Dream Warrior: (Dark Warrior Alliance Book 1) (2 page)

“Just curious. Kyran and I ran across the widow tonight,” Zander replied.

“She seems like a nice girl. Hasn’t given the department any problems. Did she say something?”

“Nay. We didna talk to her. Skirm were responsible, aye?” Zander wanted vengeance for the beautiful female. He may never be able to have her, but he would do this for her. There had been old pain in her clear blue eyes that he hated to see.

“Yeah, their magic was all over the body and scene. Why?” Orlando asked, clearly confused about Zander scrutinizing this case.

“Did you find the ones responsible?” Zander sipped his scotch as he looked around for the provocative scent.

“No. Santiago and I didn’t take the case. We didn’t see the need. You know how hard it is to find one particular skirm,” Orlando said, a crease marring his forehead.

“I want you two to take the case and find the one responsible. Re-open it if necessary,” he ordered. His warrior was smart enough not to question him and nodded his agreement. “Good, now has anyone seen Lena?”

Orlando chuckled and slapped him on the shoulder. “No, Liege. I’ve been too busy talking shop with you.”

Another wave of honeysuckle reached him. He groaned as his body responded to the delectable fragrance. Hardening and wanting. And damn, if his fangs didn’t shoot out of his gums. He ran his tongue over fangs that had become recalcitrant, and was stunned he was having this reaction. It had to be due to the fact that he hadn’t had sex in months.

He continued his search for Lena, scanning the large dance floor. Numerous colored lights and lasers bounced from the steel rafters on the ceiling and down onto the stained cement. He didn’t see the human’s heart-shaped face among the crowd of gyrating, sweaty bodies. He scanned both bars, she wasn’t there either. He rested his arms on the back of the chairs next to him and looked toward the hall of private rooms. Nothing.

He shook his head and reminded himself he needed to look for Lena, not the human. That didn’t stop him from opening his senses and telepathy. He picked up nothing of the human in the club. The scent hadn’t come from her. He felt a bone-deep disappointment at that. But, why?

New voices brought his attention back to the table. Orlando was off with a female and his brothers, Kyran and Bhric, had joined them. He hadn’t realized how pre-occupied he had become. Normally, he was aware of everything going on around him. He couldn’t afford to be so distracted, not with his position. He straightened in his chair and berated himself for not being more vigilant.

“No, you’re a douche-bag. An entire coven of witches wouldn’t be able to fix the mess your escapade with her would create. You would ruin the poor girl. Thank the Goddess for not gifting cambions with a vampire’s ability to erase human memories. You’d leave the entire human female population of Seattle empty shells. Stay the hell away from the staff at my hospital,” Jace snapped at Rhys. Zander wondered what he had missed. Clearly, trouble was brewing behind those kaleidoscopic eyes.

“Hmmm…vampire abilities. Hey, Bhric, I have an idea that I think you’ll like,” Rhys proposed as he sat up straighter, excitement in his every move.

“Do share,” Bhric smiled broadly as he leaned forward, folding his thick arms on the paint-splattered table. Zander wanted to smack the back of his brother’s head for encouraging Rhys. They all knew better.

“It’s hard to be with human females because they notice differences about me when I fuck, so I say, we double-team the humans and you erase—”

Horror washed over him at what his warrior was proposing. “Absolutely no’! No vampire will use their power over the human mind so you can tup them. With the way you guys go through females, we would be exposed by dawn. There are plenty of willing females in the realm,” Zander interrupted before this conversation escalated any further.

Problem was, the idea was out there and he could tell both males were churning it. He growled low in warning and pondered enacting a law prohibiting his subjects from using their mind control in such a manner on humans. It went against everything he and the realm stood for. They were protectors, not predators, of humans.

The sound of glass breaking caught his attention. He noticed that each of his warriors had gone into battle-mode. Across the bar, an imp was arguing with a sea demon. The pesky little demon had grabbed the transformer talisman from the sea demon, and he was now a fish-out-of-water, literally, gasping for air. Females began shrieking at the sight of the large fish. Zander shook his head. Imps were notoriously mischievous demons, but they meant no harm, and thankfully, sea demons were fairly mild-mannered.

He turned away from the scene as Bhric began grumbling. “Stupid little fuckwad had to go and scare the females. Speaking of fuckwads, have we received confirmation of a new archdemon,
brathair?
” Bhric asked as he threw back another shot.

Zander met his brother’s gaze. He had suspected for months there was a new archdemon in town. It was to be expected after they had killed the last one, but he had the feeling whoever Lucifer sent this time was more powerful with better skill. They had been encountering skirm who were trained in combat and on organized patrols. No doubt the patrols were designed to discover the location of their compound. “Nay, dammit. The Valkyrie and Harpies deny any knowledge. There is only rumor and conjecture.”

“Och, it would be nice to know what we are facing and give Killian a chance to work his magic on the computer and gather some intel,” Bhric said.

“That it would. But, for tonight, put it oot of your head,
brathair
. Find a lass, or ten. This will still be there in the morning, unfortunately,” Zander responded as he spotted Lena returning from the restroom. He had found his partner for the night. He crooked his finger at her. “Lena, join me, it’s been too long since I’ve seen you.”

“Of course,
mon couer,
” she purred as she sashayed to his side. He looked into her dark-brown eyes, eagerly grabbed her hand and sat her across his legs. His erection returned with force. He paused in his caress of Lena’s arm when he realized the honeysuckle scent was coming from her. He picked out slightly astringent notes that told him it was a bottled fragrance rather than the natural tones of the human’s. “You smell different tonight. Is that a new perfume?”

“
Oui
, it is. I thought of you when I bought it. I was hoping to find you here tonight. I have missed you,
mon ami
. I see you have missed me, too,” she whispered in his ear and started caressing his inner thigh and erection.

Inhaling deeply, he closed his eyes and enjoyed the feel of her soft hands caressing his body. It amazed him the incredible affect the perfume had on his libido.

Lena tilted her head slightly, exposing her neck to him. The movement stirred her perfume.
Mmmm, addictive.
He ran his teeth over her throat, anticipating sinking his fangs into her neck as he sunk his cock into her heat.

He downed the rest of his scotch, stood up and pulled Lena up against his chest. Lowering his lips to hers, he relished the gentle slide of her soft lips against his.

“Backroom, now,” he ordered.

Zander led Lena down the long hallway. He refused to take her back to Zeum with him. His bed was reserved for his Fated Mate. He had designed and hand-carved it with the guidance of his mate’s soul, and would never sully it with other females. For the past century, he had used the private rooms in the back of Confetti for his liaisons.

Even through the loud thumping music, his preternatural senses heard Lena’s heels clicking on the stained-concrete floor, and the passionate moans and sounds of skin slapping skin through the doors they passed. With the erotic sounds surrounding them, anticipation thrummed through his blood. He opened the last door on the left and ushered her into the small, dimly lit room.

The cement floor was covered with a plush, black rug, silencing her heels. The walls were the same burgundy color as the hall and the only furniture in the room was a black, leather couch that rested along one wall.

She reached for him, but he stilled her hands. He needed fast and hard right now for the physical release his body craved, not the leisurely exploration he knew she wanted. Plus, he didn’t want to be touched by her. He had her tight, blue shirt and black bra off before she could blink. Her ample breasts pressed against his chest as he pulled her into a deep kiss, exploring her mouth with his tongue. With one hand he captured her wrists and held them behind her back, pushing her breasts further into his chest.

Leaning back, he latched onto one breast and suckled her pert nipple into his mouth, squeezing her other dusty-rose peak with his free hand. Her nipples elongated with his attention and she arched into him, moaning. She began to sweat, releasing more of the honeysuckle scent. Damn, he loved that perfume. He wanted to buy a vat of it and bathe daily in it. His lust had never been driven so high, driving him to the edge.

She wriggled her hands free and he shuddered when she ran her hands under his fitted, black t-shirt. Much to his dismay, the shudder was not from pleasure. Nope, no touching. He recaptured her hands and inhaled deeply, taking in the honeysuckle.

He turned her back to him and unzipped her black miniskirt letting it drop to the floor, leaving her in lacy, red panties. He refused to step back and admire the view, his need was too high. He slipped his fingers into her panties and found her slick and wet for him. She was always ready for him. He placed her hands onto the back of the leather couch. “Doona move your hands. Bend over, now.”

She knew to comply with his demands without hesitation, which is one reason she was one of his partners. He pushed her panties down her long, lean legs. She wavered on her feet as she stepped out of her underwear. He stepped back and unzipped his leather pants, freeing his cock. She spread her legs and bent over the sofa, exposing her slick channel to him. She looked back over her shoulder at him, “Come. I need you inside me, Zander. I ache.”

He palmed his cock and stroked it. Damn, that felt good. “You want this?” he taunted. He didn’t want her to think his need meant she held any power over him. It wasn’t about Lena at all tonight. In fact, he was highly disconcerted by the knowledge that it was one hundred percent about a bewitching, human female.

“Always. Fuck me. Now,
mon cher
.” She arched her back presenting a better view of her wet pussy. He didn’t need to be told twice and stepped up behind her with his feet apart, bracing him. Without a thought to further foreplay, he slammed into her core. She cried out, but he gave her no quarter as he began a punishing rhythm.

“You like that, Lena? You want me to fuck hard and fast?” he demanded.

“Mmmm,
mon coeur
, yes,” Lena hissed. She pushed back and into him so he could go deeper. “Yes, Zander, harder.
Mon grand
, oh yes!” Lena flipped her long, blond hair over her shoulder, exposing her throat to Zander.

Losing himself in the carnal pleasure and increasing his pace, his fangs slowly descended. He was famished, yet, as he bent over her back, intending to bite her and feed, his fangs scrambled back into his gums. He cursed. His fangs had been doing this for a year and a half.
Ignore it.
Not wanting to go over thoughts of his lack of ability to feed or consume any blood, he straightened and the scent of honeysuckle reached him again. His fangs once again lowered. Never slowing his thrusts, he prepared to bite into her flesh, only to have his fangs hide once again. Before he could become distracted by his feeding issue, she climaxed, pulsing around him. The fragrance of her perfume intensified once again, causing him to quickly join her.

Even before his orgasm waned, he realized the anxiety that had plagued him of late had resurfaced. Now, added to that, was a deep sense of emptiness and dissatisfaction. Sexual release had not helped. And he still hadn’t fed, which was becoming a critical issue.

Peculiar warmth rustled deep within his chest. It was the portion of his Fated Mate’s soul that he had been born with. Exactly the reminder he needed right now. He withdrew from her, stuffed his softening penis back into his pants, zipped up and pulled down his shirt.

Lena smoothed her hands over his seed staining her thighs, “I’m hungry and was hoping this time I could have a bite,
mon cher
.”

His body shivered in revulsion. Misconstruing his shiver for a sensual response, she sauntered closer to him. “Besides, I need you again. I want to ride you.”

“Nay, lass, no’ this time. I have an emergency, and you know I never let any female feed from me,” he bit off, unable to keep his agitation from his tone. He didn’t want to hurt this female, but he knew he could never be with her again. He turned and left the room.

He staggered as his mate’s soul pulsed painfully and a bloody image flashed in his mind. This same image had been haunting him nightly for far too long. For the thousandth time he wondered about the dead male and what his role was in the war. The male appeared human, but something told Zander he was immortal. He had to get out of this club and clear his mind before he went mad.

*****

Zander lay on the gold, silk duvet that covered his large, king-sized bed, but sleep continued to elude him. The discomfort he had been experiencing had become a piercing ache in his chest. He rubbed at the pain and stood to pull on some jeans and a dark-blue t-shirt before he padded into the living room of his large suite. He flipped on the television and went into the kitchen area. After he set a pot of coffee to brew, he turned to the fridge. He was hungry but not for food. He needed blood. The thought sent a flutter through the tightness in his chest. He grabbed an apple and crossed back into the living room.

He plopped down on the dark-brown, leather sofa and turned on CNN. His thoughts drifted to the previous night and his encounter with Lena and his peculiar reactions. Her perfume had driven him mad, but he was repulsed by
her
. The heavy clomp of boots interrupted his thoughts. He expanded his senses and picked up the approach of Santiago and Orlando. From the sound of it, they were headed his way.

He didn’t read their thoughts to determine why they were darkening his door before they knocked. “Enter,” he called out.

Orlando opened the door and peered around the wood panel. “Good afternoon, Liege. Can we speak with you for a moment? This is urgent.”

Orlando took a few steps into his rooms followed by Santiago, who shut the door behind him. His warriors were tense as hell. He tried to tune into them and picked up conflicting thoughts. Something about the widow, concern for the realm, attraction to the female--at least on Orlando’s part--and shock all bombarded his mind.

They were setting his jittery nerves on edge. He stood and began pacing, a nervous habit of his. “Is this aboot the counselor’s murder?” he demanded.

Orlando began wringing his hands and shifting from foot to foot. “Yes. We looked into it as you asked, and, well…”

After several moments of allowing the male to find his words, his patience snapped. “Spit it oot, already.” He looked to Santiago for answers but the male kept his mouth shut and his lower lip gripped between his teeth.

“The widow is extremely upset by how the department has handled her husband’s murder investigation. She threatened giving the news reporters her side of the case,” the male paused and met his gaze squarely. “And, more importantly, I believe she knows about skirm,” Orlando said

Zander stopped in his tracks and turned to face his warriors. “How the hell does she know aboot us? What does she know?”

Orlando shifted restlessly. “I’m not certain of what she knows, or how she knows it, but she mumbled about their existence under her breath, unaware I could hear her.”

A scenario like this was exactly why Zander had assigned Orlando and Santiago to the human police department to begin with. It was his duty to protect the Tehrex Realm and keep it secret. He used his best warriors to keep a lid on information from leaking out. He’d had a suspicion about the case involving the murder of a group home counselor. It didn’t sit well with him that this had gotten out of hand. On the upside, he now had an excuse to pay the female a visit. Excitement thrummed through him. “Is it possible you misunderstood what she said? Tell me exactly what she said.”

Orlando cleared his throat, “After I informed her of the change in guard on her husband’s case, she began ranting and raving about how SPD had mishandled the case and placed the community at risk by allowing a dangerous killer to run free without even looking for him. I believe her exact words were—”

Zander cut off what was going to be a long dialogue. “Och, I doona want to hear how she thinks SPD is incompetent. What did she say aboot skirm?”

“After I told her Santiago and I were going to dedicate all of our energy and resources to finding the person responsible, she said, and I quote, ‘Detective Trovatelli, there is nothing you can do to make this better for me and I don’t believe for a minute that you will be able to find who did this. You don’t have the first clue as to where to start. This will be an exercise in you chasing your tail.’ Then she mumbled under her breath, ‘If you only knew about what stalks the night.’ I was stunned, to say the least, Liege.”

The female’s temerity brought Zander’s ardor roaring back. It was somehow sexier coming from such a powerless creature. Focusing back on the issue at hand he addressed Orlando, “Interesting indeed. I wonder where she is getting her information. When are you meeting with her? I will need to be there to handle this.” The difficulty he had with causing her any harm was overshadowed by the fact that he was going to see her again.

Santiago jumped in and answered before Orlando. “Certainly. We set up the meeting with her at her house tonight to accommodate you. And, I discovered her sister is currently visiting from San Francisco, so she will be there too.”

Orlando crossed his arms over his chest. “You are only planning to erase her knowledge of the Tehrex Realm, right? I don’t want you to hurt her. She has been through enough and deserves better.”

Bluidy hell, if Zander didn’t know better, he’d say that Orlando was smitten. Regardless of how obsessed Zander was at the moment, this was a great reminder to stay away from the female. Orlando was far better suited for the human. He refused to acknowledge the ache that bloomed in his chest. “I doona have to explain my plans to you, Orlando, but rest assured, I willna hurt her. I will be ready by sundown. You’re excused,” he motioned them to the door. When the warriors reached the hall, Zander called their attention again. “Oh, and plan for enough time so we can pick up dinner on the way to her house.” They both gave him a what-the-hell-are-you-thinking look. He waved his hand and a burst of his power slammed the door on their confused faces.

*****

Elsie peered through her peep hole and saw three huge, good looking men standing on her small stoop. Detective Trovatelli with his white-blonde hair sticking out in every direction, reminding her of Guy Fieri, stood there holding up his police badge. She opened the door, but left the chain in place. Not, she told herself, that it would stop these men. Their bulging muscles rippled under their button-down shirts, and their aura screamed don’t-fuck-with-me, which should have frightened her, but she felt no fear. Actually, she felt safe with them, like they would always protect her. She wasn’t sure where the sense of security came from given that she didn’t really know them and one of them she’d never even met. She was not naïve enough to think a badge made them harmless.

“Hello detectives, how may I help you?” she asked.

“Mrs. Hayes, Detective Reyes,” Trovatelli motioned to a familiar man with warm brown eyes and a shaved head, “and I wanted to go over the case with you again. And this is our colleague, Zander Tarakesh. He has certain skills that will be beneficial in Dalton’s case.”

Her heart stopped when she looked over at Zander. The detectives were good looking, but…Zander was something else altogether, with his sharp, masculine features and silky, shoulder-length, black hair. His broad, muscled shoulders seemed to take up all the space outside and power poured off him. To say he was gorgeous was an understatement. She was thrust out of her body the moment she met his captivating, sapphire-blue eyes. Something about his intense gaze was familiar. It took several embarrassing moments of ogling the guy before she realized she had seen those eyes a couple nights ago when she and her sister had picked up burritos for dinner. Shockingly, her reaction to him had been the same.