by S. E. Smith
*.*.*
Vox froze every few steps, waiting and listening for the beasts to appear again. He had caught a brief glimpse of them, but they had disappeared when he got close. It was driving him crazy that he couldn’t smell them. He didn’t know what wolves were supposed to smell like, but he was sure they had some kind of scent.
He paused in the center of a small group of trees and lifted his head. Drawing in several deep breaths, he could detect a trace of Bálint and Roam. Turning slightly, he also caught another one… Riley had been here.
His head jerked around when the soft sound of moaning reached him. A loud roar escaped him when he saw a figure materialized from between the trees along with three of the wolves. Rage washed through him at the threat and he charged the wolves and the figure.
The first wolf reached him as the twinkling figure turned. He swiped his paw at it and stumbled when it went through it. He whipped around as the second came at him. This time, a shiver ran through him as it passed right through his body.
Determined to get at least one of the beasts that night, he decided to go after the one that had turned. Rushing forward, he saw the figure stumble and fall. The moment the beautiful, rounded ass was uncovered, he knew exactly who it was. No other living being had a more desirable, gorgeous ass than his mate.
The hot breath of his cat fanned her ass before he shifted. Reaching out, he ran his hands over the familiar flesh of his mate. A low rumble escaped him when she moaned as he turned her.
Oh, yes, he thought as he reacted to her scent and he called out her name. This is definitely my mate.
“Hi, Tiger,” she whispered.
Bright, blue eyes peeked up at him from behind the… bed sheet. A reluctant smile tugged at his lips when he saw the color and the ‘bling’ as she liked to call it. He gently pulled the bottom of the sheet up so he could see her face. His breath grew heavier the further it went as he saw how little she was wearing underneath it. By the time he had it over her head, both he and his cat were panting.
“Why are you wearing a pink bed sheet?” He asked in a strained voice as he climbed over her so he could cage her with his body when she shivered. “What are you doing here?”
“I’m a ghost,” she replied as she stared up at him. “I was trying to scare you. But when you turned, I thought you were going to rip me apart.”
A husky laugh escaped Vox. “I was chasing the wolves until I realized they were just holograms. They are very real looking ones, but they are harmless.”
His voice faded when she reached up and began playing with the short hair at his nape. She turned her head, looking around the dark forest area. Except for a few hologram wolves that occasionally passed through, they were practically alone.
“Roam is playing with Bálint in the Bubble Room,” Riley commented in a quiet voice as her other hand began rubbing his chest. “Bio is babysitting them with strict instructions not to let them out until one of us come for them.”
A sly smile lit Vox’s face as he popped the front clasp on her bra as he slid his own hand between them. A louder rumble escaped him as the double hand-size mounds spilled out. He brushed the tip of her right breast with the calloused pad of his thumb.
“Playtime,” he murmured as he claimed her lips.
Chapter 9
Ha’ven and Mandra looked around as they crossed a narrow bridge back over the river to the other side. They were coming up near the cemetery for the second time. Mandra had enlisted Ha’ven’s help in finding Precious and Jabir.
“I could have sworn I saw them go this way,” Mandra muttered in frustration. “I know it was them.”
“We will find them,” Ha’ven assured Mandra. “Call to your Symbiot again and see where they are.”
Mandra touched the gold band around his wrist. It didn’t make sense. His symbiot was now showing Precious and Jabir on the steps.
“Maybe Precious is trying to take him back to our living quarters,” Mandra replied in a heavy voice as he turned back around to cross the bridge again. “He is younger than the others and must be tired.”
“Has he shifted yet?” Ha’ven asked as he turned as well.
“No,” Mandra replied in a reluctant voice. “I’m a little worried. The others had by this age.”
“I’m sure…,” Ha’ven was saying before his voice faded.
“You’re sure of what?” Mandra asked with a frown before he turned his gaze to where Ha’ven was staring. “Oh, Goddess!” He groaned as he stared in horror at the steps. “Please tell me they don’t come that big!”
Mandra swallowed as he stared at the biggest Grombot he had ever seen in his life! He didn’t think they could even grow that large. He tried to pull back on his dragon when it saw the creature.
Eat! His dragon roared out in excitement. Eat, eat, eat.
The fact that Grombots were a rare delicacy was bad enough. The fact that they were all pets of his mate, who happened to also be something called a vegetarian, made it worse. He had discovered that Grombots to him were like chocolate to his mate… when she was pregnant and going through a major craving. He wasn’t ashamed to admit he had begged Cara into replicating the damn stuff for Ariel. Now, now he had the biggest chocolate bar his dragon could have ever dreamed about, crawling around with his son.
“Oh, Dragon’s Balls,” Mandra groaned as his dragon swept pass his defenses as he was lost in thought.
The huge sapphire and silver dragon crept forward in slow, steady steps. He paused when the huge rodent lowered its head and rubbed against Jabir. His son’s laughter echoed as he wound his arms around the creature’s head.
We can’t eat it, Mandra ordered his dragon. Ariel will kill us. This has to be one of her pets. Only she could find something so incredible.
Eat, his dragon insisted. She not miss one.
Mandra groaned as he tried to pull in his dragon. Look at it! Of course, she’ll miss that one!
Mine, his dragon insisted as he came within pouncing distance.
Mandra groaned even louder when the damn overgrown rodent turned its back to them and stuck its tail up in the air. It wiggled it, making Jabir roll with laughter. What was worse was it was like waving a succulent meal under his dragon’s nose.
I’m blaming you, Mandra warned as he felt his dragon tense before it jumped and latched onto the waving tail.
Mine! His dragon replied with delight.
Both he and his dragon knew something was wrong the moment it bit down. Instead of moist, tender meat, they tasted coarse cloth, metal, and spongy filling. They both winced when they heard Ariel’s outraged shriek of surprise. What surprised them both was when they were suddenly attacked… by a tiny sapphire and silver replica of them.
“Mandra!” Ariel choked out as she hung upside down by her ass from his dragon’s mouth. “What are you doing?”
Mandra stood frozen in confusion as he tried to process two things; Ariel had turned into a Grombot and second, his son was chewing on his ear. The first sent waves of horror through him, while the second made him so damn proud, he dropped his mate when his dragon grinned.
He watched in a daze as the huge Grombot rolled over. For a moment, he closed his eyes and just thought of the pain radiating from his ear where Jabir continued to chew. He slowly opened them again, hoping that it had all been a figment of his imagination. Panic swept through him when he saw his mate’s beautiful face with the body of a Grombot.
“Ariel,” he choked out after he shifted to his two-legged form. “You are a… What happened?... Who did this to you?” He asked, blindly reaching up to pull Jabir into his arms when his son tried to land on his shoulder to grab his ear again.
*.*.*
Ariel stared up into Mandra’s deathly pale face. Her eyes shone with amusement as she watched him gently cradle their son in his arms. Jabir had finally shifted.
“He’s as handsome as his father,” she whispered with love shining brightly in her eyes.
Ariel watched as Mandra�
�s head turned to look at the small Dragonling in his arms. Jabir snapped at him and whimpered as he looked back and forth between his father and her. Her heart melted when Mandra’s eyes softened and he pulled Jabir against his chest as he whispered reassuringly to him.
“I won’t hurt her,” he promised. “I love your mother, no matter what she is.”
“Mandra,” Ariel whispered as she clumsily rose to her feet.
She shook her head and smiled at him as she carefully pulled the head of the costume off and let it fall to the ground. His eyes widened as he got his first good look at what she was wearing.
“It’s not real?” He asked in a hopeful voice. “I mean, I’d love you if somehow you had…” he waved his hand awkwardly at her, while maintaining his hold on Jabir.
“Emma did a wonderful job making it look real,” Ariel admitted as she took a step closer so she could tenderly caress Jabir who had quietened down and was now yawning. “He looks just like you.”
A firm hand wound in her hair and pulled her forward so that his forehead could rest against hers. Ariel glanced up at her mate. A small smile tugged at her lips when he pulled back and pressed a heated kiss to it.
“Let’s go,” he ordered in a gruff voice. “I want to peel this thing off you and see what is underneath.”
Ariel’s lips quirk again. “Not much,” she admitted. “That’s why I haven’t taken it off. Emma forgot to leave my clothes on underneath when she created the costume.”
Mandra’s low groan echoed in her ear as he brushed a kiss just below it. “That makes me extremely horny, you know.”
Ariel turned back toward the stairs and started to climb them. She grinned up at where Emma was standing on the upper stairs to the control room, watching them with a shy smile as Alice played on the stairs at her feet. She mouthed a ‘thank you’ before she felt Mandra’s strong arm wrap around her foam-filled waist.
“I can’t wait to eat you up,” he whispered in her ear as they swept through the upper level door.
*.*.*
Ha’ven, who had been watching the whole scene with Mandra and Ariel in amusement, decided he’d had enough for the night. As far as he was concerned, the others were on their own. Striding back across the bridge, he took the lower steps two at a time up to the entrance to the cavern.
He stumbled to a startled stop when a loud cry from his left caught his attention. Turning, he saw Emma standing on a set of steps leading up to another level. Alice sat playing on the step below her.
“Emma,” Ha’ven whispered in surprise.
“Da! Da!” Alice cried out again, stretching her arms out to him and opening and closing her fingers. “Da!”
“She missed you,” Emma grinned.
A chuckle escaped him when he opened his arms and within the blink of an eye, Alice was in them. He hugged her tiny body against his chest in a fierce, but gentle hold. Their little girl was getting stronger.
Yes, she is, Emma quietly whispered back to him.
“How did you know I had left?” He murmured as she came to stand next to him.
“I always know where you are,” Emma replied in a quiet voice. “I have to know.”
Ha’ven shifted Alice so he could pull Emma closer when he heard the slight tremor in her voice. Even after almost two years, the fear of losing each other still struck at unexpected times.
“I’m sorry,” he whispered, holding her against his warm body. “I should have told you.”
Emma relaxed against him. “You did,” she reminded him as she remembered his soft, whispered words of love and reassurance that he would return soon as she slept. “You just forgot to tell me where you were going.”
“Da, sleepy,” Alice murmured with a yawn.
Ha’ven grinned as Alice rubbed her eyes. “She is learning more words.”
Emma brushed a kiss to Alice’s cheek as she pulled out of Ha’ven’s arms. Focusing, she held her hands out for her and Alice’s brooms. She grinned up at Ha’ven when they appeared in her palms.
“I’m getting better,” she said in triumph.
Ha’ven’s eyes ran down over her slender form dressed in the witch’s costume. His eyes lingered on the slight swell of her breasts showing in the low cut top. Hunger gripped him.
“So am I,” he muttered, sweeping his arm back around her and focusing on their living quarters.
Emma’s muffled laughter was cut short as Ha’ven teleported them to their living quarters. For once, he didn’t give a damn who knew what he could do. He just wanted to be alone with his little family.
Chapter 10
Abby laughed as she chased Zohar through the small village. He loved the Paint House. Abby had been in charge of creating the activities for the village.
She had made sure each house had something different to offer. Some were designed for the kids to play virtual games in, others were for them to do simple arts and crafts, while still others held the old-fashion games found at the local fairs from back home.
“Momma,” Zohar giggled as he patted the crystal ball in the center square that talked to the kids. “Momma talk.”
Abby chuckled as Zohar patted the crystal ball again to ‘wake’ her up. She was just thankful that Zohar had stopped for a moment as she drew in a deep breath. Stopping behind him, she waited to see if the programming worked like it was supposed to.
“Hi sweetie,” the imitation Abby said with a smile. “What do you want to play today?”
“Paint!” Zohar shouted in excitement, slapping the ball. “Momma, paint!”
The imitation Abby’s head turned until she was looking at the Paint House. “Paint, it is. Have fun, Zohar.”
Abby sighed as Zohar called out a goodbye and took off for the house that suddenly lit up in bright colors. The faint sound of music could be heard coming from the inside. Shaking her head, she started after him.
“Thank goodness the paint disappears,” Abby muttered with a weary laugh as she watched Zohar run to the bucket of blue, which was currently his favorite color.
The engineers, with Cara’s help, had designed a special ‘paint’ for Abby when she tried to figure out a way for the kids to be creative without it being a disaster for the parent. This paint felt and appeared real, but was made up of a non-toxic powder that disappeared after a few minutes.
Zohar loved it when she showed him how he could rub it on the walls, floors, even his body and then watch it fade away. Now, he was running blue streaks along the floor while Goldie, in the shape of a large dog, had decided to dip each paw in a different color and walk around.
Abby slid down on one of the seats and laid her head back. A yawn escaped her and her eyes drooped as she watched the Symbiot and Zohar play. She wished she had their energy right now, but Zoran had done a pretty good job of tiring her out earlier.
“Goldie, keep a good eye on Zohar,” Abby called out in a tired voice. “I’m not thinking to clearly right now.”
The golden symbiot turned and sneezed in acknowledgement as Zohar, now with blue feet, clung to its tail as it pulled him around the room. The combination of exhaustion, relaxing back on the soft seat, and the music, soon pulled Abby into a light sleep.
“I’ll close my eyes for just a minute,” she murmured as she slid sideways on the bench and curled her long legs up on it.
*.*.*
Zoran stumbled into the village and turned with a scowl. He was on the opposite side of the cavern from where he had planned. After he pulled himself out of the river, he had found himself on the far side of it.
He had planned to cut through a narrow cut between the rocks, but another one of those damn storms that Cara seemed fond of had sent a torrential burst of rain down on him. He swore his hair almost got scorched by some of the ‘lightning’ that she had programmed in. Fortunately, the ‘wind’ storm he had encountered as he came through the other side had dried his clothing.
Now, he would need to cut back through it or go around. He turned and glanced down the long row o
f ‘Houses’ on each side of the village. In the center, there was a small, round ball that was glowing. Something was moving inside it and curiosity pulled at him. He glanced back toward where he knew the entrance was, before deciding a few more minutes wouldn’t hurt.
“I can always shift and fly back,” he muttered as he turned back to the glowing green ball.
Striding down the main square, his eyes swept over the signs on the outside of the buildings. House of Tag, House of Mazes, Web House, the names just went on and on. He had to admit, he would love to come back and explore what each one meant.
His gaze swept back to the glowing ball and he stumbled when he saw that there was a head inside it. A shudder went through him when he saw it move. There was something eerily familiar about it. He stopped in horror and amazement when the head turned and he saw his mate’s delicate face looking back at him.
“Hello, Zoran,” the head said with a smile. “What can I do for you?”
“Abby?” Zoran choked out as he stepped closer. He reached a trembling hand out to touch the glass. “Where… what happened to you? How did you get in there? Where is… Where is the rest of you?”
Abby’s brown eyes blinked and she tilted her head as if she was trying to process all of his disjointed questions. After a few seconds, her head straightened and she began to speak. It took a moment for him to understand what she was saying as he was so focused on her face.
“I am the Village Mistress. I am a robotic replica of Abby Tanner-Reykill, an artist from a distant world called Earth. Abby enjoys creating unique and wonderful works of art and has shared her love for it. Abby is currently in the Paint House. Do you have any other questions?”
“You are not real?” Zoran asked in amazement as her facial expressions changed just like Abby’s did.
A soft chuckled echoed from the crystal ball. “No, the real Abby is in the Paint House. Would you like to go to the Paint House?”
“Yes,” Zoran mumbled with a shake of his head.
“Follow the lights,” the bodiless Abby said as she turned.
Zoran watched as small lights lit the ground and one of the houses began to glow. Nodding his head, he turned away and followed the arrows. He glanced back over his shoulder to see the head of his mate again. Her eyes were closed and a serene smile curved her lips. He swore it looked real.