Warrick's Hope (The Dragon Ruby Series Book 4)

by Leilani Love

  He had spent years dreaming about her. Some nights he dreamt of making love to her, being able to kiss every inch of her body. The older he got the more vivid his dreams got. His tongue followed a drop of water that ran down the side of her stomach curving along her delicate hipbone. When her hips rolled up he growled softly, his head even with the soft blonde curls that hid her from him. Curious if she tasted as good as she smelled he dipped his head more as his tongue came out and licked her wet folds.

  Hope gasped above him, the hands holding his hair tightened and her hips rocked higher, her legs parted just enough to give him more room. Warrick wanted to see more of her, to see all of her beautiful secrets so he reached out with a hand and brought her leg to his shoulder causing her to open more for him.

  He had dreamt of seeing her this way. Warrick heard a small whimper and looked up to see her biting her lower lip as she looked down at him. She looked beautiful and vulnerable.

  “Beautiful,” he whispered before leaning forward and licking up her slit again, his eyes on her the whole time. Her lips parted and her head went back. He noticed that her eyes closed as her hips bucked up to meet his mouth.

  Feeling a surge of masculine pride he licked her again, this time his tongue stopping at her clit. Curious about the little nub, he flicked it with his tongue. When he felt her leg on his shoulder tighten pulling him closer he closed his mouth around it and sucked gently.

  Warrick had never been more aware of everything than he was right now. The water hitting him on the top of his head as he knelt between her legs, worshipping her body. Proving to him that his brother had not won and that she was okay.

  With Hope against the wall between the two showerheads he began to lap at her in earnest as the water cascaded down her body. His cock throbbed in need every time she whimpered or pulled on his hair letting him know when she liked something.

  Unable to hold back any longer, Warrick stood up. He wrapped her leg around his hip and he entered her with one long hard thrust. Hope’s hip eagerly came up to meet his and he kissed her hard, swallowing her moan. Warrick wanted to go slow but when her hands slid around his back to grip his ass tight and she sucked on his tongue, whatever control he had, snapped.

  His hips moved faster, harder, her body contracting tight around him increasing his pleasure. Warrick broke the kiss, putting his forehead against hers as he fought to catch his breath.

  “Warrick,” Hope panted and he felt her leg shake against his.

  Without missing a beat Warrick gripped her ass to hold her up as she buried her head in his neck. Her mouth finding her mark on him, she bit hard muffling her cry of pleasure. The intense feeling of pleasure and pain sent him over the edge and instinct took over as he sunk his teeth into his mark on her while he thrust his cock deep inside her.

  They stood that way for a while, him holding her leg on his hip with his other hand still holding her ass as the water hit their bodies. Warrick felt his cock soften and slip from her core. Hope’s soft whimper made him smile as he licked his mark on her shoulder. He could feel her doing the same and he nipped at her gently.

  Warrick pulled back and looked down at her. He released her leg, waiting for her to get her footing before he released her and cupped her cheek. He watched as she turned her head and nuzzled his hand. “Amazing.”

  Hope blushed softly and he turned to her so he could wash her. Her back to the water he enjoyed the gentle massage of the opposite shower head as he soaped up his hands. Starting with her back, his hands caressed every inch of her. He paused when he got to her ass, cupping it before massaging her.

  Going down to his knees he massaged the back of her thighs with his soapy hands before tapping her so she could turn around. Warrick massaged each foot as he washed them slowly sliding back up her thighs. When he got to the juncture between her thighs he tenderly washed her. She moaned and he looked up to see her eyes closed. Warrick kissed her belly button before moving up. He carefully massaged her breasts. Her back arched up and he watched her face as he slowly moved from her breasts to her arms.

  Hope was beautiful; she was everything he had dreamed of. She responded to his touch and was giving in her passion. When he finished she offered to wash him. Kissing her on the nose he smiled. “No, let me take care of that while you get ready. We’re probably expected soon for lunch.”

  With a smile she kissed him. “Okay. Hurry though. I don’t want to explain why you’re late.”

  16

  Hope took her time getting dressed and doing her hair. Warrick was right, by the time she got done blow-drying her hair it was almost time to leave. She slipped on a pair of jeans and a blouse. When Warrick came out of his room dressed, she smiled thinking that tomorrow she would move his clothes over. Maybe they would also go out and buy him new clothes. He only had a handful of things and she wanted to change that.

  “Ready to go?” Hope asked as she slipped on a pair of tennis shoes.

  Warrick nodded, as he looked her over. “Yeah, I just received a text from your brother. Apparently, we’re all just meeting over at Kassandra’s.”

  “It’s going to be nice when they move in next door and we no longer have to drive over there,” Hope said as they started down the stairs. She watched as Warrick checked the back door before they headed out the front. Warrick locked up and she noticed how he checked everything before he led them out the door.

  Hope hadn’t been thinking when she led him to the shower earlier. She just had a desire to clean herself, thinking after that Gabriel might have been listening to them…or possibly watching them. She also needed Warrick to be close. Pulling him into the shower seemed the best way to take care of both of those options. When he kissed her she realized they would not be talking, but he felt so good she couldn’t stop herself from melting into him.

  They drove together in silence. Hope kept looking at him out of the corner of her eye, noticing how he sat rigid. He kept glancing out the window to make sure they weren’t being followed. She bit back a sigh, her shoulders sagging a bit thinking, that was a short honeymoon period. Gabriel seemed to be consistently messing up her life.

  When they pulled up, she saw that Viktor’s SUV was already parked in the driveway. She and Warrick walked up together and before they could knock, Damien opened the door. She noticed the small worry lines around his eyes and lips. Being that they were twins they were close, but since they’d lost their parents at such a young age, the two of them had become inseparable.

  “Has there been any sign of him?” Warrick asked as the two of them came into the house.

  “No traces of him anywhere. Your brother is like a fucking ghost,” Damien said and Hope noticed how he clenched his fists at his sides.

  Kassandra came in with Aithne, both of them carrying a tray of food. Kassandra put hers down first and came up behind Damien putting her hand on his back. Hope watched as her brother visibly relaxed, but then she looked away feeling as if she were intruding on a private moment between the two. When she looked up at Warrick she noticed how he tensed with the mention of his brother. Not sure if he would welcome her touch in comfort she sighed, her shoulders sagging.

  Viktor came in from the kitchen, a drink in his hand, and gave her a wink before putting his arm around Aithne. “We’ll find him. No one can hide forever. We just need to figure out who is helping him and how.”

  Hope felt Warrick move in behind her and put his hand on her back leading her to the loveseat. “Besides the witches I never really saw him interact with anyone,” Warrick said as he sat down next to her.

  Viktor sat on the chair across from them while Kassandra and Damien took the couch. Aithne stood behind Viktor her hand on his shoulder as she watched them. “Do you remember anything about the witches who helped your brother?” Aithne asked.

  Warrick tried to piece together his memories of the witches. Most times there was just one, but on rare occasions, four of them showed up. At first glance they were beautiful. He thought they were all young
but one day he saw one in the mirror’s reflection and realized what he saw was just a glamor spell hiding what was underneath. Warrick kept his voice low as he started to tell them what he could remember. “I believe they were either cousins or sisters. They used a glamor spell to hide how they looked but when you see them in a reflection they’re older and scarred.”

  Aithne listened to him intently. After a few minutes she asked, “Did they use any names or did you see any tattoos?”

  Warrick closed his eyes thinking about it. There was something, a memory teasing him. As he tried to hold onto it, he began to feel like he was suffocating. As his body tensed up he began to feel like he was back there again. Tied up. A knife slicing into his side as they tried to drain him. Before he could start panicking he felt Hope. Her scent, her light touch on his arm, the feel of her and her wolf through their mated connection.

  “One. I remember one name Natasia. She had a tattoo on her arm, it looked like a bird with long feathers that were tied into a Celtic knot. I felt like she was their leader,” Warrick said.

  Warrick felt Hope squeezing his hand. Her touch kept him from freaking out as he tried to remember the others. “Whenever they walked in the room it was like the entire room felt oppressive, dark.” He opened his eyes looking at Viktor. “When Violca and her sisters are around you can feel the good in them. It is in the air and makes you feel drawn to them, like you want to protect them. These witches made the animal in me want to come out fight.”

  Viktor nodded and he noticed how everyone looked at Aithne. Warrick often forgot that she was the oldest one of everyone. Given immortality by a Celtic Goddess, her mother was talked about in history books. Warrick wondered what people would do if they found out that Boudicca actually still lived and that her youngest daughter became an assassin before becoming the mate of the Dragon King.

  “There were rumors of witches that made up a dark coven. They used the power of other witches and other supernaturals to feed their own. The first time I heard about them they’d kidnapped a bunch of children. They were trying to steal their youth,” Aithne said with a small shudder.

  “How come I have never heard of them before?” Kassandra asked.

  “They were a small group. I thought I… I thought I’d killed them all,” Aithne said looking down at her hands.

  Warrick could feel her discomfort as she admitted to killing them. To be honest, he doubted he would feel that guilt if he killed anyone trying to kill children, Viktor grabbed her hand and pulled her onto his lap. He had often watched his parents comfort each other with just a touch and for the first time he totally understood.

  When Warrick glanced at Hope he couldn’t help but notice how she looked sad. He gave her a smile and squeezed her hand. She smiled back at him and realized she was sad for him. It had been so long since someone had cared about him that he’d forgotten what that felt like.

  “Do you think they could help my brother hide?” Warrick asked Aithne.

  “If it’s the same group, they could, but they would have to be getting something out of it. From what I saw, this coven did nothing that didn’t first help themselves.”

  “How is it they aren’t leaving a scent of magic behind?” Kassandra asked, wrinkling her nose.

  Warrick wondered the same thing. He hadn’t detected that acidic smell like he did when they came around, or when the one slowly covered the town they used to live in.

  “They might be using a cloaking spell. It’d be similar to how Kassandra’s ability works,” Aithne said making a point to look around at each of them before she continued. “Which means he intentionally made sure you were aware of him today and wanted you to follow him.”

  Hope tensed up next to him. He could feel her hand tighten on his and knew that she was starting to worry. If this were a trap, was it to get him…or Hope? Gabriel had often threatened that he would hurt Hope. Taking an almost perverse pleasure in teasing Warrick with what he would do to her. Warrick held on for so long because Gabriel had said the second he died he would find Hope and she would take his spot.

  “You’re going to need to resist the urge to follow him next time,” Damien said as he gave Warrick a hard look. “You running after him puts both you and my sister in danger.”

  “We can’t be under guard all day every day Damien,” Hope said, her anger directed at her brother. “We’ve been hiding long enough. I want to live my life.”

  “The keyword there is ‘live’ my dear sister and if I think locking you in a tower for a few weeks while we hunt him down is what needs to happen, then that is exactly what I will do,” Damien said.

  Warrick growled low in the back of his throat. Damien might be his equal but Hope was his mate. Damien growled back at him, his lips pulling back as his fangs started to descend. “No one will ever lock her away.” Warrick said firmly

  Kassandra put her hand on Damien’s thigh. “Damien would never lock up Hope.”

  He heard Hope snort next to him. “I’d never allow him too. What I do is up to me. Gabriel doesn’t get to dictate my life anymore.”

  Warrick kept his mouth shut. If he knew his brother, locking her up would be the nicest thing he would do to her. Gabriel had boasted for years about how he would rape her and torture her. These threats came, mostly, when he seemed to want to hurt Warrick the most but, after all that had happened, he believed his brother would follow through just to mess with him.

  “No one is getting locked up, but unless you two are at your house you’ll have someone with you. No going off alone and we’ll be doubling the patrolling guards. In both towns and in the mountains,” Aithne said giving them a look that let them know she would not take no for an answer. “I also think Damien and Kassandra should move into the house next to you as soon as possible.”

  Kassandra was the first to nod. Damien took a moment before nodding. With everything temporarily settled, Kassandra piped up, “Now that’s all settled. I believe we should eat the lunch that Aithne brought over for us.”

  17

  The next few days fell into a routine. Kassandra picked Hope up every morning and trained with her until she was exhausted. Kassandra was fierce and despite her fast healing, Hope was covered in bruises. Today Kassandra pushed her so hard all she could do was soak in a hot tub with the jets on.

  She had put head back as the water soothed her muscles when she heard Warrick come home. He had been helping Damien finish up the final touches on the house next door in preparation for them to move in. Tomorrow they would start painting. Damien thought they would be moving in by the end of the week.

  She had gotten used to the sound of his footsteps. His slight limp had gotten better every day. Tomorrow Warrick would start sparring with her in wolf form, which meant Kassandra was going to give her the day off. Hope listened as their bedroom door opened. They had made love every night. With the threat of his brother hanging over them Warrick had gotten fierce in taking her. Touching every inch of her, kissing each bruise, refusing to let her do anything but enjoy his touch until finally when she was begging for him, he would make love to her.

  She heard his footsteps right outside the bathroom door. When he finally turned the handle and entered, she couldn’t help but smile as she lay back with her eyes closed. After a moment of silence she opened her eyes and saw him looking at her. He was covered in a light dust from sanding, making his hair look a little lighter. His normally light eyes were dark as he looked down at her in the water.

  “Are you going to join me?” she asked a slow smile curving her lips.

  Warrick bent his arms down caging her in as he gripped the sides of the tub. His lips brushed hers, feather light, and she sighed happily. “Even covered in bruises you look beautiful. I should talk to Kassandra later and tell her to lighten up.”

  Hope smiled, shaking her head. “I’m fine. Nothing a long hot bath won’t fix.”

  Warrick smiled and she gasped as he reached into the water sprinkling her face with a tiny bit of water, playfull
y. Hope grinned while reaching up to grab his shirt then pulled him down to her. Having caught him off guard, his hand slipped off the side and he fell into the tub and on top of her.

  The sound of the water sloshing over the side and her laughter echoed through the bathroom. She quit laughing and noticed he hadn’t made a sound. She started to worry that he didn’t find the humor in what she’d done. When he finally pulled back to look at her she noticed the serious set of his jaw.

  “Warrick –– I” she started to say when he growled.

  “You think you’re funny, huh?”

  Not sure what to do she bit her lower lip when he suddenly grinned at her and started tickling her sides. “I’ll show you funny,” he said as she laughed under him, her body twisting and turning under his and the water sloshing over the sides.

  When he finally stopped she was leaning against his side, her wet naked body draped over his. His fully clothed body was completely submerged in the water. These moments with him being relaxed were few and far between since Gabriel showed up. When she looked up at him she saw a smile on his lips but as he looked down he frowned slightly. “I didn’t hurt you, did I?”

  Hope shook her head, “No you didn’t hurt me. Still tender from Kassandra throwing me around but that’s about it.”

  “Are you sure you want to practice fighting as your wolf tomorrow night?” Warrick asked as his hand began to stroke up and down her back.

  “I’m sure,” Hope said. She relaxed under the warm water and his gentle caress. “I am not sparring with Kassandra tomorrow and these bruises should be pretty much healed.” Giving him a big grin she looked up and he raised an eyebrow back at her. “Why? Are you scared I’ll beat you?”