“I didn’t expect that,” Torr remarked, getting to his feet, face flushed with the exertion of their sparring.
Fighting for breath, Lera watched him cautiously as she moved a bit farther back versus pressing her advantage.
“You’re good,” he said, sheathing his sword. She maintained a constant distance between them, her own weapon still drawn. Torr stopped and held up his hands. “You can put it away, Lera.”
Eyes still on her sparring partner, she stored her own weapon. Her limbs trembled with exhaustion. The desire to sink to the snow and lay there until she found her breath was strong. She didn’t. Instead, she lifted her chin and refused to show any sign of the fumes she currently ran on.
“Let’s go get something to eat and drink.”
She fell into step beside him, and they headed back. At the outskirts of camp, she frowned to see that same brunette woman near Kori. Her anger grew when the woman reached out and laid a hand upon his chest. Gray eyes snared Lera’s, and Kori stepped away from the woman and walked toward Lera.
‘Where have you been, Lera?’
Ensuring her face was a mask of composure, she didn’t respond, continuing on instead to the food tent with Torr.
‘Lera!’
She could feel Kori’s presence behind her and focused on grabbing some bread and cheese along with a mug of what passed as coffee around here. Then, she sat down at the table and began to eat. Strong arms settled upon either side of her, and Kori nuzzled her neck. Electrical impulses rocketed through her. Unfortunately, right on the heels of that, her heightened senses picked up on the sickeningly sweet scent of that other woman, and Lera growled before she could contain it.
“I’m trying to eat, Kori,” she said, proud of how calm she sounded.
He licked along the shell of her ear before straddling the bench and sitting beside her. She knew it was coming, especially given Torr was across from her. Kori reached out and captured her chin in two of his fingers, turning her so they were face to face, then kissed her. Like normal, she began to melt under his lips. She fought hard to remain impassive. Not an easy feat when his tongue slipped into her mouth and stroked along hers.
‘You reek of that man, Lera.’
Her fingers clenched, and she drew back. His eyes were harder than flint. ‘I’m surprised you can smell anything with that woman’s scent all over you.’ Pulling away from his touch, she blinked back tears of frustration and focused on her food.
Two bites were all she got before he said in a determined tone, “Get up, mo anam, or I’ll carry you out of here.”
There was something in his tone that told her he’d do exactly that. Anger vibrated from him and shot along their link. With deliberate slowness, she took a final drink and got to her feet. “Thanks for the workout, Torr. I’ll see you later.”
The large man lifted his glass in salute, a smirk on his face. Without another word, she grabbed her food and walked out, Kori behind her. His body pressed tightly to hers. She knew if she tarried much longer, he’d hurry her along himself. Numerous gazes followed their progress. She had a bored look on her face but knew Kori’s could have frozen hell.
The silence stretched between them even after the flap of the tent dropped into place. With a calm she far from felt, she sat on one of the beds and took a bite from her bread, chewing slowly. Her gaze on Kori, she took in how he moved as he struggled to rein in his emotions. She stared at the flow of his muscles, how ripped his body truly was. His coat lay on the floor, and he wore tight black clothing.
“Talk,” he bit off.
She crossed her legs and rested her elbows on her knees. Forcing her eyes on the food in her hands, she took another bite. His hands gripped her wrists and imprisoned them.
“Damn it, Lera!”
Swallowing hard, she met his gaze. “Don’t curse at me.”
“I told you to stay away from him.”
“And I told you I’m not needing your permission to do things.”
“What were you doing with him?” Each word bitten off.
“What were you doing with her?” she snapped in return.
“Her? Her who?”
“You’ve had so many pawing on you today you need more clarification? Fine, the brunette bitch touching your chest when you saw me.”
“Mauve?” He frowned.
“Sure. I didn’t get her name.” He prowled forward, encroaching on her space. “Get out of my face, Cormac,” she growled.
“Are you jealous?” He nipped the skin behind her ear. “And stop calling me Cormac.”
“Then, stop letting women touch you.”
“You’re jealous.” He sat back on his haunches, anger draining from his expression. “Why are you jealous, mo anam?”
“Why are you?” she retaliated determined not to let whatever it was he called her distract her.
“You were off with Torr, a man whose lust for you is obvious.”
“He took me to a sacred place for the Haikon and then we did some sparring. Torr never touched me in a sexual way, which is more than you can say about Mauve.”
Kori removed the food from her hands and laced their fingers. Kneeling before her, he stared into her eyes. “Valera, there is one woman in this world for me. You. No one else.”
“I want no other.” She wasn’t confident on how to explain to him how Torr or other men were not a sexual threat to him. She wanted no one but him. The thought of another’s touch on her, in a sexual way, filled her with revulsion. However, she also didn’t wish to continue to bring up what happened to her in the past.
His lips touched hers, light, seductive, familiar. “I won’t share you.”
Jerking him so he fell on her, she wrapped her arms around him and deepened the kiss. ‘Neither will I share you.’
‘I don’t like his smell on you.’
‘Least I don’t smell like a brothel.’
He drew back and trailed a finger down the side of her face. “I love you, Lera.”
‘I feel like I’m losing you.’
‘Never!’
Kori hated to admit it but he felt the same. Ever since they arrived here, it was like something continually tried to pull them apart. He didn’t like it at all. Staring down at the woman beneath him, he allowed himself to get lost in the depths of her pooling gaze. He opened the flap back up and saw Torr in his line of sight, and all the jealousy and anger flooded back in.
“I don’t want you around him.”
She narrowed her gaze while she knew he didn’t want her near Torr, she wasn’t about to start letting him dictate to her what she could or couldn’t do. ‘Kori, don’t do this please—’
Lera abruptly fell silent simultaneously as Adric rose with a low, menacing rumble. Kori’s own wolf raced up, and a battle cry sounded from outside. As one, they lunged for the door and burst out to see humans, ater malum, and drekflen attacking. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Lera draw her weapon and charge into the fray. Adric doing the same.
‘Be careful, mo anam.’
He wanted to order her to hide but didn’t waste his breath. She wouldn’t go. He took on two humans who were obviously under someone’s influence and made short work of them before ripping the head off the being before him. Dropping to his knees as his sword went through the gut of his next opponent, Kori gazed around until he found Lera.
She was amazing to watch. All movements fluid and precise. No wasted motion. He wanted her. A wry chuckle escaped as he engaged the ater malum coming at him. Only Lera. Only his mate could bring his mind to sex during a battle.
He fought his way to her side, and by the time they faced their final opponent, it had been a long drawn out battle. She disemboweled him while Kori’s own strike severed the creature’s head from its thick neck. Dark blood poured from it as it dropped lifeless to the snowy ground.
With an assessing gaze, he scanned the battlefield. Vifil had a prisoner, and it was hard for Kori to stand there and not take over. But Vifil was the leader here, not him. So, in
stead, he focused on his mate. Lera stood beside him, her face covered in a mixture of blood, sweat, and exhaustion.
Some of the Haikon women were attending the injuries of their men. He glanced around again the red-stained area, over the bodies of the fallen and realized something. Lera was the only woman on the field who’d partaken in the battle.
The wind carried the unmistakable stench of death. Then, it shifted, and he could identify Lera’s evocative scent. Turning, he stared down at her. Her eyes burned with anger and determination.
“Lera.”
She gestured out with a gloved hand. “This is my fault. I brought this to them.”
“No! Vifil said they’d been hunted for a long time. You know that.”
“Perhaps.” One shoulder lifted in a shrug, and he knew his words fell on deaf ears. “But, because of me, they’re in even more danger.”
“Let’s get you cleaned up.”
It took a bit before she moved to the tent. There weren’t many standing anymore. Kori shared a look with Vifil before he entered behind Lera. Things ready, he crouched before her with a bowl of warmed water and dipped a rag in, soaking a corner. Right before he could touch her skin, Vifil’s voice interrupted.
“Can we come in?”
“Sure,” Kori replied, cleaning the blood and sweat from Lera’s face, all the while maintaining eye contact with her.
“Sorry to intrude but we’re out of places for wounded.”
Kori turned and rose to help some of the injured inside. When he stole a look back at Lera, she had given up her seat to another and was tending to their injuries. ‘I’ll be back, Lera. I’m going to help more wounded.’
‘I’ll be here.’
“Has the prisoner said anything?” he asked Vifil as they walked to the tent with more injured.
“No.”
“Mind if I give it a shot?”
“You have the ability to read minds?” There was hope in his tone.
“I do.”
“Then, do it.” Vifil took the man he’d been helping and used his other shoulder to support him. “I’ll tell your woman. He’s over there by the smoldering tree.”
“Not necessary, but thanks.”
Walking toward his target, he sent a thought to Lera.
‘Mo anam?’
‘Yes, Kori?’
‘I’m off to see what I can learn from the prisoner.’
‘Okay.’ A slight pause. ‘You weren’t injured, were you?’
He stopped by the tree with the trussed up human on it. ‘No, I’m fine. How are you doing?’
‘Just tired.’
‘I’ll be there soon.’
He faced the man and crossed his arms with a sigh. “Who sent you?”
Fearful but defiant blue eyes glared back. “Burn in hell, you demon spawn Haikon. I’ll never give you anything except this. You are going to die.”
Anger overflowed based solely on the fact Lera was Haikon and, therefore, included by the threat. Without a warning, his hand shot out and clamped around the other man’s neck. He allowed his wolf to leak through.
Nose to nose, he hissed, “I’m not Haikon, stupid human. I don’t need your permission to acquire the information you know.” Without care, he thrust hard and deep into the man’s mind, drowning out his screams. Kori’s anger grew as he traveled through this man’s thoughts. And he felt dirty.
He found and latched onto a name when information had been received. Just as abruptly, he jerked out of the mind. Glassy eyes stared at him, and Larry—as he was called—slumped down into a heap on the ground, blood streaming from his nose.
Spinning on his heel, Kori strode back to the tent where he’d left Lera. A quick glance inside told him she wasn’t there.
‘Lera.’
‘I’m with Vifil; we’re in the largest tent.’
Moments later, he pushed his way into said tent. Lera stood toward the back with Vifil. He had her side profile as she faced off with Vifil. Her arms were crossed, and she’d removed her jacket. At her feet, he saw Adric but it wasn’t his eyes which warmed and calmed him when they settled upon him.
Even though she continued her conversation, Lera turned her head briefly to meet Kori’s gaze, and he watched her eyes soften for a short time. Then, they grew businesslike when she focused back on the leader of this ragtag group of Haikon. Other conversations were being entertained but he ignored them, moving to Vifil and Lera. Still, he could tell that some were angry. Torr stood off to one side, and Kori glared at him before sliding an arm around Lera to press a kiss to her cheek.
Take that, you bastard.
Vifil stopped talking and met Kori’s gaze. “Who sent him?”
“His orders came from a man named Sven Hammor. Do you know him?”
The bearded man shook his head. “No. That’s not a familiar name.”
“This was the advance attack party. More are on the way.”
Fire flamed in Vifil’s blue eyes. “They will die.”
“You need to go, Vifil,” Lera said, her voice determined.
“Lera?” Kori asked, dropping his arm and giving her his full attention.
“I was telling Vifil he should take these remaining Haikon and find more. You and I will track down who’s behind this.”
“No.” Vifil frowned. “You are our hope, Lera. You need to go with us and convince others to resurface.”
Kori glanced between the two. He didn’t want her in danger but this was Lera’s decision. He would let her make it and stand beside her, Dane’s warning as plain in his head now as the day it’d been issued.
“No. I bring more danger to the Haikon being here right now. If…when…when Kori and I get to the bottom of this, then we’ll rejoin and go from there. But you need to find as many others as you can.”
“We’ve always been hunted.”
“These drekflen and ater malum are things Kori’s been fighting forever. You have to have some idea of where to look for more Haikon.” Lera shifted on her feet, her unease palpable. “Vifil, this is our best bet. Splitting up, we cover area more at once.”
Vifil scowled. “They won’t believe words. Without you, the prophecy is just that—a prophecy yet to come true. They’ll want visual proof.”
“Visual proof?” Kori could feel her nervousness. “Like a large black wolf combined with the confirmation of your own vaj?”
Kori jerked his gaze to her. She couldn’t be serious. Adric bolted to his feet, lips lifted, exposing large white fangs, and a low menacing rumble left him. Then, he ran out.
“He’ll go with you. Do what you need to, stabilize your wounded and get going. There’s no time to waste, especially with another attack imminent. ” Her words were strained, and her eyes shone with unshed tears but her tone was commanding. Then, she, too, walked out. Head high, face set in determination.
‘Lera?’
Her silence was full of sadness, and he longed to run after her. But this was between her and Adric. So Kori stayed, focusing on Vifil whose expression mirrored everyone else’s.
Shock.
Chapter Fifteen
Lera ran after Adric. But he’d vanished.
‘Adric?’
Nothing. Nausea, which had filled her the moment she had uttered those damning words, increased tenfold.
‘Adric, where are you?’
‘Why do you care, vaj? You are sending me away.’
Pain lanced through her heart. No! She searched frantically for any sign of where he may be, tears blurring her eyes she ran toward the field behind the tents. Pausing at the edge, she scanned the area, desperate to find a black spot amongst the pristine whiteness. The wind began to blow, its chill warm compared to the feeling surrounding her.
‘I’m not sending you away, Adric.’
‘My mistake; what is it called then?’ His voice reached her drenched in sarcasm.
She slid down the trunk of the tree, the rough bark gouging into her, but she didn’t care. Knees drawn up, she wrapped her
arms around her shins and sat there in her black and ruddy leathers in the deep snow. Oblivious to the cold, she cried her frustration out, the screams being whisked away on the swirling and increasing winds.
‘Where are you, mo anam?’
Kori’s voice flowed through her mind like a velvet rope. Squeezing her eyes shut, she shook her head before jumping up, shifting and running off. Kori continued to call to her but she ignored him.
She ran until her lungs felt near to bursting. Back in human form, she remained on the ground, craving the bite from the cold to take her mind off the internal pain she experienced. Tears of agony and heartache poured from behind her shades, the stinging wind nearly freezing them to her skin.
She had run off into a severe storm.
‘Lera! Where are you?’
Eyes remained shut so he couldn’t see her surroundings via them.
‘Lera! Answer me.’ Compulsion drenched his tone but she found the ability to fight it off. His frustration poured over her.
Fingers clenched the snow surrounding them, she struggled for breath. It was difficult, and she wanted her dad. She felt such failure. Intense, overwhelming failure.
‘Vaj, you need to get out of the cold.’
She kept her head down and fought for strength. Her body flooded with the need to hold Adric and to be held by Kori. They gave her the recourse to go on.
‘Vaj, I can’t carry you. Get up. This storm will only get worse. We have to get to shelter.’
She tried to push up but the cold didn’t allow her limbs to work. There was no energy in them. After three feeble attempts, she gave up and fell face first into the snow.
‘Vaj!’
‘I’m sorry, Adric. I just wanted to get stuff done faster.’
‘Get up!’
‘No. Get out of this weather. Save yourself.’ It was as if ice pellets pummeled her skin.
‘I’ll not leave you, vaj.’
The sensation of being dragged was the last thing she remembered before succumbing to the warmth sleep provided.
Popping and crackling woke her. She slowly opened her eyes and saw a fire burning, its heat keeping the chill of the cave at bay. More heat pressed into her from the back. Adric. She longed to move and touch him but she still hurt.
A Love For Lera (Haikon) Page 21