Doom sat beside her and took a healthy bite from the apple. After a few bites, he flung the remains of the fruit down near the bear. The bear was startled but was soon sniffing the air. It found the treat and wandered away.
A lock of Clarity’s hair slipped over an eye and Doom lifted a finger to tuck the strand behind her ear. She let the apple fall to her side but pulled her knees up to her chest.
“There is danger everywhere out there,” she said.
“Yes. You also realize the dinosaurs know my scent and fear my people. At least you should. Even the mammoth mastodons keep their distance. My villagers are skilled hunters.”
“But we were attacked.”
Doom lifted an eyebrow. “You were attacked.”
“Oh.” The realization dawned in her eyes.
“The dinosaurs will learn in time to fear your scent—when you’re with me. I’m also a skilled hunter.”
“I think maybe those children are, too. I want to get a closer look. Flight, the boy, said his father is a pilot and when I asked him if he knew what a gun was he pointed his fingers at me and went,
boom gotcha with water
. His arm is marked so I wonder. He’s young still. Even our world tries to shield our children from harsh realities until they learn on their own. To us, water guns are harmless. I think these wild children might be from my Earth. Heath knew of a cross bow, but he was adamant you killed animals with it for food. Only food. No sport hunting. That girl knew exactly how to kill and didn’t blink an eye. When my Earth humans are threatened we react, she must be from my world, her brother, too.”
Doom thought they might be but said nothing. It had been a number of years since a child came through a sinkhole speaking of warrior fathers. At least two decades, maybe more. The years blurred after a while. Extra hunters would be a boon, even young ones. Clarity insisted these bombs she spoke of could be tossed by a child.
When the first spatter of rain struck him, Doom was surprised. The weather was always temperamental this time of year. Horrific thunderstorms blew in fast and breezed out as quick. This time of year the land was thirsty for water as life grew in droves.
Clarity hated their rain. The thought was amusing. Why would anyone hate weather? It had no feelings. Nevertheless, she expressed loathing when the storm rumbled in. Gripping her hand he rose to his feet and began racing toward a shelter. Doom knew every inch of his area. The hybrids’ home was a surprise to him because he had never ventured near ‘their’ side. Learning they could read was a surprise, but Doom had never seen a written word before Clarity came. That the hybrids could read was frightening, their thought process was growing. The written signs he thought were marks began a few years back.
Within a tangled mass of overgrown colossal roots were small shelters. The trees grew overtop the boulders. Clarity screamed when the ground heaved up as they passed a line of trees to get to the trees on boulders. Even the trees adapted. The roots of the other trees on the direct ground in this particular area separated. When the wind blew, the ground breathed as would a sleeping giant.
Doom took her higher to the stable trunks, and they slipped through into shelter as the ground gave up its water supply to the sky. On hands and knees Clarity watched with fascination, peering out the small opening they squeezed through. She was breathing heavily and turned to gaze at him.
“Does it snow up, too?”
“Flakes of snow fly where the wind takes them. In a blizzard, does it seem you’re attacked by any one direction?”
“Point taken.”
Doom, who had been crouching, settled back against the hanging moss on the inside of the shelter. There were mounds of small sticks and dry vegetation surrounding them. The cave was dry, roots hung like tiny stalactites from the ceiling, curling their way round and over each other before pointing down. Clarity continued to peer outside and he knew she watched the breathing ground until she sneezed and coughed and sat beside him. She swiped at her face and Doom could see she had gotten a breath of rain. The moss door fell into place, casting much of the cave into darkness. From her pouch she pulled her flashlight and flicked it on, the cave lit instantly.
From within, Clarity gathered dry kindling after sweeping a circular area clean. She dug out a small indentation in the ground with her hands and using her fire tube she sparked a flame. She called it a lighter. Truth be told, it was a magic light to hold in your hand. She informed him there was liquid inside the tube allowing it to flame when a spark was produced. The fire didn’t burn down but up. Another novelty of the mystic.
The first time a human created matches with a substance called sulfur they melted to liquid and rolled the head of small sticks in, Doom was inclined to make them. A simple trick really, but the small shards of wood it was rolled on burned down to your hand. Useful nonetheless. Fire was a necessity of life. With the fire established, Clarity switched off her flashlight, storing it back in her pouch and cuddled up beside him. He draped his arm across her shoulders and leaned her into his chest. The high rise of her beautiful forehead drew him to kiss her. His hand cupped her cheek lifting her face to his.
“Are we safe in here?” she asked.
“Yes. The animals don’t like the storms and they dislike fire.”
“The hybrids?”
“The hybrids seem to loathe any uncertain weather. They adapt, they cope, but they appear unsettled in storms.”
“That could be Neanderthal or dinosaur or both. It was hard for humans to go too far in dangerous weather. Still is but humans are too impatient. We’d rather risk injury, get to where we’re going right this very second, than sit and wait it out. Can’t tell you how many rainstorms I’ve driven through and could hardly see out the windshield. Or blizzards.”
“Stupidity or fearlessness?” he was teasing and she grinned.
“Both.”
Doom sighed when he saw the sky darken further when the long vines blew up then settled, and he took a quick peek. Few rocks were in the cave and he maneuvered a few onto the vines to keep them down. Only a few strands blew in to brighten the fire with life-giving air. He felt a tug on his hand and took the piece of jerky Clarity handed him from a package she had brought, a treasure from her purse. The meat was soft and different from what he was used to.
“Is this meat?”
“Beef.”
“Beef from a…?”
“Cow.” She held up the package for him to see. The animal was unlike anything he’d ever seen. They wouldn’t last long on his planet. He gripped the meat and tugged a bite into his mouth, chewing with contentment.
“Cow is good. Too bad they don’t fall into sinkholes.”
“As a matter of fact our planet has been losing animals. That only started recently. Normally it’s people. Maybe we should keep watch. After all, if Bubble-gum came through, you never know what else might follow.”
“True.”
Clarity handed him another piece of meat and stored the rest. “We may need this for breakfast. I don’t think we’re going anywhere for now.”
“We’ll be fine. I always have a backup in case.”
Doom had other foods for them if they were trapped for a little while. It was best to pack a satchel any time he went anywhere. Some humans were hungry when found, some thirsty. He was hoping to persuade the children with food. Clarity nudged him and handed him a brown piece of something. Doom scowled at it. The substance was chunky and unusual.
“Looks like shit.”
“It’s a part of a chocolate bar with nuts. Try a taste. And ouch, if you’re pooping things like this you may want to watch your diet.” She snickered and took a bite of the piece she had.
With a tentative gesture Doom lifted the suspicious hunk to his lips. He knew she wouldn’t give him something inedible. After his first bite, he was hooked.
“How can this small block of food taste almost as good as you, Clarity?”
“That was incredibly smart.” She chuckled.
His saliva glands went into overdrive. Doom closed his mouth and after the food disappeared down his throat the taste lingered. Now he understood why Muffin adored her. He opened his eyes to Clarity’s smiling face. Her hair was in wisps and Doom tucked a strand behind a perfect ear. Humans were dainty compared to his village lot. Fine bones, slender and graceful at one time seemed an annoyance. The work they did was less, the loads they carried smaller.
In time, Doom came to realize they made up for physical failings in emotion and intelligence. They loved harder; their words were filled with passion. Their laughter came easy. The tears they cried from loss were many. Something occurred to Doom.
“Why don’t you cry?”
“Why should I?” she sounded perplexed.
“No I don’t mean at this very moment. I mean when things are frightening or you’re upset, you don’t cry.”
“I learned not to at a young age. I was surrounded by drama and watched and learned after a while people stop listening if you cry at everything. If you cry when you’re hurt, such as a broken bone, then as much as when you stub a toe, how do people know when to believe there is a real problem?”
“Either way you are hurt. Shouldn’t that be what matters?”
“I suppose for me it’s the equivalent of crying wolf. When I cry, I want who I’m with to know I mean it. I need help, or the hurt is too much or the emotion too much.”
“I’ll remember that.”
Doom remembered his tears in front of her. He wondered if she thought him weak. The way she gazed at him, full of sweet tenderness, made him believe otherwise. She melted his heart with a glance. When she lifted her hand to cup the side of his face, he was lost in her eyes. He might not see color the way she did, but he saw desire and want.
For me. Someone wants me.
The explosion of emotion in his chest brought fire to his loins. The raw physical compulsion to be within her was overwhelming and intense. Exquisite wonder lust wreaked havoc and for a moment, a single moment, he wanted to run away, with her. Doom had never run from anything, masked perhaps, ignored, but not run.
“You deserve better than me,” Doom said.
Clarity leaned to kiss his lips in a manner so sensual he thought his seed would explode. Her breath seared his skin and he made a fist as he wrapped an arm around her back pulling her closer. Shoulders shaking, his mouth was on fire with a teasing tiny taste of her tongue. She clung tighter, both killing and reviving her victim. When she released her emotional torture, Doom lifted his fingers to his lips.
“They are still there,” was said with wonder in his heart. “You captured my essence where I still burn for you. Am I in there, in your heart with you? Because I’m not here anymore. My breath is yours to have or stop. My heart beats for you. But if I am in you, how can you be inside me? Tremors rock my core. Blood pulses in my veins taking your taste to each fingertip. Are you my blood, are you my flesh?”
“You say I deserve better than you. If I am in you, would you want me to go to another?”
Doom felt the rage flood his face. The burning of heated blood didn’t creep silently over him. It crashed through him. Anger that another would think to touch someone so obviously made for him sent his insides to war. A revelation washed through him.
I can war.
“I’ll take that particular look as a no,” she said and sounded cheeky.
“A ‘no’?” His words were soft and volatile. “Death would be sweet humanity to any who as much as glance your way.”
“Doom, I think I understand this is your first experience with love, but get a grip.”
“I plan on it.”
He pounced. Clarity squealed when her clothes were removed with lightning speed. She was on her back and panting as he rose over her. Her gaze was of mixed emotions which added heat to Doom’s action. Trembling, he lifted a finger to again push a wayward strand of hair behind her ear.
“Do you understand what it’s like to never let another see you feel? Emotions so gripping you want to howl at the moon while your insides die. Every day, Clarity. Every day of my damned doomed life I fought me. Not anymore, not with you. All this time I thought I was someone else and I hated him.”
“Don’t you dare hate the man I love.”
“I can’t. I won’t. You introduced me to
me
. A real me. Not some personification of death. I want life. I want my soul back and, so help me, I will get every piece before I die.”
“Doom, I want you to take every piece of me. But it’s spring. I can’t give birth in the middle of a war.”
She was right. Doom ran a quick hand down his face as he sat up. She motioned toward the sack she brought. Rummaging through it Doom found a square coat holder. He grinned at her as he opened it. Clarity sat up and helped him put it in. Her fingertips were kisses his cock enjoyed while the rest of him groaned in anticipation. Once he was sheathed, she laid back legs spread. With slow deliberation he pressed his flesh against hers.
A strong root was beside him and he gripped it, fingers turning white, when he thrust within her. Power pulsated beneath his hands and he would crush her if he touched her. Teeth gritted, he controlled each motion until sweat dripped from his brow.
“This is conviction, Clarity.” He slammed his entire cock to embed within her. He pulled out as quick and named another thrust. “Want. Need. Desire. Fire. Strength. Determination and not last by any means is love.”
Clarity thrashed beneath him and his merciless assault. Her legs, wrapped round him, weakened until she laid spread before him. Hands beside her head on either side were curled, her lips were parted as she begged, “again, Doom, please.”
“I will have you again.”
He thrust slower but kept his rigid control. One hand pulled her wrists together over her head. She cried out and he winced. Arm shaking, he gentled his touch so she could bear his power. Flesh covered over small twig-like bones was warm in his palms. He released the root from his death grip, noting he had come close to crushing the living entity, and he was sorry. But better the tree than Clarity.
“I will no longer be controlled.” Doom’s words weren’t for her but hoped his passion took his conviction to the skies.