Daryk Warrior (6 page)

He’d wanted to do as many nasty things to her as he could.
He wanted to fuck her pussy and her ass if she’d allow it. He hadn’t fucked a
woman in the ass for a long time and just thinking about her accepting his
thick cock into her tight little anus made him growl.

If she’d been any other woman, willing and as hot as she had
been to take him, he would have thrust deep within her and fucked her right
there in the alcove where anyone could have come upon them. Public sex in
Dragonia wasn’t against the law but most people waited for privacy. No one
would have rebuked him for it.

That wasn’t what disturbed him the most.

He’d never considered having public sex before. Never been
so out of control and raging for a female he couldn’t wait to find privacy. As
he stroked his cock, he recalled how her hands had clutched at him, how silky
her skin felt, the excitement that shook him as he’d slipped his fingers deep
into the soft wetness of her pussy. He wanted more than a quick fuck with her.
A long night of exploring, finding her pleasure points, knowing what caused her
to scream with excitement… Yes, he wanted it all. He wanted so much more it
scattered his thoughts and messed with his equilibrium.

Yes he liked sex. Every Daryk One did. Every Daryk One could
fuck and fuck for hours. Any woman lucky enough to find herself with Eryk’s
cock in her would be assured the utmost pleasure. Daryk Ones didn’t suffer from
sexual anxieties. Nature had endowed them with a sexual prowess that
outstripped other males’. Eryk knew it was one reason women flocked to him.
They hoped, secretly or not, that he’d give them the most amazing sex they’d
ever had. Yet he didn’t have sex indiscriminately for the pleasure or to make
himself feel like a stud. A woman needed more than a beautiful face and body to
attract him. Other Daryk Ones that he knew thought him crazy. Even fellow Daryk
Ones Dane Charger and Rayder Tyrus had teased him before on being romantic of
mind. He rebelled against the idea. Both men had yet to find mates. Rayder he
hadn’t seen in a long time. Three years ago the man’s sister Aknada had been
kidnapped and killed. Rayder had gone rogue, aligning himself with Drakus Fina
and his hoards of rebel Daryk Ones willing to pillage Magonia and take their
women.

His reaction to Mia had been so violently sexual and
possessive that he’d wanted to kill Livir or any man who dared touch her. His
desire and need for her had overwhelmed him with protective, fierce feelings.
Now that he’d kissed her, claimed her…well everyone out there thought she was
his mate. And his body thought she was too.

No. A Magonian? A possible healer?

He refused the thought.

His adventure with her had obviously warped his thoughts.

By the god he wanted to teach her what it really felt like
to have mind-melting, bliss-inducing orgasms with a man’s cock inside her. He
wanted to hammer into her until she had so many orgasms she couldn’t walk or
speak. The desire burned within him so high he wondered if he had a fever.
That’s what it felt like. A staggering, gripping excitement that needed
cooling.

He’d told her that she’d have to ask for sex, and maybe that
had been a huge mistake. She might never ask, and with any other woman he
wouldn’t have cared.

With Mia he couldn’t stand the thought of not having her.
Not knowing at some point what the silky wet heat of her pussy would feel like
wrapped tight around his cock.

He made a quick decision. Eventually he’d fuck her and be
done with it. Once he’d bled off the heat that came from a good fuck he
wouldn’t want her anymore. His cock was so damn hard he knew his fist pumps
would take him to the top. All he had to do was imagine her pussy, imagine the
way she’d clench around him, the flutter of her tight body shivering as he
fucked her into another orgasm. He moved faster, stroking from root to tip with
more pressure.

“Fuck!”

With a shout he shivered and shook and his cock shot semen
in heavy spurts.

He hung his head, his entire body trembling. He gasped for
breath as ecstasy continued to batter him.

Despite the gut-wrenching intensity of the fast orgasm, his
cock stayed hard as rock.

Shite.

When he left the bathing area, a cloth wrapped around his
waist, he expected to find her lying on the bed, perhaps asleep.

She was gone.

Chapter Four

Mia smiled as she chatted with Finny. The older woman had a
wonderful sense of humor and delighted in telling jokes.

Leaving the room had calmed Mia. The thought of a fully
naked Daryk One caressing his own body and pleasuring himself made her crazy.
Fatigue took over her body but tension also made her uneasy. She didn’t want to
find herself alone with Eryk right now. Her desires, new and primitive, still
rocked her deep within.

“Does Eryk know you’re down here?” Finny asked.

“Of course not.”

Finny laughed, her face wrinkling and dimples denting her
cheeks. “He has mated with you.”

The woman’s bold statement gave Mia pause. Maybe everyone in
Dragonia spoke plainly and didn’t lie. “Not exactly.”

Finny frowned and tapped a finger against her lower lip.
“Mentally, that is. He has the look of a mated Daryk One, and I’ve seen them
before.”

“What makes them different than anyone else when it comes to
mating?”

“They mate for life once they find a woman who calls to them
on the deepest level mentally and physically. It doesn’t happen to every Daryk
One, but to a large portion.”

“Why?”

“No one is certain. We only know it is true.”

“Does it happen to other people on Dragonia?”

“Not so much. At least not with the consistency it does for
a Daryk One.” Finny looked toward the stairs as if she feared Eryk would
appear. “It’s like this. Daryk Ones are highly sexual beings. And women are
always chasing them, hoping they’ll be the lifelong mate.”

Though she thought she might know the answer, Mia asked
anyway. “What’s the advantage in that?”

“Several, according to those lucky enough to secure a Daryk
One for their own.”

“There aren’t many Daryk Ones?”

“In the total population, not many.” Finny cleared her throat
and gave a small smile. “Daryk Ones have a sexual prowess that is legendary.
Women want that. At least most Dragonian women do. Even beyond that there’s
security. Daryk Ones can protect them because of their physical ability and
their extreme status in communities.”

“I see.” Feelings flooded Mia as she mumbled an answer. “At
the very least they’re hoping a Daryk One will take them to bed.”

Finny’s nod was emphatic. “Most definitely.”

“And Eryk has mated with many women?”

Finny’s gaze lifted to the ceiling as if contemplating her
answer. “Eryk is very discreet, so I’m not aware of any liaisons. I’ve never
seen him bring a woman here. I’m sure he has had sex many times. It’s a mark of
a fine man who keeps his sexual escapades under wraps. That’s why I knew you
were different.”

“Oh?” She felt breathless.

“I thought he was going to drag you right past me and not
even stop to pay.”

Mia’s curiosity increased. “Why?”

Finny pursed her lips. “Are you that naïve, girl?”

It grated on Mia’s nerves to have anyone call her naїve but
what could she say in this case? “Perhaps.”

“He wanted you badly.”

Perhaps in this new world Mia could take a local’s word for
it. Eryk wanting her above other women? Exclusively? The idea swam in her head,
filled with wonder and surprise and a glowing gratification. Then a darker
thought emerged.

“A man wanting me sexually is not important. From this point
forward I only want men who care for me…for whom I am at the core.” Mia tapped
the middle of her chest.

Finny tilted her head to the side and leaned on the counter.
She clasped her small hands together. “I get the impression Eryk Gauth is that
type of man. You may have made a good match.” Finny waved one hand. “Daryk Ones
can take a woman to bed for hours, until she passes out from bliss. There’s a
lot to be said for the physical.”

Heat swam over Mia at the incomprehensible thought. “A man
who can do that? How unlikely.”

Finny chuckled and stood straight. “Daryk Ones are not
ordinary. Remember that. Whatever you think of Eryk, whatever you think you
know, he’s not like anyone you’ve met.”

“How long have you known him?”

“She’s known me too damn long.” Eryk’s voice came from the
stairs.

Mia started and turned toward him. He was dressed, of
course, but his hair fell around his shoulders in wet lengths. “Eryk.”

A lopsided grin touched his mouth. His eyes, though, were
hard. “Finny, can you suggest a tavern for a meal tonight?”

Finny lifted her hands and shrugged. “The old tavern is
still operating. You could go there.”

He winced. “Annalica still own the place?”

“Yep. And she still hates your guts.” Finny laughed.

“Annalica?” Mia asked.

“No one.” Eryk finished descending the stairs and stood by
Mia. “Just an old friend who wants to kick my arse.”

“Oh?” Finny snorted and shifted some papers around the
counter. “I think she’d take your arse any way she could get it.”

Mia’s face flushed at the implication. Finny’s bold-faced
statements made Mia wish she were skilled with frankness.

Finny’s smile said she understood and her words proved it.
“Dragonians are notoriously outward with their meaning. It will take some
getting used to.”

Finny’s friendly expression eased Mia’s apprehension. “I’ve
spent all my years learning not to tell the truth.” She turned her gaze on the
big, handsome man next to her. “I don’t lie so much as I…adjust the truth to
fit the circumstances.”

Eryk frowned and she saw disapproval in his dark eyes. He
crossed his arms. “Pretty lying.”

Anger sparked inside her. “I did it to survive.”

His eyes softened a little and he nodded. “Of course you
did.”

For a moment she hoped and cared that he understood. “I was
frank for Magonia.”

Finny reached over the counter and pressed Mia’s forearm.
“Then you’ll do well here.”

Doubt, one of her biggest enemies, flooded Mia. What if she
couldn’t learn to fit into the fabric of their society? What if even here, in
this wild and free place, she still didn’t find a place to belong? She drew a
huge breath. She forced back tears. They were a weakness she would never
succumb to, no matter what this world threw at her.

Mia glanced around the space behind Finny and the counter.
It was barren, the castle wall cold and unwelcoming. The entire place looked as
sterile as anything Mia had encountered. Despite this, the Dragonian world
she’d encountered since she arrived here appealed more than the society she’d
known. It was colorful, varied and dangerous. Magonia could eat up and spit out
anyone but the wounds and cuts, the horrible teeth marks, would be just as
staggering as Dragonia’s.

Mia’s stomach growled and she smiled. “Food would be good.”

“You’re not too tired?” he asked.

“Yes, but I’m more hungry than tired.”

“We need to find you new clothes,” Eryk said as they head
for the door. “Clothes first. Food second.”

As they left lodging, he took her upper arm in a proprietary
hold.

“Is that necessary? The way you’re holding me?” she asked.

“Until I know you don’t plan to run off.”

“I won’t run. Where would I go?”

“Anywhere you could.” His grip tightened a bit on her arm.
“You left the room without telling me.”

She glared at him as they made their way through a heavy
crowd, dodging around people who didn’t move. “I needed to have some space.”

“Why?”

“You were… We did things in that alcove that I’m not ready
for.”

He stopped and turned her toward him. His touch on her shoulders
felt infinitely gentle, his eyes warmer than she expected. “One thing you must
know about me, about all honorable Daryk Ones. We do not harm children or
women. We guard them with our lives.” He cupped her face between both of his
big hands and the fire she saw in his eyes wasn’t created by a red glow. “Yes,
I want you. Yes, I’d love to thrust deep inside you and fuck until we’re both
exhausted and sweating and can’t remember our names. I want that more than you
know. It scares the shite out of me that I want it so much. But I’m not going
to do anything about it. If you want me, from this point forward you have to
tell me. You have to show me.”

His touch fell away. She shouldn’t have found his bluntness
surprising. What she did find disconcerting was her own recognition of how much
power this gave her. “Why are you giving me a choice?”

His head went back a little and his frown turned grim. “You
honestly believe I could rape a woman?”

She shook her head, mortified. “No, I…” She swallowed hard.
“In my country a man marries a woman and that is it. If he wishes sexual
congress with her she has no recourse but to give it to him. Women have no
rights, especially after marriage.” She gazed around at the number of women who
moved through the courtyard with free will. “Your world is different than mine.
And there is one thing I already enjoy here I never could have in Magonia.”

His voice dropped, low and inquisitive, his frown slipping.
“What?”

“This conversation. The freedom in having it with you,
discussing situations and subjects as an equal. It is unheard of in Magonia.”
Fresh enthusiasm made her place one hand upon his chest. “Here you claim a
woman, but out of protection of her not suppression. Do you know how wonderful
that is to a woman who has never known anything but condescension?”

Eryk’s gaze turned reflective as he nodded. “I hadn’t given
it any thought until I met you.” He placed his hands on his hips. “Then you
understand I’d never force sex upon you? Ever?”

Her heart lightened. “Yes.”

“Did I frighten you while we were in the alcove?”

“Yes.”

Frown lines formed between his eyes. “I’m sorry.”

“No… I understand you didn’t mean it. I was frightened
because of the way it made me feel. Because of what I wanted to do.”

“What did you want to do?” His voice dropped, the low timbre
making her insides tremble with renewed arousal. “Tell me.”

She shook her head. “I can’t yet. Let me become used to this
world. It’s too much, too fast.”

A smile broke over his face. “All right. Let’s go then. You
need those clothes.”

Feeling substantially better, she went along with Eryk’s
suggestion. The shop they entered a short time later was little more than a big
hole in the castle wall. Two men and a woman worked the shop where a variety of
clothes hung on hooks or lay on shelves.

“I’ve never seen anything like this.” She spoke softly so
the shop people couldn’t hear. “All the colors are so beautiful.”
Disappointment returned. “Wait. I don’t have any money for clothes. For
anything. I lost it all in the shipwreck.”

Eryk didn’t look fazed. “I’ll pay.”

“But—no. You can’t.”

“Why not?”

“Why would you spend your money on clothing for me?”

“Because I want to.”

His generosity sent a glow through her. “Thank you.”

He shook his head. “You really aren’t used to men wanting
nothing from you.”

“No, I’m not.”

One of the shopkeepers attended Mia and she brought several
clothing articles to try on.

“She’ll take two sets.” Eryk gestured at the woman
shopkeeper.

When everyone stared at Mia expectantly she said, “Thank
you, Eryk.”

“Try them on,” the woman said.

Mia looked around. “Is there somewhere I can go in private?”

The woman looked scandalized and the men disappointed. The
woman said, “No. We didn’t have room for a changing area.”

Mia balked. “I cannot undress in front of you.”

Eryk placed coin on the counter for the clothes. “She’s from
a very modest family. We’ll take the clothes as is. They look to be the right
size.”

The clerks looked pleased with the money he gave them and
the woman placed the clothes in a nicely woven bag.

“The bag is extra.” The woman smiled and her attention
stayed firmly on Eryk. “A gift for such a generous payment.”

Before they could leave the oldest man of the two stopped
Eryk. “You’re a Daryk One?”

“Yes.”

The older man nodded vigorously as if that would make Eryk’s
statement more definitive. “Can you tell us what it’s like outside of Felican?
We haven’t been outside the castle walls for a long time.”

Eryk handed Mia the bag. “War is still coming.”

“I heard it was already approaching Grimnald Castle,” the
female clerk said.

“Where did you hear this?” Eryk asked.

The female leaned on the counter as close as she could get
to Eryk. “Annalica at the tavern house. I hear she’s the best one to ask. She
hears all the gossip.”

“By the gods.” Eryk groaned. “Gossip is not always truth. I
wouldn’t believe everything Annalica tells you.”

As they left, Mia wanted to ask Eryk why this Annalica
seemed to irritate him so much. She sensed there might have been a sexual
connection between the mysterious Annalica and Eryk, if not a mental connection.

As they left the shop she noticed the talking, the noise and
hustle and bustle were considerably louder. People looked anxious.

“Something’s wrong.” Eryk started back toward their lodging.
“I need to investigate.”

He took her hand this time, and the heat of his big palm and
fingers raced with a tingle up her arm. Rather than question him, she followed
as he practically ran back to their lodging. Finny wasn’t at the front of the
lodging when they reached it. They hurried to their room.

“Stay here,” he said after she’d walked into the room. “I’ll
be back later. Rest if you can.”

Apprehension went straight to fear. “What’s happening?”

“Maybe word of a battle nearby or plans to attack Felican
Castle. I’ll be back as soon as possible.” He drew a large dagger from his belt
and laid it on the table. “Do not let anyone in but me. If someone breaks in,
don’t hesitate to use this. If you hear battle sounds, get on the floor near
the bed or under the bed. I’ll come for you as soon as possible. Put the chair
in front of the door. When I return I’ll knock and call out so you know it’s
me.”