Rapture (37 page)

He
had lost a lot of Valkyries. Not only the ones that left Valhalla in search of
a life, but also the ones that were killed in battle. She didn’t know or
remember many of their names, but sent a silent prayer to Freyja that she would
watch over them in Folkvang.

“And
what will you do now that you’re back?” she asked.

He
sighed and absently ran his fingers through her hair. “Well, after I take
tomorrow night off to take care of the most beautiful female in existence, I
guess things will just go back to normal. Train, patrol, hunt for enemies.”

“And
Riley?”

“And
look for Riley.”

That
was her plan of action, too. Now that she was home, she planned to use anything
at her disposal to track where her son was.

Ferox
pulled the blankets up over them more, and she settled more comfortably against
his chest. “What’s on your mind,
Caalia
?”

“There
is something I need to tell you,” she said. She still couldn’t believe it was
true, but the pregnancy test she’d taken during one of her moments of privacy
had confirmed what she’d suspected. She met his eyes, wondering just how he
would take the news. “We’re going to have another baby.”

Ferox
stiffened and sat straight up, gripping her shoulders. “What?”

“We’re
having a baby.”

“Wh—”
He blinked. “When? I mean, when did it happen?”

“I
don’t know,” she shrugged. “I didn’t even realize I was pregnant until I was in
Valhalla.”

Ferox
eyes sparkled, and he kissed her. “What do you think, maybe just in the last
few wee…” His voice died away as he must have realized what Raine had feared
all along. Ferox had been gone for weeks. Damion had been here with her,
pretending to be her mate.

His
mouth twitched, and he smiled as he ran his hands through her hair once more.
“It doesn’t matter when it happened. All that matters is that you’re here with
me, and that we’re having a baby.”

Raine
exhaled, not even realizing she’d been holding her breath. She hugged Ferox
tightly, nuzzling her nose against his neck as tears trickled from her eyes. “I
love you, Ferox. More than you’ll ever know.”

“I
love you, too.” He pressed a hand to her back, pulling her to him before they
parted. “There’s something I need to tell you, too. It’s not bad,” he added,
seeing whatever shocked expression she’d given him. “It’s good. I think you’ll
really like it.”

“Oooookay,”
she said slowly.

“Demetrius
and I had a talk earlier, after you left his room.”

“Oh
yeah? What about?”

“You.”
He grinned. “Tomorrow night, if you want to, he’d like to give you your
Guardian’s Mark.”

Raine
couldn’t have been more stunned. “Wh … Are you … Really?”

“Yes,”
he laughed.

“I
thought that only males could be actual Guardians.”

He
shook his head. “No. He said that he’s thought of it a lot over the years, but
that seeing your strength and the amounts you would go through to protect your
family decided it for him.”

She
laughed, unable to keep her excitement from bursting out of her. “I can’t
believe it. I mean, I’m really going to be a Guardian? Or, a Guardianess?”

“You’ve
always basically been one.”

“No,”
she shook her head. “I haven’t. I’ve been among you, but I haven’t been one.”

“Well
then,” he replied, a proud smile on his face. “I guess you’ll be the first
Guardianess.” He bit into his wrist and held it out to her. “You’d better get
drinking so your bruises disappear.”

Their
gazes met. She couldn’t stop smiling as she brought his wrist to her mouth.
Tomorrow, she would be a Guardian.

****

“How
do you feel?”

Raine
laughed as all the excitement in her lit her eyes with humor.
 
“I feel
incredible.
”
She hugged him, holding him against her body as she clasped his back. “Can I
see it again?”

“Yes.”
Ferox chuckled. He led her into the bathroom, and she turned her back to the
mirror as he held a hand-held one near her face.

“What
do you think? Do you think it’s me?”

“Absolutely.”
Ferox ran his fingertips over the Mark before pressing a kiss to it. “It’s
Demetrius’s finest work, I think.”

She
looked over her shoulder, beaming with delight as she turned to face him. “I
feel so
alive
. I can’t explain it, I
just … it just means so much.”

“I
know.”

Every
one of the Guardians had been there as Demetrius inducted her into the
Guardianhood. She’d sworn her life for the safety of mortals and immortals
alike, and in doing so, he had both felt and heard the truth in her oath. Raine
had smiled the entire time it had taken Demetrius to tattoo her Guardians Mark
at the top of her spine. The winged warrior was all bandaged up, refusing to
take of any vampire blood to help him heal, so nearly every movement he’d made
caused him to cringe from the pain. Though, it may not have all been pain that
made him cringe. The bastard still had some issue with women that no one
understood.

“Turn
around,” Ferox growled. “I want to see it again.”

She
did, and he touched it again, closing his eyes as he touched his lips to it
once more. There was something intrinsically beautiful about her Mark that he
couldn’t describe, though as he looked at it, he swore that the ink colors
changed and swirled with life. He cupped her breasts, pulling her to him as he
nuzzled her neck. “I’ve wanted to do this since the moment I saw you.”

“Mmmm,”
she purred, stretching her neck to the side as he kissed her skin. “Who knew
bruises turned you on?”

He
snorted. His little Valkyrie wasn’t marked any longer, and he thanked the gods
that she was well and whole. “You turn me on,
Caalia
. No matter how you look, you’re still the most beautiful
female to ever exist.” He pinched one of her nipples as his other hand traveled
down her stomach, dipping his hand under the waist of her skirt, and curling at
her sex.

Raine
moaned, knotting her fingers in his hair. Her skirt dropped to the floor, and
he let go of her breast before ripping his shirt from his body. He wanted her
skin against his. He needed the heat of her against him. Turning her around, he
lifted her onto the counter as her legs wrapped around his waist. He settled
her ass on the counter and loosened his pants, letting them pool at his feet.
Pants kicked free. Boxers gone.

He
dipped his head, taking her nipple into his mouth as his cock pressed against
her core. He held his shaft and slid it against her, and she quaked against
him.

“In,”
she mumbled. “Now.”

Ferox
pulled her ass toward him as he arched his hips forward. His head fell back,
and he moaned, feeling her tight sheath close around him. After all these
years, these centuries, he’d never tire of making love to his female.

Oh
yeah, he was back. And so was Raine.

Epilogue

“Ah,
Ferox, how can I be of assistance?”

Ferox
nodded to the Keymaster in greeting.

“And
I see you have brought your lovely bride,” the silver-haired man continued. “It
is wonderful to finally meet you.”

Raine
nodded as well, offering him a queenly smile. “Thank you for restoring Ferox’s
memory. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate it.”

“Oh,”
he waved his hands dismissively. “It was nothing at all.”

“We’ve
come to ask you a question,” Ferox said.

“Oh?”

“When
I came to you before, you asked if I’d died. I didn’t really put much thought
into it at the time, but I have since.”

“And?”

“I
did die.”

Raine
tightened her hold on his hand.

“You
did?” the Keymaster replied. “Well, that makes perfect sense then.”

“What
does?”

“Why
you lost your memory.”

He
met Raine’s eyes, seeing that her brows were popped up in question. “What do
you mean?”

The
old man stood there for a moment, just thinking as he glanced back and forth between
the two of them. “Come with me.” He turned away and lifted his right hand in
the air, and a rectangle appeared out of nowhere. The Keymaster stepped through
it, and Ferox followed with Raine right behind him.

When
they came out of the other side, they were in a brightly lit room with maroon
carpet and walls, adorned with golden flecks. It very much reminded him of the
winner’s tent all those years ago in Brelaan, the same coloring throughout. The
old man approached a set of couches and gestured for them to join him. Raine
walked before him, and he once again saw her Guardian’s Mark. When they’d made
love the night before, she said that Ferox’s lived on his skin as well. Both
somehow writhed with color, changing before their eyes with flashes of what looked
like lightning at times, while other times it filled in with crimson. It was
fascinating to watch, albeit a little unnerving that their Marks could somehow
live on their skin.

There
was another male sitting in the room, though he was facing away from them. They
rounded the couch, and Raine gasped in surprise as they sat across from the
other guest.

“Aldric?”
she said.

“Ah,
Raine, Ferox, how good to see you. I am glad you were able to find each other
once more.”

Ferox
flicked his gaze at the Keymaster, raising a single brow.

“He
has the answer you seek.”

He
eyed the other male, wondering exactly why the tournament’s compere had any
type of answer for him.

“My
brother tells me you lost your memory,” Aldric said.

“I
did, and he helped me restore it.”

“Yes.
So now you’re wondering why it happened.”

Ferox
nodded. “Yes.”

Aldric
nodded and took a big breath. “A long time ago, the council foresaw their own
destruction. They didn’t know exactly what was to happen or when, only that
their lives were at risk. Each member within the council had a special gift, an
affinity if you will, which worked together in balance.”

Ferox
and Raine looked at each other and shrugged.

“If
they were to die, there was no telling what would happen to the balance.”

“The
council’s balance?” Raine asked.

“No,
the balance of life. The council was there to keep the universe in balance.”

“I’m
not sure I understand what this has to do with my memory,” Ferox interrupted.

“The
council held the tournament so that they could find beings worthy of accepting
their gifts had the need called for it,” Aldric continued. “The purpose was to
find those with the strength to carry on. The two of you certainly had
everyone’s attention, but none watched you as much as The Lovers.”

Ferox
blinked. “The Lovers?”

“Yes.
The bond struck between you called to them, and they saw themselves in the love
that was just forming within the two of you. They chose you to receive their
gifts should they die.”

The
room went silent as they all stared at each other. Ferox’s mind was whirring.
“We’re essentially the … Lovers?”

“Not
essentially. You
are
The Lovers. And
that’s why you didn’t stay dead. The Lovers cannot exist if one is dead, and
the only way to kill them is to kill them both. To kill both of
you
.” Aldric shook his head, clearly
getting upset that they didn’t pick up what he was putting down. “Even before
Trisdan and Pamai became The Lovers, there was a blessing placed upon their
union. ‘Not one to die, but just forgotten, may they forever find their way;
for two to die, destroys the bond, to die with them that day’.” He smiled. “Or
something like that.”

“So
I died,” Ferox said, meeting Aldric’s gaze to leave no question. “But I came
back because Raine still lived, and because I came back, I forgot everything.”

“Sums
it up, I think,” the Keymaster said. “God, Aldric, why couldn’t you have just
said it that way?”

“Because
it would have led to more questions and I would’ve had to tell the story
anyway.”

Ferox
shook his head. “Why didn’t I remember my past or that I’m a vampire?”

Aldric
shrugged. “Probably part of the blessing.”

“Maybe
something to do with survival,” the Keymaster offered. “You wouldn’t want to
wake up in a strange land and not know anything about it. Easier to find out
about yourself instead.”

“Well,”
Ferox coughed, standing up. “I, uh … thank you.” He shook Aldric’s hand and
then the Keymaster’s. “Do I owe you anything?”

“No.
At least this will get Al off my back for a little while.”