Lycan Warrior (5 page)

“Katya! Look out!” he roared.

She spun around and saw the vampire father sprinting towards her with his silver aimed at her chest.

She couldn’t move. The vampire was too fast, and she held her breath, hearing Malek howl in anguish. The vampire was almost upon her. Then, in a blink of an eye, she saw the massive figure of Malek in front of her, stopping the vampire with a vice grip on his neck. The vampire father hissed and Ortega flung a stake through the air. Malek caught it and plunged it into the vampire’s chest.

Malek dropped the vampire to the ground, and turned to Katya, his Lycan eyes boring down on hers.

The look of relief on his face slammed into her chest and she inhaled slowly.
He cared
. She was about to tell him she was all right, when she saw his attention dragged to something behind her. She turned around and froze. Darma was flying through the air toward them, the silver dagger clutched in her hand.

“You killed my father!” Darma screeched. “Now,
you
will die!”

Katya grabbed the stake from the disintegrated remains of the father and shielded Malek with her Lycan body, her stake outward. Darma let out a horrifying shriek as the stake pierced her heart and she slumped to the ground.

Katya gaped at the little body of Darma disintegrating right before her eyes, and something painful welled up in her chest. She was going to be sick. Katya had just killed a child.

Numbly, she reverted to her human and lay naked on the ground, staring at the dusty remains of what once was a human, sweet, little girl. Katya gasped, trying to drag air into her lungs as her eyes burned with unshed tears. She covered her face with her hands and mumbled, “I killed a child.”

“That wasn’t a child,” Malek said roughly.

Katya sobbed an incoherent response and Malek fell to his knees in front of her, dragging her hands away from her face.

“Katya! Look at me! That was
not
a child. Only a very old vampire disintegrates that fast upon death.”

She didn’t say a word and he grimaced as he rose and went to his horse and removed a small blanket from the saddle. He returned and wrapped the cover around her bare shoulders. He rose and lifted her in his arms, holding her tightly against him.

“We find a camp site now,” Malek roared to his men. “There. Beyond those hills!”

She couldn’t speak as he carried her to his horse and hoisted her over his saddle before he vaulted up behind her.

Katya couldn’t control her tremors.

“That was a very foolish thing you did. You could have been killed,” he said gruffly over her head.

“She was going to kill you,” she whispered, finding her voice. Malek dying was an unbearable thought, too painful even to contemplate. The realisation was a blow to her senses. She had grown to care for him more than she dared to admit.

He tightened his hold around her and she rested her body against his bare chest, drawing strength from him.

Chapter Five

Katya watched Malek standing over the gravesite of his guard. His shoulders were tense and he fisted his hands at his sides as he gazed down at the pile of rocks Ortega and Falk had placed over the dead guard, killed by the vampire mother.

Her heart squeezed with compassion for Malek. From what she’d seen of him, he was well respected by his men, and he treated them firmly but fairly. She could just imagine how he felt losing a man in battle.

“He grieves for Konrad,” Ortega said gruffly beside her.

She cast a quick sideways glance at him and looked back at Malek. “I know.” She swallowed hard. “I…I want to offer my sympathies to him, but—”

“You are afraid,” Ortega interjected quietly. “I understand. The men, too, are afraid to invade his private moment of grief. Malek is a proud man, but he is not without a heart. Konrad was a good man and I know Malek is taking this hard. He feels responsible for all our lives, and when he loses a man…” his voice trailed off, making Katya wonder how seriously Malek took his job.

“I…I can’t explain it, but I
feel
his pain.” She gave Ortega a look that said she thought she was going mad. “I can hear every ragged breath he’s taking, feel every spasm of pain in his gut.”

Ortega didn’t look in the least bit surprised by her admission. He simply nodded as though that was the most natural thing for Katya to say, but Katya didn’t think it was natural. Who sensed another human being so vividly as though they were living under that person’s skin?

“Go to him, milady.”

She inhaled slowly and stared back at the lonely, sole figure of Malek, then slowly went toward him, her heart fluttering with the wings of a thousand sparrows. She reached his side and placed a gentle hand on his forearm.

“I’m sorry, Malek.”

He looked down at her, his dark eyes brilliant with a curious sheen in them, and her heart broke at the look of pain crossing his face.

“Konrad was a good soldier.”

“He respected you.”

“Aye, but look where that loyalty got him.”

“It’s not your fault. Any one of us could have been where he is now. It was his time to go,” she ended gently.

“Did you know he met his
one
three weeks ago and they were to be married upon his return from this scouting mission? She is with child.” He ran a hand though his hair and Katya noticed a tremor running through his fingers. “Dear God, how am I to tell her that her beloved is gone?” he asked, glancing back to Konrad’s resting place.

“Malek, Konrad left her with a beautiful gift, a child that will help keep his memory alive.”

Malek tore his gaze from the grave and peered down at her. Impulsively, she drew her arms around him and hugged him. He put his arms around her and she heard him take a ragged breath.

She wasn’t certain, but she thought she felt a whisper of a kiss on the top of her head. Slowly he drew away and looked deeply into her eyes.

“Katya, I…”

“What?” she said softly.

“Never mind.” He then dropped his hands and stalked away.

She stared at Malek’s retreating back and stiffened at the torrent of emotions she sensed emanating from his tall frame.

Anger, regret, guilt, self-loathing
.

Her heart plummeted. She had failed to console him.

Later that night, she came out of her tent and saw the guards preparing to eat. Nolan had already thanked her for the hundredth time for saving him and she smiled at him, telling him he would have done the same for her. He left her to sit with the men as Ortega came up to her with a plate of food. His stern face was softer, his eyes warm.

“The guards are all saying you are a brave woman for saving Malek.”

“Malek doesn’t think so. He said I was foolish for risking my life.”

“His duty is to protect you. If you had been hurt, he would have never forgiven himself.”

“Like he never forgave himself for not saving his brother?” she commented without thinking.

“We don’t talk about Garrek anymore. Malek has lost all hope his brother will ever be returned to him.”

As soon as Ortega left, she lowered herself on a small boulder and began to eat. She saw Malek to the far right, his expression pensive and drawn. Fatigue lines ran around his face and there were shadows under his eyes. She was sure he was thinking about Konrad and she wished she could help ease his guilt. Suddenly, he looked up and their gazes locked. Katya held her breath, unable to explain the powerful impact his dark, mesmerizing eyes had on her senses. Her blood began to pound.

He rose slowly and walked toward her until he towered in front of her. “I apologise,” he said.

“For what?”

“For thinking you might be under Balkathan’s control.” He lowered his body next to her. “I realise now you are not. You would not have saved my life or Nolan’s if you were.”

“Thank you for realising that.”

“I should be thanking
you
.”

“You saved my life, too, Malek,” she said quietly.

A brief spasm of pain crossed his face. “I was afraid I could not reach you in time.”

He gazed deep into her eyes and she held her breath. There was something different between them, something tangible and warm. His gaze flickered to her mouth.

“You told me earlier Konrad left his bride-to-be a beautiful gift. A child. Once, before we all turned Lycan two hundred years ago, I wanted a family.” He gave her a careful look. “Do you want a family?”

The question took her by surprise. “I’ve never really thought about it. According to the Lycan Legend, we all have predestined mates.”

“Ah, yes. The Lycan Legend.”

“You don’t believe in it?”

“I do, but I want control of my own destiny. I have always wanted a family, and one day, after Balkathan is defeated, I will choose a suitable mate and start a family.” He gave her an unreadable look.

“What if you choose the wrong woman?” she asked gently.

His face hardened. “I have seen what the legend could do to a man and a woman. Ortega loved a woman deeply once. They were both convinced they were true mates. When they first consummated their love—”

“They didn’t spontaneously transform into their Lycan forms,” she ended softly, recalling what her mother had explained to her. “What happened?”

“She was devastated. So she left him and broke his heart. He waits still for his soul mate.”

“And you don’t want to wait for your
one
.”

“Nay. Some Lycans have been known to wait for centuries for their mates. I will
not
wait. I will choose my mate when
I
am ready.”

She thought about what he’d said and her heart was heavy. She could never give him what he wanted.

A family
.

* * * *

Later that night, when the camp settled down for the night, Malek toured the grounds. He knew Katya was safe in her tent and he stopped behind a wagon. He overheard Ortega and Nolan.

“I like Katya,” Nolan said. “She has great beauty, courage, bravery.”

Malek felt a stab of jealousy.

“That wench is off limits, my friend,” Ortega said. “Have you not seen how Malek is with her?”

“Nay.”

“Then you are blinded by the wench’s beauty. We all stay away from her because we know Malek has claim on her even if he doesn’t know it yet.”

Malek stiffened violently.
What the devil is Ortega talking about?

“He wants her,” Ortega continued, “and it’s best to keep your distance, boy. You’re a young Lycan, Nolan. A fledgling. The rest of us have been Lycans since the beginning, two hundred years. We sense things, we
know
when a Lycan’s time has come to mate.”

Malek’s gut clenches.
Is Ortega right
?

“I have never seen Malek like this with a woman before in his life. His Lycan blood stirs for her. I saw it happen with the prince when he met Alexandra, and then again with the king when he met Eve.”

Malek couldn’t settle down—not now when Balkathan was still a threat to the royal kingdom.

There was no place in his life for love.

* * * *

The steady drum of rain on the tent woke her up and she opened her eyes. Malek was out there. Concerned, she rose from the cot, lit a candle, and went to the entrance. She quickly drew back the flap and looked outside. Her stomach dropped when she saw Malek leaning against a crate on the ground, his arms over his bent legs, his head down. He was getting soaked and her heart wrenched at pitiful sight of him.

“Come inside,” she said.

He snapped his head up and their gazes collided. “Nay. Go back to sleep.”

“You’re getting drenched. Please, come inside. You’ll be no help on this assignment if you get ill.”

His mouth quirked. “Lycans do not catch colds.”

“Fine. Then I’ll join you,” she said and proceeded to go outside.

He rose abruptly. “Go back inside, woman!”

“No! Why should you suffer in this terrible weather? You haven’t had a decent night’s rest since we left the castle.”

His expression softened for a brief moment. “Fine.” He entered the tent and ran his hands over his wet face. “I need to undress.”

“Of course.” Now, she wondered if it had been wise to tell him to come inside. Nervously, she turned around and heard him getting out of his wet, warrior garb. Alarmed, Katya wondered what Malek was going to wear. Was he going to remain naked in the tent? She peaked a glance at him and stifled a gasp at the magnificence of his beautifully, sculpted male body. She’d already seen him naked before, by the lake when she’d bathed and earlier during their attack from the vampire family, but this was different. This wasn’t battle conditions. They were in her tent and the atmosphere was intimate and seductive, more so with the soft glow of the candle. She lowered her eyes and couldn’t contain her gasp this time. Malek was fully aroused.