Thorn's Bondmate (Zarronian Warriors Book 2)

by Mardi Maxwell

  Thorn smiled and lowered himself to his knees. He stroked his finger over the baby's hand and felt her grip it. Daria's hand covered his.

  "I love you, Thorn. Thank you."

  "For what?" he asked as he looked into her deep purple eyes.

  "For loving me. For our daughter. And, our sons."

  Thorn kissed her before he nuzzled her neck. "I love you. Always."

  Borg cleared his throat, drawing their attention. "There's a lot of people waiting for you outside, Thorn. Don't you think it's time you introduced your daughter to them?"

  Thorn nodded. Rising to his feet, he chose a soft gown for the baby, and dressed her before wrapping her in a blanket and carefully carrying her from the room.

  Soren waited for him in the hallway. He offered the baby to him and he carefully cradled her in his arms. "She's beautiful, Thorn."

  "As beautiful as her mother." Thorn smiled and led the way out of the house. When they stepped outside, he was surprised to see not only his parents and Ronin and Dag but all of his warriors, as well. They grew quiet as they watched him and Soren. He glanced down at his daughter. Her eyes were open and she was looking at him then she looked at Soren and a smile curved her tiny lips.

  Gently Soren held her up, showing her to her mentors. "This is my brother's daughter. Her name is Rose." He kissed her forehead then handed her to Dag.

  Dag kissed her forehead then handed her to Ronin. He kissed her forehead then handed her to her father.

  Together the two warriors began the oath of a mentor. "We promise to protect Rose, the daughter of Thorn and Daria, with our lives. To guide and advise her all the days of her life."

  Thorn cradled her in his arms while his warriors filed passed him. Each of them saluted the first Zarronian female to be born in over forty annuals. When the last one had filed by Thorn lifted Rose to his shoulder. His large hand covered her tiny back. She nuzzled his neck and he grinned. "Time to tell your Mother your name, little one."

  Thorn looked at Ronin, Dag and Soren. "You're next, brother."

  Soren nodded toward the house. "I could use a tankard of ale."

  Thorn smiled and led the way into the house. "I'll join you in the den as soon as Daria and Rose are settled." He climbed the stairs and walked into their chamber.

  Daria was sitting up in the bed waiting for him. She held out her arms. "Okay, now can you tell me her name?" she asked him teasingly as he handed their daughter to her then settled onto the edge of the bed.

  Borg laughed and left the room, closing the door firmly behind him.

  Thorn unlaced Daria's gown and pushed it from her shoulder.

  "Thorn?"

  He moved Daria's arms until their daughter was placed just right then cupping the back of her head he turned her until her lips latched onto a rosy nipple. Daria sucked in a breath then softly exhaled it. She stroked his jaw and tapped his cheek with her finger. "Thorn, name?"

  "Rose. Her name is Rose."

  Daria smiled. He leaned forward and nibbled on her lips before kissing her. When he lifted away from her, she asked, "Where's Soren and the mentors?"

  "Getting drunk downstairs in the den." He kicked off his boots, then pushed her forward and slid onto the bed behind her. "How do you feel?"

  "Fine."

  "Did Borg say anything before he left?" he asked as he nibbled on her neck.

  "Yes. He said for me to tell you to keep your hands to yourself for the next moon phase." She heard him groan. "But, he didn't say anything about me keeping my hands to myself."

  "No, we'll suffer together." He looked over her shoulder. Rose was asleep. He carried her to the crib. After he covered her, he returned to the bed and pulled Daria down into his arms. Her eyes fluttered, then closed as sleep overtook her.

  Thorn was content to hold her until Soren opened the door and stuck his head into the room. "Are they asleep?"

  He nodded, rose from the bed and covered Daria. Soren moved silently to the crib. He covered Rose's back with his hand and carefully patted her. Thorn joined him. They exchanged identical smiles before they left the room.

  Thorn peeked into his son's rooms. They were both asleep. "I guess it wore them out waiting for her to be born."

  Soren nodded. "Come have a drink. It's not every cycle a warrior becomes a father for a second time in his life."

  Thorn laughed. "Fate will send your mate to you when you least expect her, Soren. Just make sure you recognize her when you meet her.

  THE END

  I love the quirky and the unique. I believe in UFOs, ghosts, and that we have a landing station on the dark side of the moon. I've loved reading since I was a little girl although just about every book I ever read I rewrote in my mind. After a while I decided to just start writing my own books. My best friend dared me to send one in, so I did and to my surprise it was accepted.

  I love books that make you laugh, cry, sit on the edge of your chair in fear that the couple won't work it out, and then finally cheer for them when they do. I'm a true believer in a happy ending and won't read a book or watch a movie that ends any other way.

  I write every day but I always find time to spend with my family and friends as well as my hobbies (cooking, gardening, traveling, and ceramics).

  My personal motto is "Regret is a wasted emotion." Live well and happy reading.

  # # #

  If you enjoyed this book, I'd love hear from you and I welcome reviews. You can sign up for my newsletter and be notified about future releases at www.MardiMaxwell.com .

  Books by Mardi Maxwell

  Zarronian Warriors series:

  Valan's Bondmate (Zarronian Warriors 1)

  Thorn's Bondmate (Zarronian Warriors 2)

  Soren's Bondmate (Zarronian Warriors 3) coming soon

  The Doms of Club Mystique series (erotic BDSM suspense)

  To Love and Obey

  Jackson's Sub

  Their Temporary Sub

  Zane's Choice

  Nate's Naughty Nymph

  The Ramsey Doms

  Thor Larkin's book coming soon

  Keep up with Mardi at:

  My website: www.mardimaxwell.com

  Facebook: www.facebook.com/MardiMaxwellRomance

  Twitter: www.twitter.com/MardiMaxwellRom

  My blog: http://www.mardismentionables.blogspot.com/

  Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7790271.Mardi_Maxwell

  Read the first chapters below of two exciting new books being released today by Caitlyn O'Leary and Elle Boon.

  Healed

  The Found

  Book Three

  By Caitlyn O’Leary

  Chapter One

  “What the hell do you mean Sarah’s gone?” Nate pressed Kota against the wall of the parking garage at the John Wayne Airport in Santa Ana, California.

  “She booked three flights this morning. I was here confirming what Sierra found out.”

  “Which is?” Nate demanded as he pushed Kota harder into the cement wall.

  “She hopped flight 760 to Atlanta at six am.” Nate gave his friend and Navy teammate a hard look.

  “Did you confirm it?”

  “Of course I did. I got two valid I.D.’s confirming what we all saw on the video.” Kota gave him an offended look.

  “I don’t understand. Why would you need to go that far? Call Sarah’s family, they have to know where she is in Atlanta.” Nate’s fingers tightened on Kota’s shirt in frustration.

  “That’s the problem. She didn’t get off the plane in Atlanta.” The frustration in Kota’s voice was clear.

  “Fine, she got off at the layover.”

  “It was a direct flight.”

  “Sierra must have fucked up. She had to be on the video getting off the plane.” Nate’s voice held just a hint of desperation.

  “We had her brother Cyrus look at the video too.” Nate’s arm tightened against Kota’s throat.

  “Cut a guy some slack,” Kota gasped. Nate looked at his friend, wh
ose normally bronze skin was turning a lovely shade of purple. Releasing him, Kota slumped against the wall.

  “Fuck. Would you please quit with the crazy?”

  He’d like to, he’d really like to, but where the hell was Sarah? “I’m going to Atlanta.” He grabbed his duffle and turned towards the terminal.

  “I’m telling you, she wasn’t on the plane.”

  “And I’m telling you, you’re all forgetting Occam’s razor. You’re looking for a complicated answer to a simple problem. She disguised herself while on the plane and you missed her when she deplaned.”

  “Fuck you, Nathan Goodman. I looked, Sierra looked and there is no way her brother would have missed her.” Kota no longer looked injured, he looked worried and pissed.

  “She’s one of the found. She has special abilities. You forget they’re beginning to take on each other’s gifts. Seth can blend into any situation. She disguised herself and blended in with the other passengers. It’s simple. She’s in Atlanta. Those fuckers at Rixitron are still gunning for her, and she’s out of her mind for leaving the safety of the apartments. When I find her, I’m going to set her ass straight for putting herself in harm’s way.”

  Nate’s eye twitched and his palm itched as he strode through the same doors he just exited. He booked a flight taking off in less than two hours. He was surprised Kota didn’t follow him. In the past his naval buddy stuck with him when he went on one of his wild rides.

  Just as he passed through security, his phone rang.

  “Nate. I agree with you. She’s in Atlanta.” A little bit of the tension left his shoulders when he heard his commander’s voice. He had worked with Noah Kukailimoku in the Navy for over six years. He trusted him like no one else.

  “Finally, someone with some sense. Why didn’t you say so sooner?” There was a long pause.

  “We were at the hospital, Kali was having Braxton Hicks labor pains.” Noah said, referring to his wife.

  “Fuck, I’m sorry.” Why the hell wasn’t Sarah by Kali’s side? She was a doctor and a healer, and should be with Kali if she was going into labor. None of this made any sense. When he said as much, he was surprised by Noah’s reaction.

  “Sarah’s already been through this false labor with us three times. What’s more her specialty is pediatrics.”

  “All the more reason for her to be there, you’re having children.” Nate emphasized the last word, since his friends were having twins.

  “We’ve got a great obstetrician. We don’t need Sarah and she knows it.” There was another long pause. “This has to be huge for Sarah to leave like this.”

  “Why wouldn’t she tell everyone and ask for someone to escort her?” Nate knew the answer as soon as he asked the question.

  “Because we wouldn’t have let her go. She’s in too much danger. You know those fuckers are still looking to take her into their breeding program.” Hearing the phrase had chills running through his body.

  “Nate, I think Cyrus should be the one who goes after her. He’s her brother, a cop, and knows Atlanta inside and out. It makes the most sense.”

  The twitch over Nate’s eye increased. “Except he doesn’t even think she’s there, so he can just sit this one out.”

  “You’re on tap to act as undercover security for one of the next Rixitron rotations. This is an important operation. We can find out what they’re up to, it took a lot of maneuvering to arrange this.” Noah sounded every inch the commander.

  “You can fix it, put Cyrus in for me. I’m doing this Noah.” He disconnected the call and stood in the middle of the causeway. Dammit, he wanted her back in the apartments, safe and sound, not out where people would be trying to capture and hurt her. He shoved his hands in his pocket, knowing worrying wouldn’t help anything, he needed to focus on the present and what he could accomplish. First things first, he needed a clear head. He hadn’t eaten in damn near fourteen hours, a lifetime for him. He headed to the Mexican restaurant up ahead. At least there was a decent one in this airport, with good beer and good fajitas. The food would soothe him as he concentrated on the next steps.

  Nate was tired and not paying attention as he made his way to his seat on the plane. He followed a mother holding a small child, who must have been about three years old. The boy started to cry as he stared at Nate, and Nate cursed himself and immediately smiled. He knew better than this. At six foot six, and a face like a block of granite he could easily scare small children. It never bothered him to scare the enemy, now that he enjoyed. But he should have realized there was a kid in front of him and been smiling. He could always get a kid to smile back at him when he worked at it. The little boy stopped crying and gave a shy wave.

  Nate got into the aisle seat, thankful he would be able to stretch out his legs for portions of the flight. He closed his eyes and attempted to get some sleep, but found it useless. Instead he kept thinking about the last assignment in Mexico where they had to rescue the American factory owner who had been kidnapped.

  Thank God the kidnappers had wanted such an outrageous amount of money that it had given them more time than normal to find their location. It was when the kidnappers wanted smaller sums the length of time was shorter and the odds of finding them in time was reduced. Another thing in their favor was the family called the embassy as soon as they received the internet feed showing the victim being held with the ticking clock and a knife to his throat. They had five days to get twenty million dollars in diamonds. It had been close, but they had managed to get to him in time.

  Nate and his team had been on their way stateside after a month in Afghanistan rescuing three journalists when they had gotten the assignment in Mexico. He had wanted to get back stateside. He wanted to start working with others on his team whose job it was to protect the found.

  That had been his plan. He had worked one mission in Florida with the team, but mostly he had been overseas, and was tired of it. He worked with some of his teammates when he was overseas, but these days the majority of his friends were stateside, and he missed them. He missed Sarah, he missed her too much. And if the way he just lost his shit on Kota was any indication, obviously he had pretty deep feelings for the woman, so why the hell hadn’t he been pursuing her? Because you’re a dumbass. Well that was about to change, just as soon as he got her safely back to California, he was going to start by asking her out on a date. God that sounded lame, but he had to start somewhere.

  He was going to have to talk to Admiral Sakuro about having his orders changed so that the majority of his time was spent in California. He would still be part of the elite naval unit, just focused on the enemies of the found, not on the hostage and rescue they had been doing for the last few years. With that decided Nate was finally able to get some sleep.

  When he landed in Atlanta, Sierra had him booked into the Westin hotel at the airport. Pulling out his laptop to view the security tapes she’d forwarded, he got an incoming Skype from her and Cyrus.

  “She didn’t get off the plane. She must have given us the slip in Orange County.” Cyrus looked haggard.

  “How do you think she managed that? We saw them take her ticket, and watched her go through the doorway onto the plane ramp.” It took everything Nate had to keep his tone reasonable. Cyrus and Sierra were talking bullshit.

  “Maybe she let everybody else pass by and just before they closed the doors she came back out?” Sierra suggested tentatively.

  “Really? Didn’t you check the tapes? How long did you watch? Did you ever see her come back out of the jet way?”

  “I watched the tapes for two hours and no she didn’t come out. But she could have gone out with the employees near the end of the ramp.”

  Nate just lifted his eyebrows.

  “Yeah, it smelled bad to us too.” Nate could clearly see their frustration.

  “Cyrus, send me the tape of the departing passengers in Atlanta.”

  “We went over the tapes four times. She didn’t get off the plane.” Then he paused and looke
d directly at Nate. “But I’d love it if you found something I missed.” It was obvious how much he cared for his baby sister.

  “Send them to me.” He shut down the Skype session. He didn’t have long to wait, Sierra had the tapes to him in record time. Since they had been so sure she hadn’t deplaned, he was surprised how fast he recognized her. She was the thirty-first passenger off the plane. She’d cut her hair short, wore a mini-skirt and held hands with a young black man, while concentrating on her phone. Damn. She knew exactly how to avoid the security cameras. And who the fuck was the guy? He was a pretty boy. Nate hated him.

  Nate watched the man pull her close and kiss her temple as they passed the airline desk. No wonder Cyrus and Sierra had been fooled. Who was he? They were far too comfortable together. Damn she looked good. He’d never seen her legs showcased like that before. Who the hell was the man with her? He watched the tape two more times, and on the third run through he pulled his attention away from Sarah and concentrated on the man.

  Whoever the guy was, he definitely took note of his surroundings. While he paid attention to Sarah. He was also aware of his surroundings, like he had special training. Nothing escaped his notice. Nate went back to the original boarding tapes. Sarah boarded with a shopping bag and a purse. The man boarded with a duffel bag and a backpack.

  Now Nate watched for it, he saw they knew one another before they boarded, it was subtle, but they acknowledged one another. This was no chance meeting on the plane. Going back to tapes of the plane’s arrival in Atlanta, he watched as Sarah departed with a backpack, no purse, no shopping bag. The male carried only his duffel. Dammit, she called in an accomplice to help her.

  Nate pressed his hand against his forehead trying to stop the annoying twitch. Then he placed a video call to his teammates. It was no damn hardship to hide out in a brand new apartment complex in Newport Beach, California, but it still chafed the found members, and apparently Sarah had reached her limit.