Bound by Darkness

by Alexis Morgan

  Finally, the last few words faded into the silence as Larem stood back up. His friend reached out to steady him, well aware that the magic took its toll, especially when Larem was already tired to begin with.

  He immediately sensed they were no longer alone. Lonzo had returned with reinforcements.

  “Devlin.”

  A faint hint of a familiar perfume told him that Devlin hadn’t come alone. “Sasha.”

  Sighing, he turned to face the pair. “He’s all yours, Devlin. Hunter can fill you in on the details.”

  The Paladin leader studied the body slumped against the wall. “Hell, from what Lonzo told me, I expected to be burying the bastard.”

  Hunter and Lonzo laughed, but Sasha didn’t look at all amused. In fact, she looked ready to explode. She stepped past Larem as if he weren’t even there to stand over Duke’s body.

  When she spotted the blood, her face turned ashen. “For God’s sake, Larem, what did you do? Someone call for a medical team.”

  “Belay that order.” Devlin squatted down to check Duke’s injuries. “He’s not badly hurt. Nothing an ice pack and a couple of aspirin won’t cure.”

  After using the hem of the man’s own shirt to wipe away some of the blood, Devlin shot Larem a questioning look. He shrugged, not wanting to discuss his reasons for undoing some of the damage he’d caused the guard.

  “Lonzo, you and Hunter drag Duke downstairs to first aid. Laurel can check him over when she gets here.”

  The two warriors strong-armed Duke up off the floor and wrapped his arms across their broad shoulders. They half-carried, half-dragged the unconscious guard down the hall and out of sight. They weren’t being particularly careful with how they handled him, an unspoken show of support for Larem that he appreciated. When they were gone, Larem picked up Lonzo’s sword and waited for the storm to break. It didn’t take long.

  Devlin spread his feet and crossed his arms over his chest. It seemed that they were about to get a demonstration of his famous hot temper. Fine, he could unleash his wrath on Larem if he wanted to, but he’d better watch his mouth around Sasha.

  “Okay, which one of you two want to explain to me what the hell happened here?”

  Sasha’s mouth was a straight slash as she threw back her shoulders, ready to do battle. Obviously she’d thought she’d be the one demanding answers rather than giving them.

  “Your questions can wait, Devlin. Right now, I want to hear what Larem thought he was accomplishing by attacking a guard. I had already told them they were suspended and, pending review, possibly fired.”

  This was definitely not the time to be laughing. However, it was pretty damn funny watching a mountain of a man face off against a wisp of a woman and come out on the losing end of a glaring contest.

  Right now, Larem would put his money on Sasha, but it would be better for all concerned if he drew their attention back to himself. He addressed his remarks directly to Devlin, hoping it would help him suppress the powerful emotions threatening to resurface as he recalled the events that had led him to this point in time.

  “After I finished my bouts down below, I happened to look up and spotted Sasha watching from that window on the far end. When she turned to look at someone standing near her, I noticed her expression go from curious to worried, which led me to think that she was in danger.”

  She just had to contradict him. “I was handling it. And I was angry, not scared. You overreacted.”

  “I would dispute that, but if you say you were just angry, fine. Human emotions are not always clear to us poor aliens. Hunter and Lonzo accompanied me to offer their support if needed.”

  Ignoring how she flinched at the reminder of his heritage, he picked up where he’d left off. “Three of the guards had her cornered and were insulting her. Then Duke pushed her too far, and Sasha kneed the bastard. He shoved her against the wall and was preparing to hit her when we arrived.”

  Devlin was nodding. “Sounds like you handled this about right, although I’m also guessing there’s something you’re not telling me.”

  Larem reluctantly continued. If he went much further with the explanation, Devlin would figure out there was more to Larem and Sasha’s relationship than either of them wanted him to know. All Larem could do was tread carefully.

  “Duke had been spying on Sasha for an anonymous party. Seems he’s not happy with things around here.”

  It would be too much to ask that Devlin stop there. But no, the man was like one of those hounds Dr. Isaac had told Larem about, the kind that stuck to a trail no matter what.

  “And if Duke was spying on you, Sasha, care to share what he might have seen?”

  Then he shot a suspicious look in Larem’s direction when he added, “Or who?”

  “Stop right there, Devlin.” Larem stepped between Sasha and the Paladin. “It’s enough for you to know that Lonzo and I offered to give her a ride back after the barbecue Saturday night. When Lonzo got your call to report in, he dropped the two of us off outside her hotel. While we were standing on the sidewalk, Duke shot at us with a paint ball, although we didn’t know it was him at the time. I’m also sure that he followed me as I walked home.”

  “And what time was that?”

  Sasha’s cheeks turned pink, answering Devlin’s real question even as she tried to deflect it. “How is that pertinent? I’d suggest you concentrate on finding out what Duke was up to.”

  “Fine, we’ll play it your way.” Devlin poked his finger toward Larem. “You and I will talk later. For now, go home and lie low. I know where to find you if I need you.”

  Then he walked off, leaving Larem alone with Sasha, perhaps not the best of ideas. As tired as he was, the last thing he wanted right now was another confrontation, especially with her.

  As soon as Devlin was out of sight, Sasha turned her attention to Larem. But before she could say a word, he held up a hand to forestall her.

  “Sasha, can we not do this now? Hunter and Lonzo are waiting for me.”

  She was already shaking her head as she mimicked Devlin’s earlier stance, arms crossed, feet firmly planted. “Tough. They can wait.”

  If she wanted to do this now, fine. He crossed to the window and yelled down, “Lonzo! Hunter! Go on without me. I’ll catch up with you later.”

  Then he set down both swords and leaned his back against the wall, his arms crossed just like hers.

  “So what do you want to talk about?” he asked, careful not to laugh when she stomped her foot in frustration.

  She flung her hands out to the sides. “Darn it, Larem, don’t be a fool. I know you better than that. What were you thinking, confronting three guards like that?”

  After seeing him fight, did she really think he couldn’t handle three humans by himself? He pushed away from the wall and glared at her. “I was never in any danger. On his best day, not one of those guards could outfight a Kalith warrior.”

  She rolled her eyes. “You think I don’t know that? But what if they’d pulled a gun? No matter how fast you are with that sword, you can’t outsmart a bullet.”

  That she was worried about his safety pleased him. “So then what’s the problem? Those men were clearly out of line.”

  “It’s enough that they’ll be suspended and maybe even fired, but you had to resort to violence. Don’t you think that was a bit extreme?”

  No, he didn’t. It was bad enough what they’d said about Hunter, but Duke’s behavior toward Sasha was unforgivable. “Duke had to be punished for what he said about you, about us. I am a Blademate to a Sworn Guardian, Sasha. It is my life’s purpose to protect those I care about. I would not be worthy of the title if I were to let scum like Duke insult the woman I—”

  Whoa, going too far with that. “If I hadn’t challenged him, Hunter or Lonzo would have. It was my duty and my honor to do so. Duke should count his blessings that he still breathes. And if you think Devlin or Trahern would’ve handled the situation any differently had their females been involved, you don
’t know them very well.”

  Sasha was so out of her depth right now. This man had already killed once to protect her and almost did so again. How was she supposed to deal with something like that? Part of her wanted nothing to do with a man capable of such violence, but she also felt grateful. That he was equally capable of amazing tenderness and passion only served to confuse her even more.

  She made the only choice that made sense. “I can’t do this.”

  “Then don’t. We’ve already made that decision. If Duke hadn’t stuck his nose in our business, we wouldn’t even be having this conversation, especially if you’d stayed away from here in the first place. I don’t remember anyone inviting you to join today’s festivities.”

  Larem leaned in closer, crowding her physically now as well as emotionally. She could’ve told him not to bother. After spending her whole life surrounded by dominant men, she’d learned to stand her ground or be trampled in the process.

  Drawing on all the authority she could muster, she let him have it. “I’m in charge around here, or hadn’t you noticed? I have every right to observe anything that goes on, even if it’s a bunch of boneheaded men playing games.”

  Larem laughed, but it had nothing to do with humor. “You may pay the bills, Sasha, but that’s not the same as running the place. Devlin is the one whose word is law. Without his support, you would get nowhere with all the changes you seem so hot on making. And those games you refer to help ensure your Paladins have the necessary skills to survive.”

  His words slammed into her. “This conversation is going nowhere. You go hang out with your friends. I’ll go do my job. It’s been nice.” She started to walk away but didn’t get far.

  “I’ll show you nice.”

  One powerful arm lifted her up off her feet while Larem’s free hand drew her leg up around his waist. Somehow, her other one needed no encouragement from him to follow suit. Her skirt rode high around her thighs, leaving only the thin silk of her panties between her and Larem’s trousers. The full contact with his body burned straight through her, making her all too aware of the emptiness inside her. An emptiness that only this man could fill.

  She tangled her fingers in the black and silver silk of his hair and planted her mouth on his, demanding entry and offering no quarter.

  He carried her to the corner that offered at least partial privacy from the windows that opened over the silent gym below. She applauded Larem’s clear thinking, because at the moment all of her own thoughts were focused on getting as close to him as possible.

  Her back bumped up against the wall, momentarily jarring her out of her passion-induced fog. What were they doing? What a stupid thing to ask when the answer was so obvious. The real questions were why they’d ended up in each other’s arms again and how far was she willing to let this go.

  Larem felt her hesitation and his hand froze, hovering at the elastic band of her panties. Once again he was offering her a last chance of refusal. They both knew this had to stop. This shouldn’t happen.

  “Hurry!” she whispered, before she regained her sanity.

  He set her back down on her feet, fumbled with the buttons on his fly, and then tore off her panties. Then she was right back against that same wall, with nowhere left to go but on the wild ride of hunger that drove them both.

  When he slid into her, it was one of the most perfect moments in her life. And when she walked away from him a few minutes later, it was one of the worst.

  Chapter 15

  Three weeks passed, each day dragging by slower than the one before. After Larem’s last talk with Devlin, he’d avoided spending much time around headquarters. The leader was seriously pissed about Larem’s involvement with Sasha in defiance of his previous order to stay away from her. Well, at least Devlin was finally getting what he wanted.

  Duke’s future with the organization was still up in the air. He was restricted to limited duty, and his activities were being closely monitored—not to mention his e-mails and phone calls. From all reports, he was abiding by the rules, but Larem suspected he was just waiting for the uproar to die down before trying something again.

  Lonzo had promised to keep his ear to the ground for any rumors linking Sasha to Larem. So far, Duke and his two buddies were keeping their mouths shut on the subject. He was glad for her sake.

  One good thing had come from that day, though. Craig had actually called, asking if Larem was still interested in giving him lessons. The young Paladin was on temporary assignment down near Mount St. Helens, but they were scheduled to start upon his return. Until then, Larem was back to trying to find some meaning in his life. Lonzo had gone on the same mission and was due back any day. While he’d been gone, Larem had spent the long nights walking the streets of Seattle between sessions of studying Kalith healing.

  The only bright spots were the hours he spent in the undemanding company of his four-legged friends at the animal clinic. He’d had several successes healing both the physical and emotional wounds suffered by Dr. Isaac’s patients, but he knew his greatest victory was Chance.

  The big dog was now trusted to wander free around the clinic for hours at a time, returning to his pen only to sleep or when there was another dog in the clinic who might go on the attack. His enthusiastic greeting every time Larem walked in the door helped hold the loneliness at bay.

  On this particular morning Larem knelt down on one knee in front of Chance and gave the dog a good ear scratch. “Ready for your walk, boy?”

  His happy whine and thumping tail were answer enough.

  “Silly question, Larem. That dog has been watching the door for the past half hour.” The vet looked at Chance over the top of his glasses. “I hate to say it, but it’s time we start looking for a home for him.”

  Larem’s stomach plummeted. He’d known the moment would come when Chance would move on and that it was a good thing. The big fellow deserved a whole lot of happiness in his life. That didn’t mean it would be easy to let him go.

  “Have you had anyone interested?”

  “One couple looked at him but then decided he was too big for their yard.” Dr. Isaac reached over to pet Chance’s head. “I know you’ll miss him, but some lucky person is going to offer him a home. We’ll make sure it’s an extra good one.”

  “That’s what we’ve been working toward.” Which was true, but that didn’t mean Larem was happy about it. “Come on, boy, let’s get going before the rain starts.”

  Outside, he let Chance choose their route. They’d spent so much time exploring together that the dog knew the streets around the clinic as well as Larem did. He even seemed to sense that it was important to cruise by a certain coffee shop on each trip. Sometimes Larem stopped to buy a cup of tea or coffee; sometimes he didn’t, but every time, the two males paused to look inside just in case Sasha happened to be there.

  So far, they’d had no luck, but that could change. Larem needed to know how she was doing. Their last encounter had left too many things unspoken between them. After they’d found release in each other’s arms, she’d calmly walked away without looking back.

  And fool that he was, he’d let her go.

  In the days since, he’d kept telling himself it had been the right thing to do, even with his soul screaming out that he was making the mistake of a lifetime. He’d already let one possible mate slip away. But that hadn’t hurt nearly as badly as watching Sasha disappear down the hall and out of his life.

  Later that night, after Hunter left and Lonzo turned in for the night, Larem had stood out on the patio and stared up at the stars, recalling each sensation as he’d taken Sasha up against that wall. Had he been too rough with her? He’d wanted to leave his mark on her soul, not on her creamy, soft skin.

  He’d never experienced anything as sweet as the welcoming heat of her body when he’d come deep inside her while Sasha’s own climax washed over them both. It was then that he realized they’d been so caught up in the moment that they hadn’t used protection.

>   The thought hadn’t been far from his mind ever since. Perhaps she was taking that pill humans used, but Sasha hadn’t mentioned it. Even if that was the case, would it even be effective with his alien DNA?

  So, yes, he needed to see her, needed to know. If he didn’t run into her soon, he’d have to seek her out. For days his dreams had been filled with images of her, her belly round and ripe with their child—and mostly they’d been good dreams. Would she think him crazy for feeling that way? Would she cherish the child even if she rejected the father?

  Too many questions with no answers.

  Chance pulled at the leash, his tail a blur, yanking Larem back into the present. He whined in excitement and looked back at Larem with a big doggy grin. There was only one explanation: the dog had spotted Sasha.

  Evidently she’d just been heading into the coffee shop, but right now she stood frozen in the doorway. Larem signaled Chance to stop and sit. The dog did as ordered but clearly wasn’t happy about it. Larem understood his feelings on the subject, but he didn’t want to crowd Sasha.

  Instead, the two males stayed right where they were and prayed their female would come to them.

  Okay, at least the dog was happy to see her. Maybe Larem was, too, but right now it was hard to interpret his stoic expression.

  “Excuse me.”

  Sasha jumped at the sound of the voice coming from behind and then realized she was blocking the doorway. “Sorry.”

  After pasting a bright smile on her face, she crossed the few feet to where Larem and Chance were standing. After all, she’d walked all the way to this particular coffee shop on the off chance she’d accidentally run into Larem. She had a decision to make and needed to see him before she made up her mind.

  Perhaps a walk around the block with Larem and Chance was exactly what she needed to clear her head and let her think things through. Still procrastinating, she leaned down to let Chance give her a big lick before dealing with the other half of the pair. She found it interesting how everyone else passing by gave the two such a wide berth, as if sensing they were every bit as dangerous as they looked.