A Love For Lera (Haikon)

by Burke, Aliyah

  Closing her eyes, Lera stifled a whimper as tears threatened. She barely moved when she felt Kori touch her leg, just opened her eyes and watched him pull off her boots. His eyes and hands were gentle, and she experienced a momentary pang of guilt for what she was about to do.

  “Rest, mo chara. We’ll figure it out in the morning.”

  Not trusting herself to speak, she merely nodded. Her breath caught a few minutes later when the suddenly too-small mattress dipped in the dark room with the addition of Kori’s weight. She stiffened, unsure, but relaxed when he didn’t move. There was space between them, and she thought about curling up to him and soaking up his strength.

  “Good night, mo ghrá,” he said softly.

  Whatever he called her in Gaeilge made her heart get all soft and mushy. The words made her feel cherished and special. All of them and he used a few phrases.

  “Good night, Kori,” she returned.

  Two hours of rest and I’ll get going. Lera sighed deeply and tried to rest. Tried to forget the mouthwatering specimen of a man who shared the bed with her. So close she could touch him if she chose. Clasping her fingers together under her chin so she kept them to herself, Lera fell into her usual light sleep.

  Her internal clock woke her, and in silence, she slid from bed, grabbed her bag and boots before heading the bathroom. She changed quietly and slipped from that room, heading for the door. Snagging her jacket, Lera crept out the door and down the steps. Securing her bag on the bike, she rolled it a bit before starting it and roared off into the night.

  Murdock Denton. The name alone made her sick. How could I have missed it? He even said he would do whatever it took to get at least one of us. Anger seeped in and took over the fear for Rissa. I should have killed him when I had the chance.

  Lera revved the engine and shot off even faster. She had barely a day to arrive, buy a dress, and go to the weekly party Murdock threw for himself. Overly self-absorbed motherfucking bastard!

  It was early morning when she first stopped for gas. Standing at the pump, she trembled from the force of anger that filled her. Kori had found out she’d left him there.

  Lera waited for him to yell at her but he said nothing along the link which existed between them. All she felt was cold, icy cold, fury which moved through her like unfurling tendrils. Despite the miles between them, her hand actually shook when she replaced the gas nozzle. She’d never gotten that emotion from him before. Not to this extent. He was extremely pissed.

  Lera paid for her fuel and walked back to her bike. One final glance in the direction she’d come, almost expecting to see Kori standing there, and she continued on her way. She pushed hard and, by the end of the day, had reached her destination. After getting a room in the hotel, Lera walked up the boulevard to a nice boutique and entered. The saleslady looked at her with flat eyes until she pulled out her credit card. A black credit card. Suddenly, the lady and the two others pulled in, couldn’t do enough for Lera.

  After finalizing her purchases and ensuring they would deliver them to her room, Lera walked out and headed up the street to get a layout of the area. It had been quite a while since she’d been here. I also need time to gather myself. With Denton involved, the game had changed.

  Back in her room, she stood under the set of four overhead, rotating shower panels. The spray as hot as she could take it, Lera let it work away the soreness of her muscles. Clean and almost relaxed, she got out and wrapped herself in the thick dark gray robe the hotel offered.

  Kori’s eyes are similar to this.

  Shudders overtook her at the thought of Kori waiting for her on the other side of the door. Shaking it off, she wrapped her hair and walked into the bedroom of her suite. With a sigh, she moved to the bed and dug through the purchases she’d made for the bottle of sesame oil. She rubbed it in all over her skin then waited until it all soaked in.

  In her matching sapphire blue bra and panties, Lera stood before the mirror and stared at her reflection. She picked up the pendant and kissed it briefly before taking a deep breath. Lera got ready, and after her hair was done, she sat on the side of the bed. Dropping her head, she whispered, “Please let me be on time.”

  Lera reached for her shoes and took her time wrapping the satin ties up to mid-calf. Shoes on, there existed nothing else to delay her going to the party. Lera put her ID and keycard in a secure spot on her body and got to her feet. One final deep breath at the door, and Lera walked out then headed for the elevator.

  Staring at a spot on the red wall, Lera made sure to lock her emotions behind a composed façade and a cool smile. Murdock would take great pleasure in knowing his effect on her. She exited the elevator and headed for the room the party was in. Her gaze skimmed over other people, both singles and couples, heading in and out of the door.

  “Ms. Lera, so good to see you again,” a man’s said in a smooth voice.

  “Hello, Jonathan.”

  She smiled politely. Jonathan “JJ” Johnson followed Murdock Denton around like a puppy. She wished he could truly see what kind of person Murdock was but there existed such a case of idol worship, Lera realized it would never happen.

  “Murdock didn’t say you were coming.”

  “I just got into town today. Didn’t know myself until a bit ago. Have you seen him?”

  “He’s out in the gardens.” Jonathan’s eyes sparkled. “He’ll be so glad to see you.”

  I bet he will. “Well, don’t tell him you saw me. I’d like it to be a surprise.”

  Making the motion of locking his lips and throwing away the key, Jonathan smiled at her. “Secret is safe with me. I’ll see you in a bit. I have to grab something from my room.”

  “Of course,” Lera said.

  She paused slightly before the open double doors which led to the man she needed to find. Lera forced her hand, which balled into a fist, to relax. Then, she walked in. The room was crowded, loud, and full of people who lived to party. Some she recognized, some she didn’t. Moving down the stairs, she smiled and chatted even as she made her way toward the doors which would lead her to the gardens.

  Right before she got there, Lera saw him out of the corner of her eye. He was standing with a blonde and a brunette, both skimpily dressed, and both seemingly fawning over him. His back was to her but she knew it was him. Some things never change. Spinning her ring, Lera walked toward the trio.

  “Hello, Murdock,” she said from behind him.

  The women shot her evil looks even as he turned toward her. His head cocked to the side as if unsure he were truly seeing her. Then, a slow smile lifted the corners of his mouth. Murdock stepped away from the two women and reached for Lera’s hands. At the contact, she locked her emotions behind her wall of ice and made sure to keep a soft smile on her face.

  “Lera,” he murmured. “It’s been far too long. Let me get a look at you.”

  She stared at his black Armani suit and moved her gaze to his face. He hadn’t changed. Smooth shaven with a light olive tint to his complexion. His brown hair was kept short and his hazel eyes stared at her with that same cool, calculating look he’d always had.

  “You are looking wonderful,” he said, kissing her cheek.

  “You haven’t changed.” Squeezing his hands, she released them. “I hope you don’t mind me dropping by without notice but I had heard Rissa was here.”

  “You did, did you?” His gaze grew hard.

  “I did. But I can see you are busy, so I’ll go mingle with some others and we can meet up a bit later.”

  The two women slid their arms through his and the blonde said, “Yes, you were talking to us, Murdock.”

  “Don’t leave, Lera,” he spoke even as his gaze raked up and down her body.

  “Wouldn’t dream of it.” She turned and walked away.

  The desire to go grab a drink hit her hard but she knew it wouldn’t be wise to deal with Murdock with impaired judgment. Out of her peripheral vision, she recognized something else which made her heart drop. Shit
! What is he doing here? Lera headed for him and intercepted him before he could get to Murdock.

  Kori was anything but happy. He woke to find himself alone in the room. Moving to the window, he frowned when he saw Lera’s bike gone, until he remembered her perchance for riding to greet the new day. He calmed a bit right up until he saw her bag was gone. Rage tore through him, and he fought the wolf. He knew she could feel his anger but she didn’t say a word. Neither did he.

  This is a conversation we’re having face to face. And apparently, I need to tie her to me at night.

  Grabbing his bag, Kori stuffed his few items in it and headed for his Humvee. He had a long way to go and not much time to do it in. After Winthrop vanished in his rearview, Kori focused on Lera.

  What the hell was she thinking?

  His mood hadn’t improved any when he tracked her down. So, he waited in the shadows at eleven at night for her to make an appearance. The hair on the back of his neck stood up, and his gaze slashed the room. Kori knew full well she was there.

  Fuck me! All the blood rushed to his cock. Lera walked across the floor, heading in his direction.

  Gone was the casually attired, yet definitely hot, Lera, and in her place was this cock-hardening sexy vixen. Her black dress ended just above her knees. It had a one-shoulder neckline with cutout detail on her right shoulder. The right sleeve was long but sheer so he could see the enticing brownness of her skin. The outfit had a natural waist and a straight skirt. The same sheer material was above her breasts obscuring her pendant.

  Lera paused and turned around when she spoke to someone. Kori groaned again. There was more skin exposed courtesy of the back cutout detail. And there was an asymmetric back zipper. He could see a zipper at each end near her left hip and he longed to pull the top one down and expose her skin. Her gorgeous, toned legs led his gaze to her four-inch heeled shoes with black ribbons which crisscrossed up to mid-calf.

  She faced his direction again and began walking. Her hips swayed in a natural and unintentionally seductive manner with each step she took. Lera had her hair in an updo, and he could see silver dangling earrings in her ears. There were rings on her right hand, but tonight, on her left arm, the bare one, she wore something else. His sharp gaze could see it was a Celtic Kells and trinity knot wolf slave bracelet, the artwork unbelievable.

  Fuck, if I get any harder, I’ll split my pants. He was one breath away from dragging her out of here, away from prying eyes and up to his room where he would make her understand she was his mate.

  All lust was shoved back when Murdock Denton—whose image he recalled from Butch’s memory—headed toward her. Kori wasn’t positive what he expected to happen. But the smile which turned up her lips wasn’t it. He could see her face and knew the smile didn’t extend to her eyes. From the gleam in Murdock’s eyes, Kori would bet his entire fortune the man didn’t notice. Of course it’s hard to notice what’s in her eyes when you’re focused on her breasts.

  A deep, dangerous rumble grew and rose within his chest. Possessiveness hit him like a ton of bricks. Lera lifted her head and scanned the room briefly before putting her attention back upon Murdock. Almost like she heard me. Kori saw red when Murdock gestured toward the garden and placed his hand on the small of her back.

  Kori wanted to maim, to kill. And he would start with Murdock Denton for daring to put a hand on his woman. Blending into the shadows with ease, Kori headed for the door leading out of the gardens. Some of the sights he passed made his stomach twist with disgust. It didn’t help matters that Lera walked by the same images and didn’t even flinch.

  Have I said today that Dane is going to kill me?

  The garden area was beautiful. Dimly lit and lots of places for people to sneak off for a moment of privacy. Kori’s hands clenched as he scented through the overpowering perfumes, colognes, and the smell of sex to find the freshness attached to Lera. Grasping it like a lifeline, he followed it. Toward the back of the gardens. Each step he took fueled the fury simmering just below the surface.

  “Oh, excuse me,” Murdock Denton said after almost running into him.

  “My fault,” Kori said. “I wasn’t paying attention to where I was going.” Ripping Murdock from limb to limb was a viable option in Kori’s mind.

  The man’s smile was more like a lewd leer. “Yeah, there are a lot of distractions around here.”

  “Sure are,” he agreed.

  “Enjoy.” Murdock walked away.

  Kori didn’t respond. He continued on his way and walked around a corner expecting to see Lera there but there was no one. He snarled as the beast shifted angrily within him. Where is she? His skin prickled, and he turned to find a tall, voluptuous blonde woman in a red catsuit behind him. The zipper on her outfit was almost to her bellybutton.

  “Looking for someone, handsome?” she purred, trailing a finger down her exposed skin.

  “Actually, yes.”

  She pouted. “Well, from that tone, it ain’t me. But, since it’s just the two of us here, how about we wait for her…or him…together.”

  Kori could smell the desperation on her, and it repulsed him. He fought back his initial response. “As tempting as the offer is, I really need to find her.”

  The blonde sighed. “Who are you looking for? I’m here a lot, maybe I can help.”

  Not sensing any malice in her, Kori told her. “I’m looking for Lera.”

  She snorted. “Figures. She was over by the statue in the water, that mermaid one. Not sure if she left or not.”

  “You know Lera?”

  “Yes. She hasn’t been to these parties in a long time but she used to come all the time. Murdock has a thing for her. Bad.” She shrugged. “Well, if you decide you want a woman and not a cock tease, come find me.” The blonde vanished from sight.

  Used to come all the time. I’d say you’ve heard more than the name Murdock Denton, Valera. There had better be one hell of a reason for her lying to him about how well she knew him.

  Kori walked in the direction he’d been pointed. There was an exit by the corner, and he took a deep breath before moving closer. He halted near the stone wall surrounded the small pond. She wasn’t there. There was, however, a large man at the rear gate.

  On the wind came her voice, and he sat on a bench to eavesdrop.

  “You can’t provoke him like that, Kim.”

  Kim. A male. One she considered a friend. Jealousy reared its head and Kori walked away from the gate to a dark place then jumped the wall with ease. Cloaked by more shadows, he headed back to where her voice had come from.

  “I can’t do nothing,” the male snapped.

  The wolf growled at the man’s angry tone toward Lera.

  “You also can’t do this, Kim. I’m not saying I don’t believe you. I do. But I also know if you piss him off, Rissa could be the one to suffer. If I make him mad, he’ll just be mad at me. And I’m used to guys being mad at me. I don’t care.”

  Kori stepped from the shadows. “You really should care, Valera.”

  She jumped and spun toward him, eyes wide with surprise. His gaze fixated on the hand she held even as he recognized the fact in her other was her weapon, no blades drawn, but ready. That made him proud to know she was alert. Also makes me wonder where she had it hidden on that damn dress.

  “Kori,” she whispered.

  “Let go of him,” he ordered.

  Lera lifted her chin and narrowed her eyes at him. “Go to hell, Kori. This has nothing to do with you.”

  He could feel the fear she did her best to keep locked away. The fear wasn’t for what he may do to her, but it had to do with him, and for the moment, the majority of the anger was as well.

  “You’ve never been more wrong, mo anam. Stop touching him.”

  “Kim is my friend, Kori.”

  It hit him. She was protecting Kim, unsure what Kori would do to him if she did let go and got out of the way. Who was this man to her to warrant such a staunch defense? It wasn’t easy but Kori reined
in his anger.

  ‘I won’t hurt your friend, Lera. But I need you to let go of his hand.’

  He grumbled when she squeezed Kim’s hand but stopped when she released it. Kori walked toward them. Lera stepped back by her friend, and Kori finally got to see the one she referred to as Kim. A good-looking Asian male who sat in a wheelchair. Kori slanted his gaze back to Lera. She still watched him with suspicion.

  “Who are you?” Kim asked.

  Tearing his eyes from Lera, Kori stared at him. “Cormac MacLochlainne.”

  Kim stuck out his hand. “Kim Chang.”

  Kori didn’t normally shake hands but he did this time. “Nice to meet you.” He looked at Lera. “We need to talk, mo ghrá.”

  In the muted light, he saw a defiant glint burn brighter in her brown eyes. He held her gaze, challenging her, well aware Kim watched their interaction. Lera didn’t back down. If anything, her defiance grew. In that moment, Kori realized how loyal she was to those she called friend.

  ‘Don’t make me force your compliance, Valera. Say goodnight to your friend.’ Kori would have sworn she bared her teeth at him. It made him hard.

  Putting her back to him, Lera crouched before Kim, her hands on the seat beside his legs. “I’ll see you home.” Lera got to her feet and waited for Kim to turn around.

  “What about your friend?” Kim asked.

  “He’ll follow.”

  Damn straight I will. Kori remained silent, just walked behind Lera, almost mesmerized by the sultry sway of her hips. He stood near at the bus stop and grumbled as they were loaded on. He paid for them all and sat one seat behind where she sat with Kim. Most of the men ogled her in the dress she wore, and he felt his wolf near the surface. Lera paid no attention; she and Kim had their heads together. It rankled to see her interact with a person she didn’t seem to mind touching her, especially since it was a male and not him.

  The bus stopped, and a group of men got on. Even more alert, Kori kept an eye on them. Gang bangers.

  “Whooee, lookie at what’s we gots here,” the first one back said, swaggering toward Lera.