Heart of the Warrior

by Donya Lynne

  "I'm on vacation." The lie came easily, but it wasn't like she could just come right out and say that she was here to kill someone – most likely his son or brother.

  They continued looking at their menus in silence, but she could tell Lakota was intrigued. She looked up at the desk clerk. "I think I'm ready to order."

  He stood at his computer. "Certainly. Go ahead."

  "Yes, I’d like the red eye –"

  "With or without the egg?"

  "With, please."

  He tapped his fingers over the keyboard.

  "And I’ll also take the Wimbledon strawberry bowl, with cream, as well as the Mexican breakfast, no shot."

  Lakota made a sound of approval. "You have a healthy appetite."

  "I’m a growing girl." She tossed him a come hither look.

  He cleared his throat. "If you don’t mind my saying, you already look all grown up." His eyes darted away almost shyly, or maybe that was guilt in his expression. Either way, she found both responses odd for such a big male.

  "That I am, Mr. Bannon." She handed her menu back to the attendant and confirmed her room number when he asked for it then turned toward Lakota. "Well, you have a nice day. Enjoy your breakfast. Maybe we'll see each other again."

  "That would be nice," he said.

  She made sure he was watching her before she sashayed toward the elevators. As the doors opened, she glanced back to find his gaze still on her. She smiled then stepped into the elevator.

  Gotcha.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  "Open your eyes, Ari." Sev's strained voice caught Ari by the balls.

  Shit, he had closed his eyes again. Habit. Damn. He snapped them open and caught Sev's gaze as he thrust into him, taking him hard. Again.

  "That's better. Yes. I love your eyes." Sev wrapped his arms around Ari's back as they rocked the mattress and banged the headboard against the wall. "I love when you watch me."

  And Ari loved watching Sev. He was beautiful during sex. Sexy. A male worthy of the gods, as far as Ari was concerned.

  "I'm close," he said, his voice filled with urgency. "Oh God, Sev!"

  "That's it, babe. Don't stop." Sev's hold on him tightened. "Come for me."

  "Sev! I'm coming! I'm coming!" Once more, his body released and his muscles ripped apart. He would be lucky if he was able to move tomorrow at the rate they were going.

  When his latest release finally subsided, Arion collapsed against Severin’s body, shuddering through the tail end of his orgasm as Sev held him close and brushed one hand down his spine.

  How many times had they had sex in the past several hours? Ari had lost count. What he did know was that he had never demonstrated such stamina with any of the women in his past. In fact, with Sev he could hardly keep his cock deflated. Ari had never experienced anything like this. Ever. The floodgates were fully open now, and there would be no going back.

  "Wow." He snuggled against Sev’s chest, a gentle pulse weeping the remnants of his release inside Sev. Face-to-face sex had never been this good before. Now if he could just learn to keep his eyes open, everything would be perfect. Old habits die hard, but he had a feeling it wouldn’t take long to remedy that one. He loved watching Sev during sex. He loved looking at him and matching Sev’s body’s movements and his facial expressions to the sensual noises he made.

  "Wow is right, babe." Sev kissed his sweat-dampened forehead. "I’ve never seen anyone with so much stamina."

  Ari huffed out a weak laugh. "Honestly, I didn’t know I had it in me. I guess I'm making up for lost time."

  The sheets were soiled again, but he didn't care, and Sev didn't seem to mind, either. He loved how their combined scents filled the room and surrounded them.

  "Can I stay with you today?" Sev's voice caressed his ears like a soft breeze.

  Ari burrowed in close, shoving his arms around Sev to hold him tightly. "If you try to leave, I’ll stop you."

  Sev chuckled, and the vibration rumbled against Ari’s chest. "Okay, I’ll stay. Twist my arm."

  They held each other like that for several minutes then Ari finally forced himself to pull himself off Sev’s body. His spent cock pulled free and the cool air felt all wrong on him after being tucked inside Sev’s warmth. He lay down next to Sev and they turned to face each other.

  Sev touched his face, caressed his cheek, and smoothed back his hair. Ari closed his eyes, enjoying the affection.

  "I –" Sev cut off abruptly then started over. "I want you to spend the day with me tomorrow. After our shift, spend the day at my house. Will you do that?"

  Ari got the feeling that wasn’t what he had originally planned on saying, but he let it go. "Mmm, yes. I’d like that." At least they wouldn’t have to worry about Io or anyone else stopping by unexpectedly if they were at Sev's.

  "So would I."

  He opened his eyes again. Sev’s long hair hung in sweaty, damp tendrils over his face and down his neck past his shoulders. Tonight, he had used that hair like a horse’s mane, pulling, yanking, directing Sev’s head where he wanted it. And true to his word, Sev had loved it. He'd cried out with pleasure, begged him to pull harder, and pleaded with him to be rough and not hold back.

  Both of them were marked with love bites and bruises worthy of battle, and he smiled softly as he reached up and trailed the tip of his finger over one of the fading black and blue marks on Sev’s chest where he had sucked on his skin.

  "We’re a mess," he said

  "But in a good way." Sev brushed his hand over Ari's cheek then down to his arm.

  He nodded. "A very good way."

  Sev’s fingers traced the lines of his tattoo sleeve. Up, down, around. Ari had already learned Sev’s nuances enough to know he wanted to take him again. It was in the way his gaze followed his fingers down the pattern on his arm and the quiet purr deep in his chest. And Sev hadn't finished during their latest bout of orgasmic pyrotechnics, so he probably needed the release.

  "Yes," Ari said.

  Sev's gaze flicked to his. "Yes, what?"

  "Yes, I want you to make love to me again." Hell, he was ready to go again himself. This was insane. Where was this incredible sex drive coming from?

  The corners of Sev's mouth curled upward. "You're not too tired?"

  Ari shook his head. "No."

  "We've been at it all night, babe. I thought you'd need a break."

  "That's okay. Like I said, I'm making up for lost time. Besides, you drive me wild."

  Sev tenderly pushed him to his back as he rolled with him and settled on top. "You're driving me crazy, Ari."

  "I can't get enough of you." He pushed his hands through Sev's hair as the other male pushed his legs open and pressed the head of his erection against him. Could they just stay in bed for the rest of the month? Ari really wanted to stay in bed with Sev for a few weeks. At a minimum.

  "Me, neither." Sev drove forward and dove inside Ari in one fluid thrust.

  "Oh, God, yes," he said, gripping Sev’s shoulders.

  Yes, just one more time and then they could sleep. Maybe.

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  The next night, Lakota woke up just after sunset and opened the curtains then the blinds and looked south over the Chicago River. He already liked it here and couldn’t wait to buy a place. His son’s reaction, on the other hand…well that was another story.

  The last time – the only time – he had seen Severin, they had almost killed each other. In a way, he was proud of how hard Sev had fought him. The boy was strong and lethal. Well, Sev wasn’t a boy anymore. He was a mature male, now. An adult.

  Was Sev mated? Did he have a wife? Children of his own? Felice had only told him Sev was an enforcer, but hadn't elaborated on personal details, so Lakota could only guess what Sev’s life was like now. Did Sev ever think about him? Probably not. But then, if he was in Sev’s shoes, he wouldn't think about him, either. Who would entertain thoughts of a father who raped his mother, gave her a child, and took off?

  He ha
d been such a bastard. But the love of a human had changed him, and he would be forever grateful to Mary for opening his eyes. He still missed Mary, his beloved wife who he had cherished with all his heart. She had shown him so much love and had opened his heart to how awful he had once been and how good he could be as a person, husband, and father.

  His cell phone rang and he smiled at the caller ID.

  "Marie? You must have known I was thinking about you."

  He had insisted their firstborn daughter be named after Mary, because he knew one day Mary would die and he wanted one of their offspring to remind him of her. That day had come six years ago, when Mary passed away at the age of sixty-two, just days after suffering a stroke.

  "Dad? Are you here?"

  Marie lived on Chicago’s North Side, and her mixed blood had given her an uncanny extrasensory ability. Unfortunately, the price for her third eye was the loss of her sight by the time she had turned eighteen. Marie was blind. Funny how mixed blood worked. Marie could see the unseen with her special abilities of perception, but she could no longer see the physical. No doubt she had felt his arrival in the city last night.

  "I knew I should have called," he said.

  "Yes, you should have." Her chastising voice held the sound of a smile.

  "I’m sorry, honey. Yes, I’m here in Chicago."

  "I still don’t understand why you insisted on staying downtown. You could have stayed with me, you know."

  "I know, but I wanted neutral ground. You know how hard this is for me."

  He could almost see Marie nodding her head in understanding. "I know it is, Dad. Have you seen her, yet?"

  "No, but I’ll see her tonight."

  "She’s ready to put the past behind her. I think she’ll forgive you."

  "What about Severin?"

  She didn’t say anything for a few seconds. "You’ll have a tougher time with him."

  Just what he thought. He sighed in frustration.

  "Give it time, Dad. Severin’s like you. He’s stubborn and determined. He hurts easily and doesn’t forgive quickly."

  "And I hurt him." He said that more to himself than to Marie.

  "Well, you hurt his mother, and to him, that’s the same as hurting him."

  Knowing that made him all the more proud of Severin. Unlike him, Sev was a male of honor and integrity. He was a worthy male – a male worth mating and who would be a good father.

  "Don’t ask me that, Dad," Marie said out of nowhere.

  "What?"

  "I know you want to know if he’s taken a mate and has children, but you know I won’t answer you." She paused. "Although…I sense he's going through an interesting time right now. I see pain."

  "Pain?" Lakota was suddenly concerned.

  "That's all I can say, Dad. I've already released the vision so I'm not tempted to tell you more."

  He had told Marie not tell him anything personal about Sev for a reason. It would make him work that much harder to get to know his son again. He didn’t want to rely on Marie's special talents and ESP to learn details about Sev’s life that he needed to earn the right to know directly from his son. But the idea his son could be in pain was troubling.

  God, he hoped Sev forgave him. Marie wanted to meet her half-brother. She had made that clear. But she didn't want to do it until Lakota and Sev reconciled.

  "You’re a good daughter, Marie. Just like your mother. You’re such a good person."

  "She would be proud of what you're doing, Dad."

  "And you know that because…?"

  Marie laughed quietly. "Yes, Mom and I have communicated about what you're doing."

  Meeting and marrying Mary had been the best thing that had ever happened to him – until their first child, Marie, was born. Becoming a father and actually sharing the responsibilities of raising children had affected him deeply and made him realize his failings with Severin.

  It was still hard for him to believe after being a bastard for so long that he could change and feel so much love for another as he did for his deceased wife and their children. A rare second chance had been granted him, and now he wanted to make things right with his firstborn son, too.

  "How is she?" He had reconciled the fact that Marie could still communicate with Mary, and it no longer filled him with pain when Marie mentioned it.

  "You know how she is, Dad."

  "Well, you know what I mean." Lakota already knew Mary was in Heaven and that she was happy and no longer attached to her earthly emotions, but he liked asking how she was, anyway. It made him feel normal about talking about her. "Does she have any messages for me?"

  "Just that you're doing the right thing and that it's time for you to move on. She wants you to find someone else. You're meant to find someone else."

  Lakota's mind darted to the dark-haired female, Gina, he had met in the lobby. He thought she was attractive. Could she be the one? He wondered if there was a connection between Mary's message and him meeting Gina.

  "Did she say who?"

  "No. She says you have to figure that out for yourself."

  As when she was alive, Mary's life lessons continued on even in the afterlife.

  "I love you, Dad. I have to go. I have a client coming in a few minutes."

  Marie was a massage therapist who worked with both humans and vampires. He could sure use one of her massages right now for all the tension in his shoulders. "I love you, too, honey."

  "Come visit me tomorrow night. I’ll make you dinner."

  "I wouldn’t miss it."

  They said their goodbyes and Lakota hung up and took a deep breath as he checked the time. It was now or never. Time to get ready.

  He went to the closet and pulled out the dark grey cashmere sweater and black slacks he had so meticulously steamed the wrinkles out of with the steam iron that came with the room.

  After grabbing a quick shower, he blew dry his shoulder-length hair, shaved, splashed on just a dab of aftershave, and dressed. He tucked the long, silver chain he wore with its cross pendant – a gift from Mary – under his sweater and looked at himself in the mirror. For such a large male, he felt about a foot tall and an inch wide for all the shame he shouldered.

  Time to go, big guy. You don’t want to be late. You’ve already caused Felice enough pain. Don't add being late to dinner to the list of reasons she should hate you.

  With another deep breath, he grabbed his keys and left the room.

  * * *

  After awakening to Ari's mouth suckling his nipple and his hands roaming his body, Severin had made love to Ari once more in the shower before forcing himself to leave. He needed to go home and get ready for work, but his body felt gloriously well-used and ready for more, which made for an annoying distraction.

  He was sooooo in the throes of the calling. It didn't matter that he couldn't get Ari pregnant. His body didn't know the difference. All his body knew was that he was now a mated male, and all instincts within him resolved to one purpose: Plant his seeds as often as possible.

  He had almost told Ari last night that he loved him, but stopped himself at the last second. It was too soon to be making such proclamations in light of the fact that Ari was still sorting through his own feelings.

  Give him time. He already feels the mating call pulling him to you.

  That much was obvious, at least to Sev. Ari had been unquenchable in his thirst to take Sev over and over again. And when Sev left his house late this afternoon, Ari's body had visibly tensed as if he couldn't stand the idea of being separated from him. Even now, Sev could still feel Ari’s anguish at their parting as if it had been his own.

  Absolutely, he’s mating to you, Sev, just as you are to him. He won't be able to part from you for long.

  How were they going to make it through their calling phase if they had to keep what was happening between them a secret? If Ari would just realize that they were mates, he would know that they needed to tell someone. Newly-mated males usually dropped out of the public eye during t
heir calling. They were too dangerous during that volatile time. Any little thing could set them off, and the peaks and valleys of their moods were at severe extremes at each end of the scale.

  Somehow they would have to make it work.

  Sev itched to see Ari again, and he pushed down on the accelerator, weaving in and out of traffic to get to the compound. He could have just dematerialized to AKM, but that wouldn’t have made Ari get there any sooner and would only have driven him nuts. At least in his Challenger, he could work off some of that extra adrenaline by hitting the gas.

  Before he knew it, he was pulling into the underground parking at AKM then taking the elevator to the main floor.

  On his way past Dispatch, Adam caught his eye and waved.

  "Hey, Sev."

  By now, everyone at AKM knew Adam was gay. Most accepted it without incident, but some ribbed the kid behind his back. It pissed Sev off. Adam was a good kid. He was talented, too, and in only a short time had risen to the rank of Dispatch Supervisor, probably because he was the only one who had followed procedure two months ago when Micah had gone missing. Shit had certainly hit the fan over that. One supervisor had been demoted for ignoring Adam’s concerns over Micah’s lack of response to calls.

  "Hey, Adam. How’s it going?"

  The kid's shaggy blond hair hung over his forehead. "It’s actually kind of quiet tonight. So far, anyway."

  "That’ll change."

  "How come?"

  Sev made a face and bugged out his eyes. "Because I’m here now." Then he laughed.

  Adam chuckled. "You’re certainly in a good mood."

  "What do you mean?"

  "You’re always so quiet, is all." Adam blew over his mug of coffee and sipped.

  "I guess I’ll have to do something about that, huh?"

  Adam laughed again and shook his head. "Get out of here, Bozo."

  "Ten-four. You’d better get to work, too, before the supervisor catches you loafing."

  "Ha ha."

  Severin mock-gasped. "Oh, that’s right. You are the supervisor." He grinned at Adam and high-fived him then left him to his work. Sev realized Adam was right. He was in a good mood. He even had a skip to his step, as if he couldn’t quite keep all his happy energy bundled up.