Valiant Heart (2 page)

“What is it exactly that you're planning on doing?” Lance asked, bewildered by how easily this woman was taking the reins of operations.

“Do what you must,” Greer said to the one named Paige before turning to address Lance directly. “Paige has the gift of hell fire.” She snickered softly. “Well, that's what we call it anyway. She can ash the beasts with little evidence of fire itself. No smoke, not much debris will remain. Wicked powerful.”

“I don't think…”

Kelly raised a hand to her temple and rubbed there. “Lance, please.” She looked so fatigued, her eyes weary as she flicked her gaze to him.

He'd forgotten what this battle would have done to her overall strength. Ever since she'd lost contact with Andrew, her powers had been ebbing. Just as Talia had boasted. Without Andrew, her Hunter, Kelly was weakening.

“I think it's for the best.” Kelly motioned to the house. “Your women can use the suites on the second floor east wing to clean up and rest. I'll direct the Hunters to prepare a meal.”

Greer smiled and wove her arm through Kelly's, bracing her weight when Kelly slumped a little. Lance bristled. Greer waved him off with a smirk. “We've much to discuss, stories to swap, I'd imagine, sister. Let me help you to the house so we can get to know one another.”

Lance made to follow them, his gut screaming for action, to tear Greer's arm away from Kelly's, to stop any conversation from happening.

“Lance?” His name on Ariana's lips was sweeter than he expected, especially when those lips were suddenly pressed against his ear. Her body was angled so she was resting against his side, on tip toes to reach, her hands suddenly wrapped around his shoulders, clasped at the side of his neck. “My mate? Let's get to know each other, shall we?”

Her fingers nudged his chin toward her, lips on lips a second after that. A pulse of desire jolted him, from his mouth to his groin, and everything in between. His only thought was not a thought.

Mine.

Chapter Three

Following Orders

It wasn't like it was going to be hard to do this. The man was a fucking god in appearance. Longish, dirty-blond hair to his shoulders, muscles that would make you weep at the sheer perfection, conjuring images of fighting prowess, as well as being totally lickable. His Hunter mark, a tattoo bearing a roaring wolf, was wrapped around one ample biceps and it flared to life, burning my fingers where I touched him. His face was beautiful as well, brown soulful eyes and dark lashes, a nose that was straight, unmarred from any fighting wounds, a faint darkening of stubble along his chin and jaw, and lips…mmm…lips that were firm yet yielding.

Even so, for all his perfection, I was bristling from Greer's telepathic command.

“Distract him, Ariana, keep him away. Do what you need to. Fuck his brains out if you must, but keep him away.”

Normally Greer's instructions came with room for negotiation. This time there had been none. She'd used Talia's powers of manipulation, forcefully suggesting that I comply. And so I would, as unwilling as I was, obey my leader.

“Your lips…” he mumbled as he pulled me tighter against his body, hands gripping my ass, forcing my legs up to wrap around his waist, to grind my pussy into his stomach. God, it felt good. Too damn good. “Taste like honey.”

“It's my lipstick,” I said as I pulled back from him. “Nothing more than that.”

He frowned, gaze locked with mine, confusion battling in those lusty eyes of his. “Your body says different.”

“No, it…” The argument died on my tongue as Greer's command rattled in my brain, constricting my skull, obedience demanded. Damn her, to use Talia's powers against her own warrior. It was an abuse to be sure, one that I'd be addressing with her as soon as I had the chance. But for now, I had a piercing pain in my skull pushing me to do as she commanded. “I mean, what I'd like is a shower, preferably with you…so we can explore what our bodies want.”

Lance gave a hard nod as he released his hold on me, lowering me to the ground. He grabbed my hand, like he was scared I would bolt—which I kinda wanted to do—and took a brisk pace to the mansion, following where some of my sister warriors had presumably gone as well.

Greer had achieved some measure of success already. A testament to her skill as a leader with or without siphoning the powers of manipulation that Talia had so advantageously offered up. Step one of our mandate had been achieved with no resistance: we'd infiltrated the Order's walls and were partaking in hospitalities, no less. Greer hadn't been lying when she'd said we were scouting the area, but it was no fluke that we'd stumbled upon the battle that Talia had created.

“We'll take possession of one of the guest suites until a suitable one can be prepared to your liking.” Lance was hauling ass up a flight of carpeted stairs, obviously a side case as it was partially hidden down a hall, and almost dragging me behind him in his haste. “As my bonded mate—”

“Whoa there, Hunter.”
Bonded…fuck.
“I said explore bodies, in the shower, I didn't say anything about bonding.”

He stopped mid-step and I crashed right into his back, whacking my nose off his spine.

“Ouch! Fuck, man!” I yelped as I covered my throbbing nose with my hand.

He turned on me, towering above as he was one step higher, anger simmering in his eyes. “What is your deal, Huntress? Why are you so against our bonding?” He shifted to look over my head, down the stairs, before snapping his gaze back to mine. “What am I not seeing here?” He gave his head a hard shake. “You've been marked by a beast, it's tainted you. There's no way the pull I'm feeling would be rejected by my rightful mate. There's something not right happening here. Something nefarious. That leader of yours…” He bared his teeth.

Panic kicked at my gut. He was going to leave. I was losing him. Greer needed time with Kelly. Time away from any other influence.

“You won't bond with your Hunter, there's something wrong in that and I intend to find out.” He made to side step me, all but shoving me into the wall.

“Lance,” I whispered his name, halting him with a hand on the side of his face. “I'm scared.” The words tumbled out. Honest words that made my skin feel hot. “I never expected to feel this way toward a man, any man. The idea of my Hunter…” I groped for more words, my throat tight. This was for Greer. Keep Lance away. Keep him busy. “I'm scared of losing control.”

He'd turned to face me as I spoke, searching for truth. “You feel what I feel then? Even with that wolf's mark on your flesh?”

I gave a tight nod, my stomach twisting for many different reasons. “I feel like I need to be consumed by you, that I need to consume you in turn.” Not a lie.

He pulled me into his body, giving me no time, no warning as he devoured my lips, his tongue probing mine, our mouths open and locked and doing exactly what I'd just said. Consuming.

We made it into the shower somehow. Granite floors, marble walls, whatever, it was huge and there was warm water everywhere, hitting me from all sides. My clothes had been torn from my body, the same as his. I was aching and wet for his cock, his lips, his hands on me. I tried so hard to keep it from taking control, flashing stern warnings to myself.

He's just a man, nothing more. Use him. Serve your queen. Obey your leader. Move on
.

I fought to ignore the rightness of this, the desire to cling to him for eternity, to accept his bonding mark. To betray my Amazon sisters and leave the tribe. Those thoughts were sobering but also fleeting when his lips suckled my nipples, hands parting my ass to rub a finger over my puckered hole, thumb slipping into my pussy, filing me as I wanted his cock to.

“I want to lick your pole.” I smirked at his look of shock, his slow smile as my crude words sank in, lust crashing back over him when I licked my lips then dropped to my knees.

His cock was truly magnificent.
And mine.
I gulped, shook my head, let the water cascade over my face.
Not mine. Stop that.
When I opened my eyes and looked up, he was staring at me, rapt attention on my lips in particular. I was afraid of losing control and yet here I was, in full control, my fingers wrapped around his huge dick. Well, as much as I could since his girth was pretty fucking spectacular.

“Good for a ride.”
That's what Greer had said.
“Enjoy this, Ariana.”

I chided.
You don't know when you'll get it again.
I flicked my tongue against his crown, resting it for a moment along the slit before slowly sucking his head into my mouth. His eyes rolled back as he dropped a hand to the top of my head, knees buckling slightly. My Hunter may have some power over me, but not at this moment. Not when his cock was sliding against my cheek, my tongue swirling over his ridge, flicking here then there before slipping out of my mouth with an audible pop. He moaned and I kissed my way down his length, stopping to lave his balls before cupping each in turn with my lips, warming them in my mouth, gently massaging with my tongue.

I could have made him come, could have ended it with his release, washed up and walked away. I'd given Greer plenty of time to plant the seeds for the next phase of our mission. But my body had other demands, ones that involved his cock in my pussy, pumping me for a release of my own.

I let his dick slip into my mouth one more time, sucking down his pre-come offering before letting his length slide back out. I pushed back so that I lay splayed for him to see, elbows holding me up, water sluicing over me, eyes locked on his. “Your turn.” I smiled, then felt a chill as his look turned to feral want, like he was gazing at the finest steak he'd ever seen.

No man had ever looked at me that way. Had wanted me so much.
Dangerous.
I shuddered. I wanted to cover my heart up, to protect it from that look because just as surely as he wanted my body, he wanted my heart and soul as well. That was the Hunter way.

He bent and swooped me up before depositing me gently on a bench that jutted from the wall. And then he was between my thighs, eating my pussy like he was ravished with hunger. He growled as he sucked and licked, a low rumble that made me shudder with desire. It was a possessive sound, one that I suddenly craved to hear again. He nipped my clit gently, pulling a moan from me as he soothed the pain with his lips, his tongue on me, suddenly in me, fucking me, lapping up my cream. I opened my eyes to stare down at him, my hands bracing on the bench, holding my body up, watching this man eat me alive. His gaze snapped to mine as he slipped two fingers inside and rubbed me just the right way, fingers curled, putting pressure on that special little…
ahhhhhh…yes
… I let myself slide against the wall, my hands on my breasts, pinching, flicking, rolling my nipples to bring my orgasm to crest and just as I was there—just as I was about to crash—he stopped.

I cried out, stared down at him and his wicked, cocky smile.

“Not yet, sweetie.” He lifted me by the waist, those rippling muscles no match for my weight. I wrapped my legs around his hips as he moved us to the other side of the shower where he could push my back against the wall.

His cock filled me in one long stroke and I moaned a sigh as I melted into him, arms around his shoulders, fingers tangled in his hair, lips on his neck, tits pressed against his chest. We were one at that moment, an endless combination of flesh. With his hands on my ass, he pumped me hard and fierce, my back firm against the wall, sliding up and down with each stroke. His cock rode my clit, teased my g-spot, made my pussy beg for more. Rapture. That's what I felt as my body coiled around a new, better orgasm, dosing me with euphoria as I climbed higher and higher.

“It feels so fucking good.” And it did, fuck it did.

And then a tsunami of ecstasy crashed through my body, pulsing with blissful waves that seemed to go on forever. I don't even know when he came, not really, only that he bellowed at one point, his thrusting ever more urgent, making my own peak stretch out to infinity.

He slowly stopped moving inside of me, my body pinioned to the wall by his cock. I had a drunken smile on my face, everything tingling. I was dizzy, my gaze hazy as I looked up at him, only faintly registering a change in the atmosphere. The air was charged with something more than lust, but lust totally blinded me to it.

His hand was suddenly over my breast, covering my heart. “I give myself to you, my Huntress…”

I squinted down at his fingers, my muddled thoughts fighting for focus.
No.

“Stop,” I murmured, my languid limbs no match for his, my traitorous body, my softening heart, warring with the panic flashing in my brain, dousing it as swiftly as it came.

“With a vow of protection…” He paused, his eyebrows furrowed as he swept my hair from my neck, his thumb pressing almost painfully into the marred flesh of my beast mark. “…that no beast shall put asunder.”

The vow.
His fingers gliding over my breast moved with more purpose, swiping in a way that pulsed with magic.
The bond.

No. Don't.
“Stop!” I jolted fully into myself, the daze of lust, of satisfaction, snapping, falling away to give me clarity. “Stop!”

But he didn't stop. He wouldn't stop…panic flooded through me.

I can't do this. I won't let this happen. This is a violation. I haven't agreed to this.

“Take all of me…” he continued.

With eyes locked on his, I untangled my legs, reaching between us and squeezing his unprotected balls with my fingers. He roared as he dropped like a rock, the magic of his bonding spell shattering as he hit the ground.

“I told you to stop, Lance.” I stepped over him and forced myself to leave the bathroom despite the insistent nudge to go back and tend to my Hunter.

Fuck that. I belonged to no man.