“You love this, don’t you?” Darius growled from behind her as he gripped her hair tightly in his fist.
The pull caused her scalp to tingle deliciously without causing actual pain and Diana found herself nodding, answering breathlessly; “Yes. I do.” And it was true. She loved moments like these when her man was so caught up in the moment, so focused on her that he lost his gentleman’s veneer. Not only was it sexy as hell but it also served to show her just how much trust he placed in her. The fact that he had so much confidence and faith in her that he felt comfortable enough to give himself fully? To make himself vulnerable in his desires? Yeah, it was a massive heart warmer – as well as a massive turn-on. She loved dominant-Darius. And right now, it was exactly what she needed.
She needed some time to just feel. No more thinking. After the stress of the previous day at the Lodge, having to be on high alert because they were literally surrounded by so many enemies, they had all needed some downtime. Max’s conversation with Blu had them on the precipice of a major breakthrough and Diana hoped Nikolai’s arrival today would be the final push they needed. If all that wasn’t stressful enough, the revelation that her liege, the man she had pledged her life and vitality to, had been targeted for murder had been enough to turn her usually ordered mind into chaos.
Verity had been the oldest living warden and like Blu, was one of the only wardens to show any aging. His dark hair had been streaked with silver long before Diana had joined his Order some eight hundred years prior. She had loved the old, wise man and had respected him like no other. She had also loved being a part of his Order with his other paladins, but she could never really understand why he had asked her to pledge her service to him. She had been thrilled and beyond honoured when the Life Warden had approached her a year after her training as a knight had been completed. She had felt an instant connection to him and assumed a natural bond must have existed, even though she hadn’t felt the same ease with her fellow paladins already bound in the Order. They were very welcoming and they all got along very well, but the deep sense of rightness – of family – hadn’t been there as it was now in the Order of Aurora. But then, Verity had always told her she hadn’t been destined to be his sworn paladin. Diana hadn’t really believed him – not after eight centuries of service. But given the perfection of the situation she was currently in, she figured the shifty old guy must have had a point.
A sharp jab of Darius’s hips had her knees bouncing forward on the mattress. Gasping, she deliberately clenched her inner muscles, arching her spine and pushing herself back to meet his steady but rough thrusts. She shivered when she both felt and heard his guttural groan.
“Fuck, you’re so sexy,” Darius muttered, his hips abruptly picking up speed as if he could no longer hold back.
Broad, strong hands grabbed onto her hips and she found herself held immobile in his loving but lustful grip. Nonetheless, she instinctively writhed, twisting and straining against the sheets as her greedy body fought to steal as much pleasure from the one behind it as possible. It was times like these she was grateful her suite of rooms were on the opposite side of the house from everyone else. Her guy wasn’t exactly the quietest in the bedroom. It was just another thing to love about him; Darius didn’t hold back his pleasure from her. Diana closed her eyes and revelled in the naughty whispers exhaled against her ear.
When her arms could no longer hold her weight, she happily collapsed onto the mattress, shoulders flush with the crisp sheets, and hips still high in the air in Darius’s capable hands. The only sounds after that were the sounds of flesh hitting flesh and the combined breathless moans from male and female throats. For all the pleasure assaulting her body, her orgasm took her by surprise, and she felt her body lock tight from the overwhelming feelings cascading through her. Her vocal cords didn’t seem to have the same problem though because she screamed loud and long, the sounds barely repressed by the pillow she was biting into.
She heard Darius swear behind her, giving two more quick thrusts, before sounds of that final pleasure also left his lips. His hold on her hips remained bruising for a minute more, before they turned soothing and reverent, caressing every inch of sweaty skin they could find. Diana found herself blinking back tears and not really knowing why. Lips whispered over her lashes and cheeks, tasting the salty offerings before coming to rest against her lips for a long, languid kiss.
“Feeling okay?” Darius asked, stroking a finger over her cheek and tucking her against his warm body.
Diana allowed herself to melt against him, her head finding the perfect space to nestle between his neck and strong shoulder. “I’m always okay when I’m with you,” she answered, honestly.
“I’m sorry about Verity,” Darius said quietly, hands now playing in her curls.
“Me too,” she whispered.
They fell into a comfortable silence for a long time after that. She loved that about Darius – that he didn’t feel the need to fill every silence and was content to just be. The rhythmic stroking of Darius’s hand up and down her spine had almost lulled her back into sleep when he finally spoke.
“Sun’s rising,” Darius pointed out.
She summoned just enough energy to turn her head and peer out the window. Sure enough, ribbons of gold and pink were streaking their way across the horizon, lighting up the dark mystery of the ocean. “A new day,” she murmured.
“A new day,” her man agreed.
***
Nikolai took a deep breath of fresh, sea air into his lungs as the first rays of the sun valiantly fought off the darkness of the night. He was a little early, but Ivy had stressed the importance of him getting there as quick as humanly possible. Although, that had pretty much been the routine for every bloody meeting he’d had at the large converted barn ever since Max had come on the scene. He promptly winced when he heard the harsh, sulky quality of his thoughts. He hadn’t realised he was feeling cranky until that moment and figured he’d better get his head on straight before he walked into a household of dangerously protective knights.
Sitting down on the cool sand, he pushed his hood back and took another long breath of early-morning air. He was tempted to take the whole cloak off, but wanted to appear professional – at least for the first little while. He actually hated the damn things. Sure, they made him look super badass, but lately he found it increasingly hard to breathe under the weight of the dark green robes. The general population didn’t understand exactly how hard his task as a ranger was. Exactly how much of a burden it was. Being a Ranger was a hard job – a thankless job. It was a job he, in fact, hated. Hated down to his marrow. But he would never dream of doing anything else.
Why was that? Max had asked him that same question the first time she had met him. She had apparently seen something in his soul which contradicted his chosen profession. But he had been honest when he’d answered her; because someone had to do it. There was too much corruption in the world, and too much complacency. There were too many selfish people, only thinking about themselves and not giving a shit about others. He knew the wardens carried their own heavy burdens. Being the natural caretakers of an entire planet was pretty hardcore, but he didn’t see that as an excuse to give up on their own people. Because despite what the council told their community, chades were just as much a part of their world as every other creature. And just as important.
Every single day, Nikolai made sure those wretched, cursed beings were not forgotten – even if it was in the form of a sickle to the neck. He knew that was the main reason why he and his fellow rangers were so misunderstood in the eyes of their society. They were seen as nothing more than assassins, death-dealers, and gaolers. But if anyone bothered to ask him what he thought, he would tell them rangers were protectors, shields, and dealt kindness and mercy to those most in need. Glancing at the house behind him, he felt himself smile, knowing he and his kind were on the brink of being recognised. All thanks to a mysterious, feisty red-headed female. Despite the astounding complications that came with Max’s pursuit of the truth about chades, Nik couldn’t be more grateful. He and his kind had been working tirelessly with little help, forgoing their own lives and happiness in sacrifice to a rotten cause. But all that was beginning to change, and his very own best friend was leading the charge.
He shook his head, still finding it hard to believe the very stoic, expressionless, and hard-as-nails Ivy had found herself a home here. He was beyond thrilled that she had finally gotten out of her own way, so she could fall in love with her young, happy paladin. Ivy’s countenance had largely been a by-product of her career choice, but not all. She had always been serious with a deep sense of right and wrong, seeing the world in simple terms of black and white. Although he didn’t view things quite as simply as she did, they had become fast friends over a hundred years ago. Her rude and brash personality hadn’t bothered him in the slightest. Because just like with the chades, he had been able to see the real woman underneath all the prickles. And what he had seen had been someone terrified to be viewed as vulnerable or scared or sorry. So, she had developed her mask of indifference and sneered in the face of those who looked at her askance. Not that Ivy would agree with his psychoanalysis of her, and he was smart enough not to mention it. He had been content to just be her friend in whatever capacity she needed. She hadn’t wanted to examine herself too closely in the past but he thought that might also be changing now. Love had a way of bringing everything to the surface.
As for himself, he liked to think he was very self-aware. And it didn’t take a genius – which he was – to figure out where his motivations to fight for the underdog came from. It was from his childhood. He had been one of the thousands of paladins raised in the paladin group homes scattered all over the world. The group homes were run by fellow knights – not a warden in sight. But that wasn’t really surprising, given the whole purpose of the institutions were to house unwanted paladins. Those children who were born soldiers instead of guardians for nature and therefore deemed useless to their parents. A deplorable seventy-five percent of paladin children were born and discarded like trash. Left to be raised by strangers in cold buildings, overflowing with sad-eyed children – left to be forgotten. He had been raised in a group home in Romania and had left the very day he was old enough. No-one had cared and they were glad to have one less mouth to feed. He knew Axel had been raised similarly in a group home right here in Australia, but he had never spoken to the fire paladin about it. It wasn’t something one could really bring up in polite conversation.
A happy bark from behind him gave him enough warning to catch the bundle of spotted, stripy fur in his arms rather than be tackled to the ground. Nikolai laughed and accepted the happy dog’s welcoming licks and yips. When he was younger, he had always wanted a pet. He had dreamed of getting a puppy and a kitten at the same time so they could grow up best pals. Unfortunately, no pets were allowed in the group homes. Besides, having a pet in their society was not really a popular practice unless you were a Beast Warden.
“If your master is successful in saving the world, Zombie, I might just get my own fur-babies. What do you think?” he asked the animal, who was now in that awkward half-puppy-half-dog stage. Zombie rolled onto his back, pink tongue lolling, mismatched eyes expectant.
Nikolai gave him the required tummy rub before standing and brushing off his cloak. “Well, buddy. Let’s go see what I can do to help bring them into my life sooner rather than later, hmm?”