Hearts of Warriors Ch. 02

"I think you're lethal enough without any knives being involved," he remarked dryly. There was a hint of respect in his voice and she preened inside at the compliment.

"I was thinking the exact same thing about you," she answered, her own tone respectful as she placed the short sword back inside the chest.

He nodded once in her direction and then turned to the others. "Sparring is essential for honing our skills. Pain is used as a teaching tool so you learn how to ignore it to achieve the goal of protecting our charges. Emotions should not come into play when sparring. Loss of control can lead to the death of your fellow soldier. Control is everything. Remember that at all times."

Lily had the distinct feeling there was something more to Mac's teaching words. Was he indirectly apologising for hurting her? She'd wondered if brutality was part of sparring in the Praetorians but the shock she'd sensed from the others appeared to negate that.

Mackenzie had crossed the line and he was warning the others not to cross that same line. She was just as guilty and she took his words to heart. She wouldn't apologise for her actions without an apology from him first, but she would heed his words and ensure they do not reach this point again.

After a brief pause, he signalled one of the other recruits to come forward. Lily sat down to watch the rest of her team match wits with the leader of the Praetorians. She watched eagerly, admiring the sheer animal beauty of her mate, holding in a pleased sigh as he went through the motions with each of them.

Her male was glorious; total perfection all wrapped up in the most sensually pleasing package. He was strong enough to tame her wild spirit but most importantly he was strong enough to stand up to her father. The male she chose as her life's mate would have to be strong to combat Andrei's objections. She had no doubt her father would object most strenuously to the idea of her mating.

It wasn't going to be easy claiming Mackenzie as hers. First she had to get him to realise that he did belong to her, and then he had to convince her father that he had the right to claim her as his. She had no doubt her mate would walk through fire to secure her. She couldn't imagine Mac allowing anyone to take what he considered his and she was most definitely his.

* * * *

The four remaining candidates passed Mac's rigid testing and he was hot and sweaty by the time he'd put the last of them through their paces. The entire time he'd worked with the others, he'd felt Ruminskey's eyes on him following his every move. It had been a little distracting being so conscious of her appraisal, but not enough to make him reckless with the others.

A dull pulsing anger still burned within him because of his lack of control when sparring with her. She'd managed to elude him in the forest too which was another irritation. He was the most skilled tracker among the Praetorians; hell, he was probably one of the most skilled among their species. How had she managed to elude him?

He turned to Karn, his second-in-command. "Assign them rooms and get them fed." He turned and walked away without a backward glance, feeling eyes tracking his movements. He didn't need to look back to know who it was; his body's heated reaction to her told him all he needed to know.

He cursed under his breath as he headed inside and took the stairs two at a time, stripping off his top and wiping his face on a clean section as he reached the attic floor which was solely his. The scent of Ruminskey's blood saturated the top making his body clench hard.

What the hell was it about the damned woman that made him think of sex every five seconds? So she was beautiful. He'd seen many beautiful women in his lifetime and hadn't felt the need to bend them over the first thing he could find and pound mercilessly into their hot sheathes. Beauty wasn't the be all and end all so why he was reacting to hers was a complete mystery.

And why the fuck had he felt concern and guilt at having injured her? She was nothing to him, just another Praetorian candidate being put through her paces. Why was she under his skin, and how the fuck had she managed to do it? He wasn't a man who allowed people to slip past his barriers.

Andrea Ruminskey was an enigma and something told him he would be a fool to keep her around. But she was the best of the five he'd just recruited and he'd be just as foolish to let his personal feelings get in the way of his assigned task.

With that thought firmly in place he picked up his cell phone from his coffee table and considered sinking down into his favourite plush, black leather armchair. He needed a shower though so opted to do that first. Hitting the first speed dial he waited for the call to be answered, stretching his back muscles to work out a couple of kinks.

"Mac, how lovely to hear from you."

The soft, musical voice caressed his ears and he found himself relaxing as he always did when he heard his queen speak. When Demetri had told him they had a queen, it had merely been words to him, a new cause to fight for. Then he'd met her and had known instantly he would serve the petite redhead until his dying day.

He smiled and breathed out softly. "It is always a joy to speak with you, Annie. I have five new candidates to be vetted. Can one of you attend either today or tomorrow?"

"I will come," she answered and he knew she was smiling as she spoke. "It's been too long since I've seen you, and Caleb is busy at the moment with his Ancient work. Gard is still acting as if he's on honeymoon with his mate. You would think after twenty-five years they would have worked that out of their systems."

Mac laughed loudly. "Just as you and Caleb have worked it out of your systems?" he teased. Her soft laughter was all the answer she gave him.

"Will ten o'clock be okay, Mac? I'm heading over to the pack for a visit so I'll be in the area then."

"Ten is perfect, Annie. I look forward to seeing you."

She said goodbye and he placed the cell back on the coffee table. One last hurdle and he would know if choosing Ruminskey to join his team was the correct thing to do. He was suddenly anxious that she pass the triumvirate's test. Because if she failed, if their queen detected deception in the woman, Andrea Ruminskey would die and he would be the one to carry out her execution.

Once the triumvirate were involved and the candidates became aware of that involvement, there was no discreet way to handle the situation. Rhianna Armand was under the impression she was powerful enough to slip into vampire minds and erase their memories. Caleb and Gard had appeared to share her confidence so Mac hadn't questioned it.

Until Caleb had returned the night after they accepted their first recruits and they'd had a private conversation. Although all the recruits had passed the final test, Caleb wasn't one to leave any eventuality uncovered. His instructions had been blunt and ruthless. In the event a spy was unearthed and Annie's safety was jeopardised, death was the only recourse.

Mac had agreed wholeheartedly. Mercy towards enemies was suicidal. He'd learned that young and had lived by that code ever since. Their queen would most definitely object to it but the other three males wouldn't allow her kind heart to sway them. They'd take her fury, endure her wrath because keeping her safe was more important and worth any disappointment she may feel.

Pushing the weight of his responsibilities away for a short time, he headed into his bedroom and walked straight through without glancing around. He was sweaty and his body was hard and aching with need. Ruminskey's blood still lingered on his skin and his clothes, her scent seeping into his every pore and making his head spin.

He had to wash the woman off him before he did something stupid, like look for her and fuck her senseless until she screamed his name in ecstasy as he lost himself inside her delectable body. He wasn't sure he'd be able to kill her after taking her, and he didn't want to put himself in that position.

Even now just the thought of hurting her in any way felt wrong. He didn't know if he had it in him to kill her. And that concerned him immensely.

Mac turned the shower on and looked at the top in his hands. It was washable but he was inclined just to throw it away. It wasn't as if he was short on clothes. He paused at the bin raising the cloth to his nose so he could scent the female's blood that was making his head spin. His body hardened further, his irritation spiralling almost out of control.

Mac tossed the offending garment in the bin and stripped off the rest of his clothes. No way was he going to allow a woman to mess with his head. He didn't care how beautiful or intoxicating she was.

* * * *

Lily followed Karn into the house via the back door, straight into a huge kitchen/dining room. The sandy-haired vampire jerked his head towards an enormous stainless steel refrigerator.

"Bottled blood's in there. You drink one daily when training. I don't give a fuck what you get up to on your downtime but while you're here you stay off the vein completely. I catch any of you indulging, you deal with Mac personally." His pale blue eyes shifted to Lily. "As you will no doubt have noticed, pissing Mac off isn't a smart move."

She took the intended rebuke with a toss of her ponytail over her shoulder. She might have gained some respect for holding her own against Karn's fearless leader, but he was quick to ensure that none of them had better challenge Mac so openly again.

It took everything in her power not to shudder as she pulled open the fridge and plucked out a bottle of blood. She could exist on blood alone for a prolonged period of time but she didn't particularly enjoy it. She preferred a nice juicy steak with all the trimmings, real food to soothe her wolf. She wasn't sure how long she'd be required to stay here. She might have to work out a way to sneak out and find some real food.

As far as she could uncover, the Praetorians only trained at the house, sleeping there when they were on duty. They returned to their own homes when they took their downtime. How long would Mac expect them to stay here before he was confident enough in their loyalty to let them go home?

And where was he anyway? She scented the air unobtrusively under the guise of drinking down her nourishment. She sensed him at the top of the house, the farthest point away from her. Was he hiding? Had she rattled him enough that he instinctively sought to protect himself?

Her wolf rumbled her disapproval at the thought of their male running away from them. "He can run all his wants, girl, but he won't get far," Lily reassured her animal as she swallowed down the last of the cold blood and dropped the empty bottle into a waiting trashcan.

"Where's my room?" she called to Karn as she headed out of the kitchen.

"Pick one on the second floor," he called back. "They're all the same."

Without a word, she grabbed her pack which had been tossed into the hallway of the main house with all the others. Her gaze quickly slipped over the entryway. It was dark and bleak, wood dominating the area. Her Alpha's house also contained a lot of wood but it also oozed warmth and welcome. The Praetorians' house was the complete opposite.

Fighting down a sigh, Lily bounded up the first flight of stairs then headed up the next one. A glance upwards told her there was only one further flight, which would take her up to Mac's quarters. She chose the door directly in front of the stairs, the one closest to him. She would hear him as he came and went. She wondered if he'd try and figure out which room she was in. Would he understand the significance of her choice?

He wasn't a stupid male. He would immediately understand the signals she was sending out. Whether or not he acted on them was a different matter. She headed inside after one last glance up the stairs and closed the door behind her.

"I could so get sick of the sight of wood." Her wolf growled her agreement as they looked around the spartan interior.

The room felt small even though it was quite a decent size. There were no adornments on the walls, just relentless dark wood panels. The floor had the same panels, and the wardrobe and chest of drawers appeared to be built from the same material. The only relief from the starkness was the large king-sized bed with its crisp white bedding.

Dropping her pack, Lily headed over to the door closest to the bed and peeked inside. The bathroom was modern, starkly white and completely depressing. She couldn't help longing for her girlie rooms at home. She might like to kick ass but she adored her creature comforts too.

Her wolf urged her to do something about it but she resisted the temptation. How the hell would she explain redecorating her room? She'd maybe get away with a couple of small knickknacks but covering the walls would be a bit of challenge to explain.

Lily's conjuration skills were top notch, surpassing even Rayne's in some regards despite her friend being three thousand years older. Every Vârcolac could create clothes for themselves by using their minds. Lily was the only one who could create things which didn't relate to clothing.

Granted they had to be small things. She couldn't suddenly magic up a car or a house and she couldn't create food, but she could create jewellery, other feminine essentials like makeup and hair ties. If she really wanted to, she could probably conjure up tins of paint and a brush to pretty up her new bedroom though she hadn't tried anything like that before. She just felt an enormous wealth of potential deep within her which she hadn't tapped yet.

But experimenting with it here was most definitely not the right thing to do. She retrieved her pack and quickly emptied it, settling her few clothes into the drawers. They were practical clothes, cargo pants, jeans, tank tops, all the things a soldier would be expected to carry around with them.

There was one feminine blouse and one short skirt with a complementary pair of slinky heels. A girl had to be prepared just in case she might be called on to dress up for an occasion. And then there was the sexy lingerie too.

She'd gotten her addiction for delicate lingerie from her favourite aunt. Cedar was so elegant and refined all the time and she put it down to always having the sexiest undergarments on no matter what she was wearing. Lily had to concur with that. She felt feminine even in her cargo pants when she had sheer lace panties hugging her hips.

The thought of lace and sex made her think of Mac and she pushed down a strangled groan as her body reacted. Time for a shower! There was no way she could throw herself at him this soon into her tenure under him. A nice cold shower would wash away the day's training activities and also cool her blood.

A knock at her door an hour later had her springing from the bed in an instant. She'd showered and changed into dark blue hip hugging jeans and a deep red tank top which gave tantalising glimpses of her bare midriff as she moved. She opened the door to find Karn standing outside.

"Mac wants you."

Lily blinked in surprise. She hadn't expected him to come looking for her so soon. "He does? Where am I supposed to meet him?"

"Downstairs. Study next to the sitting room." The vampire turned and walked away.

Lily smiled, amusement crossing her face. "Hey, Karn, do you ever do warm and fuzzy? Enquiring minds want to know if you know the meaning of the word charm."

He shot her the finger and kept walking, her laughter following him as he disappeared into a room on the first floor.

Lily closed her door and headed downstairs. She liked Karn. His little speech in the kitchen earlier had been the most she'd heard him speak in one go. Usually he just grunted words. As long as he got his point across he was happy. If he had to repeat himself he wasn't averse to using his fists to make sure his point was made the second time.

That was what she liked about him. You always knew where you stood with Karn. He was blunt, rough around the edges, but fiercely loyal. If he considered you worth the effort then he gave you his entire attention. She'd been two weeks into her initiation as a Praetorian when he'd judged her worthy enough. He'd been tough on her but he'd helped shape her until she was the top of her group. She had a lot of time for the anti-social vampire.

She gave herself a mental shake when she reached the study door. Her knock was sharp and quick, Mac's voice urging her to enter before her hand was back at her side. Squaring her shoulders she turned the doorknob and entered.

"More wood!" she groaned internally her eyes quickly flicking around the stark room. There was a large desk against one wall, a deep mahogany colour. A black leather chair was behind the desk, an open laptop the only thing on the dark surface. Two smaller black chairs faced the desk and there was a dark brown leather sofa taking up most of the wall underneath the window.

Surprisingly there were no bookcases to be seen, though there was a large open fireplace on the wall directly opposite the door. Mackenzie was standing with his back to the fire, his black gaze intent on her.

He'd obviously showered, having changed into tight-fitting black jeans with a matching silk shirt. His thick black locks were loose around his shoulders, his expression unreadable.

The man had to be Satan given form. No mere male could be so gorgeous, so intimidating. Lily could feel liquid heat running through her body as she met his hard gaze, tilting her chin up in challenge. She had no idea she looked a lot like her mother when she adopted that pose. She had her father's volatile personality and just assumed she was more like him.

"The room isn't to your liking?" Mac had noted a slight tightening around her mouth as she'd surveyed the room. He'd been watching her keenly since she'd entered, determined to discover what it was about her that seeped under his skin.

He hadn't stopped thinking about her for the last hour. He'd finally decided to confront the woman, talk to her, try and get inside her head so he could work out this uncomfortable obsession he appeared to be developing for her.

The moment she'd stepped into the room his breath had halted, his throat constricting as his eyes travelled over her exquisite face, down over the obscenely short red top that hugged her breasts like a second skin. A golden strip of bare flesh teased him and something shiny in her navel attracted his attention.

His body had hardened in an instant, the shiny pink jewel in her navel capturing his attention completely. He'd almost groaned out loud. Delicate little piercings turned him on immensely. He couldn't help wondering if she had more on her body.

She didn't strike him as the type to have her nipples pierced; he didn't see any evidence of it either under her top. It had been an effort to tear his gaze away from her body. Thankfully she'd been too busy wrinkling her nose at his study to notice his reaction.

"It's not exactly homey," she said with a hint of amusement in her voice, and it took him a moment to realise she was answering the question he'd just posed to her.

"It's not meant to be," he countered. "This is a training camp, not a sorority house. If you want frills and lace then fuck off home and decorate your house the way you want it."

Lily raised an eyebrow in surprise, fighting the urge to smile. Mac actually seemed offended that she didn't like his house. His reaction had been a little over the top and from the way the muscle in the side of his jaw ticked, he appeared to realise it himself.

"So you wanted to see me so we could argue about interior décor?" she asked coolly, keeping her expression as neutral as possible. "You asked me what I thought. If you don't like the answer then maybe you shouldn't ask the question."