Bronto's Revenge: 2 (Barbarian Lust) Page 8

  Bronto stopped just inside the doorway and glanced around. “What happened in here?” he said under his breath.

  Ivy had never been inside the hut but she hadn’t expected it to be in such disarray. Boxes were tipped over on shelves and a bunch of things lay on the ground.

  “Jade always keeps the supplies neat,” he murmured.

  Ivy knew he was talking to himself out loud, so she began placing the items where she thought they belonged. She recognized one object, a bar of soap, and only because she’d used it last night. She set it aside then finished picking the weird items up off the ground while Bronto righted the boxes and straightened them on the shelves. One long, white object in particular caught her attention. When she lifted it, it made a crinkly sound like dried leaves. She squeezed it. One end was bigger than the other and it felt kind of hard. She squeezed it again.

  Bronto glanced over his shoulder and looked at her hands. “What do you have there, love?”

  “I don’t know.” She held it up. “What is it?”

  He smiled and shook his head. “That is specifically for women. You might want to ask Jade.”

  “What do you do with it?” She tapped it on her palm then placed it between her teeth and bit down on the smaller end. It slightly collapsed.

  “No,” he said, walking away from the shelves. He removed it from her fingers. “Wrong opening.” He smiled as he tossed it into a box.

  “Huh?”

  “It’s a tampon. Women wear them during their periods.”

  Her brows scrunched. “Periods of what?”

  “Their menstrual cycles.”

  She lifted her brows to display her lack of understanding.

  His expression turned serious. “When they bleed once a month.”

  Oh gosh. “I call that my infertile phase.” Men never spoke of such personal issues and she certainly was not going to goad him further about the tampon or how it worked. Though she was curious, she’d not speak to him about such things. She already felt heat warming from her tummy to her face.

  She folded her hands together and glanced at her fingers. “Oh.”

  “Talk to Jade, Ivy. She’ll educate you on their use. I’m sure you’ll be amazed how much more comfortable you’ll feel using those instead of pelt squares.”

  Double gosh.

  She nodded. He seemed to know an awful lot about woman things.

  “Ready?” he asked, nudging his head toward the doorway. “I want to stop at the weapons shelter for a rifle in case we encounter any more aliens.”

  She grabbed the soap before she fled outside.

  When she stepped into the bright outdoors she shielded her eyes from the sunshine and looked for Wisteria. Vulcan was constructing the pen and near the stack of wood behind him sat her sister. Grunt had disappeared but the dirt was still splattered with his blood.

  She didn’t give his injuries a second thought. The only thing crossing her mind in reference to the bloody mess—the tampon.

  Her face heated. She stared at the ground as they walked to the underground shelter. After Bronto retrieved what he referred to as an M21 sniper rifle and a twenty-round box magazine, Ivy followed him into the forest. She found two baby dinosaurs hidden under patches of ferns. Their little eyes peeked through the leaves but they remained tucked away.

  As she and Bronto walked she searched for more. Shoving aside bushes and brush with her foot and scoping the underneath at least occupied her time during the long trek to the yellow lake. Bronto appeared deep in thought and hadn’t spoken. She didn’t mind the silence but she minded the stretch of distance between them.

  As soon as they reached the lake he stood the rifle near a tree that was covered in large purple leaves and small silver petals. They sparkled in the sun’s rays and fluttered in the slight breeze. Magnolias outlined the entire embankment. An inner row of pink flowers was surrounded by two rows of bright red. Beyond them in the plush grass stood a beautiful, tall orange feather-tree, its branches nearly touching the ground. No wonder Wisteria loved this place. It was nearly as magical as the paradise Ivy and Bronto discovered yesterday. Nearly but not quite.

  The water stirred as Bronto strolled in and dove, submerging his entire body. She walked in slowly, eyeing the beautiful golden underbelly through the clear water. Purple, red and yellow feathery plants swayed from the slight current caused by her feet. Rocks in all sizes and colors sparkled beneath the sunshine. Even the yellow sand squishing between her toes glistened.

  She stayed near the edge in case the two-headed serpent appeared. It was too huge an animal to miss. It was probably the same length as a tree and just as round—big enough to squish a person to death.

  She shivered. Wisteria always rode on its back and frolicked with it in the water but Ivy feared snakes and avoided getting too close regardless of how friendly it appeared. It was yellow, pink and orange but just because it was pretty didn’t mean she’d trust it. She’d only seen it once, the night her brother Boar and a woman from their clan appeared at the lake in a mutant state. The serpent sensed their evil and struck to protect Wisteria but neither mutant died. That left Vulcan no choice but to destroy them.

  Poor Boar. And Father. And now Momma. How could Ivy or Wisteria explain to her they’d been captured by the aliens and become the result of a failed dinosaur shifter experiment? Gosh. Poor, poor Momma. Only three of her children remained alive. Three out of twelve.

  “Ivy, come here.”

  She glanced up. Bronto was treading water in the deep section. Behind him near the cliffs and waterfall, the serpent lay stretched along white sparkling boulders as if sunbathing. Ivy wouldn’t take her eyes off it while she waded waist-deep. Glancing between its long body and Bronto, she squeezed the soap, dove under water and emerged at his chest. Her lips quivered and teeth chattered while she rubbed water from her eyes. She was nearly as cold now as last night and suspected her lips would turn blue again.

  Grunt’s blood had already washed away from Bronto’s skin but she rolled the soap in her hands anyway and rubbed them over his neck and face. “What will happen to you?” she asked, studying his lips and the dark shadow of whiskers along his cheeks and chin.

  “What do you mean?”

  She glided her palm over the soft bristles. “Do unto others.”

  “That doesn’t apply between tribe members,” he responded, tilting her face and placing a kiss on the corner of her mouth.

  Inhaling a contented sigh, she wrapped her arms around his neck and rested her head on his shoulder. It was the closeness she’d craved all day. She tightened her hold and closed her eyes and that was when something smooth brushed her legs. Her lids popped open. She glanced at the cliff.

  The serpent was gone.

  She gulped and buried her face in Bronto’s throat. “Is-is it the snake?” she asked, trying to stay calm.

  “Yes. Relax or it’ll sense your fear.”

  How could she relax? She trembled and wanted to cry and when one of its heads slid up her back she nearly fainted. “’Kay,” she agreed. She snapped her eyes shut and gripped his neck even tighter, pressing her body against his.

  “It’s your sister’s pet. It may think you’re her. Say its name.”

  She sucked in a breath and held it. “L-L-Loo-La,” escaped from her lips in a high-pitched squeal.

  “That’s it. Say it again.”

  Oh gosh. Oh gosh. It hovered near the side of her face. Though she refused to open her eyes, both heads lingered so close they brushed her skin. She clung desperately to Bronto. “L-Loo-La.”

  Something rough and warm slid up her cheek from her chin to her lower lashes. She inwardly cringed but Bronto chuckled. “It likes you, love. It just gave you a kiss.”

  She froze, unable to speak or move.

  “Ivy, breathe.”

  She couldn’t.

  Not while that oversized snake hung over her head like a tree branch. How could her sister befriend something so…so icky and frightening?


  Finally the pressure eased from her back and a slight current circled her legs as the serpent swam off. Very slowly Ivy expelled the air from her lungs. “Please take me home.”

  Chapter Seven

  Before they’d even reached the back side of the supply hut Bronto heard shouts and thumps and the sound of fists meeting flesh. He tightened his hold on Ivy’s hand and rushed into the yard. Fifteen or so people stood back while Rocko wiped the ground with Grunt.

  “Couldn’t be happening to a nicer guy,” Bronto said. “Wonder what he did this time?”

  Grunt flew through the air and landed at his feet. Bronto avoided the urge to kick the man while he was already down and stepped around him instead. In a matter of seconds Rocko was on top of Grunt, pounding his fists into the lug’s face.

  “Gosh, isn’t someone going to stop him?” Ivy yelped.

  Bronto smirked. “Let’s hope not.” He guided her to the fire pit where Vulcan stood with an arm draped across Wisteria’s shoulders. She was holding Birmon and petting the top of the critter’s head.

  “Why aren’t you intervening, Vulcan?” Ivy asked. “You stopped Bronto.”

  Vulcan nudged his head. Bronto followed the direction to Jade, who was crying and chewing on her thumb. The first and only time she’d cried in the past two years was when she’d felt guilty for letting Wisteria and Ivy run away. “What happened?”

  “Grunt raped her in the supply hut,” Vulcan replied.

  That explained the condition Bronto and Ivy found it in. A knot formed in his guts and for a fleeting second he wanted to rip Grunt’s head off. Not that Rocko wasn’t doing a good job but Bronto still had a hankering to kill him himself.

  “What does that mean?” Ivy asked.

  Bronto tore his eyes from Jade and glanced at Ivy. “He took her against her will.”

  “But that happens all the time. If a man wants a woman he takes her. It isn’t a crime.”

  “It might not be but when a man takes a woman someone else has feelings for it becomes vengeance. By the beating Grunt is taking, I assume Rocko has a thing for Jade.” Bronto thought it was the other way around. He hadn’t suspected their feelings were mutual. In that case Rocko had perfect cause to handle things his way.

  Another loud thump grabbed his attention. He peered over his shoulder just as Rocko back-slammed Grunt on solid ground. He lay near the fire pit not uttering a sound but when Rocko plopped down on his stomach and wrapped his hands around Grunt’s neck, Grunt choked.

  “Chieftain, are you going to let Rocko kill him?”

  Vulcan crossed his arms at his chest and took a lingering gaze at Jade. “Put yourself in his shoes.”

  Bronto wanted to kill him for a hell of a lot less than rape. “Good point.” Rape might be okay on this planet but it wasn’t tolerable on his and he’d never accept it as a way of the primitive lifestyle. Rocko had the right idea—beat the offender to a bloody mess. Knowing Vulcan shared the same feelings, Bronto guaranteed it was exactly why he wouldn’t stop the show. Well, whatever happened, he knew Ivy was uncomfortable watching and he didn’t want to expose her to any more bloodshed. From Rocko’s relentless stamina it appeared there’d be much more to come. “Let’s walk to my hut, Ivy.”

  “Wisty, would you like to come with us?” Ivy asked.

  That proved Bronto was right regarding her level of discomfort. As much as he wanted to protect her from the fight, she wanted to protect her sister. Fight wasn’t a proper term since it appeared to be a one-sided ass whooping.

  “Thanks but Vulcan and I are going to the lake to bathe. He’s sweaty from working in the sun all morning.”

  Bronto glanced at the pen the same time Ivy had. It was completely finished, roof included. A few baby dinosaurs were visible by their necks or tails sticking through the wall slats. “How many are in there?”

  Vulcan looked between him and the pen. “Nine.”

  “We found a couple of them hiding under ferns in the forest,” Ivy said.

  Wisteria cringed when a solid fist connected to Grunt’s jaw. “We’ll look for them on our way back. Vulcan, can we please go now?”

  “Sure, sweetheart,” Vulcan replied, grabbing the Barrett from the stone table. “We won’t be gone too long.” He took hold of Wisteria’s arm and guided her toward the forest.

  Ivy turned to watch them as they approached the trees. “Wisty, I met your snake up close,” she shouted.

  Wisteria halted and turned around. “You did? I told you it wouldn’t hurt you. Were you scared?”

  “A little.” She smiled and squeezed Bronto’s hand.

  Bronto raised a brow. “A little?”

  “Okay, to death,” she corrected.

  That was more accurate since she’d refused to breathe at the time. Too, he possibly still had fingernail marks engraved in his back. The woman had very expressive claws. He could point to a few others she’d left as evidence last night. Love scars. Hell, he wouldn’t mind if she carved a tattoo into his back with those nails.

  He pulled her close and tucked her under his arm. “We’ll hide out in my hut until Rocko is through with Grunt, then it’ll be time to chop down more trees.”

  “Can I help this time?”

  Bronto gave her a squeeze. “Most definitely. Know how to use an ax?”

  “No. Momma said it’s a man’s chore because it builds muscle, so I’ve never tried.”

  “Is that right?”

  “Mm-hmm.”

  He smiled to himself. “Where I come from women and men are equal.”

  “I wouldn’t mind doing a man’s job but Momma wouldn’t like that.” Ivy rested her head on his chest. “She also said, regardless how strenuous men’s work is, they lack the power of women.”

  “Why’s that?”

  “Because women give birth and it requires the greatest strength of all.”

  “Your mom sounds like a wise woman.”

  Ivy sighed. “She is about most things,” she said, her voice teetering on the edge of bitterness. “I just wish she would’ve stood up to my father more often. Like when he chased Wisty off.”

  Bronto rubbed her arm. “Some things happen for a reason, love. If he hadn’t, she’d be united with Sledge and you wouldn’t be here.”

  “I guess you’re right.”

  No, he was one hundred percent without a doubt right. He’d be hunting aliens right now rather than waiting for them to come to him if it wasn’t for her father. As well as preparing to pack his bags for the long shuttle back to Earth. “Would you like to take something to eat or drink back to the hut?”

  “Maybe some water.”

  “Then go on ahead,” he said, stepping to the side. “I’ll meet you there.”

  He waited until she reached his hut and entered. While he trotted toward the wooden beverage canisters that sat on the table he spotted Grunt lying in a bloody heap near the forest wall. Rocko sat beside Jade at the fire, holding a cup to her lips while she drank. Her eyes were red and swollen and her cheeks tear-stained.

  Bronto’s throat thickened. If she’d been raped at home she’d be lying on a hospital bed with doctors and a rape kit by her side and Grunt would be apprehended by the police, awaiting charges.

  Yeah, Rocko got it right by serving justice right here in their own backyard. No questions asked. As it should be.

  Bronto filled a cup with pink-tinted liquid from the first canister. Raspberry water perhaps? Jade and Pearl were endlessly experimenting with food and drink. A man never knew what kind of a surprise he’d encounter when reaching into a pot. The women worked hard to keep meals available around the clock. Working night-guard increased a man’s appetite. Not so much from hunger but from boredom to stay awake.

  He lifted the cup at Rocko and Jade as he strolled by. Even though the ass whooping had ended and things settled down, he wanted to relax for a while before reinforcing the huts. Prior to Ivy, he worked from sunrise to sundown. He wasn’t going to feel guilty for stealing a little time now.

/>   He pushed the flap aside, stepped in and placed the rifle inside the crate. Ivy sat down near the fire and reached for him. He’d like to believe it was him she wanted and not the water. To test her he offered the cup.

  She took it and at the same time reached upward with her opposite hand. He locked his fingers around hers and while he sat down she shifted sideways and set the cup near the stone fire-pit enclosure.

  “Here,” she said, patting the portion of her frock that was draped between her legs. “Lie down on my lap.”

  What did his frisky little woman have on her mind? The same thing that’d driven him crazy most of the morning? He grinned. Without questioning why, he lay down, resting his shoulders over her crossed ankles, and situated his head at the dead center of her thighs. The frock supported his skull but being so close to her female region, he failed to relax.

  She was just as beautiful from the upside-down view as she was face-to-face. He studied the perfect angle of her chin and the curve of her throat. Damn, he couldn’t even admire her without his cock reacting. He didn’t need to touch her to become aroused. Hell, he’d been in that state most of the morning. Most my ass. It was all morning. Even after he’d pounded Grunt’s head into the ground he wanted her. More than anything. Jealousy might have played a huge part. Although Grunt hadn’t touched her intimately, he’d touched her nonetheless. It was enough to awaken Bronto’s green-eyed monster and summon his rage simultaneously. The action had put Grunt in double jeopardy and initiated a train of morning-long ass-beatings.

  “Close your eyes, Bronto.”

  The softness of her voice filled his ears like a song. As he closed his lids he reached upward, slid his hand beneath her hair and rested his fingers on her neck. He couldn’t distinguish the better sensation—her smooth skin beneath his palm or the gentle massage she started on his temples.

  How nice it felt lying at her disposal to do with as she pleased. It was the first time he’d been in this position and the inability to see enhanced the awareness of her touch. It wouldn’t take much to spoil him from such attention.

  His senses heightened when she paused and reached over him. A moment later she swallowed. When a cool droplet splattered his forehead he flinched and opened his eyes.