Lexi smiled as she nodded. “I’ll try,” she told him, her violet eyes twinkling with laughter.
“You will try?”
“I will.”
“You will do more than try,” he told her firmly.
Lexi didn’t like his tone. At all. She lifted her hand and poked his chest with her index finger, punctuating each poke with her words.
“You listen to me, buster. I will not be told what to do by you or any other man. I have taken care of myself and my sisters since I’ve been a teenager, and you will not tell me what to do or what not to do.”
“Who is this Buster? I am Sebastian,” he answered, his indignation burning brightly within his golden eyes.
Lexi looked up at him, shocked by his misunderstanding. The angry expression on his face sent her into a fit of laughter that made tears fall from her eyes. She wrapped her arms around her waist and held her stomach as the laughter bubbled joyously from her.
He watched her silently, his slow burn of anger easing as he saw her delight and heard her laughter. He was unable to prevent the smile that tugged at the corner of his lips from appearing as he experienced her joy. Despite the way she calmed him, he could not rid himself of the thoughts of her being with another man. He did not want her to speak of another man. He needed her to know him. Only him.
“Why do you laugh?” he asked her finally when she quieted.
“You make me laugh,” she told him, her heart light.
It felt so good to laugh. She hadn’t laughed in such a long time. Since they had arrived on Altavesta, she had experienced so much relief and happiness. She had certainly never expected to have either in her life. She had expected to arrive on this world and fight—not find a man who would be her husband.
“You make me laugh a lot,” she added, doing her best to calm herself.
“Do I?” There was surprise in his voice as he spoke to her. He had never had anyone tell him that he was humorous. He was perceived as strong, commanding, and a good ruler, but never humorous.
“You do.”
Lexi’s eyes softened as she looked at the man who stood so straight and tall before her. Her heart went out to him. She could feel the weight of his position as king hanging over him and wanted to do what she could to ease his stress. He was a good man. He deserved to be able to have some down time.
“Sebastian,” she began softly, stepping toward him until her body was just a hair’s breath away from his. “I find you very intriguing.”
“I find you equally fascinating, my lady,” he told her quietly, breathing in deeply and taking in her scent. She both calmed and aroused him at the same time.
“You were upset that I called you buster ,” Lexi told him, her voice gentle. She reached up and touched his cheek lightly, scraping her nails over the sexy scruff of beard that was newly growing there.
“I do not wish you to call me by another man’s name. I need you to know that you are with me—no other,” Sebastian told her quietly.
Lexi looked up at him, her heart hurting as she felt his emotions. She slid her hand down the column of his throat to touch his chest lightly. She felt the rapid beating of his heart as it thumped beneath her palm and was determined to help ease both his anger and his worries. She moved her hand to his forearm, caressing the powerful thickness of his muscles before moving lower to take his hand. Squeezing it gently, she tried to convey her support and caring in that small touch.
Sebastian looked down at their joined hands and felt the peace that had been lacking in his life encompass him. Lexi’s touch sent warmth racing through him. Her gentleness was his undoing. He could not hold back any longer. Leaning forward, he rested his forehead against hers and said a silent prayer that this kind woman would find it within her heart to care about him.
“I know I’m with you and only you, Sebastian,” she told him sincerely as she moved her head slightly so that her cheek rested against the column of his throat and rubbed against the warmth of his skin. “It’s just an expression I use when I lose patience with someone. Buster is not an actual person. It’s a way of telling you that I’m angry or frustrated with something you’ve said or done.”
Sebastian was silent for a moment then eased away from her to see the truth in her eyes. He liked the way she was looking at him. It made him feel cared for.
“I will allow this use of the name Buster.”
Lexi shook her head in amazement and squeezed his hand with total joy. “You will allow it,” she said, laughing. “You’re too funny.”
Sebastian smiled, knowing that his mate did not realize the full extent of his position and power. He also realized he would never really have control over her or allow her to do anything. He had a feeling that he was going to be in for a life of struggle in keeping her safe from her own actions.
She was a warrior. But she was also his life mate. His life was now dedicated to protecting her from danger, even if the danger was of her own doing. Yes, his life would never be without excitement now that she was in it. And that pleased him to no end—despite his worry for her.
Sebastian remained silent, smiling with secret determination. His mate did not need to know his thoughts on the matter of her safety. He would bide his time and show her with his actions that he would allow no harm to come to her.
He waited patiently, watching her in silence while she stepped away from him and turned to gaze at the site of the peaceful pool of water and beautiful waterfall. He could tell that she was deep in thought. He was going to be certain that all the questions she had would be answered so that they could begin their destined life together—if she made the choice to bond with him.
Lexi looked at him then, and he saw guarded caution in her eyes. His immediate impulse was to reach out and hold her to him, but he held back, unsure what had made her suddenly wary of him.
“You won’t ever hit me, will you Sebastian?” she asked him finally.
“Never.”
“Will you respect my opinions?”
“Yes.”
“What about my needs?”
“What needs, my lady?”
“I need to know that what we have will be a true partnership,” she told him without hesitation. “I need to be in a loving and caring relationship.”
“I need that, as well,” he told her, smiling softly.
“I want what my parents had,” Lexi continued. “I want love.”
Hope and happiness burst within him. He did not think he would have been able to voice the same need as openly as Lexi had, but it did not mean that he did not share that exact same need with her.
“Look at me, my lady,” he told her gently. When Lexi’s eyes immediately met his, he sighed with relief. She met his gaze with strength. His gentle warrior. “I have the same want, Lexi. My parents had always shown us what a true mating should be. They were very much in love. They were open and honest with each other until the day they left this world. Their souls made the journey to the heavens together, united in love. My brothers and I saw the beauty of their bonding. Each one of us wants the same.” He hesitated briefly, loving the way Lexi’s eyes softened and a small smile came to her lips. “To have a life mate who loves me and will welcome my love is what I want. With all my heart, my lady.”
“You’re just a big old softy, Sebastian,” Lexi told him, her voice filled with awe as looked up at the gentle man before her.
Sebastian could not help but laugh. He was anything but soft at the moment. His body was hard with need for her. He pushed aside those thoughts and desires. Talking with Lexi and working through her concerns and worries should be his focus. Nothing was more important that assuring Lexi that they would have a loving life together.
“When it comes to you, Lexi, I cannot be anything but caring,” he told her honestly. “I want you safe. I want you happy. And I want you within my arms.”
He sensed Lexi’s mind working to digest all that he had told her. He remained still. He would not initiate a touch, even though
that was exactly what he wanted to do.
“Will you protect my sisters and my niece?” she asked him quietly after a moment.
“Yes.”
“Will you allow them to choose their own mates?”
“I have no control over what is destined to be, Lexi,” he answered honestly. “I can only tell you that I will be certain that they are happy with the mate that they are matched with, or they will not accept the match.”
Lexi nodded and stayed silent once more as she thought. “What about children?” she asked quietly, so quietly that he had to lean in to hear her.
“What about them?” he asked, reaching out to brush her beautiful long hair away from her face so he could caress her neck.
“Do you want us to have them?” She hesitated then looked at him very seriously. “I need you to be completely honest with me. Is having a child with me something you want?”
“I am concerned by your question,” he told her gently. “I do not want to push you into something that you are not ready for.”
“It’s something that I’ve always wanted—a family of my own,” she answered honestly. “I really don’t know if I’m ready. I think I have to get to know you better before we make that choice. Is that all right with you?”
Sebastian hesitated, pushing down the joy that he felt at her admission. He understood that she was being given an inordinate amount of information that would determine not only her future, but her family’s future, as well. He could not expect her to make such an important decision at this moment. He knew that she would not take such things lightly. Her caution in committing to having a child with him, was as it should be.
“I will be honest with you, my lady,” he told her quietly, touching her face before brushing the long tresses of her silky brown hair back from her cheek to allow it to gently cascade down her back and curl below her shoulders. “I already hold a deep desire to fill you with my child.”
“You do?” she whispered.
Sebastian nodded. He knew that she would be a wonderful mother and had already envisioned her body filled with his child. He had also been gifted with the vision of her tenderly holding their baby while it nursed at her breast. He reached out and gently touched her stomach, tenderly stroking it, and sighing softly as he did so.
“I will be beside myself with happiness to know that our joining had created such a wonder. I will enjoy the feel of my child growing and moving within you. I will enjoy the way your body will change as my child is nurtured by your love.”
Lexi froze. His touch was gentle and innocent. His words were soft and honest. His eyes were filled with wonder, need, and hope. She knew he was speaking truthfully and from his heart. He wanted a life with her that included children. He was looking for a future—with her.
Sebastian took his attention away from her belly and looked up to meet her beautiful eyes. He wondered briefly if their children would be gifted with the unique color of Lexi’s eyes. He hoped that they would.
“I will be by your side as you give birth to our child and hold that child with love that will be unequaled by any other love.”
His words brought forth a vivid moving picture in her mind—a tender glimpse of their future that tugged at her heart and soul. A child cuddled against his chest in that image. She saw him tenderly caressing the child’s back as he kissed the top of the baby’s head and rubbed his cheek across the soft tuft of dark hair there. She knew that she wanted that glimpse to be their reality.
“I will be by your side as you nurse our child,” he whispered, his hands gently caressing small circles on her upper arms as he spoke. “And I will be by your side as our child grows and learns.”
“So, you’ll be a hands-on father,” she said, smiling up at him.
“If that means that I will be an active participant in our children’s lives—yes,” he answered without hesitation. “I will love each child with all that I am, my lady. Just as I will love you.”
“As long as I don’t disrespect you,” Lexi teased, somewhat overwhelmed by his declaration and needing to alleviate some of the tension that those declarations had caused her.
“As long as you don’t disrespect me,” he repeated, his eyes twinkling with merriment.
Lexi couldn’t prevent the wide smile that came to her lips. Even in his warnings, he was teasing and kind. She knew that she would never disrespect him. He had nothing to be worried about. When she committed herself to someone as a friend or an ally, she was loyal and protective.
Committing herself to Sebastian would also include dedicating herself to him as his wife. She would be his. They would share a future filled with honor and happiness. She knew that she had a very good chance of experiencing the kind of love that her parents had been lucky enough to share. She realized that Sebastian had seen the same loving relationship in his parents’ bonding and wanted the same.
Her mother had told her and her sisters many times as they had been growing up that love was not something that came to every person. She had told them that when they were lucky enough to find the man that each of them was meant to love, they should hold onto that love fiercely—like she had done with their father.
“My mother had visions of our destiny,” Lexi told him quietly, thinking about what her mother had told them all so many times. “She said we were meant to help the people of Altavesta.”
“We have been waiting for the cadre of warriors that were spoken of in the ancient prophecy of our people,” Sebastian told her. “You and your sisters are the ones who were destined to come here to help our world. Your niece is also one of the warriors.”
“I don’t doubt it,” Lexi said, laughing softly. “Hanna is a sweet child, but she already shows us just how strong she is. You should see how she protected Bree when we teased her and pretended to take away a portion of food from her.”
Sebastian could not help but smile at the thought of that little princess being a strong warrior. Hanna was indeed a sweet child, but he could see the fire in her eyes. She was going to follow in her aunts’ and mother’s destined paths and know the way of a warrior.
“Hanna has already learned that when we use my mother’s name, she is to stay with whichever one of us is closest to her,” Lexi told him, her tone serious. “She understands that there would be danger. She also understands that she is to do whatever it takes to escape that danger.”
“To have a child be so trained at such a young age is heartbreaking but necessary, my lady,” Sebastian whispered, his golden eyes holding compassion for the woman who had lived an isolated life that had been filled with danger.
Lexi nodded, wishing that her niece and her sisters hadn’t had to live the life of being constantly on guard. The time that she had watched them swim in the lagoon had been the first time that they had been so relaxed and happy in such a long time.
“Sebastian, my mother was a very kind and loving woman. She was also very powerful. She foresaw that we would find the men who would be our men,” Lexi told him, looking him directly in the eyes. She was not going to take a chance that he misunderstood her. “Your world has a unique way of bringing life mates together.”
“That is very true, my lady,” Sebastian answered, touching her cheek gently with the back of his knuckles to caress it lightly.
“My mother said that I would know the man who would play an important role in my life the moment I touched him.”
“Truly?”
“Yes. Truly.”
“Your mother was a very gifted person to have had such visions.”
“Yes. She was. My sisters and I never doubted what she saw in her visions. We know that we’re meant to find happiness on this world.” She hesitated a moment then turned away from him to look at the waterfall once again. “Mom died three months after Hanna was born. The transport she was driving was run off the road not far from our home. We all felt her pain and ran to her as quickly as we could. Callie tried to help her, but she couldn’t. It was too late.” She hesitated, t
aking a calming breath to ease the pain of the memory. “Dad lost a good portion of his will to live after that happened. They loved each other very much. It was only because he had to help us escape Earth and travel to Altavesta that he continued on for as long as he did. He stayed behind to make sure that no one was able to track our ship. He died protecting us.”
“He was a brave man and father, indeed,” Sebastian whispered, thinking about his own parents and remembering how they had loved each other until the end when they had been killed by their enemy on one of the royal family’s peacekeeping missions.
Sebastian stepped forward and wrapped his arms around Lexi’s waist to pull her back against his chest. Sharing this pain and loss with her was very healing. He was happy that she leaned back against him and rested her head within the crook of his neck. He could feel the trust that she had in him. It made him feel like the most important man in his world.
“I always hoped to find that same kind of love,” she whispered, almost afraid to voice it. “I guess that being here on your world has made that search unnecessary.”
“On some level, that is true, but this will be your choice, my lady,” he said finally. “What we have and what we do will always be your choice. I will not force this bonding upon you. I need you to want this mating with me. I will not demand of you what you do not willingly offer.”
Lexi relaxed visibly. She turned around to face him, appreciating that he loosened his hold on her at once so she could move however she wanted to. Stepping out of his embrace, she sighed softly. She looked into his golden eyes and saw the truth of his statement. He would not force her. She was the one who had the power of choice.
She saw that Sebastian was watching her with a guarded expression on his face as he held himself away from her. She could not allow him to feel hurt because of her. The ability to sense what he was feeling was very strong. But it was more than that. She truly felt connected to his heart. It was a kind and loving heart. Surprisingly, it was a heart that he already shared with her.
Alexa's Warrior Mate (Guardian Warrior Mates, Prophecy of Salvation Book 1) Page 14