Love's Subterfuge (Warrior Camp Book 12) Page 3

  “Do you know when?”

  “No,” I admitted after a few moments. “Not yet. I get this feeling when I think of Norris and it’s coming. Like you hear someone coming up behind you. That feeling of oh shit that startles you because you’re not alone. When I think of you, it’s more knowing I’ve got people close to me in other rooms, comfort almost that I’m not alone. So to me that says not to worry, but I have no fucking clue, man.”

  “Good gift, though. Powerful.” He chuckled. “Water, huh? That’s cool too.”

  “You’re not mad?”

  “No, I’d prefer to know. I’ve been having nightmares I’m going to go like Nate and set me and my mate on fire. I think even if you’re completely wrong, it’s nice to… Not be alone in it? Feel like there’s not so much uncertainty.”

  “What if I’m totally wrong? What if I fuck with people?”

  “If you acted all confident and then blew it, you’d fuck with people, but I promise, Zibon, the way you just told me was nothing but helpful. I swear.”

  “Okay, then I gotta talk to Lance because I have a feeling he’s freaking shits.”

  “Yeah, I’ve only heard pieces, and I would be too, but he’s so damn closed off and acting like everything’s cool—we all have to stop doing that.”

  “Amen, Brother. Amen.”

  “So what would you want next?” Wally asked me as we caught up to the group.

  I almost answered but then had a moment of wondering if my mystery man could hear me. Then I realized it would be easier on him if he could get some guidance… Assuming I would get more gifts.

  “The variety was what was so cool,” I admitted after a few more moments of thought. “I know you know I had a shit childhood, but I don’t get into specifics. It’s just, after how I grew up, the variety and feeling spoiled was what was so cool. I mean, I love strawberries, yeah, but there were things I’d never even seen before.”

  “So you want like fruit treats you’ve never had or the theme and range?”

  “Yeah, that was why it was so thrilling. Like whoever it is knew me enough that I would want that instead of hundreds of chocolate-covered strawberries. Those are awesome, don’t get me wrong, but yeah, it was exciting to try things I never had before.”

  “Roarke was throwing a fit about when the next supply run is. I told him to stuff it. It was my fault he didn’t go for so long after they hit their run. I fucking freaked about him leaving camp after I almost lost him.”

  “They’re being smarter about it now, and I get this feeling more help will be coming.” He shot me a look, and I shook my head. I didn’t really know anything. “I think there are more than Ashton who are smart and are taking this seriously instead of hiding their heads in the sand in denial. There are better ways to do all of this. Fuck, there are privatized towns. Build a whole private subdivision here for those who want to come in out of the cold or don’t want to risk being nests.

  “There are places like that for celebrities with twenty-four-hour security. It’s not unheard of. If the right people frame it as something like that instead of some of the cult shit that our people are fine with giving the vibe of because no one wants to get near that, it would work better. Ashton’s got the profile that he could be some rich recluse and built a subdivision for his rich friends to come live the relaxed, Wyoming life. No one has to know they’re not really rich and six families live in a house. Who cares?”

  “You’re not just a pretty face,” he teased me and took off. I chased after him, feeling lighter after getting that out and finally telling someone I trusted about my gift.

  And I had my mystery man to thank for it.

  After the run, we hit dinner early, getting more treats, and I even snagged the smaller box of chocolate-covered strawberries, a bag of ice, and some paper cups. I put it all in my room and hurried to shower, not even thinking about leaving my door unlocked yet, but I always left it open when I showered.

  What did I have that was really of any value in my damn room?

  Mark and I finished about the same time and walked back to our rooms. He kept joking about raiding the fridges with all my goodies and if I ever did speak to my mystery man to remind him that Roarke had spoiled Wally’s friends to get in good with us.

  “I think you all got spoiled since I shared,” I drawled as I opened my door. “I think the fun it brought to the camp when we need it so badly is enough to make everyone fall in love with whoever it is.” I turned to go into my room and let out a huge yelp.

  “What? What’s wrong?”

  “Fucking Wyoming huge ass spiders,” I lied through my teeth as I met the orange eyes of my mystery man sitting in my chair. I quickly pulled off my flip flop and slapped the doorway as if I was killing something.

  “You’re a big, bad warrior now,” Mark drawled as he unlocked his door. “No more being afraid of spiders.”

  I turned to look at him, rolling my eyes. “Who was it screeching about a damn snake last week?”

  “Dude, the thing was monstrous and hissing at me. It was poisonous,” he defended, nodding his head like I’d made a good point. “Fine, yeah, I’ll handle your spiders, and you take care of my snakes. Good trade. Night.”

  “Night,” I chuckled as I stepped into my room, closing the door behind me and leaning against it.

  “You’re very clever,” he greeted quietly, probably knowing the walls were paper thin. I bobbed my head, still shaking off the shock. “Come here, young Zibon.”

  “Will you tell me your name?” I asked even as I stepped towards him.

  “No, not yet,” he answered after a few moments of thought. “You were wise today and protected me as I asked, and I think that best for now, as it’s not fair to you.”

  I kept nodding, stopping a few feet in front of him. “Fine, but no sex until I know your name.”

  His eyes flash shocked, most of him wrapped in shadows even as he sat in the corner of my room. I got a better outline, and I could tell he had dark hair and a very sexy smile when he smirked at me. “Good, you should value yourself like that.”

  My stomach knotted, and I hung my shower caddy in the closet, retucking my towel around me.

  “Why does that hurt you?” he asked gently.

  I turned back to face him, trying to answer a few times but then sitting on the end of my bed in a huff. “If I tell you something so personal, something my friends don’t even know, will you tell me something about you at least?”

  “I will tell you many things about me if you come sit with me, as I wish to feed the delicious you a strawberry and share a glass of wine.”

  “Let me answer, and then yeah, I’d love that,” I muttered, glad when he gave a slow nod, understand this was hard for me.

  “My parents have money. Lots of vampires do, but they positioned themselves as one of the ‘founding families’ crap that came over on the Mayflower. They’re East Coast royalty, that sort of shit I hate. Whatever. So they’re vampires with money, lots of money, but not councilmembers, as they think such shit is beneath them when in reality there is no sane person who would put them in charge of anyone. I mean, yeah.”

  “And then they had a warrior son,” he pushed when I started to lose steam.

  “Yeah, the first born of my family. Wow, awesome. Because there’s not lots of families with warriors, or maybe not lots but enough where it’s not that crazy a thing. But to them and all their rich friends, you think they just discovered the last dodo. The value of having a warrior born of them elevated their status and blah, blah, blah. My first memory was of my mother yelling at my nanny when I got into something, shampoo or something totally normal for a little kid to make a mess with.

  “I remember thinking she was so mad I could be hurt, but no, it was as if someone spilled paint on a priceless rug. It was all about how it would look if their valuable and bragging point child got hurt or something happened so I wouldn’t be a warrior anymore.” I let out a shaky breath. “I never had soda before coming here.
I wasn’t allowed it. And my parents aren’t health conscious—”

  “They didn’t want anything to potentially ruin their investment like a prized racehorse,” he offered, nodding he understood.

  “Yeah, that’s actually exactly it,” I chuckled bitterly, jumping to my feet and grabbing the wine. “Because from the moment I was a teenager, my parents started entertaining offers for me and my mating, as I would give strong genes. The well-bred warrior of such a fancy, fancy line who could father babes. I used to have to sit there and listen as people came and requested sperm for… It wasn’t healthy.”

  “Did you ever? Did you ever give it?”

  “No, I flat out refused and said I’d rather cut off my own dick than be part of a baby that I didn’t have in my life. My parents thought it meant I was so damn loyal to our family, our bloodline and even praised me for such strong convictions.” I couldn’t get the bottle open without a corkscrew, but then I thought about using a claw.

  “Why are you not at the East Coast camp?” he asked as he moved behind me, surrounding my six-three frame with his bigger one. He reached for the wine and easily got it open with his own claws, obviously having experience.

  “I played their games and said I heard whisperings of corruption at the East Coast camp, stuff that could smear our family name if I could ever be implicated by even being there, and I felt the remote camp that focused solely on training would be best for our family and any heirs I might have.”

  “You are too clever,” he praised, kissing my neck as he set down the wine and hugged me. “And what did you do then, my wise Zibon?”

  “They wanted me watched here,” I admitted, shivering as his fingers gently danced along my hip bones. “Assign a damn chef to control my food and crap. Alexander wasn’t having it. He promised I’d be taken good care of and they trained some of the best warriors in the world, so to trust them. I couldn’t believe it. He knew just what to say after the meeting.

  “They left, satisfied, and he admitted his gift was to see the morality of a person and my parents were sorely lacking.” I turned in his arms, hugging him too as I stared into those eyes. “And then he asked me if I wanted to tell him anything. I told him everything, begging him to protect me from their crazy, their trying to mate me off or be a stud horse, anything else. And he did. Alexander took all kinds of crap to do it, but he did. And today I lied to him because something in me is screaming to trust you. Please, prove me right.”

  “I’m not the enemy, but I’m not a nice man, darling. Many do not approve of me or my methods. I don’t do well with order or hierarchies. I don’t like bullshit and—”

  “I would never ask any of that of you. You’re way older and obviously super smart to have survived this long. All I’m asking is you swear to me you’re not here to hurt my friends here, the people who have protected me.”

  “I swear it. I was requested to help one of the camps, stop being on my own, and I found the others lacking. I found something here besides you, delicious young warrior, as there is a lot of intelligence and they need help to make their vision to save our people work. I’m finding out more and more before I commit to anything, and you are part of that. So I will not hurt your saviors, I swear it to you.”

  Before I could reply, he kissed me. Like a holy fuck kind of kiss that made my head spin and my toes curl against the wood floor. It was so much better than what I read in romance books, way better than I’d thought even possible.

  Wow.

  3

  “Did you like the gifts, darling?” he asked me when we came up for air.

  “Yes. Not sure it was worth a blow job and keeping my mouth shut—”

  “It was not payment,” he corrected, something dark showing in his eyes. “I realize now you were raised in a way that everything had a price or must be paid for, but that was not what I did.”

  “I didn’t think that actually,” I assured him. “More, I spoiled you, you wanted to spoil me. I just meant you way more spoiled me, as I don’t think it was a very good blow job since it was my first.”

  That smirk came back. “You were very enthusiastic. Maybe the most enthusiastic of all the thousands of blow jobs I’ve gotten over my many years. I felt incredibly spoiled.”

  “So did I,” I breathed, kissing him again. Then I dropped to my knees, undoing his fly and quickly pulling him out.

  “Yes, on your knees is much better,” he praised. “Lose the towel and let me see all of you, darling.” I did it, and he grinned widely at me. “Delicious. Explore and see what you like.”

  So I did. I played with sucking just the head really hard as I pumped his cock. He liked that. Then I hummed as I bobbed my head.

  He liked that too.

  I changed to swallowing constantly as I tried my best to deep throat his massive cock.

  That got a good response. Basically he liked all of it as long as I kept changing it up. Which worked really well for my jaw.

  “That was amazing,” he praised as he finished, his eyes never leaving mine. “You are a quick study, and I love being the one you practice on.”

  “It’s fun with you,” I admitted as he pulled me up. Then he moved us to the bed, setting down the wine and cups on the nightstand. I watched as he sat with the wall as his back rest and he gestured for me to join him.

  On his lap.

  “Come,” he said firmly when I hesitated. I moved onto the bed and then where he wanted me, studying my face. “If there is ever something you don’t like, tell me, but yes, I like that you will let me lead and are so open.” He ran his hands over my thighs as I sat there naked, knees on either side of his hips, just everything hanging out for him.

  “Okay, good, because I don’t ever want to be a doormat,” I mumbled as I took the paper cup of wine he offered.

  “Fair enough. What do you wish to explore then?” He smirked at me when my gulp of wine went down funny.

  “I don’t know. Why did you want me to sit like this?”

  “So adventurous,” he chuckled and reached into my nightstand for my lube I had yet to use. I’d gotten it the last time I went on a supply run months ago and could finally get my own stuff with my own warrior salary and thought it was a good idea. “Never used.” I felt my cheeks heat at his comment. “I never liked virgins or being patient, but then I heard Helios found love, found grounding after so many thousands of years, by mating someone young. It intrigued me.”

  “But you could pick a bunch of idiot virgins, why me?” I asked, not taking what he said as an insult.

  “I told you, I felt your darkness.” I watched him pour some on his fingers, moving that hand between my legs and teasing my hole, which almost made me drop the cup. “May I show you why I wanted you to sit like this? I wish to be the first to finger such a delectable ass while I feed you delectable treats.”

  “Yeah, I can suffer through that,” I panted, seeing the strawberry already in his other hand. “I don’t know how long I can last, though. I’ve been sort of wound up since last night.”

  “You’re young. You’ll recover,” he chuckled and pushed his finger into my ass. I gasped, and he moved the strawberry around my lips, watching me. “You are so young, so uninhibited, and yet smart and powerful with that gift. I heard you confess to your friend. I’m glad it went well.”

  I took a bite of the treat as I kept his gaze. I swallowed it and leaned down, kissing him gently. “You made me realize I’d been out in the cold too, and I didn’t want that anymore. I want to feel warmth.”

  “As I said, intelligent.”

  He kissed me again, and I about melted against him, leaning back only when I got close. “I don’t want to ruin your clothes, but I’m coming.”

  His eyebrows shot up. “From just your ass? Are you so sensitive there?”

  I swallowed a laugh. “My first time ever playing with my ass, and you’re pretty much playing my body from mouth to ass.”

  “Charmer,” he chuckled, pumping his finger faster. “Do it. Co
me all over me and show me the warmth I bring you.”

  I bit my lower lip and did what he said, my hips moving on their own as I sprayed his shirt with cum. When I was done, I moved my hand to the wall to brace my weight since he still had his wine in his hand and I didn’t want to spill that everywhere.

  “I cannot wait to take your virginity and show you everything,” he whispered in my ear, nipping it. “I wish to explore you some more. Will you let me?”

  “What did you have in mind?” I teased, kissing his neck. “Two fingers? Toys? Yeah, as long as it’s not pain stuff. I don’t think I’m into that, or at least maybe I need to work up to it.”

  “Mmm, I love adventurous and open. Either it’s normally one or the other.”

  I wasn’t sure I understood that, as those sounded almost the same to me, but then again, what did I really know?

  He moved me to sit between his legs and refilled our wine, feeding me strawberries as he kissed my shoulder and neck. “I do not wish to bring up topics that upset you, but I heard some of your darkness, and we can discuss it another time, but I wanted you to know I’ve killed humans.”

  I didn’t flinch or anything, waiting for him to finish that thought. I angled my neck and met his eyes. “Okay, why? What happened?”

  “No judgement?” He didn’t hide his shock well.

  “Your eyes are orange, which is hot, not red. So you’re not a zakasac. I’m sure you’re not the only vampire who’s killed humans.”

  “So open,” he praised, brushing his lips over mine. “I think I avoid young ones, as they are the harshest to judge. So sure they know so much and there are clear lines in life.”

  I snorted and turned back around, sipping the very awesome wine. “Nothing is ever black and white. I won’t make a shades of gray joke, but yeah, not clear lines. The older I get, the more muddled they seem most days.”

  “You’re at a precarious age. Soon, you will learn your lines, and if you are smart enough, you will understand that other lines are not as morality driven.”

  “I’m seeing that with what little I know of our councils.” He snorted, and I smiled. “So you’re a big fan?”