Heart of the Warrior (21 page)

Sev pulled him in again, wrapping him up in the most
wondrous feeling of love he had ever felt. "No question, Ari. I forgive
you. I love you. You're everything to me."

"I never want to hurt you again."

"Me, neither."

But Ari knew that it was inevitable that as they grew within
this new dynamic and learned more about each other, they could and probably
would hurt each other's feelings again. It was just the nature of how vampires
mated. The biological pull to mate with another didn't always allow for a lot
of get-to-know-you up front. So, the newly-mated pair oftentimes had to figure
shit out as they went. There would be a lot of trial-and-error, but the mating
link would never sever and they would always be bound to each other, no matter
what happened.

Sev hardly dared to breathe or make a sound. All he could do
was stare in awe at Ari. Finally, Ari had acknowledged what Sev had suspected
all along. Ari felt it, too. He felt the link growing between them, binding
them together. Sure, he had known it would only be a matter of time before Ari
realized they were mates, but he hadn’t expected it to happen so soon. And
certainly not like this.

"Say it again?" A smile spread over Sev's face.

"What? That I never want to hurt you?" Ari grinned
quizzically at him.

Sev laughed shortly. "No. That you're my mate."

Ari chuckled at him. "You're so goofy."

"Just say it." Sev leaned closer, smiling from ear
to ear. "Please."

The corners of Ari’s mouth turned up as he rolled his eyes.
"I’ve mated you, you big oaf." His gaze grew tender. "And I love
you." Ari's eyes ranged over his face, down to his chest, his hands, then
back up to his eyes. It looked almost as if Ari still couldn't believe it
himself and was seeing Sev with brand new eyes. "You're my mate, and I
love you."

"Am I crazy for loving how that sounds coming out of
your mouth?"

Ari shook his head. "No. Because I love how it sounds
coming out of my mouth, too."

Oh, God. Just the way Ari said it, along with the look on
his face as he did, set Sev's insides on fire. Finally, it had happened. He had
found his soul mate, and he had been found, as well. Some vampires went their
whole lives without finding their mate. But that wouldn't be him.

"I love you so much, Ari." Sev caressed Ari's
cheek.

What would their teammates think if they could see them
huddled together on the floor of his foyer, declaring their love for one
another? Not that he cared, but he sort of liked the idea of showing Ari off.
He wanted to walk in to AKM tomorrow, hand-in-hand with Ari. He wanted to kiss
him in front of the team before they left for their separate patrols. Then kiss
him again as they met back up after their shift.

But until Ari was able to open up and come clean with
everyone else, that was a fantasy that would remain just that: A fantasy.

Sev twirled spaghetti on his fork then held it out for Ari.
They were sitting on bar stools at the kitchen counter, facing each other. Sev
had his ankles crossed around one of Ari's as if he was loosely restraining
him.

"This is excellent sauce." Ari leaned forward and
took the forkful of offered food.

Sev was enjoying feeding him. And it was clear Ari enjoyed
it, too, as he offered Sev his own forkful of spaghetti. Sev accepted it and pulled
the pasta into his mouth.

This was how it had been for the past twenty minutes after
they had finally pulled each other up from the floor and made their way to the
kitchen. Sev hadn't wanted to continue thinking about Ari's hesitation to open
up to the others about his sexuality. He only wanted to enjoy the day with his
mate.

Sev dabbed his napkin against his lips. "Do you have
questions?"

Ari's topaz eyes sparkled. "A few, but they can
wait."

Apparently Ari was enjoying their intimate dinner too much to
want to dwell on the issue that had briefly separated them. All in good time,
Sev supposed.

Sev lifted his wine glass and held it out for Ari, who
leaned forward and sipped as Sev tilted it for him.

"Are you always this romantic?" Ari smiled and
licked wine off his upper lip as he sat back.

"Here, let me get that." Sev leaned forward and
kissed him, letting his tongue sweep out and run the length of Ari's lips. Then
he leaned back with a crooked, self-assured grin on his face. "And, yes, I
am." He picked up his fork again and twirled up more spaghetti.

"Well, aren't I the lucky one then?" The smile on
Ari's face was filled with warmth and wonder, and it made Sev fall in love with
him just a little bit more.

He held out another bite of food for Ari and caressed the
back of his fingers down Ari's neck and chest as he took it. "No, I'm the
lucky one, babe." He gazed into those marvelous eyes and shook his head
affectionately. "You make me want to be this romantic."

Ari set down his fork as Sev did likewise, and they took
each other's hands and huddled just a little closer together, barely seated on
their respective stools.

"When I left earlier," Ari said, "the ache I
felt was unlike anything I've ever experienced."

Sev knew what he meant. He had felt it, too. The
suffering
had gripped him fiercely after had Ari rushed out the door and driven off. Sev
had never known such horrible pain.

Ari lowered his head and looked at their joined hands.
"That's when I realized what was happening between us. The
suffering
was what woke me up and made me realize we were mates." He paused.
"How is this going to work, Sev?"

Sev stroked his thumb over the back of Ari's hand.
"We'll figure it out."

"But the
calling
…." Ari looked up.
"Even now, I want you. I'm hard for you. I've been hard for you for days,
and it's only getting worse."

Sev understood his concern. He had been hard since Ari had
returned. His body demanded contact and release. It was the way of things with
a newly-mated male. The
calling
moved in, made itself at home, and
forced the male to fuck often and hard for at least a week…usually two. It was
why newly-mated males had to take time off from work and just about everything
else. They couldn't be far from their mates during the
calling
phase,
because when the urge hit to plant his seeds, he had to be able to answer.
Immediately.

"We'll work it out," Sev said. "We'll find a
way."

"It will be harder for us, you know." Ari looked
tense and concerned.

"I know."

"The
calling
is stronger when two males
mate." It sounded like Ari was talking more to himself than to Sev.

"I know." Sev tried to reassure him. "But
we'll make it work."

But it would be tough. Ari was right. Two males who mated
each other had extremely powerful
calling
phases, because not only were
they answering the call of their own bodies, they were always responding to the
call of their mate. The effect was a compounded kind of need that multiplied
exponentially.

In a heterosexual
calling
phase, the female reacted
to the male, feeling aroused and receptive, but she didn't have to also wrestle
with her own body's demands to mate. The male sent the message, she received
it, and then she replied.

On the other hand, with two males, they were both sending,
receiving, and replying simultaneously. The effect was almost supernatural.

Even now, Sev felt his body responding to the invisible
waves of heat pouring off of Ari. He imagined the same was happening to Ari. It
made for a volatile environment.

Put up the breakables. This could get physical.

"Are you worried?" Sev squeezed Ari's hands.

Ari nodded as he looked up. "Yes."

"Why?"

"What if we aren't together when we need each
other?"

Sev shrugged. "You might have to tell Tristan what's
going on between us."

Ari visibly trembled. Sev felt the tremor in his hands. The
thought of telling someone that he was gay and that he and Sev were mates
obviously terrified him. Sev had to feel for the guy.

"Don't get me wrong, Sev. I want to. I want to tell
him. But I'm scared as hell."

"I know. Believe me, I know. I want to tell him I'm
half dreck, but I'm afraid he'll kick me off the team."

Ari chuffed then broke into outright laughter. "We are
so perfect for each other."

Sev loved the sound of Ari laughing, and he adored the way
his face shone as he did.

"How do you figure?" He smiled uncontrollably.

"Well, look at us. Both with secrets. Both scared to
tell anyone about them."

"Well, you've told me." Sev dipped his head down
and lifted Ari's hand to his mouth to kiss the back of it. "And I'm
someone."

Ari's face flushed and he sighed. "Well, yeah. That you
are. A very important someone to me, so it seems." He scooted a little
closer to Sev. "And now I know your secret, too."

"And you're someone very special to me."

"Maybe for now it's enough that we know even though
nobody else does."

Sev nodded. "We can figure out how to tell the others
later."

"No one else needs to know you're dreck, Sev."
Ari's voice grew concerned as he linked his fingers around Sev's. He looked
down, appearing guilty.

"But they need to know we're mates. That's what you're
thinking, right?"

Ari met his gaze and nodded. "Yes."

"And eventually they will. Because you know we won't be
able to hide it forever."

It was hard for a male to keep it a secret once he had
mated. Look at Micah, for Christ's sake. You couldn't get five feet from Sam
without him getting in your grill and puffing up his chest like Sam was his
property, and no one could lay a hand on her without his permission. That's how
it was. The motto was, touch a male vampire's mate, and it was the same as
touching the male vampire. So, best touch carefully or not at all. And the
first time a female came on to Ari in public, Sev wouldn't hesitate to go all
he's-mine-bitch on her ass. And, oh yeah, that would definitely let the cat out
of the bag, wouldn't it?

Ari sighed again. "I know. Just the thought of seeing
someone touch you makes me want to bite you and stake my claim."

Fire shot through Sev's loins at the visual image, and he
actually growled in approval. Ari sucked in his breath in response, and he
looked positively glorious with arousal.

"I was just thinking the same thing," Sev said.

The heat between them suddenly ramped up a thousand notches.
The
calling
gripped them full force and in a blink, they were off their
bar stools and clamoring to get through each other's clothes to the skin
beneath.

The fucking was hard, fast, and furious as Ari bent Sev over
the counter and claimed him. And it was perfect. Utterly perfect, even as rough
as Ari was with him. And after Ari had spilled his seed, Sev pushed away, spun
around, lifted Ari up and slammed him against the wall as he impaled him. In a
matter of minutes, it was over, leaving them both breathless and spent as Ari
clung to Sev with both his arms and his legs, their bodies covered in
perspiration, and their lungs pumping hard as they quivered and panted against
one another.

"My God, Sev…."

Sev could only tighten his hold on his mate as he purred
against his throat. Making love to Ari was beyond incredible, even when the
loving was hasty and frantic.

After recovering, they took turns in the bathroom to clean
up, making secret, sexy eyes at each other as they passed in the hall. Then
they got dressed and poured two fresh glasses of wine.

"Come on," Sev said, "I owe you some answers.
Let's talk." Sexually sated for the time being, it was time to clear the
air.

Ari took his hand, and he led him to the living room couch,
where they sat down facing each other on either end so their legs wove together
and alternated Ari’s, his, Ari’s, his.

Sev settled back, still in awe that he and Ari had come to
this new place in their relationship. He had known right away there was
something about Arion.

"Remember when you and I met?" he said fondly, not
quite ready to face the music about his dreck lineage.

Ari grinned, obviously remembering. "Uh-huh."

It had been his first team meeting with the group. His first
night on the job at AKM.

"I thought you were so sexy." Admitting it made
Sev feel the butterflies all over again. "I couldn't take my eyes off
you."

"And I thought you were so quiet. You hardly ever
spoke." Ari knocked their knees together playfully.

Sev sipped his wine then chuckled. "And then that night
at Four Alarm…when you found out I was gay?"

Ari laughed. "Oh, yeah. I remember that."

"You should have seen the look on your face." Ari
had looked deer-in-the-headlights surprised at Sev's admittance he was gay.

An introspective haze came over Ari's face. "That was
the first night I really noticed you. As in,
really
noticed." He
glanced down into his wine. "I started to suspect that night that I was
gay, but I wasn’t ready to admit it." He looked back up. "I had this
urge to take you in back and…."

Sev perked up. "And what?"

With a blush, Ari huffed as if he couldn't believe where his
thoughts had taken him that night. "Wow…I, uh…I wanted to fuck you silly
that night, Sev."

"Really?"

"Hell, yeah."

Sev smiled to himself. "Well, here we are now."

"Yep." Ari lifted his wine glass in a toast.
"Here's to all our secrets."

Sev raised his glass. "To all our secrets."

And speaking of which, it was time to spill the deets about
the rest of his.

They sat quietly for a couple of minutes, Ari seeming to
sense that Sev was getting ready to tell him all the sordid details.