War's Passion (Sons of War) (12 page)

Chapter Nineteen

Ash walk through the door and leaned against the wall, arms folded. The glares she kept sending Ty told Gwen she wasn’t happy to be there. At least not happy to be in the same room as Ty.

“I heard that Sophia had been reborn as a mortal.
Most believe she has no memories of her life as a storm daemon. I’ve heard Artemis say that it was all a part of the ‘banish the dragons and please her father by bringing her back to life’ curse.” Ash glanced to Markus and rolled her eyes.

Markus crossed his arms over his chest. “I
s that it?”

Ash let out a breath. “I was a little girl at the time. They didn’t exactly speak about that kind of stuff direct
ly to me.”

Seth whistled. “
Man, that would make you…”

“Old,” Ash said sternly, cutting him off. “But not as old as you guys.”

Seth laughed. “Aged to perfection, baby.”

Ash rolled her eyes
again.

Markus said, “She’s Garrick’s mate, or at least
she used to be.”

Sagging against the wall, Ash shook her head. “He only talked about her when he was mad at me and thought he was making me jealous. I don’t think he knows where she is. Besides
, Zeus would make sure she was well hidden.”

“Meaning she
doesn’t know who she is,” Markus said.

“And she may not have her powers,” Ty added.

Drake spoke for the first time since Gwen came to the study. “Sophia is a pretty common name and, knowing the God King, he’d give her a last name just as common.”

Markus paced the floor. “So she’s not a threat,
not yet. Zavier, go ahead and search for her, but don’t make it a priority. We have to find the two women on that list and keep Gwen and Elle off Garrick’s radar.”

“I could go back in,” Ash said.

Ty snorted. “Yeah, like he’d believe you. You told him you were a spy.”

Ash smiled, but it held no humor. “I told him I was a servant of the gods
, but he doesn’t believe that shit.”

Markus shook his head. “No, we’ll find another way.”

Gwen stood, drawing everyone’s attention. “Then she’ll take me as her prisoner.”

“Absolutely not.”

Markus’s sharp tone made Gwen shrink back a little. Then it pissed her off. Where did he get off, telling her no? “You didn’t even hear me out. Do you always say no before hearing the whole plan?”

Unfolding
his arms, he closed the distance between them. “I don’t care what the plan is. I don’t want you anywhere near him.”

Gwen placed her hands on her hips and stood on her toes to try to be at his level. “If my powers were unlocked, I could fight him.”

The muscles in his cheeks tightened, making his features more defined. “The answer is no.”

Ty cleared his throat. “She may be our chance to grab some valuable information
and files.”

Markus whirled around and let out a growl. Out of instinct, Gwen gripped his arm. When he turned back to her, his dragon pee
ked through. A hint of fear spiked, she but didn’t release him or back down. “I can help. With both Ash and me in there, we could even booby-trap the place and set him back a little.”

“
You know she has a point.” Ash pushed off the wall. “I can call Garrick and grovel a little, feed him bullshit, and tell him I could deliver Gwen to him. I know he’ll fall for it. He’s so hard up to get his hands on her, he’ll be even more so when I tell him she belongs to you.”

Gwen gaped at Ash. Did everyone know
she and Markus were mates?

Markus stalked toward Ash. Ty was right beside him in a flash with his hand on his brother’s arm. Markus rolled his shoulder
, breaking Ty’s hold. “Only one problem.”

“What’s that?”

Markus growled out, “I don’t know how to unlock her powers.”

“
I do.” Ash smiled like a cat that locked the dog out of the house.

“Care to share?”
Markus raised a brow

“With your blood.”

Markus jerked back. “That’ll bind her to me for the rest of her life.”

“Then you two have much to discu
ss.” Ash shrugged. “If you don’t mind, I’m going back to my room. While I’m there, I’ll try to summon Artemis. She may be able to give me some advice or just tell me I’m crazy. Hell, maybe she’ll feel sorry for me and take me home.”

On the heels of her words, she
turned and left the study.

Markus turned to Gwen and she was glad to see that his eyes were human again. “Everyone out.”

His brothers left without another word. Seth shut the door with a wink and a big grin. Gwen, on the other hand, shook all over. She didn’t want to make this choice now. But she would if it meant it brought them one step closer to bringing Garrick down for his crimes.

****

Markus watched Gwen fidget with a loose string on the hem of her thigh length sweater. Her confusion and desire reached out to him like a sensually sweet cocktail. When he stepped closer, her fingers stilled.

With a sigh, he dropped to his knees in front of her
and covered her hand with his. “I’ll answer all your questions.”

She lifted her lashes to meet his gaze. “I’m not sure where to begin. So much has happened in a very short amount of time.
”

A tiny spark of hope lit up within him and he clung onto it. “I’m immortal and very old. Time means very little to me, but I’m also unsure about the future. I’d never considered taking a mate.”

Her shoulders dropped a little as she seemed to relax, but she still held him at a distance he and his dragon didn’t care for. “Me either. I mean who would want to commit to a woman afraid of her own shadow? Most people think I’m crazy.”

A playful growl rumbled from him
. “You are not crazy. You’re beautiful, smart, and sexy.”

Her cheeks turn
ed pink and she averted her gaze. “The only thing I’m sure about is that I want Garrick to pay for taking my parents from me.”

H
er blue eyes had darkened and he could see determination in the depths. “Unlocking your powers with my blood will link us together.”

She tilted her head. “But it’s different than a mating bond?”

“Yes. It won’t be as strong, but you can still be sensitive to me. You may even be able to send me telepathic messages, not just hear mine.”

“That doesn’t sound too bad. I mean, I’m not sure I’m ready to be your mate. It’s just…I can’t commit to a loveless relationship.”

Markus’s heart stuttered behind his ribs and his dragon snarled at her admission. “It won’t be loveless.”

“What are you saying?”

“I’m not sure if I know what love is or if I’m capable of it. I know I want to keep you safe. You’re all I think about and I can’t imagine ever letting you go. Is that love?”

She stared at him far too long for his patience.
When he reached the point where he wanted to grab her by the shoulders and make her speak, she let out a soft sigh. “I think so.”

“
Do you feel the same way?”

“Yes, but I don’t know anything about you. Your likes, dislikes.”

Her words cut off when he cupped her face and pressed his lips to hers in a soft, quick kiss. “We have eternity to learn them about each other. You are my mate and I’m sure the Fates aren’t wrong about these things.”

Drawing back slightly, she
studied him for several moments before she smiled and pressed her forehead to his. “How long will I need to train before going with Ash?”

“I never agreed to that plan.”

A soft laugh drifted from her lips. “You were thinking about it. Look, I know the dangers. Hell, the whole idea scared the shit out of me, but I can’t just not do it. I have the chance to strike back and I
need
to.”

He pushed away the dread and the primal need to lock her up until Garrick
was dealt with. “With Aphrodite’s help, I can have you ready in three days.”

“Then let’s get started with unlocking my powers.”

“It’s not going to be easy. I’ll push you to your breaking point to prepare you. Garrick is a mean-ass bastard.”

“Whatever it takes.”

With a sighed, he stood and lifted her up in his arms. “I’ll agree to this on one condition.”

“What’s that?”

“That you become my bonded mate on the third night, then on the fourth we go in.”

She thought about it for a brief moment, then nodded. “Deal.”

Chapter Twenty

Gwen’s heart
thumped so hard in her chest she thought the thing would leap out. Everything was happening so fast, yet it all felt so right. If she was truly going insane, she’d go out of her mind with a bang.

Their gazes locked
as Markus laid her down on his bed. “So how does this work?”

His sensual
mouth twitched. “I have no clue.”

Lowering
his head, he captured her lower lip between his teeth and gave a gentle tug. A groan escaped as tingles of desire danced over her skin. Gods, she never knew a simple bite on the lip could make her beg for more, but one from Markus did.

She wrapped her legs around his hips and pulled him closer, needing to feel him close. When he broke the kiss
and drew back, she held the dragon-like gaze and smiled. For the first time since meeting him, she didn’t have the urge to run or pull away. Now she knew the dragon, had ridden on his back over the ocean, and touched his scales and wings.

That dragon belonged to her. Somehow she knew
it in the depths of her soul. The dragon was her protector, and the man was her lover and friend. The sudden realization of what Aphrodite had tried to tell her earlier that day slammed into her. Her heart bloomed with acceptance and something much deeper.

Love.

“Gwen?”

Stunned, she
focused on Markus and frowned. His brows were drawn together and his forehead crinkled as if concerned about something. Cupping his face in her hands, she tugged his head down and kissed him. Pulling away, she stared into his midnight blue gaze. “I’m fine. Promise. Everything’s going to okay.”

One dark brow rose and he asked, “Did you have a vision?”

It was a logical for him to think she did, since her father had visions. “No. It was more of a knowing. I’m falling in love with you.”

His
eyes went round and the color brightened slightly. “Really? Then you feel the connection, the urge to mate?”

She wasn’t sure if she’d describe it like that, but it was pretty close. “I think so
.”

A sensual smile formed
and damn if it didn’t make her skin heat up and pussy pulse with need. “Careful what you say. To complete the mating bond, all you have to do is fully accept me as your mate while tasting my blood.”

She returned his smile. “Then let’s do it.”

“Are you sure?”

Nodding, she raised her head and nipped at his bottom lip. “I’m sure.”

He growled and slipped his hand under her shirt and cupped her breast through her bra. In slow circular motions, she moved her hips against him, drawing a groan from both of them.

Gently, Markus
reached back, grabbed her ankle, and loosened her hold on him and rose up on his knees. He unfastened her jeans, then slid them along with her panties down her legs. After removing her pants, he took her hand and pulled her to sit up. With one swift movement, he pulled her shirt over her head.

Laying
back against the mattress in nothing but her black lace bra, she watched the man who heated her from the inside out. Holding her gaze, Markus lowered his head to her core and she held her breath. He stopped inches from her clit and she whimpered.

She would not beg, damn it.

A wicked smiled formed on his lips right before he closed the distance and covered her with his mouth. His tongue circled her clit and she cried out. Fisting the sheets she rode the hot, wild wave of the orgasm as it crashed over her.

Markus kissed his way up her b
ody, stopping to remove her bra, and dipped his head and tease a nipple with his tongue. Pinpricks raced along each nerve ending, almost making her come again.

With feather-like touches, he slid his fingers down her side to her stomach.
A shiver of anticipation went through her and her sex grew wetter the closer his fingers got. Finally, he dipped a finger inside her, making her gasp as a wave of pleasure crashed over her, pulling her under.

*
***

Markus rose above Gwen and
gazed into her sky blue eyes. Desire he’d never known slammed into him, consuming and primal. He’d never known love before, but he was sure that was what he felt for this female. His chest ached and his dragon paced anxiously when she wasn’t near. When she said she was falling in love with him, he almost ripped her clothes and claimed her right then.

No, he’d have
to take it slow. Gwen was worth more than a hard fuck. At least for the mating ritual. Besides, he had a lifetime to take her hard and fast, and any other way he could.

“You’re mine, always.”

She gave a nod, her eyes turning a deeper shade of blue. “Always.”

Dipping his head, he captured her lips and thrust his tongue inside her mouth.
Opening for him, she met his tongue with her own. Her fingers threaded through his hair and pulled, making him groan. His cock pressed painfully into the zipper of his jeans.

Breaking the kiss, he
stood and removed his clothes. Meeting Gwen’s hunger-filled gaze, he felt something inside opened up. It was like a new understanding, or knowing filled his mind and senses. He could understand how a dragon could go insane if he lost his mate, because Markus felt a primal need to protect her.

Dread entered
his thoughts, because he didn’t want her to go forward with the crazy plan just to gain information about Garrick.

Gwen frowned as if
she knew where his thoughts had gone and reached out for him and he went to her, lying down on his side next to her. “I can’t lose you.”

She cupped his face. “You won’t.”

“Why are we doing this again?”

“Set up a trap for Gary.”

A laugh burst from his lips as she lifted her brows and crinkled her nose as she spoke the words. Plus the sound of Garrick’s nickname on her lips made him laugh. “What if that doesn’t work? Then I’ll take whatever I can so we can better track him and try again later. We can’t allow him to think we are weak. He needs to be stopped.”

H
is lips twitched, pride blooming within his chest. She spoke like a warrior and with such drive and passion for her mission. It washed away some of his worry. This could work if they worked as a team, had a plan, and taught Gwen all she needed to know to come back to him alive.

Markus pressed his lips to hers and said against her mouth, “You are incredible.”

Before she could reply, he bit her bottom lip, making her moan. When he rose and released a claw on his right hand to cut a small gash in his neck, Gwen gasped and grabbed his wrist. “What are you doing?”

“”I’m going to cut my throat so you can take my blood as I take your body.”

Her skin flushed and eyes darkened. She released him, but didn’t speak as he broke the skin just enough that a small bead of blood formed.

H
er gaze flicked to the cut, then to his eyes. As if the thought of tasting blood wasn’t very appealing, she crinkled her nose. For him, it was a part of being a dragon. His beast craved it from time to time and he had to hunt down animals from the surrounding mountain areas.

“Just focus on me and not the taste.”

She took a breath and nodded. “I trust you.”

“I want you as my mate from this day forward. Do you accept me as your eternal mate?”

Her blue eyes sparked, first with confusion, then with desire and acceptance. “Yes. I accept you and your dragon as mine for as long as I live.”

Lifting her head, she pressed a kiss to his lips, then his jaw and continued until her mouth closed over the cut. Her gentle pulls on
his skin sent a jolt of desire straight to his cock.

Sucking in a breath, he gripped his dick and guided
himself to Gwen’s entrance. She let out a little moan of encouragement and scored his back with her nails.
Fuck
. The stabs of pain turned to pleasure as she gently bit down on his throat. Abandoning the thought of taking it slow, he thrust deep inside her.

Gwen released his neck on a scream of pleasure, her nails gripping his back.
When he picked up his rhythm, she screamed again as another orgasm rocked through her. His own tore through him, hard.

Withdrawing from her, he fell to his side next to her and
squeezed her closer to him and kissed her forehead. “Do you feel different?”

A soft laugh escaped her
and she wrapped her arms around him. “I feel wonderful, like jelly, but wonderful.”

Laughing
he poked her gently in the ribs, making her squeak and jerk away. “I meant your powers.”

She shook her head and he could sense her
worry through the mating bond. “No. It didn’t work.”

“Maybe it takes time.”

“Maybe you just wore me out too much to notice,” she said sleepily, then yawned.

“Go to sleep. We’ll figure out everything in the morning,” he whispered.
The thought of finding Ashlynn and demanding she tell him what he did wrong came to mind. Looking down at Gwen sleeping peacefully changed his mind. He’d just have to deal with the redheaded female in the morning.

Tonight he was going to sleep beside his mate.