A Love For Lera (Haikon) (19 page)

The man nodded, obviously recognizing the name.
“And the woman?”

“Is mine.” Kori’s words were hard with possession
and brogue.

‘Would you like me to kneel at your feet and
call you master?’
All anger fled when he purred. Her skin pebbled, and the
juncture of her thighs became soaked.

‘I would. But I want that pussy of a silver-blue
eyed man to stop looking at you like you’re his next meal.’

‘Calm down, Kori.’
She wouldn’t tell him
how his possessiveness made her pulse race.
‘Behave and I’ll drop to my
knees, but for you alone.’

The rumble in her head was pure decadence.

“Does she have a name?” Silver-blue eyes asked.

“She’s—”

“She is fully capable of speaking for herself,”
Lera broke in over Kori’s voice. With a glance at Adric, she noticed he was way
larger than the other wolves which had also appeared. Lifting her chin she
said, “I am Valera Sidorov.”

“I know the name Sidorov. Who is your father?”

‘Adric?’
He broke away and moved toward
her, stopping only when he reached her side.

‘They are your people, vaj.’

“Dane Sidorov is my father. I am Valera Sidorov
of the Haikon.”

Silence fell.

Kori could hear the pounding of everyone’s
hearts, combined with the wind as it blew over the icy branches. He wanted Lera
safe. He wanted her away from the man who stared at her with lust in his eyes.

There had been no words from them since she’d
uttered her father’s name and who she was. More than respect traversed the
men’s faces. The one he’d crossed swords with shifted his feet before speaking
to his men. All weapons were put away. Even so, Kori was reluctant to do the
same.

“Forgive us. We’ve heard the winds speak of a
dark-skinned Haikon who was rumored Dane’s daughter. You can understand our
suspicion. We have met Dane; he didn’t know we were Haikon but we’ve met him.
Although, when we saw her wolf, we knew; for it also said, her vaj is
reminiscent of days long past.”

“I
am
Dane’s daughter.”

Kori almost smiled at Lera’s icy tone. He could
recall when she would hang back and almost be an observer in her own family.
Now, here she stood, weapon at the ready, in battle stance, coat open and
blowing in the wind along with her hair. Her eyes shot sparks as she claimed
her family. She did the Sidorov name proud in that moment.

She was hot. She was his. And he’d never been so
proud.

“I am Vifil Svaldifari.” He waved a hand. “These
are few of the Haikon left in the area. Come, we will go to camp. You can rest
and eat then tomorrow, we will talk.” Vifil paused and said, “Good to meet you
as well, Cormac, son of the Norseman.”

MacLochlainne meant son of the Norseman. Kori
afforded him a nod, still not entirely at ease with the situation.

“Shall we?” Vifil questioned.

“Right behind you,” Kori said, backing with Lera
so he could kick snow over the fire and gather their meager belongings.

‘Stay alert,
mo ghrá.
’

‘Of course, but do you think you could stop
dragging me around like a piece of meat?’

He cursed himself and loosened his hold. Most of
the men vanished into the surrounding trees. Vifil and three others remained
behind. Adric rubbed along his leg before positioning himself beside Lera. He
was glad for the wolf even when she dropped her hand to sink into his thick
pelt.

They walked in silence, which worked for Kori. He
searched the area as best he could. They headed single file through jagged and
snowy crags, along trails where one misstep would definitely mean certain
death. The winds howled and blew around them, eradicating their trail even
before they moved on it seemed. Lera walked in front of him, and he couldn’t
stop the fear of losing her over the edge.

‘I’m fine, Kori. Stop worrying.’

‘I will always worry when it comes to you,
mo
ghrá.
I can do nothing but.’

‘I know.’
Her tone was soothing, and it
calmed him. There was no mocking, no teasing, just a quiet acceptance of how he
was.

They rounded a final corner, and Kori saw tents
made of animal hides erected in no particular order. There were people milling
around, and silence descended as they approached. He felt Lera’s immediate
tensing, and he moved closer to her.

‘
Dank je,
Kori.’

‘You never have to thank me, Lera.’

‘Look at them all staring at me.’

They were. Not outrageously hostile but with
definite suspicion. Vifil spoke as he walked up to a woman half his size and
kissed her. Some of the other men approached other women, giving them kisses as
well. Not all and not the one who continually stared at Lera. The wind was cold
but the scent that flowed from Lera’s hair to his nose was warm.

Vifil returned to stand before them. “We can set
up two tents in—”

“One is fine,” Kori stated without blinking.

A slight hesitation before Vifil relayed the
message. Kori knew the man was trying to figure out if he was just a bodyguard
despite his earlier claim or something more.

‘You doing okay,
mo anam?
’

‘Nervous. Feel like they expect my head to
spin around and green shit come flying out.’

He almost laughed.

“This way.” Vifil pointed.

Kori placed his hand against the small of her
back and guided her to follow Vifil to a tent also with no adornment. As they
neared, a young brunette in tight leathers slipped out. She simply nodded at
Vifil then gave Kori a look seeped in blatant invitation. With barely a
thought, he merely nodded in return and waited with Adric and Lera by the
entrance.

“I know it’s late so there’s food in there. We’ll
talk in the morning.”

“You believe us then?” he asked the tall blond.

A raven settled on the man’s shoulder. “Yes.
Rumors spread fast, especially around one such as Valera Sidorov. Forgive our
suspicions but we have been betrayed before, and hearing what we did, we had to
be on our guard. To hear it and then all of a sudden you appear...we had to be
sure. Our vaj confirm your story.”

Kori didn’t blame him. However, he didn’t like
the way the man seemed unable to keep his eyes off Lera for any length of time.
If she noticed, she never said a word. Kori knew her, and she was searching for
possible exit routes should they be required.

“We know you have traveled far. Rest.” Vifil
stuck out his hand.

Kori clasped it. “There are people after her,” he
said, meeting the man’s blue eyes.

The smile which filled Vifil’s face was
unexpected. “Our kind has been hunted to near extinction; we don’t know how to
live without the threat of death looming over us. Worry not, Cormac
MacLochlainne, you are safe here. We’ve just found her; we’re not about to lose
her.” Vifil looked at Lera. “Rest well, Valera.” With a nod to Kori, he left,
and Kori followed Lera and her wolf inside.

He was impressed. Thick furs made up two beds,
one on each side of the burning fire pit. A small, low stool held a platter of
bread, cheese, meat, and fruit. The dwelling was already warm, and before he
could dwell on how they managed to heat the tent so fast, his gaze slid to
Lera.

She stood by a bed of furs, hands clasped before
her. The look on her face tore at him. Lost, unsure, and a myriad of other
emotions fought for dominance in her expression. He turned and drew the flap
closed, shutting out those who seemed overly interested in the goings on in
their tent.

“Lera,” he murmured, facing her again.

Her head, which was lowered, lifted slowly. The
strain and exhaustion had won. It fairly seeped from her, so thick he could
taste it. He stepped toward her and opened his arms. The need to be held flared
for a brief second before being masked by her icy and composed façade.

“It’s just us, Lera. No one cares if you accept
comfort.”

He battled the urge to go to her. He wanted her
to come to him. She simply stared at him before swallowing and taking off her
coat. Lowering his arms, he merely observed, well aware she wasn’t coming to
him.

The amount of raw lust which broadsided him nearly
took him to his knees. The leathers Cairenn had made fit Lera like a dream. A
very intense wet dream. His woman had the body of a goddess, all lush
femininity and curves. There was ruddy stitching apparent upon the black. The
same hue as Lera’s wolf. He smiled at the knowledge his sister had done this
for his mate. Maybe Cairenn didn’t disprove as much as he first thought.

There were a few places with stitches that went
up the sides of her lace-up fly pants— which cupped her ass like no one’s
business. The reddish hue of the lacing up the front was the only color on her
tank top. Then, there was the etched wolf on her wrist guards and the laces of
her boots.

While he occupied himself with staring at his own
favorite work of art, Lera braided her hair and tied it off with a thin band.
The act exposed her tattoo which settled along her left shoulder. It was
simple. Two words. HET MOED. HET was vertical while MOED was horizontal, the
words intersecting on the letter “E.”

“Het Moed” was Afrikaans for “Have Courage.” The
phrase was simple and heartfelt. He knew it meant so much to her core and as a
person. What she’d had to face as a young girl before Dane intervened still
made Kori livid. It was no wonder she had that as a motto.

Dragging his gaze from her tattoo, he scanned her
figure. He thanked the gods for blessing him with this woman. The firelight
gleamed off the muscles in her arms. She dropped to a crouch, and he bit off a
groan when the leather of her pants tightened around the globes of her ass.

“Eat some food, Lera.”

The strain was still visible on her face when she
looked back at him. With a nod, she flowed to the wooden platter. He shrugged
out of his coat and watched her reach for some bread and cheese; however, she
paused then stepped away.

“Lera?”

She walked to the furs beside Adric and collapsed
onto them with a groan. “Stomach’s not feeling the need for food.” Lera grabbed
her bag and dug into it. Seconds later, she popped a mint in her mouth and lay
on her side, lids drifting shut.

Kori ate in silence as he searched his memory
banks for anything on Vifil. He growled in frustration when he could bring up
nothing. Stomach full, he dragged a fur up over Lera, put on his coat, only to
pause at the door.

Adric lay there, black, fathomless eyes holding
his own.

“Keep her safe.”

‘Always. You are safe here as well, mate to my
vaj. But I understand your need to ensure that yourself. So go; I’ll remain
here with her.’

Adric’s words made him feel better. He knew the
wolf would protect Lera, even at the cost of his own life. With a final glance
to his sleeping angel, Kori stepped out of the tent and into the cold. Vifil
met him, and they walked off, talking. A few hours later, Kori entered the tent
again. This time, he shed his coat and slid into the furs beside Lera.
Gathering her tightly against him and breathing easier when her body curved
into his, he gave into his own body’s need for slumber. Content they were safe,
at least for the moment, he allowed himself to get some.

He woke a while later to Lera’s wet channel
sliding over his erect cock until he was completely sheathed within her heat.

“Shit!” he hissed, gripping her hips and holding
her flush to him.

She bent down and kissed him. Her sweet smell
infused into him, and he growled into her mouth when she began to move. Slowly,
she rode him, her internal walls gripping him like a velvet vice.

‘Lera.’

Up and down, back and forth, she moved. Her
tongue sought out and danced with his. He could feel the sweat beading on his
skin as he struggled to let her continue to set the pace.

‘I’m sorry, Cormac.’

He opened his eyes wide, the embers illuminating
the darkness enough so he could see her. Lera’s lids were down, and when she
nipped his lower lip, he shut his again.

‘Why are you sorry? And why are you calling me
Cormac?’

Her slit held him tighter when she tore their
mouths apart. She placed her hands on his chest and teased his nipples, nails
raking along the pebbled tips.

‘I’m sorry because you lost a man you
respected greatly. I can feel the pain losing him caused you. And I’m sorry you
almost missed saying goodbye to him because you felt like you had to watch over
me.’

Lera stopped moving, and he opened his eyes once
more. Her large orbs stared down at him. Lifting one of her hands, Kori kissed
each fingertip before stroking his touch down the curvature of her face then
around to cradle the back of her neck. Gently, but not allowing resistance, he
tugged her until their mouths brushed along one another.

‘I love you, Valera Grace. Never think I am
feeling like I need to watch over you. I do need to but because you are my
everything.
Anáil de mo anam.
’

Her emotions spiked, and she groaned enticingly
when he flexed up into her. So, he did it again. And again. Over and over until
they crested together and his seed coated her womb.

Chapter Fourteen

Lera walked slowly, Adric at her side. For being
well hidden and remote, the camp was actually pretty large. The morning sun
could barely cut the snow-laden clouds. Kori had been sleeping when she woke,
and she left him there. She’d always loved the pre-dawn times. No matter where
in the world she currently resided, she never failed to wake early. She’d been
up since before the sun. Now, she stared across the frozen landscape through
her rectangular shades. The tint didn’t bother her, and they protected her eyes
from the needlelike wind.

She paused by a small grove of trees and crouched
until her gloved hand hovered right above the snow. Eyes scanning, she dropped
her right hand and relaxed as the familiar feel of her weapon filled her palm.

‘Adric?’

‘Two of them, vaj. They are Haikon males.’

She relaxed marginally even as she pushed
effortlessly to her feet and waited. The upturned collar protected her neck and
chin from the biting wind. All this snow and cold made him miss her home even
more. Adric stepped up to her left leg, large paws marring the snow her hand
had lingered over seconds ago.

The Haikon moved like shadows. One second nothing
then there. Adric was right. Two men. One she didn’t recognize but one she did.
The man she’d crossed swords with yesterday. Big, handsome, blond, silvered
blue eyes. Without conscious thought, she extended her weapon so it slowly
began to lengthen, the black material which created it blended in perfectly
with her leathers. The man she hadn’t seen before was handsome as well, just
not as much. Upon his shoulder rode a large dark brown owl. Beside the other,
paced the feline she’d seen yesterday. A snow leopard.

The cat was beautiful.

But then, so was the man.

The man with the owl nodded and said, “Valera.
Welcome, I’m Dogal.”

She gave him a slight bob of her head in return,
all the while keeping most of her attention on the other one. The one whose
hand curved about his sword’s hilt.

“Dogal, nice to meet you.”

Terse silence fell before blondie tossed his head
and pointed at himself. “Torr.”

Dogal said something she didn’t understand, but
when Torr scowled, she figured it was meant for him. Corded arms crossed, and
the frown remained.

“He thinks I should apologize for yesterday.”

Grateful the glasses kept her eyes hidden, she
narrowed them slightly. “Why?”

“Because you are a woman and supposedly the one
to reunite the clans.” Scorn dripped from his words.

“Really. And what bothers you more? The fact I’m
a woman, Haikon, or that I didn’t flinch from your attack?” she sneered.

‘Vaj.’
Adric warning floated in her mind.

“I fear no woman,” Torr snapped.

“And I fear no man.”

A smirk lifted his lips. “Come then, Valera. Let
me see what you can do. Or do you lie?” The gauntlet had been thrown.

“I don’t lie.” Her fingers flexed.

‘No, vaj.’
Adric snapped.
‘Stay your
hand. This is not the way.’

From the expression on Torr’s face, he was
getting similar words from his vaj. And felt the same about the reprimand. With
a deep breath, she stored her weapon and slowly held her hands out to her side.

“My vaj doesn’t wish this,” she stated, making
damn sure he knew it was Adric who’d told her to stop.

“Gavvi says the same.”

Find common ground. Be friendly.
She tried
for a smile. “Gavvi?”

The man did smile.
Oh my heavens!
Sweet
goddess, this man was devastatingly handsome when he smiled.

Torr gestured to the cat. “This is Gavvi, my
vaj.”

“She’s a beautiful animal.” Tilting her head
toward her wolf. “This is Adric.” With a glance to Dogal, she pointed to the
bird. “Who’s that?”

“Roto.”

The owl flapped its wings before settling back
down.

‘Adric?

‘Yes, vaj. This is the way. Not everything is
a battle.’

‘I understand that but not what I meant. Do
they speak anything like Dutch? I feel bad Dogal can’t participate.’

‘You were born to lead, vaj. Yes, Dutch is
spoken here.’

‘Lead? Who said anything about leading?’

“Roto is also gorgeous,” she said in Dutch.

Both men’s gazes widened. Dogal recovered first.

“Tell us about yourself, Valera.”

She tore her eyes from Torr and placed them on
the safer blue-eyed Dogal. “Not much to tell really. This was thrust on me. So
could you tell me a bit about the Haikon?”

“You don’t know about the Haikon?” Torr demanded,
his tone  dangerous as well as seeped in disbelief.

“Look, buddy, I’ve known I was Haikon for less
than a week so back off ‘n get off my back about it,” she snapped.

“How is that possible?” Dogal spoke up, stepping
closer. “Come, let us go sit and talk.” He gestured, and she fell into step
with him, Adric between them and Torr behind.

Soon, they were in a large tent with food and
warm drinks before them. Her glasses were stored. Others had arrived. Vifil
included. They talked and traded questions. Kori never showed, part of her
wished he had yet she didn’t dwell on it; she had other things to focus on. A
while later, Lera excused herself, needing a breather from the questions. So
she headed back near the spot she’d met Torr and Dogal.

She nearly froze when she passed a trio locked in
a heavy and passionate exchange. Shaking her head, she finished the distance
she needed to go and leaned against a tree.

“Not used to seeing a man with two women?” a deep
voice questioned. “Does it shock you? Intrigue you?”

Torr.

Without turning, she rolled her eyes and
answered, “Not hardly. It would take much more than that to shock me.”

Ménage and group sex didn’t faze her, for Murdock
had all kinds of things going on, but she had never understood why people
wanted that. Especially those who professed to love someone.

“Many of the Haikon take more than one person in
their life. It’s an accepted way of life for those who want it.”

That shocked her. She’d just assumed it would be
a pairing.
I shouldn’t make assumptions.
Torr stepped in front of her.

“That so?” she asked drily, calling upon her icy
reserve. She didn’t feel threatened, not in the sense she would have if Murdock
stood there.

“Yes.” He ran his gaze up and down her body.
“Keep that in mind.”

“You should keep in mind she has a mate. And I
don’t
share.” Kori’s icy growl filled the air, dropping the already low temperature
another few degrees.

Lera arched a brow at Torr’s slight jump.
However, the man recovered quickly. He shrugged without shame.

“She’s Haikon; you’re not.” Another perusal and
Torr walked off without a word.

Glancing over her shoulder, Lera was astounded by
the fury in Kori’s expression. It wasn’t just his eyes; rage poured from his
entire being. Amber flames licked at his eyes.

“Kori?”

“Stay away from him, Valera.” His gaze remained
on the retreating man.

She scowled and readjusted so he couldn’t ignore
her. When their eyes met, his feral wrath was only minimally lessened.

“Don’t start this, Kori,” she ground out from
between clenched teeth.

His nose flared, and his jaw ticked, indicating
his tenuous hold on his anger. “I won’t allow—”

Her own temper flared to life. “Allow? You won’t
allow what? I’m not a child, Kori. You do
not
get to make decisions for
me.”

The way he glared told her he believed he had
every right. And that arrogance fanned the flames of her ire, and it flowed
through her with the intensity of a raging wildfire. He reached for her, and
she tapped her power, only to leap away in the guise of a wolf then head into
the trees.

‘Lera!’

She ignored him, shared a look with Adric and
followed him. Her connection to Kori trembled with his anger. Paying no
attention to her soul’s desire to be near its mate, she poured everything into
running. The snow-covered landscape flew by in a blur. The cold air invigorated
her. There was no slowing when they were joined by two snow leopards. She knew
who they were. Higher and higher, they ran, the air grew thinner, and when they
paused on an outcropping, she could feel the blood pumping through her veins.

Without thinking, she shifted back and remained
in a crouch, hair flying around her. Torr appeared in the same position on the
other side of Adric.

“Come with me,” he said, his voice pitched to be
heard above the wind.

She hesitated, and Gavvi rubbed against her.
‘My
vaj is rough around the edges but he wouldn’t bring you harm.’
The gentle,
feminine words eased her mind.

With their vaj, they entered a small crevice, and
before she had a chance to think about how small and tight the fit was, she
found herself in a massive cavern lit by torches. Meticulous drawings of
animals were upon the walls, the attention to their detail such that the
animals fairly leapt off the walls. No words came, and all she could do was
look.

One side housed a small pool of water, heated
from the look of the steam rising from it. An altar sat in another section;
there were also lots of chests filled with gold, silver, and more colors of
gems than she’d ever seen before.

“What is this place?” she asked when she found
her voice.

“Where we come to give thanks to the gods and the
earth. Bathe in her cleansing water.”

She spun in a slow circle. “This…this is
amazing.” It didn’t make sense but she felt at home here. Deep down in a part
of her she hadn’t known she had. Not until she met Adric. Her tongue snuck out
and moistened her lips before she headed to an image of a large black wolf.
With a hesitant motion, she reached out for it.

‘Looks a lot like you, Adric.’
Her fingers
skimmed along the muzzle.

“Torr?”

“Yes, Valera?” His voice sounded a way off. She
peeked over one shoulder and watched him push up from where he’d been kneeling.
Just like that, his gaze pinned her, the silver blue of his eyes burning her.
“Question?”

She jerked her gaze from his and stared at his
vaj. Gavvi’s eyes were wise as they stared back at her. “Call me Lera and yes.
Why are the wolves I see so much smaller than Adric?”

He sighed, and she watched him walk toward her
before focusing back on the likeness of her vaj. In her peripheral vision, she
saw Torr appear.

“Before the purge, what they called ‘The
Cleansing’ of our kind, all our vaj were larger. Unfortunately, when they began
to hunt us down and kill us, the larger animals gave us away. They also began
to eliminate the animals before they could find their vaj. It’s well known that
if we’re not allowed to find our vaj—”

She waved a hand. “I know the feeling.” It wasn’t
pleasant to imagine it being worse than the painful way she’d felt. “Who’s
‘they’ that you talk about?”

Torr crossed his massive arms. “We were guardians
to a group of mages. He and his people are the ‘they’ we talk about. We don’t
mention his name anymore. It was they who started what they called ‘The
Cleansing’ because we couldn’t be controlled. They nearly succeeded because one
of our own betrayed us.” He leaned against the wall and watched her face. “You
really are new to this, aren’t you?”

“Yes.” She walked along the wall, stroking the
dark painted wolf. “You don’t like me, do you?”

“I don’t dislike you.”

She snorted and looked at him. “You attack me but
don’t dislike me. I hate to think what you’d do to someone you did dislike.”

Humor filled his face, softening it. “Probably
the same you would to those who posed a threat to any one you loved.”

“Whatever it took to keep them safe.”

He nodded solemnly, and just like that, there was
a bond between them. Both a bit rough around the edges, more apt to action than
talking. Solitary. She could see it in him. He was a loner.

“Now, I know you’re wondering why I brought you
here. Vifil thought you may like to see this.” He gestured to a far side, and
she walked over. A cutout in the wall held a fur-covered book.

“What is it?”

“The answers you seek. This is the book which
contains our history.”

Damn cryptic talk. How hard was it to just give a
straight answer? She glanced up at him, brows furrowed in confusion. The
torchlight sparkled in his eyes. Torr lifted his hand and curved it so it would
fit along the shape of her face. There was no contact, although the desire to
touch her sat plain on his face.

“I’ll leave you to read. When you’re done, yell
if you need help finding your way back.” A roguish glint appeared in his eyes.
“I’d love to take you.”

She refused to look away. “Take me back to camp?”

“That, too.” His fingers clenched, and he lowered
his fist. “But we both know that’s not what I meant.” He turned and moved away.
“Let me know.”

She licked her lips. “I’ll be fine. Unless you’d
like to battle.”

He paused. Gavvi at his side, he looked at her.
“I’ll spar with you any day, Lera. But, you know if you want to see my sword,
just ask. We can do it somewhere warm.” Torr raked his gaze up and down her
physique before he disappeared.

With a groan, she rubbed a hand over her eyes.
Torr was a handful. Shaking her head, she turned her attention to the book in
the alcove. Her mind was already bursting with the information she’d been
given.

“I need to work through this first. Can I come
back later, Adric? Or do I have to read now?”

‘You are welcome anytime, vaj.’

“Good.” Patting the cover, she stepped back and
moved across the cavern to sit along the water’s edge. “I’ll be back for it
then.” The heat from the water called to her, and she reached out to trail a
finger through the wetness only to pause and draw back.