Jessabelle's Beast (Shadows in Sanctuary Book 3)

by Susan Trombley

  Stacia playfully tapped her mate on his shoulder. “Oh come on, Balfor! This is beautiful! It’d be a shame to rush them and miss this.”

  His claws clicked on the desktop as he tapped impatiently. “If I wanted to sit through a bunch of melodrama, I’d let you talk me into attending the theater on more days than I already endure.” He shook his head at Stacia and then returned his focus to Jessa and Gorzo. “This is a working office, you know. And since I’ll be without my general for one year, there’s even more work for me to do.” His narrowed his eyes as he met Jessa’s bold stare. Perhaps she has more courage than I’ve given her credit for. “Prove yourself worthy of him in that time, woman, or so help me, I will wield the axe myself.”

  *****

  “Balfor!” Stacia’s outburst kept Jessa from responding with the quick verbal assurance she had intended in the hopes of relaxing Gorzo, who’d tensed beside her, perhaps readying for another fight.

  Instead, Jessa nodded so hard she earned a headache for her efforts and started backing towards the door.

  Since it swung open at their approach, Balfor must’ve been as ready to be done with them as they were ready to leave. He returned his attention to the many maps and documents covering his desk as they backed out of the office.

  Stacia shrugged when she met Jessa’s eyes. Jessa figured that was all the good-bye she was bound to get from the royal family. A temporary exile was an incredibly lenient punishment in comparison to an execution. That alone told her that at least one member of the royals had softened towards her. Or maybe it had been because of Gorzo. She didn’t care. She’d find a way to survive and stay by his side throughout the next year. She’d be the most devoted mate he’d ever had.

  It wasn’t until they were outside in the corridor and the office door had closed on their retreat that Stacia appeared beside them in a ball of shadows. Jessa was growing used to witnessing this unconventional method of traveling.

  “Listen, despite what Balfor might say, he’s impressed by the devotion both of you showed during that horrible incident the other day. Jessa, that you were willing to die rather than allow Gorzo to take your place showed that your love was true and unselfish, regardless of your original reasons for coming here.”

  Gorzo grunted at those words, casting a knowing look towards Jessa, who turned her head far enough to hide the tongue she stuck out at him from Stacia.

  Stacia’s regard turned to Gorzo, who’d reined in his brief chuckle at Jessa’s silliness. “Gorzo, Balfor already respected you beyond measure. Sadly, not everyone in Sanctuary has been as approving, but they all will respect you now. You’ve turned a Diakonos agent against them. No one missed the devotion Jessa showed to you in that arena. Your… um… prowess, has gained legendary status.”

  A satisfied smirk tilted Gorzo’s lips. Jessa put her hands on her hips and gave him the death stare. His smirk melted away, but a laugh did escape him that caused her to roll her eyes.

  Stacia released a heavy sigh that fluttered her veil. “Still here, kiddos. Let’s try and focus. It’s time to talk about serious matters, what with the whole ‘exile’ and all.” She put a hand on each of their arms. “I know it sounds crazy after everything that’s happened, but you will both be welcomed here in one year’s time, if you can remain together throughout that time.” A frown ridged her forehead above the flashy court veil she wore. “Balfor doesn’t want you to be involved with the Commemoro, but you don’t have to be directly involved to receive supplies. If you delay your departure just a bit longer, I’ll bring everything you need to find the Commemoro supply caches to help you.”

  They both nodded to the princess, grateful for the help she would be giving them. Jessa was starting to feel certain she could get through this. So walking through the jungle with a breather mask was a dangerous prospect. She glanced up at her mate, admiring his strong body and the massive wings he had tucked tight against him except where one was folded around her.

  They wouldn’t be walking the whole way. That was for certain.

  Chapter 31

  When Stacia had said there’d be caches of supplies, Jessa had expected them to find crates and boxes, not entire bunkers hidden in the foliage. It seemed the Commemoro were willing to extend quite a deal of assistance, and she had to wonder if they knew who she was, or what she’d done. Why are they being so helpful?

  It was a question she probably wouldn’t get an answer to, but at least there was somewhere on their journey where she could take off her breather mask and relax for a bit. Each small bunker was outfitted with a decontamination room that blew off the pollen and spores collected on her clothing from the jungle and filtered it out of the bunker.

  Gorzo handled the decon like a pro, reminding her that he’d had some experience with the process in his trips to Dome City. It seemed like their first meeting had been so long ago, but they’d really only known each other for a short time. It was just that so much had happened between them in that time.

  This evening’s bunker was just a single room, stocked with a few days’ worth of dry goods and enough water to rehydrate them into something approaching edible. There was a bathroom/shower combo unit right next to a rack of beds suspended from the wall. It was small, it was cramped, but it was a blessing. After over a week of traveling, mostly by air, even Gorzo was starting to show some signs of weariness. After all, he’d had to carry her the entire time. If they didn’t rest now, they’d be stuck traveling on foot through the jungle’s dangerous foliage. Alone, Gorzo would probably have no problem. Not only was he immune to the deadly fungus, but he was also skilled at defeating the jungle predators and recognizing the deadlier flora.

  Jessa didn’t like to think of traveling through the jungle splitting Gorzo’s attention between protecting her and finding their way. That’s why she’d insisted on these rest stops, even though he was eager to get to their destination.

  All these thoughts got her through her cold shower, and Gorzo watched her with hungry eyes as she dried off. Since he was forced to sit less than an arms-length away from her, she was well within reach when she stepped out onto the cool metalline tiles, so it was no surprise when he pulled her into his embrace, only the damp towel coming between their naked bodies.

  Jessa tilted her head back for his kiss, but he dodged her lips and found her neck instead, trailing kisses down the smooth column of her throat to the curve of her shoulder. Her nipples beaded in anticipation, and the dampness between her legs was no longer just from her recent shower. “There isn’t much room in here to make love.”

  He lifted his head, glanced around the room and then met her eyes. “I’ll make it work.” Urging her back into the shower stall, he pressed her up against the wet tiles. She cried out in surprise as they soaked her back, then moaned as his lips found her nipple and closed over it. She released the towel to clutch his hard biceps as he pinned her against the wall with his mouth and his hands.

  She felt helpless against the onslaught of his hot tongue against her skin, the gentle nip of his teeth, the soft tug of his lips as he trailed down her body.

  Then he was kneeling before her, and Jessa had to clutch his massive shoulders just to remain on her feet as he parted her legs.

  The caress of his tongue against her womanhood was gentle and slow at first, driving her wild with each long lick against the most sensitive part of her. As she trembled against the wall, his hands gripped her thighs, not only to brace her, but also to push her harder against his questing tongue.

  She’d nearly reached her climax when he urged her to hook one leg over his shoulder, gripping her shin with the tip of his wing. In this new position, he was able to delve his tongue into her soaking slit, tasting her nectar as he thrust it inside her. She jerked in his hold as her climax fell upon her, causing her to scream in pleasure.

  When Gorzo released her legs and rose to his feet, he maintained his grip on her to keep her from collapsing. His erection strained towards her, pushing at her soft belly as it
sought her wet heat.

  He lifted her up and settled her slick entrance against the head of his shaft, thrusting into her in a quick movement that left them both groaning with satisfaction.

  Pinned against the wall, Jessa could do nothing but cling to Gorzo as he brought them both to another climax. As his seed spilled inside her, he changed his grip to cradle her in his arms.

  “Every time I’m inside you, I feel like I’m home.” The words, spoken in DC Common, were muffled against her hair as he carried her to the bottom cot and set her down. Releasing her, he handed her the towel.

  Jessa couldn’t help the broad smile that crossed her face. She was so happy. As insane as it was, even though she had no place to call home at all and had been exiled out into the dangerous jungle with only Gorzo for company, she couldn’t be happier. This tiny bunker was like a little slice of paradise as long as he was here with her. “Home is where you make it, right?”

  He brushed aside a lock of damp hair that was clinging to Jessa’s forehead. “My home is where you make it, Schodecora.”

  Biting her lip, uncertain if she should even broach the subject, she looked up into his face, loving the harsh lines and planes of his features and the exotic pattern of scars that marred his skin. If there was anyone she could ever speak freely to, it was Gorzo. There was no one she’d ever trusted more. “Speaking of your home….”

  He waited, his body still relaxed, revealing no sign of tension or distress at her mention of a place he’d left with terrible memories.

  Jessa finally got up the nerve to say it. “I want to go there. I want to see where you were born.” She dropped her gaze, too worried that she’d upset him to see his expression change.

  She couldn’t miss the tension in his body though. “Are you sure? The journey is a long one.”

  His tone was neutral, non-committal. There was no sign of anguish or grief in his voice, so Jessa risked a look into his eyes. The sparkle of humor that was usually there was absent, but his lips were still relaxed, not tight with anger or sadness.

  “I’m willing to make it. You’ve spoken so much of the grasslands. I know that you were set on going to that old umbrose city where we could hole up for a year without being near the pollen and spora, but I’d rather be above-ground for a while. I’ve spent my entire life inside a dome. I want to feel the fresh air and breathe it in without fear. I want to walk in the dirt and feel the long grass brushing my skin.”

  Gorzo’s smile was small and spread slowly, but it was still a sign of happiness, though his eyes remained unreadable. “To be honest, I wasn’t looking forward to trying to make a habitable home out of a ruined city, and there’s no telling what dangers we’d meet there. The journey to my continent will be dangerous as well, but at least I know those dangers. I like your option better.”

  Excitement spiraled through Jessa. She’d been speaking the truth about wanting to see Gorzo’s home. She wasn’t doing it just for his sake, though she did hope he was able to find some peace there. His descriptions of the grasslands and the utepis moving across them like boats bobbing on an ocean had filled her mind with images she wanted to experience in real life. Now that she’d been given a stay of execution, she had the chance to see what kind of place could give birth to a person as incredible as Gorzo.

  He turned and plucked one of the dehydrated meals from the storage cabinet set into the wall. He showed it to her for her approval and she nodded. It would be bland and tasteless, but it wasn’t the worst of the meals in that cabinet.

  Gorzo tore open the packaging and regarded the contents with a twist of his lips. “When we get to Portoase, I will hunt up a real meal for us. One that will erase the memory of whatever this is.”

  “Por-toe-a-c?” He’d never given his former land a name before. She tried the pronunciation out, certain she was butchering it, but Gorzo was making a real effort to speak her language. The least she could do was try to learn his.

  He flashed a grin her way as he poured water from their canteen into the chemical heater of the food ration. “Portoase. It loosely translates to your human word “haven,” but it means so much more than that. It is the head of the world, where life is good.” He shrugged as he tucked the packets of food into the tin that held the heater and set it aside to warm up. “Maybe there are still tribes living there. Maybe we can find some of my people.” His tone didn’t sound too hopeful.

  Jessa stood and closed the very short distance between them, laying her hand on Gorzo’s shoulder. “We can look.” She dropped her arm to wrap around his waist, and he pulled her closer, clasping his arms around her. “I’m excited about this journey, Gorzo.”

  “So am I, Schodecora. So am I.”

  Chapter 32

  4 months later, Portoase, SE continent

  The journey back to Gorzo’s homeland hadn’t been as difficult as he’d originally feared it would be, because on their last rest stop before reaching the ocean, there’d been a Commemoro cruiser awaiting them.

  Gorzo had found the communications equipment in one of the bunkers, and with Jessa’s assistance, used it to contact the Commemoro. He’d originally done it just to thank them, but upon reflection of how difficult it had been to cross the ocean in an ancient boat, he’d decided to ask for even more assistance from the allies his prince didn’t want him associating with.

  The Commemoro had been more than willing to help him out, though the answer to his request had come directly from General Caruthers, someone Gorzo didn’t trust any more than Balfor did. The human male would do anything to further his own cause, often at the expense of others. Yet in this case, his counter request was a reasonable one.

  For the use of the cruiser, which Jessa knew how to fly as it was a common enough model in DC, Gorzo would activate a mapping device on the vehicle which would help chart the ocean and Portoase for the Commemoro, who already had some images of the continent from their star-eyes, the things they called “satellites.”

  Portoase was a large continent, though not as large as the one Dome City currently occupied. There were few, if any, tribes left there. Gorzo had not encountered any in his wanderings after he’d killed the raiders. He still hoped they might find someone if they went back to his lands, but even if they did find some tribes, there was enough land for the humans to build a settlement, free from the pollen and spores that so plagued them in the jungle.

  His feelings of magnanimity towards the humans were entirely due to Jessa. Her descriptions of how life was getting more and more difficult in the overcrowded domes inspired his decision to acquiesce to the Commemoro’s request. Balfor kept strict control over his lands, which were the only other place where the jungle fungus didn’t thrive. The prince of the umbrose only allowed migrant workers to resettle there, and only as long as they served his purpose. The humans could remain in their underground bunkers indefinitely, but filtration and climate control systems broke down over time. Only on a continent like Portoase would they truly know the freedom of the open air.

  Of course, human resettlement would be some time in the future. For now, it seemed that only he and Jessa occupied this continent. For months, they’d traveled the old routes, spending the night walking the grasslands on the outskirts of a small herd of utepis or flying above the herd. During the day, they made camp in the round tent he’d sewn for them from hides. To his pleasant surprise, Jessa thrived in this place. She spent more time out of the tent during the day while he slept or simply avoided Father’s Eye. She would come in with some project that he’d taught her how to do to proudly display her progress. Though her baskets would be crooked, and her rugs loosely woven, the smile of accomplishment on her face was more beautiful than anything he’d ever seen. That beauty was only enhanced by the little marks on her skin that she called freckles.

  She said the marks came from Father’s Eye and laughed at his jealousy that perhaps the Father wanted to take her for himself. He knew Jessa didn’t believe that Father was a real god. She thought it wa
s all a fungus, but he knew better. He’d heard Father’s voice as well as Mother’s. That sort of thing was something he didn’t bother her with. Someday, perhaps she would hear their voices too. He had no need or desire to push his beliefs on her.

  Despite their happiness together, he wished they would encounter some remnant of another tribe, but it seemed that they were truly all gone.

  *****

  “Little Micah fell into a hole, Gorzo! I can hear him crying out.” Jessa rushed back out of the tent after that pronouncement.

  Gorzo sighed and braced himself to go out into the full light of midday. She wouldn’t rest until the tiny utepis calf was rescued. Calving season had been particularly poignant for Jessa. She treated every one of the babies like her children. She was particularly protective of the one she called Little Micah. He’d been born small and stunted and had a difficult time keeping up with the herd. He would’ve died from neglect or been picked off by a predator if it hadn’t been for Jessa’s insistence on caring for him every step of his life.

  Now Gorzo had to fish a panicked, kicking calf out of a hole with the full weight of Father’s Eye bearing down on him.

  Jessa knelt beside the hole with a braided rope, trying to get a loop around the neck of the panicked calf at the bottom.

  He admired her backside for a brief moment before stepping past her to peer into the hole. Though it had fit the calf, it would be too small for him, which meant that he’d have to dig around the edges, risking a collapse that would likely kill Little Micah anyway.

  Jessa seemed to read his thoughts, or perhaps she’d already considered the situation. “Use this rope to lower me down. I’ll tie him into it, and you can pull him up and then me.”

  It was a sound plan, if he didn’t care what happened to either of them. For him, Little Micah was more of a pet, but he didn’t want to risk Jessa in a hole that was unstable. He was about to voice his objection when he got a good look at her mutinous expression. He sighed. “Very well. If it starts to collapse, I pull you up first. You must promise me.”