Neither of them answered her. Kori studied the narrow opening with slow and careful movements. Adric stared off into the tunnel they’d just left.
“Let’s go,” Kori said.
This time, he went first. Lera followed, and Adric brought up the rear. The air, crisp and cold, stung her face but she didn’t care. She took numerous deep breaths of it. It was so fresh and rejuvenated her. Senses alert, she searched for any sign of life and came up empty.
“What now?” she wondered.
“Let’s set up a camp. I’m sure our presence has been noticed.”
‘Adric?’
‘I sense nothing, vaj, but I agree with your mate. Our presence has been noticed.’
Lera tugged her coat closer and followed Kori through the evening to a partially secluded area. They would be protected from the cold wind, and there was only one way to approach. It didn’t take them too long, and there was a fire going and some rabbits Adric had hunted cooked on a spit. The grease popped and sizzled when it dripped in the flames. Her stomach growled with anticipation. Life was good. No cave and hot food.
Kori crouched beside her, and she worked her lower lip in her teeth as she stared at him. His black trench pushed back, exposing corded legs encased in skintight leather. Longing slammed into her. The flickering firelight highlighted his tanned skin, making it appear even more golden.
He tilted his head, and a lock of thick black hair fell forward. Lera struggled with the urge to reach out and move it. His gray eyes held her prisoner. Hard as flint and as unforgiving as rock, they had the power to melt her on the spot.
“Hungry?” he asked.
“Starved.”
With some form of determination, she reached for her bag and withdrew a knife, flipping it so it extended handle first to him. He took it and cut her a piece of the seared meat. A groan of approval slipped from her as she blew on it and bit into the flesh.
“Wonderful, thank you.”
Kori removed some and sat back to eat. “I just built the fire and cooked it.”
It was true. Adric caught it; she skinned it.
‘Did you eat, Adric?’
‘I did, vaj. Thank you for your concern.’
They ate until only scraps remained. Adric happily ate those then slipped away into the night which was beginning to become dark. Sitting near Kori by the fire, she almost would consider herself content. If not for being unsure where she was or what was going to happen.
“Do you have any idea where we are?”
“Nordic.”
She frowned at his single word. Nordic. What the hell did that mean?
“That it?” she snapped. “Nothing more to share other than ‘Nordic’?”
He shot her a smoldering look but no words passed his lips for the presence of others was felt, and as one, she and Kori stood. She couldn’t help but notice how Kori kept her slightly behind him. Instead of fighting him on that, she focused on what may be approaching.
One second, they were alone, and the next, they faced a semicircle of warriors. All men. Tall and powerful, dressed in furs and leathers, each one of them carried weapons, which were unfortunately aimed at her and her mate. Most of them had blond hair and pale eyes.
I really feel out of place. But she understood Kori’s Nordic comment. It was like she faced Vikings.
The one in the middle shoved his massive sword into the snow-covered ground and rested large hands on the hilt. Then, he spoke, his tone low, guttural and powerful.
Leader.
Of who or what she wasn’t sure but he was their leader.
Deep within her, she felt she should know the meaning of the words he spoke but she didn’t. And it frustrated her. Placing herself directly next to Kori, she said, “Does anyone speak English?”
Kori’s anger flowed to her. She ignored it.
“Quiet, woman.”
She bristled at the Viking’s command, fingers flexing, seeking her weapon.
‘Calm yourself, Lera.’ Kori’s words came.
‘No, Kori. I can’t back down if I’m supposed to get the Haikon to resurface. Being quiet and demure won’t help.’ She sent a cry to her wolf and got no response.
Forcing her hands to remain at her sides, she took a step forward, doing her best to ignore the numerous arrows which zeroed in on her.
“I seek the Haikon.”
The large man chuckled and raised his bushy brows. He lifted a hand and stroked his close cut beard. “Of course you do.” He said something which caused the others to laugh. “And once you find these people, what are you going to do?”
She cocked her brow. “That’s between me and them.”
“How about we kill your man then have our way with you?”
“You can try.”
Kori hauled her up to his side. The rumble that emerged from his chest said it all. She knew without looking at him, his wolf was visible to those they faced.
“You should control the wench’s mouth better.”
Kori tightened his hold on her arm. ‘Don’t let them antagonize you.’
Exactly what had been happening. With a deep breath, she dipped her head slightly. “Forgive my rudeness. Although I am weary, it is still no excuse.”
“Let’s go,” big blond Viking demanded.
“We should kill them here,” one growled, and another man stepped forward.
Damn! They grew them nice here. This one stood similar in size to Kori but was light where Kori was dark.
‘Lera.’ Her name was drawn out, and she could have been deaf and dumb and still picked up on the possessive anger from Kori.
Ignoring him, she stayed focused on the blond. His eyes were a startling pale silvered blue. When they locked onto hers, the hairs on her arms stood. There was a not-so-subtle push in her mind, and she shoved it back. Those haunting eyes grew wide, and she knew she’d shocked him.
A menacing growl rose up from him, and he raised his sword without warning and lunged toward her. Her own weapon in hand, Lera leapt to meet his attack. Kori moved, she assumed, toward another. The weapons clashed and as the shockwaves reverberated up her arms, she struggled to keep the gasp at his powerful blow.
I won’t last long against his strength.
‘Stop!’
The mental command was so strong it almost took her to her knees. And she’d thought the strike was intense. This made his attack pale in comparison. Her opponent’s eyes told her he’d heard it as well.
‘Kori?’ She sent the question, not daring take her eyes from the man before her.
‘I don’t know, mo anam.’
‘Enough, vaj.’ Adric’s tone reprimanded. ‘Put down your weapon.’ She growled at him. ‘Vaj!’
Licking her lips, she stepped back and lowered her weapon. The warrior’s eyes had followed her tongue then watched with suspicion when she moved her weapon away. Then, he mimicked her action and his sword lowered so the tip cut through the snow.
‘Kori?’
‘Right behind you.’
She loved the fact they were so in tune. Cutting her gaze to the left, she was taken aback to see Adric walking toward them with a large cat on each side of him. A tawny mountain lion and a snow leopard. Movement from above drew her attention to see some feathered creatures settle upon snow-covered branches.
“Who are you?”
Her gaze snapped back to the leader. His sword rested along one beefy shoulder, not that it made her feel any better. She breathed easier when Kori touched her briefly on the small of her back. Even through the leathers she wore, the heat from his touch warmed her. It definitely calmed her.
“Cormac MacLochlainne.”
The man nodded, obviously recognizing the name. “And the woman?”
“Is mine.” Kori’s words were hard with possession and brogue.
‘Would you like me to kneel at your feet and call you master?’ All anger fled when he purred. Her skin pebbled, and the juncture of her thighs became soaked.
‘I would. But
I want that pussy of a silver-blue eyed man to stop looking at you like you’re his next meal.’
‘Calm down, Kori.’ She wouldn’t tell him how his possessiveness made her pulse race. ‘Behave and I’ll drop to my knees, but for you alone.’
The rumble in her head was pure decadence.
“Does she have a name?” Silver-blue eyes asked.
“She’s—”
“She is fully capable of speaking for herself,” Lera broke in over Kori’s voice. With a glance at Adric, she noticed he was way larger than the other wolves which had also appeared. Lifting her chin she said, “I am Valera Sidorov.”
“I know the name Sidorov. Who is your father?”
‘Adric?’ He broke away and moved toward her, stopping only when he reached her side.
‘They are your people, vaj.’
“Dane Sidorov is my father. I am Valera Sidorov of the Haikon.”
Silence fell.
Kori could hear the pounding of everyone’s hearts, combined with the wind as it blew over the icy branches. He wanted Lera safe. He wanted her away from the man who stared at her with lust in his eyes.
There had been no words from them since she’d uttered her father’s name and who she was. More than respect traversed the men’s faces. The one he’d crossed swords with shifted his feet before speaking to his men. All weapons were put away. Even so, Kori was reluctant to do the same.
“Forgive us. We’ve heard the winds speak of a dark-skinned Haikon who was rumored Dane’s daughter. You can understand our suspicion. We have met Dane; he didn’t know we were Haikon but we’ve met him. Although, when we saw her wolf, we knew; for it also said, her vaj is reminiscent of days long past.”
“I am Dane’s daughter.”
Kori almost smiled at Lera’s icy tone. He could recall when she would hang back and almost be an observer in her own family. Now, here she stood, weapon at the ready, in battle stance, coat open and blowing in the wind along with her hair. Her eyes shot sparks as she claimed her family. She did the Sidorov name proud in that moment.
She was hot. She was his. And he’d never been so proud.
“I am Vifil Svaldifari.” He waved a hand. “These are few of the Haikon left in the area. Come, we will go to camp. You can rest and eat then tomorrow, we will talk.” Vifil paused and said, “Good to meet you as well, Cormac, son of the Norseman.”
MacLochlainne meant son of the Norseman. Kori afforded him a nod, still not entirely at ease with the situation.
“Shall we?” Vifil questioned.
“Right behind you,” Kori said, backing with Lera so he could kick snow over the fire and gather their meager belongings.
‘Stay alert, mo ghrá.’
‘Of course, but do you think you could stop dragging me around like a piece of meat?’
He cursed himself and loosened his hold. Most of the men vanished into the surrounding trees. Vifil and three others remained behind. Adric rubbed along his leg before positioning himself beside Lera. He was glad for the wolf even when she dropped her hand to sink into his thick pelt.
They walked in silence, which worked for Kori. He searched the area as best he could. They headed single file through jagged and snowy crags, along trails where one misstep would definitely mean certain death. The winds howled and blew around them, eradicating their trail even before they moved on it seemed. Lera walked in front of him, and he couldn’t stop the fear of losing her over the edge.
‘I’m fine, Kori. Stop worrying.’
‘I will always worry when it comes to you, mo ghrá. I can do nothing but.’
‘I know.’ Her tone was soothing, and it calmed him. There was no mocking, no teasing, just a quiet acceptance of how he was.
They rounded a final corner, and Kori saw tents made of animal hides erected in no particular order. There were people milling around, and silence descended as they approached. He felt Lera’s immediate tensing, and he moved closer to her.
‘Dank je, Kori.’
‘You never have to thank me, Lera.’
‘Look at them all staring at me.’
They were. Not outrageously hostile but with definite suspicion. Vifil spoke as he walked up to a woman half his size and kissed her. Some of the other men approached other women, giving them kisses as well. Not all and not the one who continually stared at Lera. The wind was cold but the scent that flowed from Lera’s hair to his nose was warm.
Vifil returned to stand before them. “We can set up two tents in—”
“One is fine,” Kori stated without blinking.
A slight hesitation before Vifil relayed the message. Kori knew the man was trying to figure out if he was just a bodyguard despite his earlier claim or something more.
‘You doing okay, mo anam?’
‘Nervous. Feel like they expect my head to spin around and green shit come flying out.’
He almost laughed.
“This way.” Vifil pointed.
Kori placed his hand against the small of her back and guided her to follow Vifil to a tent also with no adornment. As they neared, a young brunette in tight leathers slipped out. She simply nodded at Vifil then gave Kori a look seeped in blatant invitation. With barely a thought, he merely nodded in return and waited with Adric and Lera by the entrance.
“I know it’s late so there’s food in there. We’ll talk in the morning.”
“You believe us then?” he asked the tall blond.
A raven settled on the man’s shoulder. “Yes. Rumors spread fast, especially around one such as Valera Sidorov. Forgive our suspicions but we have been betrayed before, and hearing what we did, we had to be on our guard. To hear it and then all of a sudden you appear...we had to be sure. Our vaj confirm your story.”
Kori didn’t blame him. However, he didn’t like the way the man seemed unable to keep his eyes off Lera for any length of time. If she noticed, she never said a word. Kori knew her, and she was searching for possible exit routes should they be required.
“We know you have traveled far. Rest.” Vifil stuck out his hand.
Kori clasped it. “There are people after her,” he said, meeting the man’s blue eyes.
The smile which filled Vifil’s face was unexpected. “Our kind has been hunted to near extinction; we don’t know how to live without the threat of death looming over us. Worry not, Cormac MacLochlainne, you are safe here. We’ve just found her; we’re not about to lose her.” Vifil looked at Lera. “Rest well, Valera.” With a nod to Kori, he left, and Kori followed Lera and her wolf inside.
He was impressed. Thick furs made up two beds, one on each side of the burning fire pit. A small, low stool held a platter of bread, cheese, meat, and fruit. The dwelling was already warm, and before he could dwell on how they managed to heat the tent so fast, his gaze slid to Lera.
She stood by a bed of furs, hands clasped before her. The look on her face tore at him. Lost, unsure, and a myriad of other emotions fought for dominance in her expression. He turned and drew the flap closed, shutting out those who seemed overly interested in the goings on in their tent.
“Lera,” he murmured, facing her again.
Her head, which was lowered, lifted slowly. The strain and exhaustion had won. It fairly seeped from her, so thick he could taste it. He stepped toward her and opened his arms. The need to be held flared for a brief second before being masked by her icy and composed façade.
“It’s just us, Lera. No one cares if you accept comfort.”
He battled the urge to go to her. He wanted her to come to him. She simply stared at him before swallowing and taking off her coat. Lowering his arms, he merely observed, well aware she wasn’t coming to him.
The amount of raw lust which broadsided him nearly took him to his knees. The leathers Cairenn had made fit Lera like a dream. A very intense wet dream. His woman had the body of a goddess, all lush femininity and curves. There was ruddy stitching apparent upon the black. The same hue as Lera’s wolf. He smiled at the knowledge his sister
had done this for his mate. Maybe Cairenn didn’t disprove as much as he first thought.
There were a few places with stitches that went up the sides of her lace-up fly pants— which cupped her ass like no one’s business. The reddish hue of the lacing up the front was the only color on her tank top. Then, there was the etched wolf on her wrist guards and the laces of her boots.
While he occupied himself with staring at his own favorite work of art, Lera braided her hair and tied it off with a thin band. The act exposed her tattoo which settled along her left shoulder. It was simple. Two words. HET MOED. HET was vertical while MOED was horizontal, the words intersecting on the letter “E.”
“Het Moed” was Afrikaans for “Have Courage.” The phrase was simple and heartfelt. He knew it meant so much to her core and as a person. What she’d had to face as a young girl before Dane intervened still made Kori livid. It was no wonder she had that as a motto.
Dragging his gaze from her tattoo, he scanned her figure. He thanked the gods for blessing him with this woman. The firelight gleamed off the muscles in her arms. She dropped to a crouch, and he bit off a groan when the leather of her pants tightened around the globes of her ass.
“Eat some food, Lera.”
The strain was still visible on her face when she looked back at him. With a nod, she flowed to the wooden platter. He shrugged out of his coat and watched her reach for some bread and cheese; however, she paused then stepped away.
“Lera?”
She walked to the furs beside Adric and collapsed onto them with a groan. “Stomach’s not feeling the need for food.” Lera grabbed her bag and dug into it. Seconds later, she popped a mint in her mouth and lay on her side, lids drifting shut.
Kori ate in silence as he searched his memory banks for anything on Vifil. He growled in frustration when he could bring up nothing. Stomach full, he dragged a fur up over Lera, put on his coat, only to pause at the door.
Adric lay there, black, fathomless eyes holding his own.
“Keep her safe.”
‘Always. You are safe here as well, mate to my vaj. But I understand your need to ensure that yourself. So go; I’ll remain here with her.’
Adric’s words made him feel better. He knew the wolf would protect Lera, even at the cost of his own life. With a final glance to his sleeping angel, Kori stepped out of the tent and into the cold. Vifil met him, and they walked off, talking. A few hours later, Kori entered the tent again. This time, he shed his coat and slid into the furs beside Lera. Gathering her tightly against him and breathing easier when her body curved into his, he gave into his own body’s need for slumber. Content they were safe, at least for the moment, he allowed himself to get some.
A Love For Lera (Haikon) Page 19