Chapter 13

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

E rica handed the last tree frond up to A'rien and gave a satisfied nod as he tied it in place. Over the past month, they had done a lot of work to create their home, but with the constant mild temperatures, a roof had been low on the list of priorities. Then, three nights ago, the evening deluges had begun. Neither A'rien nor Peri minded the soaking, but she had been miserable. A'rien had immediately decided that he needed to cover their sleeping area with a roof.

He really is the sweetest male , she thought affectionately as he gave her a triumphant smile and leapt easily down to the ground.

"That should do it," he announced.

He put his arms around her as they both studied the completed structure. He had extended his original pole platform to create a larger space, all of it topped with woven mats. One side of the small structure served as their dining room, complete with a rough table and cushions made from woven vines and stuffed with dried vegetation. A much larger cushion filled a lashed-together pole frame to form their bed. Her growing collection of woven vine clothing was folded neatly in one of the baskets she had learned to make. The new roof gave it all a finished look.

"It's really starting to look like a proper home," she said happily. "All we need are a few books."

She felt his arms tense, the same way they did every time she made a reference to something from her previous life. Turning in his arms, she smiled up at him. "I was just teasing. You find a way to provide everything we need."

And it was true. The open fire pit had been replaced with a permanent structure built from rocks he had carefully assembled and mortared together. Her contribution was the somewhat crooked baked clay pots.

He also made sure they had an ample supply of food, so much so that she had started drying or smoking the excess. He was even experimenting with using the hollow trunks of the bamboo-like plant to supply running water.

She did occasionally feel a fleeting regret for the things she had taken for granted in her old life—books, coffee, flush toilets—but being here with A'rien more than compensated for those small losses.

Erica occasionally wondered if she would always feel this way, but then A'rien would put his arm around her or look down at her the way he was looking at her now, silver eyes hungry, and her doubts would disappear.

As if in response to her thoughts, he bent his head and kissed her, his mouth urgent, demanding. She met him with equal passion, rubbing the hardened peaks of her breasts against his massive chest. He groaned in her mouth and lifted her so that she was poised against his shaft. His spikes sent prickles of pleasure through her clit as he deliberately dragged her up and down the small projections.

"Is this what you want?" he growled. "Or should I make you wait until I have you at my mercy?"

Her body quivered at the idea. They had made love in almost every conceivable position—and she had enjoyed every one of them—but being held down and exposed to him was by far her favorite.

"I don't want to wait," she gasped.

He laughed, and his lips trailed along her jaw before descending to the sensitive cord of her neck. He found the exact spot that sent a streak of excitement straight to her needy clit and scraped his teeth lightly across it. She tried to wiggle impatiently, even though she knew she wasn't going anywhere unless he let her.

Before she could insist that he let her move, Peri chittered demandingly. She looked over her shoulder and saw that he had dragged a leafy branch, at least three times as large as his small body, to their feet. He sat back on his haunches and looked up at them, repeating his demand.

"I think he wants to help," she laughed.

"He would have been more helpful if he had waited another five minutes," A'rien grumbled as he let her slide down his body, making sure that she felt each teasing nub on his stiff cock. "But maybe he has the right idea. I don't like the look of those clouds. It looks like you'll have to wait after all, zenska."

Her clit still felt swollen and demanding, and her body ached with frustrated desire as she frowned up at him. "What clouds?"

He turned her to face the sea, but the feel of his big hands on her still sensitized skin distracted her, and it took a moment before she understood what she was seeing. For the first time since they had arrived, whitecaps topped the ocean waves. Dark clouds loomed heavy on the horizon over the restless seas.

"Is that a storm?"

"Looks like it. It may pass us by, but it's best to be prepared."

Peri chittered in seeming agreement and nudged his branch towards them.

"Thank you, little one," A'rien said solemnly as he reached down and picked it up, then climbed one of the poles supporting the roof and tucked it into the other branches. God, she loved him.

The thought stopped her in her tracks, as happiness flooded her. Of course she loved him. She suspected the knowledge had been floating in her mind for a while now, even if she hadn't said it aloud. Neither had he, but it was there in everything he did to care for her.

She should tell him, she thought, but perhaps not while he was staring out across the water with a worried frown.

"What do we need to do to get ready?" she asked instead.

He gestured at their small larder. "Why don't you take the food to the cave so it doesn't get blown around?"

A'rien hated the cave, but the cool environment was perfect for storing their supplies and she kept it well-stocked.

"All right. What are you going to do?"

"Tie down everything I can," he said absently, still studying the horizon.

"I'm sure everything will be fine."

She gave him a cheerful smile and set to work. She wasn't really looking forward to getting soaked again, but she would dry out. It was only a storm, after all.

By the time she had transferred all of their food supplies to the cave, she was beginning to suspect that A'rien had reason to be worried. The wind had picked up with each journey, and when she returned to their camp the last time, it was swirling wildly through the trees, whipping the branches to and fro. She shivered and went to join A'rien, once more standing and looking out over the sea. The waves were larger now, crashing onto the beach and sending spray shooting up almost to the edge of the trees.

"Do you still think it might miss us?" she asked hopefully.

"No." He turned to look at their house just as one of his carefully tied branches ripped free of the roof. "We can't stay here."

"But there isn't any place else."

"The cave," he said firmly, but she could hear the dread in his voice. "You will be protected there."

"And you," she insisted, and he nodded reluctantly.

He handed her bag to her as Peri came scampering over, and she settled him inside. He was almost too big for it now, but he nestled down happily, only his nose poking over the edge.

A'rien put his arm around her to protect her from the wind as they returned to the lake. The wind buffeted them constantly, howling through the trees. Even the surface of the lake had small whitecaps racing across it when they arrived. He helped her into the cave, then stood hesitantly at the opening, watching the jungle.

She didn't want to insist that he join her, but when a branch flew past, hitting the rocks with a harsh crack , she went and placed a gentle hand on his back.

"Come inside," she whispered.

The tension in his back increased, and he didn't move.

"Please, A'rien. I need you with me."

As she suspected, that finally made him turn, duck his head, and step inside the cave. His breath came in harsh pants as she drew him down against the wall and climbed into his lap. His arms immediately tightened around her waist, and she suspected it was for his comfort as much as hers.

"Look up there," she suggested, pointing at the crack that allowed a small amount of light into the cave. "You can still see the storm."

Even that relief disappeared as the skies grew darker. The noise of the wind increased until it sounded like a freight train barreling towards them. She wasn't exactly afraid—the cave should protect them—but the power of the storm made her aware of just how small and insignificant she was compared to its might.

The cave was almost completely dark now, but she didn't know if it was from the storm or if night had fallen. Rain gusted in through the small crack, and lake water lapped at the entrance to the cave. A loud thud shook the cave and she squeaked, grabbing A'rien's arms.

"What was that?"

"A tree falling, I think. It won't be the only one."

His voice was strained, distracting her from her own fears, and she turned in his arms so she could press a kiss against his neck. His skin was damp with sweat, his muscles rigid. Her heart ached for him.

"But we're safe here," she whispered. "And we're together. That's all that matters."

Peri wiggled out of his bag and pushed his head insistently against A'rien's hand until he stroked the soft fur.

"Together," A'rien agreed, and the three of them huddled together while the storm raged on.

The wind finally dropped just before the sun rose. Relief swept over A'rien as the pale light of pre-dawn became visible through the small crack. He immediately rose to his feet.

"I'm going to see how much damage the storm caused."

"We're going with you." A'reka lifted Peri to his familiar perch on her shoulder and came to join him.

"Perhaps you should wait here." He already feared what he would find.

"No. I want to know."

"Very well." He dipped his head in reluctant agreement, then sighed with relief as he left the cave.

A'reka's presence had made it possible for him to endure the cramped quarters during the storm, but it had been a long, hard night. He finally felt as if he could breathe again.

A'reka gasped as she followed him out. The extent of the destruction was immediately obvious. The surface of the small lake was almost invisible beneath the clutter of leaves and branches that covered it. Many of the trees were missing branches or even their entire upper half. Several had fallen, their roots exposed like bones lying on the soil. An unnatural stillness lay over the island.

"I've never seen anything like this," she whispered. "Have you?"

"Once, long ago. A storm laid waste to the town where I was born." The warren of ancient buildings where he and the other street rats lived had been completely destroyed.

"Do you think our… our house survived?"

"I don't know," he said truthfully. "Perhaps. The winds can strike randomly."

She bit her lip but didn't respond, and together they made their way through the woods. It took three times as long as usual, their trail half-buried beneath leafy debris and frequently blocked by fallen limbs. If it hadn't been for the sound of the waves, he wouldn't even have realized they had reached their camp.

Everything was gone.

One lone pole remained in the ruins of what had been their house. The roof he had so carefully constructed to keep her dry was gone. Even the stone firepit was cracked and broken, crumbled beneath a massive branch.

A'reka's hand clenched in his, and he looked down to see tears glistening on her cheeks. But then, as he had seen her do so many times before when faced with a problem, she straightened her shoulders.

"We'll just have to rebuild, that's all. And it will be easier this time—look how much building material we'll have." She gestured at the downed trees, but he saw her hand tremble.

The guilt that had tormented him for the past month returned, slamming into him with new strength. He had been able to keep her safe from the storm—this time—but what if it happened again? And how could he expect to make a life with her when everything they built could be so easily destroyed?

He had to face the truth. He didn't have the tools or the resources to build anything more permanent. If another storm came, she would be left without shelter once again. Without even a bed in which to sleep.

Because he loved her, he had to let her go. For her sake. The map had indicated a way home for her. It was time to use it.

"It is a lot of building material," he agreed, his heart breaking. "But not to build another house. We're going to build a boat."

"A boat? But why?"

"I don't think you—we—are safe here."

"It was just one storm."

"So far. What if this isn't just the beginning of the rainy season? What if it is the beginning of the season of storms?"

"We haven't seen any signs of previous storms," she protested.

"We weren't looking. Things grow quickly here. And even if it only comes once a year, or once every few years, this will always be the result." He looked around at the destruction. "I cannot prevent this from happening."

He hated the way her face paled at his words, but she finally nodded. "Where will we go?"

"The mainland."

"You said it was too far."

I lied.

But he couldn't bring himself to admit his fault so bluntly. "I did not want to leave. I thought we could be happy here."

A crease formed between her brows. "Is there something you're not telling me? Do you know what's over there?"

"I've never been there." That part at least was true.

"But?"

"When I woke up here, I found what I think was a map. I think it was telling me that there is a location on the mainland that might be a way off this planet."

"And now you want to leave it? Leave me? Because of a storm?"

"Never," he said quickly, pulling her into his arms. He took a deep breath. "But you had a map too."

"What? I never saw a map."

"I know. But you had a bag, just like mine. And it contained a map."

She pushed against his chest, and as much as he hated to let her go, he released her.

"You never told me."

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because I didn't want to leave. And I didn't want you to leave either." He stepped towards her, his heart aching, but she backed away from him.

"I thought you were happy here," he pleaded.

"I was. But you didn't trust me enough to give me a choice. You're as bad as my father."

His chest ached even more at her words. She had told him enough about her parent to make him realize how badly he had hurt her.

"A'reka."

"Don't." She took another step back, but the distance in her eyes was far worse than the physical distance she put between them. "Just tell me what we need to do to get off this island."