Once Upon a Caveman

by Cassandra Gannon

  He was right. The whole forest seemed to be rolling like the waves in the ocean. It was impossible to see one fixed point, no matter where she looked. Trees fell and people ran. Giant voids were opening up like special effects in a movie. As millions of gallons of water were spewed out of the volcano as vapor, the ground beneath lost its support. Sinkholes appeared out of nowhere, swallowing massive clumps of trees.

  The island itself seemed to slip further into the sea, another six feet of beachfront vanishing beneath the waves. Jesus, whatever was going on down there, it was indeed sinking the island. Lucy still wasn’t sure how plate tectonics worked in this world, but she knew that wasn’t normal.

  “I told you the ocean is swallowing us.” Rhawn called, because he loved to be proven right.

  “I don’t know what’s going on with the beach, but magma is moving closer to the surface and creating the sinkholes.” Lucy shouted back, recalling that PBS special. Maybe the island was built on unstable ground and that was why it was in danger of collapse. “The heat is evaporating the water and changing the structure of the bedrock. It’s one of the warning signs that a major eruption is eminent.”

  “This is not major?”

  “I think it’s just the warm up.” Lucy let out a long breath as the island stilled again and the horrendous venting finally slowed. “Okay, for real,” she got out hoarsely, surveying the damage and shaking her head, “we need to build those boats faster.”

  Chapter Nine

  The woman is back!

  Rhawn’s heart leaps in his chest. It is always like that when she finally returns. She is all that he wants to dream about and it’s been a full cycle since he last saw her.

  She turns to smile at him like she’s happy to see him, too. “Hi, caveman.” She holds out a hand to him and he grabs it, yanking her against his chest. “Missed me, huh?”

  He has been desolate without her. If he had a choice, he would be by her side every minute of his life. His mouth curves into a smile and his hands slide over her body, hugging her close. He has so little time with her and he doesn’t want to miss a moment of it.

  Rhawn and Lucy’s Dream- Seven Years Ago

  For the next three days, Lucy insisted they work on the ragan night and day, even ordering torches and bonfires lit so they could see in the darkness.

  Oddly enough, most of the Clan accepted her orders with little grumbling and set about their work with diligent concentration. Leaving the island might’ve seemed like a huge risk, but staying was guaranteed death. No one could deny that Uooloa would soon blow. That massive earthquake had been enough to convince everybody and the smoke pouring from the mountaintop grew thicker each hour.

  In many minds, escape truly was their only alternative. Thoughts became whispers and whispers became actions. Even Notan had stopped pushing for Lucy’s assassination and was helping to prepare clay water vessels for the journey. His excuse was that’d prayed for a sign, maybe the ragan were the gods’ answer.

  One by one, most of the Clan began to follow the Destroyer. One by one, they convinced themselves that her crazed plan was their only chance. For a woman who insisted she was “anti-social,” she’d taken over the job of leader with remarkable ease. Everyone looked to her for decisions and followed her instructions. Lucy just seemed to know what she was doing. She was confident. Determined.

  Special.

  Lucy wanted ragan, so they built ragan. Skoll might hate Lucy, but most people were just happy to have a constructive outlet for their frustration. A task that was doing something to help their future.

  Ironically, the Destroyer was the first one to offer them hope.

  Rhawn was still pretty sure this plan was doomed, but at least he had a committed work force. He’d been overseeing the ragan’s construction, making sure the others stuck to the plans he’d sketched for them on the rocks. When he’d built his ragan it had taken him two weeks of trial and error. Repeating the process and having dozens of extra hands meant they’d be finished all ten of them in less than half that time. Already they’d completed most of the work.

  Since that just meant Lucy was ten ragan closer to drowning them all, he felt conflicted about the progress. He still didn’t like all the uncertainties of this plan. Rhawn preferred to test and retest his ideas with controlled variables. There was no way to predict what might happen if they sailed off the island.

  That worried him.

  Deeply.

  Lucy seemed happy with their progress, though. Or as happy as the Destroyer ever seemed. Since she wasn’t nagging him about speeding up the process, he could only imagine she was satisfied with his efforts. She hadn’t destroyed the world or killed anyone, yet. Those were good signs.

  His mate was a difficult woman. Beautiful and special and perfect, but difficult. She still insisted that he sleep on the opposite side of the cave and she hadn’t kissed him since the beach. He had won sixteen more points, here and there, though. That was always a joyous thing. Rhawn was keeping closer track of them than Lucy was, so she might not have noticed the way they were adding up. Or maybe she preferred to just ignore it. Clearly, the woman had it in her mind to resist sex for as long as possible.

  Hell if he knew why.

  In the meantime, Rhawn was content with what he had. More than content. His woman was finally with him. He could look at her. Talk to her. Touch her. She smiled at him. She met his eyes without fear. Welcomed him into her confidence. Relied on him for help. Rhawn was the one she looked to when she was unsure or moved towards when she was scared. Lucy’s instincts understood the truth, even if her mind wasn’t willing to admit it yet.

  Deep down, she knew they were mates.

  He may have been lonely on the island and she might have been lonely in Newyork, but now they were finally together and it was like coming home. When they were done working, they would go back to his cave and sit by the fire together. They discussed things great and small. Stories from her world and stories from his. What they dreamed of when they weren’t dreaming of each other. Hopes and plans and ridiculous things that mattered not at all. Rhawn talked to Lucy more than he’d ever talked to anyone. And she listened. Everything he said, she paid attention to. Like he mattered to her. Like they were truly connected.

  It was more than Rhawn ever imagined having. The reality of Lucy was far, far better than any of his most outlandish fantasies. He hadn’t slept with her yet, but if the world ended tomorrow, he would still die happy just because he’d known her.

  …But he really wanted to sleep with her, so he was doing his damnedest to make sure the world stayed put.

  Needing a break, Rhawn sat down by one of the fires on the beach and rubbed the back of his neck. He’d barely slept since he’d woken up from his dream of Lucy in the cave. With Skoll around, he didn’t like to let his guard down.

  Skoll refused to build the ragan and he belittled everyone who did. His scorn didn’t stop the rest of the Clan from pressing on, though. The man’s hatred of Lucy grew, as he lost his influence over the others. Before she arrived, he had been second only to Notan, next in line to be leader.

  Now Lucy was in charge.

  Since the woman liked to be in control, the situation suited her perfectly. Granted, it meant that she couldn’t be “a loner.” Whatever the hell that meant, it seemed to be how she saw herself. At times, Lucy would complain about all the people surrounding her or demand Rhawn translate blistering insults to someone who’d pissed her off. But mostly Rhawn saw her blossoming under the new responsibility.

  And when she smiled, his whole life made sense.

  Skoll wasn’t nearly so pleased. Skoll would kill Lucy if he could. Not only was she taking his place, but she’d been spending time with Anniah convincing the other woman that she did not have to accept Skoll’s Choosing. That was not a popular decision, at least among the males. The females of the Clan seemed very receptive to her ideas, though, and they were far louder than the grumbling for the men. There was no stopping what Lucy st
arted and they all knew it. Even Skoll. Anniah seemed positively smug over his fuming.

  Rhawn made sure he was either watching Skoll or by Lucy’s side every minute. When she slept, he watched over her. During the day, he made sure he Skoll was always within his eyesight. It was the only way to keep Lucy safe.

  The night before, she’d woken up and spotted him standing by the cave entrance. “Why aren’t you in bed?” She’d asked in a drowsy voice.

  Rhawn had looked over his shoulder, smiling slightly. “Because, you instructed me to sleep on the floor.”

  “You know what I mean. You’ve been working all day. Go lay down on your pile of murdered fur and sleep. I don’t want you killing yourself.”

  “I’m fine.”

  She’d propped herself up on her elbows and frowned when he didn’t move. “Is something wrong?”

  “No. I am just… watching.”

  “Watching what?”

  He hadn’t answered that.

  “Hang on, are you protecting me? Do you really think that’s necessary?”

  “There are some people who do not care for you as much as I do.” He’d explained as diplomatically as he could.

  Lucy had studied him for a beat. “I don’t think there’s anybody who cares for me as much as you do.” She’d said quietly. “Maybe you wouldn’t care so much, if you knew me better.”

  “I do know you, Lucy.”

  She’d sighed and moved to stand beside him. “No, you really don’t. You think I’m a goddess.”

  “You are a goddess.”

  “See?” She’d said, as if that response proved her point.

  Rhawn was not about to argue with nonsense. “You are a very difficult woman.” He’d told her instead.

  “So they tell me.” One of the pelts was wrapped around her shivering body. Lucy might complain about the animals he’d skinned to get the blankets, but she appreciated their warmth. Lucy winced as the night air blew through the cave’s entrance. “God, is it always so cold here?”

  “No. This is our summer season.”

  “Smartass.”

  It amused him that Lucy though he’d been joking. The island’s climate didn’t suit her. What Rhawn considered a slight chill had Lucy bundling up under a pile of furs. It was why he kept the fire lit, night and day. A sweltering cave was a small price to keep Lucy comfortable.

  Rhawn had glanced down at her, knowing she could probably see every tender feeling inside of him. It wasn’t like he was trying to hide them. “No one could possibly care for you as I do.” He’d agreed quietly. There wasn’t enough space inside a person to feel any more love than he experienced whenever he looked at her. There wasn’t even a word for ‘love’ in his language and he knew that.

  Lucy had stared up at him. “You scare me sometimes.” She’d finally whispered.

  His eyebrows had compressed in concern. “I won’t harm you, Lucy. Not ever.”

  “I know. It’s not that.” She’d leaned into his body, her head resting on his shoulder. For a being with the personality of a small tornado, Lucy’s body was so delicate. “It’s just really, really easy to get used to being with you. It’s the one place I’ve never felt lonely.”

  “That’s because it’s where you belong. With me.”

  She’d snorted at that. “Well, that’s lucky, since I have no clue how to get back to New York.”

  Rhawn had closed his eyes in relief at the news that she was not able to leave him. He’d been afraid to ask, but it was a nagging concern. Without Lucy, he might as well sink with the rest of the island. He would have nothing left to care about, anyway. “You cannot return to Newyork?”

  “I’m thinking maybe this was a one way trip.”

  “Can’t you use your vast powers to escape?” He’d asked and was proud of how serious he made his tone.

  She’d winced at bit, looking adorably guilty. “No.” She’d muttered.

  Rhawn had nearly chuckled. He had no idea why Lucy didn’t just admit that she was powerless. Rhawn could see for himself that she wasn’t capable of magic. Whatever divinity the woman possessed, it wasn’t going to help her escape this island.

  He’d kissed the top of her head, charmed by her. “I would not want you to go. My world would be desolate and cold without you.”

  “It’s already pretty frigging cold.” She’d snuggled closer. “Seriously, deep down, I’m afraid that coming here was just a freak accident. Just a random door that I stumbled through. I’m not even sure how to attempt to recreate it.”

  “I do not believe it was an accident that brought you here. I believe you were always meant to come. It’s why I dreamed of you for so long.” He’d brushed the hair back from her face, his body aching for her. “Will you mate with me tonight?” He asked that often, but so far her answer was always the same.

  “No.”

  “Why not?”

  “I’m still thinking.”

  Rhawn had rolled his eyes. “I do not see what you are considering. I have Chosen you as my mate. You desire me and I desire you. There seems little reason to wait any longer, Lucy.”

  “Except, I have to Choose you back, remember?”

  He’d expelled a frustrated breath. “I am unlikely to forget. I cannot believe I ever agreed to such a crazed notion.”

  “Oh don’t be such a sore loser.”

  “I have not lost anything. You merely postpone what is going to happen. Even you know that.”

  She hadn’t refuted that statement. “Well, if it makes you feel any better, you’re the reason I’m not actively diving to the ocean floor and looking for the cruise ship, trying jumpstart a quirk of quantum mechanics.” Lucy had shrugged. “So maybe I like you a little bit. Maybe there are way worse places to be than on a desert island with you.”

  “Maybe.” He’d agreed sarcastically.

  She’d laughed, enjoying his irritated tone. “If I believed in fate, I’d even say maybe I was even supposed to wind up right here, right now, with you.”

  Rhawn adored this difficult woman. “I do believe in fate, so I know that idea is a certainty.”

  “Well, accident or design, it doesn’t much matter. We’re partners in this mess, now.”

  “We have always been partners, Lucy. From the minute I saw you. You know that.”

  “Maybe I do.” She’d smiled and looked out into the darkness. “It’s you and me, Rhawn the Accursed, sitting at the edge of the world. …And getting ready to sail right off the edge.”

  In a day’s time, the ragan would be ready, so her whimsical words might prove true. Rhawn consulted the building schedule that he’d painted on a flat rock. At this point, they were nearly ready to hunt the mammoths and stock up on supplies so…

  “We’re out of wine.” Warren announced sourly.

  Rhawn blinked, surprised out of his thoughts. It seemed the Savior had finally left his cave and found his way down to the beach. Wonderful. He scowled as the god flopped down beside him. “You’ve had enough of wine.” Warren’s odor made that abundantly clear.

  “Hey, Lucy hit me with a rock!” The Savior complained, a hungover expression on his face. “I need liquor to medicate myself. It’s not like I can go to Walgreens and buy some aspirin.” He settled on the log beside Rhawn like he planned to stay for a while. “Damn man, I think I give off --like-- a pheromone or something that attracts the all the violent, psycho, broads to me. My first ex-wife broke my arm with a putter. True story.”

  Ever since Warren had woken up from the Ardin, he’d been drinking and sulking and staying away from everyone. Rhawn had been pleased with that arrangement, but now Warren seemed ready to talk. That was the last thing Rhawn wanted to do.

  Just seeing the man pissed him off.

  “You deserved to be hit with a rock. I would have done worse to you, if Lucy had given me a chance.” Rhawn snapped. “Do you remember what you said?”

  “Kinda.” Warren admitted sulkily. “She can’t hold any of that against me, though. I was shitface
d, ya know?”

  “You said you wished to Choose Lucy.” Rhawn shot Warren a sideways looks. “You will not Choose Lucy.”

  Should Warren have any crazed ideas to the contrary, the challenge would resume and the island would be down by one drunken god. No great loss. Rhawn sincerely doubted anyone would even notice. …Except Anniah and Lucy, who seemed inexplicably attached to the idiot. Since their opinions meant the most to him, he was trying to refrain from ripping out Warren’s throat.

  It took a colossal amount of effort.

  “Yeah. I mean no. I’m not hitting on the girl, okay? Christ.” Warren scrubbed a palm over his eyes, trying to clear out the grit. “I feel like I got chewed up and spit out by one of her Wooly Rhinos, too. Isn’t that punishment enough?”

  Rhawn still didn’t recognize that animal’s name, but he wasn’t about to admit it. “Probably not enough for Lucy.”

  “She’s pretty peeved at me, huh?”

  “Kinda.” Rhawn mocked. He slanted the man another glare, disliking him for countless reasons. “You have lost the Ardin.” He reported, in case Warren hadn’t figured it out on his own.

  “Whatever that means.”

  “It means Lucy is in charge of the Clan now.”

  Warren snorted. “Typical. She’s always been the special one.”

  Taffi had said the same thing and Rhawn had to agree. Lucy was very special. Destroyer or not, there was no one else like her in all the universe.

  Warren brooded for a beat. “Lucy always knows what she’s doing. Always figures out the right moves. I used to crib off all her tests when she wasn’t looking. Only way I passed half of my classes.” He made a face. “And even then she somehow screwed up the curve for me.”

  Rhawn saw nothing wrong with Lucy’s curves.

  “I wanted to ask her to the junior prom.” Warren continued. “She can sometimes be pretty hot, when she’s not hitting me with stuff.”

  Rhawn really, really should have killed this asshole when he had the chance. “Lucy would never, ever Choose you. She is so far above you, it’s a wonder you can see her, at all.”