Priest backed his Harley into the custom shelter he’d built for his Heritage Softail, dismounted and headed straight for Alek’s Jeep.
Wise woman that she was, Naomi had already hopped from the front passenger’s seat and all but dragged Alek out of Priest’s path toward Kateri. “Alek, get my bag for me. Priest will get Kateri’s.”
Yep. Wise and crafty. Although, she couldn’t act as the buffer between Priest and Alek forever. Sooner or later, he’d have to set things straight with the male, and as irritated as his cat still was with the challenge Alek had thrown down, sooner was the better bet.
He reached Kateri just as she started to jump out of the raised Jeep. Rather than offer the hand he’d intended to help her down, instinct took over and he gripped her by the hips and lifted her to the ground.
The darkness purred in chorus with his cat, pacified for the moment by the contact, but urging him for more.
Kateri’s hands covered his, the tenuous touch as soft as her startled gasp. “I could have managed.” A rebuke on the surface, but still breathy enough to give him hope.
Mindful of her brother still in earshot and the obvious need for damage control, he lowered his voice and leaned in close enough her scent surrounded him. Something exotic that reminded him of the jasmine Tate’s mother had grown. “You could have, but then I wouldn’t have been able to touch you.”
A nearly infinitesimal shudder moved through her, and her lips parted. While wariness still weighted her gaze, there was more behind it now. Curiosity and resounding inner strength.
He could work with that. Assuming he could keep the darkness and his beast in check long enough not to kill her brother. He gently squeezed her hips. “I won’t hurt you. Despite my cat’s way of showing it, he was actually happy to meet you.”
Her gaze sharpened to match the snippy drawl of her voice. “He didn’t sound happy.”
“Oh, he was happy. So was I.”
Blanking her expression, she pushed his hands away and stepped out of his hold. “That doesn’t make any sense. And I don’t think the way you growled at my brother had anything to do with being happy to see me.”
“I doubt much of anything makes sense to you right now, but it will. Soon.” He’d see to it in the most personal fashion possible. “And my response to your brother is a different issue, but I won’t hurt him either.”
At least he’d try not to. For Kateri’s sake.
Forcing himself to back away, he plucked the last remaining suitcase from the Jeep and motioned her toward the house. “Come on. Let’s get you inside before your brother comes looking to tempt fate again.”
Whether she agreed with the wisdom of cutting short another run-in between Priest and her brother, or just wanted neutral ground, he couldn’t be sure, but she wasted little time putting her long legs to good use. Like everything else about her, she moved with an understated grace. Smooth and easy as water over a pebble-lined creek. She’d made it all of two steps past the front door when she paused and removed her sandals, her gaze adeptly perusing the open entry and massive living area beyond.
Staring out the windowed wall that lined the back of the house and overlooked the natural terrain beyond were Naomi and Alek. Tate stood rooted next to Naomi and pointed out his favorite details below. Neither Naomi or Alek were barefoot, so either the shoeless indoor routine was a mandate of Kateri’s parents that Alek had already brushed off, or she simply preferred to be without them. Given the way she’d seemed to enjoy being outside, he was betting the latter.
As if sensing their arrival, Naomi glanced over her shoulder and beamed a huge smile at Kateri. “Come look, Kateri. It’s beautiful.”
Kateri glanced at Priest and hesitated, one of those awkward pauses that spoke of discomfort and uncertainty. Another thing he’d have to work on between them.
“My home is yours.” He motioned her ahead with a lift of his chin. “Go. Enjoy whatever suits you. Though, if you explore the property, take me, Jade or Tate until you learn the boundaries. We can talk about everything else after you’ve had a chance to settle in and look around.”
“Thank you.” With that, she hurried to take in the view beside her family. His home was really more of a lodge built on piers that butted up to a large bluff, but the landscape was exceptional no matter the time of year. Especially with the thick unspoiled woods that stretched between here and Beaver Lake in the distance. Scoring five square miles had taken a whole lot of negotiating and just shy of a miracle, but every headache it had taken to seal the deal had been worth it.
Jade bounded down the open staircase with an enthusiasm far outside the norm for when she was at home. Likely centered around the fact that she wouldn’t be outnumbered by men for once. “Hey, Priest. I put Naomi’s bag in my room. I figured I’d sleep on the couch and give her and Kateri my room.”
“No.” His sharp rebuke came out before he could censor it, the near-growl that came with it so grated, everyone spun to face him at once. He tried to soften his tone, but his words still came out gruff. “Alek and Tate will bunk together. I’ll take the couch and Naomi will share your room with you.” He locked stares with his mate. “Kateri sleeps in my bed.”
Her gaze shuttled from Jade, to Naomi, then Alek before rooting back on Priest. “That’s not necessary. I can sleep—”
“In my bed.”
Alek spun to Naomi. “I’ve got a better idea. How about we get a hotel room and keep her the fuck away from this asshole?”
“Kateri goes nowhere without me,” Priest said before Naomi could so much as open her mouth. “If my brother’s alive, it’s not safe.”
“No offense, but I think I can keep my sister safe just fine.”
The room fell quiet.
Inside him, his panther bristled and flicked its tail. “You think so, do you?”
Naomi started forward. “Eerikki—”
He held up his hand to stop her, but kept his attention zeroed in on Alek. “No. We need to deal with this. Now. He needs the release and the knowledge.”
The timing was absolute shit, but nothing was more volatile than a Volán male bordering on coming into his powers. Either Priest handled what needed handling while he was still in control, or he risked breaking his promise to his mate and gutting this generation’s most likely warrior primo.
He held Alek’s stare a second longer, then shifted his gaze to Jade. “Start dinner for us, nahina. Show Naomi and Kateri the house and make sure they have whatever they need.” He cut his attention to Tate. “Stay with them. Especially Kateri.”
Tate nodded, the knowing behind his amber eyes making it clear he understood the reason behind Priest’s request even if he’d yet to share what Kateri was to him.
Priest eyeballed Alek and jerked his chin toward the raised back porch and the wooded terrain below. “You come with me. We’ll see how ready you are to face off with my brother.”
Rather than wait for an answer, he stalked out the wide sliding glass door. That Alek would follow was a given. The young man might not have accepted his gifts yet, but he was full of unspent anger. A sure sign his soul quest was imminent. If Priest hadn’t been knocked for such a damned loop by Kateri, he’d have noted the chaotic energy pouring off Alek a hell of a lot sooner.
Sure enough, Alek’s heavy footsteps descended the wooden steps that lead to the wide gorge. Their weight didn’t lessen when he reached solid ground. Even with the thick leaves still damp from rain the night before, his steps crunched unnervingly loud against nature’s quiet.
“You walk loud enough a deaf man could hear you coming,” Priest said.
“You know damned good and well, I’m right behind you. Why try to mask it?”
Ah, youth. Always so quick with the attitude. Particularly when they didn’t have a clue what they were dealing with. But Alek was about to get a good dose of reality. “So you can hear the t
hreat headed your way before it hits.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It means this.” Priest shoved a sharp gust of wind against Alek’s chest, the thrust of it powerful enough it knocked him on his ass. With fifteen feet still between them when it hit and Priest’s back to Alek, the man never saw it coming. Or more to the point, never heard it.
Priest turned in time to enjoy the utter shock on Alek’s face and the awkward way he pushed himself upright. “What you’re feeling right now,” Priest said, “the caution and awareness—that’s what will keep you alive with Draven. That and understanding the depth of his powers. He won’t meet you face-to-face. He’ll corner you. Slip up behind you. Lure you into a trap and suffer no conscience while he slits your throat and steals whatever magic the Keeper gives you. And you damned sure won’t hear him coming tromping around like an elephant.”
Pausing only long enough to brace his feet, Priest motioned Alek forward then let his arms hang loose at his sides. “You think you can protect your family, then bring it. Show me what you know.”
Alek glanced back at the house.
Priest didn’t dare follow his gaze. Just the thought that Kateri might be watching through the picture windows offered too much distraction. Not to mention, if he actually got a visual confirmation she was watching, he’d be too tempted to forgo this task, and Alek needed this confrontation. His skepticism and impending change was too dangerous to leave unattended. For now, he’d have to hope that Naomi was as skilled at running interference with Kateri as she was with her grandson.
“You’re fucking kidding me,” Alek said, all righteous indignation and bravado. “We’re gonna beat our chests and duke it out like knuckle-dragging idiots?”
Priest grinned and his panther practically purred at the challenge. “You can think of it that way if you want. Or you can accept it for what it is.”
“Which is?”
“You learning your place.”
The taunt worked. Alek’s face flamed a violent red and he stomped forward, his fists engaged at his sides and ready for action. “You think I’m some stupid punk you can push around?”
Priest’s magic surged. One more little nudge and Alek would lay it on with everything he had. Not that it would be anywhere near enough. “Quite the contrary. You need the release. The confrontation against someone stronger and more capable than you.”
Alek lunged, the move generated more from frustration and anger than any decent strategy.
Countering easily, Priest shifted out of Alek’s trajectory and added a humbling tap to the back of his head as he passed. “Surely that’s not all you’ve got to show for your training. The way Naomi talked you up, I’d expected more.”
Rather than pause and get his bearings, Alek spun and re-engaged, this time leveraging his skills and letting loose with a string of attacks.
Priest blocked them all, never once throwing his own punch or kick. Merely let his opponent take the release he needed.
Naomi hadn’t misspoken. Alek did have talent. Even if it was hindered by the unfocused rage that fueled his every move.
It took a solid minute of back-to-back blows before Alek frowned and backed off. His chest heaved from the nonstop advance and his eyes burned with barely leashed fury. “You wanted a fight. Why the fuck won’t you engage?”
“Why waste my strength and skills when you’re so willing to show me what I want to know without the effort?” Priest circled Alek where he stood, subtly herding his prey deeper into a sizable space along the center of the gorge. “Do you know what your grandfather was for our clan?”
Still braced on the balls of his feet, Alek kept himself squared to Priest as he moved. “Tate said he was the warrior primo.”
“Your father would have been as well, had he answered the Keeper.”
“My dad didn’t want his gifts. Didn’t trust it after what he saw your brother do.”
“Didn’t want them, or was afraid of them?”
“Does it matter?”
Priest sprung forward, a blade-hand strike aimed at Alek’s temple but tempered enough he had at least a chance of defending himself.
Alek’s block was too slow to completely avoid contact, but lessened some of the impact. To his credit, he shook it off and repositioned, but there was a difference in his gaze. A whole lot of shock and a flicker of respect. Whatever he’d expected of Priest where fighting skills were concerned, moving faster than the human eye could follow apparently hadn’t been on the list.
“Everything matters where it affects our clan,” Priest said, answering Alek’s question as he prowled forward. “Odds are good you or Kateri will be the next warrior primo if you answer the Keeper’s call. Though with your interest in fighting, I’m betting on you.” He feigned a jab and Alek wisely didn’t fall for it. “I need my primos to protect our clan and the Earth’s magic. So, I need to know—are you afraid?”
The taunt jarred Alek into motion, his grated words mingled with each strike. “You didn’t see my parents. What your brother did to them. They had everything. Deserved to live their lives left alone.”
Priest parried with a twisting move that left Alek scrambling to keep up. “So, you are afraid.”
“I’m pissed.” More punches and kicks, each one growing in intensity and aimed for maximum damage.
When he aimed for Priest’s face, Priest dodged, manacled Alek’s wrist and spun him into a choke hold. “Enough to answer your call and help me end my brother?”
Alek’s training kicked in and he twisted out of the hold, going for a counter assault to the vulnerable back of Priest’s leg.
Before he could connect, Priest was already free and poised behind him.
Alek faced him and all but spat, “Tate said the same darkness is in you. What’s to stop you from being any different than Draven?”
Finally, the real issue. The fear that fueled Alek’s anger.
Slower this time, to rebuild Alek’s confidence, Priest started in with a string of punches and kicks, each one building faster and more powerful.
At first Alek met them easily, but with each point of contact, his strength weakened and his eyes grew wide in concern. Over and over, each strike grew more complex. Faster until Alek slowly began to retreat.
Priest kept pushing. Naomi was right. Alek was no ordinary fighter. He was a warrior through and through. An alpha who’d bow to no one unless they were stronger. Faster. Worthy.
He unleashed his power, hitting Alek on all sides with snaps of fire, electricity and air, while raining physical punches in rapid succession. Just when Alek was about to break, Priest rippled the earth beneath Alek’s feet.
Alek stumbled backward.
Priest’s cat burst free in a brilliant burst of silver and pinned its prey to the cool, damp leaves. His panther’s massive paws weighted Alek’s shoulders and his bared teeth hovered inches from Alek’s face.
The beast wanted to linger. Wanted to toy with the male who’d dared keep it from its mate.
The darkness urged for something uglier. Tempted him to cross an unforgivable line.
But Kateri’s image as he’d lifted her from the Jeep flashed to the forefront of his thoughts. Grounded him.
Priest forced his human form back into place, but the growl from his cat lingered in his voice. “What stops me from being like Draven is my brother lives only for himself and power. I live for my mate and my people.”
Up and down, Alek’s chest heaved, his heart pumping so hard it was visible at his neck. His eyes were wide with wonderment and shock. A fighter who not only accepted he’d been bested, but was too awed by the strategy and strength that put him on his back to hold any remorse for his defeat. “Holy shit. How’d you do that?”
Priest shoved back to his knees and stood, towering over Alek still flat out on his back. He offered his hand. “It’s
my heritage. Yours, too, if you accept it.”
Alek volleyed his attention between Priest’s face and his outstretched palm.
Priest waited until logic won out and Alek took his hand, then pulled him to his feet. “Your skills are solid. Fitting for a warrior primo.”
For the first time since they first met, Alek refused to meet his eyes head-on and a vulnerability laced his voice. “I don’t know anything about us. What it means to be Volán.”
“Then I’ll teach you.”
“Why?”
There he was. The real man underneath the change brewing inside his soul. A teachable youth with the tenacity and courage to face whatever fate threw them. “Because I’m your high priest. It’s what I do. What I was born for.”
The only thing I existed for until five hours ago.
Instincts honed by his beast bristled along his shoulders.
He twisted and scanned the horizon behind him, but froze at the sight of Kateri standing in the breakfast nook’s window. Naomi stood beside her, blatantly trying to catch her granddaughter’s attention, but Kateri was having none of it. Not if her crossed arms and angry scowl were any indication.
“What is she to you?” Alek asked beside him.
Priest held Kateri’s gaze, sorely tempted to skirt the truth a little longer. The newly formed bond between him and Alek was too new. Too fragile to risk too much. But if the Keeper chose Alek to serve alongside him, he also couldn’t risk losing the young man’s trust. Not with the undoubted battles in their future.
He faced him, trusting Naomi to do what she could to explain what Kateri had witnessed. “Your first lesson—Volán men who’ve accepted their powers know their mates on sight. Instantly. There is no doubt. No hesitation or misunderstanding.”
Alek’s head snapped back, the unexpected change in topic visibly throwing him for a loop. “So, what? It’s like some cosmic arranged marriage?”
Guardian’s Bond Page 4