Trained in Blood [Lords of the Expanse 2] (Siren Publishing Classic)

by Honor James

  Nodding Titan followed behind her into the bedroom and waited as she tucked him into his bed. Moving closer he leaned in and pressed a light kiss to his forehead. “Rest well, my son,” he murmured, making him a silent promise to speak with him later about his mother and her ideals.

  When he pulled back Violet went into his arms and hugged Titan tightly. “He’s perfect, Titan. Delfan is the perfect little boy but how could we ever have expected anything less since he is your son?”

  And then she kept on saying things like that. She knew he hated hearing compliments. All men of their species did. It went against everything they were. His cheeks heating he patted her back even as he squirmed under her appraisal.

  She looked up at him and smiled. “How about you and I go and have some quiet time, Titan? Sitting before a fire to hopefully get the chill of winter out of our bones and just simply enjoy the moment’s peace that we have?”

  Nodding to her he nudged her toward the door. His gaze falling on his son for a moment, and smiling slightly, he followed on her heels. Closing the door to the nursery most of the way, leaving just enough of a gap to hear if Delfan needed them, he watched his wife move, thrilled to his very soul by her.

  Violet looked over her shoulder at him and grinned. “Do you realize that I can feel you watching me each time that you watch me and the way that I move? I don’t know why but I can feel your eyes on me when you’re watching me walk.”

  “Probably because I’m imagining all sorts of wicked and deliciously divine things to do with your lithe and luscious body,” he told her in a low and needy tone but kept his expression and body relaxed at her sharp look.

  “Well who am I to argue with what a man wants?” Violet turned and looked him up and down. “Because I have to tell you, Titan, this is a complete win for me, darling.”

  “I sort of figured you would think that,” he murmured to her as he stalked slowly closer to her. When he was but a couple feet away, he shot out his arm and pulled her off her feet against his chest. “I think we should have a long hot bath together and perhaps a massage for my Lady wife after?” he asked with a hint of a smile.

  “Oh honey.” She ran her hands slowly over his chest. “Are you telling me that you will give me a massage or that you will have someone else come in and oil their hands up, rubbing and touching my naked body all over?” She sounded very hopeful.

  Growling at her he knew the beast pushed at the edges of his sanity. “No one touches your body with oil but for me, love,” he said softly, his voice more than a little guttural. Lowering his head he bit her shoulder in reprimand. “You ever have any but a female give you a massage and I will be very, very upset.”

  “That’s a good thing because you’re the only one that I want to give me a massage so you need to make sure that you have that in the back of your mind, sweetheart.” Shivering slightly she added, “And no one gets to massage you with oil, male or female, just me.”

  “Done,” he told her softly, sliding his tongue over the small scrapes he’d caused on her skin. “So, do you want your massage or are we going to continue on this line of discussion with no action?” he asked with a hint of a smile in his voice.

  “Oh no, I want my massage. I want to feel your oily hands over my body and slicking me up.” She looked into his eyes as she added, “I want to feel your fingers all slick with oil moving in and out of both my ass and there, but only if you’re okay with it…”

  “Darling, I’m okay with anything that you are good with, you know that,” he told her softly, touching her cheek gently with his lips. “As long as it pleasures you it pleasures me. It’s how our relationship works.”

  “Well we are in trouble because what pleases you pleases me as well so either everything will make us happy and give us pleasure or we are both giving the pleasure to the other without really knowing it.” She was confusing with her words, and must have realized it as she held up a hand with a resigned look on her face. “Don’t.” She nodded. “All right, let’s you and I get out of here, shall we?”

  Nodding he encouraged her on her way down the hall with a shake of his head. He’d figured out what she’d been trying to say even though she’d appeared confused by her twisting and turning logic. It all made total sense but he’d keep that to himself for a while and just enjoy the view. Which, he smiled, he noticed was all the better with her swinging her hips ever so much more enthusiastically.

  She turned back when they entered their bedroom and without even pausing began to strip off her clothes. “How long has it been, Titan?” It felt like an eternity since they had been together now that she mentioned it. “Gods you are giving me that look.” She smiled slightly and tipped her head. “Oh yes, that one.”

  “Too long,” he said, his voice nearly a purr as the beast rose up slightly, the need for their soul tie strong. “Much, much too long.” He breathed out as he began to toss his clothing every which way uncaring if everything wrinkled. His need for her too much for him to think on anything but her.

  As soon as they were both naked they met in the middle of the room, her jumping into his arms and him catching her as they began to kiss fiercely even as she took him into her body roughly. Her hands fisted in his hair, tugging it and then pulling back. “We both need to scream, Titan. Gods help us, we can’t ever wait this long again.”

  “Never,” he promised in a guttural tone, turning to push her back to the wall. Gripping her bottom in rough hands though he was careful not to hurt her he drove his body into hers, more of a rutting than love making. He needed the edge off his desires. It had been too damned long.

  She wasn’t complaining because she was just as desperate and needy, her hands proving that as they didn’t stay on one part of him long. They had been away from each other for too long, with the way that things happened after Delfan’s birth. She kissed him with the same rough need as he did, demanding satisfaction.

  Sucking on her tongue and drinking in her taste Titan let the beast slip its leash to claim his mate once more. Growling deep in his throat he marked her as his with each thrust of his hips, his cock spearing her cunt deeper and deeper each time. He had been so afraid for her and he knew some of that desperation was fueling him. Uncaring, he just loved his woman.

  Violet’s hands moved over his shoulders, up his neck, and back down again. Releasing her lips finally so they could breathe, she threw her head back and gasped, shuddering there in his arms.

  Burying himself deep into her pussy he shuddered his own release, her name a prayer that slipped past his lips to blend with her own sounds of pleasure. Wrapping her closer he held her to him tightly, sucking in air over and over again and trying, unsuccessfully, to lower his heart rate from frantic to normal.

  She simply held onto him for many long minutes until finally she whispered, “I love you, Titan.” Rubbing her cheek against his lip she squeezed.

  “Love you, Violet,” he gasped out, his knees shaking slightly. Shuddering he lifted his head to look at her. “We should go and lay down I think,” he told her, not sure if he could actually keep them upright for much longer.

  “Yes, I agree totally because I can’t stand right now and you’re shaking.” She looked up to him and smiled. “Bed, we need the bed, husband. We will rest and nap and do this all over again and again as much as we possibly can before we need to get up and feed our son.”

  With her hopeful thoughts in mind he lifted her away from the wall and, cradling her close, wove a path to their bed. Hitting his knees on the mattress with a small grunt he inched up the bed before lying down with her and, in a last burst of energy, rolled to his back so he didn’t squish her.

  She rolled at him, tugging the blankets up and over them before she closed her eyes and kissed his chest before falling asleep against his side.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  “Violet, love of my life,” Titan called to her, again. “Darling, you need to wake up, my sweet,” he told her and wondered how she wasn’t already. “Viole
t, your son is climbing out the window to meet with some strange girl in the hopes of having sex,” he told her in a desperate need to get her awake so their son’s hungry cries could be answered.

  “You are an evil man, Titan.” Violet grumbled but moved from their warm bed with laughter on her lips. “You are as able as I am to feed our son, love. Come on, Titan, you get to change the diaper afterward.”

  “I would have fed him, but I have this dead weight of a delightful female on my chest and, though I could have tossed her off, I was living in fear of the reprisal,” he teased her, hating to hear the pain in her voice. She couldn’t feed her babe as she wished and he knew it was cutting her deep each time the reminder was made.

  “Well it’s a good thing you didn’t throw me off.” She smiled and moved toward the door as she belted his robe around her middle. “Are you coming, husband?”

  Rolling his eyes he rolled off the bed and, snagging up a pair of pants, tugged them on as he hopped after her and buttoned them. Catching up with her he stroked his hands over her hips. “I love you, Violet,” he murmured, kissing her neck as they reached their annoyed son.

  “That’s a very good thing.” She placed her hands on his only a moment before she pulled away and moved to their son. “Hello there, Delfan, Mommy didn’t want to wake, love.” She leaned in and picked him up even while looking to Titan. “Will you get our bottle, darling?” she asked and took a seat, offering up her finger to Delfan to stall the progress of his cries while she began to slowly rock him.

  Grabbing the bottle he warmed it between his palms as he walked back over to her. Sitting on the floor at her feet he passed the bottle up and leaned his head to her knee. Stroking a hand up and down her calf he watched as Delfan took the bottle with hunger and snorted for a moment in displeasure before settling down to eat.

  She stared at Delfan as he suckled for several long minutes before she smiled down at him. “Thank you for sharing this with me, Titan. I’m sure that not every man wants to have to get up at all hours of the night just to spend it feeding their son.”

  “The smart ones do,” he told her with a soft smile that turned devilish. “If he ever wants another peaceful night’s rest that is,” he teased, tongue in cheek. Chuckling when she shot him a look he rubbed his cheek on her leg. “I never want to miss anything in his life if I can help it. I know I won’t always be around for all of the moments, but the ones I am here for I intend to have tucked away in my memories.”

  She smiled and nodded. “I know. It will be hard when we can’t be there for him but while we can we will make as many really great memories as we can.” Looking down into the face of their son she smiled. “I know he will have to be sent to Academy when he hits puberty but we will need to work with him a lot before then.” They had to teach him to always be on his guard, and more than that how to deal with the visions, if hers was accurate.

  “He’ll be just fine, love. If he’s anything like you, he’ll be strong and firm in his resolve,” he said softly. “I know that he’ll be great, just as his mother is.”

  “You are too sweet, love.” Violet closed her eyes and sighed. “I guess only time will tell, right?” She hated to leave it to chance, to time, but in the end that was all they could do.

  “We’ll be there for him, love, and we will guide him,” he said softly and then grinned. “Well, technically you will guide him in this. I’ll be there for moral support.”

  “You will guide him in a lot, Titan, in how to protect himself when he is away from us for one.” She sighed and closed her eyes. “We will have a lot that we will need to teach him in a short amount of time. Are you certain that we can do this, darling?”

  Nodding so she’d feel the action on her leg he squeezed her calf gently. “We are together in this, love. We can do anything as a unit. Believe in us, love, in our love for one another and our son and we’ll never fail.”

  Violet smiled and nodded. “I fully believe in you, darling. I believe in us as well.” Because in all honesty she did believe in them. “I need to burp him now. Will you take his bottle?” she asked after a time when she took the bottle from Delfan’s lips and smiled as he kicked and moved in displeasure.

  Taking the bottle from her he watched her as she adjusted their son and rubbed his back. “You had better believe in us, love, because I know I do and I know that between us nothing is impossible.”

  As she rubbed at Delfan’s back Violet only nodded. “It’s just so vivid.” She admitted, “The vision of what’s to come. It’s haunting me, Titan, and I’m trying to keep it at bay but I’m afraid that we will miss a step somewhere. I need you to make sure that he is ready, that we are ready, Titan. I can’t do this alone and like you said, between the two of us nothing is impossible.”

  Kissing her knee gently he smiled up at her. “A little faith, darling. Now.” He sat up to look at her full on. “I think we should take the little man to the kitchen, get some food, and let the staff coo and make faces at our baby.”

  Violet smiled a slightly watery smile and as she dashed at the tears grumbled about “hormones.” Standing with their son in her arms she nuzzled against his little head as he looked up at her. “Oh my little man.” She whispered, “Mommy loves you so very much. Daddy and I will ensure you’re safe until you can ensure your own safety.”

  Shaking his head at the silliness of his woman Titan wrapped his arm around them both and guided them out of the nursery. “I think he’s going to have the best of lives, Vi,” he commented softly. “I don’t see the future and pray I never do, too scary for me.” He grinned. “But I think he will have a great life, lots of friends, and a love that will truly be more than either of us could ever hope for him.”

  “I know that he will. I just hope that he will recognize her instead of shunning her the way that I think he will. Anyway, we will help him as best we can when we can, Titan, all right?”

  “Of course we will, love,” he told her quietly, hugging her a little closer before loosening his hold to give her ease of walking and moving. “I don’t know what our son will do when he finds his soul tie, but I have a feeling that he’ll resist until she makes him realize how dumb that plan of action is.”

  Violet snorted and chuckled. “Seems I know someone who was kinda like that, too.” She winked at him and then heaved a big sigh. “Well whatever he does I hope that it’s going to be right for him, right for what he has happening in his life, Titan.”

  “Of course it will be,” Titan murmured softly and wondered if she was rubbing off on him more than he realized. He had the oddest feeling at her words. Rubbing his hand up and down her back he guided her to the kitchen and the awaiting staff.

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Several years later

  “Mommy,” the little dark-haired boy spoke softly as he looked up at his mother, “I don’t want you and Daddy to go to the trip because there is someone who is going to try to kill you and then me.” He said it so casually, so simply that it took Violet several seconds to realize just what he had said.

  “Delfan,” she whispered and looked up to see if Titan was close enough to hear what their son said, “what do you mean that someone is going to try to kill me and then you?”

  “Because it’s in the daydreams that keep coming, Mommy. You are there but there’s somebody else who always makes me feel better.” He shrugged. “But she’s not there for me for a long time, Mommy. It’s sad to grow up without her.”

  Violet’s heart clenched because she knew what Delfan was saying. He would lose a woman he cared for before his soul tie came in and that was going to hurt him, but the way that he saw it, it was killing her.

  Walking closer to his family Titan froze at the look of absolute sorrow on his soul tie’s face. Picking up the pace he touched her as soon as he reached them. “What’s wrong ?” he asked in a gentle voice trying not to panic, but he was damned close to it.

  “Later, Titan.” She shook her head at him, her gaze darting to their son
and back to him a couple of times. “Delfan, why don’t you show your father what you can do now.” She moved toward Titan and wrapped her arms around his middle and just held on. They stood watching their son as he moved through the motions once more and showed his father the way he had mastered his newest trick with the bow and arrows.

  One eye on their son Titan held his soul tie close, his hands moving in soothing motions over her back trying to calm her. He could feel the tension radiating from her body and knew that something was up, something huge. Dropping a kiss on the top of her head he praised his son as he watched amazed at the skill with which he held and used the bow.

  * * * *

  Many hours later Titan and Violet lay in their bed, naked and limbs intertwined when she said, “He is having more visions, Titan.” She whispered, “He told me that he knows that he will have one woman break his heart because she isn’t his soul tie but he will care for her anyway.” She said with a sadness she couldn’t hide, “But he also knows that one day he will have a soul tie, but first he will be hurt.”

  “It is the same as the one you had early in your pregnancy,” he murmured softly stroking his fingers leisurely up and down her arm. “There is nothing we can do about it, Violet. It’s not like he can avoid all women so he does not have to suffer the loss. Because, from what you said and what you are telling me he’s imparted to you, if he does not have the loss he will never meet his soul tie.”

  “I know, Titan, but it doesn’t make it any better,” she said simply. “It hurts to hear him say these things, to know that he is having the same visions of the future that I am.” She whispered and looked up at him, “And no, if he doesn’t have the loss he will never meet his soul tie. Their paths will never cross without this injury to his soul.”

  “The die is cast love,” Titan murmured softly. “All we can do is be there for him and help him to see beyond the pain he will suffer, to look and truly see what he might be missing by savoring and holding his pain too close. But we can’t push, Violet. No matter how much it pains us to see him with the pain in his eyes, we need to allow him to go at his own pace.”