Dreamer (13 page)

“I’m her mentor,” Devon said and glared at Malik.

“Mentor doesn't mean mate,” Malik shot back. “She's a
submissive without a dominant.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I’ll tell you later.” Malik cut his gaze to General Millar
then back to Devon. “I’ve met her before.”

For a sudden, horrible moment he wondered if Malik had dated
Shan, but she obviously didn’t know him so it must be something else. He’d
hoped she was submissive, had a feeling she was, but to hear Malik say it out
loud made him sure of it. It all made sense. From the moment he'd met Shan at
the bazaar, they'd been doing a subtle dance of dominance and submission. Not
because she wanted to dominate him, but because she wanted to submit. Did his
instincts know that she was his mate? It would certainly explain the effect she
had on him. Even now, he was itching to find out where she was and make sure
all of her needs were taken care of.

General Miller rubbed his eyes. “Fucking fantastic.”
Grabbing both of them by the backs of the neck, he pulled them closer. “With
all the shit going on right now, the last thing I need is two of my best
captains losing their cool over a potential mate who happens to be a
pre-Chosen.” Devon and Malik both tried to talk, but he cut them off. “Malik,
she is Devon's student. You will respect that.” Devon tried to give Malik a
smug look, but General Miller's lock on the back of his neck prevented him from
turning his head. “Devon, Malik is an asset to you and your student. She will
benefit from the extra protection that he offers. And, might I remind both of
you that...what's her name?”

“Shan,” both men said at once.

Devon bristled at her name coming from Malik's lips and
immediately felt stupid. He'd heard the mating instinct was overpowering, but
he had no idea it would make him ready to tear out his best friend's throat for
saying her name. The need to find Shan pushed at him and he shook out his
hands, trying to lose some of the tension filling him.

“Might I remind both of you that Miss Shan is not a bone to
be fought over.” General Miller released their necks, and his severe expression
softened. “I know how hard the mating urge can drive you, but you must let her
get through her time of Choice first.” Devon and Malik crossed their arms and
gave him an almost identical blank expression. “Let me put it this way. If you
want to hurt her, make her choose between you both right now. Fight over her
and add more stress to her life.”

Those words managed to affect them both, and each man
dropped his arms. The thought of hurting a potential mate was unacceptable. As
the Chosen of a War God, he was programmed to protect and defend, never to
harm. A smile tried to curve his lips as he imagined a life with Shan at his side.
It would certainly never be boring.

General Miller gave them one last hard glare. “Keep her
alive. Cherish and protect her. When the time comes, it is her decision as to
who she picks as a mate.” With that, General Miller stalked back out of the
gym, leaving Devon and Malik to examine each other.

“What do you mean she's a submissive without a dominant?” An
image of Shan, bound at his feet with a red silk ribbon, flashed through his
mind.

“Remember that woman I was talking about? The one I met
before everything went to shit at the Steel Chalice?”

“Yeah.” Devon ran a hand over his face. “You're not going to
tell me it's Shan, are you?”

“Indeed. Your student is that delicious creature who
couldn't take her eyes off you flogging that redhead.” Malik's eyes darkened
with desire. “She was wearing a mask, but I would recognize her pretty pink
aura and scent anywhere. And who could forget that deliciously round bottom.
She's going to make a wonderful mate.”

Devon growled at him. “Back off.”

Malik shifted into fighting stance. “You heard General
Miller. She's fair game.”

“After she's Chosen.” Devon rolled his big shoulders. Malik
was his best friend, but Shan was
his
mate.
Even if he’d just figured that out and she just didn't know it yet.

Malik grinned at him. “Game on.”

“Don't worry, I'll make sure you catch the garter at our
wedding,” Devon shot back with a challenging grin of his own.

One of the female guards came sauntering up to them.
“Captain Holly wanted me to let you know that Shan is in the women's locker room.
She is going to relax and take a soak.” The guard's lips twitched. “Captain
Holly suggested you do the same.”

Both men stood and studied each other in silence then booked
into the men's showers to try to be the first waiting for Shan when she came
out.

Holly and April led Shan past the growing crowd and into the
women's locker room. Shan paused for a moment at the entrance, surprised by the
luxury of the room. There were individual showers with multi-showerheads,
well-lit vanity mirrors, and massive cedar lockers. At the end of the long
room, she could see a sauna and massage tables.

April removed the cloth band from her hair. “Go ahead and
hop in the shower, Shan. There are towels inside the cabinet to the right of
the lockers. After you're done, hang a left and go all the way down to the
sauna then hang a right through the double cedar doors. The soaking pools are
inside. Holly and I will be waiting for you.”

Holly gave Shan a locker key. “Almost all of the women go
nude in the pools. Do you want me to try to hunt up a bathing suit for you?”

Trying to appear nonchalant, Shan shook her head. “No,
that's okay.”

Yeah, it would be like going to the nudist beach. That
thought might have been more comforting if she had ever been to one. Grabbing a
couple of towels, she wrapped up her clothes in a bundle and set it aside
before stepping into the shower. It was surprisingly big and clean for a
communal shower, and she loved that there was enough water pressure for the
water to beat against her sore muscles.

Warm water pounded her body from every angle as she turned
beneath the spray, and she promised herself that one day she would get
something like this for her loft. Devon would appreciate it. He’d complained
about the low height of her showerhead last night. Said he had to duck to wash
himself. The image of him naked and wet started an instant throb in her body.
Shaking her head under the spray, she dialed the water cooler in an effort to
chase the thought from her mind.

Devon would be leaving as soon as she was Chosen. For the
gods' sake, she’d known him less than a day, and she was already planning on
remodeling her bathroom for him. What was her deal? Holly had to be wrong about
the whole mate thing. The only reason he’d fought with Malik was because of her
magic. Without the lure of her oversexed aura, he treated her like an
annoyingly overprotective brother.

Really?
Her
mind whispered.
Is that why he looks at
me like I’m something good to eat?

Ignoring that little voice, she winced as a muscle in her
back twitched. Oh, yeah, she would pay for this tomorrow. After quickly washing
her hair with the shampoo and conditioner provided, she wrapped the big cream
towel around herself and walked down to the soaking pools.

Her jaw dropped as she looked around the vast room that
resembled something out of a movie. There was a giant pool that had steam
rising from its bubbling water, and another smaller one that had a small sign
saying
Caution, COLD
. The walls were
done up in an elaborate glass tile mosaic that looked like waves, and the floor
was a rough white stone.

Shan paused for a second as she reached the soaking pool.
All of the women inside of the water were naked beneath the bubbling foam. She
knew she would look like a moron if she wore her underwear into the water, but
she felt really weird being nude in front of this many strangers. Then again,
no one in the pool had model perfect bodies, and nobody seemed to notice or
care. Taking in a deep breath, she took off her towel and set it on the railing.
The steaming water splashed around her thighs as she hustled down the steps
into water that reached just below her breasts.

April waved from across the pool and called her name. Shan
took a seat on the bench that spanned the outer edges of the pool. With a sigh,
she leaned back into the warm water and let the jets at her back work on her.
Maybe she could talk Devon into stopping for a massage after the cosplay
convention.

A few seconds later, there was a splash as Holly jumped in
the water. “I was right. Devon and Malik are waiting outside the locker room,
and they don't look happy.”

April laughed as Shan groaned. “Silly men. I don't think
either of them have had a woman walk away from them before. It's good for them
to feel humble every now and then.”

Shaking her head, Shan said, “I'm sure it's not about me.
Devon and I can barely stand to be in the same room with each other for more
than ten minutes before I want to choke him. The only thing he feels for me is
the strong desire to annoy me to death.”

The women around her hooted with laughter, and her blush
deepened.

One woman with a long scar over her shoulder said, “Oh, that
has got to aggravate him. Devon is as smooth as melted chocolate with the
ladies. He usually has them in bed before they know their panties have hit the
ground.”

“I find that hard to imagine,” Shan said with a snort.
Actually, she didn't find that hard to believe at all. But she also didn't want
the women to know about her ridiculous crush on him. Yeah, none of them had
seen her wrap her legs around his waist and purr.

Another woman with long, wet blonde hair and freckles waded
over and sat closer. “No, it's true,” she said. “I heard from a Priestess of
Luamerava that Captain King is hung like a Shetland pony.”

A woman with strands of gray in her dark brown hair said,
“Well, my friend dated Malik for a while. She said that he has the stamina of a
football team.
And
he can do this
growling, purring thing that makes his mouth vibrate when he's down south.”

The older woman roared with laughter, and the conversation
dissolved into speculating who was what size and what they could do with it. As
the conversation got more and more bawdy, Shan felt her eyes getting bigger as
she learned some things she never even considered about sex.

Holly eyed her with a laugh. “Come on, Shan. I think we've
corrupted you enough for one day.”

Shan protested, “This is really educational.” And her eyes
got wider still as the women started talking about the positions of the Kama
Sutra, and if their husbands had the strength to hold their legs in a certain
way for a long period of time.

April hooked one arm, and Holly hooked the other as they
dragged her from the pool. While she was getting dressed, Holly asked April to
go check on the guys and see if they were still there.

Holly sat on the bench facing her. “I know it's none of my
business, but you need to be ready for some major jealousy coming your way. The
female guards couldn’t care less—dating another guard is off-limits—but there
will be some really pissed priestesses that will be missing their time with
Devon and Malik.”

“What?” Shan jerked her wet hair back into a ponytail. “What
are you talking about?”

“I've known Devon a long time, and I've never seen him this
territorial over a woman. And Malik...well, I don't know if he wants you
because Devon likes you or what. They’re very competitive like that.” Holly
gave her a small grin. “Either way, lots of women have been trying to catch
them for a long time. The fact that you've brought out the mating instinct in
both of them is going to strike some women as horribly unfair.”

“I'm sure it's just a phase.” That sounded lame even to
Shan. “I mean, look at them.” She gestured to her faded-to-gray Misfits’
T-shirt and gray yoga pants. “And look at me.”

Holly sighed and shook her head. “You don't see yourself
very clearly.”

Whatever Shan was going to say was interrupted by April
coming back with a smug smile. “They are both still out there, in the same spot
as when I came in. They both demanded to know where Shan was and then growled
at each other.”

“Morons,” Shan muttered as she slipped her jacket on. She
wasn't going to acknowledge the small part of her that loved the idea of Devon
being jealous. Nope, that would be a stupid and petty thing to enjoy. Grabbing
the steel rose zipper, she zipped her jacket up and shifted on her feet.

“So…uh, coming out with me?” she asked Holly and April with
a hopeful smile.

“Nope.” Holly grinned at her.

“Have fun,” April added with a snicker.

Squaring her shoulders, she marched to the exit and rested
her hand on the cool metal handle. She was afraid to go outside. Scolding
herself for being a coward, she shoved the door open and hit Devon in the face.

“What the hell!” he roared and grabbed his nose. Staggering
back, he barely avoided hitting a passing man in a black suit. Next to him,
Malik fell back against the wall, laughing.

“What are you doing with your face pressed against the
door?” she yelled back.

Blood trickled through his fingers as he glared at her.
“Waiting for you since you disappeared.”

Digging through her pocket, she pulled out a wad of clean
tissue. “I didn't disappear. You guys were too busy playing who has a bigger
dick to notice I was gone.”

Malik's laughter cut off. “Hey, now.”

Tugging on Devon's shirt, she pulled him over to a dark
granite ledge surrounding a group of plants. “Sit.”

He grumped at her but sat and titled his head back so she
could look at his nose. “I don't think it's broken,” she muttered and took his
hand, making him hold the tissue.

“I'm fine,” he muttered at her. Standing this close, his
face was level with her breasts. Despite the wad of bloody tissue at his nose,
he still managed to warm her entire body. A hint of his psychic smell leaked
through his shields, and she took in a deep breath.

A blaze of satisfaction went through his eyes, quickly
turning chilly when Malik said, “Do you need a Band-Aid for your boo-boo? Want
me to kiss it and make it better?”

Malik made a kissy face and came closer.

Rolling his eyes, Devon gently pushed her away and stood.
“Thanks, but I think Shan's got me covered.” The words were innocent enough,
but the way he said her name made her want to rub herself all over his body.

Stepping back from him before her runaway nymphomania broke
through her shielding, she checked her watch. “Devon, we have to go.”

He removed the tissue from his nose and pushed at the bridge
of his nose. “Not broken.”

She tried to hide the wince at the sight of his red and
slightly swollen nose. “Sorry.”

Malik gently took her hand in his own and placed a kiss on
her palm. His soft lips rubbing against her skin made her shiver. “It was a
pleasure meeting you, Shan.”

Deep and sensual, his voice held a rough edge, and she
remembered what the woman said about him purring and eating pussy.

Oh my.

“Nice to meet you too,” she said faintly and watched him
lick his lips as he released her hand.

Devon wedged himself in between them. “Don't want to be
late.”

Nodding, she followed him through the maze of hallways and
wondered what costume Devon had ordered from Jack's shop.

****

“Would you hurry up!” She shifted her suitcase of jewelry.
The brief hint of sunshine was now hidden by thick clouds, and the air cut a
freezing draft up her short skirt. Instead of wearing the warmer and more
modest outfit she had originally planned, she’d gone with a risqué costume that
she normally wouldn't have worn in broad daylight. Made of shiny black patent
leather, the dress did nothing to warm her against the cool breeze. Patent
leather wristbands studded with silver roses clasped around each wrist, and a
black patent leather collar completed the look.

Instead of normal shoes, she wore a pair of black furry
boots made to resemble cat paws. A long black tail and black patent leather
kitten ears completed the outfit. It wasn't the most comfy thing, but watching
Devon's jaw drop when he first saw her made up for the discomfort.

But it wasn't her costume version of the
Kitty Noir
graphic novel character that
was holding them up. Well, at least not that alone. Devon was clad from head to
toe in a silver space age warrior’s uniform with a gigantic battle-ax strapped
across his back. The sharp edge glinted in the subdued light, and he carefully
kept an eye on anyone getting near it. That little touch he had added on his
own to complete the outfit they had picked up for him from Jack. All six-feet
of him had been transformed into Doc Maddox, the hero of his favorite video
game.

“Can I get a picture with you?” a little boy dressed as a
ninja asked. His mother smiled at them eagerly with her camera at the ready.

“Sure.” Devon crouched down next to him and posed. A bigger
crowd grew around them, and Shan snarled at a pair of teenage boys who were
gawking at her.

Devon gave the tiny ninja a pat on the back and followed her
through the crowd. A rumble of disappointment followed them, and Shan's lips
tightened as she saw cell phones going up to the left and right to take
pictures. After spending the last thirty minutes trying to work past the crowd
to the vendor's entrance, she wanted to yell at Devon inside. Where it was
warm.

“I thought you wanted me to dress up,” Devon said in an
innocent voice from behind her.

If her tail were real, it would be lashing in the air behind
her right now. Trying to ignore him, she flashed her vendor ID at the door.
They didn't bother to ask Devon for one, just stared and grinned at him like he
was Santa Claus.