Her stomach rumbled in response, and she realized that it had been a long time since her meager breakfast. Could she trust his food, she wondered.
“It’s really good,” Whit said enthusiastically.
“I believe that I could feed you coal dust and you would not object,” Krampasarian said dryly and the boy grinned.
“I suppose I am a little hungry,” she admitted.
“Then we will return with food at once. Come, Whit.”
She might have bristled at the demanding note in Krampus’s voice, but the boy didn’t object, simply hopping down from his perch on the far side of the bed. Hopping…
“Oh no! What happened to Robin?”
“Robin?”
“The little red bird who’s been keeping me company for the past month. He tried to stop the wolf.”
“Are you sure? I was not –”
“You were not what?” she asked impatiently. “Of course I’m sure.”
“This is of importance to you?”
“Yes, of course. It may be too late, but what if he’s only wounded, and he’s out there by himself in the snow?”
He hesitated, his expression distant, then gave a quick nod. “As soon as you have eaten, I will go look for him.”
“I can wait.”
“As soon as you have eaten,” he repeated, his voice just as authoritative as it had been with Whit.
Ignoring her glare, he turned to the door. If he wasn’t going to help her, she’d do it by herself. She swung a leg over the side of the bed, but as soon as her foot hit the ground, a flash of pain shot up her leg and she couldn’t prevent a small cry.
He immediately returned to her side, positioning her back in the bed with those cool, strong hands. “You have not yet recovered. You will remain in this bed.”
Every part of her wanted to argue with him, but the throbbing in her ankle couldn’t be ignored.
“Fine.” She subsided back against the pillows. “But if I had my medicines, it wouldn’t take long to heal.”
“You can heal this injury?”
This time, the heat rushed to her own cheeks. She did have medicines which would aid in healing, but if her ankle was sprained as badly as she suspected, only time would fully resolve the problem.
“It would help, but no, it wouldn’t heal it completely,” she admitted.
“If it will help you, then I will return and procure whatever you need.” Despite his overly formal phrasing, he looked genuinely concerned.
“Go and look for Robin first,” she said firmly, then nodded. “But I do have a few things that might help.”
“You will prepare a list while I prepare your meal.”
She arched a brow. “Do you read English as well as you speak it?”
For the first time, a smile crossed his face – a devastatingly attractive smile. She suddenly remembered her dream and the way she had pleasured herself afterwards to the memory of him. Her nipples tightened beneath her gown, and she was grateful that it wouldn’t be apparent through the thick cloth. But his eyes heated, as if he knew what she was thinking. Their gazes locked, and she didn’t know who would have looked away first if Whit hadn’t piped up.
“I’m hungry.”
“You are always hungry.” Krampus frowned at the boy, but she could see no sign of annoyance on his face and Whit only grinned. “We will feed the females first.”
“And then us,” Whit added, glancing back at Cinna. “You stay here.”
“Okay,” Cinna said sleepily.
She had been leaning against the bed the whole time, and now Jaelle patted the spot next to her. “Hop up here with me, sweetie.”
Cinna took her literally, climbing up onto the bed as Krampus and Whit left and snuggling up against Jaelle’s side.
“I was worried about you,” Jaelle said softly.
“I’m fine.” Cinna yawned. “The bad man took Whit and then came back to get me.”
Her heart skipped a beat. “The bad man?”
Cinna nodded. “That’s what Penny called him. But I don’t think he is. I likes it here.”
Jaelle couldn’t find it in herself to argue. She knew that Linnea worked hard and did her best to look after Cinna, along with her own girls, but money was short. She had thought of offering to have Cinna live with her, but she knew that if she did, the girl would be ostracized from the village, and she didn’t want that fate visited on the child.
But Krampasarian had said that his presence here was only temporary. What would happen when he left? And where was he from? He had been evasive when she had asked him if this was his planet. Was he from another world? Her heart began to pound as she considered the obvious level of technology surrounding her. Was there a way off this planet at last?
“Tell me a story,” Cinna whispered.
Pushing her hopes aside for the moment, Jaelle gathered the girl close and began to spin her a tale.
Chapter Eight
“Why are you all dressed up?” Whit asked Krampasarian as soon as they left the cabin.
“It seemed appropriate since we had a female visitor,” he said as calmly as possible, even though he suspected the boy knew that it was not the entire truth.
Once he was sure that Jaelle was sleeping soundly, he had asked Whit and Cinna to watch over her while he went to change. He was determined to erase every sign of his primitive reactions, scrubbing the blood from his claws and polishing his horns until they shone. After securing his hair in a formal knot and donning his dress uniform, he had surveyed himself in the mirror. Once more, he appeared to be the legendary Commander of the Tandroki Fleet, but now he knew that there was another side to him.
The primal savagery with which he had defeated the animal threatening his female, the urge to claim her, the overwhelming primitive need to join their bodies together in ways long abandoned by his race – he was no longer the male that he had been when he landed on this accursed planet. That knowledge had only strengthened when he returned to his cabin and saw her looking at him from his bed. His primitive side roared with approval. This was where she belonged. In his bed, in his arms, in his life…
Why did that thought keep resurfacing? But really, was it so far-fetched? Did she belong on this primitive planet with a group of people who obviously did not appreciate her? What if he took her with him when he left?
He was so lost in thought that Whit had to tug twice on his sleeve before he realized that the boy was speaking. “Don’t you think that’s enough?”
Looking down, he realized that he had filled two entire trays with a variety of delicacies, unsure what would appeal to his female. “I did not know what she would like.”
“I like all of it.”
“So I have observed. But females can be more discriminating. You will let Jaelle and Cinna choose first.”
“Okay.” Whit sighed and looked up at him with big soulful eyes. “Can I have something now? I’m starving.”
Krampasarian laughed and handed the boy two of his favorite wafer bars. “I trust this will alleviate immediate starvation.”
“Tank you,” Whit said thickly, half of one bar already filling his mouth.
“I hope you never encounter my etiquette teacher,” Krampasarian muttered as he picked up the trays.
But as he walked down the corridor, he reconsidered his words. If he was going to remove Jaelle from this planet, why not take the children as well? They had no ties here, no one to care for them. The idea pleased him and he was smiling when he reentered his cabin.
The sight that greeted him only reinforced the idea. Jaelle was holding Cinna close, telling her some type of fanciful tale, and the sight of the two of them made him long for something he had never had.
A family.
True, he had parents – a stern father and a socialite mother – but he had been brought up in accordance with Tandroki tradition, paraded out on special occasions, neatly dressed in an appropriate outfit, and ordered to behave politely and correctly. Unlike Whit,
who had somehow managed to tear the sleeve of his thermal suit and acquire a smudge across his face. But the boy didn’t care, charging across the room and jumping up on the bed with a whoop of pleasure. Krampasarian would never have dared. In fact, to the best of his recollection, he had never entered the bedroom of either his father or his mother. He firmly pushed the wistful thought aside. It would be good for the child to learn some discipline.
“I have brought sustenance,” he announced. When Jaelle frowned at him, he realized how stern he sounded and attempted a smile. “I hope there is something you will enjoy.”
“I’m sure there is, but…” Jaelle bit her lip and looked over at the seating area. “Could we eat over there? I’d rather not get crumbs in the bed.”
He nodded abruptly and placed the trays on the low table, turning to see her gingerly swinging her injured leg to the ground again. Crossing the room in two quick strides, he huffed with exasperation as he lifted her into his arms. “I told you not to put any weight on your ankle.”
“I can hobble over to the chair,” she said defiantly, but he ignored her.
Once more, she was in his arms, and she felt as right there as she had before. But this time, she was awake, her face only inches from his as she glared at him, her succulent mouth tempting him. Her breath caught, and a small pink tongue flicked across her plump lower lip. His cock sprang immediately to attention, pressing painfully against his tight uniform pants as he imagined her tasting him. Her eyes widened, but she did not look afraid, and he could scent her arousal. And as he bent his head towards her, she did not pull away…
“Put her down so she can choose,” Whit said impatiently, interrupting the moment.
Jaelle’s cheeks flushed as she looked away from him, and he had to bite back an impatient snarl. Instead, he carefully placed her in the most comfortable chair, arranged a pillow at her back, and pulled the table closer.
“Please, help yourself. There is plenty more.”
“That’s not what you tell me,” Whit muttered.
“That is because you would eat your way through the entire supply and blow up like a mapallo if I let you.”
“What’s a mapallo?” Cinna asked. She had curled up on the floor at Jaelle’s feet and was nibbling daintily at a sweet biscuit.
“A very large, round animal that bumps across the plains, consuming everything it finds,” he said lightly. He didn’t mention that it was actually an aggressive pest that had been hunted almost to oblivion in the quest to protect their crops.
Both children giggled and Jaelle smiled, but he saw her give him a speculative glance. How much could he tell her – how much should he tell her? Would she believe any of it? He felt quite sure that the majority of the villagers would instantly reject the notion that he came from another planet, but he was not as sure about Jaelle. And he could hardly expect her to go with him if he didn’t tell her where they were going. Before he could consider the idea further, Whit began asking him about other strange animals.
The meal passed pleasantly, both children amused by his anecdotes. He saw Jaelle relax and suspected she had decided that he was spinning tales for the children’s amusement. To a certain extent he was - softening the more vicious characteristics and highlighting the more amusing aspects of some of the animals he had encountered - but they were all based in reality.
As soon as they were finished eating, he saw Jaelle cast an anxious glance at the viewport. The early winter day was fading and the snow was still falling.
“I will leave now,” he assured her.
“Thank you, but are you sure?”
“Do you not want the medicines from your cottage and to know the fate of your… bird?”
“Yes, of course. But it’s getting dark, and what if there are more dire wolves?”
“They will not trouble me,” he said firmly and patted the holster on his hip. There would be no more regression to a primitive state.
Her eyes flicked from the gun to his hands and then up to his face. He saw the question in her eyes, but she did not voice it aloud, and he chose to ignore it.
“Whit, you and Cinna prepare for bed. That includes washing yourself from head to foot,” he added as the boy’s face drooped.
“I washed this morning.”
“And you will wash again tonight.”
Whit sighed but didn’t make any further protest.
“I will not be gone long,” he promised, then ducked into the adjoining dressing room to replace his uniform with the thermal suit.
When he emerged, Jaelle’s eyes widened, and he saw her scan his body, her gaze drifting down over his chest and lingering between his legs for a fraction of the second before she blushed and looked away. For the first time, he realized just how closely the thermal suit clung to his body. He recited a calming mantra in a desperate attempt to keep his cock from responding to the appreciation in her eyes. Now was not the time.
“I will be back,” he said firmly, leaving the room with more haste than dignity.
The wind roared around him, still thick with snow, as he left the ship. He paused on the landing ramp long enough to lock the door this time. While he didn’t imagine that any living thing would be foolish enough to be out on a night like this, he wasn’t about to take any chances with the safety of the ship’s inhabitants. The snow came almost to his knees as he stepped off the landing ramp, and he gave it a disgusted glance. Really, these conditions were most appalling. Jaelle and the children would be much better off in the more controlled environments of the Tandroki system.
He started down the mountain path, then realized he would have to detour to check on the drone. Not that it was strictly necessary, of course. He had several more of the drones, and he could easily substitute another one, but this particular one intrigued him. Even though he had not been monitoring the drone in his mad dash to the caves, it had still attempted to defend Jaelle. Was there something different about this machine?
With a sigh, he took the longer route towards the caves. The snow had continued to fall and there was no sign of the small red drone, but he had brought along a tracker, and he quickly located it, half-buried beneath a large tree. When he retrieved it, the small wings fluttered and a faint mechanical whirring reached his ears as the drone tilted its head anxiously.
“Don’t worry, she’s fine,” he said, then immediately wondered at the foolishness of addressing the mechanical device. But the drone settled down, nestling into his hand. He placed it carefully into a pocket of his thermal suit where it would be dry and warm and turned to leave.
A low whimper sounded, barely audible over the swirling wind. It had sounded like a child and he quickly checked the clearing. Had one of the children followed him? He couldn’t see anything and deciding that the wind was playing tricks on him, once more turned to go down the mountain.
This time the small cry was unmistakable and he followed it back to the mouth of the cave. A dire wolf cub stood there on uncertain legs. When it saw Krampasarian, it froze, then gave a joyful yelp and started to scramble towards him. It immediately disappeared into the deep snow and whimpered again as it frantically tried to dig its way free.
By the Horns of Moroz, what was he going to do now? A quick end, he decided grimly. It would be better for the cub then letting it starve to death. He grabbed it by the nape of its neck and lifted it out of the snow, bringing it up to face level. He expected it to snarl or fight. Instead, it yipped again and tried to lick his face. Skef. He couldn’t do it.
If the one he’d killed earlier had been its mother, he was responsible for this cub. He would have to bring it with him. Unfortunately, it was too large to fit in one of his pockets, and with a sigh, he unfastened his suit and tucked it against his chest. Tiny, sharp nails dug into his skin as it wiggled around, then it settled down against his stomach. He refastened his suit as best he could and hurried down the mountain to finish his errands.
The door to the cottage was unlocked, and he frowned when he realized t
hat it had little more than a small latch to secure it. Completely unacceptable. He forced himself to concentrate on his mission instead and began gathering the supplies she had requested. Before he left, he found himself drawn to her small bedroom. Her sweet fragrance permeated the small room, and he could still envision her nestled in the bed. The knowledge that tonight she would be in his bed filled him with satisfaction.
As he was about to leave, he noticed the small bookshelf and remembered her telling Cinna a story. Perhaps she would enjoy having her books with her? As he began placing them in his sack, he came to an abrupt halt. Amongst the collection of paper books was an electronic device of obviously superior technology. It was no longer functioning, but where had it come from? Pushing the question aside to consider later, he finished gathering her belongings and headed for the door.
By the time he was on his way back to the ship, he was regretting his compassionate impulse to rescue the cub. It awoke on the trip back and, based on the way it was whining and licking his skin, he could only assume it was hungry. The crowning indignity was when he felt a warm flood of liquid against his stomach and realized that the creature had urinated on him. But despite his frustration, he still couldn’t bring himself to put the animal out of its misery. Or his.
Chapter Nine
The door was still safely locked and Krampasarian slipped inside, hoping that he could clean up before anyone saw him. His hopes were quickly dashed when Whit appeared, his damp hair sticking straight up.
“You were gone a long time. Cinna was worried. Not me. But she was –” Whit broke off and wrinkled his nose. “What’s that smell?”
He sighed and pulled the cub out of his thermal suit. “It is this.”
Whit jumped back. “Is that a –?”
“A dire wolf cub? Yes, it is. Its mother attacked Jaelle.”
The club dangled from his fingers, looking around with wide, interested eyes, then yawned, revealing a mouthful of small, sharp teeth.
Krampus and the Crone: A SciFi Alien Warrior Holiday Romance Page 5