Shortly, they came across a small battered shuttle. Raiden looked inside, but it was apparent it was empty. The cockpit was crushed. Debris was strewn around. When he sniffed the air Raiden became thoughtful.
“I smell death.”
“Me too.”
Using brute strength, Raiden pushed apart the protesting, crumpled metal, it squealed as though loathe to give up its victims. As it unfolded, he winced. Humans were so fragile. Whereas he and Cace would have walked away from this wreck unscathed, it appeared two human males weren’t as lucky. Their deaths wouldn’t have been pleasant.
“Poor creatures,” Cace muttered.
Raiden scented his warrior mate’s compassion. He knew immediately if they came across humans, female or male, Cace would not leave them behind. Especially after witnessing the males’ frailty. Castian warriors had been warned humans were delicate beings, but witnessing it was an eye-opener. Human bones could actually be crushed.
“I’m guessing there may be more. Humans rarely traveled to Ulsy in shuttles in numbers less than ten. At least that’s what my brothers’ mates have told me,” Raiden said.
Cace looked at him, then quickly looked away. Even though large bulbs covered their eyes when in body armor, Raiden could almost taste what Cace was thinking. Loy, Raiden’s brother, had taken care of Raiden after their parents were killed. After the water on their planet was poisoned four hundred years ago by a Tonan spy, all of their females died, taking their mates with them. When a Castian mated he mated for life. He gave half of his essence to his mate giving her immortality through his bite and marking her. Their mates, in exchange, gave the Castians half of their essence, which mixed during their mating ritual. The two became one.
Raiden had only been four when his parents died. His sister had died earlier. His mother and father only lived until Raiden’s baby shield was replaced with body armor. After that, his mother was no longer indestructible. Sadly, even a Castian male’s armor couldn’t heal their females; there was no way to tell just when a baby shield would be replaced with armor. The deaths were simultaneously occurring events and unpreventable. The shield detected no danger to its host, because there was no danger as long as the female had a baby shield.
Loy was all Raiden was left with, or so he thought. Another half-brother, Doss, had returned from Ulsy with a mate to become Loy’s new warrior mate. That alone had been a surprise, as Doss was also eight hundred years old, as was Loy. But finding out his new brother was a Tonian hybrid was a shock. The three brothers had the same Castian father—Doss’s mother was Tonan.
Doss was the only hybrid many Castians had ever seen, including Raiden. Thankfully, his new brother was so elated to have a family after living alone for hundreds of years they had become not only brothers, but fast friends. Cace trusted Doss because he scented Raiden’s love for his brother, but he was still somewhat wary around him. Doss was the only being that could slice the armor off either Castian or Tonan. Doss could kill the un-killable.
“If there are more humans, they may not have strayed far,” Raiden said, deciding now was not the time to dwell on his older half-brother.
“This wreck looks old.”
Raiden agreed, but still he was hopeful. It was a human-made vessel—perhaps one of the early few to leave Earth. With a little luck, the Tonans wouldn’t have discovered other survivors. The lack of more bodies was a good sign. The two moved off together searching the surrounding area. In the distance Raiden saw Moonway. Moonway had recently been introduced to their planet, Bagron. They seemed to be crouched over a pile. Raiden sniffed the air. Food, they were eating food. It seemed to be in a small mound. Moonway didn’t heap their food. It was as though it was left as an offering. The creatures looked comfortable eating where they stood.
The last thought made Raiden smile. He knew some humans were prone to worship interesting things. Did they think the little creatures were some type of god? Interesting. Or were the beings that left the fare being compassionate? After walking a distance they came to a lake.
“Look,” Cace’s tone was tinged in excitement.
Raiden noted the outline of a footprint in the grass. It was small. Another larger one was close. Raiden sniffed the air. He caught a scent that made his heart race until his armor controlled it.
“Females.”
Chapter 2
A small grass structure came into view as the two beings slipped quietly through the trees. Their long, sharp taloned hands and claw-like feet gripped the sponge-like terrain with familiarity. Hanging upside down a foot away from the top of the hut, Raiden sniffed. Six separate scents filled his nostrils. Each one was female. The scent awoke something in him that stirred for mere moments, then calmed.
The Castian must cycle was over. Raiden was happy and yet sad. He didn’t want to overpower a female while out of control with her scent. But it would be another four years before the next must cycle began to produce male offspring. No more females would be conceived after that for another four hundred years. Both of Raiden’s brother’s mates were going to have female offspring—he was feeling a little left out. He would have liked nothing more than to be able to hold his own little one.
Moving with stealth, Raiden dropped to the ground without a sound. He noted a small opening to the structure near the side. Small fingers were splayed on the grass in the open. The fingers looked so delicate and white lying amidst the tallish hunter green grass. Crouching low to the ground Raiden lifted the corner of the grass mat and peeked inside. He almost jerked back when he saw a female, eyes closed, and mere inches from his nose.
The female was beautiful. Strands of silky strawberry-blond hair fell past her shoulders. She had delicate features. Wisps of her hair curled around her face in disarray. A small spatter of what humans called freckles dotted her pert nose in a cute way. The rise and fall of her chest made her covered rounded globes fascinating. Her slender arms were bare but the t-shirt covered her slim belly. Raiden was disappointed—most females left their midriff bare for a warrior’s safety. She had tiny feet.
Raiden looked past her to see Cace on the other side of the structure; he too was gazing at a female. Six in all lay sleeping, unaware their lives were about to change. They all looked so tiny. With the utmost care, Raiden scooped up the human female’s hand and tucked it back within the hut. The second he touched her, the armor encasing his hand dropped; secretions from his hand responded to her. It was as though his essence claimed her. An aphrodisiac the likes of nothing he could explain swamped his emotions. Raiden had to give his head a shake; he released her hand and his armor once more snapped into place—oozing from his skin. He motioned to Cace.
Both males met near the front of the structure, then took to the trees. Once scaling the five-hundred foot behemoths in a matter of seconds, they began to plan. Raiden wanted those females to go back to Bagron with them. He also wanted the sweet female he had touched to mate with him.
* * * *
Abri was awake first. She lay on her sleeping mat wondering what woke her. It wasn’t as if she could hear anything. It was more like a feeling. Over the year, awareness of her surroundings seemed to double. Sitting up, she cast her gaze around. The suns’ rays were beginning to shine through the small cracks in the grass walls. Everyone was accounted for and still sleeping. Abri poked her head out of the structure. The door flap had been closed for the night. It looked like a typical morning.
Crawling from the hut, Abri rose to her feet and stretched. The suns were rising higher in the horizon. The pile of food was gone. The air was sweet and clear. Everything seemed normal. There was just an odd sensation in the pit of her belly…. Perhaps a swim would clear her head. Making her way to the water, Abri couldn’t shake the feeling she was being watched. The fine hairs on the back of her neck stood tall. When goose bumps dotted her arms, Abri turned around and looked warily about. Something was amiss; she couldn’t see it, but she could feel it.
Since losing her hearing Abri’s sense of aw
areness to her surroundings had magnified tenfold. After all, she wasn’t just deaf but on a strange new world. She felt it was more survival instinct. Sam always thought it a big joke that Abri could sense the moon creatures before anyone heard them or saw them. Abri couldn’t explain it—she just knew they were there. And what Abri was sensing now wasn’t a little creature. Something big was stalking her.
Something creepy this way comes.
Quick as a rabbit Abri turned tail and ran back to the hut. She pounced on Sam, startling her. “Up, get up,” Abri yelled, her breath coming in short quick gasps. She knew she was practically screaming as she faintly heard her words.
“What?” Sam yelled and pushed her backwards off of her. Sam stuck a finger in her ear and scowled at Abri. She waved her arms as she spoke mimicking her irritation and yelling. “I’m not the deaf one. Or are you trying to render me deaf?”
“Something’s outside,” Abri howled.
“What?”
Abri could see the question on Sam’s lips—she had stopped yelling. Abri shrugged dramatically. She hadn’t seen or heard anything, it was just a feeling. Frustration washed over her. How do you explain a sense? Abri shoved her arm at Sam who noted the goose bumps.
“Are you cold?” She mouthed carefully and hugged her body. Abri shook her head no. “Scared?” Sam made a look of fright. Abri nodded. She pointed a finger and madly waved it in the direction of the hut door.
“You saw something?” Sam mouthed and at the same time pointed to Abri and then her eyes and cocked her head.
Abri shook her head no and Sam seemed to relax. Abri clutched Sam’s hand and placed it over her hammering heartbeat. Abri needed her to understand it wasn’t a joke or to be shrugged off as paranoia.
Frowning, Sam stood up, and with the other women who had also been awoken abruptly, they trailed together, tightly pressed to one another like a can of sardines; they went outside and looked around. Abri stopped short and pointed to the ground. A massive footprint the likes of which she had never seen was indented into a small amount of foliage. She didn’t know how she had missed it. The planet surface sprang back when they walked on it, but the grass beneath their feet was crushed in two places.
Abri crouched to get a better look. The print was much larger than any of the women’s’ and much wider. Where the tip of the toes were she saw holes—like thick claw marks. There was another at the heel. Whatever had made this was huge and heavy. Abri swallowed hard. What could it be? Some kind of monster?
Sam caught Abri’s gaze when she looked up. Even Tasha, hyper Tasha, was at a loss for words. The women clutched one another and, moving as one, they made their way back to the shelter. They sat squished together. Abri could see Sam speaking. No doubt it was a mere whisper. A few of the others were leaning in and nodding, they all looked worried.
There were some words mouthed that Abri could make out. Sam had stopped mimicking any motion—she was too upset, Abri could tell by the look on her pale face. Food, what would they do about food if they stayed inside all day? They didn’t keep food in the hut, or water. Not with the lake so close. And they didn’t want an open invitation to the moon creatures to come calling while they slept. Dark, Abri caught the word ‘dark’ mouthed, what would happen when it got dark? The flimsy walls of their shelter barely kept rain out. They were all so vulnerable…Abri had another thought. She turned Sam’s face to look at her and spoke.
“Am I yelling?” she asked. Sam shook her head no. Abri didn’t think so, but she was huffing out air so fast she wasn’t certain. “If these things are as big as their prints, they must be huge. They must know we’re here. They haven’t attacked. Maybe they’re friendly and just don’t want to scare us.”
Sam looked a bit skeptical but the idea made sense. Shrugging, the larger woman rose and took Abri with her. “I’m not waiting to be attacked,” Sam said loudly, mouthing each word individually and precise. Abri understood her. They were all in this together.
Collectively the women went back outside. They pressed together and looked around once more. Abri looked up at Sam and smiled. It was now or never. They had no line of defense. There were no weapons, only the small wood pieces to hit fish. Abri felt Sam take a deep breath.
“Hello? Is someone there?”
Five heads turned towards a rustling sound. Seeing all the women look in one direction Abri tensed and set her gaze to follow theirs. The foliage parted and Abri thought she would faint. From the bushes came two of the largest men Abri had ever seen in her life. Massive seemed an insignificant word to describe them. Drop dead gorgeous didn’t do them justice either. The men stopped a short distance away, hesitating, hands splayed, allowing the women to make up their minds, it appeared.
It took Tasha all of two seconds before she broke from the group and threw herself into the arms of a stunning blond man. The man looked shocked, then smiled. The smile transformed his handsome features to beautiful as he radiated warmth from within. Brea was next, except her approach was a little more cautious. Followed by Tabby, soon all but one woman were surrounding the men. Abri hung back.
There was more to the men than met the eye. Abri didn’t know how she knew, she just knew. The eyes of the blond man were gray; Abri was close enough to see. His blond hair hung almost to his shoulders in waves. The other man had dark eyes and dark hair that touched his shoulders. Their muscles bulged, and they were so tall, at least six foot six. They looked like normal men except exceptionally powerful. Their chests were bare, hair free and void of nipples—how odd. Their legs were encased in black pants that hugged their hips riding low, the material went to just before their ankles. With confusion, Abri looked down at their large bare feet. These men couldn’t have made those strange footprints. They had normal looking toes and no claws.
Tasha was still hanging off the blond man when he moved closer to Abri. Abri could see Tasha’s mouth moving at ninety miles an hour. Sometimes it wasn’t so bad being deaf around that particular woman. As the man neared, he disengaged Tasha’s hands and placed his fingers over her lips, quieting her. Abri liked him already.
When he spoke, a feeling of sadness washed over Abri. She could tell he was keeping his voice soft not to spook her. He had full sensual lips and perfect white teeth. A dimple on his left cheek teased in and out. Abri looked way up into his eyes. His finger curled under her chin and he cocked his head and said something else. Sam came forward and soon it became apparent she was explaining Abri couldn’t hear. The man frowned. He pointed at his chest and mouthed an exaggerated word. It looked like, “Way down.”
Abri concentrated on those sensual lips and knew she must be muttering aloud when Sam caught her attention. She mouthed a single word and pointed at the suns. Sam motioned her hands through streams of light playing within the foliage.
“Rays,” Abri exclaimed. Then Sam took her to their hut and hand motioned words as she outlined the structure. Abri spoke aloud. “Home, hut, shelter—den.” Sam grabbed her hand and smiled. Abri mouthed the words aloud once more. “Rays den, Ray, den. Raiden?” Sam nodded vigorously.
Raiden, obviously pleased, smiled at her. Abri pointed at her chest and said her name, hoping she hadn’t yelled. He nodded and then led her over to the dark-haired man who was grinning outrageously at all the women at once. Raiden mouthed another word and pointed to his friend. It looked like cage or base—or ace for that matter.
“Cage?” Abri asked—taking a stab in the dark. The dark-haired man laughed. Raiden shushed him.
Sam disappeared into the shelter only to return in moments with a grass bag they used to carry their fruit-like food. Charades began again.
Abri rambled off a few words. “Pouch, bag, purse. No, no. Think Abri. Cage, Ace…a…a, Case?”
The dark-haired man hugged her. He leaned in close and must have yelled, because she heard the word, Cace. To her surprise, Raiden gripped her arm and snatched her back. He looked pissed. Cace just smiled and winked at her. Abri looked up into Raiden’s gray eye
s. She didn’t need words to understand possessiveness, which concerned her. Abri didn’t even know this guy; he had no right to look the way he did. She untangled herself from Raiden’s embrace and moved closer to Sam.
Even though the men dwarfed Sam’s six feet in height, she was still the strongest of the six women and knew a great many karate moves. If the men got out of line, no doubt Sam would be able to toss them on their assess. Hopefully.
Raiden spoke to the group in general. A few of the other women were nodding—Sam frowned. Abri tugged on her arm. Sam looked down at her. She gestured the men wanted them to go with them somewhere. Abri thought as much. They couldn’t really stay on this planet all alone forever. It would be a numbers game to see who would die of old age, or whatever, then see who was the last woman standing—alone. Not a pleasant thought.
There was also the introduction of the strange footprints that coincided with the appearance of these men. Maybe Raiden and Cace knew what the creatures were. Abri took Raiden by the hand. He looked surprised but followed her when she took him to the imprint. His warm hand tightened onto hers and for just a moment, she thought he trembled. Abri pointed at the outline of the huge, apparently clawed mark.
“What’s this?” Abri asked, hoping she wasn’t yelling or whispering.
Raiden released her hand which she noted felt moist. Not an icky kind of sweat and the moisture disappeared in seconds. He squatted down then looked up at Cace. When he rose, Raiden seemed to think on something. His large hand cupped Abri’s chin and he pointed at his chest. Did that mean he had made the strange print? Abri twisted a bit to look down at his feet. They were bare, wide and very large, but normal enough. No claws. Curiously she looked at Raiden. She pointed to the print and then Raiden. He nodded.
Engulf Page 3
