Heart of the Warrior

by Donya Lynne

  "That feels so good," she said.

  Yes, it does. "I’m glad. You had a rough night."

  Suddenly, the door to her room pushed open and Tristan walked in, looking like hell had just frozen over with him in it. He gave Io an abrupt frown as if to ask what the fuck he was doing in there, brushing Miriam’s hair no less, then he turned toward Miriam.

  "Well, I just got a very interesting phone call." His voice boomed harshly.

  Miriam tensed and Io swore he felt anxiety roll out of her.

  "What the fuck, Tristan. How about some bedside manner. She’s been through enough already."

  Tristan ignored him. "Why didn’t you tell us you were King Bain’s daughter?"

  Io nearly shit himself. "You’re King Bain’s daughter?"

  Tristan scowled at him. "Get away from her, Io. You’re not allowed to touch her."

  Miriam looked away as Io practically fell off the bed in his haste to get away from her. He sure could pick them. Fuck. If the king himself had come through the door and seen him touching Miriam like that, he wouldn’t have seen his death coming. It just would have happened.

  Tristan took a deep, exasperated breath. "He’s sending someone to pick you up at sundown."

  Miriam huffed. "He’s not coming himself?"

  "No."

  "Surprise, surprise." She huffed again and looked away.

  "You know your father doesn’t go out in public," Tristan said.

  She flipped her hair, her chin jutting out proudly. "Guess not. Not even for his own daughter."

  Tristan pursed his lips and propped his hands on his hips. "Well, someone will pick you up in about eight hours. I’m supposed to watch over you personally until he’s here."

  Io frowned at that idea. "I can watch her."

  Miriam’s hopeful eyes shot to him and he forced himself not to smile at her.

  "No." Tristan shut him down in a heartbeat. "Direct orders from the king himself. And after what I just saw, I think it would be better that you get the hell out of here right now, Io."

  Yeah, Tristan knew Io's reputation. This was one time he wished he didn't have such a track record with the ladies. He wanted to stay with Miriam. The thought she would leave and he'd never see her again was disconcerting.

  Miriam’s face fell and his chest ached for her. "I’m sorry." He handed her the brush.

  "It’s okay, Io. I’m used to it."

  He wondered what she meant by that as she took the brush from him and held it to her chest like a treasure.

  "Thank you for brushing my hair." Her doe-like eyes blinked to his and he nearly came undone with desire.

  "You’re welcome." He couldn't take that first step for the door. He could only stare at her.

  "Now, Io." Tristan pointed to the door.

  Io scowled at him. "Fuck, Tris. I'm going, okay? Cool off."

  He turned and gave Miriam a final glance, smiling at her wistfully. Then he waved to her and she waved back as he left the room. In one way he hoped he never saw Miriam again, because that would mean she'd gotten off the cobalt, but in another way, he hoped her addiction only got worse, because that would mean she would be back here where he could see her again.

  Hmm, he usually avoided cobalt calls while on patrol because of his past addiction. After this, he might have to change that. One never knew where Miriam would turn up again, and if she was using, it was a sure bet she would. And Io wanted to be the one to take that call.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

  Three nights later, Sev woke up with his arms around Ari in the bed of his room in the medical wing as the nurse came in to open the curtains and blinds. The medical wing was the only place in the compound with windows because being exposed to the outside world was supposed to have a positive psychological effect on the sick and recovering. Or at least, that's what he'd been told. And he had to admit, seeing the lights of the city did make him feel better.

  "Good evening," the nurse said when she turned to see him awake. Then she lowered her voice and smiled at Ari, who was still sleeping. "He just refuses to leave you, doesn’t he?"

  Sev looked at Ari’s face and slid his hand over his tattooed left arm, which rested across his stomach. He turned back to the nurse and smiled wide. "What can I say? He loves me."

  "That he does, that he does." The nurse proceeded quietly to the door then whispered, "Your dinner will be in shortly. One last meal before you go home."

  He nodded and mouthed okay.

  Sev felt so much better. Ari’s blood had helped heal him quickly, and the doctor had removed the stitches in his chest this morning. Right where Ari’s head now lay with his ear pressed against him as if he wanted to make sure he could hear his heartbeat while he slept.

  He bent his head and kissed the top of Ari’s. "Hey, sleepyhead. Time to wake up."

  Ari stirred and pressed closer.

  "Come on, babe. Wakey-wakey."

  Ari turned his face into Sev’s chest and kissed him through his hospital gown, then lifted up and looked through sleep-filled eyes into Sev’s. "I love you."

  Since the accident, I love you was the first thing Ari said to him every night upon waking and the last thing he said every morning before going to sleep. And Sev always said in reply…

  "I love you, too."

  Ari pressed his mouth to Sev’s, his lips closing over Sev’s bottom lip while Sev sucked on the top one of Ari’s.

  The door to the room flew open and Micah barged in, followed by Trace. "Get a fucking room, you two."

  Sev jerked back, breaking the tender lip-lock as he scowled at the intrusion. "We have a room, asshole."

  Micah chuckled.

  Ari pulled back and turned around. "Don’t you knock?"

  "Fuck no. I own the place." Micah pulled up a chair and plopped down on it backward while Trace stood at his side.

  "Is that so? You own the place, huh?" Sev actually chuckled at Micah. Who would have thought he would ever find the fuckhead amusing?

  "Nah, but speaking of owning the place." Micah leaned his forearms on the back of the chair. "That girl Trace brought in? The overdose? She was King Bain’s daughter."

  "What?" Sev thought back to that first night when he paid her and Ari’s fleeting fiancé a visit in that Jag. Now he understood all the bling and rich kid vibes. The fucking king’s daughter, for Christ’s sake. And she was a junkie, or at least she would be if she didn't slow down.

  "Yep. We just heard. And she made quite an impression on Io."

  "Oh?" Ari glanced down.

  Io hadn’t been to visit them once. Everyone else had, even his father, who had hovered in the background wordlessly while Tristan checked on him. But Io? Ari’s best friend had all but abandoned him.

  Micah gave them a facetious look. "Yep. Io has had fucking hearts in his eyes ever since. As if he has a chance at tapping that shit. The king would chop off his balls and cook them for breakfast if he even caught Io looking at his daughter."

  The nurse came back with a cart of food.

  "Mmm. Speaking of food, what's for dinner?" Micah lifted the lid off one tray and snagged a French fry.

  "Back off, asshole. That’s my dinner." Sev laughed as the nurse slapped Micah’s hand. "Thanks, Isabel. You show him who's boss around here."

  Isabel smiled at him. "I can handle Micah. Sometimes I think I'm the only one."

  "It's because I like you, Izzy." Micah tossed the fry into his mouth.

  Sev and Ari sat up in bed, side-by-side, and the nurse set their trays on the make-shift table then situated it in front of them.

  He and Ari had become quite the attraction in the medical wing. The nurses practically doted on them, loving that they had a newly-mated couple to take care of. Something about the females around here made them love that he and Ari were two males who had gotten together. Maybe it was because they saw it as a novelty. Sev couldn't say. But it made him laugh how they all just gushed around the two of them.

  He opened his carton of milk and took
a drink as Ari started on his own fries.

  "So, what about the female who capped me? Where is she?"

  "Holding cell." Trace’s deep voice rumbled to life. "Malek has been with her. Won't leave her, actually. It's kind of freaky how he won't leave her."

  Sev had already been told that Gina knew the truth about what had actually gone down in Atlanta. She hadn't taken it well, apparently, and had tried to get herself killed by faking an attempt to escape.

  "I want to see her."

  Ari tensed and looked at him.

  "Not a good idea." Micah stole another fry. "And not just because Malek will finish the job she started if you touch her, either."

  Okay, that did sound freaky. What was up with Malek? He glanced between Micah and Trace then looked at Ari.

  "I don’t care. I want to talk to her." Sev spoke to Micah, but kept his eyes on Ari.

  "After what she did to you? You sure you don’t just want to go in there and kill her?" Micah shook his head. "Like I said, not a good idea. Malek would blow out."

  "What's up with that?" Ari said, shaking his head in confusion.

  Micah made a you-don't-want-to-know face and huffed. "He's gotten a bit protective of your would-be assassin."

  "I’m not going to hurt her," Sev said. "I just need to see her."

  Gina was Gabriel’s sister and she deserved to hear the truth from him. Besides, he had something Gabe would have wanted her to have.

  Trace snuck a fry and eyed him. "I know about you, you know."

  "What do you mean?" Sev stopped with his burger halfway to his mouth and looked at Ari quizzically then back to Trace.

  Ari half-shrugged and gave him a sheepish glance. "I think he's saying that he knows about your mom."

  Trace chewed and swallowed then glanced at Micah. "I haven't told anyone else. Micah knew already, though."

  Yeah, Micah would know because he had been poking around in his mind. But damn if it didn't impress Sev all to hell and back that Micah had known and hadn't said anything. That guy was better than Master Lock when it came to keeping his mouth shut.

  Micah grinned at him and held his gaze. Sev arched an eyebrow at him and Micah chuckled before looking away.

  "You got that, right?" Sev said.

  "Loud and clear." Micah grinned. "Yeah, I am better than Master Lock."

  Ari looked back and forth between them. "What are you two talking about?"

  "Oh, nothing. Just Micah's five-finger action on my thoughts."

  Micah leaned back and threw his arms up like he was innocent. "Hey, I'm not stealing them. I'm just window shopping."

  Everyone laughed.

  Sev looked back at Trace. "So, Tristan doesn't know? Or the others?"

  Trace shook his head. "Nope. And they won't. Not unless you tell them. Not my place to."

  Man, Trace was good people. Sev was starting to feel a camaraderie growing among the four of them he never would have imagined just a couple of weeks ago.

  "What about Gina? She knows." Sev took a bite of burger. "Has she told anyone?"

  Trace shook his head. "No. And I doubt she will. She already feels guilty about what she did. And I bet if you ask her not to say anything, she probably won't. She feels she owes you."

  "Well, that's something, I guess." Sev exchanged glances with Ari.

  He was grateful for Trace's and Micah's understanding about the sensitive nature of his lineage, and he hoped Trace was right about Gina. He wasn't ready for the entire compound to know what he was. At this point, with all that had happened, most would probably look past it, but he was sure some would shun him and demonstrate prejudice against him for being half dreck. And there was still a chance he would be asked to resign.

  Micah pushed out of the chair and gestured toward Trace that it was time to go. "We'll let you two get back to it." Micah stopped at the door, turned around, and made kissing noises at them then laughed.

  Sev grabbed a handful of fries and threw them at him. "Get out of here, Micah!"

  Micah and Trace ducked and chuckled.

  "Get well, Sev. Let us know if you need anything." Micah hesitated and nodded toward Arion. "But I think you've got all you need right there."

  Meaningful glances were exchanged and Sev felt the kinship strengthen between him and Micah. He had a feeling he would lay down his life for that male right now if it ever came to that.

  Micah grinned. "That won't be necessary." With that, he led Trace out.

  "What did he mean by that?" Ari looked up at him.

  Sev shook his head and smiled. "Nothing. Just that I think Micah and I have an understanding now."

  The two gazed at each other for a moment then looked back toward the door as it hissed shut.

  "I never thought I’d say this," said Ari, "but I’m really starting to like that black-haired freak."

  Sev took a bite of his burger. "Me, too."

  They exchanged glances again and grinned at each other.

  "And I don't care if you are half dreck. You're my half-dreck, and I love you."

  Damn, Ari knew just what to say to make his heart beat a little harder. He kissed Ari's cheek then brushed his lips over his ear. "I love you, too."

  * * *

  After filling their bellies, the doctor came in and gave Sev one final examination then cleared him to go home with orders to rest for the next week.

  "Do you want to see Gina before we leave," Ari said.

  Sev slipped a shirt Tristan had loaned him over his head. He was still stiff as hell, but at least he was upright and alive. "No, I need to get something from home first and get cleaned up." He hadn’t had a proper shower in over three days. "And I need you."

  They were still in the midst of the calling but it had taken a brief hiatus while Sev recovered. But it was reawakening and they had already had to lock the door once for some privacy.

  Ari licked his lips and his gaze smoldered. "I see."

  Uh-huh. They really needed to get home and get back to being newly-mated.

  Sev was still weak, though, and as a precaution they rolled him out to Ari’s car in a wheelchair and helped him into the passenger seat. Ari tossed their things in the back and got behind the wheel and drove him home, holding his hand the whole way.

  Once home, Ari helped him inside and downstairs to the bedroom, where he sat down on the bed.

  "What do you want to do first?" Ari said, grinning.

  "Shower. Definitely a shower." No question about that. Sev felt disgusting. As much as he wanted to get inside his male, like yesterday, he wanted to be clean first.

  Ari went to the bathroom and Sev heard the water turn on. In a moment, Ari was back, kneeling in front of him. "Doc says I’ll have to help you bathe."

  "Oh, is that right?" He grinned at the way Ari was looking at him.

  So, maybe he could have his cake and eat it, too.

  Ari nodded and palmed his knees, smiling affectionately. "Yes, we can’t have you falling down or hurting yourself, you know."

  Sev arched an eyebrow. "Okay, well, you’ll definitely have to join me in the shower then. Save me from myself." He winked.

  "Absolutely."

  "What else are you supposed to help me with?"

  Ari’s fingers rubbed up his thighs to the waist of the nylon sweats he had borrowed from Trace. "The doc said I might have to help you undress if your muscles are still stiff." His fingers grazed over the erection that had popped up the instant Ari had mentioned the shower.

  "I’m definitely stiff." Sev stared into Ari’s sexy, topaz eyes.

  "Yeah, I should probably lend you a hand, huh?"

  "Or two."

  Ari pushed his hands up Sev’s shirt and lifted it over his head, then kissed the angry scar that was still healing over his chest. In another day, it would only be a pale pink mark, especially if he drank from Ari one more time.

  "What did the doc say about physical activity?" Sev rested his arms over Ari’s shoulders.

  "Mmm, I think he said physi
cal activity was good as long as it wasn’t too strenuous." Ari hooked his fingers in the waist of the sweatpants and pushed them down. He pulled them off along with his shoes and looked back into Sev’s eyes before pulling his own shirt off.

  "So, I guess you’ll have to be gentle with me." Sev took the shirt out of Ari's hands and tossed it aside as Ari took off his own pants.

  "I’ll be anything I have to be as long as I can spend the rest of my life with you." Ari took his hand and pulled him up and led him to the bathroom.

  Ari stood behind him and raked his blunt nails up and down his back while he brushed his teeth. The head of Ari’s cock bumped against his ass then slid between his cheeks. Sev quickly finished brushing and wiped the extra toothpaste off his mouth with his hand then spun around and pulled Ari to him with a possessive growl.

  In an instant, their mouths came together and Ari’s tongue darted into his mouth to taste him.

  "Mmm." The deep moan vibrated from Ari’s chest into his own and their cocks slid together.

  Without breaking the greedy lip-lock, Ari maneuvered him into the luxurious, open shower and slapped his hands around on the shelf until he found the soap. Sev grabbed the shampoo and poured a generous portion into Ari’s hair, then his.

  Within seconds, between Ari’s soapy hands and Severin washing both his and Ari’s hair, they were covered in thick dollops of suds that fell down their bodies to slap onto the tile floor. All the while their lips never parted, and their tongues never stopped dancing.

  When one of Ari’s slippery, soap-covered hands dove down the crack of his ass and the other wrapped around his shaft, Sev grunted and staggered forward. Ari caught him, letting go of his cock long enough to steady him before getting back to work on his hard-on.

  Suddenly, a thick stream of shampoo bubbles dribbled down Sev’s face and he jerked back with a laugh.

  Ari joined in and directed them both under the shower of water to rinse off.

  "Fucking soap." Sev splashed water over his face then worked the suds out of Ari’s hair.