Rogue Warrior: (Dark Warrior Alliance Book Seven)

by Brenda Trim

  The desire coursing through him had his fists clenching with the need to hit something. The house was in Capitol Hill, not far from Confettii Too. It was small for a supernatural’s home. He doubted extended family lived with them. From the looks of it, he doubted there were more than a couple rooms in the small cottage. It was obvious the couple didn’t have much money.

  The paint on the siding needed to be redone. He couldn’t tell if the original color was dark green or not, it was so faded at this point. The porch was empty of furniture and the shutters were just as faded, but the yard was clean and well-kept. No doubt Jaidis took care of the property. Kenny didn’t seem like he’d give a shit about something like weeds in the yard.

  “Turn the car back on and get the fuck out of here,” Orlando mumbled to himself.

  Of course, even chastising himself out loud didn’t get his ass in gear. What he was going to say when he got there, he had no idea. What did you say to an abused female about leaving her mate? He was a cop, not a counselor.

  Belatedly, he wished he’d asked Elsie for some advice on the matter. She had a college degree in Psychology and worked with victims all day long. Surely she would have had a compelling argument that would have kept him home.

  Shaking his head, he realized nothing would have stopped him from his current destination. It was like being on a collision course without being able to stop the inevitable crash. He would experience the same crushing disappointment and desire to commit cold-blooded murder that he had when he’d seen Jaidis with Kenny at the medical clinic.

  His rage bubbled to the surface just thinking about the incident. The way Jaidis had clutched her belly and begged to be seen because she was afraid for her baby. Kenny had treated them both like an annoyance he couldn’t be bothered with, and it enraged Orlando. The male was disrespecting the Goddess by his actions toward Jaidis and didn’t deserve the gifts he had been given. Perhaps that was why he was stalking the female… to prove to her that she deserved better.

  Orlando couldn’t help but ask himself what he was going to offer her. That devil on his shoulder helpfully pointed out that it wasn’t possible to steal someone else’s Fated Mate. He’d never heard of a case where mates left one another for someone else. Mating in the Tehrex Realm wasn’t like human marriages.

  He really was a fucking idiot when not even that thought had him leaving. Rather, pulled by some invisible thread, he climbed out of his car and headed up the cracked path to the front door.

  Inhaling for patience, he opened his senses, hoping to detect if Kenny was home. A call to the shop he’d seen on the male’s overalls revealed Kenny was working that night, but that didn’t mean much. He could come home for meals or simply to check on Jaidis.

  Without his usual shield around his senses, he was bombarded by numerous voices, sounds, and scents. Dogs in neighboring houses were barking, likely in response to a large feline predator in the area. Kids were playing, and one couple was fighting or fucking, he couldn’t tell based on what he was hearing. A lingering fragrance struck him hardest.

  Frangipani permeated the air around him, making him wonder if Jaidis had been out there recently. It could be that he had been searching for any hint of her alluring aroma. It was layered with the scent of life, which did nothing to dampen his desire for the female.

  He hurried up the walk and climbed the porch steps quickly, not wanting to linger. The steps creaked under his weight, and he winced, knowing she was alerted to his presence. A human wouldn’t have heard the noise, but a supernatural would pick it up easily.

  Knocking on the door, he tried to calm the butterflies fluttering in his stomach. Her footsteps echoed as she approached the door. He ran his hands down his shirt, smoothing it, and tried to tamp down the wild spikes of his hair. The door opened, and a smile broke out over her face when she saw him.

  His answering smile was just as big but faded quickly when he saw the bruise marring the side of her face. He’d bet a million dollars she was going to tell him she fell or some other bullshit excuse. His vision went red. Kenny needed to be taken out back and shot. “Are you okay?” he asked, concerned she might need medical help.

  “Orlando,” she murmured and touched her cheek, averting her eyes. “What are you doing here?” she asked, then looked nervously behind him.

  “I had to check on you and make sure you are okay. I can see that you aren’t,” he snarled, fighting to keep the anger out of his voice and failing miserably.

  She grabbed his arm and pulled him inside before she checked the street and neighbors. Closing the door, she turned around and he got a better look at her. She had a busted lip, black eye, and large handprint bruises on her upper arms. No female should ever be treated like this. It made him think of his partner, Santiago.

  Santi had never told him about his childhood, but Orlando had picked up his personal vendetta against abusers over the centuries. Having had a normal childhood, Orlando had never considered the issue before meeting Santiago and hearing his tirade about the utter devastation left in the wake of abuse. Seeing this made him miss his friend, at the same time he was glad Santiago hadn’t been with him at the clinic.

  If Santiago had been there, Orlando had no doubt that Kenny would be dead already, especially given Santi’s erratic behavior of late. Not that Orlando would be upset to see the world rid of the scumbag, but he didn’t believe in taking the law into his hands. That was for the leaders like Zander and Hayden.

  Orlando touched Jaidis’s hands where they were clasped together in front of her. Under his fingertips, he felt her wringing them together at the same time he was bombarded by her terror, confusion, and hope.

  As an empath, Orlando was accustomed to being assaulted by the emotions of others. Experiencing this female’s feelings woke a protective side of him. She was lost and vulnerable and he was determined to help her.

  Running the forefinger of his free hand across her cheek, he coaxed her to meet his gaze. The moisture brimming in the gray eyes emphasized the gold flecks and made his heart stutter. She was so beautiful. Her face had a fullness due to the pregnancy, but it lacked the glow he had seen on Elsie’s. This female should be glowing and smiling from ear to ear and happy to be bringing a baby into the world, not shaking and cowering, covered in bruises.

  “You don’t have to be afraid. I’m going to protect you and make sure you and your baby are safe,” he promised, allowing his finger to linger a moment longer before dropping his hand. “Can we take a seat?” he asked, glancing around the entryway.

  The small area opened to rooms on either side. One side held couches and a moderately sized television while the other housed a makeshift home gym. The earth tone colors of the space fit with Jaidis, and aside from the weights, he could see feminine touches throughout.

  She glanced nervously at the sofas and was shaking her head before opening her mouth. “No. You can’t stay. Kenny could be home any minute, and he will kill you if he finds you here,” she blurted, casting a panicked look his way.

  Careful to avoid the dark purple bruises on her upper arms, Orlando laid a palm on her shoulder. “Kenny can’t hurt me. I’ve fought tougher opponents than him. You should’ve seen these large lizard men. They were strong motherfuckers that nearly got the best of me. I can’t ignore that he is harming you,” he informed her.

  She stepped to the side and took two steps out of his reach. Her hands cradled her stomach and she narrowed her eyes at him. “Don’t underestimate him. He’s not thinking right. He has become obsessed.”

  “Obsession isn’t love, Jaidis. You don’t have to stay and put your life and your child’s life in danger. I will protect you,” he urged. She trembled and bit her lower lip.

  “You can’t protect me. That’s not how the Goddess designed matings. Kenny is supposed to protect me,” she asserted as she looked at him with that lost, vulnerable expression.

  He didn’t have to be an empath to know she was confused about why her mate was hurting her and why t
he Goddess was allowing it. Finding your Fated Mate was supposed to be the greatest blessing. Orlando was struggling with that one himself.

  Hearing O’Haire talk about domestic violence in the realm hadn’t surprised Orlando, but he never imagined it occurring between Fated Mates. It was stupid of him to assume that a mating precluded violence. The emotions instigated by a mating were extreme and if a person didn’t have adequate coping mechanisms, it wasn’t a stretch to think they would go overboard.

  Hell, he’d seen how Zander had carried Elsie to the room and locked her in. He hadn’t harmed her, but it was severe given the situation. He’d heard the story about Rhys dragging Illianna out of a sex club in Hell kicking and screaming, and that was before they’d learned they were Fated Mates.

  “We have a dragon at Zeum, Jaidis. If we can handle a horde of demons pounding down the gates and storming the front door, we can handle an abusive cambion,” Orlando retorted with a smirk.

  Her head was in motion before he finished talking. “I can’t leave. I’m carrying his child. He might change once the baby is born,” she suggested with a hope in her voice that broke Orlando’s heart.

  He hadn’t expected her to fall at his feet and profess her love, but he’d hoped her maternal instincts would overrule everything else. He had seen a glimpse of those instincts at the clinic.

  “In my experience males like Kenny don’t change. I’ve seen the bloody aftermath too many times to believe differently. I know you want what is best for your baby. Why don’t you just get somewhere safe until the baby is born, and you and Kenny can talk after that,” Orlando coaxed. His stomach knotted over the thought of her staying in this home.

  “No,” she barked, the first sign of her spine surfacing. “I’m not leaving, but you need to. He could be home any second. You need to get out,” she urged as she pushed him toward the front door.

  Orlando held his ground but kept his hands to himself. He didn’t want her to fear him. His mouth had opened to try again when the door banged open. Before he turned his head, Orlando knew that a very pissed off Kenny stood in the doorway.

  “You again? What the fuck are you doing in my house with my mate?” Kenny barked. The muscles in Kenny’s shoulders bunched, and Orlando saw him balling up his fists. He stepped between Kenny and Jaidis and braced himself.

  “You have no business here, shifter,” Kenny snarled right before he swung a fist at Orlando.

  “I’m trying to protect Jaidis and her child,” Orlando exclaimed as he ducked the blow and returned one of his own. Kenny wasn’t trained like Orlando and couldn’t avoid the fist Orlando planted in his abdomen.

  The male hunched over, and Jaidis screamed behind him and grabbed his shoulders. “Don’t fucking touch him, Jai. You will never take my mate or my child,” Kenny roared, then lunged for Orlando.

  Fear for Jaidis, who would have been taken down with him, had Orlando stepping to the side and leaving himself vulnerable to attack. Kenny caught the opening and ran at Orlando, barreling his shoulder into Orlando’s stomach.

  The air left Orlando in a rush as he sailed through the air. There was no time to brace for impact with an unforgiving bench in the gym area. Orlando tried to bounce back up at the ready for more, but didn’t quite manage to make it to his feet.

  Kenny was right there his fists flying as he swung at Orlando. A couple hits landed before Orlando got his footing and returned the favor. Jaidis’s screams drowned out their heavy breathing and seemed to be all Orlando could hear. She didn’t see him as a vaunted Dark Warrior now. She was watching him beat the snot out of her mate.

  When she tried to step between them, Kenny shoved her, making Orlando lose his shit. Fists flying, Orlando punched Kenny in the face and taunted him, “You like this? I bet you don’t feel so powerful now that you aren’t beating on a pregnant female.”

  “Stop,” Jaidis cried out, trying to grab hold of Orlando’s arm. “You’re killing him,” she wailed.

  It was then that Orlando realized Kenny wasn’t fighting back. Orlando stopped punching Kenny and looked at the swollen, bloody mess that used to be his face. The shallow rise of Kenny’s chest told Orlando the male was still alive. He stood and shook his head, unsure what had come over him.

  Jaidis looked uncertainly at Orlando then rushed to Kenny’s side. Her tear-streaked face was hurt and terrified, and her glare blamed Orlando, not her abusive husband. Orlando was only trying to protect her from further harm.

  “Come with me, Jaidis. You have to see that he will kill you and you baby if you stay.” Orlando tried again, checking to make certain she hadn’t sustained injuries when Kenny had shoved her. She was shaken, but he didn’t see anything new.

  “No,” she screamed at him. “Look at what you’ve done. Get out of my house,” she demanded as she shook her fist at him. Her tiny body trembled, and he worried for her baby. “I never want to see you again.”

  Ignoring him, she turned back to her unconscious mate and cried while Orlando stood there shocked. Unable to do anything else, he turned and left the house, still as determined to protect the female as he had been before the encounter had gone to hell.

  Orlando had gone to the house with the intention of helping Jaidis, but he had done the opposite. She was in far more danger now than she had been before and it was his fault.

  The cold night air soothed his battered face as he stood beside his car and looked at the house. His keen hearing picked up every move Jaidis made as she murmured her apologies to an unconscious Kenny. Her fear was unmistakable in the tone of her voice, and Orlando prayed to the Goddess that when Kenny woke up, he didn’t take it out on her.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  Santiago’s heart was in his throat as Jace, Bhric, and Zander raced from the house. Santi was out and Jace at his side seconds after he’d parked the car. No one stopped to ask him why he was back or demand he head for the dungeon, but focused on the critical issue at hand. He was grateful for his comrades and had missed them more than he’d realized.

  “She’s a Valkyrie,” Jace murmured as he opened the back door.

  “Yes, she is,” Santi replied. “Can you heal her?” Santi hadn’t stopped to consider that her species might be out of Jace’s wheelhouse. Jace was Tori’s only hope. Santi knew she was too injured to heal on her own before she succumbed to her wounds.

  “I’ve never healed a Valkyrie before, but I don’t see why I can’t,” Jace said as he grabbed her feet and tugged. “Is that her wing?” Jace blurted with a grimace on his face.

  “Yes. Lady Angelica sliced it off with a sword that bled black smoke. Along with her arm,” he added before they’d pulled her all the way out of the car. Santi didn’t miss the way Jace stiffened slightly at the mention of Angelica. Santiago understood Jace’s hatred for the sorceress. Santi couldn’t imagine spending a century as Angelica’s prisoner like Jace had.

  “Bhric, grab the wing. Zander get her other side, and Santi, be careful with that arm,” Jace directed as they carefully maneuvered Tori out of the vehicle.

  “Aye,” Zander and Bhric said at once. Zander met Santi’s gaze from the other side of Tori. The sympathy there was a knife to Santiago’s heart. No, he thought fiercely. They were not going to lose her.

  “Thank you for helping my mate,” Santiago muttered as they ascended the steps and entered the house. The females of the house were all gathered in the large entryway. Santiago noticed Elsie holding a little girl with Zander’s black hair, but didn’t have time or energy to meet the princess at the moment. His entire world had narrowed to saving Tori’s life.

  “Hold on, dulzura. Don’t you dare leave me! Jace is going to heal you,” he murmured to Tori.

  “Try to remain as steady as you can while we descend,” Jace muttered. “Grab her feet from me, Orlando. I need to heal her heart. We have no time.” The urgency in Jace’s voice made Santi’s heart clench and his breath catch in his throat.

  He hadn’t seen Orlando among the females, but he appreciated
the speed with which his friend jumped right in. Especially given that they hadn’t left things on the best of terms after their last conversation.

  “Thank you,” he told his best friend. Orlando didn’t look too hot himself, but had always been there for him, and this was no different. It hit Santiago at that moment that he had been a complete and utter idiot. And entirely wrong in his defense of his actions.

  “I will always be here for you and your mate,” Orlando replied.

  Jace vaulted to the middle of Tori’s body and laid his hands on the left side of her chest, where her heart laboring heart was visible. The black tissue had grown during his flight from the restaurant. Jace had healed Santiago enough times for Santi to recognize the warmth that suddenly seeped from his palms. At first, nothing happened to the charred tissue of Tori’s heart. Jace easily kept up with their race to the medical suite in the basement and didn’t stop using his ability.

  Tori’s heart chose that moment to stop beating altogether and just when Santi thought they were too late, a blue light emanated from Jace’s palms. At his look, Jace explained, “The blade was imbued with Dark magic. I’m introducing the Goddess’s light into the wound.”

  Santiago had no idea if that would work. As far as he understood magic, sorcery and witchcraft didn’t have the ability to heal. Santi held his breath for what seemed like an eternity as they descended. At first nothing happened, but then the light merged with Jace’s ability to heal. Tori’s heart jerked in her chest and beat a dozen quick beats before it settled into a slow rhythm. After several seconds the black tissue started to turn pink again.

  Jace was wiping sweat from his brow by the time they reached the gurney and laid Tori down on it. Cailyn came rushing in behind him. “Do you need me to take over?” Cailyn asked.

  Santiago hadn’t known Jace’s mate had the ability to heal. It made sense because Fated Mates shared abilities after they were mated. He had missed a lot in the time he had been gone which only heaped more regret onto his shoulders.