My life mate.
The declaration resounded within his head once again. He experienced a want so powerful and deep, he found it difficult to take his next breath.
“We need to go to our ship to change out of our wet clothes,” Lexi called out to him. “Would the delay cause a problem for you and your men?”
“Not at all, my lady,” Sebastian told her without hesitation. “We will follow you and wait while you gather what you need to take with you to our camp.”
Lexi nodded, turning and walking toward their ship with purpose. She knew that there was no time to waste. She and her sisters were used to readying themselves quickly and efficiently. Sebastian and his men would not have to wait long for them.
As the men stood outside the small craft that had brought the violet-eyed warriors to their home, Sebastian was impressed by what he saw. The women were capable warriors, kind women, and protective of everyone. As they each joined the men who were standing guard outside their ship, freshly bathed and in dry clothing, Sebastian was aware that Lexi waited for all of her sisters and her niece to take care of their needs before she took her turn. It gave him more of an insight into her selflessness.
When she reached out and squeezed his hand in thanks before she walked up the ramp to the ship, he was touched by her need to show him her appreciation of his patience and understanding. He could not help but feel both relief from the pain of separation from her and pleasure from her honest touch of gentleness. He would wait for any amount of time in order to see to her comfort.
When she returned a short time later, he waited as she closed the hatch to their ship and initiated the locking mechanism on the unit that was clipped to her belt. She looked absolutely stunning standing there so strong and in control, but he worried for her. She had been away from him for only a brief time, but he knew she had to be experiencing some discomfort because of it.
He took one step toward her but stopped immediately at her reaction. She had moved back in panic. That would not do, at all. He could not stand for her to be afraid of him.
Lexi took another step away from him, eyeing him cautiously before she turned toward her sisters and took her place before them. They waited until Sebastian and his men walked away before following at a safe distance. She didn’t understand what she was feeling for this stranger, and her confusion was wreaking havoc on her nerves.
“Lexi, do you want me to heal his head?” Callie whispered as she came up beside her, her voice quiet in order to keep their secrets.
Lexi shook her head and looked at her sisters as they walked beside her. “No one lets on what they can do until we’re sure of their intent,” she told them firmly, nodding toward the band of tall, broad, and powerful warriors who walked before them.
If ever there were men who personified sex on a stick , these men were the ones who did. It was obvious by the furtive glances her sisters gave the men, that they were as appreciative of the men, as she was. Each man was garbed in soft, hide pants, boots, and vests that molded to their finely sculpted bodies. Their faces held rugged beauty, handsome beyond words, with high cheekbones and strong jawlines. Their hair ranged in shades from golden brown to intense black. Some had closely cropped hair and others had lengths that hung loosely to just below their shoulders. Their eyes were open and honest. Lexi could sense their goodness.
She was able to see into a person’s soul by looking into their eyes. It was a gift that had never failed her. It was always accurate. Looking into the men’s eyes, she sensed their honor, their kindness, and their strength of character. She also saw humor, kindness, and deep loyalty.
When she told her sisters what she could see in these men, they would accept her evaluation of them without hesitation. She would have to talk to Bree about it when they had a moment together. Bree would understand. Bree would be able to sense the true qualities of each man with her empathic ability. Lexi had some of that ability, but not to the degree that her sister had.
“Goodness! Have you ever seen such incredible men?” Evie whispered in awe. “I would love to grab that perfect ass.” She nearly purred, pointing to the man who walked just ahead of her.
“Evie,” Lexi admonished, grabbing her sister’s hand just as the warrior turned and faced her younger sister, smiling wickedly.
“Do you think he heard me?” Evie nearly squeaked, her cheeks coloring brightly in embarrassment.
“Serves you right,” Lexi told her, doing her best not to laugh. “Be good.”
Evie looked at the warrior and smiled. Her face was covered with a scarlet blush but the sparkle of mischief in her eyes belayed her shyness, causing the warrior to stop in his tracks to stare at her silently. When Evie winked at him, his face showed his shock before a slow smile covered his face and he winked back at her.
“Browen!” the warrior beside him called to him with authority.
The warrior named Browen bowed to Evie before turning to catch up with his fellow warriors. Evie watched him walk away, intrigued by his boldness.
Lexi watched her sister warily, knowing that she would have to keep an eye on her. Evie tended to get into trouble with her forwardness.
The women walked quickly, able to keep up with the men with no difficulty. After only a few minutes, Lexi’s pace began to falter. She wasn’t feeling well at all. There was a pain in her stomach that was becoming stronger with each step. Her chest ached, and she was having difficulty catching her breath. Just when she thought she would have to stop, Sebastian was beside her, touching her face as he stood before her.
“Are you well, Lexi?” he asked her worriedly.
Lexi relaxed into the warmth of his hand and could feel the aches in her stomach and chest easing immediately. She couldn’t help but turn her face into his open palm and close her eyes as his warmth spread through her.
“I’m a little better,” she whispered, surprised that the pain had dissipated so quickly.
Sebastian smiled and rubbed her cheek gently with the pad of his thumb before turning and walking ahead of her. She followed silently, confused. Her sisters walked behind her without talking. When Hanna began to fuss, Lexi reached for her and carried her to give Bree a break. Hanna was getting bigger and heavier. Although she knew that Bree was more than capable of carrying the small child’s weight, she knew that her sister needed the reprieve. Life had been hard enough for her.
As the time passed, Lexi became aware of the aches growing within her again. She thought it through and realized that the pain was not really in her stomach but much lower. It felt as if her uterus was throbbing in pain. And the pains in her chest were really localized in her breasts. What was wrong with her? She had never had these pains before. She nearly stumbled but found herself caught by Sebastian’s strong hands. The pain instantly eased. She was thankful that he was beside her and she was able to hang onto his arm to catch her breath.
Torin appeared by her side and reached out to take her niece from her. Lexi was about to protest when Bree stepped forward and tried to remove her daughter from the warrior whose demeanor made Lexi know that he was a man who was used to being in control. She could see that he was more than capable of crushing his enemies.
“I will carry the little one,” Torin told Bree quietly before she could touch him, his manner gentle despite the strength that his body displayed.
Bree looked up at him in fear, then turned to Lexi for help. She couldn’t help but show panic on her face as she looked at the imposing man who carried her tiny daughter. Yes, he was tall, handsome, and obviously caring, with incredibly beautiful blue eyes and black hair that fell to his shoulders, but his body bulged with muscles and strength that scared her to her very soul.
“Lexi,” Bree whispered, unable to complete her thought.
Lexi stopped and faced the man who carried Hanna. She looked into his eyes and saw the goodness there. She turned to Bree and smiled.
“He won’t hurt her,” she told her sister.
Bree hesitated a moment
then nodded her acceptance. “What about me?” she whispered as she leaned toward her sister so that only she could hear her question.
Lexi put her arms around her sister and pressed her cheek against Bree’s temple. “He won’t hurt you, Bree,” she promised. “I see only protection and caring within him.”
“That’s what I feel, too, but I needed to be sure,” Bree whispered.
She let out a shaky breath and turned to walk beside the tall warrior who carried her daughter, careful not to touch him in any way. Even though she was able to connect with his true self with her empathic ability, she was afraid to believe that someone so big and strong could be gentle and protective. She was leery of men in general, and big men specifically. She knew that she could alleviate her fears by just touching him to strengthen the empathic bond that she had with him, but she was nowhere near ready to do that with him or with any other man.
Sebastian watched Lexi silently. He sensed that she had an ability to read people, but he didn’t quite know how it worked. He just knew that she was accurate in her evaluation of his best friend. Torin would die before he let anything happen to the child or her mother, or any of the women for that matter.
Lexi walked beside him silently. He wasn’t about to distance himself from her again. He had to be near her and offer her his touch often. He did not want her to feel any pain for the rest of the trip to their encampment. He had seen her go through the pain of withdrawal twice, and that was more than enough. He had felt the pain as well, although his was located in the region that was currently painfully erect. This was definitely going to be a long walk to camp and a long night if he could not get Lexi to understand and accept the way of bondings on their world.
He said a silent prayer that the heavens would look upon him favorably and grant him the gift of this incredible woman’s trust. She needed to trust him. If she did not, what he had to tell her would probably send her running from him.
He could not allow that to happen.
Chapter 3
Lexi stood before the large encampment, impressed by the number of men and the efficiency with which they ran their camp. There were several small tents surrounding one massive tent in the center of the clearing. Campfires were already blazing, food was cooking, and soldiers were stationed around the perimeter as well as within the confines of the camp. Lexi knew from her own training that there had to be more guards beyond the border of the camp, unseen, and just as deadly as the giant warriors that she could see.
“A little paranoid?” she teased, looking up at Sebastian, unaware that she had touched his forearm and was holding it gently.
Sebastian’s gaze caressed her as he met her eyes then looked down to the hand that touched his arm and covered it tenderly with his large hand. He was pleased that she was so comfortable touching him. He did not think that she was doing so to ease her pains. He truly felt that her need to touch him came from within her heart. He could not help but feel hope that she would be comfortable with him and be open to the bonding that he wanted to complete with her.
Lexi had never felt so small in her life. She had always been the tallest of any woman she knew, standing just under six feet tall. Her shoulders were broad, her body was strong and lean with muscle. Yet this man made her feel delicate. He towered over her, having to be at least five or six inches taller than she was. His shoulders dwarfed hers in comparison. His chest was broad and muscled, dusted lightly with the light brown and blond hair that matched his head. The coloring of it was stark against the golden tan of his body. His hands were large and his arms were corded with muscles, yet his touch as he covered her hand, was tentative and gentle—almost loving and shy.
She looked down at her hand and swallowed convulsively as she watched him gently stroke it with the pad of his thumb. His touch sparked desire from deep within her—a longing to belong and to be loved by one special man. She closed her eyes at his contact and imagined for a brief moment that he was offering her exactly that.
She opened her eyes and stared up at him silently. She couldn’t help but look him over from the top of his head to the bottom of his boots. He was impressive in ways she only imagined a man would be. Yes, he was indeed a prime physical specimen, but she was also intrigued by his kindness, his humor, and his gentleness. Except for her father, she had never known any other man who showed such tenderness to her, her sisters, or her niece.
Her gaze lowered when she could no longer bear the intensity of his golden eyes as he looked down at her. Oh, boy. Big mistake. Embarrassment flooded her as she found herself staring at the incredibly large bulge that filled the front of his pants. Her eyes returned to his face at once. She couldn’t prevent the blush that immediately spread across her cheeks.
His unique eyes sparked with humor. She could read the caring in them, but it was the raw hunger that he was projecting that shocked her. She knew that she would have been able to see that sexual spark of desire even if she didn’t have the ability to read into a person’s soul by looking into their eyes.
She pulled her hand away slowly, feeling a sudden sense of loss that she had no ability to understand. “I’m sorry,” she apologized quickly. “I didn’t realize I was holding onto you.”
Sebastian smiled at her embarrassment, secretly enjoying her shyness despite her strength. He was certain that he was going to enjoy this woman. His woman.
“No need to apologize, my lady” he told her quietly. “I like having you touch me.” He was rewarded with another flush of color that painted her cheeks. Oh, yes. He was going to enjoy her very much.
Lexi turned to her sisters and was glad when they came to stand behind her. “We’ve come a long way to talk to you,” Lexi began. “My father and mother told us that we needed to come to Altavesta to offer you our aid in your fight. My sisters and I have trained for this for a very long time.”
Sebastian’s eyebrows lifted in surprise. He looked to Torin who had the same expression on his face as he looked back at him. Despite the fact that Torin held the small girl within his arms and cradled her against his chest, his body was on full alert, ready to defend or destroy any enemy.
“Explain, my lady,” Sebastian urged as he turned back to face Lexi.
“Daria, the book,” Lexie called back to her sister without breaking eye contact with Sebastian.
Daria stepped forward and handed Lexi the book she had been charged with protecting. “Here, Lexi,” she whispered, eyeing the men carefully before stepping back and standing to Lexi’s left, her hand on the hilt of the weapon slung across her waist. One of the warriors who stood next to Torin seemed to be watching her intently. She felt uncomfortable under his gaze. She took a step to the side, leaning against Lexi for comfort as she always did when she felt a vision coming on.
Lexi’s arm went around Daria’s shoulder immediately, looking to Callie for help. Callie stepped forward and encircled Daria’s waist to hold her steady as she slipped into a trance. Callie slipped her right hand behind Daria’s neck and pressed her against her shoulder to keep her steady.
Daria remained silent as she looked at the warrior with the brown hair and hazel eyes, her own eyes glazing over as she allowed the vision to wash over her. If it weren’t for Callie’s healing touch, Daria would be unconscious in a matter of seconds from the intensity of the vision.
Lexi held Daria and Callie protectively, waiting for the vision to pass. Only her strength allowed the other two women to remain standing. Without realizing what she was doing, she backed up and nestled against Sebastian, whose arms surrounded her waist and held her up as she supported her sisters. She felt his strength and was glad that he was there to hold her.
The warrior beside Torin took a step forward as if he meant to reach out and take hold of Daria, but Torin stopped him with a hand on his forearm. The warrior looked to Torin in confusion.
“Torin, I must help,” he said softly.
“No, Landon,” he held him back. “Do not.”
Landon held back,
following Torin’s order, but he struggled against going to the young woman who stood staring at him with eyes that were the most beautiful color he had ever seen. Everything within him screamed at him to go to her, hold her, and protect her. But he followed Torin’s order. He stepped back and waited while she looked at him, unseeing.
“Daria?” Lexi whispered against the back of her sister’s head. “Honey, it’s okay. You’re safe. We’re safe.”
Daria’s breathing slowed and her eyes closed. Callie touched her forehead gently and murmured soothing words against her hair, whispering healing chants that their mother had taught them. When Daria finally opened her eyes, she looked at the warrior named Landon, and a slow smile spread across her face. Lexi felt relief filling her and wondered what Daria had seen to make her so happy.
Landon watched her carefully, relaxing visibly when she smiled at him. Were it not for Torin’s grip on his arm, he would have crossed the short distance between them and pulled her into his embrace. He could not say that he was at a loss to understand why he felt so protective about this one brave woman, because he knew. He would wager that Torin did, as well. But he had to respect the woman’s rights. Lady Daria must not be allowed to accept his embrace without understanding the full impact of its meaning.
“Daria?” Lexi questioned quietly.
“I’ll tell you later,” Daria whispered, relieved when Lexi nodded and turned her attention to Sebastian once again.
“Can we go somewhere private to discuss our reasons for being here?” Lexi finally asked the man who stood behind her, still holding her in silence. “I am not certain of the safety of speaking about this in front of so many.”
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