Scion's Redemption

by Traci Douglass

  “I am a Scion, a warrior, a trained killer…” Luther couldn’t bring himself to look at her. He clenched his fists and stared at the horizon, afraid of what he’d find in Thana’s eyes. Part of him wanted to stop now before he ruined everything. But the other part of him needed her to know what sort of man he really was and why he didn’t deserve her pure and beautiful love. She might have convinced herself he’d done what was right in killing those half-breeds, but at the time he’d terrified her. Now, he had to do it again, so she’d know, so he could see whether she’d ever bring herself to love him. “I am a bringer of death. I’m not a good man, Thana. I have murdered many without remorse…hundreds…thousands.”

  He uncurled his fingers and stared at his palms. Hands made for killing in the name of Heaven. He’d followed Divinity’s orders without question, loyal to his duty and happy to carry it out. Not once in his immortal life had he regretted the things he had done. Not until he’d met her, then he’d wished it all away.

  Thana made him want to be a better man, to earn her love.

  For all his attempts to keep his distance, he’d fallen for her. Yet he was new to love and hadn’t realized his feelings until she’d first touched him, thrilling him with a brief caress and bringing him to life with emotions he had never known existed.

  “If you’ve killed, then it was out of loyalty. The other Scion told me about you. You killed to protect others, and to protect me. I can’t offer you absolution, Luther, but I can forgive you what you’ve done to protect me. You’re a good man. I believe that in my heart.”

  Luther looked up to find her watching him, her dark eyes brimming with tenderness. Her faith touched him, making him crave a stronger connection. She turned toward him, tracing her fingertips down his cheek. He stared at her, awed and transfixed by her acceptance.

  For her, he wanted to be the man she deserved.

  “The other night, when we kissed, did you stop because you’re a Scion and it’s wrong?”

  “No.” He took her hand and brought it to his chest, right over his thudding heart.

  “Was it because you’ve never been with a woman?”

  He exhaled and stared out to sea. The sun had disappeared, a full moon rising in its place. “My brothers told you?”

  Thana placed her free hand over his. He peered at her through the gathering twilight, wanting to explain and needing her not to think him any less of a man. Before he could say a word, she leaned forward and kissed him softly. He eagerly responded, wanting to taste her again. She broke away, briefly resting her forehead against his. “I think it’s beautiful you waited so long.”

  “I never really thought about it. I never cared about mortals.” Luther eased away to cup her cheek, his gaze locked with her. “But I care about you.”

  The moon was far higher in the inky sky now, yet it felt like their kiss had lasted barely a heartbeat.

  She crooked a finger at him. “Let’s swim.”

  Luther looked down at the warm sand while Thana laughed and ran down to the sea, leaving footprints for him to follow. As he watched her, she untied the top of her suit and tossed it aside. Deep arousal throbbed through him. His groin responded, cock twitching in anticipation. He’d been about to mention he couldn’t swim, but the thought of seeing her wet all over had him striding towards the sea.

  She smiled, and Luther could only obey. He followed her into the shallows then hesitated as a gentle wave rolled in and the dark water reached his waist. The current wasn’t strong, but he didn’t dare venture farther. Thana took his wrist and tried to tug him into deeper water. He stood firm and she frowned.

  “You can’t swim?”

  “I don’t know. I’ve never tried.”

  His admission didn’t seem to bother Thana. She ducked under the surface and the water settled around him, lapping at his waist. He turned, searching for her. When she didn’t surface after a few seconds, his pulse quickened, fearing something had happened.

  Then something warm brushed his backside and he turned sharply. His senses blared in warning, but he wasn’t quick enough. Thana launched out of the water, looping her arms around his neck and her legs around his hips. Her playful attack caused his heels to dig into the soft wet sand under his feet and he fell backward, sending them both underwater.

  Salty liquid filled his mouth and stung his eyes. He broke the surface a split-second later, coughing, and Thana re-emerged, her sheepish smile visible in the moonlight. “Sorry.”

  She swam toward him then around him, stroking his back. His anger faded.

  He stilled, his focus fixed on her light touch, fanning his desire. Her breath washed over his wet skin, and he closed his eyes, wanting to absorb how it felt having her so close.

  Warm. Hungry. Needful.

  She came around and he caught her waist, drawing her flush against him. She took hold of his shoulders, lifting herself up and wrapping her legs around him again. He groaned and clutched her hips, her soft buttocks, his body aching as he familiarized himself with her body.

  Thana kissed his shoulder, gradually working her way toward his collarbone and neck. He couldn’t think straight when she touched him like this. She placed a single wet kiss on his jaw then leaned back and rested her hands on his chest. “Kagan told me that you aren’t omniscient. You couldn’t have stopped my mother from dying.”

  Watching her grieve had been the most difficult trial he’d ever endured.

  “I wish I could’ve been there for you.” He confessed quietly.

  Thana rested her head on his shoulder and sighed, her breath tickling his collarbone. Luther closed his eyes, resting his cheek against her forehead, and held her close, comforting her in the way he’d wanted to then. Waves lapped against them, rocking them gently. It had been a long time since he’d felt such peace.

  “I could sleep here, like this. It’s so hard to sleep these days.” She sagged against him.

  He remembered the couch in her apartment, the blanket. “You haven’t been sleeping?”

  She shook her head. “Not since the break in.”

  Luther frowned, wrapping his arms tighter around her and pressing her close to his chest, enveloping her slender form in his protective embrace. “I will never let anything happen to you, Thana. Never.” The hardness in his voice surprised him as much as the intensity of the emotions.

  He kissed her forehead, rested his lips there for a few heartbeats, then drew back. Thana pulled away, her eyes sparkling with tears. He kissed away the ones on her cheeks. She raised her head, until their lips were a hair’s breadth apart.

  “You really are my guardian angel.” Her mouth brushed his as she spoke.

  “Your Scion,” he whispered, before capturing his lips with his, silencing her. She moaned, low and quiet, sending a shiver of need through him. He held her close, one hand supporting her backside and the other splayed between her shoulder blades.

  No more talking.

  Time for action. Time to show her without words how she made him feel, how much he craved her taste and her touch, how much he needed her. Luther ran his tongue along the seam of her lips and she opened to him on a gasp, allowing him inside. He slanted his head and deepened the kiss, plundering her mouth with his tongue and drawing another heated groan from her. She shifted in his arms, pressing closer until her warm curves were flush against him, driving him mad with the need to caress every inch of her, to taste her. The water knocked against him, and he carried her back to the beach.

  A blanket appeared where they’d sat before, and he laid her down atop it, covering her body with his. The heat of her skin overwhelmed him, pushing his desire to new heights. She scored her nails over his scalp, anchoring him to her. He wasn’t going anywhere.

  She raised her hips, grinding against him as if desperate for more. Nerves surfaced, whispered doubts at the back of his mind, but he pushed them away. He’d do as Kagan had suggested. He’d let things progress naturally. He’d make love to her and bring her pleasure.

&nb
sp; Luther kissed a path along her jaw, nipping occasionally. Each playful bite drew a deep moan from Thana, making his blood burn hotter and hotter, making him ravenous for her. She panted hard, raking her nails down his back. He shuddered and moaned.

  Her legs tangled with his, feet sliding up his calves. His hips nestled between her thighs, her body burning against his where they pressed together. He thrust forward, rubbing his aching cock against her soft flesh, desperate to feel her beneath him. It felt so damn good, she felt so damn good, and he couldn’t get enough. He wanted to slow down and lick and caress every inch of her, but his need to bury himself in her heat and be one with her before he exploded was greater.

  Water lapped at his feet and then swept over him to his knees, distracting him. Thana used it to her advantage, rolling him onto his back and straddling his hips, as she’d done that night on his sofa. Except now they had much less clothing between them and he couldn’t be happier. She leaned forward, tracing her fingertips over his stomach and up to his chest, pushing him closer to the edge.

  He grasped her thighs, running his hands up toward her hips. Thana smiled down at him, her hair tangled and wet, her breasts sheened with water, their tips dusky pink and hard. The sight of her so open and vulnerable, bared for him, made his cock throb and his body tighten with the urge to be inside her.

  She caught hold of his hands and brought them to her breasts as she sat back on his groin, torturing him with her warmth. Luther thumbed her puckered nipples, teasing them as he watched the myriad feelings flickering across her face—lust, love, need, want. She moaned and arched back, forcing her breasts into his hands, biting her lip and growling his name.

  He ground his hard cock into her soft mound, and she tilted her head back, crying out her pleasure to the starlit heavens.

  More. He needed more.

  Without hesitation, he removed the remaining obstructions between them then slid one hand around her back, bringing her breasts closer so he could pull her left nipple into his mouth.

  “Luther,” she whispered, taking his free hand and guiding it between her legs.

  His heart pounded as he eased his fingers over her slick folds before delving between them to stroke her sensitive clitoris. She covered his, guiding him, easing his middle finger deep into her hot, wet body.

  It took every ounce of willpower he had not to come.

  She rode his hand, coaxing a second of his fingers inside her as she rotated her hips, lost in sensations. He wanted her to do that on him, on his aching cock not his finger. Thana opened her eyes and stared down at him, mesmerizing him as she let her head fall back, his name on her lips as her body throbbed around his fingers, milking them as she orgasmed hard.

  “Thana,” he said, his voice rough with need.

  She opened her eyes and reached back to cup his hard length, running her fingers over the blunt head of his cock, catching the bead of moisture at the tip and bringing it to her lips, tasting him. He needed to be inside her now, sheathed in her warmth, one with her.

  He jerked his hips up, desperate and begging.

  “Luther,” she whispered, positioning him at her wet entrance. “Don’t try to hold back.”

  The heat of her as he entered her body was almost too much to bear. He gritted his teeth as she eased farther down onto his cock, drawing him fully inside her. The sensations were exquisite, and he fought to keep still, every muscle in his body tense to stop from coming. She pressed her hands into his chest and leaned over him.

  He opened his eyes and stared into gaze, breathing hard and searching for control.

  Then Thana moved, and his entire world shattered.

  Luther grasped her hips, digging his fingers into her soft flesh as she rode him. He couldn’t stop himself from thrusting, meeting her downward plunges onto his cock. She scored his chest with her nails and rocked against him. He groaned and thrust harder and deeper, until the world disappeared around him and nothing existed but this moment, this woman, this feeling.

  “Luther,” she gasped, her body clenching him, sending sparks through his nerve endings. He needed a moment, or this would all be over too soon.

  She didn’t give him one, riding him harder, faster, driving him deeper within her walls. Thana pushed against his stomach and arched her back, her moans filling the night.

  He was lost, surrendering control just as she’d instructed. He bucked beneath her, seeking his release. Luther slammed his hips into hers, holding her firmly in place over him, his toes curling and his balls tightening as he came hard, his whole world throbbing with release and melting into the sand.

  Thana collapsed atop him, her body still quivering from her own climax. Her breath tickled his chest and his cock twitched in response, hunger washing through him, fiercer than ever.

  11

  Thana woke half expecting to find blue skies above her and warm sand against her back. Instead, she stared at the smooth white ceiling until it sunk in the delicious dream she’d had was over. Tilting her head to one side, her slow smile spread when she saw Luther lying beside her wearing nothing but boxer-briefs.

  His long, dark lashes caressed his high cheekbones, tempting her to trace her fingertip across them to see if they felt as soft as they looked, but she didn’t move. She drank in the sight of him, his face peaceful in slumber as her gaze traveled down the length of his body.

  She still wasn’t sure what had happened or whether Luther had really been on the beach with her or not, but either way it had been blissful.

  Unable to resist, Thana rolled onto her side and slid a finger down the middle of his nose. A frown flickered on his brow then his eyes slowly opened, and he turned his head toward her. The gold flecks in his green eyes seemed to shift and swirl as she stroked his cheek then the cut line of his jaw, his irises brightening until they were as glowing again, just like they had that night in the stairwell, after their fight with the Nephilim.

  “Morning,” he breathed, drawing her against him. His lips brushed hers and he sighed.

  “Pleasant dreams?” she asked.

  “I thought we’d established it wasn’t a dream?” He smiled, sending a warm wave of relief through her. They shared another kiss, longer and slower this time, heat pooling in her belly, her mind racing over everything they’d done on the beach.

  If Kagan and the others hadn’t told her Luther wasn’t experienced with women, she’d never have guessed. He’d been insatiable and passionate and wonderful.

  At first, it had been fun for her to take command, but Luther had soon proven it could be just as exciting to let him take the reins. She’d never felt so sated or so tired at the same time.

  Thana kissed him slowly, savoring the quietness of the moment and time alone with him. It was reassuring to know what they’d shared in that other world would continue here in reality.

  Last night, when he’d left to report to Heaven, she’d thought he’d be different again when he returned, distant and detached as before. But the way he was kissing her now, holding her snug against him, made her realize she was more than a mission to him. After hearing about who and what Luther was from his friends, and later from himself, she had a better understanding of him and why he’d felt he needed to keep others at bay. He wasn’t used to being around people and he didn’t like living on Earth, but she planned do everything she could to change his mind. She’d give him a reason to like it here and hopefully he’d stay once everything was over.

  He rolled onto his back, bringing her with him, ending their kiss. He frowned at the duvet wedged between them. Thana pulled away and the blanket came free, his bare body warming hers. Here, in their peaceful little cocoon, it was so easy to forget that he was an immortal Scion and that she supposedly housed some mythical ancient seal that could end the world. In here, it all seemed so distant and irrelevant.

  She kissed him again, her lips barely grazing his. He grunted in frustration, snaking his hand around the nape of her neck to bring her mouth more firmly down on his. His
ardor was fierce and hungry, everything she’d come to expect from her warrior. So much passion and desire. Tenderness too. After they’d made love in the dream world, he’d held her close, lying on his back with her body atop his and his fingers playing in her damp hair. She’d felt so at peace. Her feelings for him transcended care, even went beyond what she knew as love.

  Luther skimmed his hands down the outside of her bare thigh, her skin tingling beneath his touch, sparks racing over her skin and starting a wildfire of desire in her blood. She moaned into his mouth, their tongues dancing softly and their breath mingling.

  Perhaps they’d have an encore of last night…

  Then his movements froze, and his posture stiffened. He grasped her upper arms and placed a finger over her lips to ask for her silence as he stared at the bedroom door. She listened, straining to hear something amiss, but got nothing.

  Without a sound, Luther set her aside and got up, his back to her, never once taking his eyes off the door. She figured if anyone was out there, it was probably just Kagan or one of the other guys. Her initial alarm faded, and her gaze lingered on Luther’s perfectly formed backside before slowly moving up the strong lines of his back to his shoulder blades. Damn, he was fine. All ebony skin and rippling muscle. A powerful electric jolt buzzed within her core, urging her to claim him, to possess him, to mark him as her own.

  Mine.

  Not normally a possessive or needy person, the emotions shocked Thana.

  Before she realized what she was doing, she slid out of bed and took his hand. Luther glanced down at her then nodded toward the chair in the corner where her clothes were. While she dressed, Luther pulled on a pair of clean jeans and a shirt from his dresser then tugged on socks and boots. Fully clothed, Thana put on her shoes as well then returned to him. He cracked open the bedroom door and peered out into the living room. Past his shoulder, Thana could see the space too. Looked deserted.