Beast of Dreams Read online

  Now the risk that she might lose her explorer’s license no longer had much meaning for her when measured against her father’s death.

  She stood at the top of a hill, looking down at the patch of dry level ground where she’d be making camp, a place where she’d start her investigations.

  Finally, an opportunity to make some real progress, Amanda thought. She closed her eyes and breathed deeply, her bosom pressing against the confines of her tan environmental suit. For the first time in months, she allowed herself to just feel joy in the beautiful surroundings, uncluttered by worries, recriminations, or anxiety.

  Chapter 2

  Two hours after Sirus left, Amanda finished setting up camp. The electo-stat tent was well worth the expense, she mused. Weighing less than three kilograms, all it required was to unroll the lightweight material. A quick press to the electo-stat unit and the dome of the tent instantly exploded into shape, while simultaneously spikes from the tent’s under-mesh drove into the ground, anchoring the tent from strong winds. The amount of shelter space was wonderful, even if the initial set-up was a bit disconcerting, she thought.

  Shortly before they landed, the ship’s locator had shown that the Logan vessel had likely crashed about five kilometers north, in the heavily forested hills. Checking the coordinates on her geo-map, Amanda estimated that it would take her two days to reach the site, due to the heavy vegetation.

  She slid open her microcomputer and searched for information on Eridani human-ingestible vegetation and animal life. With a sigh, Amanda snapped the unit closed. Nothing nearby looked even remotely like the tubers or the small rabbit-like mammals listed. She resigned herself to another night of rehydrated hash and tepid distilled water, a diet she had, unfortunately, become all too accustomed to while on board ship.

  Amanda stepped away from the shelter and checked the perimeter alarms to make sure everything was fully secured. A sense of foreboding filled her as she walked around the temporary dwelling. She felt like she was being watched. It had suddenly gone quiet, and Amanda could no longer hear the rustle of animals moving through the brush or the warbles of bird songs. She hoped it was because of the approaching dusk. Only the sound of chirping insects remained.

  Amanda backed slowly into the tent and sat on her pallet. Still feeling uneasy, she reached for the stun gun and blaster, and set them on the tent floor next to her. After making herself dinner, she climbed into her sleeping bag, waiting quietly for several hours before finally falling into a restless sleep.

  Danger! It was deep night and Amanda stood naked in the middle of a forest. She sensed something powerful watching her, wondering about her.

  She hugged her arms around herself, swiveling slowly, looking over her shoulder, trying to pick out whatever was watching her in the darkness. She heard the sound of snapping twigs nearby, the noise pumping anxiety through her veins. As she spotted the huge beast stalking toward her, her instincts screamed to run.

  Her heart pounding fast in her chest, she dug in her feet and began to run. Her feet slammed hard on the cold ground, the moonlight so bright she could see the path ahead clearly. She ran for all that she was worth.

  The predator growled, a sound that sent tremors through her. She could imagine the warm breath of the beast on her neck and shoulders as it came ever closer to catching her. Soon she tired and her breath hitched, the adrenaline rush not enough to keep her going on such a difficult run.

  She knew it was moments before the great beast would leap, to sweep her into its animal embrace, to devour her. Her arms and calves stung where branches had scratched through tender skin.

  Daring to rest for only seconds, she noticed a cave nearby where she’d stored supplies the day before. With a burst of speed, she ran into it, forcing herself to breathe slower. The cold, musty air of the cave felt good on her heated skin. Spying the bag holding her hunting gear, she rummaged through it until she felt the hilt of her hunting knife.

  Quietly pulling the blade from its case, she listened to the slight slither of metal against leather as it gave her, inch after inch, a sense of security.

  Suddenly she sensed something staring at her back. Firmly clutching her knife, she spun around. Her heart pounded as she saw the tall creature, big and powerful, with the shape of a man but the head of a beast, standing menacingly in the opening of the cave. His eyes glowed an amber fire.

  She screamed.

  Her fear stirred the creature’s desire, hardening his arousal. She was trapped in the cave and there was no getting away from him now.

  She launched herself at him and lashed out with the knife. He knocked it out of her hand with a sharp backhand move and slammed her against the cave wall, pressing his body against hers, sending a dizzying sensual current through her. The smoldering flames in his eyes told her that his intentions were more carnal than carnivorous. He growled deep in his throat.

  Her breasts heaved against his furry chest as he grasped her wrists with one hand and forced them over her head. Pushing himself further into the vee of her legs, he slid his other hand over the heavy softness of her breasts. The pulsing red tip of his cock pushed itself into her soft wet curls, oozing a drop of pre-cum. He used his cock to spread the drop over her soft wet vulva, in a gentle rocking motion. One quick thrust, and he’d be buried deep within her soft folds. He sniffed along her neck, enjoying the scent of her arousal and the thrill of fear in her veins.

  He let go of her wrists and grasped her thighs, jerking her higher against the cave wall. Then, as if to prolong the pleasure of teasing her with his erection, he shifted so the pulsing head rubbed against her clitoris.

  Amanda gasped as she felt the tip of his cock sliding along her vulva, seeking entry. Her eyes widened. As he began to lift her onto the head of his cock, she heard a silky rumble from his chest just before he captured her lips in a rough kiss, sinking his tongue deeply into her mouth. She could feel the soft fur of his face caressing her cheeks while he ran his tongue over and around hers, licking and nibbling on her swollen lips.

  Anticipating the inevitable, she reached up and grasped his shoulders, twisting her fingers into his furry coat, trying to draw him even closer. He responded by splaying his hand across the small of her back and pulling her tighter to him. His drugging kisses and the slick rubbing of his thick cock head against her vaginal folds soon had her moaning deep into his mouth.

  She threw her head back as he lifted his lips and kissed her neck, licking her slightly salty flesh, drawing his tongue in erotic circles and nibbling with sharp teeth on her tender skin. Her nipples were pressed tightly against his chest, the fur gently irritating the hard peaks.

  Moisture leaked from her pussy, creating a slick wet path to her opening.

  Her sexual perfume drove him into uncontrollable lust. He knew she was ready and able to take his length into her.

  He slid his furred hands further back to seize her buttocks. Digging his fingers furiously into her soft flesh, he thrust upward, impaling her on his turgid cock as he sank his teeth deeply into the soft curve of her neck.

  She screamed as she felt his manhood lancing through her, the incredible length and thickness nearly splitting her in two. He thrust deep, the head of his rigid shaft slamming against her tender cervix as he drove himself into her, and this pushed her over the edge…

  She woke within moments in the hot sweaty throes of a violent orgasm.

  Chapter 3

  Karrick Logan, leader of the Wolfan Psi Pack and oldest son of Dr. Alexander Logan, shuddered as his release spurted from the head of his gripped cock, his amber wolf eyes clouded and heavy. Though in truth he was a half kilometer away, watching her campsite from a vista on a nearby hill, on a mental level he’d been completely merged into her mind in a state far more intimate than if he’d been merely in the same tent with her.

  He knew the intensity of the climax left the woman trembling as well. He had only meant to merge with her in her dream to find out her purpose and intent for coming to Erida
ni. Instead, the dream had taken on a life of its own, pulling him in. From the moment his mind sensed her strong feminine personality, the alpha in him had responded to her on a sexual level.

  He was still shaken by the intensity of his own desire. His dream pursuit of her through the night-lit forest had awakened a primitive need to possess her on the most fundamental of levels.

  He found it intriguing that a standard human female would have such strong alpha characteristics when he touched her mind.

  Two meters in height, Karrick was tall compared to most of his people. His fur covered a body of well-toned muscle and broad shoulders, and his movements were powerful and graceful. At thirty-two years of age, he was a fine male specimen of wolfan.

  Though he cared as a leader for the welfare of the wolfan females in his pack, few were alphas and he had experienced no sparks of desire with any of them other than a few brief encounters when he was younger, more to reduce sexual tension than to provide any long-lasting satisfaction.

  He wanted and needed a woman who desired him, as he did her; one who would challenge him on every level, who could handle him in everyday interaction as an equal.

  Karrick yearned to find such a woman, one who could be his match, but had resigned himself to abstinence the past three years since he had no wish to be permanently mated with any of the pack’s beta females. Though the human aspect of wolfans allowed for casual sexual encounters when young adults, as they reached full maturity, this changed. Wolfans, like the wolves they derived from, mated only once in a lifetime. That he would find his potential mate now was both surprising and ironic.

  He had not meant to force her, but his long-denied needs overpowered his reasoning, and his intent to glean information from her forgotten in the heat of his lust. Karrick was barely able to control himself once he merged his mind with hers and sensed her longing to be with one of his subspecies. It took all of his will just to wait until she was fully aroused, before he plunged himself into her.

  Karrick’s mind burned with the memory of her soft warm skin as he held her in his arms and penetrated her. He wondered if the lure of her softness and sweet sexual fragrance would be overwhelming in the physical world.

  He was also intrigued by the fact that despite her initial reaction, she soon became an active participant and in the end, gave in to her own shadowy desire to be ravished by a wolfan male. Only an alpha female would be so strong of mind.

  Karrick retied the leather stays of his breechclout. He prepared to return to the small campsite he’d set up earlier in the day when he’d received confirmation from his pack brother Jadd that a small shuttle had landed about five kilometers south of the pack’s compound.

  Several days earlier at the Wolfan Psi Pack Compound

  Karrick was basking in the satisfaction of having completed the final touches to his new office shelter, sharing Kujah wine with his father, Alexander Logan, when his pack brother Jadd interrupted them with an urgent concern.

  Jadd was in his mid-teens and more often than not, his young voice cracked with the transition to manhood. He was tall and lanky, but without the mass of muscle that would develop later as his body caught up with its new height.

  “Karrick, a spaceship has passed the outer perimeter and is heading for Eridani. Estimated arrival is about three days,” said Jadd, concern marked on his face.

  “Are you sure it’s only one object?”

  “Yes, and indications are it’s a small vessel. We’re tracking it right now. Do you want to come over and look?” It was clear the boy wanted an adult to confirm what he and his pal, Barron, had just found.

  “Yes, I do, in just a moment. That was good work you and Barron did today, Jadd.” The praise brought a smile to the boy’s mouth as he stood a bit straighter.

  Karrick turned to his father. “Not that I’m thrilled we found something, but it turns out we were right to keep monitoring the system. If we hadn’t insisted about this, we would have been caught unaware.”

  “Many years have passed with no contact, so it’s easy enough to become complacent,” Alexander commented.

  “Dad, you used to deal with the political machinations of the Conglomerate. No one has come near us since shortly after the crash, and then only to confirm there were no apparent survivors. After thirty years, do you think it’s possible they might have found out about our deception?”

  Alexander paused for a moment before responding. “Not likely. Six months after the crash, there was a thorough search lasting for several weeks. No ship ever came after that one.” He sat down in the chair facing Karrick’s desk and crossed his hands over his middle. “It may just be a routine scout ship gathering environmental data. But, even so, we still need to hide our presence. I suggest we camouflage the outbuildings and move everyone to the compound.”

  Karrick was grateful to the diligence of his pack brother, who was waiting patiently at the door. “Jadd, thank you for letting us know this right away. If this is not just a scout ship, your diligence may have saved us. I’ll be along shortly to check the monitoring equipment. Tell the pack what you have seen and that we will have a gathering this afternoon to make plans.”

  The teenage wolfan’s eyes brightened as he listened to his brother’s instructions. Of his three older pack brothers, Karrick had always been his favorite. He grinned and saluted. “I’ll do that. See you later.”

  Alexander smiled as he watched his pack son leave.

  Alexander had three biological sons, products of his and his wife Bethan’s genetic heritage. Karrick was the oldest, followed by Carson and then Nathan. However, Jadd was his pack son—Alexander’s wife had given birth to him, but the boy did not share their genes. In fact, his genetic origin was artificially engineered—he was one of many in the pack who had started life under the careful guidance of a geneticist recombining DNA to help bring more genetic diversity to the pack. Bethan, like many of the pack’s women, had acted as a surrogate mother. Alexander could not have loved the boy more, regardless of his beginning.

  Alexander was a standard human, unlike his children and the rest of the pack’s families, who carried the genes specific to their subspecies. His wife’s wolfan genes clearly dominated over his own in their three sons. To him, it was a blessing that children of standard and wolfan mixed parentage nearly always turned out to have full wolfan appearance, with the genetic traits allowing them a better chance at survival in harsh environments.

  Alexander was a large and stocky man, broad of shoulder and proud of his thick head of brown hair and bushy beard, which he privately thought rivaled the manes of most of the wolfan men in his pack. Though in his sixties, none of his hair had yet turned gray. He was handsome in a rugged way that still caught his wife unaware and made her heart beat a bit faster. The attraction was still strong between them, even when she chided him for taking risks with his health, such as with his newfound vice of smoking a pipe.

  Watching his oldest son ponder which direction to take in light of this news, Alexander reached down into his pouch, pulling out his pipe and a thick pinch of the tobacco-like leaves Eridani abundantly produced.

  “I don’t like this, but I’m actually surprised that no one has come looking before this. If for no other reason than Eridani being a prime planet,” Alexander said.

  “I agree. Why haven’t there been more flights to Eridani? If nothing else, just to map out the terrain more thoroughly or to do periodic checks on climate changes? It just doesn’t make sense,” Karrick replied, lighting his father’s pipe.

  Karrick refilled both of their cups with Kujah wine. “Maybe there’s a desire to colonize this planet again, and since we’re all supposedly dead, maybe the stricture that this is part of the wolfan territories doesn’t hold anymore.”

  Alexander pulled the smoke through his pipe thoughtfully. “Could be. There are dangers, but certainly no more than some of the less hospitable standard human planets. If so, we might be in big trouble.”

  * * * * *

&
nbsp; Later that day, Karrick stood on the dais looking at the gathering of his people in the assembly room. Over one-hundred-fifty anxious furry faces looked to him for leadership and guidance during this crisis.

  He glanced to the left, at his parents, who smiled proudly at him. Their unwavering support always warmed him. He watched his father grasp his mother’s hand and stroke the fur on her arm, showing his devotion to her.

  Though in her fifties, Bethan was still a slender woman with a commanding beauty that had captured her husband thirty-five years ago. Like most wolfan females, her fur was much shorter than the males and the fur on her head was more like the hair of standard humans, though of wolfan colors. She kept the wavy mass short, allowing it to curl in a soft bob just below her chin. Her amber eyes, so much like her son’s, watched him at the dais and Karrick knew she would support him no matter what, her faith in him resolute.

  Karrick scanned the crowd, clearing his throat a few times to signal that he was about to speak, and pounding his fist on the podium in irritation a few times to get the crowd’s attention. The abrupt quiet had him smiling in satisfaction.

  “As you know,” he began, “we went through a lot of work thirty years ago, after our forced landing, to make it appear as if the Conglomerate’s saboteur had succeeding in annihilating our spaceship before we landed. One search ship came by and left after a few weeks. As far as we know, no one has ever come to check on our planet, much less our solar system, in all the time since. Our efforts to hide the appearance of our existence will now be tested because today we have evidence that a small space vessel is heading our way. So far, we expect that it will arrive within the next several days but we don’t know exactly when, or even if, it will land…”

  A scoffing laugh sounded from the crowd. Karrick shook his head in resignation, looking at Shodan Konor, his long-time nemesis. He had hoped the dissension would take place after the meeting, like usual. He was surprised at it starting this early.