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  Ivy nodded.

  “If he’s there, don’t mention me. Wait!” Although chills from the slightly cool breeze crawled up and down her spine, her palms sweated. She ran them along her bottom garment while chewing on her lower lip. What was she afraid of? The worst he could do was make her leave. “Okay. Go.”

  She paced near the fire as Ivy walked toward the cave. She hadn’t gone halfway when her mom appeared outside, rubbing her arms and glancing at the sky.

  “Momma,” Ivy squealed. “Momma!”

  Nodda’s eyes rounded in surprise and her mouth dropped open. She snapped it shut and placed her hands over her heart. “Ivy! My baby!”

  Wisteria smiled and her eyes filled with tears. She’d missed her mother so much she’d barely contained the excitement of seeing her again. “Momma.”

  Nodda froze. Little by little she turned her head toward the fire pit where Wisteria stood wringing her hands. “Wisteria,” she said through a long breath, patting her chest. “My baby. You’ve come back to me. You’ve finally come back to me.”

  Wisteria and Ivy ran to her, each landing embraced in an arm, snug against her breasts. She kissed Ivy then Wisteria, squeezing them, and then kissed them again. “Are you girls okay?” She grasped Ivy’s face between her hands and examined her closely then released her to place her palms on Wisteria’s cheeks. “I worried. I worried what those Barbarians were doing to you.”

  “They didn’t hurt me, Momma. They were very gentle.” Too gentle and she’d fallen hard for their leader.

  “If only my Boar would return, I’d have all my children together again.”

  Ivy swallowed, glanced at Wisteria then back at Nodda. “I’m so sorry, Momma, but—”

  Wisteria kicked Ivy and slightly shook her head. It wasn’t the right time to explain what’d actually happened.

  “I…I didn’t mean,” Ivy continued, fumbling for words. “I didn’t mean to…um, wander off without telling you. I wanted to find Wisty, but I knew you’d stop me.”

  Wisteria closed her eyes and sighed.

  Again Nodda cupped their faces one at a time, pulled them close and kissed their brows.

  Wisteria placed her hands on her mom’s wrists. “Momma, I want to come home,” she whispered. “Will it be all right?”

  Nodda pushed the hair from Wisteria’s face. “I want that too. Let’s sit,” she said, dropping her hands and grasping both daughters’ fingers. “We have so much to discuss.” She guided them beside the fire and sat down between them.

  From the corner of her eye Wisteria saw a man exit the slaughter shack and turn toward the forest. During the initial inspection she thought it was her father but after closer scrutiny she realized he walked too slowly. The man stood as tall and robust as her dad but his shoulders slumped forward and his face tilted toward the ground.

  Her jaw dropped. It wasn’t just a man. It was a mutant. “Ma-Ma-Momma,” Wisteria choked, her eyes bulging as she pointed at him.

  Nodda patted her hand. “What is it, dear?”

  “That,” Ivy blurted. She too pointed at the man.

  “It’s Wolf, Dahlia’s father. He’s obviously been poisoned by something he ate, or he’s fighting a sickness.”

  “Momma, that’s not Wolf,” Wisteria stated, focusing on her mother and shaking her head slowly back and forth. “It’s a mutant.”

  “A mutant?” Nodda’s brows rose.

  “It’s an altered human,” Wisteria tried explaining calmly. “Actually, it’s not human. It’s a body with no soul.”

  Nodda glanced at Ivy then at Wisteria. “Were you girls sipping silly elixir?”

  “Momma,” Ivy said desperately. “We’re telling the truth.”

  “What’s going on out here?” Wisteria’s father shouted as he strolled toward the fire. When he laid eyes on Wisteria he stopped dead in his tracks. “You,” he rumbled. “You don’t belong here.”

  Wisteria’s belly knotted at the tone of his voice but when she saw the club in his hand her heart lurched. As he charged forward she cringed, squeezing her fists. He looked angry. Nearly as angry as the night he’d ordered Sledge to whip her.

  She didn’t know whether to beg for forgiveness, face his fury or run. “Momma?”

  Nodda stood up and barricaded Wisteria with her body but he reached around her and grabbed a handful of Wisteria’s hair.

  “Don’t hurt her,” Nodda yelled, pounding on his arm. “She’ll go. Just don’t hurt her.”

  Wisteria knew her mom only tried to help but with every blow she delivered to his arm he tightened his fist in Wisteria’s hair. Wisteria winced as he yanked her to her feet by the chunk wound around his fingers.

  “Don’t ever come back,” he snarled. He pushed Nodda aside then shoved Wisteria backward. She stumbled but quickly regained her balance.

  Ivy jumped up. “She came to apologize and beg for forgiveness.”

  “Never! She’ll never be forgiven.” He stepped toward Wisteria, lifting the club over his head, positioning it to strike. She flinched and covered her face. “Go!” he blared. “While you still have the chance.”

  Wisteria glanced at her mom, knowing they’d possibly never see one another again. “I love you, Momma,” she said and then she dashed past the cave and darted into the forest. She hurt too much to care where she’d end up and she ran, batting twigs and branches aside until her legs collapsed and she landed near a pile of logs and broken branches. Tears bathed her face and air sawed through her lungs but within the pain a gentle hand lightly stroked her back.

  “Don’t weep, Wisty.”

  “I’m not weeping,” Wisteria sniffled, wiping tears off her face with her fingertips. It was a huge relief knowing she wasn’t alone but she didn’t want her sister to suffer too. It wasn’t fair to Ivy.

  “Just because Daddy won’t let you stay, it doesn’t mean Momma doesn’t love you anymore. She does. If she doesn’t support Daddy’s decision, he’d probably toss her out too.”

  “I’m not weeping because of Momma, okay? I knew this may happen.” She stood up, holding her tummy, and walked to a short pine tree. She thought maybe, just maybe, she would’ve been forgiven. And when her mom sat them near the fire she’d hoped it was true. “Why don’t you go home, Ivy? Daddy hasn’t banned you.”

  “I’m not deserting you in this forest.” She stood up beside Wisteria, wrapped her arms around her elbow and laid her head on Wisteria’s shoulder. “I’d never, ever do that.”

  “You deserve better than this. We don’t even have a place to start a fire for warmth.” The trees completely surrounding them made it impossible and it was too dark to search for an open area. The clouds had decided to hide the moon in her time of need. “Go home. Lie beneath the hides and seek comfort.”

  “Stop it, Wisty. I’m not going anywhere,” Ivy snapped. “I can’t believe you got us into this mess though. If you knew this would happen, why’d you not stay with Vulcan?”

  Another tear slipped from Wisteria’s eye. She quickly swiped it away. “I wanted to, but it’s no longer possible.”

  “Why not? He adores you.”

  “He’s leaving, Ivy.”

  “Where’s he going to go?”

  “It’s complicated.”

  Ivy remained quiet for a moment and straightened as if assessing the surroundings. “You have time to explain. It’s not as if we have anything else to do.”

  “I’ll tell you this much,” Wisteria said then sighed. “He was sent here on a mission. When it’s finished he has to return home.” The entire situation was hard to believe. A man from another world, a gentle man, had swept into her life and stolen her heart. Soon he’d be leaving. She hadn’t even kissed him goodbye and instead lay on the ground in his hut, anticipating his departure so she could flee.

  “What type of a mission, Wisty?”

  Wisteria’s eyes burned from new tears. “I can’t talk about this right now.”

  “When will the mission end?”

  “I don’t
know.”

  “It doesn’t matter,” Ivy stated. “You said you’ve fallen for him. You should’ve stayed until he’d actually left.”

  “What does it matter who leaves first when the outcome is destined to be the same? This just forces me to get on with my life sooner.” Before she fell completely in love. Who was she kidding? She’d already fallen with every ounce of her heart to the man whose strong arms she missed so desperately, it felt as if pieces of her were left behind. The man who’d taught her about being a woman. She would do anything to sit cuddled beside him just once more. To have him hold her tightly while his warm breath rustled through her hair.

  Leaves crunched a short distance away and something thumped the ground.

  Ivy shrieked.

  “Shhh.” Wisteria clamped a hand over Ivy’s mouth. It was too dark to see beyond the immediate area but she tried focusing through the trees anyway. She and Ivy were close to home, Ivy’s home—not hers anymore—but not close enough to utilize the firelight. And being secluded in darkness felt as if they were the only two people alive.

  As the noises tapered in the distance the clouds disappeared, allowing moonlight to filter through the trees. Wisteria lowered her hand from Ivy’s face. “It’s gone. It was probably a harmless animal.”

  “We can’t stay here,” Ivy whimpered. “What if a mutant finds us? What if another monster appears?”

  “We can outrun them.” She removed the blade from her waistband, guided Ivy back to the stack of tree logs and sat down, pulling Ivy down beside her. Cold vapors seeping from the ground swept over her body, forcing gooseflesh the size of anthills to rise on her arms. “Close your eyes and sleep,” she said, snuggling Ivy in her arms. “I’ll wake you if I sense any danger.”

  Little by little Ivy relaxed. When the hand gripping Wisteria’s arm weakened, she knew her sister had fallen asleep. Shortly after, Wisteria began dozing but the cold chills racing up her back kept waking her.

  Then she heard a branch snap in half. She stiffened and held her breath, glaring side to side despite the inability to see. The moonlight had disappeared again, removing the only means of light. It wouldn’t have helped anyway unless she turned around to see what lurked behind her. But she wouldn’t dare. She wasn’t prepared to face what had inched closer and now lingered over the log pile.

  She’d never been so frightened in her entire life. How could she survive on her own when she could barely make it through one night?

  Squeezing her arms around Ivy, she unfolded the blade and scooted lower. Her chest tightened and her heartbeat battered her breast. Despite the dull echo thumping in her ears, she heard not another sound yet she still sensed the presence behind them.

  She tried releasing her breath quietly but it escaped in a shaky hiss. Her hand trembled as she covered her mouth. A swoosh of air brushed her skin then something soft dropped over top of her and Ivy’s bodies, encasing them in warmth.

  Wisteria’s eyes widened. She reached upward and felt fur tickle her fingertips. She sat straight and turned around but couldn’t see anyone, not even a shadow. “Momma?”

  * * * * *

  “Vulcan, how long are you going to let this go on?” Bronto asked, removing a chewed stick from his mouth.

  “Until she settles someplace safe.” What he really wanted to do was grab and shake the shit out of her for pulling such an asinine stunt and putting herself in danger.

  “You stood between the trees watching her father banish her from the clan. Isn’t that enough? What do you intend to do now?”

  Vulcan squatted, draping his hands over his knees. “It would’ve already been done had you not held me back from charging in there to beat his ass.” When he saw her father grab her by the hair and yank her to her feet, Vulcan nearly frothed at the mouth like a rabid animal.

  “I couldn’t let you pummel her father half to death,” Bronto said. “What are you going to do about Wisteria?”

  “Teach her a lesson.”

  “Fabulous idea. We’ll sit right here teaching her a lesson until she and her sister are abducted by aliens or eaten by a dinosaur,” Bronto said, flicking the stick into the fire.

  “We’ve got our eyes on them. They have nothing to be afraid of. They can tough it out through one night.”

  “I don’t suppose you’d care to hear my objections?”

  “No,” Vulcan grouched.

  “Well, I’m going to state them anyway.”

  Here we go.

  Bronto stood, clasping his hands behind his back. He kicked stones around the small temporary fire pit they’d constructed awhile ago and he began pacing back and forth. “I’m quite fond of Ivy, and I don’t appreciate the fact she is lying in the forest freezing.”

  Vulcan wasn’t happy about it either. “I covered them with a hide. What the fuck else do you want me to do?”

  “One suggestion, we carry them to safety and offer them warmth.”

  “Give me an idea I haven’t already thought of. Damn it, Bronto, I love that woman, but she has me so pissed right now I’m afraid I’ll hurt her if I get my hands around her pretty little neck.” Love? Yes, he loved her. He’d always loved her. From the first day he’d laid eyes on her at the lake. Unfortunately he’d chosen a hell of a time to disclose his feelings to Bronto. “She made this choice, not me. I didn’t do a damn thing to chase her away.”

  Bronto stopped pacing and cleared his throat. “I can think of one.”

  “One what?”

  “Reason why she left.”

  “I don’t want to hear it.”

  “I respect that, but unfortunately, I’m a man who speaks his mind,” Bronto said, glancing at Vulcan over the bridge of his nose. “You’re an ass. I state that with the utmost respect, sir.”

  Vulcan shook his head. “Okay, so I’m an ass.” If granting Wisteria’s wishes garnered him the insult he’d wear it proudly. His shoulders were wide enough to carry many burdens. What damage could the additional weight of being an ass cause? “I’m sure you’re dying to explain that remark. If not, you will be as soon as I stand up. Let’s hear it.”

  “In my opinion, and you know I have many,” Bronto replied, stepping to the opposite side of the flames, “when we realized she’d been ostracized, we should have intervened and returned them to our camp immediately.”

  “I don’t disagree. She’s known all along being banned was a possibility.” He’d tried justifying the reasons a thousand times why they hadn’t barged in and brought them back but the same answer chewed at his brain. She couldn’t bear it anymore. “The only way to remove these women now is by taking them captive.”

  “You’ve taken her before.”

  Vulcan glared at him in disbelief. “I carried her away from a bad situation.”

  “Is she not in a bad situation now? I witnessed fear in her eyes. I don’t know what you were looking at.”

  “Those women are used to this environment,” Vulcan said, pointing toward the forest. “They grew up in these conditions long before we arrived. And if they’re so damn afraid, maybe they shouldn’t have left.”

  “Yes, but they grew up under the protection of clansmen. I suggest you act before someone or something not as compassionate as yourself intervenes.”

  Sarcasm well taken. “Damn it, Bronto, I can’t keep her. She obviously doesn’t want me.” What the hell else could he do? “I refuse to overstep my boundaries. And I refuse to debate the subject any further.”

  “Did you debate fucking her?” Bronto mumbled.

  “Hey, that was totally consensual and is totally irrelevant at the moment.” Vulcan grimaced. He’d forgotten just how perceptive Bronto was. Plus, it was a no-brainer since Wisteria stayed in Vulcan’s hut.

  He shook his head again and leaned his backside against the tall oak tree, placing his foot on the trunk. “This is about what Wisteria wants, not me. I will not use lust or sex as a factor in my decision, and I’d appreciate it if you’d not bring it up again.”

  “You we
ren’t as grouchy while dipping into her…uh…affections.”

  Vulcan rolled his eyes. “Are you condemning me for letting her have her way?”

  “She gave herself freely.”

  “What?” Vulcan yelled as he moved away from the tree.

  “I’m guessing. And to a man she barely knew.”

  Now he was pushing it. “I think it’s time for you to ride back to camp and send me Zypher.” He raised his hand to nose level and separated his thumb and index finger by an inch. “You’re about this close to becoming ostracized yourself.”

  “I think they’re frightened enough to come with us willingly.”

  “You’re oblivious. The only way to take her out of there is by force. I refuse to strong-arm her.” He’d done that once and it still tasted bad.

  “Coward.”

  He’d nearly blown the head off a T-Rex, and Bronto had the audacity to call him a coward? “She fears barbaric actions.”

  “Aren’t we Barbarians?”

  “I will not frighten her again.”

  “You don’t do your title justice.”

  What a low blow. “You don’t get it.”

  Bronto raised a single brow. “You can’t do it without scaring the shit out of her?”

  “No, not if I’m not going to give her a choice.” Maybe it wasn’t such a bad idea. What did he have to lose? Nothing. Not a damn thing. Did she give a shit about his feelings when she ran off? Hell no.

  “I’ve yet to meet a female who doesn’t appreciate a man’s strength,” Bronto added.

  Vulcan stared as Bronto struggled not to grin. The man definitely had a big set of balls and if he didn’t watch his tongue, they just might end up in his mouth.

  At least he’d made his point. Too bad it had to be voiced in his usual roundabout way. “Come on,” Vulcan said, grabbing the Barrett. He then lifted his bison mask from the ground and tucked it under his arm.

  “Where are we going, sir?”

  Vulcan stomped past him toward the forest. “To utilize my position.”

  “That’s what I like to hear,” Bronto mumbled. “May I offer a suggestion?”

  “No,” Vulcan shouted.

  “Scrap the headgear. You don’t want to frighten her too badly.”