Mylomon: Warlord Brides (Warriors of Sangrin Book 3) Read online

  “We don’t exactly have a fire, either.” Daisy motioned to the empty ring of stone on the cave floor.

  Mylomon nodded and handed her his knife. “Gather wood. Do not go far. If you find…”

  “Bunnies?” The knife had a good weight in her hand. Substantial but not too heavy to wear her out if she used it. The blade had a thick spine and a gut hook on the tip. The finger grooves on the handle were a bit large for her grip but the bolster was large enough to protect her hand if she slipped. This was a knife designed for hunting, not combat. She tucked it into the waistband on her pants.

  “Anything, return here. Run. Do not let this knife make you confident.”

  “I understand. What about foraging for food?”

  He gestured broadly to himself. “I explained my purpose, female.”

  “Right. What if I just happen to stumble across a nice looking bush full of berries or some tasty roots?”

  “Scan them with your wrist unit to see if they are edible.”

  “Basic government issued model, remember?” Daisy thumped the nearly invisible band on her wrist. The model had basic functionality for communications and none of the fancy features boasted at the higher end. “Normally I’m on the base, er, ship, and it doesn't matter.”

  “You should be on the ship now.”

  “Don’t start with me.” She rolled her eyes and shook her head slightly.

  “Bring the edible back and I will scan them. Do not test them yourself.”

  She nodded. She wasn’t completely green in the field. She knew better than to stick alien plants in her mouth and hope for the best.

  “Swear to me.” His gaze grew in intensity, peering right through to her core of her being.

  “Yes. Of course.”

  He grabbed her chin and lifted her face toward his. He leaned down and pressed his forehead to hers. “It is my instinct to forbid you from leaving the cave but I will not waste my breath. You will not listen. Be careful, my mate. You are my heart.”

  The big purple goof.

  Daisy stretched up on her tiptoes and landed a quick peck on his lips.

  Mylomon drew back, surprised.

  Look at the big, scary assassin, surprised by a kiss. Daisy couldn’t help but grin. “I am stubborn, not stupid. I’ll be careful.”

  ***

  The flaw with gathering wood for the fire was the distinct lack of wood.

  Well above the canyon, the mouth of the cave opened up onto a tundra. A flat, grassy, treeless tundra. Moss covered boulders dotted the plain. Mountains in the far distance were a dark smudge against the milky sky.

  Scenic.

  She was learning how to communicate with her husband. Last night they made good progress. Pseudo-date night. She smiled warmly at the memory. Daisy used words to express herself. Mylomon was all about the action, like a real superhero. Her superhero.

  Daisy had it bad. Her attraction to Mylomon had grown into affection. Love, even. Was it even possible to love someone when there was so much left to learn about each other?

  Maybe the discovery was the exciting part.

  Hmm.

  The ground had a faint squishy quality. Her steps squelched as she stalked toward a cluster of tall grass. Grass could burn. Not well and not for long but it would be good kindling.

  Animal scat remained her best bet for fuel. Good thing she had gloves and soap. She kept an eye to ground, looking for droppings.

  She passed low, scrub like bush with vivid berries that looked all the world like blueberries. Careful not to prick her fingers, she plucked a handful. Then she hacked off a few branches for fuel.

  As she reached the tall grass she realized it was not grass but cattails. Or a near-alien cattail-like plants. Close enough. There was a cob at the end and it lined the banks of a small stream. The stalk and root of Earth cattails were edible. The cob, when dried, could burn. Cattails even had a starch that, when dried, acted very much like wheat flour.

  During the wilderness years of the invasion, the Vargas family did not have fields of wheat but they had all the cattails Daisy and Meridan could carry. She spent so many hours soaking, pulverizing and separating out the starch from the root, she could do it in her sleep. Had on occasion.

  Daisy plucked off the cob of the older growth and stuffed it in the fuel bag. Once satisfied, she moved to the younger stalks. Grasping firmly at the base, she pulled it up by the roots.

  The stubborn plant didn’t want to give. Daisy worked in the knife, to loosen the roots. The root system seemed to be more complex than the Earth variety. Hopefully they were edible. Mylo would be able to tell her with a scan of his comm unit. Roasted cattails. They might be bland but they’d be hot and hot food sounded really good.

  Another pull and she ripped the root from the mud. She teetered back, foot slipping and fell on her butt in the cold mud.

  Grumpy but determined, she pried up four more plants, roots and all. There. That should be enough to munch on if edible. If not, she hadn’t wasted too much time. A muddy butt was a reasonable price to pay for a vegetable side dish. They might even taste good. Wouldn’t that be something?

  Daisy washed her hands in the water, frowning at the mud under her fingernails. Mylo had soap waiting in the cave. She sat on a moss covered boulder near the water’s edge and loaded up her harvest into a bag.

  Ready for the return journey, the boulder underneath her shifted, then heaved upwards with a roar.

  Daisy tumbled to the ground and scrambled backwards, her hands flying up to cover her hands.

  The boulder unfurled itself.

  No, that wasn’t right.

  The giant, moss covered armadillo-bear creature unrolled itself and stood on it hind legs. It towered over her.

  Panic flooded through Daisy. Her feet wanted to run. Really, really fast but she suspected not fast enough. She forced herself to be calm. Assess. Adapt. The armadillo-bear looked sleepy. It had been napping in the sun when Daisy parked her butt on it’s back. Bad idea. She’d been so focused on mutant bunnies she forgot about the mutant boulders. At least the creature seemed to be as surprised by her as she was of it.

  The knife lay in the mud, just out of reach. Daisy carefully scooted to one side. The armadillo-bear huffed at her. Slowly she stood up, holding out her hands and arms to make herself appear as big as possible. That worked on Earth bears so it was worth a shot on alien armadillo-bears. Right?

  Right?

  Well, she didn’t have any better ideas so she stood there, knife in one hand, arms extended as wide as possible, praying for the bear to not be feeling a bit snacky after his interrupted nap.

  She took a step back, foot sinking into the mud.

  The armadillo-bear moved forward.

  Daisy waved her knife, shouting as loud as possible. “Stay back! The male I got this from will be super pissed if I gunk it up with alien bear guts!”

  The creature took another step forward.

  Daisy moved back but lost her footing, twisting her ankle as she fell down into the water. The bear stood over her, it’s odd flat head cocked to one side. The knife slashed wildly, glancing across it’s snout.

  It roared back in surprise more than pain. A heavy hand smacked Daisy down. The knife slashed again, the blade glancing uselessly off the armadillo-bear’s rock-like hide.

  Seriously, what was this thing?

  A dark shadow inserted itself between her and the enraged bear, growling. A plasma bolt from the rifle hit the creature in the paw. Squealing in surprise, it ran off.

  Mylomon stood above her, back to her, shoulders heaving, as he watched the creature retreat.

  Finally, his breathing slowed and he turned to Daisy. “Are you injured?”

  “I’m fine.” He offered a hand to help her stand. On her feet, she winced. “I rolled my ankle, I think.”

  With a huff, he lifted her and cradled her to his chest. They said nothing until they reached the cave.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Daisy
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br />   Mylomon set her down on the cave floor, careful not to jostle her ankle. “I’m fine,” she said, pushing him away when he examined her.

  “Female, be quiet.” Strong fingers prodded at the swollen joint.

  “It’s a sprain,” she said. “I am a nurse.”

  “Terrans are fragile. What if you tore a ligament?”

  “I’d be in a lot more pain.” He gave her a doubting look. “Honestly. It only hurts when I put weight on it.”

  “So don’t put weight on it.”

  Daisy nodded. “You see me sitting on my butt? This is me being a good patient. Normally I’d ice it and elevate.”

  He moved the supply bag under her foot and arranged it just so, huffing when satisfied. “Are you comfortable, female?”

  “A fire would be nice. Maybe a soak in the hot springs.”

  Mylomon set about his work of building a fire. He brought over the already skinned and butchered carcass of a small animal, presumably an alien bunny, and set it to roasting. He followed Daisy’s instructions for preparing the cattails and put the roots on a flat rock next to the fire to roast. If he did not see the value in cooking plants, he didn’t mention it. She risked her life getting those cattails. She was damn well going to eat them.

  “Can I have a bath while the food cooks?” she asked.

  He undressed first. Daisy tried her hardest not to leer but she was only human. Unclothed, he helped her undress. His hands skimmed her form, barely touching and she tingled in response. She gave the shirt a sniff before tossing it in the water. It smelled strongly of muddy water and could use with a good scrubbing. With the combined warmth of the fire and the hot springs, the cave was downright cozy. With the last garment off, he lifted her and carried her to the edge of the pool.

  He climbed into the water first, then lowered her in. “Good?”

  She sighed with pleasure as the hot water enveloped her, soaking into her sore muscles. “Yeah, good,” she said.

  He took out the cleansing bottle and began to lather up her back and shoulders.

  “You don’t have to do that.”

  “I will care for my wife as I see fit,” he said. His voice, deep and delicious, wrapped around her, as warm as the water and twice as satisfying.

  “I love your voice,” Daisy said, closing her eyes and leaning back. His hands worked out the tension in her shoulders then moved lower.

  He paused momentarily before continuing. “What else do you love?”

  “Making a list?”

  “Perhaps.”

  Perhaps. His favorite word. “I like lots of things,” she said.

  “Like? I asked what you loved.”

  Facing away from her alien husband, Daisy did not hide her grin. With his senses, he could probably smell it or something. “You nervous and require validation?”

  “Mates should praise each other.” He worked the lather into her hair. His strong fingers massaged her scalp and Daisy’s eyes rolled into the back of her head. So good.

  “So you are fishing for compliments.”

  “There are many things I like about you,” he said, his voice growing thick. “I like your laugh. I like that you are not afraid to laugh at me. I like the fire in your blood. I like this.” He delivered a playful swat on her bottom.

  Daisy yelped but did not move away.

  He gently pushed her on the shoulder to dunk under the water.

  “I’m not afraid of you,” she said, sputtering from the dunk.

  “I know. I like that, too.” Rinsed to his satisfaction, he turned her around to work on her front. He paid careful attention to lathering her chest, his hands cupping and squeezing her breasts more than necessary.

  She didn’t hate it.

  Actually, she liked it. A lot.

  He scrubbed down her thighs and legs, dunking underwater to tenderly massage her feet. His hands worked across her abdomen, drifting down. Excitement coiled in her stomach. She wanted his touch. Craved it. When his hand finally cupped her mound, she placed a hand on his chest. “My turn,” she said.

  “I am not done with you, female.”

  “Oh, I agree, but I want my fun exploring you and all those muscles.”

  Grumbling, he handed her the bottle of cleanser. With a wicked smile, she lathered up her hands and set about exploring the hard lines and contours of her husband.

  He was hard. All over. Solid. His skin was warm with just the slightest amount of give. Definitely not fat. Maybe a cuddle layer. Something so a girl didn’t hurt herself against him.

  She worked up a thick lather in his hair. Short and shorn on the sides, it did not take much. Then she ran her sudsy hands along the wild curves of his horns. Mylomon moaned so loudly she jerked back in surprise. “Did I?”

  “Apologies. They are sensitive.”

  Gingerly she returned to them, paying closer attention. The texture was like velveteen stretched over something hard with a hint of pliability, like cartilage. “You like that?” she asked, knowing full well he did.

  “Female—”

  One hand remained on a horn and the other wrapped around his cock, hard and ready. His eyes flew open in surprise. She stroked him in both places, moving her hands at the same rate, loving the way his body trembled. Her strong, scary monster helpless at the touch of one little woman.

  Mylomon was objectively hot. No question about it. Driving him wild with her touch? So much hotter. “Husband,” she whispered, “I want you.”

  Moving faster than she could perceive, he scooped her up and set her at the edge of the pool. He opened her thighs and leaned in, examining her. “You are the finest thing I’ve ever seen. I wonder how you will taste, wife.” He parted her lower lips and licked along her sensitive slit. Daisy tilted back her head and moaned.

  His tongue rasped against her, working her clit and darting into her core. Her hips bucked and she ached to be filled, to be claimed. Finally, a finger prodded at her entrance and pushed in. His fangs lightly scraped her sensitive button and she gasped when he sucked. He worked his hand in and out, in and out, and her legs kicked in the water.

  Mylomon was terrifying but she knew he would never, ever hurt her. She’d never felt as safe as she did in that moment with her husband feasting between her thighs and her body quaking with ecstasy.

  Her released was building. She wouldn’t be able to fight it off for much longer. “Mylo, I need you.”

  He growled, the vibrations edging her closer. Another finger pushed in. Then a third. They angled together in a come hither motion, hitting the right spot. Daisy fell apart and came together again, shouting her husband’s name. His tongue and hand remained in place as her orgasm subsided.

  With a satisfied rumbled, he climbed onto the edge and pulled her to him. “Best thing I’ve ever tasted.”

  She tapped his chest lightly and chuckled. “You are filthy.”

  “You indicated you liked that.”

  “Oh, very much so. Now,” she said, rolling onto her back and displaying herself. “Are you going to claim you mate, warrior?”

  His expression closed down, all emotion drained away. “I will not.”

  What. The. Hell.

  Mylomon

  “Why haven’t you claimed me? Don’t you want me?” She sat upright, arms wrapped protectively around her luscious form. The hurt in his mate’s voice was obvious enough for even an unobservant male like himself to hear.

  She believed he didn’t want her.

  Guilt stabbed at him. Nothing was farther from the truth.

  He cupped her face with a hand and she leaned in, eye closed. “I want you, female.” More than anything. More than the entirety of his being.

  “Then don’t stop,” she said. “I want you, too.”

  His mouth captured hers, soft lips yielding to his demands. The sweetness of her cunt lingered on his tongue. He could take her again, let her flavor explode over his tongue once more, but he would not claim her. Not here. Not like this.

  Daisy pulled away,
panting. Her pupils were wide and her skin flushed. She gazed at him expectantly, then frowned when he remained still. “What’s wrong?”

  “Not like this,” he said.

  “Why not? I’m all warm and fuzzy from the hot springs and,” she blushed, “you know. And you’re excited.” She waved a hand toward his obvious erection.

  “You deserve better.”

  “Fine.” Her words said she was not upset but a crease between her eyebrows marred her face. Aggressively she pulled on her shirt, tugging down the fabric like it insulted her. Like he insulted her. She took out the comb and worked it through her golden locks.

  “You are upset.”

  Daisy rolled her eyes. Her face was so expressive. Mylomon enjoyed watching her thoughts and emotions flicker across the canvas of her face. Normally. Now stormy thoughts clouded her otherwise open and sunny disposition. “Of course I’m upset, Mylo. I’m horny and naked and my gorgeous husband doesn’t want to make love because he has self-esteem issues.”

  Her reached for her hand, pulling her back to him. “You deserve better than a dirt floor in a cold cave. You deserve a fine meal, wine, flowers, and music. As much as I want you now, as much as my desire aches in me, I will wait until I can give you those things.”

  “They’re just things, Mylo,” she said, her voice soft. “I don’t need them.”

  “But I need to give them to you.” Couldn’t she see that? He was unworthy in so many ways. The fact that she was eager to bind herself to an abomination was beyond belief. The least he could do was respect her enough to not rut on the bare ground like an animal.

  Daisy closed her eyes and pressed her brow to his. “Okay,” she said at length. “We wait until you’re ready.”

  He pulled her into an embrace. She buried her face into his chest. “You think I’m gorgeous?” he asked.

  “Stop fishing for compliments. You know you are.”

  “I question your eyesight but know that I, too, think you are gorgeous.”

  “I knew you were a sweetie pie.” She yawned.