A Love For Lera (Haikon) (20 page)

‘Vaj?’

“Torr said sacred water. I shouldn’t be trailing
my dirty fingers in it.”

“By all means, strip down and cleanse yourself. Or
let me do it for you.”

Her lips turned up, amused by his humor, before
she rotated back to see the man who’d spoken. Torr. Trouble lurked in his gaze.
She pushed to her feet and moved away from the tempting water.

“You’d like that.”

“Oh yeah.”

“And if I do?” She swayed closer. “Will you join
me?”

“Without a doubt.”

“I thought so. Sorry, I’m not in the habit of
stripping and bathing with men.” She wondered however, were she even remotely
inclined to take him up on it would he go for it or back away? She figured back
away, having seen him watch Kori.

Torr sighed dramatically. “Well, can’t blame me
for trying.” All humor slipped away. “Gavvi said you weren’t ready to read.”

She flicked her gaze to Adric before returning it
to Torr. There was no censure in his eyes.

“I feel overloaded with information.”

“A vigorous workout may help,” he said, his voice
seductive. Her gaze snapped to his. He arched a brow and lifted his sword so
the hilt was eyelevel. “Workout.”

Her smile was unforced and real. “Let’s go.” She
jumped by him and shifted, running outside, Adric hot on her heels. Pushing
herself to full speed. Beside her, she saw a snow leopard running stretched
out. It was Torr. He was a bit larger than his vaj. They spilled out into a
field, and he sprang at her. Rolling to the side, she shifted back and met his
downward sword strike.

Shit, he shifts fast.

Torr attacked fast as well. The deep snow
hampered her movements for a bit until she figured out how to move in the
calf-high ground cover. They battled until she didn’t think she could withstand
another of his bone-rattling blows. She extended her weapon to a staff and
knocked his legs out from under him.

“I didn’t expect that,” Torr remarked, getting to
his feet, face flushed with the exertion of their sparring.

Fighting for breath, Lera watched him cautiously
as she moved a bit farther back versus pressing her advantage.

“You’re good,” he said, sheathing his sword. She
maintained a constant distance between them, her own weapon still drawn. Torr
stopped and held up his hands. “You can put it away, Lera.”

Eyes still on her sparring partner, she stored
her own weapon. Her limbs trembled with exhaustion. The desire to sink to the
snow and lay there until she found her breath was strong. She didn’t. Instead,
she lifted her chin and refused to show any sign of the fumes she currently ran
on.

“Let’s go get something to eat and drink.”

She fell into step beside him, and they headed
back. At the outskirts of camp, she frowned to see that same brunette woman
near Kori. Her anger grew when the woman reached out and laid a hand upon his
chest. Gray eyes snared Lera’s, and Kori stepped away from the woman and walked
toward Lera.

‘Where have you been, Lera?’

Ensuring her face was a mask of composure, she
didn’t respond, continuing on instead to the food tent with Torr.

‘Lera!’

She could feel Kori’s presence behind her and
focused on grabbing some bread and cheese along with a mug of what passed as
coffee around here. Then, she sat down at the table and began to eat. Strong
arms settled upon either side of her, and Kori nuzzled her neck. Electrical
impulses rocketed through her. Unfortunately, right on the heels of that, her
heightened senses picked up on the sickeningly sweet scent of that other woman,
and Lera growled before she could contain it.

“I’m trying to eat, Kori,” she said, proud of how
calm she sounded.

He licked along the shell of her ear before
straddling the bench and sitting beside her. She knew it was coming, especially
given Torr was across from her. Kori reached out and captured her chin in two
of his fingers, turning her so they were face to face, then kissed her. Like
normal, she began to melt under his lips. She fought hard to remain impassive.
Not an easy feat when his tongue slipped into her mouth and stroked along hers.

‘You reek of that man, Lera.’

Her fingers clenched, and she drew back. His eyes
were harder than flint.
‘I’m surprised you can smell anything with that
woman’s scent all over you.’
Pulling away from his touch, she blinked back
tears of frustration and focused on her food.

Two bites were all she got before he said in a
determined tone, “Get up,
mo anam
, or I’ll carry you out of here.”

There was something in his tone that told her
he’d do exactly that. Anger vibrated from him and shot along their link. With
deliberate slowness, she took a final drink and got to her feet. “Thanks for
the workout, Torr. I’ll see you later.”

The large man lifted his glass in salute, a smirk
on his face. Without another word, she grabbed her food and walked out, Kori
behind her. His body pressed tightly to hers. She knew if she tarried much
longer, he’d hurry her along himself. Numerous gazes followed their progress.
She had a bored look on her face but knew Kori’s could have frozen hell.

The silence stretched between them even after the
flap of the tent dropped into place. With a calm she far from felt, she sat on
one of the beds and took a bite from her bread, chewing slowly. Her gaze on
Kori, she took in how he moved as he struggled to rein in his emotions. She stared
at the flow of his muscles, how ripped his body truly was. His coat lay on the
floor, and he wore tight black clothing.

“Talk,” he bit off.

She crossed her legs and rested her elbows on her
knees. Forcing her eyes on the food in her hands, she took another bite. His
hands gripped her wrists and imprisoned them.

“Damn it, Lera!”

Swallowing hard, she met his gaze. “Don’t curse
at me.”

“I told you to stay away from him.”

“And I told you I’m not needing your permission
to do things.”

“What were you doing with him?” Each word bitten
off.

“What were you doing with her?” she snapped in
return.

“Her? Her who?”

“You’ve had so many pawing on you today you need
more clarification? Fine, the brunette bitch touching your chest when you saw
me.”

“Mauve?” He frowned.

“Sure. I didn’t get her name.” He prowled
forward, encroaching on her space. “Get out of my face, Cormac,” she growled.

“Are you jealous?” He nipped the skin behind her
ear. “And stop calling me Cormac.”

“Then, stop letting women touch you.”

“You’re jealous.” He sat back on his haunches,
anger draining from his expression. “Why are you jealous,
mo anam
?”

“Why are you?” she retaliated determined not to
let whatever it was he called her distract her.

“You were off with Torr, a man whose lust for you
is obvious.”

“He took me to a sacred place for the Haikon and
then we did some sparring. Torr never touched me in a sexual way, which is more
than you can say about Mauve.”

Kori removed the food from her hands and laced
their fingers. Kneeling before her, he stared into her eyes. “Valera, there is
one woman in this world for me. You. No one else.”

“I want no other.” She wasn’t confident on how to
explain to him how Torr or other men were not a sexual threat to him. She
wanted no one but him. The thought of another’s touch on her, in a sexual way,
filled her with revulsion. However, she also didn’t wish to continue to bring
up what happened to her in the past.

His lips touched hers, light, seductive,
familiar. “I won’t share you.”

Jerking him so he fell on her, she wrapped her
arms around him and deepened the kiss.
‘Neither will I share you.’

‘I don’t like his smell on you.’

‘Least I don’t smell like a brothel.’

He drew back and trailed a finger down the side
of her face. “I love you, Lera.”

‘I feel like I’m losing you.’

‘Never!’

Kori hated to admit it but he felt the same. Ever
since they arrived here, it was like something continually tried to pull them
apart. He didn’t like it at all. Staring down at the woman beneath him, he
allowed himself to get lost in the depths of her pooling gaze. He opened the
flap back up and saw Torr in his line of sight, and all the jealousy and anger
flooded back in.

“I don’t want you around him.”

She narrowed her gaze while she knew he didn’t
want her near Torr, she wasn’t about to start letting him dictate to her what
she could or couldn’t do.
‘Kori, don’t do this please—’

Lera abruptly fell silent simultaneously as Adric
rose with a low, menacing rumble. Kori’s own wolf raced up, and a battle cry
sounded from outside. As one, they lunged for the door and burst out to see
humans,
ater malum
, and
drekflen
 attacking. Out of the corner of
his eye, he saw Lera draw her weapon and charge into the fray. Adric doing the
same.

‘Be careful,
mo anam.
’

He wanted to order her to hide but didn’t waste
his breath. She wouldn’t go. He took on two humans who were obviously under
someone’s influence and made short work of them before ripping the head off the
being before him. Dropping to his knees as his sword went through the gut of
his next opponent, Kori gazed around until he found Lera.

She was amazing to watch. All movements fluid and
precise. No wasted motion. He wanted her. A wry chuckle escaped as he engaged
the
ater malum
coming at him. Only Lera. Only his mate could bring his
mind to sex during a battle.

He fought his way to her side, and by the time
they faced their final opponent, it had been a long drawn out battle. She
disemboweled him while Kori’s own strike severed the creature’s head from its
thick neck. Dark blood poured from it as it dropped lifeless to the snowy
ground.

With an assessing gaze, he scanned the
battlefield. Vifil had a prisoner, and it was hard for Kori to stand there and
not take over. But Vifil was the leader here, not him. So, instead, he focused
on his mate. Lera stood beside him, her face covered in a mixture of blood,
sweat, and exhaustion.

Some of the Haikon women were attending the
injuries of their men. He glanced around again the red-stained area, over the
bodies of the fallen and realized something. Lera was the only woman on the
field who’d partaken in the battle.

The wind carried the unmistakable stench of
death. Then, it shifted, and he could identify Lera’s evocative scent. Turning,
he stared down at her. Her eyes burned with anger and determination.

“Lera.”

She gestured out with a gloved hand. “This is my
fault. I brought this to them.”

“No! Vifil said they’d been hunted for a long
time. You know that.”

“Perhaps.” One shoulder lifted in a shrug, and he
knew his words fell on deaf ears. “But, because of me, they’re in even more
danger.”

“Let’s get you cleaned up.”

It took a bit before she moved to the tent. There
weren’t many standing anymore. Kori shared a look with Vifil before he entered
behind Lera. Things ready, he crouched before her with a bowl of warmed water
and dipped a rag in, soaking a corner. Right before he could touch her skin,
Vifil’s voice interrupted.

“Can we come in?”

“Sure,” Kori replied, cleaning the blood and
sweat from Lera’s face, all the while maintaining eye contact with her.

“Sorry to intrude but we’re out of places for
wounded.”

Kori turned and rose to help some of the injured
inside. When he stole a look back at Lera, she had given up her seat to another
and was tending to their injuries.
‘I’ll be back, Lera. I’m going to help
more wounded.’

‘I’ll be here.’

“Has the prisoner said anything?” he asked Vifil
as they walked to the tent with more injured.

“No.”

“Mind if I give it a shot?”

“You have the ability to read minds?” There was
hope in his tone.

“I do.”

“Then, do it.” Vifil took the man he’d been
helping and used his other shoulder to support him. “I’ll tell your woman. He’s
over there by the smoldering tree.”

“Not necessary, but thanks.”

Walking toward his target, he sent a thought to
Lera.

‘
Mo anam?
’

‘Yes, Kori?’

‘I’m off to see what I can learn from the
prisoner.’

‘Okay.’
A slight pause.
‘You weren’t
injured, were you?’

He stopped by the tree with the trussed up human
on it.
‘No, I’m fine. How are you doing?’

‘Just tired.’

‘I’ll be there soon.’

He faced the man and crossed his arms with a
sigh. “Who sent you?”

Fearful but defiant blue eyes glared back. “Burn
in hell, you demon spawn Haikon. I’ll never give you anything except this. You
are going to die.”

Anger overflowed based solely on the fact Lera
was Haikon and, therefore, included by the threat. Without a warning, his hand
shot out and clamped around the other man’s neck. He allowed his wolf to leak
through.

Nose to nose, he hissed, “I’m not Haikon, stupid
human. I don’t need your permission to acquire the information you know.”
Without care, he thrust hard and deep into the man’s mind, drowning out his
screams. Kori’s anger grew as he traveled through this man’s thoughts. And he
felt dirty.

He found and latched onto a name when information
had been received. Just as abruptly, he jerked out of the mind. Glassy eyes
stared at him, and Larry—as he was called—slumped down into a heap on the
ground, blood streaming from his nose.

Spinning on his heel, Kori strode back to the
tent where he’d left Lera. A quick glance inside told him she wasn’t there.