Chapter Eight
Watching Kateri in motion was a thing of beauty. Long legs, blond hair shining in the sun, and efficient, graceful movements.
Stunning.
Priest easily kept pace behind her, his panther’s paws near silent. No doubt, she’d meant her preference for his cat over him as a taunt to even the emotional balance between them, but he’d actually been grateful. When shifted, the darkness held minimal sway. A definite plus considering the multitude of graphic and animalistic urges he’d fought where she was concerned the last few days.
Ahead, the well-worn path to the lake veered to the right.
Priest bounded ahead of her, welcoming the extra stretch in his shoulders and flanks as he poured on the steam and shot away from the path.
Her rhythm faltered then halted. “Hey, where are you going?”
Turning, Priest kept his place well off the trail and waited.
“The path is this way.”
Oh, yes. Naomi was right about her granddaughter. She wanted to follow him. Wanted to explore and color outside the lines, but somewhere along the way had learned that wasn’t allowed. That it was either unhealthy or unwise.
A shame, too, because he sensed inside her an astonishing amount of passion. How he’d walked away from her yesterday morning had been nothing short of a miracle, the sheer power of her response to only his arms around her strong enough to silence even the darkness for once.
Whatever the cause for the rigid structure that controlled her life, he was prepared to fight it. To annihilate whatever barriers caged the woman inside and show her how sweet life felt when lived outside any pre-defined paths.
Starting today.
He lifted his chin and urged her to him with an impatient growl.
She studied him, the shin-high foliage between them softly moving on the breeze and the rich landscape behind him. When she glanced back at the clear footpath leading the opposite direction, he thought for sure she’d either head back to the house, or go the trail alone, but instead she nodded and loped forward. “Okay, but do me a favor and don’t let me jog through any potholes. If I break my ankle, I can’t run. And if I can’t run, I get cranky.”
He didn’t doubt it. In fact, he’d bet by the toned muscles in her legs and the distance she’d covered the last few mornings, running was the sole outlet for all her pent-up frustration and emotions. But he’d give her new outlets. One in particular that had taken up an enormous amount of his own headspace the last few days.
As soon as she was close enough, he darted ahead. The trees on this section of his property were thicker and blocked most of the sunshine, but the soft undulating slopes made for a more challenging run. Something he hoped would pull Kateri further out of her thoughts and focus more on the moment.
He paused at the shallow but wide stream between them and the destination he’d chosen and shifted. With his experience, the snap and burn that always followed the transition was more of an expected nuisance than deep discomfort. A whip across every square inch of his skin he’d come to not only accept, but appreciated as a reminder of his gifts. But with Kateri closing in and the anticipation of time one-on-one together, even the usual tingle was muted.
She slowed as she reached the water and her lips lifted in a soft, appreciative smile. “I love that sound.”
So did he, the soft trickle of water streaming over and between the pebbles and larger rocks a comfort he often sought when his dark thoughts threatened to overwhelm him. “The water’s still cold, but you’ll get across better without your shoes.” He motioned to a flat rock jutting alongside the stream’s edge. “Leave them there and we’ll pick them up on the way back.”
“You want me to wade across?”
“If you want to train someplace soft and private with a great view, then yes.” He cocked an eyebrow. “Or I can carry you.”
While he hoped for the latter, he knew damned well it was a long shot. One she almost immediately quashed by toeing off her tennis shoes. “Is it slippery?”
“In some spots, but I won’t let you fall.” He leapt onto one of the broader rocks only partially submerged by the cool water and held out his hand. “Better to move quickly when it’s this cold, though. Don’t overthink it. Just step in and move.”
The biggest challenge of all for her. Every action she took was likely precipitated by hours of careful forethought. A behavior that seemed to be the exact opposite of her brother’s instinctive approach. “Your brother seems to have a much different approach to life than you,” he said to help her detach her over-engaged mind.
She took his hand and carefully dipped her toe in the cold water streaming along the edge. A shiver moved through her and she held on tighter. “Different how?”
“He’s driven by his gut. Moves on compulsion and natural insight. Have you always been logical and deliberate in what you do? Or did you learn that through school?”
Her answering frown was quickly replaced by narrowed concentration as she mimicked his path from rock to rock. “Some of it’s from school I guess. Cause and effect. Scientific method. Hypothesis grounded on systematic observation, measurement and experimentation provides more stable and reliable output.” She shrugged and for a moment a raw vulnerability flickered across her face. “Plus, my approach just seemed easier.”
“Easier how?”
She kept her eyes averted, gaze locked on each careful step she took, but Priest had the feeling there was more going on inside her than she could bear to share with eye contact. “Dad and Alek fought a lot growing up. He hated how Alek never planned. Hated how he let his emotions run his life.” She paused a second, her brow furrowing as though a few new hypotheses were forging together. “Knowing what I know now, I’m guessing he was afraid Alek’s impulsiveness would lead him to accept his gifts when the time came.”
No doubt, he would. Alek was a warrior through and through, likely filtering and processing his environment with the natural tendencies of a predator from a very young age.
She paused mid-step and looked up. “What’s it like anyway?”
Up until that second, his heart and breath had maintained a steady pace. An even flow not the least bit impacted by the precarious path they navigated. But with that one question, both increased. Of all the conversations they’d had, all had been guarded. Protected by a thin veil of caution. But this one was open. Honest. Free of fear.
It was a start.
A good one he had every intention of cultivating. “The magic itself, or the quest?”
She pursed her lips, judged the distance between her and dry land and let go of his hand. “The quest, I guess.” She zigzagged her own path to the damp soil and planted her hands on her hips, waiting for his answer.
Showboating was probably a bad idea under the circumstances, but both man and cat were too excited by the surge in her playful confidence not to engage in a little. He sprung forward, clearing a fallen log and a particularly tricky cluster of rocks before landing beside her, making the same distance she’d made in three bold jumps in one. “You’ve heard that no snowflake is the same?”
She nodded and, for once, didn’t automatically put an extra step between them.
“Soul quests hold the same quality. They’re each unique and suited for the person undertaking the quest.” He motioned her toward the lake’s loamy inlet in the distance.
“Quest implies it’s a search for something. Or a challenge to overcome. Is that really what it is?”
“In a way. But deeper.”
“Deeper how?”
He smiled despite his best intentions. Someday, her questions would likely drive him insane, but right now they were cute. Every bit the adorable kitten poking and prodding without fear. “Because you don’t face physical challenges. You face emotional ones.”
She stopped and faced him, apparently not only disliking that answer, but intent on debating the merits of such an approach.
He splayed his hand low on her back and urged her forward. “It’s not as ominous as it sounds. How else can the Keeper fit you with magic and a companion who suits you, without knowing and understanding what drives you?”
She scowled at the ground, so deep in piecing things together she seemed unaware of the beautiful landscape creeping into view. “Who’s this Keeper person?”
“Exactly what she sounds like. The guardian of our magic and the one who gives us our companions.”
“So, the Keeper’s a she?”
“To me she is. To you she might be someone else. Or something else. She appears to each person in the manner they can best comprehend and appreciate the experience.”
She stopped and planted both hands on her hips. “Let me guess. She’s beautiful, has perfect curves and in general looks like a goddess.”
More emotion. A spark of jealousy barely masking a very real insecurity.
“She has no physical form for me, kitten. She’s a comfortable, but unseen presence with a voice that reminds me of my mother.” He inched closer and cupped the side of her neck, grazing his thumb along her jaw. “If she wanted to appeal to me sexually, she’d look like you.”
Her face softened and her lips parted a near-silent gasp.
Take her, the darkness demanded. Use your advantage. Force her surrender.
His cat hissed in response, jumping to the defense of its mate and warning off the unwelcome command. Like Priest, his beast had come to know Kateri in the past few days. Had accepted she wasn’t one to be forced into anything. Lured and tempted, maybe. But hell would freeze over before anyone backed her into any corner.
Besides, it was the hunt and seduction that made a female’s surrender so much sweeter. In that, he and his cat were in perfect alignment. Ready to do whatever it took to earn her submission.
Rather than take her lips the way he craved, he slid his hand to her shoulder and turned her toward the lake. “Is this private enough for your training?”
Whatever thoughts or response she’d harbored in the emotionally taut seconds between them were wiped clean with one glance at the isolated cove. Tall gray rock etched by years of erosion surrounded them in a deep U, but clusters of determined and hardy trees had taken root in at least five of the natural shelves. In winter, their naked branches left the inlet a more somber, empty feel, but in spring and summer the rich green blended with the lake’s deep blue for a natural oasis.
“I’ve been toying with building a house at the top of the bluff,” he said. “The property just to the east of this boundary’s been vacant and for sale a while. I could use its access point for a winding driveway.”
“Why hasn’t it sold?”
“It’s older. Not updated the way a lot of the buyers coming to this area want.”
She padded forward, stopping as soon as her bare feet hit the small stretch of sandy loam beach to sigh and wiggle her toes. “The soil’s softer than the beach.”
Soft enough it would mold to her body if he gave her his weight. Cradle her hips and hold her steady while he worked his cock inside her.
He shook off the searing image. “It’s not the Caribbean, but more comfortable to practice on than hard-packed earth.” He moved in behind her and rested his hands on her hips.
She tried to face him as she spoke. “What are you doing?”
He tightened his grip and held her in place. “Teaching you some basics so you can join the rest of our clan when they train. Now relax and brace your feet hip-width apart.”
For the next thirty minutes, he coached her, walking her through the rudimentary self-defense training each of their women learned with a forced detachment he didn’t remotely feel. Every brush of her skin against his was both a thrill and absolute torture, and her jasmine scent clung to him even when he gave her space to practice moves he’d shown her. Even more enticing, was how quickly she learned. Whether it was the drive to catch up with those she’d avidly watched this morning, or a natural, physical aptitude, there was little he demonstrated that she didn’t properly assimilate by the second or third try.
As with running, watching her was a heady thing. Grace and poise in motion.
And she was his. Open and interacting with him easily. Asking questions with the single-minded focus of a hungry pupil ravenous for information.
She finished a series of blocks, paused as though replaying and evaluating her performance in her own head, then turned to him, her blue-gray eyes bright with excitement. “Okay, I think I’ve got it. What else?”
What else indeed. He rubbed the flat sandstone he’d picked up off the beach between his fingers and stood, leaving the rock he’d watched her from and the cool water he’d been tempted to douse himself with far behind. “You’re ready for more? Something with more contact?”
God knew he was. Not that he was sure he had much resolve left in him.
She eyed him as he strode closer, holding her ground with the same stubborn pride he’d come to appreciate, but a healthy wariness painting her features. “What kind of contact?”
“The kind of contact you should know how to get out of. Frankly, I’m surprised your brother hasn’t already taught you this much already.”
She scoffed and planted her hands on her hips. “My brother gave up teaching me anything when he was ten. He said I asked too many questions to ever actually learn anything.”
“Was he right?”
She scrunched her nose and shrugged. “I was eight and he was trying to teach me Tae Kwon Do forms he learned in class. I didn’t see the point and wanted him to explain what the steps were for.”
“I bet that went over well.”
“Like I said—he gave up.”
He circled and moved in behind her. “I won’t.” Wrapping his arms around her shoulders before she could guess his intent, he squeezed, effectively trapping her arms against her torso.
As expected, she fought, but his grip was too tight, his stance too evenly balanced for her to draw him off center with the methods she chose.
“Relax,” he said, forcing calm into the command.
She stilled almost instantly, but her heart pounded heavy against his clasped hands and her chest rose and fell more sharply than even after her sprints.
“First lesson—don’t panic. Still your thoughts and find your center. Your instincts can’t guide you if your brain’s clamoring too loud to receive the input.”
Twisting her head enough to glance up and over her shoulder at him, she frowned. “It’s not about instinct. It’s about steps. Tricks and techniques.”
“Those are the foundation, but it’s your instincts that tell you when to employ what.”
Her brow furrowed deeper. Like he’d just told her the Earth was not only flat, but that two plus two equaled ten.
Not willing to let her dive too deep into analysis mode, he squeezed to get her attention. “Now, I want you to let your weight drop straight down. Bend your knees until you free your arms enough to escape.”
God, she was cute, that scientist brain of hers pausing to study his grip while her brain no doubt pieced together the logistics of what he’d asked. Comprehension flashed across her face and she dropped like a rock, though instead of spinning as she would eventually, she ass-planted on the soft sand.
“Good.”
“Good?” She twisted and glared up at him. “I just made it so some asshole can pin me to the ground instead of getting away.”
“So, if you bungle it in real life, you’ll know to roll, scramble upright and get out of reaching distance before they can figure out what’s happened.” Then, if whoever dared to touch her was smart, they’d cut their own throat before he found them, because the death he’d deliver wouldn’t be pretty.
He spun her around and wrapped her up once more. “Faster this time. Think fluid and quick.”
She did, surprising him with how quickly she acted compared to the analytical approach of her first round. The drop was still too steep, but this time she caught herself, rolled and leapt out of arm’s reach.
Over and over they practiced, each time adding a new element to the routine. Once she’d sufficiently learned how to escape with all manner of obstacles thrown in her path, he moved on to more advanced techniques. Simple takedowns. Strike points.
None of it fazed her. Though, the more they worked, the more her dormant energy sparked, bits and pieces of her careful restraint peeling away to reveal raw, untapped emotion.
And it was powerful. Feminine for sure, but bold and fearless. Yet underneath it was something unexpected. A finely honed anger on par with the darkness inside him. Only hers was on a much tighter, shorter leash.
She sidestepped, swiveled and backed out of a choke hold with the speed and efficiency of a person who’d trained for months instead of hours. Gripping the back of his neck, she pushed downward with a strength she’d probably never realized she possessed and rammed her knee upward.
Priest caught it, kicked her standing leg out from under her and pinned her to the ground.
Her startled huff gusted against his face and her eyes rounded with surprise. “What was that?”
“A reminder. Everything can shift in a second and overconfidence can get you killed.” Without thinking, he swept her sweat-dampened hair away from her cheek and cupped the side of her face.
A simple touch. But with it her demeanor shifted, the shields she’d lowered in their time alone too far gone to mask the need the caress created. The hunger in her gaze. The softening of her mouth.
“I think you’ve had enough for today.” Logic told him to move. To pair his pronouncement with space and time, and leave her wanting. Curious and eager for more.
Instead, he stayed locked in place.
Beneath him, her body trembled. Her chest rose and fell harder than even at the height of her training, and whether she realized it or not, her fingertips dug into his shoulders. As if she couldn’t choose between pushing him away or urging him closer.
Both beast and shadow clamored to take her. To maximize the vulnerable moment and claim what was theirs. Consequences didn’t matter. Only that the predator hungered for its prey, and the dominant craved her submission. Now. Here. Wild with no trappings of civilization or reality.
But he’d made her a promise. Vowed to give her what only he could when she was ready. When she accepted what burned between them. He inched closer, fingers tightening against her scalp as if that might give him the control he needed to keep himself in check and ghosting his lips along her jawline. “Unless you want more?”
Her breath hitched at the subtle contact and she arched her neck, innocently exposing the vulnerable stretch of flesh.
So easy to take her. To mark her flesh with his teeth and lips. To strip her bare and bury himself inside her. Cover her body with his scent and fill her with his come. He gripped her chin and guided her face to his. “Open your eyes, mihara.”
Her eyelids lifted, the usual brightness of her blue-gray gaze darkened by stark need and uncertainty.
“You feel it, don’t you? The pull. The demand between us.” He skimmed his thumb along her lower lip and all too quickly his mind conjured an image of the plump flesh wrapped around his cock, his hand fisted in her hair while he guided her mouth up and down his length. “You want it even though you don’t understand it.”
Her gaze dropped to his mouth and she licked along the path he’d traced. Her voice was little more than a whisper, fear and desire threaded through the defenseless response. “I need to understand it.”
“No, you don’t. You need to feel it. Own it.”
Surrender to it.
Words he didn’t dare utter to her. Not yet. Lowering his head, he skimmed his nose alongside hers and inhaled deep. “You want my mouth as much as I want yours. You want to let go and see what waits on the other side.” He eased back only enough to meet her stare, their lips separated only by a thin strip of air. “Take it. Take what’s yours and trust me to keep you safe.”
The heat in her eyes flashed white-hot and her fingers dug into his muscles as though they were all that kept her from a perilous free fall.
One second.
Two.
And then her lips were on his.
Full. Soft. Hot and demanding. A ravenous woman unaware of her power, yet claiming her due.
He gave it to her, palming the back of her head and taking full control. Licking inside her mouth. Stroking his tongue against hers and savoring her unique taste.
She moaned into his mouth and urged him closer, her hands fisting in his hair. Her teeth grazed his lips as though desperate for more, but frustrated with the uncertainty of how to proceed.
He had more than enough ideas for both of them. An endless stream of carnal images that fueled the escalating fire between them. He nudged her thigh with his and her legs parted, eagerly cradling his hips.
Perfect. Soft flesh welcoming his weight. The hard press of his cock against her sex, only the thin slick glide of her jogging shorts and his track pants to separate them.
She belongs to us.
Take her.
Claim her.
God, he wanted to. Wanted to slick his fingers through her folds. To watch as his shaft sank inside her. To power deep, hear her moans and feel her pussy pulse around him as she came.
He rolled his hips and she flexed in answer. So responsive. Open and void of pretense.
Trust me to keep you safe.
Another promise. One he’d break if he gave in now.
His cat snarled and the darkness wailed as he pulled away.
Until she opened her eyes.
Man, beast and shadow stared down at her, passion-weighted eyelids framing dazed, but dreamy eyes. In that moment, there was nothing between them. Only trust and the beginnings of a fragile bond he’d nearly destroyed with his lust.
For the first time since his brother’s betrayal, the darkness inside him stood tame and silent beneath her gaze. Dumbfounded. A belligerent child who’d comprehended an Earth-shattering truth and matured in a split second.
She wasn’t just a possession to be taken or tamed. She was a treasure. To be protected at all costs.
She’s exactly what you need to find balance.
“Naomi was right,” he whispered.
Whether he spoke to Kateri, or to himself he wasn’t sure, but it was her who answered, her voice as easy as the wind drifting off the lake beyond. “Right about what?”
He braced his forearms on the soft sand and framed her face, the truth giving him hope for the first time in half a century. There was only one thing capable of eradicating shadows. One cure to lift the darkest veil. “You’re my light.”