Wild Things (BBW Paranormal Shifter Romance): Shifter Lovers Romance (14 page)

Senna
waited while the woman brought a tray with bread and a thick stew, along with a
tall bottle and two pewter cups. She poured a dark red wine, handing a cup to
Senna.

“It
is customary to share a meal with family. But I do not need a second meal
today. But I will drink with you.”

Senna
took a piece of thick bread, and dipped it in the stew. The bread was thick and
dense, with a good crust, the stew flavorful and rich. She ate without
thinking, finally wiping the bowl with the last piece of bread. She looked up,
hiding her mouth behind her hand.

“I’m
sorry. I have manners. I...”

“No
apologies needed. You have been through a terrible ordeal. I don’t know the
details, but it cannot have been easy.”

Senna
put her bowl on the tray, and picked up her wine. It was a heady red, and after
only a few sips, she was feeling lightheaded, even with a full stomach.

“The
hardest was knowing my father didn’t care enough to find out if I was going to
be safe, where I went. To trust the Ottway, and not take my feelings into
account.” She took another swallow of wine. Tears had come back, and even
though this woman seemed to genuinely care, it was too much to try to explain.

“It
was hard, all of it. But...” Senna raised her eyes to the woman, tears spilling
down her cheeks. She smiled, and it felt like the first time she had smiled a
real, from the heart smile. “But Gabriel was there. He got on the train, and
didn’t have a plan, other than to save me. And run away.” She sniffled, wiping
her nose on her sleeve. “He put his life in danger for me, to be with me. It
doesn’t matter anymore about anything else. He came for me.”

The
woman smiled and stood, setting her hand gently on Senna’s head. “He is a good
man. I was much younger when they took him. He was a good boy then, and he has
grown into a good man. You are very lucky to have him. And he to have you.”

The
woman collected the plates and broken food and took them away, then returned.
“Come. You need to rest.

“I
can’t. I need to find Gabriel, to see if...” Senna stood, then swayed with
exhaustion.

“If
something, anything, happens, they will wake you. We have a saying; eat when
you can, sleep when you can. You may not have the chance again.”

Senna
nodded, too tired to argue anymore. The woman took her hand, and led her to a
cot in the corner. Senna curled up on the blankets, and the woman covered her
with a soft blanket.

“Sleep.
We are all here. You are safe.” The woman kissed the top of Senna’s head and
then left.

Senna
lay in the dark, listening to the sounds outside. There were voices, men
mostly. It was hard to tell, but she thought she heard Gabriel’s voice. But she
was drifting to sleep. It was hard to believe she was safe, knew the woman was
only telling her the words she thought Senna wanted to hear. Safety right now
was the last thing she felt. She was in a tent in a strange land, with strange
people. But then she smiled. According to them, she was family.

Her
eyes blinked open, fatigue fading for the moment. Gabriel had said if she would
have him, he would take her as his wife. In all the confusion, he’d said he
would marry her. She smiled and closed her eyes. And that was the thoughts she
fell asleep to, being married to Gabriel. Being his wife.

A
sound woke her, but she couldn’t tell what it was. Bells, maybe? Metal
something hitting against metal something else, but there was nothing in the
palace that sounded like that.

Then
it came back to her, where she was. She sat up, pushing the blanket aside. She
was alone in the tent, but outside there were voices, and they had an urgent
sound she did not like.

The
flap of the tent opened and Gabriel came in. She saw daylight outside, and he
stood for a moment, blinking.

“Gabriel.”
She stood up, smoothing down her dress. “I’m here.”

“I
should have better eyesight than this, but it’s full daylight out there, and
dark as a cave in here.” He smiled, and then crossed the tent to her. “Sit. I
have news.”

Her
heart made a sickening thud in her chest, more from the tone of his voice than
from his words. Gabriel had changed into robes similar to those of the rest of
the tribe. In the dim light of the tent, he looked dark and handsome,
mysterious with his head wrapped in a red scarf. More than anything, she wanted
to just stay here with him, in the tent, and pretend all of this was just a bad
dream. But she sat, and he joined her on the cot. He took her hands, rubbing
his fingers across her knuckles.

“I
have news.”

“The
Ottway? His shifters...”

“Yes.
But there is other news. The Ottway, and the aliens are very close, and we must
leave. But I wanted you to know...it’s your father, Senna. He is dead.”

She
was sure her heart had stopped beating. “Dead? When....how? I’ve only been
gone...not that long.”

“The
Ottway, apparently. With the help of the Prime Minister.”

“Oh...”
Her body went cold, and she began to shiver. Gabriel put his arm around her
shoulder as she started to cry. “I was so mad at him, but I never wished
anything like this to happen to him.”

“Of
course not. He was your father, and despite everything, I’m sure he loved you
deeply. How could he not? I suspect now that he had no idea what the Ottway’s
plans were for you, or knew about the fuel trading with the aliens.”

“But
the Prime Minister did.” It was not a question. In her heart, she knew exactly
how this whole plan had been concocted. “The Prime Minister was the one who
brought the Ottway’s plan to my father, was the broker of the deal, in so many
words. He traveled back and forth...” It was too much to think about, and she
buried her face in his shoulder. The only person left in her family was gone.
The last of her family. Except...

She
sat up, grabbing his arm. “Ana? Do you know anything about Ana? Or the rest?”

He
shook his head. “No. Talok only had that news a few hours before he came across
us, and only told me after you left. He didn’t want to tell you when they found
us. And I didn’t want to tell you, until you had a chance to rest. I’m sorry if
that upsets you.”

It
did, in a way. But she wasn’t going to be angry with him, not now. She wiped
her face and looked up at him. “I want to go home. I want to find Anacelia. And
I want to make the Prime Minister pay for what he has done to me.”

Gabriel
was silent, but finally shook his head. “Yes. I understand. But as I said, the Ottway's
men have found our trail. We are hidden here, for now. But it will only be a
matter of time before they find us.”

“And
then they will find the village. What do we do?” It broke her heart to think
she’d brought trouble to this village, after what had happened, after aliens
and that horrible Ottway had driven them from their home. The Ottway was evil,
pure and simple. And the Prime Minister as well. They made a terrible pair.

“Talok
and others will come with us, to fight if we need to. To help us escape.
Before, we were going to run north, into the barren country and through to the
other side.”

“What’s
on the other side?”

“Another
place like this. And then there are stories of a sea, bluer than the sky,
stretching to the horizon. And then really nothing. No one has crossed that sea
in generations. But we’ll go back, to your city, to the palace. And find Ana.”

She
nodded, and let him take her hand, pulling her to her feet. “Where will your
people go?”

“There
are ways through these ravines, hidden passages, and canyons. They’ll disappear
into them like shadows.”

“With
the camels?”

Gabriel
nodded. “With the camels. They’ve done it before, and they’ll do it again.” He
leaned forward, and kissed her forehead. “We need to go, now. Pack...” His lips
curled into a smile. “I guess you don’t have anything to pack, do you?”

“No.
I have what I brought, but I don’t want it. Someone here can have the few
things I brought. I’ll take...” The clothes she’d worn were folded on the
little stool. “Just these. Except they smell like a camel.”

“Yes,
they do.” He pulled her away from the pile of clothing. “But if you’re going
home, you have clothes there, yes?”

“No.
Everything was packed, and left on the train. Everything I owned, except for
what I had on, and what I gave Anacelia...” Her voice broke. “There is nothing.
But I don’t want that old life. I want a new life with you. And new clothes.
Everything new.”

Her
voice had risen, gotten slightly hysterical. Everything inside her felt torn,
and broken. The only thing that was solid and real in her life, was Gabriel.
She wrapped her arms around his neck, and let him pull him against her. It was
easier to cry against him, to just let him absorb her tears and her heartbreak.
But she knew she couldn’t stay here, they couldn’t. There were people waiting,
and she was going home. Pulling herself away from him, she straightened,
sniffed once, and forced herself to smile.

“We
should go. If they’re coming for us, then we should go.”

Gabriel
raised an eyebrow, but kept quiet. He leaned down, kissing her gently. “Then we
go. You’ll have to ride a camel again, but with a saddle this time. Slightly
more comfortable.”

She
gave him a fragile smile. “Yes. Fine. I’ll be fine.”

* * *

Riding
a camel with a saddle was more comfortable, but not by much. But she didn’t
care. They were headed to the Oasis, and she was determined once they arrived
to confront the Prime Minister. Whatever happened to him, she didn’t care, as
long as he was out of her way.

She
was riding behind Gabriel, thinking about Anacelia, her father, what to do
about the Prime Minister. Riding the camel made it too hard to talk to Gabriel,
and it wasn’t the time, yet. They were sticking to the canyons and ravines, as
Gabriel said. They twisted and turned, through dark and light, shadows and sunlight,
heading toward her home.

“Oh,
for God’s sake.” She sat up straight. Gabriel glanced over his shoulder,
frowning at her.

“What?
Is something wrong?”

“No.
I’m not sure. If we...if the Prime Minister is gone, then I’m the...I’m the
ruler of the Oasis.”

He
grunted, then nodded. “I guess you will be.”

Her
mind was turning in a thousand directions. She’d never thought...it hadn’t
occurred to her that she’d inherit everything, including becoming ruler of the
kingdom. It was a terribly huge responsibility for her, young, alone.

“Oh,
yes. Thank the Gods!” She wasn’t alone. “You said you’d make me your wife!”

“Yes.”
Gabriel turned in the saddle, his expression bemused. “Yes. I said that. And I
will. But not here, in the middle of the canyons.”

“Yes.
I mean, no. But if we’re married, then I’m not alone. I won’t be alone.”

“Senna.”
Gabriel pulled the reins on the camel, dragging it to a stop. He turned around in
the saddle, frowning. “What are you talking about?”

“If
we’re married, I won’t have to rule alone. We can rule together. Don’t you see?
This is wonderful.”

His
brow smoothed out, and he managed a smile. “Senna. You are the most amazing
woman I have ever met.” Without falling out of the saddle, he managed to kiss
her. But then he grew serious. “But first we need to get away from whoever is
chasing us, and
then
we need to deal with whatever the Prime Minister
has done. Making you my wife is my greatest wish. After we are safe, not
before.”

“Yes.
I know. Then let’s get going.”

She
reached down, smacking the camel on the rump. It jerked, and snorted, and took
off at a trot. Gabriel grabbed the reins, getting the beast under control. He
looked back at her.

“And
from now on, let me take care of steering the camel, alright?”

* * *

They’d
gotten out of the ravines and canyons, the camel struggling up the final climb
up out of the last ravine. It lurched and groaned, and finally crested the edge
with a final snort. Senna released her death grip around Gabriel’s waist.

The
desert stretched out around them, harsh and flat and glaring in the sun.
Gabriel pulled the camel to a stop. Ahead of them was another rider on a camel,
behind them two more. Gabriel turned to her.

“We’ll
travel during the day. It’ll be very hot, and you’ll be thirsty. There’s water
in the packs on the camel, but it won’t be enough. Can you do that?”

“Yes.
I can.”

“Then
find something to wrap around your face. The wind kicks up sand, and it stings.”
He pulled up the face covering of his robes. She nodded and dug in the leather
bag hanging by her side. There was a long blue scarf, and she swirled it around
her head and face as Gabriel kicked the camel and they started through the
sand.

“How
long?” Her voice was muffled. Gabriel shook his head, and she leaned forward,
her face beside his ear. “I said, how long until...”

Gabriel
jerked the camel’s head around, growling at her over his shoulder. “Be quiet.”

She
looked behind them. A long trail of dust rose in the distance. The riders
behind them were lashing their camels, the big animals galloping at surprising
speed toward them. But the plumes of dust were gaining. From the sharp glints
of light reflecting off metal, she thought they must be the Ottway’s men,
riding new machines. For some reason, that seemed the lesser of two evils.
These were men, just as vulnerable as she was. Cold comfort, but strangely
comforting nonetheless.

“We
can’t outrun them, can we?”

“No.”
Gabriel’s growl was deeper, tinged with anger. “We have to fight.” He turned
around. The lone rider in front of them had turned around, and she saw he was
headed toward them.

“Senna.
Listen. I dismount, and we fight. You stay on this camel, no matter what. Do
not
dismount. The rest of the herd will run, and you will go...”

“No.
I will not. I will fight alongside you and the rest.”

He
stared at her, his eyes black above his white robes. With a rough gesture, he
pulled aside the robe covering his face. An instant, alarming thrill of fear
raced through her as he leaned closer.

“I
love you, Senna. You cannot fight. I will not allow it.”

Pulling
herself up, she glared at him. “I am a Princess, and you cannot tell me what I
can or cannot do. I will fight, and you will not forbid me.”

Behind
them, she could hear the thundering of the camels as they approached, and over
that the thin scream of the machines.

“I
cannot argue with you. There is no time. Fight then, but stay behind me or one
of the other men. Defend yourself, do not attack.” He grabbed her arm, pulling
her close. “Do you understand?”

“Yes.”
Her voice was breathless. “I understand.”

His
kiss was hard, searing. “I love you, Senna. More than life. And I will give
mine to save yours. But do not even think of doing the same for me.”

He
turned away, saying something in his language, and the camel sunk to the
ground. Gabriel jumped off and helped her down. He pulled a sword from his
robes, then reached for one of the leather bags. She watched as the other
riders reached them, the riders jumping down, the camels snorting, making
strange moans and grunts as if they sensed danger and were adding their cry to
the mix of men shouting. The final rider dismounted, and the camels ran off
together like brothers, disappearing behind a sand dune.

“But...”
She wanted them back, wanted the comfort and security of their big bodies, of a
way to escape.

“They
are the least of our worries. They will come when we call.”

Four
men and a woman, their little group, looked far too small to fight whatever was
coming toward them. From the size of the dust cloud, Senna thought there must
be hundreds of them.

“Here.”
Gabriel thrust something into her hand. It was a dagger, almost a foot long,
heavy and deadly-looking. “Hold it like I showed you, with the comb. Out and
down, not up. Remember?”

“I
do.” The dagger felt foreign but strangely comforting. She could protect
herself; Gabriel would not have to worry about her. And if given the chance,
she would kill.