He didn’t know if it was his imagination or not, but something seemed glazed about Shodan’s pale blue eyes, and his dark fur was badly mussed.
Shodan had always been jealous of Karrick because he believed he should have been made leader rather than Karrick. Shodan was stronger and taller, and very much a dominant alpha male. He was also keenly intelligent, as was Karrick. However, Shodan lacked psi abilities and was unable to communicate via dreams, a trait common to most of the pack. By decision of the pack’s elders, this in itself prevented him from rising to a leadership position.
“We also need to be cautious and not panic. We’ve done a good job in camouflaging our buildings over these many years so it’s virtually impossible to detect them from the air. We’re prepared and while there is still more that could be done, all the remaining tasks should be minimal. I’m looking for your help to make decisions on these last details…” Karrick continued, bracing himself for more opposition, despite his hope that Shodan would shut up, content to have made his stand in front of the others.
Unfortunately, Shodan was determined to cause trouble.
“Sounds like you’re having trouble figuring these details out on your own,” Shodan said, raising an eyebrow and looking at the others in the assembly.
Murmurs rose from the crowd and a few looked to Shodan as if he raised an issue they hadn’t thought of before. Karrick privately thought that Shodan was an idiot and anyone thinking that it was possible to have a complete plan, after just a couple hours and only meager information, was an idiot, too. Karrick watched him cautiously as Shodan took a few steps forward, wondering if this was a ruse by Shodan to get himself up to the podium.
“If the vessel doesn’t land, we hide evidence of our existence so that it cannot be ascertained from the air. If the vessel lands, we will send a scout to observe and give us feedback on what he sees. The people on the ship could simply be on a peaceful mission, with no knowledge of us or any harm intended,” Karrick stated firmly.
“You gamble with one hundred and fifty-seven lives, Karrick. This vessel should be destroyed and made to look like it crashed on its own,” Shodan said.
More voices murmured in the crowd, many disagreeing but a few of the younger males naïvely nodding agreement with Shodan’s idea. Karrick’s nostrils flared with irritation.
“You haven’t thought ahead, Shodan. What if there are innocent people aboard that vessel? It would violate everything we stand for as wolfan to take lives without just cause. Regardless, even if the people aboard were intent on causing us harm, if we destroy the ship it sends a red flag to whoever sent it that all may not be as it seems on Eridani. That would be gambling with all our lives,” Karrick growled.
“If they are here to find us and bring that news back to the Conglomerate’s council, we are all dead!” shouted Shodan, causing several young wolfan to gasp in fear.
“Not if we make it so they cannot find us, and I enter their minds when they are asleep to alter their memories,” Karrick insisted.
“Do you really think that you can give them a few paltry dreams and that will really alter their memories? You are a fool, Karrick!” Shodan sneered.
“No, you are the fool, Shodan. You know nothing of how to communicate in dreams and you mock what you cannot possibly understand.”
Shodan snarled in rage, Karrick’s comment about his lack of abilities touching a sore spot. Years of suppressed rage broke through and he snapped, moving forward in an uncontrollable fury. He launched himself onto the dais, his left hand seizing Karrick by the throat and the other fist punching Karrick’s abdomen.
Karrick wrapped both his hands around Shodan’s wrist, his face in a contorted grimace as he worked to pry Shodan’s bruising fingers off his neck. He slammed his knee into Shodan’s crotch and as Shodan abruptly let go of Karrick’s throat, Karrick rushed forward with a right elbow, smashing Shodan’s nose. Both landed in a furious heap of pummeling fists and thrashing feet.
After suffering a volley of blows to his chest, shoulders, and stomach, Karrick finally found his advantage, grabbing Shodan’s head, digging his fingers into his fur, and slamming his head against the floor repeatedly until finally Shodan cried out in defeat.
Karrick, breathing hard from the exertion, climbed to his feet and pointed to the door. “Get out of here, Shodan. Now.” He glanced at his brothers Nathan and Carson for help. “Drag his ass out of here.”
Karrick dusted himself off and climbed back up to the dais. He watched his mother go out briefly and then come back, the satisfied look on her face piquing his curiosity when she rejoined his father.
Karrick studied the crowd from the podium. “Those who agree with Shodan are welcome to leave,” he growled.
The crowd remained silent and no one followed Shodan out the door to show support to the recalcitrant wolfan. For many, Shodan had finally crossed a line that would make him unwelcome forever in the pack.
“Good. I believe that if the vessel does land, I should be the one to scout it out. It is almost certain that the occupants are standard humans. From what we have been able to detect from its fuel usage, the vessel appears to be standard human technology. Of the twenty of us who have the ability to manipulate dreams, I seem to be the strongest. I also want to be sure that everyone is safely in the compound if the ship lands,” he said.
Jadd spoke up. “I think we should immediately stop using anything that might give off a large enough power signature that it could be picked up by the ship’s instrumentation. In fact, anything that might be picked up as being unnatural to the Eridani environment should be turned off or shielded in some way.”
“Good idea, Jadd,” Karrick said. He swept his hand out to include everyone in the room. “You know that I always want to hear your ideas. There is so much that all of you can do or think of that can help. I need you to help me form plans so we can keep our people safe.”
Many spoke up and soon a detailed plan was hashed out that would protect the pack and prevent them from being detected by the other-world visitors.
At the end of the meeting, Karrick paused for a moment. “What Shodan did today was irrational. I am sorry that one wolfan turned against another because of bitterness and jealousy.”
He stopped and captured as many wolfan by eye as he could. “Shodan’s way is wrong. He would divide us and that, more than anything, would make us vulnerable. He is blinded by his ambition to be leader and isn’t thinking about what is needed for the good of our people. His behavior has become more irrational of late. This latest act demonstrates that his behavior is completely out of control and he is becoming a danger instead of just a nuisance. I must take action to ensure that Shodan understands the ramifications of what he did.” He paused, and looked at the faces of his people, seeing the agreeing nods made by the elders. He allowed this to give him some comfort, and hardened his heart a bit to the dawning horror he saw on the faces of some of the younger wolfan. “I therefore exile Shodan from our pack for six months. I truly hope that he can change his behavior.”
With that, Karrick adjourned the meeting so preparations could be made for the scouting mission.
Chapter 4
The first rays of dawn shimmered through the sheer netting, creating a golden halo surrounding Amanda’s head. She lay quietly, snuggled deep in her sleeping bag. Remnants of last night’s dream still clung with amazing clarity, leaving behind a residue of sensual languor.
It was almost as if it really happened, she thought.
The dream was very disturbing, yet a part of her craved to repeat it—at least the end portion when the beast seduced her and brought her to an intense orgasm.
The presence of a man-like beast in her dream didn’t surprise her, since she had been focusing so strongly on researching the wolfan. She’d probably embedded them in her subconscious, she mused.
Amanda thoughtfully pulled her hair into a loose ponytail as she recalled that the beast in her dream very much resembled that of the beast in J
ean Cocteau’s 1946 film, “La Belle et la Bete”. She had always been enamored of old twentieth-century films, and the French poet’s story of Beauty and the Beast was one of her very favorites. She had always found the beast in the film to be eerily compelling and been rather disappointed when the beast turned into Prince Charming.
At least last night’s dream was certainly a change from some of the nightmares she’d endured lately about her father’s last hours, she thought.
A breeze gently fluttered the netting, the fresh air of dawn coolly caressing her cheeks. Arching her back and stretching her arms and legs, she yawned the last vestiges of sleep away, wondering what the new day would bring. Dream or no, she needed to get on with her investigation.
Climbing out of her sleeping bag, she reached for her geo-map unit to review the territory and choose the best route to the crash site. The device was very handy, containing a highly detailed map of the local terrain. Before landing, Amanda had asked Sirus to follow several low geostationary orbits around the Eridani equator, giving her a chance to gather high-resolution aerial images of the local geography so she could load them into her unit.
Amanda adjusted the magnification so she could review the five-kilometer area between her current location and that of the crash site. Just as she suspected, there were several mineral spring pools visible to the northeast, about three hours outside of her route. She thought about how pleasurable it would be to take a bath after living cooped up in Sirus’s spaceship for the past two months. Making her decision, she plotted the route and began preparations to leave camp.
* * * * *
Late in the afternoon, after slashing her way through several kilometers of vegetation, Amanda arrived, dirty and sweaty, at the mineral springs. She shrugged her shoulders to loosen the straps of her backpack and let it slide to the ground. It was a relief to dump the thirty kilograms of weight.
Tired as she was, she knew she had better set up camp first before she climbed into one of the hot pools. As fast as she could manage, despite her tired muscles, Amanda soon had her tent, pallet, and security perimeter set up.
Eager to see if the springs were safe enough for swimming, Amanda dug out her analyzer and dipped it into the largest pool. The temperature was almost too warm, but she figured that she would be fine as long as she didn’t prolong her stay in the pool. She added purifying tablets to kill any microorganisms, and then set up her spare perimeter alarms, adjusting the relays so that any animals approaching too closely would receive a moderate shock.
Satisfied that she could strip off her environmental suit and still be reasonably safe, she quickly removed her attire and the underclothing she wore beneath.
Sliding into the hot water, Amanda let out a pleased sigh. Although she was allowed a sparse weekly shower aboard Sirus’s ship, nothing felt as good as sinking into a hot pool of water. She looked forward to soaking out the accumulated aches from nine hours of hiking and slashing.
Amanda stood up in the shallow end of the pool and lathered her hair with a few grams of biodegradable shampoo, spreading the suds to wash her arms, torso, and legs. She spared another gram to wash her pubic region and armpits, enjoying the feel of the slippery bubbles as she spent several minutes massaging the soapy lather over and around the soft fine hair between her legs, occasionally sliding her fingers in between the lips of her vulva to stroke her clitoris.
There was almost no privacy aboard Sirus’s ship and the dream she had last night left her feeling in desperate need of self-stimulation. Reaching a gentle orgasm, Amanda slipped into the water again, ducking completely below the water level to swim in a tight circle like a seal, rinsing the soap from her body.
Karrick arrived at the rocky outcropping just as Amanda began soaping her body. Crouching low so she wouldn’t see him, he quietly lay flat against the rocky ground. His eyes were hooded as he watched her soap her pubic mound, his breath catching when she brazenly brought herself to fulfillment. When she ducked below the water, he took the opportunity to adjust himself a bit to give his erection some relief from the hard ground.
He continued to watch as Amanda rose, water sluicing off her elegant creamy shoulders and down the graceful arch of her back. She stood for a moment gazing at the granite cliffs to her far left, the nipples of her breasts peaking from the cool air as she stood with her shoulders firmly back.
He admired the way she stood tall and proud, the sun illuminating the water droplets that clung like tiny glass jewels all over her body. He liked the fact that she was so well-rounded. She was very beautiful, and in the unconscious pose she made below in the pool, she reminded him of the instruction module illustrations he’d seen of various gods and goddesses when, as a teenager, he’d studied Greek and Roman mythology. She looked like Venus, he thought, as she stood on the seashell after emerging from the blue sea.
He wondered in his loneliness if there was any way he could make her his goddess.
Though hairless compared to the wolfan females, he found the appearance of her creamy skin erotically beautiful. He could imagine rubbing his palms over her silky smooth skin while she moaned from his touch.
He couldn’t wait to merge his mind with hers again but this time he knew better than to try and force her into a dream state. Last night he had been so anxious to find out what was going on, he tried to rush things by imposing his will on her to rest. Instead, she’d grown wary, sensing she was watched, and it was actually several hours before she was relaxed enough to fall asleep on her own. He knew he would just have to wait a while and be patient.
Amanda towel-dried her hair before drying the rest of herself off. She shook the large damp cloth and laid it flat on the sun-heated rock. She stretched before lying down gracefully on her stomach, resting her head on her crossed forearms. The sun warmed her skin, and after a while she dozed off.
Karrick knew he should try to glean information about why the woman was on Eridani. However, his psi talent was strongly affected by whatever emotions possessed him at the time he attempted to use it. He could only hope that his libido would be tamed enough this time to allow him to focus on finding out the information he needed.
Despite his resolve, lust poured through his veins as he smelled Amanda’s clean feminine musk and the sweet scent of her freshly bathed skin. He was having a hard time separating the hunger he felt for her from the pack’s need for knowledge.
Emotions, especially strong ones like lust, love, or hate, tended to color his manipulations, with the resulting dream often a composite of what he was actually trying to create and whatever feelings or events he was obsessing on at the time.
It was no wonder he was getting distracted by her during the dreams, he thought. Every minute since he’d first seen her, he’d been obsessed with the uniqueness of her bare skin and her curvaceous well-toned body.
He had to be very careful. Whatever was in her mind would impact the form the dream took. He planned to adapt his manipulations so they made some kind of sense to her, fitting in with whatever logic governed her dream.
Slowly, he began the gentle mental pushing that enabled him to enter her dream. It was akin to pushing a pin slowly into a soap bubble without bursting it.
He was in a room with curved stone walls, ornate tapestries hanging on them. There was a feeling of tranquility, for which he was deeply grateful.
Tall narrow windows let in rectangular pools of sunlight. He assumed he was in a castle of some sort. The large bed against the wall showed that the room was clearly a sleeping chamber. But the odd decorations in the room, like the wall sconces, seemed to have surrealistic human form and shape. Something about the setting seemed naggingly familiar. It was a part of some fairy tale or a similar kind of story…
He saw her and his heart rate leapt a bit. Her back was to him and she could turn around any moment. He forced himself to calm down. Because his mind was merged with hers, any anxiety coming from him would affect her as well.
He stepped back into the shadows so he
could watch her unobserved. She sat on a stool, brushing her thick mass of tawny, shoulder-length hair. A sheer white dressing gown hung provocatively from her shoulders. He stiffened with the sudden yearning that overwhelmed him.
She began to turn toward him and in the moment her forest-green eyes registered his presence, a look of shock came upon her face. Her knuckles were white where she clutched her brush; her breath caught in her throat. Karrick chastised himself for forgetting to change his appearance.
Karrick instinctively maneuvered her so that she needn’t be afraid. He searched his brain for something that might make sense to her and it came to him. He whispered into her mind, this was the beast, her beast, and he would not harm her because she was Beauty.
A cry of delight broke from her lips as she relaxed. Yes, this is the beast who brought me to his enchanted castle so that I would take the place of my father, she thought. She smiled beguilingly at him.
“You must have been out hunting, Beast. You’re wearing your leathers, rather than the fine clothes you usually wear,” she said, looking up into his eyes.
He spoke, his voice a low growl, “Does this displease you, Beauty?”
“No, but I worried about you being gone for so long. I haven’t seen you for several days.” She gazed at him coyly from underneath her long eyelashes. “I missed you dreadfully.”
Her acceptance of him nearly unmanned him. Until now, he’d been afraid that his actions in the other dream would’ve turned her against him permanently. “I missed you, too, Beauty,” he said huskily, as he stepped close to her. His desire made him run a furry finger underneath the sheer cloth draping her creamy shoulders.
She gasped with pleasure, her eyes closing to savor the moment. Her grip on the dressing gown loosened, and it fell off her shoulders down to her waist and hips, where it puddled. She opened her eyes and tilted her head back to look him boldly in the face. The feminine heat of her gaze was a command.
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