Rogue Warrior: (Dark Warrior Alliance Book Seven)

by Brenda Trim

  Brittany gasped and nearly dropped her glitter. “Holy shit. She can’t really do that can she?”

  “Unfortunately, she can,” the queen responded. “We’ve had several conversations with her about locations we don’t want her teleporting, but we never know where she is going when she disappears.”

  Izzy reappeared in Tori’s lap, surprising them all. “Sparkles. I want sparkles, too, pease,” Izzy asked as she touched a wet finger to Tori’s injured shoulder. Izzy had never shied away from Tori’s injuries or been frightened by them, and that went a long way to making Tori feel better.

  “Brittany has the glitter, but I am sure she will be happy to put some on you,” Tori said, tugging on the baby’s soft black curls.

  “I’d be happy to make you sparkle, Izzy. I was just telling Tori that every female needs to shine,” Brittany replied.

  “Auntie Breslin tells her the same thing,” Elsie shared. “In fact, she has Izzy convinced no day is complete without sparkles.”

  Britt laughed, saying, “She’s not wrong, your highness… uh, Elsie,” Britt corrected before the queen could. “Can you come and hold Tori’s wing up? I was just about to apply glitter to them, but will get better coverage if I can stand back.”

  Brittany’s request made Tori stiffen and her panic to resurface in a rush. She had no sooner started sweating when it all disappeared. Looking down, she saw Izzy stroking her shoulder and a white light emanating from her little palm. “It’s otay. Wings sparkle,” Izzy told her.

  Elsie’s approach was tentative. This was her life now. She couldn’t keep people at bay forever, and there was a good chance she would need Elsie’s help in the future. “It’s alright. I appreciate the help. I can’t move anything on my left side anymore,” Tori acknowledged.

  Elsie’s touch was gentle as she gripped the top of her black wing. The pain that coursed through Tori when Elsie extended the damaged appendage stole Tori’s breath and had her crying out. “I’m so sorry,” Elsie muttered, and let go of her wing.

  “It’s otay, Mama,” Izzy murmured as she stood in Tori’s lap and placed her palm along the inner seam of her wing. Immediate relief flooded Tori and she sighed.

  “Thank you, Izzy. You made it all better,” Tori said, and then nodded to Elsie. The queen lifted the wing and the pain was minimal this time. Still, Britt was quick with her application.

  “How does this backless dress stay up?” Elsie asked. Tori was convinced she was trying to distract her and she was grateful.

  “Because Tori was blessed with an awesome rack,” Britt replied before Tori could. “Flare your other wing, please,” Brittany told her, as if she hadn’t just embarrassed her in front of Elsie.

  Tori flared her good wing and rolled her eyes at Britt. “No, the front is lined with so much boning I can hardly bend at the waist.”

  “All done,” Britt announced. “You ready?” her friend asked as she turned to Izzy and applied some glitter to her cheeks.

  “What do you think, Izzy? Am I ready?” Tori asked the princess.

  “Yes. Yes, we all sparkle,” Izzy cried, and jumped out of Tori’s lap, turning in front of the mirror.

  *****

  Nerves weren’t something Santiago was familiar with, but he was unable to get a handle on his as he stood on the patio waiting for Tori to appear. The room had been cleared of furniture and the retractable walls removed. The staff was setting up for the buffet and guests were still arriving. Santiago was sweating in the monkey suit and he wanted to be in the yard with Rhett, who was lighting the bonfire they’d set up near the water.

  Hayden stood next to him in his suit and ceremonial cloak. Santi had never seen the cloak before. It was comprised of the hides of every animal that lived inside the Omega. It was rumored that the Goddess herself gave it to the first Omega and it had been passed on from generation to generation. He’d never seen Hayden look more refined, with his long hair pulled back and the expensive attire. He was normally a rugged male in jeans and T-shirts.

  Zander was in his traditional, formal Scottish finery and looked more regal than ever. There was no mistaking that he was the Vampire King, even if he had a kilt on. “My mate says they’re on their way down now,” Zander told him, a knowing look in his sapphire-blue eyes.

  “Thank fuck,” Santi blurted, his jitters getting the best of him.

  Hayden chuckled and said, “I’m glad I have not been bitten by the mating bug yet. It seems to grab you by the balls and never let go.”

  “You aren’t wrong about that, but it’s worth it,” Santiago replied.

  The room went quite in the next second when Tori appeared in the doorway. She took his breath away. Her long black hair was done up in a twist adorned with rhinestones. His eyes went straight to the plunging neckline of her pale green dress. Whatever Brittany had done masked Tori’s scars, because they were hardly noticeable.

  The best part for Santiago was seeing her smile reach her eyes for the first time in weeks. There was no sign of the insecurity that had besieged her since the attack. She held her head high as she walked to his side. He didn’t hesitate to bring her into his arms. The kiss he pressed against her lips was supposed to be a small gesture, but it turned heated very quickly.

  “Save that for after the ceremony,” Hayden teased, breaking into the moment. Tori blushed scarlet as he broke the kiss.

  Hayden and Zander flanked the tile image of the Triskele Amulet inlaid in the floor. Santi had been part of making the replica and had wanted his mating to be held here for that reason. Zander had refused to give up on mate blessings even when the entire realm believed there was a curse on Fated Mates, and that was why he’d made the warriors spend weeks creating this image.

  “Friends and family, please form a circle around the couple,” Zander instructed. Izzy reached up and grasped her father’s hand at that moment. Startled, Zander glanced down and smiled at his daughter. She reached up and grabbed Hayden’s hand as well. This wasn’t a matter of a child wanting to be in the center of the action. Izzy represented the amulet.

  “We have gathered here in this beautiful place, under the eye of the Sun and the glow of the Moon. Let the circle be blessed and consecrated with Fire and Water,” Zander recited.

  Bhric and Breslin stepped forward and Santiago recalled the first time he’d watched the twins perform this part of the ceremony. It had been at Zander and Elsie’s mating ceremony. Exactly as happened then, fire shot forth with a flourish from Breslin’s outstretched palm to flow around the outskirts of the circle. The fire rose from the earth to the heavens like shooting stars. Bhric then took over and raised his hands. Water cascaded down in a sheer waterfall from the heavens back to the earth, extinguishing the fire.

  “We call to the Goddess Morrigan, and invoke her to bless this mating,” Zander intoned. A moment of silence fell over the room.

  Hayden smiled at Tori before he placed the mating stone into her injured left hand. Santiago cradled her hand in his, supporting it for her. Santiago marveled at the ordinary-looking granite stone, knowing the transformation it was about to undergo.

  Tori gasped, and it took him a moment to realize it was from the electrical pulses that emanated from the stone. It crawled up his arm and he wondered how it felt to Tori. He felt her arm trembling, but wasn’t sure if it was from the damaged muscles or the stone.

  The moment Santi laid his other palm over the top of Tori’s, he felt power build. It was unlike anything he had ever experienced. His heart raced and his soul stretched in his chest, awakening his libido. He couldn’t wait to get to the blood exchange. Thank the Goddess his suit pants were loose, or everyone would know how aroused he was.

  “We call upon the spirits of the East, of Air, Spring, and new beginnings. We call upon the spirits of the South and the inner Fire of the Sun, Summer, and personal will. We call upon the spirits of the West, of Water, Autumn, and healing and dreaming. We call upon the spirits of the North, of Earth, Winter, and the time of cleansing and r
enewal. Join us to bless this couple with your guidance and inspiration,” Hayden chanted as he took over the ceremony. Dozens of animals, from deer to mountain lions to squirrels, approached the patio. It was the call of the Omega that drew them and kept them from preying on each other. Birds didn’t stop at the edge of the patio, but flew in and landed on the trees that had been adorned with white lights.

  Tori placed her good hand on his chest, over his heart. Santi had to shift his hold on her left hand before he placed his hand over her heart. “I bless this mating under the Sun and the Moon. This circle of love and honor is open and never broken, so may it be.” Hayden’s voice resonated with his blessing.

  Heat built in the stone and Santiago was prepared when he felt both souls leave his body to enter the stone. As brilliant light flashed between their fingers, Santi’s body filled with the magic. The connection he felt to Tori locked in place, and for the first time, he saw it as a gold chain that wrapped around his heart and ran to Tori’s, entwining them. Tori stumbled when their souls surged back into their bodies, and he had to wrap an arm around her and steady her. The damaged wing made her unsteady on her feet and caused her more problems than the arm.

  Santi was complete in a way he’d never before dreamed of and knew Tori was experiencing the same. Santi’s soul had reformed and interwoven with Tori’s so he didn’t know where he ended and she began. Exactly as it should be, he mused. He wanted to know Tori’s every thought and emotion.

  Hearing the Goddess’s voice whisper in Tori’s head surprised Santiago. “Mating stones protect and bless different aspects for different couples. You sacrificed much for the realm, Tori. And for that, I am going to give you the choice about what your mating stone will protect. Your injured arm or wing.”

  Tori glanced up at him, tears in her eyes. He felt the intense pain her wing caused her and wondered how she’d hidden that from him. Her desire to paint again came on the heels of that. He wanted to tell the Goddess to take his arm and give Tori hers. He wanted nothing more than to see her happy.

  “You are an honorable male,” the Goddess told Santi. “But I cannot take your arm. I need you to fight the evil trying to take over the earth.” He’d known that, but it didn’t stop his desire to make his mate whole, whatever it took.

  “I choose my wing,” Tori murmured.

  Mist surrounded Tori’s legs and she tugged as much as she could at her left arm. Letting go, he glanced down at her hand and saw the granite rock had become a large chocolate diamond to match his eyes. The mist rose and enveloped them both. Tori reached out to him and he could feel the pain of her wing healing. Within seconds, it was over and the mist was gone.

  The crowd gasped as she retracted her wings and he took her into his arms for a deep kiss. He sent a silent prayer of thanks to the Goddess as Tori’s relief flooded him. He had no idea the Goddess was going to offer Tori so much, and hoped that his surprise wasn’t a disappointment after this.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

  “I can’t believe you just left our mating ceremony,” Tori said incredulously. “I thought you wanted to rejoin the Dark Warriors. We’ve been living there for the past month, and you chose now to leave and return here?” she asked when they pulled up to his loft downtown.

  Santi chuckled as he pulled into the underground parking. “You didn’t want to finish the bonding before we joined the party? Trust me, it won’t be ending anytime soon.” Tori’s barely banked libido reared to the fore and had her thinking all sorts of sordid thoughts.

  “We didn’t have to drive all the way out here to do the blood exchange,” she pointed out. “No one would have cared if we’d gone upstairs for a while.”

  “True,” he said as he parked the car and climbed out. “But that’s not the only reason we’re here,” he murmured as he grabbed her hand and led her to the elevator.

  Pushing him against the wall, Tori put her right hand on his shoulder and hooked the fingers of her left hand in his belt loops. Leaning into his hard body, she teased the corner of his mouth, kissing and licking. When he groaned and tried to deepen the kiss, she trailed a line of kisses to his jaw.

  The elevator dinged on their floor before she could torture them both some more. The scent of candles and flowers permeated his floor. He had one half of the top floor, and she wondered what his neighbor was up to that the scent was so thick in the air.

  Santi grabbed her left hand and kissed the back of it before he headed for his door. He was always touching or kissing her injured limbs. She had never once doubted his love and care, and it went a long way to helping her cope.

  Tori gasped the second Santi opened the door, and blinked, certain she hadn’t taken in the scene correctly. Tears brimmed in her eyes at the sight of what he’d created for them. Dozens of candles lined the outer walls and provided the only illumination. Flower arrangements covered numerous surfaces and there was a decadent pallet of furs set up on the floor in the corner.

  That was the tip of the iceberg. He’d gotten rid of most of the furniture he’d had previously. The only items that remained were the kitchen table and chairs. The rest of the space was filled with canvases of all shapes and sizes as well as shelving filled with paints, brushes, and every other object she could use to paint with, as well as some she didn’t recognize.

  And he had framed and hung all of her paintings on the walls, exactly like in a gallery, complete with the tiny lights to highlight each one. The sight sent a pang through her heart.

  “I know things didn’t go as you’d hoped with Lana. I am happy that you aren’t doing that job anymore, but I know you wanted to leave on your terms and end it on a positive note rather than the mess you have now,” Santi began. She recalled the conversation she’d had with Lana about Sam and Horus, her attack, and her disability. Lana had been pissed about the way Santiago had handled Sam’s case, saying it was her responsibility, not her mate’s. But she’d been far more upset that she was losing her best assassin. Lana would have fought Tori no matter the terms of ending her service. Sometimes being the best wasn’t always a good thing, Tori thought.

  “Lana will get over it eventually, and if she doesn’t, that’s her problem, not mine. All of this,” she began, but stopped when emotion choked her. “It’s the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me, but I can’t use any of it,” she finished with a wave of her hand. Well, an attempt at a wave, because her left arm no longer worked.

  Santiago cradled her face in his hands and forced her to meet his glowing brown gaze. “Your days of painting are not over,” he murmured. He was wrong. She couldn’t paint anything now, she thought, extracting her face from his grip and moving to the shelves.

  “You haven’t even started physical therapy yet, so you don’t know what you may be capable of, but even if you can’t paint with your left hand ever again, you still have your right. You can teach yourself to create masterpieces. And I will be there helping every step of the way,” he promised.

  She had agreed to physical therapy in the hopes that she might gain some minor functionality back. When the Goddess had given her the choice of her arm or wing, she’d wanted more than anything to choose her arm, but she couldn’t live with the pain. The agony caused by her wing was a constant companion and made sleeping impossible, concentration a thing of the past, and soured her mood. In the end there really wasn’t a choice.

  The thought he had put into giving her the one thing she had always dreamed of melted her heart. She’d grown up hearing the stories about Fated Mates and seeing her parents together, but as a Valkyrie had never dreamed she would have anything remotely like it.

  Realizing the depth of his love for her, she turned from the odd implements that were likely geared to help her paint with her disability, and threw herself into his arms.

  “Oh, Santi,” she whispered, kissing him. “I will try. With you by my side, who knows,” she muttered between kisses.

  “I will never leave your side,” he vowed. “I like the way you say thank you
,” he added.

  “You haven’t seen anything yet,” she warned him and wrapped her legs around his waist, trusting that he would support her.

  Santiago’s hand on the back of her neck was firm, nothing submissive about him as he took over. His mouth opened hers and Tori was helpless to do anything except respond with need and hunger. So much hunger, she was burning from the inside out. As always, the world swirled away, leaving nothing but the two of them in that moment.

  All awareness, even breathing, fled her mind. Her world boiled down to this beautiful male holding her, his mouth working hers. It had been far too long since they’d been intimate. She’d kept him at bay since the attack, and her body was an inferno. His mouth was a point of heat and Tori clung to him, needing more.

  Santiago walked them to the corner of the room, where he’d piled furs. Every movement of his muscular body rubbed his erection against the core of her, making her groan against his lips. Her thin silk gown and his dress pants weren’t much of a barrier. She was certain he could feel how much she wanted him despite the fabric still separating them.

  Breaking the kiss, she buried her head in his neck and drew in his masculine scent. Kissing her way to his ear, she bit his earlobe and enjoyed the fact that she could make this strong, confident warrior shiver at her slightest touch. He was always so controlled that these small signs were a major victory in her mind.

  She didn’t want the slight separation he forced when he stopped walking. That small movement had her wrung tight. She appreciated that he kept his hands on her waist, ensuring she was steady before he slid his hands between her wings. She had on a backless dress and his hands were brands on her flesh.

  His fingers teased the slit where her wings inserted under her flesh, in the way he knew drove her mad. “Don’t tease me. It’s been too long,” she protested.