Chapter 8
Ellard took half a step and bumped into a cold but invisible wall. The icy wall engulfed him at his next step, and a shudder sped across his skin. His feline grunted, and each of his senses—humanoid and feline—spiked to full awareness.
“Ellard, hurry.”
“No.” He had to push out the word, the cold so bad he couldn’t think.
“Kiss.” The weak demand sounded next to his ear.
He took a step back toward Gweneth, and the cold disappeared. He studied their surroundings and couldn’t feel or sense anyone dangerous.
“Why aren’t you trying to get help?”
Ellard turned to face her. “Our invisible friends attempted to stop me. Can you hear them talking?”
Ellard closed the distance between them and slid his arm around Gweneth.
Before she could voice the questions shining in his eyes, he kissed her.
He dived straight into the experience, tasting her lips and the silken depths beyond.
After her initial start, she slipped her arms around his neck and clung, pressing her breasts against his chest. A pleasurable shudder worked down his body to sink into his cock.
Phrull. He closed his eyes and focused on the buzz of enjoyment, her scent, her taste.
The squawk of a bird had him raising his gaze to scan their surroundings. He remained close and allowed the truth to simmer between them.
Gweneth quirked a brow at him, her luscious lips tilting up at the corners. “What was that?”
“You don’t know? I must not be doing it right.”
Her smile broadened to a smirk. “You know you’re doing it right, Ellard. I want to know why.”
“An experiment.”
Some of her good humor faded, and he wanted to kick himself.
He wanted more than kisses, yet maybe this was better.
He shouldn’t encourage her when she could do so much better than him.
His one experiment with the opposite sex since he’d lost his arm hadn’t proved a success.
His partner had refused to continue unless he turned off the light, even though he’d paid her for the privilege.
Gweneth could have her choice of lovers.
“I thought we were past that.” Her sharp tone spoke of irritation. Anger.
Face the problem. “You’re beautiful, Gweneth. I wasn’t much to look at before I lost my arm. I’m a handicap.”
“What you are is an idiot. Why the experiment if you think we have no future? Our kisses are a rousing success. Don’t try to tell me you feel nothing because I won’t believe you.”
“I haven’t been with another female for ages.”
“Good. I don’t like to think of other females touching you.”
Ellard blinked.
“The experiment,” she prompted.
He blinked again, his mind not working at its normal pace. She almost sounded jealous of his other lovers.
“Ellard!”
“The voice keeps telling me to kiss you. We must give off sexual energy with each kiss.”
“Sheera and Leeam are hungry? That’s what you’re saying?” Gweneth curled her fingers to a fist, fighting the urge to jump up and down and cheer. Yes. Yes. Yes!
“I think so. I think that’s why they’re having difficulty communicating with us. I’m hearing snatches of words, sometimes very faint.”
“I felt something extra—a shove when you lifted me.”
“My theory is that helping us that way drained the last of their power.”
“We must keep them alive. They’re kids starting out.”
Ellard’s brow furrowed. “They’re old enough to mate. They’re not youngsters any longer, not according to their Incorporeal race.”
“They stopped you running to find a clearing.”
“Yes, and they didn’t want us climbing to the top of the flat hill.”
They’d wanted her and Ellard to kiss. She could use this to nudge their relationship along in the correct direction. Stars, she could kiss Leeam and Sheera even though she hadn’t met them yet.
“The ship is heading back this way,” Ellard said.
Gweneth drew in a breath and clapped her hand over her mouth.
The ship came closer and appeared to hover above them.
Ellard eased up beside her. “They know we’re here. Must have heat-seeking equipment.”
“Friend or foe?”
“The voices say danger.”
The ship continued to hover.
“Off the path,” Ellard whispered. “The birds are heading back this way. Maybe they’ll think we’re birds too.”
Gweneth slipped into the trees with Ellard close on her heels. A thought occurred. “Stand close to me. They might think we’re bigger.”
“Good idea.”
Gweneth smothered her grin against his chest. What did Olivia used to say about kismet? Something about if it came calling to cast away doubt and embrace that bitch until you sucked it dry.
“They’re leaving.”
“Could be any number of reasons. What should we do?”
“On the assumption they’ve found us, I think we should stick to our plan. Find shelter and reassess in the whitelight. Hopefully, the dragons will realize something is amiss and find a way to get us out.”
“Makes sense. Can we use those leafy plants over there to fashion a shelter and something to rest on? They’re not the hungry type?
” Gweneth straightened from her lean against Ellard and winced at the combined pain of several bruises.
Not for the first time, she wished she could shift to feline to help speed her recovery.
Ellard trotted over to investigate the plants. When he started tearing the large green-and-pink leaves free from the main plant, she joined him.
Once they had a pile, she grabbed an armful and followed Ellard. He plunged off the track again and into the trees until he neared a large rock formation.
“This will work. The rocks at our back and the trees are thick here. We can’t see the path, but we’re still close enough to get to it.” He dumped the leaves he carried. “Stay here. I’ll get the last of them.”
Despite the unrelenting aches and jabs of pain, Gweneth started to fashion a bed. If she stopped and sat down, she didn’t think she’d manage to start moving again.
Ellard returned with the last of the leaves. “I saw some sticks we can use to make a framework. The air feels wrong. It’s going to rain.”
“Delightful,” Gweneth muttered as he strode away. “Cold, wet, and sore. A triple treat.”
Ellard returned, and together, they constructed a rough frame. They draped the larger leaves over the top, layering them to make a roof.
Gweneth sank to the ground with a groan.
“Take off your tunic, and let me check your bruises. In this heat, infection will set in quickly.”
Gweneth opened her mouth to argue, then pressed her lips together. Getting naked with Ellard might spur him onward and give him a nudge in the right direction. She raised her arms and hissed. “You’ll have to help me.”
It took him longer with one arm, but their combined efforts finally worked.
“Phrull, that’s a big bruise on your ribs.” He traced the region with one gentle finger, and her breath caught at the scatter of sensations that darted from the point of contact.
“At least nothing appears broken. We were both lucky.”
A howl sounded in the distance, and they both lifted their heads, automatically scenting in the direction of the disturbance.
“Better grab a pile of stones and a stout stick. We possess one knife between us,” Gweneth said.
“The creature—whatever it is—isn’t close. Not yet. You stay there. I’ll collect a stash of sticks and stones. I want to check your wound while it’s still light enough to see.”
“My head isn’t too bad, not as painful as my ribs.”
“Yes.”
Ellard left, and Gweneth attempted to relax. While she hadn’t planned her cycle to end this way, at least she was with Ellard.
By the time he returned, blacklight had settled in, bringing the area to creepy life. Shadows loomed, spread by the faint starlight that pierced the trees. The sounds were different, although the creature hadn’t howled again.
“Do you want to put on your tunic?”
“It’s still muggy. I think I’ll sleep better without it.” While Ellard had been away, she’d rolled it up into a neat pillow.
“It’s started to rain.”
“I hadn’t noticed.”
Ellard sat down beside her. “Thank you for not panicking.”
“Panic won’t help us.” She rolled closer until she felt the heat coming off his body. “We’ll get out of this mess alive. Ransom will come for us.”
“It might take them a while.”
“The Incorporeals will come.”
“Maybe not. There must be an explanation, a reason why Sheera and Leeam are trapped here.”
“You think it’s them and not something else?”
Ellard sighed. “If it’s another being, we might be in trouble. I prefer to stay with my theories until I have proof to the contrary.”
Gweneth smiled into the blacklight. Her too, because she could use this to advance her courtship.
She rolled closer, and Ellard’s good arm came around her.
Without hurrying, she aimed in the general direction of his mouth.
Her lips grazed his shoulder and moved on to the base of his neck, where it met his shoulder.
A small rush of air escaped him, and she grinned. This time, she pressed a harder kiss in that spot and added a bit of suction.
Ellard froze. He moaned and jerked from her touch.
“Is something wrong?” Gweneth knew of her crime. A cheeky move, but necessary if she wanted to keep Ellard off-balance.
“Don’t kiss me there.”
“Why not?” Despite the reduced light, her feline half allowed her to see him.
His green eyes held a storm of confusion and sensual heat.
All emotion that offered encouragement. Somehow, she needed to maneuver him into taking the next step.
She wanted him. Her feline wanted him, yet she sensed he needed to make this decision on his own. In this, she shouldn’t push.
“Gweneth, playing dumb doesn’t suit you.”
His terse words stung, and she glanced away from his stern visage. He was right, damn it. Manipulation wouldn’t win his love. She needed to fight fair and square, to seduce and show him her heart. They had to get to understand one another, their strengths and weaknesses. No tricks.