Her Eternal Warrior

Chapter Five

Tor ran cold water in the sink and splashed some on his face. His hands shook as he reached for a towel to dry off. His head still ached, but not nearly as bad as it had just before he’d lost all control. And it wasn’t because of the passion that had flared so hot between him and Kenna.

Right in the middle of making love to her, the headache had become intense and cutting. Tor swore he heard the sound of the demon laughing inside his head just as Tor seemed to lose control of his body. It was as if someone else had taken over. He’d felt like an observer, feeling everything that happened, but wasn’t in the driver’s seat.

He’d fought it, but it had been futile. Even when he’d felt his eyeteeth drop and the urge to bite Kenna rose, he’d fought. Whoever, or whatever, had control of him had made him roughly act on the impulse that rode him. Once he’d bitten hard enough to break the skin, he’d regained the ability to control his actions. He’d pulled away from Kenna and watched with shock as the deep bite mark he’d given her healed within seconds, not leaving anything behind.

Tor healed like that. He’d also felt something he could only describe as a bond form between him and Kenna right after he’d bitten her. He had the suspicion that she was now as immortal as he was. He also now understood why Anubis wanted Tor to bring his mate into his world before he acted on the powerful urge to sink his teeth into her. And because of whatever had used him like a puppet, Tor had broken his promise to the god of the underworld.

He jumped when he heard a knock at the bathroom door and Kenna asking if he was okay in there. Of course she’d think something wasn’t right since he’d practically bolted in here without a word after having great sex with her. Tor stood straighter and sighed. He’d have to talk to Anubis, but he couldn’t do that while Kenna was in the house.

Tor opened the door and put on what he hoped was a smile that didn’t look like a grimace. “I’m fine. Sorry.” He looked at where her neck and shoulder met. “For everything.”

She returned his smile and reached up to caress his cheek. “I’m not into the kinky stuff, but I don’t mind you losing control and using your teeth on me.”

If only she knew how out of control he’d been she wouldn’t tell him that. “I’m usually not a biter. So I doubt it will happen again.”

“Stop worrying.” Kenna bent her head to the side. “See? Not even a mark.” She straightened and took his hand in hers and slowly walked backward, taking him with her. “Come back to bed. I know you have to work tonight, but there’s still time for round two.”

Tor had actually planned to take the night off, but now he needed the excuse to take Kenna back to her place early. Having a chat with Anubis was number one on his list of things to do. He gathered her close and claimed her lips in a searing kiss. He reluctantly lifted his head, more than enjoying the feel of Kenna naked and willing in his arms.

“I do have to work. And I just remembered I have to start a little earlier than normal. So to make it up to you, how about we spend the entire weekend together as we’d planned, but you sleep over here, or we can stay at your apartment, starting tomorrow?”

Kenna gazed at his chest, circling Anubis’ mark with a fingertip. “All right.” She looked at him. “But we stay here. Your place is a hell of a lot nicer and bigger than mine. And instead of you having to pick me up, I’ll drive myself over tomorrow, say after lunch? That way you’ll have enough time to catch up on your sleep since you’ll be working all night.”

“Deal,” he said and swooped in for a quick kiss.

Tor wanted Kenna again, but was a little concerned if he’d lose the ability to control what he did once more. The headache was now gone. He just didn’t want to risk it. He’d already done enough damage for one night by biting her.

They both dressed and soon were outside in his car as he drove Kenna to her apartment. With this new invisible bond in place between them, Tor found it hard to let her go. He had to force himself to stop kissing her, holding her back from getting out of the car. He waited until she was safely inside the building before he headed back to his house.

Once he arrived, he headed up one of the curved staircases and to the bedroom Anubis’ temple occupied. He stood before the small altar, and called, “Anubis, I want a word with you.”

What do you need, Tor?

“First of all, I had an encounter with a demon last night, but the bastard refused to show himself.”

Did he force the change on you?

“No. I thought all he’d tried to do was give me a really bad headache. I’m not so certain of that anymore. And I’ve found my mate.”

And?

“When I was intimate with her my eyeteeth dropped and I had the urge to bite her.”

Which you held back from doing, correct?

“The first time, yes. Today, no. In the middle of being with Kenna, the headache came rushing back and I lost control of my body.”

What do you mean by that?

“I mean it was as if I were someone’s puppet and he made me do whatever he wanted. I was aware of everything that happened, felt everything too, but I couldn’t stop what my body did.” Tor paused before he continued. “I bit her. I felt a bond form between us.”

Have you told Kenna what you are yet?

“No. I wanted to speak with you first. I think my loss of control was the demon fucking with me. I heard his laughter in my head just before it happened. Could this be another spell?”

It would sound like it. Let me check to see if you’re still under the influence of it. Anubis went silent, but Tor felt the god’s presence moving around in his head. Then a minute later, Anubis said, It was a spell. Not a long-lasting one, though. It probably only works as long as the demon makes use of your body. Once he relinquishes control, the spell ends.

Terrific. That’s all Tor needed. To lose control whenever a demon decided to have some fun with him. “Is there a way I can lure that demon out into the open? I’m not going to want this hanging over my head for long.”

Demons aren’t known for their patience. I doubt you’ll have long to wait before he tries a physical attack. He’ll grow bored with his games soon.

“That may be the case, but he can do a lot of damage before that happens. You want me to ease Kenna into my world. How can I do that if the demon takes control of me again and reveals my true nature to her? He could force me to shift before I get the chance to tell her everything.”

Since you’ve already claimed her as your mate, there’s no need to take it slow. I suggest you tell her very soon. She’s going to notice there is something different about her since she’s now immortal.

“I thought she was when the bite mark healed in seconds. Did you give her immortality as you did me?”

No, you did. With your bite, Kenna is no longer mortal. Her life force is now tied to yours. You die, so does she. It was the only way I could make the women meant for my warriors their true mates. I can only grant immortality to a mortal if he or she is dying on a battlefield and is willing to vow to serve me for eternity.

Tor shuddered at the thought of Kenna having to go through that. He wouldn’t wish that on anyone. Millennia later, he still sometimes woke up struggling to breathe, having dreamt of how he’d fought to stay alive, not ready to go into the afterlife, before Anubis had come to him on that battlefield in Egypt Tor had fought on.

“I will. And hopefully when I go out hunting prey tonight the demon will make an appearance and I can send him to the underworld to you.”

I want you to hold off on hunting evildoers until the demon is taken care of. Since you’re now bonded to your mate, you not only risk your life, but hers as well.

“I’m immortal.”

Yes, but remember the last demon had a spelled dagger that left my warrior weak and vulnerable. If not for a protection spell I put over his house using the demon’s blood, he would have been too easy to kill.

“I’ll do as you say.”

Tor felt Anubis’ presence leave the temple. He wasn’t exactly pleased with the god’s edict of no hunting until Tor had taken down the demon. He was used to taking the initiative rather than sitting around doing nothing, waiting for the bad guys to come to him. And not being able to hunt meant he’d have a long night ahead of him before he could see Kenna again. He couldn’t show up at her place after they’d made plans to meet the next day. She’d wonder at the sudden change. Plus, she might think he moved a little too fast if he came across as demanding all of her attention all of the time. He knew what she meant to him but she didn’t have a clue.

Tor left the small temple and headed downstairs to the living room where he had a fifty-five-inch LCD television. He’d watch some movies to help the time pass before he was tired enough to go to bed.

As he looked through his collection of DVDs, his thoughts kept straying to Kenna. The more he thought of her the more he remembered how she tasted, how it felt to sink his body into hers. The sounds she made as she came. He longed to be with her, to have her always at his side. He craved her touch, and would for the rest of his very long life. His feelings for her had gone from simple attraction to full-blown love in a matter of days.

Maybe it had a lot to do with the bond that had formed between them, but Tor knew he didn’t want to go back to his old life of being alone. Kenna completed him, made him feel things he hadn’t felt in thousands of years—longing for someone to share his days and nights with being one of them.

Tomorrow he’d take the steps to bring Kenna into his world and permanently into his life. He wanted her living under his roof where she’d be better protected from the evil Tor knew all too well lurked outside, just waiting for a chance to strike at the next victim. She’d already experienced it firsthand, not that she remembered. He wanted to shelter her from it so it would never happen again. He would always be one of Anubis’ warriors, but he now had a duty to protect Kenna, his mate, as well.

Kenna found she didn’t know what to do with herself after Tor had dropped her off at home. She prowled around her apartment missing him like crazy. No other guy had she obsessed over as much as she did Tor. Some great sex and now she wanted to hang on to him and never let him go. Neither of them had even discussed the future. She didn’t even know if Tor wanted a serious relationship with her. And it was way too early to think about bringing up the topic of marriage.

She went to her bedroom and decided she might as well pack a bag for her weekend at Tor’s. The first thing she did was head to her underwear drawer. Though she wasn’t one for dressing overtly sexy, she did like to wear slinky undergarments. Nick called her the closet slut, that deep inside she wanted to show off her body. She did, but only to the men she slept with. And right now that man was Tor.

Kenna pulled out some of her skimpiest lingerie. She had one set in particular she wanted to take. After lifting it out of the drawer, she held it in front of her. It was a red satin baby doll with black lace trim along the hem and a sweetheart neckline. The straps were black and thin with tiny black satin bows partway up. A red satin G-string completed it. It was one of Kenna’s recent purchases and she hadn’t had a chance to wear it yet. She had a feeling Tor would like to see her in it. She knew she’d love it when he stripped the baby doll off her.

Once she finished packing, Kenna took a long, hot shower. She washed her hair, shaved her legs and lathered herself up with her vanilla-scented body wash. Letting her hair air-dry, she applied lotion to her body. Now she was all set to see Tor the next day.

When the hour grew late enough, Kenna went to bed. She thought she might have a hard time falling asleep, since she was more than looking forward to the weekend starting, but that didn’t happen to be the case. Sleep claimed her in a matter of minutes.

Then she dreamed about Tor, but it wasn’t a sexy, fun one. This dream was a borderline nightmare. One she tried to wake herself up from but couldn’t. In it, a strange man threatened her, demanding she give him something. What, she didn’t know. All she knew was he frightened her. Tor appeared on the scene. Some of Kenna’s fear dissipated, knowing he’d take care of the man who threatened her. Tor would keep her safe.

That soon changed when Tor’s body blurred and he shifted into a creature straight out of a horror movie, something half-human and half-animal. He stood taller than his normal height, was more muscular with his body completely covered in black fur. His tail swished behind him as he curled the upper lip on his muzzle and growled much as Tor had done while they’d made love. Somehow she’d even added his Egyptian heritage, because the creature he’d become wore a snow-white kilt as they did in ancient times, complete with gold armbands around his furred biceps.

This new Tor focused on the man and grabbed him by the throat. With a flash of a gold dagger, Tor cut the stranger with it, and the man yelled in fear before he literally disappeared. Tor turned toward Kenna, the dagger still in his hand. Blood marred the gold of the blade, dripping as he walked closer. There was more blood than there should have been. It didn’t seem to stop.

Kenna told him to stay back, but he kept coming. His gaze snagged hers and she couldn’t look away, felt trapped, unable to move. In a deep, gravelly voice, he said, “You are mine.” He then lunged at her.

She screamed, which woke her up. Kenna lay still on the bed, her eyes trying to focus in the darkness as her heart beat at a fast rate. She panted in fear, afraid to move. It was only a dream, she told herself. Tor was not the creature she’d seem him shift into while she’d slept. That was only the stuff of horror films, or her dreams, apparently.

Once she could breathe again without sounding as if she’d just run a marathon, Kenna got out of bed and went to the bathroom. She splashed cool water on her face. She rarely had nightmares. And of course it would figure when she did it would be an exceptionally bad one. She just hoped she’d be able to go back to sleep.

Kenna headed to the bedroom and climbed into bed. She closed her eyes and once again the creature Tor had become rose in her mind. It’s not real, it’s not real. She could tell herself that, but the fear was still there. Not about to let the nightmare win, she rolled over to her side and pulled the extra pillow to her chest, holding it tight. She would not stay awake. She needed to rest. She wasn’t going to ruin tomorrow by being tired from lack of sleep.

It took a few hours, but Kenna finally was able to push the memory of her bad dream aside to find the sleep she needed. As she drifted off, she thought of Tor and how good it felt to be held in his arms.

Kenna awoke in the morning, grateful her nightmare hadn’t returned. She stretched and sat up. The small sliver of sunlight that shone through the crack in her drapes told her the day was already a bright one. She threw back the covers and got out of bed.

After a stop in the bathroom, she headed for the kitchen. It was a little after ten. She decided to make herself some breakfast, then get dressed and ready for the day. Standing at the open fridge, Kenna saw she had all the ingredients to make a veggie omelet. She took out everything she needed and shut the door with her hip.

As she worked, she thought of Tor’s huge kitchen and his chef-quality stove. She might not cook as well as he did, but she wasn’t awful by any means. Maybe he’d let her make their dinner tonight and she could try out his fancy things.

She ran through menu ideas as she chopped some of the vegetables. Her mind really not on the work at hand, Kenna ended up cutting herself. She sucked in a sharp breath and lifted her finger closer to her face to see what kind of damage she’d done. She blinked, not sure if her eyes were playing tricks on her or not. Had the cut just instantly healed? She ran water over her finger in the sink. Her skin bore no slice mark.

Kenna dried her hand, giving the digit she knew for a fact she’d cut with the knife a closer inspection. Yup, it looked exactly the same. She knew that wasn’t possible. She had cut herself. She’d felt the sting of it. Maybe she was losing her mind and only thought she had hurt herself.

Deciding she’d better not go there, Kenna went back to preparing her breakfast. She’d almost convinced herself the knife incident really hadn’t happened when she touched the hot frying pan with the side of her hand. Her first instinct was to hold it under cold water in the sink, but as she turned toward it the pain ebbed away to nothing. Almost afraid to look, she flipped her hand. No burn mark.

She let out a small whimper. Kenna had never healed this fast. Before she completely wigged out, she forced herself to continue on with what she was doing. Once her omelet was cooked, she slipped it onto a plate and sat at the table to eat. With each mouthful, her thoughts became more chaotic, grasping at ludicrous possibilities as to why she’d healed in a matter of seconds.

By the time she’d finished her breakfast, Kenna had worked herself up into quite a state. She also entertained the notion of cutting herself to see if she’d still heal at a rapid rate.

Calling herself stupid for even thinking of doing it, Kenna got up from the table and grabbed her sharpest knife out of the block sitting on top of the counter. She sat back down, her hands shaking. Should she? Shouldn’t she? What if she cut herself and she didn’t heal and it was bad enough that she’d need stitches? How the hell would she explain why she’d done it without the doctor wanting her to go see a shrink?

Then her thoughts strayed to what she would do if she did heal. It wasn’t fricking normal. Not by a long shot. And it was something new for her. Before today, she had to wait like everyone else in the world to have a cut disappear. She couldn’t think of anything she’d recently done that would be so off the wall as to change her in such a way. The only thing new in her life was Tor and he sure as shit hadn’t made her like this.

If she kept this up too much longer they would have to take her away in a straitjacket and lock her up in the nuthouse. Before she could talk herself out of it, Kenna ran the knife she held across her left palm. It hurt more than when she’d accidently done it since she made sure she went deep enough to make herself bleed more than a little.

She did, but only for a few seconds. The wound healed, not even leaving a scar. The blood that had been spilled absorbed back into her skin. No trace of it remained. Kenna laughed, on the verge of being hysterical, then cried. Then cried and laughed at the same time. She barely managed to pull herself together before she totally lost it.

Kenna dropped the knife on the table as if it were a poisonous snake. She took deep, even breaths. She looked at the clock on the stove. There was a little less than an hour before she had to leave to go to Tor’s place. She could not show up at his door looking like an absolute mess. For one thing, she didn’t know if she’d be able to tell him why she was so upset. It was bad enough she thought she was crazy, but it would be even worse if he did too. And she sure as hell didn’t want whatever this was to push him away from her.

She stood and went to the sink to do the washing up as she would any other Saturday morning. That finished, she left the kitchen to head for her bedroom. Dressing helped her get more on an even keel. Kenna would not think about anything that would be considered off in woo-woo land. She’d be herself, not give Tor any reason to think something was wrong.

By the time Kenna had collected the bag she’d packed and headed out of her apartment, she’d collected herself to the point no one would be able to know she’d somehow acquired a freaky ability. At least in her mind she pulled it off.