Dream Warrior: (Dark Warrior Alliance Book 1) (7 page)

“That doesn’t make any sense. Did he have fangs? Did they mention if his eyes had that charcoal ring?”

“Yes to both. I don’t understand…” Elsie trailed off as they hit pay-dirt and ran into two vamps.

“Oh look, Paul, dinner. And, this one here is marked. Maybe she belongs to a Dark Warrior.”

The other vamp made a comment Elsie missed as she pondered what he was talking about. Mack had too many tattoos to count and she didn’t have any. Neither of them belonged to anyone. Well, Elsie would always belong to Dalton, but he was dead thanks to a vamp. Her thoughts fractured as the pair attacked.

Elsie pulled the knife out of her boot and dropped to the ground, rolling away from the one charging toward her. She threw her hand back slashing at his legs and missed.

She jumped to her feet and they circled one another. He lunged and she ducked and dodged his blows. After several minutes she was tiring and he was landing every other blow. Her side ached. Heaving she would have to get closer or risk running out of energy. She turned and he wrapped his arms around her. She cradled the knife close to her chest and squirmed to a better position.

“That was a mistake. You’re mine now,” the vamp breathed in her ear. “I’m going to have fun with you before I drain you.” He lowered one hand to the zipper on her pants and she had a moment of supreme panic. He was going to rape her. The bright flash of fire followed by the smell of smoke brought her around and she plunged her knife into his chest while his attention was elsewhere. His eyes flew open in shock before he burst into flames and turned to ash a second later.

She turned to Mack who was sweated and cursing as she kicked the pile of ash at her feet. Elsie’s cell vibrated and she pulled it out of her pocket. It was Orlando.

She flipped the top. “Hello.”

“Hey, El. I’ve been calling you, what’s going on?”

“Sorry, I’m out with a friend.” Her heart began to race. Surely he wasn’t aware that she just killed a vampire. She looked around, but saw no one. She shook off her paranoia.

“Well, we are at your house with chick flicks, hoping you’re up for company. I still didn’t get that pedicure.” She laughed and saw that Mack was looking at her curiously. “Come home, Zander has more presents for you.”

Zander? Presents? “Okay. Be there in twenty minutes.”

“What was that about?” Mack asked, clearly suspicious.

Jacked up with adrenaline and mixed feelings about seeing Zander again she bounced from foot to foot. “It was one of the detectives on Dalton’s case. We’ve become friends believe it or not. He wants to watch a movie and honestly after this fight I could use it.”

“You need to watch it. Cops are ignorant of what’s really out there and would throw you in lock up for murder if they knew what we did.”

“I’m always careful, Mack. You taught me very well,” she reminded her friend as she laced her arm through Mack’s and headed back to her car.

Elsie was sick and tired of scolding herself as she drove home. She had spent the day miserable as she had bounced from grief to shame to guilt to lust and back again like a ping-pong ball being smacked around a table. And that was before she stressed over the bills and paying for her final semester. She had let some of that stress out during the fight only to have it come back with Orlando’s call.

She was a grown woman, and yes, she was attracted to an impossibly sexy man who wanted her, but that was not in the cards for her. She still loved Dalton and always would. There was nothing to be torn up about.

She parked her car and received an eyeful of a blue cotton t-shirt straining over a gorgeous muscled chest as she approached her door. She looked up and saw Zander’s intense blue eyes on a serious expression. She wondered what it would take to put a smile on those lips. He didn’t strike her as the type that was quick to smile.

“Hey, guys, thanks for waiting. Come on in,” she invited as she held her door open.

Zander’s gaze slowly trailed down her body, causing a searing heat to take her over. “You look tired. How did you sleep last night?” He grasped her hand and brought it to his lips. The kiss released electrical tremors, and his words caused blood to flood her face. Her words froze in her throat. Could he know she had dreamt about making love to him last night?

“I’m good,” she stammered.

His expression said he knew every dirty detail and he wanted it for real. Oh God. “I brought you more chocolates, as well as other surprises.” He started into her house, but stopped when they were crammed face to face in the narrow entryway. Neither moved.

Orlando slapped her on the shoulder, breaking the connection. She blushed brilliant-red as she turned and greeted the detective. “You gonna make me stand out here all night? I brought tequila and you favorite energy drinks,” he crooned as he waved a bag in her face. The man knew how to get to her. Two items she couldn’t afford this week, and wanted desperately.

She couldn’t resist teasing him. “Uhhhhh, yep I am,” she replied then shut the door.

She was laughing when Orlando called out from the other side of the door. “Damn, honey, that hurt. Alright, I’ll leave and take these,” she could hear the rattle of bottles, “home with me.”

She opened the door and grabbed the grocery bag then shut it again. At that, Zander burst out laughing. She looked over at him and nearly collapsed. Laughter had transformed his sharp patrician features. Simply gorgeous.

Orlando was talking as he opened her door and walked in the apartment. He was as good-natured as she’d always seen him. “I’ll let that one slide, sweetheart, but know that my feelings are fragile and you might hurt them.”

“Uh-huh,” she said dubiously. “So what movies did you bring this time?”

Zander set down several bags and a large, white box with a big, purple bow on top of her coffee table and pushed her onto the futon. Zander sat so close to her that their thighs touched. She wasn’t sure what to do. It wasn’t necessarily inappropriate, but it was intimate. It was everything she didn’t want, especially after her dream. She loved Dalton and would never betray his memory, but that didn’t stop her from lusting after Zander. Time for a distraction.

“Fetch me a drink,” she beseeched Orlando.

“Anything you want, cupcake. I believe Zander brought goodies, too.” Orlando said as he headed into her kitchen.

She doubted she could eat anything since her stomach was a roiling mess, but she would try. “What did you bring this time?” she asked Zander.

Zander’s masculine voice shattered her concentration. “
A ghra,
” something about that word tickled her memory, but she was unable to chase down the thread, “I brought bon-bons. My
piuthar,
Breslin, assured me females liked to watch TV and eat the ice-cream treats so I brought some.”

She couldn’t help it, she laughed. Her laugh turned hysterical and she clutched her stomach as she rolled to her side and let it go. This guy was too much. When her head landed in Zander’s lap, she jerked upright.

“I‘m not sure what pyooer is, but I’m going to guess based on your Scottish accent that it’s your sister or your mom. You sound so old fashioned. Women
doona
sit around eating bon-bons anymore. Not that I believe they ever did.”

The way his eyebrows creased and his brow furrowed was adorable. He was trying hard to decipher what she had said. Was it that difficult for him? Having come to some unknown conclusion, he shrugged and reached over the side of the couch. He opened the white box and handed her two pillows.

“It wouldna be the first time my
sister
was wrong. No’ that I’ll tell her that, she’d kick my arse. Here,” he said as he handed her the softest creation she had ever touched. It looked as if they cost more than her rent. “I remembered what you said last night aboot no’ being able to sleep and hoped these would help.”

The ice around her heart melted a fraction. How did he know how to say exactly the right thing? “I can’t believe you remembered that, of all things. I don’t feel right about accepting gifts from you.”

“I remember everything you told me. Rest now,” he said and tried to guide her head towards the pillow.

“You can’t order someone to rest. It doesn’t happen that way.” Boy, he wasn’t kidding when he said he was used to giving orders. That didn’t change the fact that she wanted to feel the softness of the pillow. She moved it to the other side of the futon away from his body and laid her head down on it. It was like lying on a cloud.

Zander had laid one of his big, strong hands on her shoulder and mesmerized her with his hypnotic sapphire-blue eyes. It registered somewhere in her muddled brain that he had picked up her legs and draped them across his lap, but all she was able to think was how striking he was. “I believe it does work that way, my sweet. You are, after all, resting comfortably now.”

Her hackles rose at that. He was right. She had relaxed into the pillow and was content to remain there. Her body was exhausted from lack of sleep and the adrenaline from the fight had worn off, leaving even more fatigue behind. That didn’t matter because lying down with her feet in his lap was unacceptable. She tried to sit up, but he stopped her.

“Let me up,” she argued. Despite her vulnerable position, she wasn’t afraid. She should be frightened. She knew nothing about him. He was strong and intimidating.

His face softened as one corner of his mouth curled up. “Nay, I am rather enjoying this. ‘Tis something I’ve never done before and it willna end yet.” He closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths then as if he could read her mind, he said, “I will never harm you. Relax and settle that tired body back doon…please.”

He added the last with reluctance. It was obvious he was unfamiliar with saying please. It was unbelievable that a man was so overbearing in today’s society. It was domineering and controlling, but she found it attractive. She had always bristled when anyone had told her what to do or ordered her around. How she found this attractive in him she had no idea.

“I’ll stay as long as you understand this can’t go anywhere, Zander. We can never be more than just friends. If you can’t handle that you might as well leave.”

Zander kept his eyes locked on hers and she noticed one of his eyebrows arch toward his hairline. “I canna deny my attraction to you, but I willna push for anything more than you can give. I willna jeopardize the gift of your friendship for any reason. Now, tell me aboot your day. Did you do anything exciting?”

His voice has ticked up at the end. Was he implying anything? No way he knew about her encounter with the vampires. Her heart began pounding in her chest at the suspicion in his voice. Paranoia was becoming her best friend.

“I didn’t do much. Took my sister to the airport and did some work on my final papers then hung out with my friend, Mack.”

“Tell me aboot this Mack. Mack is an interesting name. What did you guys do?” His hand tensed on her leg and there was obvious anger in his tone. Did he think Mack was a guy? Was he jealous? The idea thrilled her more than it should.

She smiled at the gruff Scottsman. “Mack is short for Mackendra,” she drew out the name. “We went to a park and hung out. Like I said nothing much.”

Orlando’s return stopped any reply. “Madame,” he bowed and presented the plastic cup. “I combined a little of your energy drink with the margarita. Tell me what you think.”

“Why thank you, Jeeves.” She took a sip and groaned. “Mmmmm, that is so good. I can’t believe I didn’t think of doing that. Put on one of those comedies you brought, please.” She had to stop the conversation from going back to Mack. Her patrols with SOVA wasn’t something she was free to discuss. Best to avoid anything remotely related to it.

“Sure, any preferences?”

She propped the pillow against the arm of the futon, sitting more upright. Her eyes widened at Zander’s growl. She didn’t know if he was upset by her ending the conversation, but she didn’t care. “Stop that,” she told him and turned back to a gaping Orlando. “No, I don’t care. I haven’t seen any of them yet.”

Zander tried to hand feed her some of the yummy caramels. After eating a couple of them she had to stop him. Between her emotions and the intimacy of the act, her stomach couldn’t handle it. Next he tried a scoop of rocky-road ice cream, which was a no-go. The clam chowder he brought with him followed. When she was unable to eat that, she stopped his trips to the kitchen by placing her feet in his lap. He sighed in defeat then finished the chowder for her. He ate from the spoon she had used, reminding her of all the dirty, dirty things he did with that tongue in her dream. Don’t go there, idiot.

Orlando finally selected a movie and put it on, then brought the rest of the caramels and bon-bons to the futon. They settled in and watched Melissa McCarthy do her thing in yet another great movie. It was hard to be so close to Zander. It was obvious he wanted more from her. His hands twitched several times, reaching for her hand or her face. How was she ever going to do the friends thing with him when she found herself so attracted to him? She would have to find a way because she enjoyed his company.

She had shut and locked her door after they had left when moments later she heard a noise at the door. Figuring that one of them had forgotten something, she opened the door and was surprised to see the white cat from the cemetery on her stoop. That was beyond odd. As she looked around the parking lot, the little hellion scampered in and jumped up onto her futon. He wasted no time and made himself right at home by kneading its claws, finding a comfortable spot to lie down.

“You are a mystery and a cute little thing, I’ll give you that,” she muttered as she shrugged her shoulders. She had no idea how he found her, but she didn’t have the heart to throw him out.

She sighed and went into the bathroom to change into her pajamas and bathrobe. When she returned to the living room, her furry friend was purring peacefully like he belonged there. Her life had become so strange. The Twilight Zone had nothing on her.

*****

Zander’s heart had plummeted to his feet when his mate told him she could give him nothing but a platonic friendship. He wanted more from her, and he wasn’t a patient male. He wanted everything, but would never turn his back on the one thing that she could give him. Her friendship, he was learning, was as important as the rest. The truth was, the concept of a friendship with a female was foreign to him. In his world females were his warriors, his sister, or occasional bed partners, not friends.

He understood that being blessed with a Fated Mate would involve an intense bond in every way. What he hadn’t expected was to care so much about her opinion of him. He wanted more than anything to make her happy in every way. He wanted her body and soul, but none of that meant anything without that magnificent heart of hers.

In the end, he ordered Orlando to shift and remain with his mate. As he made his way home, he recalled how Elsie had chastised him for bossing her around and put him in his place. No creature had ever dared speak to him in such a manner. Most were too afraid of him, as they should be. Elsie was the only one who would ever get away with it.

With Orlando by her side, as the hours passed, he was able to check in with the warrior telepathically. Each time she woke, Orlando told him that his mate cried, washed her face and did a half hour or so of school work then went back to bed. It turned out to be a long night of worry. He wondered what effects not eating and not sleeping had on a human. For an immortal it was of no consequence, but for a human it couldn’t be good. Humans were so temperamental and fragile. He questioned the Goddess yet again for giving him a human mate. Despite his dissatisfaction with the situation, his Elsie was now essential to his survival. The little minx had wormed her way into his heart.

Orlando returned to Zeum when Elsie left for her shift at the restaurant. The energy drinks were her key to survival. No way could she have waited tables for twelve hours straight without them. She hadn’t had more than a few hours of sleep and she hadn’t eaten anything but a few caramels.