Deviant Warrior: (Dark Warrior Alliance Book Three)

by Brenda Trim

  A knock sounded at the bathroom door. “You okay, Mack?” Nate called out. Hearing another male inquire about the welfare of his mate was a cold slap to the face. That was his job. He should never be the reason for her terror. He released her hands and she slid to the floor, huddling into a ball. In that moment, he was taken back to when he had killed Charlotte and he never thought he’d feel that worthless again.

  “I’m fine, Nate. Be right out,” she replied in a shaky voice.

  “I’m here and ready to fry Nightwalker-ass if you need me.” Kyran heard the footsteps retreat away from the door and didn’t blame the dragon for his interruption. He would have done the same thing.

  Kyran squatted in front of his mate and captured her chin between his thumb and forefinger. Her eyes were red from her tears, yet flashed with defiance. He was glad to see her spark still there. He never wanted that spark to die.

  “I didna mean to scare you, Mackendra. I wasna prepared for what taking your blood would do to me. I will never force you to do anything against your will, but you need to understand that the predator in me has to claim you in every way. That will eventually happen, but I promise we will be on the same page when it does.”

  “And, you need to understand something about me. You can tickle my ass with a feather and it’s all good, but you will never force me.”

  “I didna know you liked feathers,” he smiled at her. He was rewarded with a slight grin. “I have to admit that you inspire emotions that are beyond my comprehension. I am over seven hundred years old and I had never kissed a female before you. This is all very new to me, all I ask is that you are patient and open to new experiences,” he confessed, laying his need bare. That small confession made his chest constrict in an odd way.

  He was completely out of his scope of experience with her. He wasn’t like his brother, Zander, who was comfortable with his emotions, at least when it came to his mate, Elsie. With Kyran and the other Dark Warriors, Zander was a hard-ass, but Kyran admired how he softened toward Elsie.

  Kyran felt like he was treading water and reached out to Mackendra’s hand, wanting to make the situation better, but not knowing how. He wanted her to trust him in every way and he wondered if he’d ruined his chance for that.

  She gazed up at him warily, but didn’t take his offered hand. He was about to stand up when she closed her fingers around his and he pulled her to her feet. He didn’t stop until her body was pressed against his side. It incited his arousal all over again, but he forced himself to ignore it. They had bigger considerations at the moment.

  “I will be honest with you, compromise isn’t my strong suit. I guess we both have areas we need to work on. I will say that you look much better since drinking my blood,” she admitted.

  He had been so concerned with her that he hadn’t realized how refreshed he was. Her blood pushed his energy and strength to levels he hadn’t known possible. He recalled his brother mentioning how Elsie’s blood had affected him. Zander hadn’t been kidding. Kyran felt like he had been injected with NOS fuel and could win the Indy 500 without a car.

  “I’ve actually never felt better, thanks to your blood. In fact, if we don’t get out of this shower, I’m going to take your blood again. Are you ready to beg yet?” he teased her as he turned off the water and grabbed a towel from an open cabinet.

  He wrapped one around Mackendra as she smiled up at him. “That experience was crazy, I’ll give you that, but I wouldn’t wait for me to beg, if I were you. More like, I’ll start charging you for it.”

  “My currency is orgasms, you good with that?”

  She threw her head back and laughed. The sight made him smile. “Just know I require multiple payments per donation,” she purred.

  He chuckled and kissed her softly on the lips. The reaction was automatic and had him shaking his head. For someone who had never kissed a female and preferred not to engage in the intimate act, he was doing it an awful lot. “Let’s get some food before I forget our host and fuck you up against the wall.”

  CHAPTER TEN

  Kyran hated to release his mate from his arms, but enjoyed watching her walk to the mirror. Her clothes were sitting on the counter and she removed her towel to wipe the condensation off the glass. Admiring her shapely backside, he didn’t know if he liked her ass or her breasts better. One thing was certain. He wanted to sink his fangs into both. He forced himself to turn around and cross to the bathroom door before he acted on his urges. He opened it and saw the neatly folded pile of clothes on the floor. He picked them up, turned to see his mate putting on her bra and met her gaze in the streaked mirror.

  Her smile warmed him like the rays of sunshine he could never feel. She went back to her task of dressing and he picked up the fabric Nate left for him. He discovered leather pants and a short-sleeved shirt that reminded him of dry-fit material. When he pulled it over his head the tight fit against his torso made his mate mark burn hotter under the clingy fabric. It had been difficult to ignore the pain for the past couple days and now it was even worse. It was a poignant reminder that they had yet to complete the mating. Contemplating claiming Mackendra, he slid on the borrowed pants and noticed they were an inch or so short in the legs. Thankfully, once his boots were on, it didn’t matter.

  After he was dressed, he looked up and saw that Mackendra was watching him in the mirror. She was standing with her hands braced on the edges of the bathroom countertop, bottom lip clasped between her teeth. He walked up behind her and slid his arms around her waist.

  “You have to stop looking at me like that, mate, or we are no’ going to leave this room.” Truth be told, he didn’t want to leave this room until he had claimed her.

  She shook her head and ran her finger through the short strands of her hair. “Get your head out of the gutter, blood-sucker. Do you think dragon-boy uses hair gel?” she asked opening the cabinets. “I need some help here. I can’t stand it so flat on my head.”

  “Females,” he sighed shaking his head. She was a stunning female, regardless of what her hair was doing, and she was completely oblivious to what he could see so clearly.

  “Not everyone has wash-n-wear hair, Kyran,” she retorted.

  He lifted a silky black strand and leaned in. “You can wear me anytime, Firecracker.”

  “In your dreams,” she said, turning around and kissing him, then smacking his ass.

  “Doona tease me, mate,” he rumbled, enjoying her cocky attitude. He might have to make an exception and accept her dominance now and then. The idea was more arousing than he expected. The smile she gifted him with and the sway of her hips as she left the bathroom was worth a hundred lashings.

  He followed her out and glanced around the big, open floorplan of the house. He didn’t know why he was so surprised to find such an advanced society. Nate was standing in front of the glass screen and moments after they entered the large room, it went blank.

  “Is that a television? And, where do you keep your pile of treasure?” Mackendra asked. He liked how direct she was, but wondered what the hell she was thinking.

  Nate had an overly-friendly smile when he turned around. “We don’t live with our hoards, Mack. That would make stealing it too easy. Mine is close by, but well-hidden. Anyway, I don’t know what a television is, but this is a neural computer.”

  Mackendra approached the kippie who stood up and jumped to her. She caught the little critter and cuddled him close. “Hey Pip. Glad you didn’t become Nate’s snack.” Mackendra told the fuzz-ball, making the dragon laugh in response.

  “Did you call that creature Pip?” Kyran asked.

  “Yes, I did. And, he likes the name. So Nate, neural tells me it’s linked to your brain. What exactly does it do?” she asked, smoothly returning to the previous topic of conversation. She was impressive in action and relentless in her pursuit.

  Nate walked into the kitchen and lifted a large door on a wall. The kitchen area was full of stainless compartments and the door he lifted led to a barbeque
pit of sorts. The dragon shifter pulled out a wire rack where a large roasted pig sat. The skin was shiny and dark brown with a crack down the back of the creature. Until Nate had opened the door, Kyran hadn’t been able to smell anything but the faint aroma of smoke in the house. Now, all he could smell was the gloriously delicious scent of meat and his mouth watered in response.

  “Oh my God, that smells so good,” Mackendra declared. “I’m starving! I swear I could eat that whole pig. I hope the two of you didn’t want any.”

  Nate laughed as he placed the pig on the counter. “Pip, I may have to eat you, after all. I’m sure you two worked up quite the appetite. I have to admit that I’ve never listened to others buggering in my shower when I’m not involved. I’m not sure what kind of kink you guys are into, but next time, warn a dragon. I nearly broke down the door,” Nate replied.

  Mackendra blushed to her roots at the ribbing. “Thanks for not barging in because you would have seen me nekkid,” she retorted, regaining her composure before she reached over and grabbed a knife, approaching the cooked animal.

  Nate laughed. “Damn Ace, your mate is a live wire. You’re one lucky jackwagon. Let’s not keep her waiting,” the male said and as one of his fingernails transformed into a claw, slicing off several pieces of meat. “I don’t use utensils,” he explained around a mouthful. “Many of the females in Khoth say I’m a heathen with no manners. Not that it keeps them out of my bed.”

  Mackendra rolled her eyes at Nate before popping a piece of meat into her mouth. She chewed while moaning loudly in the spacious room. “This is fantastic,” she said around a mouthful. That feminine moan of pleasure had Kyran hard as stone again, not that it took much for this female to excite him. Between her natural allure and the mating compulsion, Kyran didn’t stand a chance.

  “I have wine and water. What would you like to drink?” Nate asked, retrieving plates and placing them near the meal.

  Dinner. Kyran needed to focus on eating. “Wine would be appreciated,” he replied, standing behind his mate, preferring to be close to her. “Tell me more aboot this neural computer.”

  “Oi, well it’s much like it sounds. It’s a computer that can make calls and store documents. We also use it for information and entertainment. I synched the device to my neural patterns when I purchased it and now I can think about what I want and it responds,” Nate explained as a door on one of the cabinets across from them opened and a shelf slid out.

  “Did you just do that?” Mackendra asked, her eyes bright with curiosity.

  “Yes, that’s another neural component. It comes in handy for us lazy scrotes.” The dragon picked up a dark blue bottle and three short, square glasses.

  “Och, that would come in handy back home. I would kill to be able to think my reports and not have to sit and type them into a computer. After a night of patrols and killing skirm, that’s the last thing I want to be doing. Especially now, since I have this lovely female that will be waiting for me.” Kyran turned his head to Mackendra and their gazes held for several hot seconds. A deep chuckle broke into the moment and he turned to see Nate pouring a deep burgundy liquid into the glasses.

  “Waiting,” Mackendra snorted, “you’re funny. SOVA members would love that too,” Mackendra added pointedly, eating another bite of meat. Nate pushed two glasses across the counter to them. Kyran picked his up and held it to the light. The liquid was an odd, deep blue. Kyran shrugged, figuring it couldn’t really poison him and took a sip before Mackendra did. It was full-bodied and dry. He preferred the bite of whiskey, but this wasn’t bad.

  “This is wonderful. What is it?” Mackendra asked.

  “It’s penquino wine, named for the berry that it is made from. Dragons stomp the fruit when it comes to season. In fact, a few of my prole relatives do that job at the winery. Okay, tell me what SOVA is?” Nate asked as he helped himself to a generous serving of meat.

  “The visual of dragons stomping fruit is something I have got to see before I leave here. Anyway, SOVA stands for Survivors of Vampire Attacks and is a vigilante group that hunts down and kills vampires,” Mackendra explained. “Well, we hunt and kill skirm, but I didn’t know the difference until recently. You are looking at the President and Founder.” Kyran admired the pride he heard in her voice when she spoke of her organization.

  Nate cocked an eyebrow and looked at them both. “You founded a group that hunts and kills vampires and you’re a mated to a vampire? Bloody brilliant! I see why you like her. I will say I’m surprised that you allow your mate to fight.”

  “He doesn’t allow me to do anything. I make my own decisions. Besides, I refuse to sit by when I can do something to help. Just because I’m a woman doesn’t mean I’m helpless,” Mackendra huffed.

  Kyran tugged on her earlobe and smiled at the ire in her voice. “Go easy on him, Mackendra. And, just because she fights doesna mean I havena been watching oot for her safety. Even before I knew who she was to me, I was there.”

  “Yes. Not only is he my mate, he’s my vampire stalker, too,” she said as she stuffed more food into her mouth. That was the first time she had referred to him as her mate and it made his soul stir in his chest. In fact, he swore both their souls were entwined and fucking like rabbits.

  “There’s nothing wrong with him wanting to protect you, Mack. We don’t allow our females to hunt, but that has more to do with our population issues, as well as, the Buggane and the danger they pose. They’re big, mean motherfuckers, but I think many of our females would happily join us in battle, if Legette would allow it. Skirm is another new one for me. What are they?”

  “Skirm are the product of a human who is bitten by an archdemon,” Kyran replied, not sure how familiar these beings were with demons and their ilk.

  “I’m familiar with some demons…mostly water and fire demons.” Nate stood across the counter from Kyran and Mack, picking at the carcass on the counter. They had cleaned it down to the bones, yet the dragon still looked hungry. Kyran surmised the male must eat a lot when he picked up a leg bone and began sucking the marrow from it.

  “Water and fire demons, as well as, light demons call earth home, but skirm aren’t made by any of them. It’s archdemons from the hell realm that create these beings. If you have never encountered them or any lesser demons from hell, count yourself lucky.”

  “Our teachings talk about such creatures, but thank the Gods we have not had to deal with those enemies,” Nate said, lifting the door to his oven. He pressed several buttons and the fire inside roared to life. He picked up the bones of the animal and tossed it into the unit.

  “More wine?” their host asked, turning back to them.

  “No, if I drink anymore, I’ll be passed out on your floor. That penquino is strong shit,” Mack replied and Kyran simply shook his head setting his glass in the sink.

  Nate laughed and pointing to the grouping of sofas off to the side, replied, “You don’t look like a light-weight. Suit yourself, more for me.” Nate and Kyran sat on the sofas while Mackendra sat on a rug on the floor where she played with the kippie.

  Shifting gears before the dragon got drunk, Kyran asked, “Who is Legette? And, what are Buggane? We encountered redcaps on our way here, but I am no’ familiar with Buggane.” He wanted all the information he could get about this realm.

  “Redcaps are vile little wankers and they taste like shit. They give me heartburn every time, no matter how much I char them first. Makes patrolling the borderlands a bitch, but the easiest way to deal with them is to eat them. The Buggane have them work those areas because they are vicious, fast and small. Most other creatures who have sided with the Buggane are big and easy to spot.” Nate took a deep drink of his wine and crossed one ankle over the other. Kyran wondered why the male went on and on about the redcaps when he hadn’t even asked about them. If Kyran didn’t know better, he’d swear the male was stalling. Question was, why? Whatever was going on, Kyran remained on high alert.

  “Buggane are the bane of our existe
nce and inhabit the other side of our realm. They are as big as a tree and ugly as trolls and they rob the planet of natural resources. Their tusks can tear through anything, even our metal walls. We can take them on in our dragon form, but you’ll want to steer clear of them. As for Legette, he is the leader of the Cuelebre Máahes and has been our acting King for millennia. Poor scrote,” the dragon shook his head.

  “How did Buggane get Unseelie to work for them? Fae are no’ known for their agreeable natures.” Fae were actually very particular about who they helped. In fact, they didn’t even look out for one another. Kyran had always felt they were selfish beings out for themselves. When Jace’s mate, Cailyn, was under a Fae spell, the Seelie Queen refused to help, sending Jace and Kyran’s brothers into the swamps of Louisiana where they had to fight for their lives. Kyran had never dealt directly with the Unseelie King, but he couldn’t imagine him being much better than the Queen.

  “Unfortunately, many Dark Fae creatures make their home on Khoth. As for why the redcaps help, the Buggane have promised them land of their own. If you are familiar with them, you know that they live on the blood of others, so a thriving dragon population in their backyard is irresistible.”

  “Why don’t you guys eliminate them altogether? It seems like they shouldn’t be a challenge to dragons who breathe fire,” Mackendra asked, pushing Pip around like a ball. The little critter loved her attention and was eating it up, but he didn’t blame the animal. Kyran rather enjoyed his mate’s attention, too.

  “They are the most difficult creatures to battle in this realm and they breed like kippies. We can’t keep up with them. I’m in the blood-alley division which protects the border. Problem is that we lose more Máahes every year and without the rightful king to hold the Civappu ceremony, new Tuya aren’t identified. That means that we can mate, but not with females who can breed with us. The Tuya that were identified at the last ceremony over one thousand years ago aren’t able to have enough dragonettes to repopulate our numbers, so we can’t afford to place that many soldiers out this far. Akilam will exploit any weakness in our cities and gain even more ground.” Kyran could relate to having a low-birth rate, after all, the mating curse had left the Tehrex Realm in the same predicament. It had only been recently that the Goddess had ended the seven hundred year curse and reinstated mate blessings. Idly, Kyran wondered when the pregnancies in the realm would start.