Sebastian knew his friend feared Bree feeling his emotions. Torin’s past was his to share or not. Although Sebastian would never betray the confidence of his best friend, he had no problem with reminding Torin on a regular basis that the one person who had been responsible for the lives lost on that night so long ago was Sebastian himself.
“Torin, I can feel your panic,” Sebastian told him quietly, certain to keep their conversation private. “You need not worry, my friend. Lady Bree is meant to help you.”
“No.”
Torin was adamant in his refusal. He looked at Sebastian, his blue eyes flashing as anger filled him. He would not allow Bree to become caught up in the torment that was his life.
“You cannot fight what is meant to be,” Sebastian told him, resting his hand upon Torin’s left shoulder. “It is time to release the demons within you and accept the goodness and the love that you deserve.”
“I will not allow this,” Torin told him, gritting his teeth.
Sebastian squeezed Torin’s shoulder. “Think on it, Torin,” Sebastian advised calmly. “Do you wish to sentence Lady Bree to a future filled with emptiness when you could provide her with love and a family that you will share and nurture together? Search your heart. Open yourself to the life mate that is awaiting your bonding.”
Torin stepped away from Sebastian, taking a quick glance toward the camp to look at the beautiful woman who stood holding her sweet Hanna. He shook his head just once before turning to face Sebastian with eyes that were filled with pain.
“My king, I will take some of the men to make a sweep of the area,” he said finally. “I will return shortly.”
Sebastian sighed heavily, nodding his acceptance of Torin’s words. “We must journey home. We will only be safe within the walls of the castle. Do not tarry in your scouting of the area. We remain on high alert.”
Torin nodded and turned quickly to motion to a few of the warriors to follow him. Several men remained behind, guarding their king, the injured warriors, and the Gallagher family. They would remain on guard until Torin returned.
Sebastian watched Torin and his warriors disappear into the dense foliage of the forest. Turning, he made his way back to the main campfire. He stood beside Lexi, smiling as her hand slipped into his and she stepped closer to him to rest her body against his side.
Sebastian felt a tugging at his pants leg and looked down to see Hanna standing before him. “Yes, Lady Hanna?” he asked her calmly.
“Up,” Hanna demanded sweetly, raising her arms up to Sebastian.
Sebastian chuckled softly as he reached down and pulled the youngest Gallagher woman up into his arms in one fluid movement. She sat on his forearm as he tucked her against his chest, holding her gently as Callie and Daria went to each of the injured men. He watched the women work, remaining silent as Callie took each man into her arms and concentrated on healing him while Daria stood behind her and laid her hand on Callie’s shoulder.
He could tell that Lexi and her sisters were filled with tension as Callie touched each man and used her gift. When nothing out of the ordinary happened during the healings, he could see each woman finally relaxing. He understood that they were relieved that Callie had not been pushed into a bonding with her destined mate. He felt the same. He would not want Callie’s choice to be taken from her.
As he looked at the Gallagher women and the warriors who had remained in camp, he thought about the ancient prophecy. He thought about the many men and women who prayed for the miracle of a bonding. He thought about his brothers and the silent longing that both Bryden and Tristen held to find the woman destined to be theirs. He wondered if any of these gentle warriors would be their gift.
Seeing the strength and the beauty within each of the women, he recognized the true miracle in their arrival on Altavesta. They brought hope. They brought power. And they brought love. He had hope that they would embrace the miracle of finding the person who was meant to be their life mate.
He certainly had.
Chapter 20
Sebastian kept a watchful eye as he stood at the edge of the encampment. It had been a long and tension-filled afternoon. Callie and Daria had seen to the healing of his injured warriors. Landon had aided them to the best of his ability. It was obvious that their healer was in awe of Daria.
Browen was equally smitten with Evie. Sebastian could see that both destined bonds were going to be happy ones. It was more than the way that they were respectful of each other. It was the deep golden aura that surrounded each couple that let him know that the bondings were going to offer a future filled with love.
He turned slightly to search out Lexi and saw her standing beside the fire pit. She was taking the cooked food from the grates above the glowing embers and serving both his warriors and her sisters. Even after such an intense and deadly fight with the Gorin, she was concerned with the well-being of everyone. She made certain that everyone ate to their fill, that each of them drank the prepared juices that his men had shown her and her sisters how to harvest from the small fruits of their world, and that each of them had been completely healed from their injuries.
Despite the fact that they remained on constant alert, Lexi dedicated herself to seeing to the comfort of others. She was also vigilant in her constant sweep of the area to ensure that everyone was safe.
She had assumed the role of warrior queen that she was meant to embody. She watched over everyone. She made certain that everyone was safe. Her weapons were strapped to her waist, and her sword was hanging from her hip. His gentle warrior was not going to allow any one of them to be caught unaware ever again.
After the Gorin attack, she had remained by his side, gripped his hand, and had looked at him with a fierceness that inflamed his need for her. Her eyes had glowed golden and violet as she joined her gift with Sebastian’s power. The shield of protection that had immediately surrounded all of them had flashed with a blinding white light before it settled down to a soft, violet pulse that surrounded every warrior as well as the entire encampment. Such a thing had never appeared with such power before. Yes, he had been able to surround his world with his protection, but this was much more than he had every been able to create before. The strength of the shield had more than tripled.
The ancient prophecy was already proving to be correct. With his bonding with Lexi, the power of good was increasing. His own magical strength was sparking with renewed energy. Lexi had done that for him. She had been the catalyst to all the goodness and happiness that would be in their future.
Looking at the other Gallagher women, he wondered whose future each one of them would bless. He knew that the men who were going to be the recipients of their love were going to be fortunate men, indeed. Once their life mates were found, and the bondings took place, all would be well. Good would triumph and peace would reign over their worlds.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
As late afternoon moved toward early evening, Sebastian became increasingly concerned that they had no choice but to remain one more night at the encampment. He knew that there was little he could do to change the situation. It would be too dangerous to travel throughout the night to reach the safety of his home.
The two moons of Altavesta illuminated the area, but the lighting was not enough to keep them safe from the natural dangers of their world during the night hours. They needed to remain vigilant in their protection. It was also unwise to travel until they had ascertained that the Gorin were no longer hiding within the dense forest that they had to travel through in order to reach their home.
“Morning light will not come soon enough,” Torin told him as he stood beside Sebastian.
Sebastian turned to face him and nodded once. “We need to get everyone home. We will be able to defend ourselves better behind castle walls.”
“I agree.”
Sebastian watched Torin silently for a moment, concern filling him that his best friend was so troubled. Torin’s eyes drifted over and over again to the place where Bree sat wi
th her child by the tent that had been assigned to her and her sisters.
“Bree is your life mate,” Sebastian told him quietly.
“She cannot be,” Torin answered firmly, pulling his attention away from the beautiful, golden woman who called to his soul.
“You may protest, Torin, but you must think on the fact that Lady Bree and sweet Hanna are meant to be yours,” Sebastian told him wisely. “Their happiness is linked to yours. You would deny them a happy life?”
“I would deny them a life filled with pain.” Torin’s answer was immediate.
“There will be pain only if you withhold the love that you already have for them, Torin.”
“There is no love within my heart.”
Sebastian reached out and touched Torin’s left shoulder, squeezing it lightly as he faced his friend. He shook his head as he looked into Torin’s eyes and knew that his friend had a great deal of love within him. He also had a great deal of pain buried deep within his soul.
“I would hope that you would find it within yourself to allow Lady Bree to help you open your heart,” he told him quietly. “You will experience unimaginable joy with your life mate, Torin. That beautiful child will give you cause to value every moment of your life because she is a part of it.” He hesitated briefly, unsure how much more he should dare to say. “Do not throw away your chance for happiness, brother. Myrana would want you to find love.”
He left Torin to think on his words, hoping that his friend would change his mind. So much good awaited him if he did. It was time for Torin to put aside the past. It was time for all of them to release the pain that had haunted them for so long.
“You look like you’re thinking very hard about something,” Lexi said gently as she came up to stand beside Sebastian as he was looking into the flames of the fire pit, lost in thought.
She reached out and touched his forearm, caressing it lightly and sighing softly. Just touching him did so much to ease her own worries. She hadn’t realized how much she missed being with him. He had told her that they would no longer experience pain from being apart, but he hadn’t mentioned how much she would ache to be with him. The instant happiness that she felt the moment she touched him made her know that she could not allow that much time to pass without giving him that same happiness.
Sebastian’s slow smile as he looked down at her sent a flutter of excitement through her. It was amazing to her that such an innocent smile could affect her so deeply. Well, maybe his smile wasn’t exactly innocent. It was actually sexy and filled with desire. His golden eyes were glowing with need—for her.
“I have a lot on my mind,” Sebastian admitted, dipping his head and taking a whisper-soft kiss from her lips. “Thank you for your touch.” He rubbed his cheek across the top of her head, breathing in her scent and sighing softly. “You are never far from my thoughts, my love.”
Lexi eased back to look up at him. “You’re something else, Sebastian,” she told him, blushing lightly at his admission.
“I am what?”
“You are wonderful and sweet, and I adore you,” she told him, laughing softly.
A look crossed Sebastian’s face that made Lexi realize what she had just said. She froze. She hadn’t meant to admit her feelings.
“Do not hide your feelings from me, wife,” Sebastian told her as he reached up, held her head between his hands, and slipped his fingers into her hair. He gripped the silky strands and kept her still as he looked at her, his eyes devouring her.
“I’m not hiding my feelings from you,” Lexi protested.
“Tell me again that you adore me.”
“No.”
“Tell me you adore me.”
“No.”
“My sweet lady, I adore you,” Sebastian told her gently. “Please tell this old warrior that you feel the same way about him.”
Lexi’s heart softened. Gone were her worries that she might be baring her feelings too soon. Sebastian meant too much to her to make him doubt that she could ever feel the same way about him that he felt about her. His words were his admission of love.
“Maybe I adore you just a little bit,” she told him quietly, smiling at the look of happiness that lit his face.
“Just a little bit? Mayhap you adore me more than just a little bit,” he prodded her.
“Mayhap,” she said after a moment of hesitation.
“Are you playing with me, Lexi?” he asked her, gasping as he saw the color of her eyes change from violet to completely golden.
He pulled her to him and crushed her against his chest. Sweet giggles escaped her, making him smile. Her laughter made him happy. The way she snuggled against him and placed gentle kisses against his throat made him even happier.
“You are a joy,” he whispered as he ran his hands down her back and caressed her tenderly.
He looked up and saw that Lexi’s sisters and his warriors were watching them. He could only smile at all of them. His complete pleasure at holding his life mate within his arms could not be contained, nor did he wish it to be. He wanted everyone to see his happiness at finally having such a wonderful woman as his.
With great reluctance, he eased Lexi away from him. He smiled down at her, his eyes flashing golden as the power of his magic surged within him because of Lexi’s touch. Each time she touched him and shared her power with him, it was still a surprise to him. The strength of it was tremendous.
The shared magic was humbling. He did not know if he was worthy of being the keeper of it. He just knew that he had to be worthy—for the safety of his wife, her sisters and niece, his warriors, and the people of the worlds that he was responsible for. With Lexi’s help, he would dedicate his life to ensuring that everyone remained safe so that they might live a life of happiness and love.
“If you and your sisters would follow us into our tent, Lady Bree, I would like to speak with all of you before you retire for the evening,” Sebastian said formally, bowing slightly and waiting for the look that he knew the sisters would share before they moved toward the tent that would be his temporary home with Lexi.
He did not fault them for their caution. He actually respected their healthy wariness of his world. He would expect nothing less of his own warriors.
Taking Lexi’s hand in his, he waited to see the interchange between the women. They came to an agreement relatively quickly, following him and Lexi toward their tent. As he walked with Lexi by his side, he thought about the men that these women would bond with.
The ancient prophecy was very clear in its message. Only once all of the warriors with violet eyes had joined with the Guardian Warriors, would the evil that plagued their worlds be destroyed.
“We will be packing up the encampment in the morning and heading out just after the sun has risen,” he told them once they were all inside the privacy of his tent. “I would suggest you rest so that we can push and arrive home by midday. There are many dangers on our world. You have seen the Gorin. They will stop at nothing to destroy us. We are all that is preventing them from taking over the worlds that they plan to annihilate or dominate. The best place for us to be is back home where we will be able to sufficiently protect all of us.”
“You don’t think the shield that you and Lexi placed around us will hold?” Bree asked, looking at him fiercely. “If it won’t, we need to move out now.”
A surge of pride filled Sebastian. Looking at Bree, he saw her determination to keep all of them safe looking back at him through her violet eyes. He counted his blessings that these warriors had come to his world.
“I believe the shield will hold,” Sebastian assured her. “I am overly cautious when it comes to the safety of my people. I want all of us home as soon as possible.”
He sat down on one of the thick cushions covered in the softest material of gold, smiling as Hanna walked over to him and climbed up onto his lap. He settled the precious child against his chest as she snuggled against him. As he held her so tenderly, he stroked her head gently, unaware that all o
f the women were watching him intently. He cuddled her carefully as she pressed against him. Before long, Hanna was asleep within his arms.
“Sebastian, have we overwhelmed you with our abilities?” Lexi asked him quietly.
He continued to stroke Hanna’s back gently as he looked across the tent to his life mate and her sisters. “You have brought much joy and hope to all of us, Lexi,” he told her finally. “Your gifts will be added to ours and will make us a stronger people. I ask that you do not fear our gifts as they are revealed to you.”
Lexi laughed softly. She had forgotten that Sebastian did indeed have powerful gifts that would have overwhelmed her if she had not known how good and kind he was.
“So, each of your warriors has a gift as well?” she questioned him quietly.
“Yes,” he whispered against the blonde curls of Hanna’s head.
He closed his eyes and breathed in the scent of the young child, loving every minute of being so close to her. He thought of the little girl that he hoped to create with Lexi, and felt a rush of happiness at the thought of being able to hold and love their daughter. He wanted that. He wanted a big family with his life mate. His wife.
Looking at Lexi as he settled his cheek lightly on the top of Hanna’s head, he could not contain the happiness that he was feeling. She was happy to call him her husband. He liked it, as well. It meant that he belonged to her. Him—lonely King Sebastian.
He especially liked that she was not impressed by his title. She wanted to be his life mate and fight beside him in the battle against the Gorin. She wanted him as a man and a warrior. Being king held no impact on her desire for him. If anything, it had made her question whether she should bond with him. He sensed her worry about taking the role of queen.
“It is important that each of you realize that you should not fear finding the man who is destined to be your life mate,” Sebastian said after a moment. “You will be respected and honored. Each of you is a true gift. The man who is meant to be yours will be blessed by your presence in his life, as you will be blessed by his. But, remember this, my ladies. Your future is what you choose it to be. None of you will be forced to bond. It is, and always will be, your decision. Not a man among us would push you to accept them if you do not wish it.”
Alexa's Warrior Mate (Guardian Warrior Mates, Prophecy of Salvation Book 1) Page 29