Warden (Elemental Paladins Book 1)

by Montana Ash

  FOURTEEN

  Ryker had watched the proceedings with amusement initially. He knew Darius, Axel and Lark had said that the warden had killed a chade on her own and he had seen the way she handled that freaking sword of hers. She gripped it like an expert, caressed it like a lover and kept it on her person at all times like it was a limb. Only people who had extensive training and motivation treated their weapons like that. His own set of sickles were kept in a black velvet lined box for cripes sake! But as the paladins lined up one after the other to get their arses handed to them, sometimes two at a time, Ryker had stopped being amused. The woman was good. Fuck, she was beyond good. She would put half the paladins on active duty to shame and she had some moves that even he had never seen before. Nobody achieved that level of skill without a massive load of discipline and motivation. And the Goddess knew, fleeing from the chades was a major motivation.

  The others had been amused, then shocked, then stunned, and then proud as they had sparred and lost to the short warden. They had all left a little in awe and a little dazed to go and clean up and get ready for dinner. It meant that Ryker now had the opportunity to observe the woman alone. She had stripped down to a sports bra and her leggings in order to make good on her deal of the hand to hand. She was dirty from being thrown and rolling on the ground and a fine sheen of sweat covered her exposed skin from her exertions. Even though her breasts were tightly restrained, there was no denying their fullness and her waist dipped in before her hips flared out in the timeless shape of the female form. She was the very epitome of a woman. He watched as she glanced down and swore colourfully before chewing off a fingernail that had obviously been broken from all the exercise.

  She might have been a woman but she was by no means a lady.

  It was all Ryker could do not jump her and mount her right there on the dirt. Her sleek muscles had stretched and bunched just as her arse and tits had flexed and bounced with every move she made. But that wasn’t what turned him on the most, no, it was the look in her eyes. She had the look of a warrior; confident, lethal and charmed by the violence. He bet she would be the best screw of his life. And to top it all off? She had a massive tattoo covering the whole length of her back. He couldn’t make out the design in its entirety but it looked to be some sort of comic book pattern in hues of greys, blacks and whites. There were specks of colours here and there, but again he wasn’t close enough to figure out what they were.

  Ryker loved tattoos.

  “Are you going to stand there all day or are you going to take your turn?”

  Shit! She was looking directly at him and talking. He was practically standing there with his dick in his hand and Max had managed to catch him off guard. It took him a moment for his big brain to compute what she had said. “I’m not sparring with you.”

  Her head cocked to the side, messy hair escaping the loose confines of her hair band. “Why not? The deal is still on the table. I did say if any of you paladins could beat me, I would back off. You could redeem the honour on behalf of your fellow knights.”

  “No dice.” He said, deadpan.

  Her cyan eyes sparkled with mischief and challenge. “Scared?”

  Hell yes, he was scared! Scared of fucking you into the ground, he thought. Instead of saying that though he answered with an alternate truth, “No need for a re-match. Anyone who can fight that well deserves the title of Victor.”

  “Really?” She narrowed her eyes and drew the word out as if suspicious.

  “Yes, really. You’re a skilled fighter. It must have taken you hundreds of hours and many years of discipline to be this good. I have no doubt you are a worthy opponent for any soldier or any chade as I am sure has been the case.”

  She sauntered slowly toward him, sweat gleaming enticingly on her exposed abs. Eyes up, soldier! He commanded himself. When she was within touching distance she paused and eyed him from top to toes … twice.

  “Who are you and what have you done with the Inmate? The only time I hear you do more than grunt is when you’re insulting me or being a prick in general.” She said finally.

  Although not thrilled with the nickname she had chosen for him and not exactly his intention, he was actually pleased with the perception she had formed of him. He did not want her getting comfortable here and he definitely did not want her discerning little butt noticing his inappropriate attraction to her. So instead of answering her, he merely grunted. Unfortunately, she found that to be amusing as a deep-set dimple flashed from one corner of her mouth. It wasn’t present on both sides and Ryker found the asymmetry oddly alluring.

  “So you’re not going to spar with me?”

  “No sparring.”

  “Because I’m hot shit and way awesome?”

  Way awesome? “Your words. Not mine.” Ryker answered, reverting to his stunted vocabulary.

  “And it’s not because I have a vagina?”

  Ryker laughed – he actually laughed. He had no idea what the woman was going to say or do next but he found himself thoroughly enjoying her, despite the fact that she was a warden. The look of astonishment on Max’s face said she was just as surprised by his amusement as he was. He answered her;

  “No. It’s not because you have a vagina. Cali and Diana, although you haven’t met her, both have vaginas as well and they are two of the best paladins I have ever had the pleasure to work with.”

  “Cali made a few comments that made me think your whole warden/paladin society thing is a little misogynistic …” Max let the sentence trail off inquiringly.

  Ryker snorted rudely, “That’s an understatement. Female paladins are few and far between. Those that are born are accepted in society but never really as warriors. They accumulate vitality the same as the males do so they still have a purpose in serving wardens but they are rarely recruited to be soldiers.”

  “Then why do you allow Cali – and Diana – to fight? Why do you have two female paladins in your Order?” She questioned.

  Dammit. He should never have opened a dialogue with her. There would be no shutting her up now, he figured. But the most expedient way to get down to the bottom of the Max-Mystery would be to share information with her. Once she was lulled into feeling secure with them, he could then pry those secrets she had buried deep out of her in return. She had revealed very little personal information over the last two weeks. So he replied, “Firstly, we are not an Order. Secondly, because it doesn’t matter to me. They sacrifice and serve just as well as any man. They uphold the paladin creed with every fibre of their being. I don’t care what’s between their legs.”

  She did that whole body once over again with those peepers of hers and he forced himself not to react physically to the visual caress. She then searched his gaze for a moment before scrunching her nose adorably. No, not adorably he amended. He didn’t find anything adorable, not even baby bunny rabbits with flopsy ears. And wardens were absolutely, completely, unequivocally, very un-adorable.

  “You surprise me. That doesn’t happen often.”

  “Why?”

  “I pegged you for being sexist ... like, super sexist.”

  “Why?” He repeated, curious despite himself. He was a firm believer in equality regardless of the situation. What the fuck did he care if someone was male or female, black or white, gay or straight? As long as they didn’t piss him off, he could care less what they did.

  “Well, you’re very … Alpha.” Her gaze turned dark and her voice lowered about three octaves on the word ‘alpha’. It took on a smoky, husky quality that had his dick straining the confines of his pants for freedom.

  She was correct; he was exceedingly Alpha.

  But being a leader and having a dominant personality did not preclude having a brain. It also seemed that the thought of him as such turned the feisty little warden on. He had been correct in his initial assumptions that her eyes would darken with desire. Now if only he could find out if they would lighten in ecstasy …

  “Can I touch your scar?”
/>   “What?” Now that made his blood rush north again.

  “Your scar. Can I touch it?”

  It was on the tip of his tongue to tell her to fuck off. Here he was with his fantasies of a naked, rosy Max and she was bringing up the very obvious, very public symbol of his disgrace. The offending mark throbbed in remembered pain from the horror of the day fifty years ago when he had received it. He went from horny to livid in a millisecond. Berating himself for his stupidity for allowing a conversation to develop between them he scowled down at the woman, ready to blast her. He found himself stilling in astonishment when he saw her eyeing the disfigurement and licking her lips. The heat in her gaze was smouldering and he patted his shirt in case it had been burned off him. His initial assumption had been way off the mark. Scars clearly turned her on.

  The female was feisty, curvy, sexy, tattooed, and … kinky. She was absolutely fucking perfect!

  One second they were both upright and the next thing he knew they were horizontal in the dirt. Her legs were wrapped around his hips and he had both hands filled with lush, soft flesh. He buried his face where neck met shoulder and inhaled deeply, taking in her natural coconut and cinnamon scent. He groaned in delight at the tropical smell and couldn’t stop himself from nibbling a path up the tendons to the sensitive patch of flesh behind her right ear. Max shuddered and moaned tilting her head to the side, the sensual movement a subconscious show of submission. Ryker swirled his tongue in reward, tasting the saltiness on her skin from her earlier exertions. He rocked his hips, his hardness seeking out her softness and when Max undulated under him in response he had to grit his teeth to stop himself from blowing like a teenager.

  Her body moved in fluid waves, her hips swaying in direct counterpoint to his causing an erotic friction even through the layers of their clothes. Squeezing the breasts he held firmly in his palms he delighted in the whimpering noises she made in the back of her throat. Her back arched, pressing those luscious mounds more firmly into his callused hands and her dark lashes fluttered, half obscuring her glittering eyes. He had been wrong; her eyes didn’t change from dark to light. They came alive, sparkling and flashing, mimicking the fire in her body. Unable to think of anything other than assuaging the urgent need pounding through his body, his reached down to unzip his fly … only to find himself on his back blinking up at the darkening sky.

  What ... the … fuck?

  A low snarl alerted him to the fact that he and Max were no longer alone and he rolled quickly to avoid the heavy paladin boot trying to stomp him into the dirt. Flipping himself to his feet he used his forearm to block the spinning kick that would have likely taken his head off. Catching the offending foot, he gave a sharp twist with his hands forcing the attacker to twist his entire body or risk a dislocated ankle. The man landed in a crouch, not at all off balance or out of breath. But then, Ryker expected no less of the fire paladin, he was a fierce fighter because he hated to lose and his wrath flared just as hot as his element.

  Max had obviously recovered from her own shock for she ran between them, arms outstretched. “Axel! What the hell are you doing?”

  Axel never took his eyes off him, he was a true predator just like Ryker and his lips quirked despite himself. The fucker wouldn’t go down easy.

  “Get inside now, Max.” Axel ordered.

  “Excuse me?” Max’s tone was incredulous as her eyes darted back and forth between the two of them.

  “Please.” The word was ground out between Axel’s clenched teeth.

  She looked to Ryker as if seeking assistance or maybe even expecting him to oppose Axel. Instead, he purposefully avoided her gaze. He knew why Axel was delivering this arse-kicking and it was well deserved. What had he been thinking?

  Max huffed in disgust, “Men!”

  He felt the warm swish of air as she brushed by him and caught the lingering smell of the coconut scent she left behind. Distracted, Axel swooped in fast and low and managed to get in a cheap shot to the kidney before he was able to defend himself. Roaring, he spun and kicked his fellow knight in the solar plexus but the bastard didn’t go down. Blood boiling now with a combination of sexual angst and male ego, he went for brute strength and crash-tackled the paladin low and hard, slamming them both into the unforgiving ground. Axel was able to move as fluidly as fire in the breeze and he scissored his legs, reversing their positions with Axel now on top and a huge fist travelling directly for his head.

  Instead of trying to avoid the impact, Ryker simply let himself go limp, hoping the blow and the resulting concussion would knock some sense into his messed up cerebral cortex. But the knock never arrived, Axel pulling his punch a hair breath from impact and Ryker silently applauded him for his control. He didn’t think he would have been able to stop himself had the situation been reversed. Axel pushed himself back roughly, planting his arse on the ground. Ryker didn’t bother to move and stayed on his back throwing an arm over his eyes – not that there was any way he could hide from the lecture sure to follow.

  “Fuck me sideways man! I should kick your motherfucking hide across the motherfucking yard! She’s a Warden, Ryker! She may not act like one and she may not speak like one, but she is. Her ignorance doesn’t change her birthright. She’s a warden,” he repeated, “start treating her like one or I won’t hold back next time. She’s too good for the likes of you.” The last part was snarled in derision and Ryker cringed as he felt the heat of the words.

  The old adage, the truth hurts? So very right. How could he have forgotten his place for even a second? Not only was he not permitted to dally with a warden due to his paladin status but he was also a disgraced knight in their society with no warden, no Order and a faded Heraldry on his arm. He had no right whatsoever to even think about bedding Max, let alone touch her in any way.

  “Ry?”

  Ryker studiously ignored Axel, naively hoping the man would just consider his job of ‘virtue defender’ upheld and be on his way. But of course he hadn’t finished paying his dues yet.

  “Ry? Come on, man. Look at me.”

  He sighed and removed his arm as he sat upright. He thought he had successfully composed his features to his trademark blank façade but clearly he was wrong for Axel said;

  “Aww, hell man … you like her!”

  Yeah, so not happening, he thought. “So do you.” He slashed a hand through the air in irritation when Axel opened his mouth in denial. “Don’t try to deny it.”

  “I wasn’t going to. Yeah, I like her. We all do. But not the same way you do apparently.” Axel stood up and brushed off his pants. “I know I tease and I flirt but I don’t think of her that way. She’s too … sweet.”

  Ryker glared at the man in disbelief, “Sweet? That woman’s mouth could burn the ears off a sailor!”

  Axel shook his head and offered him a hand up. Ryker didn’t hesitate as he gripped the strong arm and allowed himself to be wrenched to his feet. Now that his blood had started to cool he was infinitely grateful that the younger man had intervened and stopped what would have been a monumental mistake.

  “I wasn’t referring to her vocabulary, the Goddess knows that is very … colourful. I was taking about her nature. Under that tough exterior there is an innocence there, a purity. The woman practically glows with it. Don’t tell me you can’t see it.”

  Oh, Ryker saw it. He also felt it, given his low grade empath abilities. It was one of the reasons he was so drawn to her. He wanted to bask in that warmth and that light, maybe selfishly hoping it would outshine the darkness in his own soul. And that was entirely unfair of him, he knew. It wasn’t her job to heal his delicate wounded psyche. She had bigger fish to fry, like ensuring the world didn’t go down the crapper.

  “I mean shit, Ry. She’s a fucking warden. What were you thinking?”

  Apparently, Axel repeating that Max was a warden over and over again was supposed to make it sink into his thick skull. The problem was he hadn’t been thinking, not with his upstairs brain anyway. It was a mista
ke he wouldn’t make again. He rubbed his hands over his face roughly then turned to Axel.

  “I wasn’t thinking. Don’t worry, it won’t happen again. I give you my word.” He locked gazes and offered his right hand. Just as Ryker had accepted the arm up, Axel didn’t hesitate to grip the outstretched palm. Ryker gave a firm squeeze to seal the apology and offer thanks before adding just enough pressure to be uncomfortable. “But don’t think I’ll let you get away with another stunt like that. Kidney-whip me again and I’ll lay you up for a week.”

  “Whatever you say, old man.” Axel grinned with his trademark cheek before his dimples were replaced with a serious expression. “I didn’t mean it like it sounded when I said she was too good for you. I –”

  “Stop. I get it, don’t worry.” Ryker didn’t want to hear the paladin apologising for hurting his fragile feelings. He also didn’t want to see the pity in his clear blue eyes. But apparently he was determined to embarrass Ryker further for he continued on stubbornly;

  “I just don’t want to see either of you get hurt or the situation to get messy. This attraction can only lead one way; down a short road straight to nowhere.” His sapphire eyes darkened and Ryker could discern a wealth of anger and pain in them. “Take it from someone who knows.”

  Before he could formulate a response, Axel spun on his heel and strode resolutely away from him in the opposite direction of the house towards the beach. His broad shoulders were stiff but he walked straight and tall. Feeling sorry for his friend and disgusted with himself, Ryker knew he should really listen to the expert here. And that was, unfortunately for them both, Axel.

  FIFTEEN

  Max was livid … and confused … and livid. She was also horny as hell! She was finally able to maul the object of her lust like she’d been dreaming about and Axel swoops in like some, well, knight! She couldn’t believe the nerve of the man. Just who did he think he was? And to add insult to injury she didn’t even get to watch as the two warriors fought each other. Oh boy, she wished she could have seen the two males grappling with each other in all their muscled glory. But no! She had been sent to her room like some teenager with a curfew. If they thought they could order her around and deprive her of a real honest to goodness male-induced orgasm, they had another thought coming!