Heart of the Warrior (16 page)

"I'm close," he said, his voice filled with
urgency. "Oh God, Sev!"

"That's it, babe. Don't stop." Sev's hold on him
tightened. "Come for me."

"Sev! I'm coming! I'm coming!" Once more, his body
released and his muscles ripped apart. He would be lucky if he was able to move
tomorrow at the rate they were going.

When his latest release finally subsided, Arion collapsed
against Severin’s body, shuddering through the tail end of his orgasm as Sev
held him close and brushed one hand down his spine.

How many times had they had sex in the past several hours?
Ari had lost count. What he did know was that he had never demonstrated such
stamina with any of the women in his past. In fact, with Sev he could hardly
keep his cock deflated. Ari had never experienced anything like this. Ever. The
floodgates were fully open now, and there would be no going back.

"Wow." He snuggled against Sev’s chest, a gentle
pulse weeping the remnants of his release inside Sev. Face-to-face sex had
never been this good before. Now if he could just learn to keep his eyes open,
everything would be perfect. Old habits die hard, but he had a feeling it
wouldn’t take long to remedy that one. He loved watching Sev during sex. He
loved looking at him and matching Sev’s body’s movements and his facial
expressions to the sensual noises he made.

"Wow is right, babe." Sev kissed his
sweat-dampened forehead. "I’ve never seen anyone with so much
stamina."

Ari huffed out a weak laugh. "Honestly, I didn’t know I
had it in me. I guess I'm making up for lost time."

The sheets were soiled again, but he didn't care, and Sev
didn't seem to mind, either. He loved how their combined scents filled the room
and surrounded them.

"Can I stay with you today?" Sev's voice caressed
his ears like a soft breeze.

Ari burrowed in close, shoving his arms around Sev to hold
him tightly. "If you try to leave, I’ll stop you."

Sev chuckled, and the vibration rumbled against Ari’s chest.
"Okay, I’ll stay. Twist my arm."

They held each other like that for several minutes then Ari
finally forced himself to pull himself off Sev’s body. His spent cock pulled
free and the cool air felt all wrong on him after being tucked inside Sev’s
warmth. He lay down next to Sev and they turned to face each other.

Sev touched his face, caressed his cheek, and smoothed back
his hair. Ari closed his eyes, enjoying the affection.

"I –" Sev cut off abruptly then started over.
"I want you to spend the day with me tomorrow. After our shift, spend the
day at my house. Will you do that?"

Ari got the feeling that wasn’t what he had originally
planned on saying, but he let it go. "Mmm, yes. I’d like that." At
least they wouldn’t have to worry about Io or anyone else stopping by
unexpectedly if they were at Sev's.

"So would I."

He opened his eyes again. Sev’s long hair hung in sweaty,
damp tendrils over his face and down his neck past his shoulders. Tonight, he
had used that hair like a horse’s mane, pulling, yanking, directing Sev’s head
where he wanted it. And true to his word, Sev had loved it. He'd cried out with
pleasure, begged him to pull harder, and pleaded with him to be rough and not
hold back.

Both of them were marked with love bites and bruises worthy
of battle, and he smiled softly as he reached up and trailed the tip of his
finger over one of the fading black and blue marks on Sev’s chest where he had
sucked on his skin.

"We’re a mess," he said

"But in a good way." Sev brushed his hand over
Ari's cheek then down to his arm.

He nodded. "A very good way."

Sev’s fingers traced the lines of his tattoo sleeve. Up,
down, around. Ari had already learned Sev’s nuances enough to know he wanted to
take him again. It was in the way his gaze followed his fingers down the
pattern on his arm and the quiet purr deep in his chest. And Sev hadn't
finished during their latest bout of orgasmic pyrotechnics, so he probably
needed the release.

"Yes," Ari said.

Sev's gaze flicked to his. "Yes, what?"

"Yes, I want you to make love to me again." Hell,
he was ready to go again himself. This was insane. Where was this incredible
sex drive coming from?

The corners of Sev's mouth curled upward. "You're not
too tired?"

Ari shook his head. "No."

"We've been at it all night, babe. I thought you'd need
a break."

"That's okay. Like I said, I'm making up for lost time.
Besides, you drive me wild."

Sev tenderly pushed him to his back as he rolled with him
and settled on top. "You're driving me crazy, Ari."

"I can't get enough of you." He pushed his hands
through Sev's hair as the other male pushed his legs open and pressed the head
of his erection against him. Could they just stay in bed for the rest of the
month? Ari really wanted to stay in bed with Sev for a few weeks. At a minimum.

"Me, neither." Sev drove forward and dove inside
Ari in one fluid thrust.

"Oh, God, yes," he said, gripping Sev’s shoulders.

Yes, just one more time and then they could sleep. Maybe.

The next night, Lakota woke up just after sunset and opened
the curtains then the blinds and looked south over the Chicago River. He
already liked it here and couldn’t wait to buy a place. His son’s reaction, on
the other hand…well that was another story.

The last time – the only time – he had seen Severin, they
had almost killed each other. In a way, he was proud of how hard Sev had fought
him. The boy was strong and lethal. Well, Sev wasn’t a boy anymore. He was a
mature male, now. An adult.

Was Sev mated? Did he have a wife? Children of his own?
Felice had only told him Sev was an enforcer, but hadn't elaborated on personal
details, so Lakota could only guess what Sev’s life was like now. Did Sev ever
think about him? Probably not. But then, if he was in Sev’s shoes, he wouldn't
think about him, either. Who would entertain thoughts of a father who raped his
mother, gave her a child, and took off?

He had been such a bastard. But the love of a human had
changed him, and he would be forever grateful to Mary for opening his eyes. He
still missed Mary, his beloved wife who he had cherished with all his heart.
She had shown him so much love and had opened his heart to how awful he had
once been and how good he could be as a person, husband, and father.

His cell phone rang and he smiled at the caller ID.

"Marie? You must have known I was thinking about
you."

He had insisted their firstborn daughter be named after
Mary, because he knew one day Mary would die and he wanted one of their
offspring to remind him of her. That day had come six years ago, when Mary
passed away at the age of sixty-two, just days after suffering a stroke.

"Dad? Are you here?"

Marie lived on Chicago’s North Side, and her mixed blood had
given her an uncanny extrasensory ability. Unfortunately, the price for her
third eye was the loss of her sight by the time she had turned eighteen. Marie
was blind. Funny how mixed blood worked. Marie could see the unseen with her
special abilities of perception, but she could no longer see the physical. No
doubt she had felt his arrival in the city last night.

"I knew I should have called," he said.

"Yes, you should have." Her chastising voice held
the sound of a smile.

"I’m sorry, honey. Yes, I’m here in Chicago."

"I still don’t understand why you insisted on staying
downtown. You could have stayed with me, you know."

"I know, but I wanted neutral ground. You know how hard
this is for me."

He could almost see Marie nodding her head in understanding.
"I know it is, Dad. Have you seen her, yet?"

"No, but I’ll see her tonight."

"She’s ready to put the past behind her. I think she’ll
forgive you."

"What about Severin?"

She didn’t say anything for a few seconds. "You’ll have
a tougher time with him."

Just what he thought. He sighed in frustration.

"Give it time, Dad. Severin’s like you. He’s stubborn
and determined. He hurts easily and doesn’t forgive quickly."

"And I hurt him." He said that more to himself
than to Marie.

"Well, you hurt his mother, and to him, that’s the same
as hurting him."

Knowing that made him all the more proud of Severin. Unlike
him, Sev was a male of honor and integrity. He was a worthy male – a male worth
mating and who would be a good father.

"Don’t ask me that, Dad," Marie said out of
nowhere.

"What?"

"I know you want to know if he’s taken a mate and has
children, but you know I won’t answer you." She paused. "Although…I
sense he's going through an interesting time right now. I see pain."

"Pain?" Lakota was suddenly concerned.

"That's all I can say, Dad. I've already released the
vision so I'm not tempted to tell you more."

He had told Marie not tell him anything personal about Sev
for a reason. It would make him work that much harder to get to know his son
again. He didn’t want to rely on Marie's special talents and ESP to learn
details about Sev’s life that he needed to earn the right to know directly from
his son. But the idea his son could be in pain was troubling.

God, he hoped Sev forgave him. Marie wanted to meet her
half-brother. She had made that clear. But she didn't want to do it until
Lakota and Sev reconciled.

"You’re a good daughter, Marie. Just like your mother.
You’re such a good person."

"She would be proud of what you're doing, Dad."

"And you know that because…?"

Marie laughed quietly. "Yes, Mom and I have
communicated about what you're doing."

Meeting and marrying Mary had been the best thing that had
ever happened to him – until their first child, Marie, was born. Becoming a
father and actually sharing the responsibilities of raising children had
affected him deeply and made him realize his failings with Severin.

It was still hard for him to believe after being a bastard
for so long that he could change and feel so much love for another as he did
for his deceased wife and their children. A rare second chance had been granted
him, and now he wanted to make things right with his firstborn son, too.

"How is she?" He had reconciled the fact that
Marie could still communicate with Mary, and it no longer filled him with pain
when Marie mentioned it.

"You know how she is, Dad."

"Well, you know what I mean." Lakota already knew
Mary was in Heaven and that she was happy and no longer attached to her earthly
emotions, but he liked asking how she was, anyway. It made him feel normal
about talking about her. "Does she have any messages for me?"

"Just that you're doing the right thing and that it's
time for you to move on. She wants you to find someone else. You're meant to
find someone else."

Lakota's mind darted to the dark-haired female, Gina, he had
met in the lobby. He thought she was attractive. Could she be the one? He
wondered if there was a connection between Mary's message and him meeting Gina.

"Did she say who?"

"No. She says you have to figure that out for
yourself."

As when she was alive, Mary's life lessons continued on even
in the afterlife.

"I love you, Dad. I have to go. I have a client coming
in a few minutes."

Marie was a massage therapist who worked with both humans
and vampires. He could sure use one of her massages right now for all the
tension in his shoulders. "I love you, too, honey."

"Come visit me tomorrow night. I’ll make you
dinner."

"I wouldn’t miss it."

They said their goodbyes and Lakota hung up and took a deep
breath as he checked the time. It was now or never. Time to get ready.

He went to the closet and pulled out the dark grey cashmere
sweater and black slacks he had so meticulously steamed the wrinkles out of
with the steam iron that came with the room.

After grabbing a quick shower, he blew dry his shoulder-length
hair, shaved, splashed on just a dab of aftershave, and dressed. He tucked the
long, silver chain he wore with its cross pendant – a gift from Mary – under
his sweater and looked at himself in the mirror. For such a large male, he felt
about a foot tall and an inch wide for all the shame he shouldered.

Time to go, big guy. You don’t want to be late. You’ve
already caused Felice enough pain. Don't add being late to dinner to the list
of reasons she should hate you.

With another deep breath, he grabbed his keys and left the
room.

After awakening to Ari's mouth suckling his nipple and his
hands roaming his body, Severin had made love to Ari once more in the shower
before forcing himself to leave. He needed to go home and get ready for work,
but his body felt gloriously well-used and ready for more, which made for an
annoying distraction.

He was sooooo in the throes of the
calling.
It didn't
matter that he couldn't get Ari pregnant. His body didn't know the difference.
All his body knew was that he was now a mated male, and all instincts within
him resolved to one purpose: Plant his seeds as often as possible.

He had almost told Ari last night that he loved him, but
stopped himself at the last second. It was too soon to be making such
proclamations in light of the fact that Ari was still sorting through his own
feelings.

Give him time. He already feels the mating call pulling
him to you.

That much was obvious, at least to Sev. Ari had been
unquenchable in his thirst to take Sev over and over again. And when Sev left
his house late this afternoon, Ari's body had visibly tensed as if he couldn't
stand the idea of being separated from him. Even now, Sev could still feel
Ari’s anguish at their parting as if it had been his own.