Taming Two Warriors (Kindred Tales)

“He doesn’t?” Liosh couldn’t keep the shock out of his mental tone. As a Kindred, he couldn’t imagine any male not wanting to lick his female’s pussy and give her pleasure with his tongue. Such a specimen was only half a man in his estimation—less, for he wasn’t putting his female’s needs first. Then again, he reminded himself, Josephine’s fiancé was human and human males had a lot of bizarre and distasteful likes and dislikes, as he had learned from the disgusting rape porn vid he’d had the misfortune to see.

“No, he doesn’t,” Vorn said, sounding irritated and disgusted. “How he can call himself a male is beyond me. But Jodi still thinks she loves him. So there’s nothing I can do—if I push too hard, it’ll only drive her away. Which means I’m trying to be patient—and that’s much more your forte than mine, Brother.”

Liosh had to admit that was true. Of the two of them, he had the cooler head. Vorn was much more likely to rush into any given situation while Liosh tended to stop and analyze things first.

“That must be a difficult situation for you,” he sent to his friend. “You have my sympathy.”

“Thanks.” Vorn gave a mental sigh and Liosh had a brief mental image of his friend running a hand through his long, black and gold hair. “Anyway, how are things on your end?”

“Good,” Liosh reported. “Er…very good, actually.”

“Oh, really? Meaning what?” Vorn asked.

“Meaning you’re not the only one making your Mating Scent,” Liosh admitted. “I think I’ve been making mine for Melinda almost from the first moment I saw her.”

“I had a feeling about you two.” Vorn sounded completely unsurprised. “So have you Claimed her yet? Are the two of you bonded?”

“Not quite yet. There are…complications.” Liosh didn’t want to reveal Melinda’s secret—not even to his best friend. She very obviously wanted to keep it to herself, having only told him and her big sister about her past. But to his surprise, Vorn seemed to already know at least some of what was going on.

“She has a shadowed past, doesn’t she?” he asked, using the euphemism Kindred employed to name a female who had been abused or molested by a male sometime in their life.

“I’m afraid so—but how did you know? Did the Lady Josephine tell you?” Liosh asked.

He got the mental feeling that Vorn was shaking his head.

“Not is so many words but she’s mentioned several times that someone dear to her was attacked. It, uh, had a very deep effect on her—almost made her lose a part of herself she doesn’t want to lose. I just figured it had to be Melinda.”

“Well, it was.” Liosh sighed. “She was badly hurt and the effects are long-lasting. But I’m hoping to be able to help her heal from them. She’s been through a terrible ordeal and I…I love her, Vorn. So much.”

“Of course you do, Brother.” Vorn’s mental voice was surprisingly gentle. “I knew she was for you the minute you picked her up and held her in your arms after the Varian attack. You’ll heal her—I’m sure of it.”

“From your mouth to the Goddess’s ear,” Liosh told him. “I haven’t tried yet, but I hope to very soon—when she’s ready.”

“You will,” Vorn said. “You’ll see, Brother.”

“And you will make the Lady Josephine see that she should be with you and not that human male who refuses her oral pleasure,” Liosh sent back. “These are the females the Goddess has meant for us, Brother. We will win them in the end.”

“Now it’s my turn to say I hope your words reach the ears of the Goddess,” Vorn sent back. “Look, I have to go now. The class Jodi is teaching is almost over.”

“And the one Melinda is taking is coming to a close as well,” Liosh told him. “We will talk again later.”

“Later then,” Vorn had agreed. “Stay strong, Brother.”

“You as well,” Liosh told him and then the connection had been broken.

He thought of the conversation now, as he held Melinda in his arms. She seemed completely relaxed and much happier than she had been in the day or so after she had seen the awful vid which had brought her trauma rushing back. Could it be that tonight was the night he could try to heal her?

As though in answer to his question, Melinda reached up to stroke his cheek.

“Liosh,” she murmured. “Kiss me.”

Twenty-Five

Melli loved the feeling of her big Kindred’s mouth on hers. And also the feeling of his big hands roaming gently over her body.

For the last several nights, they had simply been cuddling and making out— taking things slowly and not going too far or too fast. The patience Liosh displayed was amazing to Melli. She knew most men couldn’t wait to get to the sex part of a relationship but the big Kindred seemed perfectly content to just hold her in his arms and kiss and caress her. And even though she felt the hard ridge of his shaft growing under her bottom while she sat on his lap, he never pushed for more than she was ready to give.