Rogue Warrior: (Dark Warrior Alliance Book Seven)

by Brenda Trim

“I am going to take my time and enjoy our Eve of Eternal Union,” he informed her before he licked, kissed, and sucked a path along her neck.

  Tilting her head to the side to give him better access, she replied, “Is that so?” and grabbed hold of his cock.

  He jerked in her hold but didn’t move away. In fact, he pushed more of himself into her grip and growled against her mouth. It was the first time she felt his wolf below the surface. It came through their mating bond and the primal need of the animal fueled Tori’s desire. She wanted this male unhinged in her bed.

  “You’re playing with fire, dulzura,” he warned, claiming her lips. With more care than she expected given their mutual desire, Santiago unzipped her dress. With nothing holding it up, it pooled at her feet.

  He stepped back and looked her over. “You are gorgeous,” he declared as he pulled pins from her black hair. After her hair was free of the twist, Santiago ran his hands through it and grabbed a fistful.

  “You’re a naughty girl,” he murmured, swatting her bare ass.

  “What? I knew I wouldn’t need panties, and there was no way I could wear a bra with that dress,” she replied with a wink.

  Groaning, he pulled her to him by the hair and kissed her fiercely. His taste was wild and wanton, and she would never get enough of him. He was as ingrained in her being as she was in his, and their desire fueled one another’s.

  She was far less elegant as she fumbled with the fastening on his belt. Laughing, he broke the kiss and helped her unbuckle the leather. She had his zipper down and his pants at his feet before she realized he still wore his shoes.

  He stepped out of them and shrugged out of his suit jacket. Not bothering with buttons, she ripped his shirt open. Every hang-up, every uncertainty they’d had with each other disappeared, and for the first time there was nothing between them. Not her brother, not her position with the Guild.

  She didn’t want a male who followed her around like a lost puppy. She wanted one who challenged and inspired her. She looked forward to lying with him in the dark of night as they shared their day and laughing while they ate ice cream. She wanted his protectiveness, unwavering belief, and strength at her back.

  “Leave them on,” he instructed when she went to kick her heels off.

  “Who’s naughty now?” she asked.

  He tugged his socks off and removed what remained of his shirt and stood there naked and fully aroused. He gripped his shaft and gave it a squeeze. Mesmerized, she watched as he stroked it. Licking her lips, she wanted a taste.

  “Stop that. We are getting through the blood exchange first,” he asserted.

  Nerves that had calmed since the ceremony was completed were once again strung taut. She had no idea what to expect from the blood exchange. Her best friend wasn’t mated, and there was no way in hell she was going to ask any of the females at Zeum. She didn’t know them that well.

  “Don’t worry. I have you,” he assured her when she looked around nervously.

  This was Santiago, her mate. A male she’d been through so much with already. There was no reason to be afraid. Nodding, she wrapped her one good arm around his shoulders and smashed their bodies together.

  Her skin was flushed and her nipples were pressed into the firm flesh of his chest. His impressive erection was trapped against her stomach, and she reached between them to point it where she ached most, and was unable to stop from rubbing herself against his firm shaft.

  Gripping her hips, he stilled her movements. Before she knew what he was about, he had her laid on the furs and was towering above her on his hands and knees. His shaft pulsed between them.

  “I love you,” Santiago murmured as he held her gaze then slid himself inside her. He was so large that he filled her to the point of near pain. She felt his desire for her and didn’t know how he held back and allowed her to adjust to his size.

  His mouth returned to hers, kissing her and opening for another taste. Their tongues tangled and slid together in the same way his body had started moving. She allowed her knees to fall open and rose to meet his thrusts. Her slight discomfort was completely gone and replaced by urgency.

  They moved together, and he broke the kiss to lick his way to her breast. Neither of them bothered to stifle their cries and moans as Santiago went deeper and thrust faster. The cool temperature coming in from the open windows couldn’t tamp down the heat as sweat slicked both their bodies.

  Tori held the back of his neck with her good hand while her left dug into his hip, pulling him closer. Neither of them bothered with gentleness as their bodies slammed together in a frantic rhythm. A hot branding iron had been thrust into her mate mark, stealing her breath. His kisses moved higher and he laved the area, trying to soothe the skin.

  Within minutes she was mindless, her head thrashing about on the soft furs. He understood her restless energy and leaned onto one elbow, using the hand he freed to tease and torment her clit. His rhythm never faltered as he thrust in and out of her and pinched her clit at the same time. Her core was wound tight, and her muscles involuntarily clenched around him.

  “Are you ready for the blood exchange?” he asked, breathless. She was grateful he still had some ability to think, because all coherent thought had fled her long ago. All she could think was that she wanted, needed more.

  Nodding, she lifted her head and clamped down on his shoulder. She bit down hard enough to draw blood with her blunt teeth. A grunt left him, and she heard metal clatter to the floor.

  “Guess you don’t need the athame,” he muttered on a growl as his teeth sank into her shoulder.

  The second his canines penetrated her skin, lightning flashed outside and found its way to them. It hit Santiago in the back and traveled directly into her. She detonated around his shaft while he held her tightly to him. Santiago absorbed and passed on the lightning and kept thrusting at the same time. He was as close to an avenging angel above her as she’d ever seen.

  His movements changed as his cock knotted inside her. She wasn’t sure what she liked better about her wolf. The way the middle of his cock swelled when he climaxed or his control over lightning and the electrical pulses that tantalized every nerve ending. The short, shallow thrusts were perfect for drawing out her orgasm. She was just winding down when he joined her, his climax setting off another for her. The howl he let out shook the windows.

  Stars exploded behind her closed eyes as she felt the final blocks of their mating click into place. Their bond was unbreakable and eternal. He rolled with her and draped her over his sweat-slicked chest.

  “I don’t know how I’m going to make it through the next six months without you by my side every night,” Santiago said before he kissed the top of her head.

  Tori thought about his upcoming time in the dungeons and had no idea how she would make it either. They had both agreed it wouldn’t be a punishment if they had each other and took the generous offer Zander and Hayden had given them. It could and should have been so much worse.

  Rubbing circles on his chest, Tori glanced up and saw the painting she had done of his wolf. The chocolate-brown eyes were so much like her Fated Mate’s and still penetrated right to her soul. “You’re going to make it because you’re a warrior and that’s what warriors do. And, don’t forget… I’ll be waiting for you,” she promised.

  EXCERPT FROM SHATTERED WARRIOR BOOK #8

  CHAPTER ONE

  “Orlando!” Elsie’s frantic call echoed through the house. Orlando jumped from his chair in the war room and ran into the foyer just in time to see Elsie flying down the main staircase.

  Her long curly brown hair was just as sexy whipping in every direction as she raced to him. He cursed himself every kind of fool in the book. Apparently, he wasn’t as over the Vampire Queen as he’d believed. Sure, he couldn’t stop thinking about Jaidis, the victimized cambion he’d met not long ago at the realm medical clinic, but he still stopped in his tracks when Elsie entered a room.

  Windmilling her arms as her socks sent
her sailing toward him, Orlando reached out and grabbed hold of Elsie’s waist to keep her from crashing into him and sending them both to the hard marble floor.

  “What is it, a ghra?” Zander asked as he took Elsie from Orlando’s grasp.

  Orlando’s chest clenched when Elsie seemed to forget about him completely and gaze up at her Fated Mate with those adoring blue eyes. How many times had Orlando wished he was Elsie’s mate and that she would turn that look on him? Too many to count and as expected Orlando lowered his head and berated himself for his jealousy. Elsie was not his and never would be.

  Shaking his head, Orlando put that out of his mind. “Did you need me?” Orlando interjected before the couple became lost in each other. From the tremble to her voice and the way she stormed down the stairs there was a problem.

  Turning away from Zander, she placed her hands on his shoulders and shook him. “You have to get to the pregnant lady. She’s in a room and she’s hurt, maybe dying. I saw you there, too, and the realm police. Youhavetogonowthebabyisgoingtodie,” she said the words running together at the end. He’d never seen Elsie so shaken up by one of her premonitions.

  And this particular vision made Orlando’s blood run cold. The only pregnant female he knew was Jaidis. “What did she look like? Did she have blonde hair? Was there a male there with short brown hair in coveralls?”

  “There was so much blood,” Elsie replied, sadness replacing some of her frenzy. “But, yes she had blonde hair. I’m not certain if there was a male with short brown hair. The scene I saw was chaotic with countless officers and doctors. You have to go there now.”

  A silver knife sliced through Orlando’s heart hearing the picture Elsie painted. There was no doubt in his mind Jaidis was in trouble. How much time did he have? Elsie’s premonitions didn’t always happen before the event. Just last week she’d seen a car accident too late to save the small shifter cub.

  “Do you know the address, a ghra?” Zander asked. Orlando noticed the Vampire King already had his phone out and was dialing.

  Without thinking, Orlando blurted Jaidis’ address and was in motion to the front door. As he slammed the wood panels closed he heard Zander talking to O’Haire. After jumping in his Mustang, Orlando called the realm clinic and told Dr. Fruge to meet him at Jaidis’ house.

  Heart racing and sweat slicking his palms, Orlando didn’t bother with speed limits or stoplights as he made his way across town to Capitol Hill. Urgency rode him like a demon. Jaidis was in trouble and he wasn’t there to protect her.

  *****

  Unlike when he arrived at a scene as a human police officer, there were no flashing lights or caravans of vehicles parked in front of Jaidis’ house. In fact, from the outside there was no sign that anything was going on inside the house. It looked like any of the other houses in the dark of night.

  The second Orlando stepped out of the car the scent of blood assaulted his senses, telling him looks were deceiving. He wondered how many realm police were in the small cottage. The house wasn’t very big and he imagined just a few people would make anything Elsie had seen more urgent. Closed quarters tended to skew perspective. They weren’t far from Confettii Too and Orlando already knew from a previous visit that Jaidis and her mate did not live with extended family.

  The paint on the siding was just as faded as he recalled and the porch still empty, but the yard was clean and well-kept. Orlando had never been more frightened than he was at that moment. What was he walking into? Elsie has screeched about the baby dying.

  A lump formed in Orlando’s throat and he couldn’t draw a full breath as he climbed the stairs and reached the front door. Just as he was about to knock, the door was pulled open and O’Haire stood there.

  “Orlando. Thank fuck you’re here. This is a damned mess in here,” the realm police officer said by way of greeting. Orlando’s heart raced in his chest making him even more light-headed.

  The last time Orlando had seen Jaidis he had shown up at her house in an attempt to save the female. He’d known she was being abused and had gotten confirmation that night when she’d answered the door bruised and battered. Now, he cursed that he’d fucked up in going to visit her. Kenny had shown up pissed off that Orlando was at his house with his pregnant mate. Kenny had threatened Orlando, but Orlando hadn’t given the threat against him any thought. Instead, he’d left fearing for Jaidis’ safety. And, it was that fear that had kept him away for the past weeks.

  Orlando did not want to make matters worse for Jaidis, yet now he couldn’t help but wonder if he made a mistake by staying away. A quick glance over O’Haire’s shoulder and bile rose into his throat. There was a smear of blood on the wood floor of the tiny entryway. It had to be Kenny’s blood. Orlando’s mind threatened to snap thinking it might belong to Jaidis.

  Thank the Goddess he kept strict shields around his empathic ability because the toxic mix that slammed into him in the next second staggered him. The force of the terror made him take a step back and had him reaching up to rub the ache in his chest before he caught himself. Whatever happened involved more panic than he had ever experienced. More than once over his four hundred twelve years he’d wished for a different ability, but never more than right at that moment.

  “What happened?” Orlando snapped, hating the tremor in his voice.

  O’Haire stepped aside and motioned for Orlando to enter the house. Automatically, Orlando searched for the basket with booties for his shoes. In his position with the Seattle Police Department there were certain protocols that clearly weren’t followed by the realm police. Orlando understood the reasoning. The realm didn’t have the same justice system as the humans.

  In the realm the leaders were the judge, jury and executioner and they required far less formal evidence. Not that they didn’t collect evidence, because they did. The realm crime scene unit handled cases in similar manners to their human counter parts with a major difference being in cataloging scents, as well. They often called leaders to the scenes so they could gather their own impressions. These advances senses allowed them to pick up on subtle clues like scent that could exonerate or persecute perps.

  “I came right over after Zander called me and found the male and female in the family room. I called the rest of the team right away. I’ve never seen such a savage attack between mates. Scenes like this usually involve demons and skirm,” O’Haire shared as he shook his head.

  The knot in Orlando’s chest expanded and further constricted his breathing. A silent prayer began in the back of his head as he entered the house, careful of the bloodstains. Five steps in and his heart dropped to his feet.

  Blood splattered the walls of the small living room to his left. The tan couches had sprays of red across the fabric and the television was on, but the picture was marred by streaks of blood, as well. In a heap next to the small fireplace, Kenny laid there still as stone, his lifeless eyes starring blankly at the ceiling. What was left of his face, anyway.

  Orlando identified Kenny more by the familiar jumpsuit he wore than anything else. One side of the male’s face looked like a grenade had exploded on it. Flesh, bone and sinew gleamed in the lighting telling Orlando the male had been shot. It had to have been a silver bullet, Orlando mused. Nothing else would have killed the supernatural.

  Orlando didn’t give the male another thought when he saw Jaidis’s feet behind one of the blood-soaked couches. Heedless of anything around him, Orlando rushed to her side.

  Falling to his knees, part of his mind registered that he was kneeling in her life’s blood while the other part of him acknowledged nothing short of a miracle could save her.

  One of her eyes was swollen shut and her lip was cut and bleeding, but that was the least of her injuries. Crimson seeped steadily from a wound to her large abdomen. The oversized t-shirt hid the injury but he knew it was life threatening to both Jaidis and the baby. And, then there was the puncture wound in her chest, precariously close to her heart.

  Dr. Fruge was next to her wor
king on saving her life and met Orlando’s gaze over Jaidis’s inert body. “Hold pressure to the chest wound. I am going to need to do a c-section right here if I want to save the baby,” the doctor informed him grimly.

  “You need to save them both,” Orlando barked at the male.

  As if his voice had roused her, Jaidis blinked her eyes open and turned her head his way. “Orlando,” she managed to croak. “Is that…you?”

  “Yes, Jaidis. I’m here. Dr. Fruge is here and he’s going to save you and the baby,” Orlando murmured, trying to reassure her.

  She opened her mouth and blood frothed, seeping out the sides with her labored breathing. Her shirt and pants were soaked with the liquid and he wondered how much blood a supernatural could lose and live. The coppery scent overpowered every other scent in the room, even the gunpowder from the gun he could see lying just out of Jaidis’s reach.

  Orlando was fairly sure that Jaidis had shot her husband in an attempt to save herself and her baby from his wrath. It was a scene he’d seen too many times to count in the human system, but never imagined between Fated Mates. That bond was supposed to be above such abusive behavior in Orlando’s opinion.

  Every one of the Goddess Morrigan’s subjects was born carrying a piece of their Fated Mate’s soul. The first lesson taught in life is that it was their duty to protect their mate’s soul and once mated their connection was so deep they could literally hear each other’s thoughts. Mates were so closely interwoven that they also knew each other’s feelings. He could not imagine harming your mate in this manner.

  Kenny had to have felt what he’d done to Jaidis. The fear and pain he had caused. The male had to be extremely masochistic to be able to treat her like this and endure the consequences right along side her. And, then there was the baby to think about. How did a male harm his child when they were at their most vulnerable?

  The fact that Kenny had harmed both his mate and unborn child made Orlando want to kill him all over again. He hoped the male went straight to Hell for what he’d done.