Immortal Need (24 page)

“Hold on to me,” he told her, and she wrapped her legs and arms around him. He pushed deeper into her, not wanting a frantic pounding, but a slow and profound claiming. She was his. If she had any doubt, then she wouldn’t after this, couldn’t. She would have to acknowledge the words he said with his body, the feeling he betrayed with each touch. They weren’t out of danger yet, but he didn’t want to miss the chance to make sure she knew before they faced Freya, because it was coming, and there was no guarantee of the outcome. He took her exquisitely slow, until the precipice was there and they were falling together.

Ayah didn’t say anything when they finished, and neither did Sevani. He slipped from her body and then got up from the bed. He lifted her in his arms and carried her to her bathroom. He didn’t lower her to the floor of the tub until he’d tested the temperature of the water and climbed in with her. She handed him her soap, and he lathered it in his hands. The motions of washing her in the shower were more domestic than anything he’d ever done in his life. She turned obediently for him this way and that, the water sluicing suds from her skin. She explored his body as well, using the citrus-scented bar to trace his muscles. She put the soap down, her hands sudsy, to massage over his hips and thighs. He groaned.

“You know, two can play that game,” he warned her and grabbed her shampoo. He squirted a healthy amount into his hands and then massaged her hair. He paid particular attention to her scalp. When her hands fell away from his body, and she sighed, he chuckled. He lathered her hair and then braced her head on his hand to help her wash the shampoo out. At her insistence, he washed it once more before rinsing it and turning off the water. He towel-dried her off before conditioning the strands and sending her out of the bathroom to dress. He dried himself off and then followed her out. She was just in her bra and panties, a black number that made his blood heat, when he exited the bathroom.

“Valerie brought up some clothes for you. She said she figured you needed it. I forgot I was naked when she came in to heal me while I was sleeping,” Ayah said with a blush.

“I covered you. She needed something to do. She’s worried about Lei,” Sevani answered and went to his clothes on the bed. He didn’t have many options outside of his black pants and shirts. The mission had always been first to them. Their clothing and weaponry showed that. Only Valerie, saying she was still a
girl
, had clothes that she wouldn’t dare use on mission. Sevani frowned. How sad his life had become. He’d have to change that.

“So Lei’s her servant now. What exactly does that mean?” Ayah asked as she dressed. She pulled a pair of snug-fitting blue jeans over her hips and then pulled on a soft pink shirt with flowers on it. She looked cute. It was the first time he’d seen her dressed like that. It was much different than the somber clothes she’d worn when they first met, the robe she’d worn when she’d been captured, but more casual than the relaxed wear she’d had on when she’d been injured that first night. Every day he saw a new side of her. He liked that.

“I guess it would be better to say he’s her slave. Whatever she asks him, no matter how deadly, he will do, save hurt her.”

“So if she said jump, he’d say how high?” Ayah asked, shock marring her features.

“Yes. Relations between gods and humans can only be those of master and servant,” Sevani explained.

“So, the bonding failed between them.”

“We don’t really know. It could be they bonded. Valerie said there was a white light that linked the two together, but then she was able to make him shoot himself. Maybe master and servant is stronger than bonded pair,” Sevani surmised.

“It can’t be. Love conquers all. Maybe they weren’t meant to bond,” Ayah said then, sitting on the bed.

“Maybe. We don’t know. I have to admit, when I found out what bonding did for me, I pushed them to try. I knew how they felt about each other and wanted them to have the same thing I did. I didn’t think about the fact that Valerie was a goddess, and when she tried to tell me…I didn’t care,” Sevani said with a sigh.

“It’s not your fault. They made the choice. It still saved Lei’s life. At least you have the time to work out what to do next. That is more than you had before.”

“True. But it doesn’t make it any easier for her,” Sevani answered.

“I know. But you have to take things one step at a time. You just found out that you got your soul back, that you don’t work for Freya anymore. Lei is free because of his link to Valerie, but she isn’t free from Freya, and neither is Alexander. These things will take time,” Ayah said.

“Wise beyond your years. I know it will. But we’ve been fighting so long. When we got a glimpse of light at the end of the tunnel, we tried to grab it with both hands. I don’t want to leave my friends to Freya’s whim. If I fail in beating her, then she will torture them because of it. She will come after me and you for revenge.”

“Then we won’t be safe until we beat her. If we do beat her, then your friends are safe anyway. If we don’t, we still face hell on the other side. Either way, we’re in this together. They need to know that.”

“I think they do,” Sevani said. “We can talk to them—”

Ayah’s stomach growled, interrupting him.

“After we get you something to eat. Come on.” He led her downstairs, her hand in his. The other Watchers had transformed her home into a base of operations. Obviously they hadn’t slept much that night. On the right side of the living room, a wall was set up with monitors that watched the many cameras around the property, Alexander seated in front of them. Valerie was on the floor with Lei loading ammo into an array of weapons. After a second, Lei carried armed weapons into the parlor room.

“Hey, Sevani,” Lei said in greeting. “We’ve set up the house for Freya. The parlor room is stocked with weapons. Your blades have been cleaned and sharpened. Alexander has been monitoring the screens for any sign of Freya, but none have come up yet.” He turned to Valerie. “Anything else you need, my goddess?”

“I command you to be your normal irritating self,” Valerie grumbled, but Sevani heard the plea in her words.

“I am,” Lei replied, looking confused.

Valerie soughed, throwing up her hands. “I can’t take any more. Stop saying ‘my goddess.’ Val. I’m Val. Don’t you remember?” she asked, walking up to Lei.

“Of course you’re Valerie. Have I displeased you?” Lei asked.

“Yes!” Valerie roared, and Lei grew pale. He dropped to his knees in front of her, and Valerie drew in a shaky breath, backing up. She raised a quaking hand to her lips. “No. Come back to me,” she begged.

Sevani was at a loss. The bond between master and servant was entrenched deep. There was no sign of the man Lei once was.

“Lei,” Sevani started but stopped when Ayah put a hand on his arm.

“Valerie,” Ayah said then, grabbing the woman’s attention, “that won’t work. How about you help me cook breakfast for everyone?”

Valerie nodded, taking one last look at Lei before leaving the room.

“It’s been like this all night,” Alexander said then. “Valerie is on edge. Everything Lei does is suspect.”

“I couldn’t watch Ayah act like that either,” Sevani said. “She has loved Lei for a long time. This is devastating her. I wish I had never pushed this one on them.”

“They made their choice,” Alexander said. “We can’t take it back now.”

“I chose her,” Lei said, rising from the floor. Sevani and Alexander swung around to face him. “I wanted her. Isn’t that enough?”

“Lei?” Sevani questioned.

“I knew what could happen. I told her so. I didn’t care. I’d rather have her than anyone else. If that makes me her slave, then so be it. Can’t she see that?”

“Lei, she wants you to be like you were. She wants you to be bonded with her, not her slave,” Alexander explained.

“And I just want her. That’s all. No matter what happened, I just wanted her,” Lei argued. “She won’t accept that.”

“Then make her,” Sevani argued. “If she can see nothing but the slave, then show her
you
are still in there.”

“That would please her,” Alexander added. Sevani watched Lei’s face light up.

“Then that’s what I’ll do.” Lei marched in the direction of the women. Alexander shrugged, and then they followed in his wake.

When they entered the kitchen, Valerie was helping Ayah to get plates. The kitchen was warm and cozy, filled with chrome appliances and granite counters. An island in the center was surrounded with six stools. Sevani figured it was for the three siblings and parents Ayah had told him about. It had enough room for them to sit.

Lei watched Valerie with a single-minded intensity, but Sevani ignored them. Ayah was whipping eggs with onions, green peppers, cubed meat, and seasonings with efficient hands. She ordered Valerie to put biscuits in a pan and get the oven turned on. Together the women whipped up a breakfast of omelets and biscuits in short order. They served the food and sat down.

“Eat,” Ayah ordered. No one argued. They dug into the food with gusto.

“This is delicious,” Valerie commented.

“Thank you. You learn to cook good stuff on a budget with a big family,” Ayah answered. “My father liked to entertain, too. My uncle…” Ayah said, then stopped. She swallowed before she continued. “My uncle came over with Jean Pierre a lot, especially before my mother died. Jean Pierre’s mother died when he was just one year old. I think my uncle liked my mother’s influence on JP. After she died, it was hard for him to come over until he got older.”

“Your family hasn’t gotten in contact with you recently,” Sevani said, thinking that Ayah’s phone hadn’t rung since he’d been there.

“No. They know me. I didn’t deal well with my mother’s loss either. It took me two months before I’d really talk to anyone. They’d think I just want time,” Ayah answered.

“I’m sure when your uncle’s death is discovered, they will be contacting you,” Alexander said.

“I don’t know how I’m going to explain that to them, or you, for that matter.”

“You don’t need to talk about your uncle at all. They will never find out who killed him. You’re safe. Just go along with whatever is going on around you. Nothing can be tied to you. As for us, well, you are rich now. You could always say we’re your security team. You can even say your uncle recommended having one, since he obviously had one on the payroll,” Valerie said. “No one will question that.”

“What about you?” Ayah asked, looking at Sevani. “No one will believe you’re just my security.”

“They can. There are plenty of stories about bodyguards falling for the person they’re protecting,” Sevani said with a smile.

Ayah snorted before popping another piece of fluffy omelet in her mouth. “Sure,” she said. “Ayah the prude captures the eye of dark, brooding bodyguard. I can see how that will just take care of everything.”

“That’s better than being called a kid, or a Neanderthal, at least,” Sevani tossed back.

“Oh, you’re still a Neanderthal. I’m just reforming you. That one they
will
believe.”

Valerie choked and then laughed. Alexander’s deep chuckle rumbled through the room. Lei followed as Ayah’s lips twitched. She couldn’t hold it any longer, though, when Sevani frowned.

“I’ll have you know I am an educated man,” Sevani argued, laughter brewing inside of him.

“Okay, so you’re just as
old
as a Neanderthal. Got it.” Tears ran down Ayah’s face as she laughed, grabbing her stomach. Valerie high-fived her across the table.

“He’s not
that
old,” Lei said. “Are you?”

“Not you too?” Sevani asked with a groan.

“I know him to at least be born later, maybe in the Cro-Magnon era,” Alexander added, coughing behind his hand.

“Maybe. He’s definitely built…
big
.”

Valerie roared when Ayah said that, her face turning red.

“Wait. I don’t know if I like that. The brain capacity of a Cro-Magnon was larger than modern humans. Are you trying to say he’s smarter than all of us?” Ayah sputtered, pointing her fork at Alexander.

“There’s no research that says they were smarter, just had bigger…heads,” Alexander argued.

“Did Alexander just make a joke? Gods be damned! I can’t breathe,” Valerie gasped.

The laughter went up from there, and Sevani was not unaffected. He joined them, warmed that they had this moment, a time away from pain, stress, and Freya’s long reach, a moment to look back on as the changing point of their lives. This was his family. Every one of them had shed blood, lost something, and had fought to survive together. Ayah stood resilient and strong against circumstances that would have crushed others. She didn’t try to hide away from the danger they all knew was coming. She didn’t try to remove herself. She jumped right in. She’d seen Valerie’s pain and moved to take it away. She’d seen their stress and given them something they hadn’t even known they’d needed.

“When we get out of this,” Sevani said as the laughter died down, “I think we should do this every morning. When is the last time we did something as simple as have a meal together?”

“Eighteen sixty-four,” Alexander replied. “Or somewhere around there. Lei was suspended from missions after playing with the Red Lady of Paviland. Freya was mad enough to spit nails. Valerie wasn’t on mission. I was healing from a severed arm, and you had just come back from a mission. Valerie cooked a roast for us, because we hadn’t all been in the house at the same time like that in centuries.”

“You would know the answer,” Valerie said, shaking her head. “But I don’t remember a roast.”

“That’s because it was more like charcoal by the time you took it out of the oven. No more dinners at home after that,” Sevani said under his breath.

“I heard that,” Valerie warned, eyes narrowing.

“Eighteen sixty-four?” Ayah squeaked. “Like during the Civil War?”

“Showing our age, aren’t we?” Alexander asked.

“Yeah, just a tad,” Ayah said. “What—”

The sound of a blaring alarm cut off what Ayah was going to say. Sevani jumped to his feet, quickly followed by Valerie, Lei, and Alexander.