning to fish beside him..."

  Once he'd started, the memories poured out of him and he found he couldn't stop. There was so much that he'd dared not think about, not wanting to remember while he was in captivity. The pain would have been unbearable. Now, though, with Helen, he felt safe, and he could share the beauty of his world and his people with someone who cared.

  She listened, only asking the occasional question when she didn't understand something. Her strange world had left her unprepared to for the life of one of the Clans, but she was smart and interested and learned quickly. By the time the suns had dimmed outside, he had told her a lot, and it felt like a great weight had lifted from his shoulders.

  "I wish we could stay longer so I could finish these stories," he said, standing and lifting her to her feet. "But we have to go. It will be cool enough outside that we can make our move now."

  Reluctantly, Helen pulled her clothes back on. Davor watched, transfixed, as she dressed, and then looked away. It was only making him want to tear the clothes off her again, and they didn't have time for that — their pursuers couldn't be far behind them, and they had to go.

  Instead, he went to the cave mouth and looked out. One sun had reached the horizon and the other still stood high in the sky, leaving the day hot but bearable. He shifted as he heard Helen approach behind him, not wanting to risk any more conversation. This was already hard enough and he couldn't face her making it harder for him to leave.

  Helen seemed to understand, or at least she didn't try to talk. Wordlessly, she climbed onto his back and they set out into the afternoon heat. They were at the edge of the plains on which the Worldwalker's Gate stood, and soon he could see it standing tall, the towers worn by time but still standing.

  This was the dangerous part. Davor hadn't wanted to worry his mate, but he knew that if they were going to run into Fire Wolf warriors, this was where they would meet them. Either guards, if Tark had decided to put a watch on the Gate, or a returning hunting party. And either would spell disaster if they kept Helen from entering.

  I won't let that happen, he promised himself, picking up speed. If there was someone waiting for them, they'd regret getting in his way.

  They were almost at the entrance when he saw them. Waiting inside, in the shadows, the two guards looked bored and inattentive, looking to the south rather than at him. That made sense: why would they expect an attack from inside their own territory?

  Davor parted his lips in a silent snarl, and he felt Helen tense as she saw the guards too. They didn't need to communicate any more than that — she slipped from his back, leaving him free to fight as she tumbled to a stop and picked herself up behind him.

  The sound of Helen hitting the ground drew the guards' attention just as Davor leaped towards them, but it was too late. His body arced through the air to smash into the nearest of the two, sending him tumbling backward onto the long stairs down into the Gate. The man cried out in shock and alarm, trying to catch his balance before vanishing down the staircase.

  Davor barely avoided following him, catching himself and turning in time to meet the other guard's charge. He ducked to one side, hoping the attacker would follow his friend down the stairs, but this one was too skilled to fall for that. Davor growled, low and angry, and the man responded in kind, sharp teeth on display and a spear in his hand. He knew how to use it, too — Davor feinted left but the man kept the point between them, keeping Davor's jaws away from him.

  The two of them circled, warily watching each other. The Fire Wolf probed with his spear, testing Davor, and Davor danced back out of his reach. In wolf form he had some advantages, speed and weight and teeth, but the reach of that weapon was dangerous.

  "Who the hell are you?" the guard said, advancing and keeping the point of his spear between them. Davor had no choice but to back off further. "Win or lose, one person isn't enough to take the Gate from us."

  Davor growled again, not trying to answer. Backing away from the stairs down the ruined corridor, he passed the broken wall that he'd entered through. There wasn't much space left behind him, he knew that — soon he'd be trapped against the fallen rocks that blocked the passageway. He was running out of time and space.

  Just a little further, he thought, hoping he was right. His plan hinged on a guess, and he couldn't be sure he had read the situation properly. But as soon as the man was past the gap in the wall, Helen darted through it.

  Hearing the movement behind him, the guard glanced back. And that was the moment Davor sprung forward.

  He knocked the spear aside, ignoring the biting pain as it scraped along his side. That was a wound that would heal quickly. But where his jaws closed on the other man's arm and bit down, the crunch of bone breaking signaled an injury that would take a lot longer to fix.

  Screaming in sudden pain, the man jumped back, spear falling from his
useless hand. Davor didn't give him a chance to recover, rushing after him as Helen pressed herself to the wall of the corridor, letting them tumble past. The guard shifted as he went, twisting as he transformed, trying to bite at Davor. But Davor didn't give him a chance, pinning him down on the cold stone floor and biting down hard on his neck. For a moment, the other wolf struggled futilely. Then he relaxed with a whine of pain, surrendering.

  Davor bit down again, then relaxed his hold cautiously. He wasn't keen to trust a Fire Wolf, but it also wasn't his way to kill a helpless foe if he didn't have to.

  Whining and curling up around his injured limb, the other wolf made no move to resist. Davor growled a last warning, then shifted back and turned to Helen. She had picked up the spear the man had dropped, unsteadily pointing it at their prisoner.

  "You won't need that now," Davor said.

  "The other one might be waiting for us," she replied, looking nervously down the stairs. "I'd rather have it and not need it than need it—"

  "—and not have it," he finished for her, and nodded. "I'd expect him to have come to his friend's aid, but Fire Wolves can be cowards. Maybe he is lying in wait for us down the stairs."

  That was at least a little bit unfair, he knew. Many of the Fire Wolves were brave warriors, otherwise the Clan wouldn't be so dangerous. But what they didn't have was a sense of honor, and one of them abandoning his comrade to set an ambush wasn't impossible.

  The spear wasn't very likely to change that since Helen had no training in using it. Davor didn't doubt her willingness to fight, or her bravery, but she wouldn't be able to face a trained warrior in battle. He didn't feel the need to say that, though. Not when she drew some confidence from the weapon in her hand.

  Turning to their prisoner, he looked the other shifter in the eyes. "You're free to go. Run, hide, fetch your Clan. Whatever you feel you have to do. Just don't follow us - if I see you in here again, I will end you."

  Not waiting for a reply, he turned and started down the stairs that spiraled down into the Worldwalker's Gate.