Chosen: Book 1 in the Ancients of Light series

by Heather Fleener

  Kaitriana did just that and could not help but smile over the ease in his stance, the ready smile and warmth that radiated from him. Her stoic male actually appeared relaxed. She finally gave her attention back to her friend, “Thank you Lilly. I will do my very best to make certain I keep him thus so, always.”

  Seeing Lilly stiffen, Kaitriana wondered momentarily if her words had been inadequate until she viewed the true cause on the periphery. Gareth was present and he was obviously attempting to avoid detection by Lorcan and his friends as he skirted around the edge of the gathering. He had honed in on the two females and Lilly looked to her in alarm, “Shall I get Lorcan?”

  Her bright smile was belied by the dark flicker in her eyes, but Kat shook her head, “This is a situation I am fully capable of handling. Besides, I would never pass by an opportunity to roast a nasty vampire; twould be a waste to forego an occasion to practice my magic.”

  Kaitriana winked and actually took a step forward to meet the approach of the smarmy little creature. Fixing a false smile on her face, she gave greeting enthusiastically, “Good evening, brother. I am so pleased you would come to our celebration and rejoice in the reuniting of our Witch and Vampire families.”

  Gareth looked as though he might actually spit he was so incensed by the welcome. The female was obviously goading him, but Lilly distracted him from his malice by smiling and offering her hand, “Good evening Gareth.” The young vampire female was dazzling and her action had the intended effect.

  Gareth was positively besotted with her. Raising her hand, he brought the back to his lips, “It is a pleasure, Lilleas. You are stunning as always.” He missed her cringe of disgust but she managed to hold her place until he finally released her hand.

  Lilly smiled when he lifted his gaze to hers, bent on defusing the situation, “I too am very pleased that you could join us. You are missed and I hope you might be here to reconcile with Lorcan and Kaitriana.”

  She added a note of wistfulness to the lie, giving Gareth a moment’s pause before he shook himself and offered her his answer. He was glaring at Kaitriana with the delivery, “I fear it cannot be Lilly. I understand your loyalty to your Coven leader and that is commendable, but her existence is forbidden. Her mating with Lorcan defies our laws. You know this.”

  He eyed each of Kaitriana’s palms steadily to make certain magic was not firing when he deigned to speak to her directly, “This farce will not be permitted to continue, Kaitriana. Mating my brother will not protect you; you cannot circumvent the Council. I suggest that you come with me now and surrender yourself. You can spare the Coven and Lorcan the repercussions of remaining in violation of our laws.”

  Kaitriana had been so focused on the hatred churning beneath his words that she had not sensed the arrival of Lorcan. Gareth had been woefully unaware as well. If Vampire were capable of dying from fright, Kaitriana would have sworn this vile one would have expired when the heavy hand of his brother came to rest on his shoulder. Were the situation not so dire, she would have giggled over Gareth’s expression. Shifting her gaze, she was surprised to see that the other Coven leaders and the Elite flanked her mate. She inspected each face and all had the same air of disapproval. Her uncertain gaze swung to Lorcan, hoping none of that censure was directed towards her.

  Lorcan gave her a reassuring smile and released Gareth’s shoulder to allow the younger to turn to face him. It took Gareth only a second to assess the level of upset in the wall of warriors, but he put on a show of false bravado and raised his chin higher, “Lorcan, we have matters to discuss.” Looking pointedly at the group, he added, “Privately.”

  Lorcan deliberately misunderstood, “I hoped we might. It is good to see that you have come to your senses and returned to us. As I told you, when you were ready to make amends for your earlier mistakes, you would be welcome. As soon as you offer Kaitriana your apology, we may discuss anything you like Gareth.” The last words were sharp as steel and matched the chill that had settled in Lorcan’s eyes.

  Gareth blustered under the instruction, “Our father does not recognize this union. Moreover, the Council forbids it. You need to cease with your obstinance and surrender the girl, Lorcan.”

  Lorcan was harsh as his fingers curled against his brother’s shoulder in a tight hold, “You might want to lower your voice, fool. The girl’s entire faction as well as her coven surrounds you. Either would likely tear you to bits were you to attempt to remove her.” His grip increased in force when he ground out the next warning, “But if you dare touch her, I will have your throat before any others can do you harm.”

  Releasing Gareth with a hard shove that caused him to stumble, Lorcan threw in snidely, “If Alaric wishes to express his disapproval, I invite him here to do so rather than send you as his messenger boy.” Before Gareth could formulate a suitable response, Lorcan waved his brother away dismissively, “You can report that I have the support of three Coven leaders. In case the significance of this eludes you, it means that four of the eight Council members that are in support of a renewed alliance with the Witch faction.”

  Gareth was speechless over the level of insurrection and Lorcan used the opportunity to make clear the ramifications of the new order, “We are no longer subjecting our covens to their rule. If they wish a war, you might remind them that this new alliance,” the sweep of his hand encompassed the other Coven leaders, “constitutes the bulk of the strongest warriors in our breed. The Council best tread cautiously. It would be unwise to attempt to force our adherence to their dictates.”

  Gareth’s face was mottled red as he took in the whole gathering. His eyes clashed with Lorcan’s when he sneered caustically, “Alaric will have both your heads…you have signed the order for your own deaths.” Puffing up a bit, he glared at the others, “As have you all.” He shadowed before any could reach him to show him the stupidity of his threat.

  Lorcan glanced worriedly down at Kat. He was shocked to see not only a serene expression on her face, but that no light was filling her palms. He cocked his head at her, his puzzlement obvious.

  Laughing, she lifted a hand to cup his cheek before rising on her toes to brush her lips to his, “I trust you implicitly and I know I have your protection, Warrior. There is no need for me to add my flames to this fire.” She delivered another kiss, pleasure radiating from her eyes, “You have already achieved the consent from these leaders to unite with the Witch?”

  At his affirmative nod, she slipped her arms around his waist and nuzzled her cheek to his chest, “I should never have worried whether this would come to pass. You are a solid leader Lorcan.” She was reeling over the fact that half of the Vampire Faction – most importantly, the strongest half – had rejoined her Witch in their purpose.

  Lorcan dropped a kiss to her hair, instructing, “You should never worry lass. It suggests a lack of confidence in your mate.” His teasing smile was still present when he gave his praise, “I did not accomplish this alone; you are the Chosen and you brought the Witch faction to this alliance. Your part in this result must not be under appreciated.” Kaitriana was near ready to do her happy-dance; the tight squeeze of her arms around his waist indicated her joy.

  Lorcan turned with her still tucked against his side to face his fellow leaders. His expression was solemn, “There will most certainly be fallout from this. If any of you have had a change of heart, now would be the time to excuse yourself from this alliance.”

  The Vampire leadership only returned his hard stare until Alexandros broke the silence, “Been longing to give those pious sons of bitches a kick in the ass for some time now, Lorcan. We are firm in this decision.” He added as an afterthought, “Your father has always been a narrow-minded arrogant bastard.”

  Looking sidelong at a group of Witch females gathered across the yard, Alexandros stepped away with a chuckle, “Now, if you will excuse me…it has been too long since I have sunk my teeth into a good piece of Witch.” Devlin, Aidan and Broderick saw the focus of their friend’s atte
ntion and quickly followed.

  Shaking her head over their eager departure, Kaitriana was bursting with happiness. She spoke to Lilly, whom had remained at her side, as they moved towards the crowd, “The Witch are about to be besieged by the Vampire and they shall never see it coming.”

  Lilly joined in her laughter, adding, “Indeed they are.” She disappeared. When Kaitriana spied her a few moments later, the pretty vampire had engaged Kendrick in a spirited conversation. Glancing around, she observed that the interactions between the two factions were not hesitant, but rather there seemed to be an overwhelming sense of amiability in the gathering. Of course, the Witch’s love of a party and their propensity to indulge in strong brew had probably eased any of their remaining reservations. She glanced up to catch Lorcan studying her intently and she gave him a tiny smile, “Are you pleased? You can tolerate the presence of the Witch?”

  She was taken aback by his heavy sigh and the sudden frown that creased his brow, “I have come to the conclusion that if I am stuck with you, I am stuck with them as well.” Her eyes widened with mock outrage at his playful banter and she responded with a hard pinch to his arm. Lorcan winked at her before his gaze became heated; he was eyeing the fine column of her neck exposed so temptingly, “Careful, Witch. I will take you to bed and make you beg for hours if you misbehave.” He grinned lasciviously while nodding to confirm the threat, “I think I have found the best way to ensure your ongoing good behavior. Who knew you would be such insatiable little tart?”

  Laughing merrily, she nudged his arm until she was under the crook of it and ensconced firmly against his side. Kaitriana countered as they made their way through the crowd, “I am certain you are incorrect in your assessment of my behavior, Milord.” Her eyes immediately found his, “How long do you suppose it will be before we can go up to our chambers and evaluate your misconceptions further?” She was nibbling at her lip and her eyes were flickering black before she looked out over the celebration once more.

  His chest rumbled with a low growl, his body responding enthusiastically to her teasing. Lorcan turned her into his chest until she had no choice but to give him her full attention once more and responded through gritted teeth, “Not nearly soon enough.” His lips claimed hers in a hard kiss, heedless of the throng surrounding them.

  When he finally released her, she looked undone. Kat blushed fiery red when she came to her senses enough to realize that his heated embrace had garnered no small amount of attention from those nearby. The ensuing lewd calls had her tucking her face to his chest.

  Lorcan quickly nudged it back up and cupped her chin to hold her still for his attentions. He brushed his lips over hers again simultaneous with the caress of his thumb to her jawline, “We will make the rounds Witch, greet all of these guests and then I will take you above. I intend to spend the remainder of the night proving exactly what a shameless witch you are.”

  Giving her a firm swat on her backside to get her moving, he answered her objecting stare with a charming smile. His little minx was still grumbling over the insult when he pressed her forward to meet the next group of well wishers.

  CHAPTER 32

  Kaitriana had never felt so positively weary in her entire life and this was after a long sleep. She rolled with a loud whine of discomfort. Despite her immortality and rapid healing, her muscles were plagued with aches from her long workout the night before. Last night had been identical to the six previous. When Lorcan had first told her that he intended to personally see to her training and develop her Vampire strength and speed to complement her Warrior magic, she had been overjoyed. She had taken it as a sign that her mate intended to allow her to engage in the conflicts within the Realm. Tonight she was not as enthusiastic.

  Lorcan’s oversight of her training had been to allow the Elite to beat on her. Kaitriana groaned as she stretched, idly wondering if she might feign illness tonight. Initially Lorcan had let her practice her skills against his younger warriors. A hint of smile touched her lips as she recalled how she had taken those young Vampire down so easily. It had taken her less than a single night to prove that she should be sparring with the best warriors in the Realm and that would mean his Elite.

  By the end of the second night, she regretted having advanced so quickly. The five had well earned their place as the best, her bruised derriere could attest to it. Kaitriana was new to her Vampire abilities so she was not as adept with shadowing as her opponents. In addition, the Vampire strength and speed that now supplemented her Warrior Caste powers at times caused her to be more awkward with her weapons than better. The Elite had shown no mercy in repeatedly knocking her on her backside. Lorcan had not even begun working with her directly as she had yet to best any of them.

  Frowning, she sighed and stretched a hand around to gingerly tap at her backside. Her injuries were never serious but the compounded effect of them together caused her to have lingering pangs into the next evening. The aches did not prevent her training, but still caused her no small amount of tenderness at the start of each night. She winced as her fingertips pressed against the flesh and grumbled a few fine insults towards Lorcan and his men.

  His laughter startled her and she glanced quickly over to find the origin of the sound. Lorcan sat before the fire, elbows on knees, chin on steepled fingers, watching her. His dark locks were disheveled and he had only pulled on the pants he would wear for training. His chest and feet were bare and gleaming golden in the light from the fire.

  She sat up in bed, winced, and muttered, “Insensitive beast.” In truth there was no ill intent behind it. Her mate had been keeping his distance these past few nights. She had been in no condition for him to toss her on the bed and do wonderfully naughty things to her. As a result, his half-dressed appearance and lighthearted demeanor had her mouth dry with want and her body hot.

  She crooked a finger at him and let the sheet slip lower on her chest, instructing, “A good mate would assist his female and massage the ache from her muscles rather than laugh at her condition”

  Rising slowly, Lorcan gave her a wry grin, “This good mate let his lazy female sleep for three full hours past dusk and has duties he needs to attend to before sun up.”

  She gave up all hold on the material and let the sheet pool at her waist. Her eyes sparkled with sensual challenge, “I am a duty.”

  Laughing he took a few steps in her direction, “No Witch, you are a trial I must endure for eternity.”

  Much to her disappointment, rather than coming over to join her on the bed Lorcan abruptly changed direction and grabbed the remainder of his clothes. He donned them quickly while asking over his shoulder, “Do you want to feed now or after you are finished reacquainting your ass with the ground tonight?” He turned when he received no answer and found her looking him over with a pout.

  Her demeanor shifted suddenly and her eyes twinkled with mischief. He waited patiently for her to reveal the source of it. Kat played innocent, “What dear? I fear I was distracted...”

  A hint of a smile pulled at the corner of his mouth as he drawled, “Really?”

  She had repositioned the sheet over her and flopped back dramatically against the pillows before she gave him the answer, “Aye, Milord, trying to decide whether you would look better with a tail or pointy ears.” Kaitriana did not look at him but raised a slender arm into the air and let her fingertips sparkle to lend credence to her threat.

  Lorcan shadowed and had pinned her beneath him in a breath, much to her delight, but she adopted an expression of feigned indifference, “Do you have a preference, Vampire?”

  Nodding, he lowered his face to her neck and nuzzled there, raising a shiver in her, “My preference is you. I am decidedly enchanted with my mate.” At her soft sigh, he gave her neck a sharp nip and then licked at the tiny wound while a tremor ran over her. He finished with a reminder, “Do not forget that anything you do, I can return in kind. Just because I do not flaunt my magic does not mean I am not fully capable.” He rolled her and gav
e her a sharp swat as he let her free, “I think you would look fabulous with a tail.”

  Her yelp was raised in response to the touch against her sore muscles. Kaitriana flipped back over and took the sheet with her, springing to her feet. Casting him a haughty look, she sauntered past, “Brute. I will join you below shortly. Do tell Colm I intend to rattle his fangs tonight.” She scurried through the door of the bath, narrowly missing the second swing of his hand towards her backside.

  A hot shower later, Kaitriana was feeling much better and experiencing only the occasional twinge of muscle as she dressed. Tonight she decided she was going to play unfairly; she was tired of being knocked around by the men during her training. She was determined to use all her assets – her magic, her Vampire strength, and her wiles. Choosing her attire purposefully, she pulled on tight leather pants, heeled boots and tiny leather corset that left her abdomen bare and hugged her curves sinfully.

  Grinning, she was eagerly anticipating the disapproval from Lorcan. He preferred her to downplay her looks when engaging with his men and this outfit was eye-catching to say the least. But a girl had to do what a girl had to do, and she was determined to take down a couple of those Elite varmints tonight. Kaitriana tugged her long curls into a high, sleek pony as she considered her strategy.

  Preparations complete, Kaitriana shadowed to the practice area. It was set behind Breslein and encompassed the entire back side of the keep. Warriors were already engaged in swordplay in various areas throughout the fields. She was adjusting her weaponry as she skirted around them. Sheathing her short sword at her hip and checking the long daggers crossed over her shoulder blades, she hurried to the location where the Elite trained. Strolling past Colm and Lorcan, heads together in deep discussion, she felt both pairs of eyes follow her. She missed the narrowing of Lorcan’s, though the upset in his tone was clear when he called out to her. Stopping, Kaitriana turned but held her place. Staying out of immediate reach, she tilted her head in question.