Wild Things (BBW Paranormal Shifter Romance): Shifter Lovers Romance (8 page)

“He
could have cleaned the car, at least.”

“At
least.”

She
spun around. Gabriel stood in the corner, cast in shadow. For a moment all she
could do was stare in disbelief. Then she dropped the sunshade and ran to him.
He caught her, pulling her further into the shadowed recess of the door.

“Careful.
We are not alone on this train.” But despite the warning, he didn’t let her go.
Instead, he pulled her closer, reaching to caress her cheek, to undo the veil
that covered her face. Slowly he bent his head, his lips meeting hers.
Everything…the car, the train, the Ottway…it all faded away. All that remained
was Gabriel, the kiss, the touch of his hand. The love she felt.

He
gently pushed her away and she went reluctantly, eyes closed, face still turned
up to his, aching for another kiss. When she realized he wasn’t going to
continue kissing her, she opened her eyes.

“Where
were you? You broke my heart, you know.” A swirl of emotions rose up with the
question, and she was surprised that she was quite put out with him. “I
waited…all night. I got ready, had a bath…perfumed…” She sniffed, tears welling
up, washing away the anger. “And a robe…scarlet…” It was hopeless; she let the
tears fall.

“And
for breaking your heart, I am sorry, so very sorry.” He brushed his finger
across her cheek. “There are too many tears here. Each one is a spear to my
heart because I am the cause of them.”

“But
where were you? Why didn’t you come to me?”

“Come.
Sit. The train is going to depart soon.” As if someone heard his words, there
was a huff of steam, followed by the whistle’s shriek. Outside, men shouted and
she looked through the curtained window, watching a group of men struggling
with one of her larger trunks.

“Someone
will be coming soon to make sure you are settled.”

She
let him lead her to the divan, let him sit her down. He remained standing and
she took in everything about him as if she’d been away from him for months,
instead of far less time. But she frowned.

“What
are you wearing? That’s not your uniform.” His purple tunic was edged in gold,
but the sash was missing. The hat he wore was nothing but a billed cloth cap.
For a moment she thought he’d cut his hair, but she realized it was tucked up
under the cap.

Gabriel
glanced down at his clothes, frowning. “These are the Ottway’s colors.”

“I
know that. What are you doing in them?”

He
looked up, lips curling in a sudden smile. “I liberated them from someone who
won’t be missed. At least I hope he won’t be missed. Or found.”

“What
are you saying?” There were more shouts from outside, another hiss of steam.
Typical to the Ottway, no one had come to see if she was settled, much less
comfortable. “How can you be here? The Ottway forbids anyone from my father’s
palace to be here. Except me.”

“The
Ottway has never seen me.” Gabriel leaned against the side of the compartment,
arms crossed over his chest. The tunic pulled across his arms, and she thought
it might split at the seams.

“Foolish
man. He’s controlling and paranoid, but he overlooks the obvious. So I waited
in the sheds here, until the train arrived, and when the shifters disembarked, I
knocked one out and took his uniform.” His smile widened. “I was lucky he was
close to my size.”

“And
that was lucky?”

“It
was. The Ottway employs rather undersized shifters. It was a struggle to get
this over my armour.”

The
tension inside her started to lessen and she grinned up at him. Maybe this was
going to be alright, in the end. He’d find a way to get her out of this whole
ridiculous situation.

“So
you knocked out a shifter and stole his clothes, and waited here for me.” It
was utterly romantic; beyond anything she could have imagined. “And that’s why
you didn’t come to me last night.”

“Yes.”
His answer was cut short at the sound of someone turning the door handle to her
compartment. Instantly Gabriel’s whole demeanor changed. He straightened, dropped
his eyes, seemed to recede into the tapestry-covered wall behind him. Senna
closed her eyes, drew in a deep breath and prepared to face whatever shifter of
the Ottway’s had entered. She was prepared to give that poor man an earful
about the conditions of her carriage.

But
when she opened her eyes it was not a shifter sent to see to her. It was the
Ottway. She gasped, eyes going wide, stomach clenching. She thought for a
moment, she would be sick on the silk rug. All she could do was stare.

“You
have forgotten your place, Princess.” The Ottway stood looking down at her,
pulling himself up to his full height, which, sadly wasn’t all that. His
light-blue satin tunic stretched tightly over his fat stomach, his short legs
covered in loose pants of a darker blue.

“My
Lord, apologies.” Senna rose, then dipped one knee, going down into a low
curtsey. From here she had a bird’s eye view of the Ottway’s shoes, silly
heeled pumps. They were misshapen from carrying the Ottway’s great weight, the
sides worn and split. For a moment a terrible urge to laugh rose up and she bit
the inside of her cheek to avoid making any noise. Keeping her eyes on the
carpet seemed to be the best course. Definitely the safest.

The
Ottway coughed, and she glanced up, only to be presented with his extended
hand. Rings covered his fat fingers, and for a moment she feared she was
supposed to kiss one of them. But he twitched his fingers and with an audible
sigh of relief, she reached up, and with the very least amount of contact
between them, let him help her stand.

“It’s
time to depart.” For the first time, the Ottway noticed Gabriel. The older man
frowned, waved his hand in the shifter’s direction. For a moment Senna’s heart
threatened to stop. But he nodded officiously.

“Good.
You have an escort. See to it, shifter, that no harm comes to the Princess. Or I
will see to it that you pay for that mistake with your life.”

Senna
shot a glance at Gabriel. He stood, head lowered, then bowed. “Yes, Ottway. As
you command.”

“Then
I leave you, Princess.” The Ottway closed his eyes, leaning forward, obviously
expecting a kiss. Senna took a step to the side, presenting her cheek. At the
touch of his lips on her face, not her lips, he pulled back.

“You
vex me, girl.” With speed she didn’t think he possessed, the Ottway slapped her
across the cheek, then reached out, grabbing her chin between his thumb and
forefinger. His eyes darkened dramatically, brows drawn together in a fierce
scowl. “I excused your behavior at our first meeting as that of a young,
immature girl. Now…” He jerked her chin higher, forcing her to look into his
eyes. Her heart beat painfully in her chest, her cheek burned. She longed to
look at Gabriel but knew that would mean certain death for him, and worse than
a slap for her.

“Now
you will learn what it means to be obedient. You are a spoiled girl, and once I
have you in my palace that will be corrected, one way or another.” He kissed
her then, lips bruising hers against her clenched teeth. Garlic, onions, stale
wine…even though closed lips, she tasted them all. He stepped back and let her
go. Weak-kneed, she sank onto the divan.

“See
to it she has no visitors and does not leave this car.” He nodded to the travel
bag. “You have everything you need. Meals will be brought to you.” 

The
Ottway turned, and strode toward the door of the car. The train lurched again
and he staggered awkwardly. Normally Senna would have found it amusing, but
today she dropped her eyes as the Ottway caught his balance. It wasn’t until
she heard the snick of the latch, followed by the click of the lock, that she
looked up. That she dared look at Gabriel.

He
stood, fists clenched, dark eyes narrowed. Everything about him radiated rage.
He stared at the closed—and locked—door, then brought his gaze to her.

She
wanted him to hug her, kiss her cheek, make it all better. Or kick down the
door and throw her off the train—gently, of course—and run away with her. But
the train had started moving, and through the window on the other side of the
car, she could see those who had come to see the train off waving.

A
few of the Ottway’s shifters ran alongside before grabbing the railings of her
car, swinging easily up onto the train. She heard footsteps overhead; they
would ride on the top of the car, behind small metal-clad shelters, watching
all the time for aliens. But the footsteps ran across the roof, and then faded
away The guards had left her car, moving to another.

Finally,
Gabriel spoke.

“Are
you hurt?” The words came out through gritted teeth.

“Yes…no.
Only my pride and my feelings, really. The sting has passed.”

“I
wanted to kill him, on the spot.” With obvious effort he unclenched his fists.
But he still looked as if he wished to punch something, or someone. “No man
should treat any woman as he does. Especially to the woman he’s to marry.”

“Please…”
She held up her hand. “I don’t want to be reminded I’m to marry that pig. And
he is a pig.”

The
train was gaining speed now, passing through the last set of big iron gates,
getting ready to start the sprint across the desert toward the Ottway’s realm.
Her car must be the last on the train. The gates were already starting to swing
closed as her car passed through. Even though they were inside the speeding
train, the deep clang of the gates crashing shut reached her, the vibrations
coming through the soles of her slippers. It was most certainly like a death
knell.

“He
is a pig. And a bully.” Gabriel glanced out the window. With a nod he crossed
over and sat on the divan. “If I had my way, and a chance—and the ability to
disappear into the night with you—I’d kill him.”

He
took her hand and she saw a shadow cross his face. “But none of that can
happen.”

“But
why not?”

He
turned her hand over, tracing a figure eight on her palm. Little shivers ran up
her arm, goosebumps rising on her skin.

“Because
there is no way to do all that and survive what is out there…” He nodded to the
window. “We’d die in the desert, either from thirst, or by the hand of aliens.
Look.”

She
took her eyes away from his face and followed his gaze. The land outside the
window of the speeding train was flat, glaring in the brutal sun. As far as she
could see there was nothing but hard-packed, baked, cracked sand.

“Then
what are we going to do?”

“For
the moment, nothing. I couldn’t stay behind without taking the chance to get on
this train. Staying behind meant no chance to do anything. At least now we’re
together, for a little while longer.”

“And
you gave up a night in my bed for one of the Ottway’s uniforms?”

He
squeezed her hand. “If it meant any chance to get you away from him, I’d take
it.” He gave a small laugh. “But I’m not sure I’ll be able to keep my hands to
myself. Or figure out how to get through all these layers of silk. You’re
covered from head to foot.”

“Then
how is it the Ottway left you, or who he thinks is one of his guards, alone with
me? Am I not desirable to any man, not just you? Does the Ottway trust his men
that completely?”

Gabriel
made a sound of disgust. “The Ottway is not only cruel to women, but to his
entourage. All his shifters and palace guards are eunuchs.”

They’d
sat together for most of the day, talking at times, otherwise sitting quietly
until late in the day. Gabriel made a valiant attempt to restrain himself, but
Senna didn’t bother to keep her hands to herself, or to stop herself from
kissing him, from touching him. And he’d finally given in, pulling her into his
arms. She’d taken off as many pieces of clothing as he’d allow, fearful if
someone came in, it would be far too hard to get back into all of those layers.

“This
is dangerous, Senna. If the Ottway comes back…” His words were lost against her
lips as she kissed him again. With force he pushed her away.

“The
Ottway has locked me in for the duration. I doubt he’ll be back.” She threw her
arms around his neck, kissing him. He responded, wrapping his arms around her,
his tongue flicking against hers. He’d mounted a serious attack on her silks,
fingers tracing the edge of her corset, teasing along the pushed up mounds of
her breasts. It was hard to breathe, the stays of her corset constricting her. Excitement,
or lack of air, was making her dizzy. But she loved the way she felt, the way Gabriel
made her feel.

“But
if he does return there’s no possible way I can pass myself off as one of his
eunuchs.”

Senna
giggled, running her hand down over the front of his tunic, between his thighs.
The outline of his hard cock excited her, even though she knew he was right,
that if anyone walked in on them they’d know instantly he wasn’t who he was
pretending to be. And that she wasn’t the docile bride-to-be either.

“This
isn’t a time for…” Whatever he was going to say trailed off into a low moan as
she caressed him. She bit her lip, surprised at her brazen behavior.

Gabriel
suddenly grabbed her hand, pushing it away. “Stop.”

“You
don’t mean that.” She reached for him again, but he grabbed her wrists.

“No.
But you
have
to stop. We have to stop. This is dangerous.” He set her
bodily on the divan and stood, his back to her. She could hear his harsh
breathing and she started to stand. Without turning he spoke.

“Sit.”
He glanced at her over his shoulder. “Please, Senna. Give me a minute.”

She
sank back onto the divan, working up a pout for when he did turn around. It
would certainly win him over, bring him back. He’d moved away a step,
straightening his tunic. Then he leaned closer, looking out the window.

“Senna.
Do whatever you need to do…to get ready…”

“Ready
for what?” Sitting up she looked past Gabriel and out the window. In the
distance she saw plumes of dust rising.

“A
dust storm? Won’t that stop the train?” She had no idea how trains worked,
other than when they arrived, they took her to places she didn’t want to go.

“It’s
not a dust storm. It’s aliens.” He glanced at her, frowning. “Get dressed. Quickly.
They will attack. Do you have something else to wear? Or better shoes?”

Pulling
her silks straight, she returned his frown. “I’m a princess, dressed as a
bauble. I don’t have any better shoes. I have a sunshade and a traveling bag.
I’m not expected to run anywhere. I’m sure the Ottway would hobble me…”

“Alright.”
His voice had taken on a severity she didn’t like. The dust plumes were coming
closer and she could see the last rays of the sun, glinting off metal. From
somewhere outside she heard shouts. They didn’t sound like shouts of distress
though. They sounded more like shouts of recognition. But she was distracted
from that thought by what she saw out the window.

“What
on earth are they riding on?”

“Scavenged
machines, the same as we use at the palace. You’ve seen them.”

She
shrugged. “Only when I came on the train from the Ottway’s. Outside the window,
and then at the gate in my carriage. The memory of the shifters on rusty
machines, circling outside her train window, came rushing back. Then, at the
gate, tearing through the gates on shiny machines, the bewilderment she’d felt
watching them disappear into the desert straddling two-wheeled machines that
roared and belched black smoke.

“They
steal them when they can, or take them if they kill one of our riders.” He
straightened. She remembered the dead wolf, wondered if he’d ridden a machine
into the desert. She could tell something wasn’t right, that something bothered
him. “But they run on fuel, not on steam. There should be no way for them to
keep them running. Unless…”

He
turned to her so suddenly he almost knocked her over. “What did the Ottway say?
When he talked about his cargo. What were his exact words?”

“I…I
don’t remember. I wasn’t listening. I tried not to listen to him, if I can help
it.”

Fingers
digging into her arm, he pulled her, almost pulling her up on her toes. “Think,
Senna. Think carefully. When he said cargo, did he say anything else? Anything
at all.”

She
stared up at him, a thrill of alarm running through her. In all their times
together, even when he’d been aggressive, he’d never been this rough with her.

“Gabriel,
you’re hurting me.”

He
stared at her a moment longer, then let go of her arm. “I’m sorry. But this is
important and we don’t have much time. Anything you can remember…”

She
crossed her arms, holding herself tightly and took a prudent step back “He said
it was gold, to him and to someone else…to them. Again, I assumed he meant me,
and this whole arrangement. It’s all political. If I was the cargo, then I was
the gold. I’m the gold being transferred between my father and the Ottway.” But
the memory was becoming clearer, the conversation she’d taken pains to ignore
coming back in bits and pieces.

“Oh,
and then he’d said something else. That it was all liquid…liquid gold. That
made no sense, and I was already so put out with him I stopped paying
attention. I think I left the room then.”

“Liquid
gold?” He cast another look out of the window. Individual riders were now
visible, some waving what she was sure were weapons, like she’d seen before.
The train gave a shuddering jolt and she lost her balance, slamming painfully
into the table beside the window. Gabriel grabbed her arm.

“He’s
been smuggling fuel to the aliens. That has to be it. It has to be why the
train hasn’t kept going, why we’re stopping. Why no one is firing on the aliens,
and why the aliens aren’t attacking.”

“And
why the Ottway only sends his own men on the train.”

“Exactly.”

“So
there’s nothing to worry about then. We’re fine. They’ll just do whatever it is
they do, and we’ll be on our way.” For a moment disappointment mingled with her
fear. There was no danger; no chance for this trip to come to an end.

They
were still standing by the window when the train shuddered to a stop. She
grabbed Gabriel to keep from falling over. The voices and running overhead grew
louder and added to that was a new sound came to her, high-pitched, grating,
unearthly. The sound grew louder and she covered her ears.

“What
in the heavens is that?”

“Aliens.”
Gabriel jerked his chin at the window.

They
were circling outside the stopped train, weaving back and forth, holding spears
and sticks topped with wicked looking knives. Circling, like they had before.

“That’s
what they did when they attacked the train…” She leaned closer to the window.

“No,
Senna! Don’t…” He grabbed for her but she was drawn toward the barbaric scene.
They were close enough for her to see the aliens clearly. It was mesmerizing,
in a horrific way. They’d moved so quickly before, savaging the wolves. She had
no idea what to expect, only told tales of silver-skinned lizards who would
spirit misbehaving children away in the middle of the night.

“They’re
not silver-skinned. They have leather skin.”

Gabriel
had her arm now, pulling her back. “If they see you, there’s no telling what
they’ll do. You might be better cargo to them than fuel. They’re highly
intelligent. We’ve caught some and they’ve learned to speak our language well
enough to understand us. If they realize you’re the Princess, you could be
taken hostage. To them, now, this is just another train. And they’re wearing
leather to protect themselves from the stinging sand. Believe me, under those
they have silver skin, and scales. Just as you’ve heard.”

She
shivered in horror. “But…you won’t let that happen? You won’t let them take me
as a hostage?”

“Not
if my life depended on it. But…” He was looking up at the ceiling, head tilted.
“Listen.”

She
followed his gaze, scowling. “I don’t hear anything.”

“Exactly.
The guards have left the roof of this car.”

“But
I’m supposed to be guarded. I’m a Princess. Why would they leave me unguarded?”

Before
he could answer there was a noise outside the door. Gabriel stepped in front of
her. With her hand on his shoulder, peering around him, they waited for the
door to open. But there was no click of the lock, no turning of the handle.

“What
are they doing?”

There
was a loud thunk, and then a metallic clank. A subtle vibration shook the car.
Beneath her hand she felt him tense.

“They’ve
uncoupled this car from the rest of the train. That’s why your car is the
last.”

“But…why?
What is the point?”

He
looked at her over his shoulder. “Apparently the Ottway had no intention of
marrying you after all. You were part of a double-cross.”

“A
double-cross? Against who?”

“Your
father. The marriage is arranged, the Ottway’s Dominion and your father’s Realm
are joined. But he doesn’t want you anymore than you want him.” She scowled. Gabriel
smiled, even though it was rather grim. “Don’t look so disappointed.”

“It’s
one thing to reject; it’s another to be rejected.”

“A
princess…and a woman…through and through.”

Her
frown deepened. “So I’m to be left to the aliens? Alone and defenseless?”

“More
or less. Which is why this shifter that I stole the clothes from, had no
weapon. He wasn’t intended to defend you at all. In fact, he may have been made
to commit what would have been a gesture of obedience. To sacrifice himself for
the cause.”

“That’s
horrible. So I’m supposed to be a sacrifice? To be left to the aliens to kill
me as a method of getting me out of the way?”

Gabriel
shrugged. “Not to put too fine a point on it, but yes.”

She
had a feeling there was more behind what he said the aliens would do, besides
just a quick death at the hands of the aliens. But she had no intention of
asking what that was.

“Then
what do we do now?”

“We
can’t stay in here, waiting for them to come through the door. We need to find
you a weapon, while they’re still doing whatever they’re doing with the fuel.”

Gabriel
was suddenly in movement, practically diving for her travel bag. Before she
could say anything he’d pulled it out from beside the divan and dumped the
contents out on the cushions.

“What
are you doing?”

 “This.”
Gabriel pounced on her silver comb. “You can use this as…something.”
Brandishing the long pointed handle, he held it up. “It’ll kill a human, but
not an alien. It won’t even slow one down, so don’t bother. If worse comes to
worse, can you…” The question hung between them.

She
took the comb from his hand. “I can. And I will, if it means I have the chance
to get away from here. But what about you?”

“I’m
a shifter. I’ll be able to take care of myself.” He stood up, pulling the tunic
over his head. She’d felt the armor under his clothes before, and been
frustrated by it. It had never occurred to her it would come into play.

“We
need to get out of here, not wait for them to attack. Surprise is our ally.
They’re expecting a defenseless guard and a meek princess.” At this he shot her
a wry grin. “I am anything but defenseless. And you are anything but meek.”

He
started moving around the car, eyeing the ceiling, the tapestry-covered walls,
running his hands along the edge of the windows. But it was the door that
interested him the most. After rattling the handle, he knelt down, inspecting
it closely. Then he turned to her.

“Give
me one of your hair pins.”

She
reached up, pulling out a jeweled pin, setting a tumble of hair cascading down
her back. She handed the pin to Gabriel. With rising curiosity, she watched as
he bent the pin, then stuck the mangled thing into the lock.

“What
are you doing? Besides picking the lock.”

“If
I can get this door open…” There was a sudden click. Gabriel removed the pin,
turned the handle a fraction of an inch. The door opened the tiniest crack. He
dropped the pin to the floor. Frowning, he glanced at her.

“You
need to do something with that costume. You need to be ready to run. Or, more
accurately, to ride.”

“Ride?
What am I going to ride?”