by Sharon Kay
Except Ria.
“Thank you.” Arawn rested his hands on his hips, as the strength and determination of his fighters nearly rendered him speechless. “You have mine as well. You’re my elite unit, and I’m honored to work with every one of you.” He glanced at Ria, who still held the Atropa sword, her expression unreadable.
Brenin stood and sheathed his blade, darting a quick glance between Arawn and Ria. “If you don’t need us here anymore, we’re gonna head back to HQ.”
“Fine. Dismissed.” Arawn didn’t take his eyes off his female as the air buzzed with the magic of portals opening and closing.
In a minute, they were alone.
“I’m sorry. I should have told you sooner,” he said. It was the truth, but it didn’t seem like enough.
She laid the sword down on the ground. “This is the burden that Jade talked about?”
He nodded.
Her shoulders sagged. “This whole time, I thought it was something to do with Lottie.”
“It may have been, in the beginning. I never thought I’d find another mate.”
“Another mate?” Her eyes widened. “You mean…are we…have we…the bond—”
“Not yet.” His heart pinched at the flicker of relief that crossed her face. “The bond has started, but it’s not complete. It won’t be, unless you choose to accept it.”
“When did it start? You knew?” More confusion and damn, he hated that he was the cause.
“A few days ago.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “I should’ve told you that too.”
“So that’s why I’ve been feeling random emotions that come out of nowhere,” she mused.
“Yeah. It starts out that way.” He stepped closer, daring to caress her biceps. “I have another thing to tell you.”
She gave him a wary look that slayed him. “Not sure I can handle another thing.”
Her words delivered a sting that he absolutely deserved, because nothing could make up for keeping truths from her. Except maybe this.
“Tirianna.” He pushed a tangled lock of hair out of her eyes. “Baby, I’m not good with words. So I’m just gonna say it.” He drew a deep breath and willed that somehow, some way, she’d understand. “You mean more to me than anything. I love you.”
She sucked in a breath. “I—”
He captured her hand. “I never thought I’d find another female who I could share my life with. I was lucky enough to have one chance all those years ago. Then my heart was an empty lump of muscle, until you joined my ranks.”
Her eyes glistened with moisture. She was listening. Thank the gods.
“I tried to deny I felt anything for you. Because I’ll be damned if any woman gets threatened or suffers retaliation because of my job. Never again. But you’re strong. You fought back from your battle injuries and, hell, it nearly killed me to see you lying there unconscious.” He took her hands in his. “You’re a warrior. My warrior princess. You calm me. You’re my perfect partner, my balance. And I want you to be my mate. I want you at my side, in my soul and in my bed, forever.”
Tears spilled down her cheeks and she clapped a hand over her mouth. “Arawn, I love you too. All I want is you.”
Her words made his soul roar with pride, but dread loomed over the last detail of their possible mating. “Baby, I want to make sure you understand. This may be thinking way too far ahead, but if we’re lucky enough to have children…they’ll be part Ghazsul demon. And if you don’t want that, I won’t ask you to complete the bond.”
“Arawn.” She linked her hands behind his neck. “I accept everything about you. Your grumpy moods—”
“What?” He scowled.
“Come on.” She smirked. “There are days when you never crack a smile.”
He grunted. She was right.
“Yes, you could have told me this stuff sooner, but I understand that you carry so much on your shoulders. I’ve been lucky that my family is big and happy and we get along and most important, we’re all alive. I can’t imagine the pain of losing one of them. I can’t conceive of the pain of losing a mate. And I don’t judge you for hesitating. I don’t judge you at all.” Her fingers caressed his nape, soothing him down from the abysmal idea of losing her. “And your ancestry is part of you, but it doesn’t define you. A drop of bad blood doesn’t cancel out an ocean of good.”
He slid his hands to her hips, gripping tightly and, gods help him, he was never letting her go.
“You love a good fight,” she continued. “You’re the best warrior I know.” She dropped her gaze to his lips. “The sexiest male I’ve ever seen. You’ve been my fantasy since I met you. And I will love every child you give me, no matter what.”
He dropped his head to hers as emotion swelled in his heart. Part of him didn’t understand how he’d earned the love of this incredible female, but he knew all too well how short life could be. “You’re mine, perfect girl.”
She angled his jaw toward her mouth, holding him a breath away. “And you’re mine. I want to be your mate,” she whispered, before pressing her lips to his.
He snaked one hand around her waist and the other at her nape, holding her possessively as he took over the kiss. She tangled her tongue with his as if they hadn’t kissed in a year, hungry and needy and full of completeness.
Awash in Ria’s love and acceptance, he gave himself over to the mate bond. It snapped into place with electric force, melding their hearts and souls in a blissful spiral of destiny, commitment, and desire.
She pulled back with a gasp, eyes wide with wonder. “I feel it. It’s like you’re part of me.”
“That’s because I am. And now, you’ll start to feel my emotions all the time.” He gave her ass a light smack. “All my supposed grumpiness.”
“Mmm.” She rolled her lips in, then released them. “Maybe you won’t be quite so grumpy now that you have me.” Sexual hunger flared from her, radiating to him through their mental link.
He growled at the rush of pure female heat, all for him, from the most perfect creature in the realm. My woman. “Fucking you three times a day should turn me into Mr. Happy.”
She giggled and slid her hands down his sides. “Mr. Happy. We’ll see—” Her jaw dropped as he winced. “You’re still hurt!”
Fuck. He’d forgotten about the dagger stuck in his side. Ria leaned down to look at it. Worry and tenderness washed over him.
“I can feel your worry,” he murmured. “The wound’s not deep.” He yanked the blade out and blood welled anew.
“Looks bad.” She frowned. “Did it have venom?”
“A little.” He shrugged. The trace amount wouldn’t cause damage.
She shook her head. “I don’t like that. You need to clean it. And I have a puncture wound on my thigh, but it’s not—”
“You?” Oh hell no. “We’re going home. Ashina needs to see you.” He reached for his transportation amulet.
“It’s just a scratch!”
“I can’t stand to see you hurt.”
She popped her hands on her hips. “Don’t you dare tell me I can’t go out in the field anymore because I might get hurt.”
“No way, baby. I know how much you love your work. Plus, you’re a damn good Watcher.” He frowned at her thigh. “But I may quite possibly go ape shit whenever you get injured.”
“As long as you let me beat the snot out of whoever caused it.” She folded her arms.
“Deal, Princess.” He hooked her behind the neck and pulled her close. “But no more of this renegade shit. What the hell were you two doing here? Alone?”
She sighed. “Gin had a last minute hunch and I agreed. You and the teams were already gone. The plan was to just observe and then call you if we saw anything.”
“Well, that got fucked up.”
Resolve glimmered in her eyes. “I wasn’t about to let the Ghazsuls walk out of here with that sword. Retrieving it was tonight’s’ mission, even if I wasn’t assigned a specific role.”
A smile t
witched at his lips as pride at her fearlessness tempered his rage at the thought of what could have gone wrong. He reached down to palm her ass. “My tough girl.”
She licked her lips, and raised blue eyes that glowed with a seductive gleam. Passion fired through their bond.
“Hell, babe. Your sexy mouth gives me all kinds of ideas.” He conjured a mental image of her lips wrapped around his cock and projected it to her. Though their bond was brand-spanking-new and it might not go through…
Her eyes widened and her mouth formed a perfect O. “How did you do that?”
“Just think it. Like this.” He imagined her on all fours on his bed. “Or this—“
“Stop! I get it. You’re making me crazy.” She pressed up to nuzzle his neck. “I want you so bad.”
Her soft lips fueled the double shot of lust already searing his veins. “Let’s go home.” His arm tightened around her waist. “I love you. I will always love you. I will fight for you—”
“And fight with me, at my side.” She trailed her fingers across his pecs to lay a hand over his heart. “My partner. We make a good team.”
“Forever, Princess.”
She pulled back and gave him the most radiant smile he’d ever seen. It bathed his once-hardened heart in a tidal wave of her love. “I can’t wait for forever to start.”
C
HAPTER 30
“STOP MOTHER-HENNING ME ALREADY! IT’S been a week and I’m back to normal. Almost.” Gin scowled as she sat on the balcony and rubbed the fresh bandage on her upper chest. Morning sun bathed her lounger as well as Ria’s.
“Fine, fine. I’m just worried.” Ria finally sat, after making sure Gin had everything she might possibly need.
Gin slid her sunglasses down to level Ria with a look. “Seriously. You can stop worrying. I already have Mathias is treating me like I’m made of glass. Even Alina’s trying to take care of me.”
“Well, you looked bad when they brought you in.” Ria frowned at the memory of her friend in the medical wing, pale and short of breath due to the Viper venom on the arrow that had pierced her skin.
“Thanks to Ashina being a kick ass healer, I’m fine.” Gin grabbed a cranberry muffin from the plate Ria had brought up. “Though I won’t complain about a steady supply of these. You can keep ‘em coming.”
“Smart ass.” Ria tried for sarcasm, but it got lost in the relief that her friend would be okay. Though she’d carry a jagged scar below her collarbone for the rest of her life.
A sudden burst of warmth in her chest alerted her to Arawn. She turned to see him striding through the French doors, freshly showered and looking good enough to eat. Worn, perfectly fitting jeans hugged his powerful legs, and his hair hung in damp waves around his face. Hair that now sported a bright blond curly lock at his temple.
The mate lock. Signaling to every creature with eyes that he belonged to her. It paired with the one inch chestnut streak that mingled with the blond curls at the left side of her head.
Hey, Princess, he said through their mental link.
Do you even know how sexy you look? Speaking this way had been weird for all of two minutes after their bond crystallized. She loved hearing his voice in her head.
No. But I was about to take this off so maybe you can enlighten me. He tugged at the neckline of his black T-shirt. It was stretched to perfection across his pecs and biceps. He reached her and cupped her jaw, tilting her head back to meet his lips.
“Mmm,” she sighed. “Why? Are you working out?”
He turned to Gin and gave her a chin lift. “Morning, Virginia. Feeling good?”
“Yes, thank you.” Gin arched a brow at Ria. “Everyone else seems to think I’m about to faint.”
“Nah, you’re tough when you need to be.” He winked at Gin.
“Tell that to Mathias,” she muttered.
He chuckled and sat down on Ria’s lounger, pulling her legs across his thighs. “This shirt is coming off because I have a surprise for you.”
“Surprise?” Her jaw dropped. “How? What? I thought we couldn’t surprise each other anymore, if we have this mental bond.”
“Oh, we still can. Not all thoughts have to be projected. Some of them, we can keep to ourselves.”
“You didn’t tell me that!” She smacked his arm.
“Consider yourself told just now.”
“You’re in so much trouble for holding out on me.” She narrowed her eyes, but lost that battle immediately. Heat flared from him, possessive and primal.
Can’t wait to see what you do about that. His dark eyes swirled with amber.
“All right, what’s the surprise already?” Gin giggled. “New mates. You’re so cute.”
“I have a water nymph waiting for me in the spell area, by special request.” His eyes twinkled with mirth.
“What?” Ria’s first instinct was feral. “No water nymph is going to lay a hand on you. Or ogle you. In fact I might veto any conversation as well.”
“You’re cute when you’re jealous.”
Ria yanked her legs off of his. “You do not want to see me jealous.”
Arawn stood and pulled her up with him. “Come. This is a surprise present for you.”
Gin got up too. “I’m not staying here while you get presents. I wanna see. And I’m curious about this nymph. I’ve never met one.”
“Yeah.” Ria growled. “You can hold me back if I start to tear her eyeballs out.”
Arawn steered her toward the French doors. “I don’t think you’ll want to do anything to her eyes.” His voice was cryptic yet delighted.
“Oh, I am so dying to know what’s going on.” Gin bounced on her toes next to Ria.
“This better be good.” Ria said as they walked through the marble hall to the elevator and rode down to the spell group’s rooms on the first floor.
Arawn pushed open the door and greeted the witches working at tables, spelling amulets, working with herbs, or creating potions. They all smiled knowing smiles that drove Ria nuts. What is going on?
“This.” Arawn opened a door to a small room furnished with a large chair that looked like it reclined…and a beautiful water nymph. Black hair cascaded to her waist and a turquoise dress hugged her petite, curvy body. It matched the bright blue of her expressive eyes.
She swallowed hard when she saw Ria, her huge eyes drawn to the dark mate lock in her hair. Good.
Then Ria’s eyes dropped to the female’s hand, which held a small gun…but not one that was a weapon. What the heck? At a table against the wall a dozen tiny glass bottles were lined up neatly. White cotton cloths were folded in a precise stack next to them.
Ria shot Arawn a curious look and stepped closer to the bottles. They held…colored liquid? “What are you going to do?”
“Ria, meet Marina. She lives in the water nymph colony near Rivkin.” He arched a brow at Ria. “With her mate and their four children. Marina, this is my mate Ria.”
“It’s an honor to meet you, my lady,” Marina said shyly. She extended her hand and Ria clasped it, still unsure what they were all doing here.
“Marina comes highly recommended in her field. Ana dug up many reports that say she’s the best in the realm.”
“The best at what?” Ria couldn’t stand it anymore.
Arawn slid his hands along Ria’s biceps. “Tattoo artistry.”
“What?” Ria blinked in confused shock. “A tattoo? But you’ll need Viper venom!”
He grinned. “We have that on hand.”
Behind her, Gin let out a squeak. Ria clapped a hand over her mouth. “No. I can’t let you. It’s too painful.” Lash demons healed so quickly that regular tattoo ink didn’t stick. Their skin pushed the ink out almost immediately.
Unless it was mixed with Viper venom.
But that option was excruciating. Moderate quantities caused stinging and burning, larger ones led to vomiting. Because of that, Lash demons rarely got tattoos. And hardly any of them acquired the artistic skill needed to d
o the work on others.
Water nymphs, however, were among the most artsy of all the species. Ria had seen many with beautiful, elaborate tattoos done in their own colonies.
“I’ll decide if it’s too painful.” His hand captured hers and he brought it to his lips. “I want the world to see your name on my skin as well as the lock in my hair. I’m yours, completely, forever.”
The depth of his love washed through her, the sincerity of his words making her melt. There was no way she could deny him. “Okay. But I’m worried about how the venom will affect you.”
“I’ve been on the receiving end of more than this,” he said. “And if by some odd chance I’m not handling it well, look who’s joining us.”
Ria turned to see Ashina in the doorway. “I’m sure he won’t need me, but he knew you’d feel better if I were here.” She winked at Ria.
“Yes. Oh my gosh, yes, thank you,” Ria said. She turned back to Arawn. “My name?”
“Yep. Here.” He traced a U-shaped line from his left pec to his right.
“Oh, wow.” She gazed at him, still in awe of how much he truly was hers. “You’re right, I am surprised.”
Arawn gave her a roguish smile and then looked at Marina. “Ready?”
The nymph nodded, and Arawn sat in the chair.
“This is so romantic,” Gin said from her spot near the door. “But if you don’t mind, I’ll step out. I don’t like needles, even on someone else.”
Ria gaped at her friend. “But you have a tattoo.”
“I know, I know.” Gin held up both hands and gave her an apologetic wince. “I still can’t watch the process.”
“Okay, see you later.” Ria shrugged. She pulled a stool over to one side of the chair while Marina filled her gun with ink on Arawn’s other side. “So, you had Ana call around, huh?”
“She’s my secretary. That’s what she does.” He took his shirt off, revealing the perfect chest she’d spent hours memorizing with her mouth.
“Is the venom already in the ink?” Ria asked, eyeing the bottles warily.
“Yes.” Marina snapped on a pair or latex gloves. They glowed a faint blue, indicating they’d been magically enhanced to protect the nymph’s hands from any errant drops of poisoned ink. “I’m going to swab your skin now.” With quick, efficient motions she wiped an alcohol pad across Arawn’s chest. “And now, we’ll position this exactly how you want it.” She reached toward her table and produced a thin yet large sheet of tracing paper.
