Dreams of a Dark Warrior (20 page)

He knew what she was doing, knew she was planting the seed so he’d imagine it. And he did,

envisioning laying her down and inching his way into her untried sex. Catching her gasp of surprise with

his lips …

He grew hard yet again. Earlier, one look at her braless breasts in that T-shirt had made him stiff as

wood. Before encountering her, he’d gone ten years without so much as a twitch. And now this. Where

was his control?

“Even after a mil ennium, I just have to think about us together and my claws curl.” She twisted around

so he could see them.

They
had
curled. His voice rougher, he asked, “What do your claws have to do with it?”

She gave a laugh. “You’l find out soon enough.” Before he could demand an answer, she continued,

“Life in your camp was satisfying. Life with you was”—she sighed wistful y—“thril ing.”

“Who was Aidan warring against?”

“Leeches. Always the Vampire Horde. You’d positioned your army in a strategic pass, and every day

you battled them back, to protect the
mortal
vil ages in the val ey below. You, a berserker
from the Lore,
saved thousands of human lives.”

He impatiently waved her on.

“You kept your army honed and wel trained, and your men loved you, would have fol owed you into hel .”

Declan’s men feared and despised him.
And I don’t give a shite as long as they follow orders.

In a distant tone, she began to describe camp life—the dress, the weapons, the mead hal with snarling

bears’ heads on the wal s—until he could almost smel the smoke of fire pits and roasting game, could

nearly hear the incessant clang of swords in the training yard.

It was a man’s world she described, one that appealed to Declan.

He found himself relaxing, getting caught up in her tale. And al the while she searched his face for

glimmers of recognition. “Any of this ringing a bel ?”

“Not as of yet. Continue.”

“You trained me yourself. I carry two swords to this day because of you. I’d always wanted to wield this

great sword, but it was longer than I was tal .” Then she frowned. “At least, I
used
to carry those swords.”

“I have them stored here.” Mere feet from her was the concealed entry into the storage bay. Her

weapons were within.

“Do you?” she said nonchalantly, but her eyes had flickered silver. Those swords were
very
important to her. “I stil remember the day you gave them to me.” Her face grew soft as she said, “It was a day of

firsts.” A secretive smile played about her lips.

That smile and her sensual tone got his back up. A day of firsts? He could only imagine what kind of

firsts. Jealousy toward this Aidan seared him inside, made Declan want to hurt her for loving him. “Yet

your Aidan died.”

Her smile faded. “Yes. A vampire traced into our home and slew him.”

“You care a great deal about those swords—a gift from your first lover. After a thousand years of

acquiring possessions, are these your most cherished?”

More flickering.

“They are,” he said. “I think I’l destroy them if you don’t provide information about your kind.”

“Do it. I don’t give a damn.”

“Immortals can’t bluff, Regin. Your changeable eyes always give you away. And from your reaction, I’d

wager you’d do just about anything to preserve them. Answer my questions, or I’l melt them down myself.”

“You expect me to jeopardize my sisters?”

“Can al Valkyrie channel energy? Start talking, or I’l give your precious weapons to Warden Fegley, let

him fuck about with them. Maybe I’l dispatch them to the Horde with your compliments? Vampires should

possess the swords that have fel ed so many of their kind.”

Instead of arguing, she rose and sauntered over to him, swinging those hips. A lesser man could grow

enthral ed with the movement.

“Chase?” she murmured.

He stood as wel . “What?” The air around her was electric, pricking his skin, but it felt good—it felt

familiar
. As she drew near, it intensified until he was almost shuddering. He stared down at her silver eyes. Mesmerizing.

Thunder rumbled the wal s. “Hold on tight, Magister.”

SIXTEEN

R
egin’s legendary temper?
Redlined.

Chase stared down at her in confusion. “Hold on tight? What does that mean?”

“It means that you don’t
touch
my things!” Her leg shot up between his own, her boot connecting with his bal ocks.

“Ah! You fuckin’ bitch!” he yel ed, fighting to stay upright. “You’re goin’ to pay for that!” He lumbered

forward. “You have no idea what you’re rousing.”

“Sure I do! A
berserker
.” As she jogged back, she gave a single jerk on her arm, dislocating the same shoulder as yesterday. Before he could reach her, she’d hopped over her bound wrists like a jump rope.

“Because that’s what you are!”

He swung a wild punch.

She leapt back, dodging his fist by mil imeters. While he reeled from the swing-and-miss, she readied

for another attack, ramming her shoulder into the side of a bookcase. Her shoulder joint rocked into

place with an audible pop.

Again he charged. She feinted and spun around behind him, swinging her joined fists at his kidney. But

the col ar made her slower, weaker. He was able to seize her arm and spin her around with one hand, his

other drawn back in a fist.

She lifted her chin, and Chase hesitated—

She took advantage, snapping her head forward, knocking him in the Adam’s apple. Then she swooped

down, swinging her leg against his ankles, dropping him to his back.

He shot to his feet, faced off against her. “No more mercy for ye, Valkyrie.” Holding nothing back, he

launched a haymaker at her head.

She ducked and laughed. “That accent you work so hard to hide is coming out! Are ye feckin’ Oirish

this time? Eh, boyo?” She leapt atop his desk, punting the side of his head. “Those swords are
mine
!

Touch them, and I’l use ’em to slice off your nutsack! For a coin purse!”

When she reared back for another kick, he caught her ankle, yanked. She crashed to the floor.

With a yel , Chase lunged over her, pinning her bound wrists over her head, his hips forcing her thighs

apart.

She felt him harden in a rush, even after she’d battered his bal s. “Oh, boy! Little Declan’s excited to

see me! Only little Declan’s not little at al . The more things change …”

When she wriggled beneath him, his jaw slackened, his lids growing heavy. She’d merely meant to

tease him, but this heated contact began to affect her as wel .

The enticing ridges of his body, his clean scent, the delicious pressure of his thick shaft against her …

She gazed up at his steely-gray eyes and found them so familiar.

Then he shook his head. “Enough! Where do you think you would go if you could best me?”

“I wasn’t escaping yet.”

He levered himself up on his elbows. “If not an escape attempt, then what was this?”

“A warning not to hurt my swag. Or an icebreaker, considering you’re on top of me and we’re both hot

and bothered. Now, let’s kiss and make up.”

The Valkyrie was panting, her breasts pressing against his chest. Her lips were parted, ful and

beckoning.

“Kiss
you
?” As he waited for revulsion to seize him, he found himself wondering how she would react.

Would she moan into his mouth?

“It wil help you remember me. Kiss me. Come on, you know you want to so bad. You want
me
so bad.”

“Never.”
Bloody get off her, get away from her.
But he
needed
to be above her like this, to master her, overpower her.

“Never? That boner of yours just cal ed you a liar.”

“You little bitch.” He ground it between her legs, wanting to hurt her.

Lightning struck just outside. Her silvery eyes went wide. “Again.”

Temptress,
his mind screamed. She was beguiling him—

She twisted her hips beneath him, rubbing her sex along his length.

He hissed in a breath, rocking against her in answer.
Christ, it feels so good.
“You’d let me fuck you right here, wouldn’t you? Take you on the floor like a common whore.”

“Another couple of thrusts like that, Chase, and I’l have to demand it.” She arched her back.

Her shirt was riding up, revealing the beginning swel of her breasts. Her nipples were stil covered, but they’d puckered against the material.
Want to see them.

An involuntary thrust of his hips made her breasts bounce, uncovering more glowing skin.
Almost to

her nipples.

His cock was throbbing. When he rocked it between her thighs, the pressure made him grit his teeth

with both pleasure and pain. With another couple of thrusts, he’d come atop her; at that moment, he

wanted to.

It’d been ages since he’d looked down at a woman like this. He cast his mind back, trying to remember

the last time. …

The night of his torture.

At once, fury drowned out his lust. He shoved himself off her. “Do not touch me again, detrus.
Never

touch me.” He ran his hand over his face, then returned to his desk to cal for Vincente. “Come remove

her.”

Apparently unaffected, she rose. “Yeah, you’re probably right. I should be going.” She feigned a yawn.

“You’ve gotta head back to work and I’ve gotta head to jail. Big night for me. I’m planning to shiv someone for a bar of soap. I think we might have enough time for a quickie, though.”

He cast her a withering look.

“Nothing can stop us from sleeping together. We’re like magnets pul ed to each other.”

That was the thing about magnets—they didn’t get to choose what they were attracted to. “Valkyrie,

you’re never going to have sex again. Not before you’re executed.”

“Way to kil the mood there, Paddy.” She sidled closer, gazing up at him. “Now, Chase, I hope you won’t

let this spat color your judgment about me. I’m usual y good times. In fact, if you keep the terms of our

deal, maybe I’l tel you the dirty details of how you claimed my virginity in a berserkrage. How you tore off my dress and tossed me on a bed of furs to do things to me that I couldn’t even have imagined.”

“You’l tel me a story and I’l spare you? You think I don’t see what you’re doing? I’ve read
Arabian
Nights
.”

“Cal me Scheherazade, baby! Actual y, she’s one tricksy bitch. Who, by the way, stil owes me twenty

gold pieces and a pound of sesame.” The Valkyrie had inched even closer until he could perceive the

heat from her body, that addictive electricity. “You know I’m giving you good information. We could

continue later, and I’d promise to behave for you. Or be your common whore. Gentleman’s choice.”

Declan recal ed Webb’s missive.
If I can’t torture her, then I have no choice but to see her again.
“I thought it was forbidden among your kind to talk to outsiders?”

“You
are
one of us.”

“Can you possibly comprehend how much that insults me?”

“The truth cuts like a knife, boyo.”

Vincente arrived, showing no reaction to the fact that the Valkyrie’s cuffs were now in front of her—or

that she was blowing Declan a kiss good-bye.

“Take her from here.”

Without a word, the man escorted her out. But then, it wasn’t Vincente’s place to react, to do anything

more than fol ow commands. And the man owed him.

Months ago, Declan had caught him making repeated contact with a particular succubus. Since the

Order provided no nourishment for her kind, she’d been withering away from sexual hunger—using

everything in her power to lure him to free her. So she could rape the man and feed.

Instead of erasing Vincente’s memory, Declan had held the lapse over the man’s head, ensuring his

loyalty. At the time, he’d marveled that Vincente would risk his career over a female—much less a detrus.

Now I was just rutting over a Valkyrie, desperate to see her breasts.

When the door closed behind Vincente and his prisoner, Declan strode into his bathroom to stare at

the mirror. Christ, were his eyes lighter?

No, she’s got me imagining things. She’s a detrus—everything about her is foul, wrong.

Yet stil he was hard for her. He waited for the strain to hit him ful -force, would relish the misery as an earned punishment.

Waiting …

Just thinking about taking her would be enough to send that old anxiety skyrocketing. So he envisioned

ripping her jeans down to her knees and shoving his cock into her tight little quim.