by Nashoda Rose
“Practicing your climbing skills?” he finished.
“Well, uh… no.” God, I normally had a quick, sassy remark. Here I was fumbling over my words. “Jedrik saw a… a cat,” I blurted, while looking around and noticing that Jedrik had vanished. “There was a cat in the tree. I was rescuing him.”
“A cat?” he asked.
“Yes. Did you see where he went?” I pretended to peer around for my imaginary cat.
“Jedrik or the cat?” he asked, looking thoroughly amused, a smirk playing at his mouth.
“Umm, well, both.”
“I told Jedrik to make himself useful elsewhere. The cat, it seems… vanished.”
“Oh.” Well, what did I say to that?
It wasn’t often I was self-conscious, but under Waleron’s intensity, I was out of my element. I’d never been attracted to a man before and the emotions sifting uncontrollably through my body threw me off balance. I was thinking about his hands on me, his body against mine, his lips tasting—
“Miss Wyndam. Stop.” Crap, he’d read my thoughts. I obviously had to work on my shields. “Come here.”
I froze, my pulse racing and belly flipping. Waleron was right. I was young, innocent, and had no experience with men, let alone a man like Waleron.
He stepped toward me. “Maitagarri,” he murmured. “Dangerous.”
I had no idea what he meant by that, but I craved his touch, yearned to feel his fingers in my hair, on my skin.
His eyes smoldered then he reached around and cupped the back of my neck. With one tug, he drew me into him and my palms landed on his chest.
“Going to kiss you now, Miss Wyndam,” he said, and before I could respond or object his mouth claimed mine.
My gasp was swallowed by our mouths melting together, devouring my will as if it were water slipping through my fingers.
He urged my lips apart and slipped his tongue inside, deepening the kiss.
Oh God. I moaned beneath his skillful mouth as a foreign ache erupted between my legs. I’d never been kissed before. Never felt desire and the powerful need for something more. A something I didn’t understand.
“Waleron.” Zurina’s abrupt voice came from behind us and I stiffened.
Waleron slowly drew back, but placed two tender, light kisses on the corners of my mouth.
Coldness enveloped my body as his arm dropped from my waist and his hand from my neck. I staggered back to lean against the tree, placing my finger to my tingling lips.
My eyes lifted to Zurina and she frowned at me; my cheeks heating in response. She was obviously unhappy about me kissing the Taldeburu. Or rather him kissing me.
Zurina was a powerful Healer who sat on the Deaconry, the council, in the realm with Waleron. She’d also been a friend of Waleron’s mother who was one of the first Scars.
Her eyes shifted to Waleron and her chin tilted up. “Keir has assembled everyone in the ballroom. They await your address.”
Waleron nodded. “I’ll be there in a minute.”
Zurina opened her mouth as if she were going to argue, but swiftly clamped it shut when Waleron glanced at her. She abruptly spun on her heel and walked away.
Waleron waited until Zurina was out of earshot before he spoke. “Are you staying here at Keir’s?”
“Two weeks,” I replied. God, he wasn’t even touching me and I was alive with sparks.
He nodded. “Good. I’ll meet you in the courtyard tomorrow morning.”
Being alone with Waleron again was not a good idea.
I had an unusual draw toward him and didn’t know if I could resist his advances. I’d never been with a man, and Waleron was experienced. “I don’t know if—”
“I wasn’t giving you a choice.” He didn’t wait for a response as he walked away.
Holy crap. What had I gotten myself into?
The next morning, I paced the length of the courtyard pinching the sides of my breeches while I waited for Waleron. My heart skipped a beat at the slightest sound and my nerves were on edge. I hadn’t slept all night thinking about him and when I finally rose I’d come to the conclusion that fighting what was between us was like fighting fate.
Impossible.
It was like he breathed a warm heat inside me that spread through every limb then burst into wildfire.
Scars formed attachments much deeper than humans, but the instant I felt his eyes on me it was like pieces of me joining. I hadn’t known they were apart. I hadn’t known I wasn’t whole. Now I did. And that was terrifying and incredible at the same time.
“Miss Wyndam.”
I spun around so fast I tripped over the edging in the cobblestone and would’ve fallen flat on my face if Waleron hadn’t reached out and grabbed me.
“Waleron.” His name barely passed my lips. I was trapped within his ice blue eyes that melted to warm blue as they drifted from my slightly parted lips to my nose, then up to my eyes.
“You’re trembling.” His hands slowly ran down my arms and goose bumps rose. “Do I scare you?”
I half laughed. “You’re the most powerful Scar in the world. So, yeah, a little.”
“True. But I never want you to be scared of me, maitagarri.” He ran his thumb lightly over my lower lip.
My belly flipped. God, he had me wrapped up so tight in a ball and ready to explode into… well, I didn’t know—yet.
“I’m not scared of you in that way. It’s what you can do to me.”
He scowled, and the warmth in his eyes shifted to ice chips. “I’d never hurt you.”
I slipped from his hold. “No. It’s not that.” I bit my lip as I contemplated my words then turned and walked along the path. He followed. “It’s what this is between us.” I looked over my shoulder at him. “The connection I feel toward you.”
“And what is that?”
“Like I can suddenly breathe. But I didn’t know I was suffocating before.” He was quiet and I stopped, turning to face him. “Is that normal?”
“No,” he admitted. “But, Delara, whatever this is, my oath will always be to the Goddess first. It’s who I am. What I am.”
“I know.” Yes. It was well known that Waleron’s oath was his life. “But I’m a Scar, too, Waleron, and I was thinking…”
His brows lifted.
“I want to be in a Talde and fight as you do. Maybe you can teach me how to fight?”
“Is that why you met me this morning, maitagarri? You plan on using me for my abilities?”
I laughed. “I don’t believe anyone is capable of using you, Waleron.”
There was a slight twitch at the corner of his mouth before he snagged my waist and jerked me into him.
I froze. Chest tight. Belly whirling.
“You could,” he whispered.
Then his mouth crashed onto mine.
I sagged in to him, hands on his chest feeling his heart pound beneath my palms. It skipped a beat then picked up the same rhythm as mine. His other hand inched up my side then back down again to settle on my hip, fingers digging into my skin. Bruising. Painful.
And yet his mouth was gentle and teaching as his tongue slipped inside and sparred with mine. A slow, seductive tease that had my body spinning out of control.
It didn’t matter that I hardly knew this man or that he was my Taldeburu. What mattered was that he made me his.
He groaned then broke away, leaving my lips tingling.
He cupped my chin, thumb stroking back and forth over the dip. “I’ll teach you everything you need to know, Delara.”
My breath hitched because there was no question what he meant by everything.
“But in time.” He released my chin and stepped back. “First you will train with Keir. No distractions. Including me. One year, Delara.”
A year? God, I barely knew the man, but the thought of not seeing him for a year was debilitating. I opened my mouth to argue, but before I could he Traced into a mist and left me standing alone in the courtyard.
Etched.
Waleron lived inside me.
I closed my eyes and placed my finger on my lips where his kiss still lingered. My breath. My life. His life.
Our fates were entwined and whether that was good or bad, it was undeniable.
1867
“MAITAGARRI, WHAT WAS THAT?” I chuckled, shaking my head. She’d tried to distract me by brushing her hand over my cock just before she crouched and swept her leg out to try and land me on my ass.
She ended up flat on her back with me straddling her pelvis, her wrists locked above her head.
“It’s not fair. I’ve never won a fight. So, I’m using what I have available to me.”
Delara’s skin glistened with sweat and her chest rose and fell rapidly as she panted. We practiced every morning whenever I stayed with her at the Talde house which, unfortunately, wasn’t as often as I liked. But Delara knew right from the beginning what our relationship would be like. Especially after spending a year apart.
“You want to win, baby then you need to be better.” I smirked. “There’s no point in me letting you win.”
She moaned, closing her eyes. “There is. I’d be happier.”
I tightened my hold on her wrists and leaned over her. “You’re not happy, maitagarri?”
Her eyes opened and she ran her tongue over her lower lip. Fuck, the little wench. My cock jerked and strained against my pants. I never thought a woman could weave her way into my heart, and Delara hadn’t, she’d slammed into it and made herself at home.
She was my home.
I moved around so often, I’d never had a place I called home until her. But it wasn’t a place, it was wherever she was. We were tied together and whenever I left the rope tightened making it difficult to breathe without her.
And when I returned to her there was an undeniable elation. A freedom that I’d never experienced before.
“I’d be happier if you kissed me right now—and even more so if you didn’t have to leave in the morning.” She struggled against my hold on her wrists. “Let me go. I want to touch you.”
“Break my hold and I will give you what you want.”
A snort emerged from her throat and I grinned. She was stubborn as hell and I loved that about her. She never stopped trying to defeat me no matter how many times I put her on her ass. I suspected one day she’d be one of the best Scar warriors we had.
I intended on her being one. Because no matter how much I wanted to protect her, the reality was she had to protect herself and she was fierce and determined enough to do that. She was one of the youngest Scars to ever join a Talde as many trained for years prior to being accepted into one.
Her lips parted and her eyes smoldered with desire as she wiggled her hips, grinding my cock into her. I’d already fucked her several times today, but she was irresistible and I could fuck her a million times and never be done with her.
“Waleron. I need you inside me again,” she whispered.
The way her tongue rolled over my name was the most erotic sound. I’d grown up with a bitch mother who was one of the first Scars, and was accustomed to my name sounding harsh and cruel as she berated me for everything I did. Nothing was good enough for her and she constantly reminded me of why I was on this Earth and how everything could be taken away if I ever swayed from my purpose.
Delara was unexpected. It took that year apart before I was able to convince myself that no matter my purpose here, she was now a part of that.
I ran my hands down her forearms, while using my weight to keep her immobile. Then I lowered and kissed her neck, teeth nibbling then tongue sliding over the silky surface. Her pulse throbbed as I took my time tasting her, enjoying the slight hitches in her breath and her struggle to touch me.
And I wanted her to touch me, but not yet. “Stay still, maitagarri,” I growled against her neck so my voice vibrated on her skin.
She relaxed for a second and then flung her right thigh into my hip to dislodge me. I’d been expecting her to make a move. She never gave up easily.
“You have to do better than that,” I drawled.
She pursed her lips. “I hate you.”
“You win a fight without emotions, maitagarri.”
“How am I supposed to do that with you on top of me?”
“I never said it was easy.” I grasped her nipple with my teeth through her shirt and tugged. She renewed her fight, yanking on her arms and wiggling her body like a snake. But there was no chance she’d escape my hold.
I clasped her wrists in one hand then slid my fingertips down between her breasts to her abdomen then slowly lifted her shift so it was bunched up around her waist. “You’re thinking about what I’m doing to your body instead of how to win.”
The tension left her body and she looked up at me. “Waleron?”
“Mmm,” I murmured while I slid my hand under the lace of her panties. She was so damn wet and I nearly ripped off the scrap of material and sank my throbbing cock inside her.
But I thrived off my control.
And so did she.
“Don’t ever leave me. I won’t survive that.”
My hand on her sex stilled. I released her wrists, but she kept her arms above her head while I ran my thumb over her plush lower lip. “You’ll survive whatever you need to, Delara. Any way you can. But know that leaving you will never be my choice.”
Her hand curled around the back of my neck and I allowed her to drag me closer, our lips a breath apart. “I love you,” she whispered.
I slammed my mouth onto hers, pushed her panties aside and thrust my cock deep inside her.
London, England 1926
I STROLLED ALONG THE GARDEN path, imagining Waleron’s cedar scent on the tip of my tongue and his hands caressing my body, the lyrical touch causing my insides to burn with desire. He could be gentle and patient and then other times rough and fierce. But no matter which way he made love to me, he demanded my submission and I gave it to him.
His life breathed into mine and mine his. Interchangeable. Our hearts and minds merged as one.
Our connection couldn’t be explained with words, but everything was brighter and clearer, my blood flowed easier, the air fresher when we were together.
Our bond was impenetrable. It was beauty and strength. Raw and simple. Gritty and fierce.
As Scars, our emotions were stronger than humans’, but this was more. It was consuming and powerful.
Even when we were apart, I felt him within me.
And unfortunately we were apart a lot. Waleron was a Taldeburu for a reason. He was vigilant about his oath to the Goddess to protect humans from our enemies. He’d been given the ability to Trace to locations he’d been in the past, which allowed him to oversee all the Taldes.
A Talde consisted of a group of Scars and we were responsible for fighting against the enemies in our territories. Our abilities varied, and I lived with Keir, a Sounder; Jedrik, a Visionary; Hack, a Taster; and Zurina, our Healer. I was the Tracker.
Our enemies constantly grew, the newest ones being the CWOs, the Center World Others. They were organisms from the center of the Earth that resurfaced in the form of insects. Highly intelligent, they were able to possess a deceased human body and walk among us, unknown to humans.
Worse, they were immune to the four elemental Wraiths’ powers to help us detect them. The Wraiths—Fire, Earth, Water, and Air—were our allies and lived on another realm. They had descended, like us, from the Goddess Azzurra, who’d offered the witches salvation from the Spanish Inquisition’s burning of the witches in Zugarramurdi, Spain, in 1610.
The CWOs were difficult to detect, as we didn’t yet know all the types of insects they’d descended from and each species had unique abilities.
The Lilacs were one of the most dangerous. They had webs they could shoot from their fingertips trapping their victims. Lilacs often cocooned their prey and later used them as sustenance. Always beautiful females, their skin emitted a powdery sub
stance that smelled of lilacs, which fortunately helped us locate them. But they were hard to get near with their steel-like webs.
Waleron was currently hunting a Lilac that was proving to be elusive. But he promised whether he found her or not, he’d return today and we’d go away for few weeks. No fighting enemies. No other Scars. Just us.
It had been months since we’d been together and I couldn’t wait to feel his lips on mine, his cock inside me, hear his husky voice as he held me in his arms.
I put my hand in my pocket and touched the crinkled paper. He’d given it to me months ago. Words he’d written before he left. I carried the note everywhere and when I went to bed at night, I read his words before placing the note between the pages of my book on the nightstand.
Waleron didn’t believe in being maited. Maiting was like a human marriage, except once you maited you never separated unless by death, and even then the bond was difficult to break.
His word was his oath and he’d sworn to love me in this life and the next, forever in our immortal lives. He said being maited brought law into something we had that was far more than that.
I smiled when I saw Jedrik come out the front door of the house. He headed toward me, but his steps were slow and his head was bowed.
“Delara,” Jedrik said as he approached.
My heart skipped a beat when I noticed how pale he was. “Are you feeling okay?”
He shifted his feet while looking down at them. Jedrik was overconfident and never avoided eye contact.
“Delara.” He inhaled a ragged breath, glanced over his shoulder at the house and then back at me.
I frowned. “What is it? Is everyone okay?”
He nodded. “Yeah. They’re fine. But, Delara….” Jedrik put his hands on my upper arms. “We… uh… we need to talk.”
Jedrik never stuttered. And he was rarely serious unless we were fighting our enemies, and even then he often had a playful grin.
There was no grin. No playfulness. His blue eyes were glassy and filled with tears that had yet to spill over.
