Bronto's Revenge: 2 (Barbarian Lust) Read online

  “Okay.” What was he cranking about? Seriously, building a dinosaur pen was a great idea. That was, if the aliens took the bait. If not, well, there was nothing he could do besides grab an ax and chop down a thousand more trees. That was a slightly inflated number but what the hell. Why not a thousand? They could build log cabins and scrap the huts. They’d even have enough left over to build Birmon a treehouse and the serpent a den.

  He needed to quit riding the woman about her pets. Her intentions were practical. Smart, actually. He was just being a jackass because he had an itch he wanted Ivy to scratch. Self-preservation could wreck a man. If Ivy had an entourage of animals he’d build each and every one its own dwelling too.

  Initially Bronto couldn’t comprehend Vulcan’s infatuation for the cavewoman from the Peaceful Clan. Nearly every day for months he’d wandered to the lake and hidden within the surrounding forest while she bathed. Vulcan insisted he’d spied on her from a distance to keep her safe. Bronto referred to it as feeding an obsession.

  After she’d emerge from the water cold and dripping wet, Vulcan followed her home. In his words, he’d shadowed her steps to guarantee her safety. Bronto speculated he was appeasing said obsession.

  As they said on Earth, hindsight’s twenty-twenty, and Bronto quit second-guessing Vulcan’s crusade the night they’d set off for a hunt and heard her screaming in the distance. They’d beaten ass to the location, her own camp of all places, and found her bound and bleeding between two trees. Aside from Ivy, none of her people rushed to her assistance. As a matter of fact, they’d watched the show as one of their own stood with a whip in his hand. That stuck in Bronto’s craw. He couldn’t even imagine what Vulcan felt. Sure he could. Vulcan wanted to twist that whip into a noose and hang the son of a bitch from the nearest tree. Of course he hadn’t because of his strict governmental rules but he’d retaliated by rearranging the thug’s nose.

  In Bronto’s opinion it wasn’t enough. That man damn near beat Wisteria to a bloody pulp. Blood dripped from three or four open gashes across her tummy and thighs. Bronto couldn’t fathom her pain and he’d utilized extreme caution when he cut her loose and sat her down.

  Shaking his head, he set off in the direction of the horses, where they’d stacked the wood in piles yesterday. As he veered toward the right he spotted Vulcan veering to the left, aiming for his hut. And be damned, Wisteria was tucked under his arm.

  Bronto halted. “Hey, where do you think you’re going?” he shouted.

  “We’re taking a break.”

  “A break?” Break, my ass. He plans on getting a piece. “Do you honestly think there’s time for that? You’ve got a thirteen-bedroom dinosaur ranch to construct, and probably green people lurking in the forest whose arms are long enough to box your ears from there.”

  Vulcan shook his head and grinned. After a kiss to the top of Wisteria’s noggin and what appeared to be a quick apology, he turned her by the shoulders, aiming her at Ivy and Jade. After she headed in their direction he trudged across the yard to join Bronto. “Why the sudden chipper mood?”

  Bronto verified Ivy’s whereabouts at the supply hut before he started unstacking wood. Grunt had vanished, which eased the knot in his gut. “I’d like a break too but considering I’ve only been up for an hour, it isn’t justifiable,” he said, removing a six-foot piece from the pile.

  Vulcan folded his arms across his chest, turned toward Ivy, then faced Bronto, then glanced at Ivy once more. “You either got too much, or you didn’t get any. Which is it?”

  “What!” Bronto exclaimed, tossing the wood in the general vicinity of the pen-in-progress.

  “You heard me. I know the look. I recognize the attitude.”

  “If you know the look and recognize the attitude, then you tell me.”

  Vulcan reached for a strip of wood. “Considering your frustration, too much. I’d say you’ve turned into a glutton.”

  Bronto didn’t know his problem or what’d caused it but it hit him like a brick. If wanting Ivy that desperately but being forced to wait fucked him up, then yeah, that was a problem. It meant his patience was shot. Once upon a time he used to be the most tolerant man on the planet. Realistically one fuck couldn’t alter him to that degree. Maybe not but perhaps one fuck, the most memorable of his life, could.

  “Been there, Bronto.”

  Bronto nodded.

  Vulcan punched Bronto’s shoulder, knocking him slightly off balance. “For the record, still am.”

  Chapter Six

  Ivy hugged herself and glanced at the ground while Wisteria stared at her as though she’d grown two heads.

  “Ivy, is there something you want to tell me?”

  Older sisters. They missed nothing and were nearly as daunting as mothers. “No,” she replied, rolling her eyes toward Jade.

  “I think there is,” Wisteria insisted.

  She’d obviously missed the hint but Jade hadn’t. “Why don’t I give you ladies some privacy? I’ve got a few things to gather from the supply hut,” Jade said, giving Ivy’s shoulder a gentle squeeze. “I’ll talk to you both later.”

  Ivy nodded while watching Jade’s feet pat away. They were the only things in sight because she still hadn’t torn her eyes from the dirt.

  Wisteria slipped her hands around Ivy’s elbow. “Let’s sit by the fire. Grunt is in the area and he keeps appearing at your back.”

  “He does?” Ivy asked, glancing over her shoulder as Wisteria led her to the pit.

  “Yes. He walks away for a few minutes at a time. I hope you and Jade weren’t talking about things you’d not wanted him to hear.”

  Whether good or bad, what they’d talked about was none of his business. He was the prime example as to why the Barbarians had an ill reputation. The creepy way he looked at her frightened her nearly as much as the cave lion.

  Wisteria leaned close to Ivy’s ear. “I cut him.”

  Ivy halted and stared in her sister’s eyes but Wisteria nudged her closer to the fire. “What do you mean you cut him?” Ivy exclaimed.

  “With a blade,” Wisteria replied. She sat and pulled Ivy down beside her. “Remember when I told you I escaped the night Vulcan captured me?”

  Ivy nodded and at the same time resituated herself for a straight view of Bronto working on the pen. Gosh, he was handsome. All brawn and flexed muscle. Muscle she’d felt with her own hands. As she started to look away he’d glanced at her and her breath caught.

  “Well,” Wisteria continued, lowering her tone and regaining Ivy’s attention. “I stole Vulcan’s weapon. When Grunt tried recapturing me, I sliced his arm.”

  “You should’ve killed him,” Ivy mumbled.

  “No!” Wisteria glanced around the yard, assuring no one heard her slight outburst. “They retaliate by doing unto others. They would have killed me too.”

  Ivy’s eyes widened while examining her sister closely. “What happened?”

  “They held a ceremony. His honor was to be restored after he sought revenge on me.”

  “He cut you?” Ivy shouted.

  “No.” Wisteria clamped a hand over Ivy’s mouth. “Shhh. Let me explain.” After Ivy nodded, Wisteria very slowly lowered her hand to her lap. “Vulcan wouldn’t let him. He made Grunt step aside and he took it upon himself.”

  “Vulcan cut you!”

  “No. He led the tribe to believe he had. He’d cut himself instead and smeared his blood on my arm.”

  That brought Ivy’s eyes to Vulcan just as he’d tossed a piece of wood aside. “Whoa, Wisty, he must really love you.”

  “They tied me right there,” Wisteria said, pointing at the tall, charred tree. “After they recaptured me.”

  Ivy’s gaze followed Wisty’s finger. “Oh gosh, weren’t you scared?”

  “Terrified. I thought they were going to burn me alive.”

  Ivy gulped. When Sledge had forced her into Barbarian territory in search of Wisteria, she’d expected to find her sister beaten and tortured if still alive. The
possibility of them burning her to ashes hadn’t crossed Ivy’s mind. It should have. After all, the Barbarians were the most feared tribe in the land and she’d heard they set their captives on fire. But they’d treated Wisteria kinder than their own clan. Those who, rather than forgive her, had disowned and banned her from her home.

  “Ivy, just be very careful. Any harm you cause a tribe member will be reenacted on you.” She paused and glanced at Vulcan. “That’s the wound he spoke of yesterday. Only Bronto knows the truth.”

  “I hope you showed your gratitude.” Leaves rustled in the nearby trees. Ivy leaned forward and looked past Wisteria’s chest. A baby dinosaur emerged from the forest and waddled forth, its mouth opening and closing. Its front legs were slightly shorter than its back legs and its tail was nearly as long as its neck. A soft chirp reached her ears and she smiled.

  Wisteria spotted the dinosaur and giggled. “Come here, little one.” After the baby approached and stood sniffing her legs, Wisteria reached into Ivy’s lap and gripped her hand. “Now back to you. You have something to tell me.”

  “I do?”

  “Ivy!”

  The dinosaur flinched. Ivy blinked because Wisteria sounded so much like their momma, it was startling.

  “You stayed in Bronto’s hut again last night.”

  Ivy nodded.

  “And?”

  “And what?” A bunch of commotion resounded from the supply hut. They both looked back but the ruckus stopped.

  Wisteria leaned sideways and whispered into Ivy’s ear, “Did you make love?”

  Again Ivy nodded.

  “You’re not being very cooperative,” Wisteria stated.

  She was right. Wisteria had told her when she’d made love to Vulcan and she’d even tried explaining what happened so Ivy wouldn’t be afraid during her first time. “It didn’t hurt.”

  “Aw, that’s good,” Wisteria said, caressing Ivy’s cheek in a motherly fashion. “What did you think of the silly condom?”

  “We didn’t use it.”

  Wisty’s mouth dropped open. “He didn’t cover his penis?”

  Ivy raised her brows. “Penis?”

  “Cock.”

  “Cock?”

  “His organ. Didn’t he teach you anything?”

  Oh gosh, his organ had a name? Two names actually. “We talked about it but decided not to use it.”

  “Oh Ivy,” Wisteria solemnly said, dropping her hand to Ivy’s lap and giving her hand a squeeze. “What if his seed implanted in your womb?”

  “I don’t mind.”

  “That’s how babies are made.”

  “I know that. Wisty, we’re way beyond the breeding age. Momma sheltered us too long. Maybe it’s time we start bearing children.”

  “Even though Father is gone, Momma will never accept a Barbarian child into the family.”

  It surprised her that Wisteria still referred to him as Father after all he’d put her through. “I’m never going back there. Not without you. If I ever birth Bronto’s child I will live here. He’ll take care of us. He’s a good man.”

  “You’ll be forced to relocate to the secondary camp. Bronto is a combatant. He’s required to stay here. You’ll be separated from both me and him.”

  Ivy despised those rules. In her opinion, men, women and children should not be required to live apart from each other. In that case why start a family? Maybe one day their laws would change. “This is too premature to discuss. We’ll not talk about it again until the time comes.”

  She pulled her knees to her chest, rested her chin on them and peered straight ahead. Bronto had started constructing the pen while Vulcan continued tossing him pieces of wood.

  Sighing in contentment, she locked her eyes on Bronto. How much longer did he intend to work? It grew harder with each breath to remain apart. After they’d made love she’d fallen asleep with her back nestled to his chest, his arms tucked securely around her neck and waist, but she woke to daylight and an empty hut. How she yearned to be in his embrace again. Something happened to her emotions after they’d made love. She couldn’t explain it but she wanted to cry and rejoice and hold him all at the same time.

  Even now her eyes tingled as they filled with tears yet she smiled as he squatted and ran an arm across his brow. What was wrong with her?

  He gazed in her direction then he suddenly jumped up. The distance made it impossible to see his facial features but he shot to full height and his shoulders extended as if alarmed.

  She raised her chin from her knees. Just then someone grabbed her by the arm from behind and pulled her to her feet. She shrieked. She lost balance and fell against a tall, solid body, her shoulders bumping into a bare chest. She yanked free and spun around. Grunt stood behind her, his eyes narrowed. He grinned as he grabbed her upper arm again and squeezed.

  “Come with me,” he said, his voice low and commanding.

  Wisteria stood, clenching her fists.

  “No,” Ivy seethed, refusing to show her fear.

  He squeezed her arm even harder. “You’ll be my woman.”

  She tore away from his grip. “I’ll never be your woman. Bronto has my heart.”

  “He’ll rut you,” Grunt said, jarring her head up by the chin, “then leave you. But I will crawl between those pretty legs—”

  She smacked him across the face. Hard. Very hard.

  Wisteria gasped, clasping both hands over her mouth, and she yelped when Grunt raised his hand.

  He slapped Ivy so forcefully the blow knocked her sideways. “You beast,” she yelled, digging her feet into the ground to brace herself. She rubbed the sting from her cheek and after regaining her balance she stepped forward and smacked him again.

  “Ivy!” Wisteria screeched when Grunt raised his fist.

  Ivy jumped out of his reach. Then things began happening too fast to comprehend. Grunt flew backward and back-slammed onto the ground. As he struggled to rise Bronto kicked him in the chest, knocking him down. Grunt tried rolling over but too soon Bronto dropped on top of him, straddling his waist.

  Ivy ran to Wisteria to get out of the way before being pummeled by one of Bronto’s swinging fists. One blow after another connected to Grunt’s cheekbones and nose. A trail of blood shot through the air from his nostrils.

  “That’s enough,” Vulcan shouted. “You’re going against the rules.”

  “I have no rules. I now live by the Barbarian culture,” Bronto seethed.

  “He’s done,” Vulcan hollered, dodging Bronto’s fists. Vulcan bear-hugged Bronto’s waist and dragged him off Grunt’s chest.

  “Like hell,” Bronto growled. “He’s still breathing.”

  Vulcan slipped but held tight to Bronto, pulling him down to the ground with him when he fell. Bronto ended up on his lap, digging his heels into the dirt as he wrestled to free Vulcan’s arms. Briefly he overpowered Vulcan, jumped up and lunged at Grunt. Vulcan just as quickly grabbed Bronto’s ankles and pulled them out from beneath him. Bronto hit the ground but it didn’t seem to faze him as he scrambled forward, kicking at Vulcan and reaching for Grunt.

  “Enough!” Vulcan hollered.

  Bronto was either too enraged to hear him or he didn’t care. His face was deep red and his eyes darker than Ivy had ever seen. In his state of rage, nothing was capable of stopping him. Not even the Barbarian chief, as he’d proven by struggling until he’d finally broken loose. He dove at Grunt, who lay motionless, and straddled his chest. Grabbing both sides of Grunt’s head, he bashed his skull into the ground.

  “Bronto, stop,” Ivy screamed. “Please?” she begged.

  Immediately he stilled. She approached him slowly and dropped to her knees. Blood and abrasions covered his knuckles. By looking at Grunt she realized most of the blood came from his battered face.

  Utilizing caution, she placed her hand on Bronto’s cheek and gently maneuvered his head until their eyes locked. She was unsure how’d he react, so she handled him gently. “It’s okay,” she said softly, stroking
his face with her thumb.

  “It’s not okay. He hit you,” Bronto stated, his eyes moving to the presumable handprint on her cheek. “Are you all right?”

  Unfortunately the sting to her pride hurt worse than the slap on her face. “Yes.” She stole another glance at his hands and the blood splattered on his chest. “Let’s walk to the lake to clean you up.”

  He released Grunt with a shove. “If you ever touch her again I’ll rip your fucking heart out,” he seethed, his jaws clenched. As he stood, dragging his foot over Grunt’s chest, he wiped his hands on his loincloth then offered Vulcan assistance to stand. “Sorry, Chieftain.”

  Vulcan clutched Bronto’s hand and pulled himself to his feet. Surprisingly he didn’t look angry. Instead he smiled while smacking the outside of Bronto’s arm. “If one day you decide to challenge me for the chieftain position, tell me in advance and I’ll just hand it over. It’ll save us both the trouble.”

  Bronto nudged his head toward Grunt. “Think he’s dead?”

  Vulcan ambled to Grunt, knelt down and placed his hand on his chest. “No. He’s breathing.”

  “That’s too bad,” Bronto replied while turning toward Ivy. He glanced at his hands before stroking her cheek with the back side of his fingers. “Are you sure you’re all right?”

  Ivy released a breath, not realizing she’d been holding it. His touch was so gentle it felt as if a breeze caressed her face. She nodded while leaning into his fingers. “Can we go now?” She never thought it possible to feel emotionally closer to him than last night but his retaliation against Grunt brought tears to her eyes and a closeness she couldn’t comprehend.

  “Yes, love,” he replied, gazing longingly into her eyes. “Let’s go,” he added, clasping a tender hold on her fingers. “I want to grab a few supplies first.”

  She nodded and fell into step beside him as he walked to the supply hut. Jade emerged from behind the flap, glanced into the yard then passed by. She didn’t say a word while she rushed in the direction of her own hut. How bizarre she hadn’t stopped to talk to feed her inquiring mind or acknowledge Grunt lying unconscious on the ground.