Casey's Warriors (Bondmates) (7 page)

Chapter Four

Nast let out a long sigh and looked out over the vast orchard that spread all the way to the river. Far beyond the border of their land, the gleaming spires of the northern capital city of Harsk rose into the sky, reflecting the brilliant oranges and greens of the sunset against the backdrop of the massive desert cliffs far beyond the city. His muscles ached and he’d long ago shed his shirt, leaving him covered in a layer of rich dust and dirt from hauling rocks out of the ground he hoped his
alyah
would someday use as a garden.

Over two hundred years ago, soon after Nast’s mother attempted to assassinate Lady Elsin, he and Lorn had won this land from the former owner, a Warrior slowly slipping away to the madness. While outright war was forbidden on Kadothia, territory skirmishes were allowed when the current owner and protector of a region wasn’t living up to his duties. The land that was now an orchard had been a battlefield all those years ago and the beautiful trees that bore such delicious fruit were nourished with the blood of the dead. Kadothia was a sometimes cruel and often harsh world, but it was also so beautiful it made his heart ache. He hoped Lorn’s bride would like it and could learn to love both the land and the people she would rule. And he could only pray she would love him as well.

He brushed off the encroaching despair and returned to clearing the ground near the western wall of the manor he shared with Lorn. In the distance, he heard the laughter of the female servants harvesting fruit from the orchard for the evening meal, and pride filled him that he and Lorn provided a good home not only for themselves, but for the people they governed. They’d spent over two hundred cycles together building their home room by room, working hard towards making their manor a place where their Matriarch would be proud to live and giving the people of their village a place to come when they needed help. It was now large enough to comfortably house over a hundred Warriors and servants in addition to the opulent personal space for the hoped-for Matriarch and her husbands.

“What the hell are you doing?”

Nast turned to find Lorn staring at him. “What does it look like I’m doing? I’m clearing some land so your
alyah
will have a proper space for her personal gardens.”

Hurt filled the fragile psychic bond they’d managed to establish between each other and Lorn shook his head. “Our
alyah
, Nast. Always ours.”

Clenching his teeth he began to ease a boulder out of the dark soil. “I told you, you stubborn bastard, if you mess up your chance for a bondmate by pushing her to accept me as a husband before she’s ready I’ll slit your fool throat myself. And that would really piss me off considering how much time I’ve invested in keeping you alive. Now are you going to stand there like the spoiled ass you are or do you think you can get your hands dirty with me?”

Stripping off his shirt Lorn growled at him. “You know we have machines and servants that will do this.”

“Right, but I want the land to know our touch.”

“Ignorant farmer,” Lorn muttered and Nast grinned at the familiar insult.

“Pampered city boy,” he shot back.

Lorn shook his head, his silver hair gleaming in the setting sun. They managed to rock the boulder out of place and roll it off to the side where it would later be crushed up to make gravel for the flower beds. Lorn leaned against the stone and crossed his arms over his broad chest, drawing Nast’s gaze to the sweat trickling down the chiseled sections of his abdominal muscles to the tight fit of his blood brother’s pants. With so few women available, the men of Kadothia often turned to each other for release, but his feelings for Lorn had gone beyond physical long ago. They’d formed as close a bond as two men could without their Matriarch to complete them. Lorn was not only his lover, he was also his best friend—the one man in the Universe Nast could trust without any doubts.

“Come here,” Lorn said in a gruff voice and held out his arms.

Normally, Nast would give Lorn shit about such a public display of affection; they had their reputations as fierce Warriors to maintain, but his blood brother would be leaving tomorrow for Earth and Nast missed him already. Though they’d been separated many times they’d always come home to each other. Now he might lose Lorn forever, yet he couldn’t resent the other man for leaving. If their situations had been reversed, or if his blasted birth mother hadn’t been such a greedy, envious bitch he would be the one going to Earth on what might be their last chance to find their bondmate—the one woman in the universe meant only for them.

He turned and leaned back against Lorn, the other man slightly taller than him, and inhaled his rich scent. His blood brother wrapped his arms around Nast and together they looked at the home they’d built from the ground up. In traditional northern Kadothian fashion it was four levels with graceful spires and balconies that were situated to enjoy the warm breezes blowing off the distant thermal river. Made of shimmering white stone, it was strong enough to withstand the fiercest of winter storms yet open to allow the natural light in. Their blood and sweat had gone into its construction all with the hope of someday gifting it to their bride.

“I dreamed of her last night,” Lorn said against his cheek as he stroked Nast’s chest.

“What?”

“Our Matriarch. I dreamed of her.”

Excitement lit through Nast’s blood. “A true dream?”

“Yes.” Lorn sighed. “I couldn’t really see her but she had beautiful dark hair and generous breasts. I think she was also small. In my dream I had to pick her up to kiss her and she was so soft.”

Chuckling, Nast turned his head and gave Lorn’s neck a gentle nip. Their physical love had always been rough—that is how it was between Warriors—but Nast hungered for the time when he could be gentle as well. Having a Matriarch would allow him that, a soft body to hold against him, a woman’s tender heart and love filling their home with life. “And what made you think it was a true dream?”

Lorn moved and pulled something out of his pocket. Nast looked at what appeared to be a torn piece of gold cloth. “What is that?”

“Smell it.”

Curious, Nast took it from him and brought it to his nose, inhaling deeply. Instantly the delicate aroma of a woman filled him, but not just any woman. The most delicious female he’d ever smelled. Her scent was reminded him of the essence of life, of warm sunshine and the air after a cleansing spring rain, mixed with hot passion. He greedily pulled in one lungful, then another, his heart racing as her fragrance roared through him. “Where did you get this?”

“Her fragrance was on my hands when I woke up after my dream as if I’d been holding her in truth. I wiped it off quickly on the sheets so I could preserve it.” He closed Nast’s hand gently around the silken scrap. “The Lord of Life sent this dream to me for a purpose, Nast. Keep her scent with you when I’m gone and know I will bring her home for us.”

He wanted to fight, to argue, to do the noble thing and demand Lorn bond her no matter what, but with her natural perfume still filling his nose he couldn’t protest. His soul cried out for the mysterious woman who carried this scent and he drew in a shuddering breath, holding the cloth to his face. She smelled sweet, and soft, and there was a hint of arousal beneath her natural fragrance. His cock hardened and Lorn’s dick began to swell against his back.

“Smells good, doesn’t she?”

“Like everything pure and beautiful.”

Lorn began to kiss and lick the side of Nast’s neck and he groaned deep in his throat, the scent of their bondmate lingering in his nose and starting a fire in his gut not even his blood brother could quench.

Though Nast was more than eager for him to try.

Twisting in Lorn’s arms, he attempted to pin the other man to the stone, the savage need that ripped through him urging him to play the dominance games they both enjoyed so much. The urge to make the other man submit wasn’t as much a matter of true dominance and submission, but more like a game that catered to a Kadothian male’s instinct to conquer. They were almost equally matched in terms of strength so it made the struggle between them all the better.

Nast went to grab the cloth back but Lorn growled against his lips and he snarled, crushing his mouth to Lorn’s and reveling in the taste of his blood brother. If their
alyah
tasted like life, Nast’s blood brother tasted like fire and heat, the energy that powered the universe. With a quick move Lorn managed to flip Nast over onto the stone, his back rubbing against the rough surface but his tough skin kept him from getting scratched.

The scent of male sweat filled his nose, and as he struggled to push Lorn off, he shoved the scrap of silk into his pocket, wanting to protect her scent to keep him company during the long days that Lorn would be gone. Nast would have to return to the battlefield, and for the first time he feared for himself, for his safety rather than the lives of his men. He and Lorn were so close to the moment they’d been born for, the woman they’d been made to love beyond all reason. The Lord of Life wouldn’t be cruel enough to kill him now, but if it was his time to move onto his next life he would go knowing Lorn would be happy. There wasn’t a doubt in his mind Lorn would bond the little Earth woman who haunted his dreams.

Leaning up he savagely bit Lorn’s neck, hard enough to draw blood.

With a roar, Lorn threw him off and Nast twisted midair, landing on his feet and snarling. The taste of Lorn’s blood filled him and his body gave an answering surge of arousal. With his cock aching he deliberately licked his lips and a rough surge of lust came through their bond. It reminded him of the first time he’d tasted Lorn’s blood during the ceremony that bound them together as blood brothers. Even then the wild taste had driven him insane and they’d barely made it back to their barracks before falling on each other in a fury of need. Time hadn’t tempered their desire, only deepened it.

Lorn made a beckoning motion. “Is that the best you can do?”

Growling, letting the beast that lived deep in his soul slip its leash, he leapt at Lorn and the other man grabbed him about the waist before slamming him to the soft earth. His breath escaped him in a harsh grunt and he arched as Lorn pinned him then ground their cocks together; Nast’s bollocks drew up tight as their lust twined together, two fires feeding each other until it was a burn threatening to consume them both. He met Lorn in a kiss full of teeth and tongue, rolling as they grappled together.

With the snarl of fabric parting, he tore at Lorn’s pants, eager to get to his bloodmate’s hard body. Lorn tried to buck him off, but he clung tight, managing to slide one finger between the tight crease of his blood brother’s buttocks. For a moment Lorn arched against him, a small shiver working through his body, before he began to struggle again. Though they switched up who gave and who received, the need to fill Lorn with his seed consumed Nast. He wanted to know the embrace of Lorn’s body, needed to lose himself in their love.

“No,” Lorn ground out and he groaned when Nast managed to free one of his hands to rip the front of Lorn’s pants open, exposing his cock.

“Yes.” He rubbed his hard abdominals against Lorn’s dick and gave the other man a savage snarl as Lorn’s precum wet his skin.

To his surprise Lorn managed to twist out of his hold and straddled Nast’s shoulders, reaching back with one hand to rip open his pants while shoving his cock in Nast’s face. Lorn rubbed the wet tip against Nast’s lips and he tried to buck the other man off. Grabbing Nast’s ridged shaft, Lorn gave it a good squeeze.

“Suck me or I’ll tear your dick off.”

“No, you will not,” Nast panted as he continued to struggle. “You like it too...”

Before he could finish the sentence Lorn shoved his dick into Nast’s open mouth and he eagerly swallowed the other man’s hard length, sucking at the thick mushroom head before running his tongue over the pleasure ridges lining the shaft. Those quarter inch ridges remained dormant until a Kadothian male was near his orgasm, then they would vibrate as they filled with his seed. The sensation of Lorn’s vibrating shaft in his ass was one of Nast’s favorite things, but he was determined to have the other man. So he sucked at Lorn with long, greedy pulls until Lorn’s attention began to waver. The lust coming from his blood brother had Nast thrusting up into the other man’s hand, straining for a tighter grip, a harder stroke.

Groaning deep in his throat, Lorn fucked Nast’s mouth and when Nast felt the first quiver of the pleasure ridges filling he moved lightning quick, knowing Lorn would feel his intent through their bond. With a shout he managed to roll Lorn over and he placed his hands between the other man’s shoulders, effectively pinning him as he rubbed his dripping cock over the tight crack of Lorn’s ass.

“I suggest you settle down,” he growled while Lorn bucked beneath him, “Or I am going to take you hard and rough without opening you first.”

The blast of desire had Nast shuddering even as Lorn attempted to unseat him. “Fuck you.”

Grinning, Nast slid one thigh between Lorn’s, spreading the man enough that he could fit the head of his shaft over the sensitive entrance to Lorn’s body. “No, fuck you.”

They both cried out as Nast began to work his way into Lorn’s ass, the abundant precum lubricating enough that he wasn’t tearing Lorn, but he was making the other man hurt. Pleasure and pain became almost the same thing when they were this aroused, and Nast opened their bond as much as he could, pouring his love and devotion into Lorn even as he savagely entered his body.

Lorn stilled beneath him and relaxed slightly, tilting his ass up for better penetration while he sent his love and devotion back. A sense of determination filled the other man and Nast let out a low groan, sinking all the way in until his balls rubbed against Lorn’s. Lord of Life, the tight clasp of his blood brother’s body felt good. He couldn’t even imagine the ecstasy that would come from mounting their bondmate together. The thought of her sweet, delicious scent had him lifting one hand to grab the scrap of cloth from his pocket while Lorn shoved his ass back at him, demanding more, harder.