SnaredbySaber

by Shelley Munro

  “Are you afraid of your mother?”

  It took long moments for him to realize she was speaking to him, waiting for his reply. “Of course not. I respect her. She and my father didn’t have much money when they married, yet my brothers, sister and I never lacked for anything. We had an idyllic childhood.”

  “My parents discarded me in the Dalcon market.”

  The hard note in her voice told him the act had scarred her and she didn’t forgive easy, not that their actions were defensible. Fuck, what kind of parents did that to their child—left them like a piece of rubbish?

  “Do you know who they were?”

  “No, but only whores and thieves frequent the marketplace and the surrounding slums during the night. Decent folks—the traders—come out during the solar hours.”

  Saber’s breath caught, but her stony expression told him not to pry, despite his myriad questions. “I’m sorry. That can’t have been an easy childhood.”

  She was a mixture of contrasts, and he wondered how she’d managed to stay so…untarnished.

  Innocent. Yeah, that was the word he wanted. She didn’t look as if her hard life had sucked the juice from her. His mind skirted the fringes of the horrors that would have greeted her on a daily basis—a life very different from his childhood, and the fun and freedom he’d enjoyed. Lazy days of fishing with his brothers and cousins, having the run of the countryside, rushing in and out of friends’ houses while his parents worked.

  He wanted to ask more questions, but her rigid shoulders and tight lips didn’t encourage his pursuit of the subject. He knew quite a bit about her, but he wanted to hear everything from her lips. “What do you do on Dalcon?”

  “I run two successful restaurants, and I’m looking to expand.” Her chin lifted in a show of pride.

  “So you’re a good cook?”

  She nodded. “I can do anything relating to the restaurant. Cook, clean, serve customers. Everything.”

  “A boss should know how to do the tasks he asks his employees to perform.”

  “Exactly.”

  Her sharp reply held approval, and it made him want to smile. Despite himself, despite his remorse over Lori’s death, he wanted to please Eva. Would spend his life trying to please her if he could, but he wasn’t stupid enough to tell her that. Now was the time to hook her attention and play that line until she surrendered. He had privacy and few distractions. The completion of the task was up to him.

  “Let’s go.” Saber eased her to his side then stood and extended a hand.

  She winced as she straightened.

  “You all right?”

  “Sore muscles.” She glanced down her body, seemed to catalogue her aches and pains. “I’m bruised.”

  Saber inched closer. “You want me to kiss them better?”

  “I need medi-serum. I’ll get some at the resort. It can’t be as far away as you think.”

  “Let me see.”

  He reached for her, but she slipped from his grasp. “Bruises won’t kill me.”

  Strong. Self-reliant. Smart.

  Saber mentally cataloged everything he’d learned about Eva. She was the type of woman they needed for their clan—a worthy woman.

  His woman.

  Chapter Five

  Eva paused at the mouth of the cave, scanned left and right then looked up through the gaps in the canopy. Hopefully her clothes, or at least Saber’s shirt, would dry better now than they had in the cave, because at present the fabric clung with uncomfortable clamminess. The blue nightgown she’d discarded as next to useless.

  She took two steps down a narrow path before strong fingers banded her upper arm and dragged her to a stop.

  “I’ll go first.” Saber brushed past her and took point.

  “Why?”

  Saber halted and gestured with his hand. “By all means. Take the lead, so I can watch your ass jiggle.”

  Eva stalked past and tried not to touch the infuriating man. She didn’t have a jiggly part on her body. In fact, Pryce used to tease her and tell her to eat more, which reminded her she was hungry. Her stomach gurgled in confirmation and she increased her pace, tried to forget about the hulky cat-man who padded behind her.

  Soon she became aware of another urgent need.

  “I need to…need to…”

  “Go behind the bushes over there.” Saber pointed. “But watch where you stand and squat. Some of the plants could cause an allergic reaction if they come into contact with your skin.”

  Eva hurried in the direction he’d indicated, her cheeks burning at his matter-of-fact words. While on assignment, Casey had said she often peed standing up. Some sort of invention that allowed a woman to pee like a man. It was quicker, less embarrassing and didn’t involve body parts coming anywhere near the ground. An advantage, Casey had said.

  Eva hadn’t understood, but holy Finnian bats, she did now. The moment she got to the resort, she intended to ask her friend to acquire one for her. Eva hunted for a spot, checked for bugs and hurriedly took care of business before rejoining Saber. He gave a courtly bow and stood aside to let her pass.

  Stupid males. Eva muttered under her breath and stomped past, following the trail with ease. The walking was much easier than it had been the previous day.

  The squawks of birds arguing up ahead slowed her steps until she saw they were of a regular size. They sat low in a tree, feeding, and on a fruit she recognized. An edible fruit. Eva started running, flapping her arms and shouting to scare them off.

  The birds took off in a flash of scarlet and black, their calls of protest even louder than before. Chattering in agitated caws, they resettled on higher branches, their beady eyes measuring her danger factor. A couple hopped closer, cocking their scarlet heads. Eva jumped and seized the nearest piece of fruit. She sank her teeth into the bright green flesh and savored the tangy juices running over her tongue.

  “Wait.” Saber’s hand closed over her shoulder. “How do you know it’s safe?”

  “I use these on my restaurant menu. We import them from the Tiraq mainland.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Positive. Oh!” Eva yanked away from him and darted to the fallen fruit on the ground. “Yarrow worms! A delicacy.” She plucked one from the partially eaten Yarrow fruit and gobbled it down, the firm, meaty texture tainted with the flavor of the fruit that was the worm’s main diet. “Diners pay a fortune for a meal of Yarrow worms. They’re seasonal, but this season pickings have been slim.” She handed a plump, wriggling yellow worm to Saber. “Have one. They’re very nutritious.”

  Saber took it, his doubtful expression echoing in his pretty eyes. He stared at the wriggling worm before biting down with his sharp teeth and swallowing. “Not bad.”

  “The fruit is good too.”

  “We should pick some and keep moving.”

  “What’s the hurry? We’ll stop for a meal.”

  Saber shrugged and plucked several ripe yarrow fruit off a tree. He discarded one that the birds had pecked and chose several others, which he stuffed in his trews pockets.

  Eva slapped at a bug and bit into a yarrow. She tossed away the central stone and searched for another. A loud muffled snort came from behind her, and she turned to glare at Saber. “What? You think it’s funny that my ass is hanging out every time I move?”

  “That wasn’t me.” Saber scanned the bushes and lifted his nose to scent the air.

  Eva shrugged and went back to picking yarrow—until something burst from the undergrowth beside her.

  Eva screamed and scrambled back. She caught the gray of fur as she tripped and sprawled backward on her ass, smelled the fetid scent of the creature as it came to an abrupt halt. Beady black eyes stared at her. Then it charged.

  “Watch out!” Saber shouted, seconds before he scooped her off the ground. He thrust her up into the branches of a tree, tossing her with easy strength. The yarrow she held in her hand went flying. Eva gripped the limb and concentrated on not falling.

 
A second creature charged from the bushes, heading straight for Saber.

  “Saber!”

  Horrified, she watched. The bulky creatures ran on four feet and, she realized, had rough-looking bristles instead of fur or hair. Wicked, curling tusks protruded from both sides of their jaws and they squealed and grunted with each charge. Saber dodged one, stumbling when the second caught his leg with its tusk.

  Eva’s breath caught as Saber raised his fist and punched the creature on its flat nose. A shrill squeal rent the air. The creature shook its massive head then charged again. Saber was going to get gored with those yellowed tusks. Her hand clapped over her mouth. No. No!

  But Saber jumped aside, one mighty tusk just catching the fabric of his trews and ripped them up to his knee.

  Fear clawed through her when the creatures pawed the ground and ran at Saber from opposite directions. “Watch your back, Saber!”

  He jumped for the outstretched limb of a tree and swung upward, placing all his weight on the branch seconds before the animals reached him. They struck each other, full force in the face.

  Admiration filled her when Saber swung from branch to branch, avoiding the fighting creatures until he came to a rest on the same tree limb where she perched.

  “You’re bleeding,” Eva said, knowing if it weren’t for Saber, she would’ve ended up trampled or gored by the creatures.

  “I’m fine,” he said. “Once I shift to my feline form I’ll heal.”

  “Oh. Is that what you were doing yesterday?”

  “When you accused me of flashing?” Saber winked and her breath caught in amazement.

  Apart from Pryce, men had never paid attention to her, not until she’d become a wealthy widow. Then they’d even resorted to brute force in an attempt to become her husband. She forced the horrid memories away, consigning them to the past where they belonged.

  “Um, yes.”

  “Shifters always heal better if they can change to their other form. It’s something to do with the transformation.”

  “Can all your family shift?”

  “Yes, apart from my mother. Is that a problem?”

  “I don’t have difficulties with other races,” Eva said.

  “Good to know.”

  “I can’t afford to alienate my customers. We’re near a spaceport and our customer base comes from all over the galaxy.”

  Below them, the creatures squabbled over fallen yarrow fruit.

  “How long do you think we’ll be trapped up here?”

  “As long as it takes,” Saber said.

  Frustration sliced and diced Eva. “We’re never going to get to civilization at this rate.” She’d worked so hard, and now it seemed revenge was slipping from her grasp. “I need to get back home as soon as possible.”

  Saber cocked his head. “Why?”

  “None of your business.” Eva shifted her weight, trying to find a comfortable spot, and the branch creaked. She clutched at her wooden perch, a gasp of panic escaping.

  “Don’t move,” Saber said in a calm voice as if he were discussing the weather patterns for the upcoming day.

  A distinct crack sounded, and Eva let out a squeak of terror, gripping the branch even harder. Beneath her the creatures gobbled up the windfall of fruit while she swayed on the wobbly tree limb. “The branch is going to break.”

  “No, it will be fine. I’ll move to another tree.” Like a youngster playing on a swing toy, he reached for the next branch and swung over.

  The branch made another ominous cracking sound. Eva shifted to the left then overcorrected to the right. She felt herself falling and shrieked at the top of her lungs. Her hands clung to the branch and her shirt rode up, the cool breeze whistling over her bare ass.

  “It’s all right, Eva. The pigs have wandered off. You can drop.”

  “Pigs? Is that what they were? How do you know they’re not going to wander right back?”

  Saber grasped her by the hips and helped her down without making a comment about the shirt riding up. He did, however, smooth his warm palm across one buttock as he set her on her feet.

  “Stop trying to sneak a touch,” she snapped.

  “If you continue with your caterwauling, you’ll attract their attention.”

  Eva consciously lowered her voice, but it still emerged with a hint of strident attitude. “You touched my bottom.”

  “I could have left you dangling or let you fall to the ground. I can put you back up there if it will make you feel any better about the situation.”

  “You think you’re funny. You’re not.” Eva cast a cautious look in both directions and started down the narrow track. This time she kept a wary eye on both the sky and ground, and she didn’t bother to check to see if Saber had decided to follow in her chosen direction.

  A tiny red creature darted across the path in front of her, and Eva almost jumped out of her filthy socks. She patted her chest and took a deep breath, hoping to regulate her heartbeat.

  “I hate this planet,” she muttered. “Give me a dirty market full of thieves and purse grabbers any day. At least I know what to expect.”

  The cat-man trotted past her in feline form, and she glanced at his rear leg. He appeared fine, so obviously shifting to heal the wound inflicted by the pig thing had worked. He looked a little silly with his tied trews looped around his neck, but that was probably a wise idea. He didn’t exactly have pockets.

  The track led into a clearing and a narrow valley lay before them. Beyond the valley, several mountains sat in a compact group. Eva came to a halt and stared at the purple plumes of smoke coming from the tops of the cone-shaped peaks. “Why are they smoking?”

  Of course the black cat didn’t answer. He continued moving down the path while she stared and attempted to puzzle out this new mystery. The trees growing in the valley held a pink tinge on their trunks and branches, which was an attractive contrast to the green of the foliage.

  Eva resumed her trek and noticed the valley was alive with the calls of birds. The undergrowth on either side of the path rustled suspiciously, and Eva increased her pace while trying not to think about the horrors of the beasties inhabiting the bushes. She checked the path ahead, fear crowding in on her when she realized she couldn’t see Saber. The man might be annoying, he might even be in league with the Dearbhorgaills, for all she knew, but at least he seemed to want to keep her safe for now. He was her best chance of getting out of this mess in one piece.

  Eva quickened her pace until she was practically running. She burst around a bend in the path and came to a screeching halt to avoid a collision with Saber. The cat let out a rumbling purr, and Eva froze.

  What now? Why has he stopped?

  “What’s wrong?” she whispered, because something was wrong. She could feel it in her bones. Her fingers curled into his fur, and she found herself inching closer until her hip was pressed against him.

  He made another low sound deep in his throat and rubbed his head against her arm, while Eva swung her gaze across the path. Next, she swept the skies. If the big bird grabbed them again it could drop them anywhere, even in the middle of the sea, which held the potential for greater terror.

  “I can’t see anything,” she whispered.

  Saber made another low sound and pulled away. He padded down the trail, and she realized he’d simply been waiting for her. Warmth bloomed in the region of her chest. She could count on one hand the number of times other people had worried about her well-being. Eva found herself smiling, a smile so wide it hurt her mouth. She increased her pace to catch him once more.

  They stopped to pick and feast on several different types of fruits and berries she recognized. Once her thirst and hunger were appeased, her mind finally focused on her various aches and pains. She could also smell herself, and it wasn’t pleasant.

  Saber, now in his two-legged form, stopped again. He grinned. “I think I can hear water,” he said. “This way.”

  Eva followed him down the trail, her gaze going to his t
ight butt, outlined nicely in his black trews. His upper half remained bare and that drew her gaze too. She’d never known a male like him, not one who continually drew her attention. He fascinated her, brought her curiosity to the fore and made her want to ask dozens of questions—including why he might have accepted money from the Dearbhorgaills to kidnap her.

  Maybe she’d attempt a few casual questions later tonight. They had to fill the hours of darkness somehow.

  Memories of what they’d done this morning heated her cheeks. She wouldn’t mind repeating that again either, although she was sure it couldn’t be as spectacular as she remembered.

  “There’s the water,” Saber said.

  Eva had been so deep in thought and busy staring at Saber, she hadn’t noticed the change in scenery. “What is that smell?”

  “I’m not sure,” Saber said. “There’s steam coming off the water, so it must be some sort of hot spring due to the volcanoes. It can’t be that hot though because there are birds swimming in the water. On Earth, the hot springs smell of sulfur, but this is a different scent. It’s almost floral.” He frowned and lifted his head, his nostrils flaring. “It reminds me of the scent of lavender, a plant on Earth. My grandmother used to grow it in her garden. She made oil from the flowers and used the dried petals in soaps.”

  “Do you see any flowers?” Eva asked, fascinated by the tiny snippets he revealed. They were so far outside what she knew.

  “No. We’ll go closer. If the water isn’t too hot, we might be able to swim.”

  “Wash?”

  Saber gave her a quick smile and her heart beat a little faster. Looking at him when he smiled—the flash of white teeth and the tiny fan of lines around the outside of his eyes—did something to her. His smile softened his harshly carved face and made her want to grin in return. A foreign feeling. She’d seldom felt the need to laugh or smile—only for a brief period when she’d had Pryce. And almost never since Pryce had died.

  The valley went quiet, and Saber froze.