away from her and followed with a flying round kick, snapping Ullyn’s head back and shoving him into a computer panel.
Wulf waved his brothers away. He didn’t want them to distract her, giving Ullyn an opening to harm her. He moved closer, just in case she needed him, but not so close so as to impede her decimation of one of his Prime warriors.
His connection to her told him she had this traitor under control. Despite his reluctance to see her as a battle-mate, he did.
Concentrating, he followed the instinctive path that had been awakened upon holding and scenting her for the first time and fed her his strength as battle-mates of the Prime’s glorious past had done for many millennia.
Ansu bhau, but she was magnificent, just as his brothers and Maren had advised him.
Her supple strength, her ferocity, made him hot. It would take all his control not to throw her to the floor and take her in front of his men, claiming her in the most primitive of ways possible.
He snorted back a laugh. She’d emasculate him on the spot if he tried. Later. It would all happen later—in privacy. And he planned to take a long, long time learning all the secrets of her body. Of her fascinating mind. Of her woman’s heart.
His crew crowded around, all respectfully giving her the room to fight. The mood in the room was one of awe. Pride. Envy. Many of his men had lost their mates because of the exodus. He thanked Diew his had been returned to him.
Narrowing his gaze, he observed Melina’s movements. She was visibly tiring. He felt her exhaustion and pain as his. Even battle-mates had limits—plus she fought with injuries, blood loss. He’d give her a chance to finish it; he would not shame her in front of his men. But if she couldn’t, he would. He could not allow her to harm herself, even to save face.
“Finish it, gemate lubha— or I will.”
The crowd grunted their approval of his words. The whispers of “battle-mate” swept the room. They all knew of the legend, but had never thought to see one.
As Melina kicked and punched Ullyn in a rapid sequence of punishing hits, she panted out a response to his deliberately arrogant order. “I’m. Not. Little. Nor. Your.
Love. And—Not a— Gemate . Either. Whatever in the ansu bhau that is!” With her last words, Ullyn fell to the floor and didn’t get up.
Wulf signaled two men to guard Ullyn. He approached his tired little warrior who was bent over at the waist, taking deep breaths. She turned her head to look at him. “I couldn’t let him kill Iolyn. You and Huw kept him talking long enough for me to get into position.” Blowing out a deep breath and tossing her midnight dark hair out of her sweaty face, she sighed. “Plus, he had the audacity to announce he’d seen me naked.” She stood taller and arched her back as if eliminating a kink. Shaking her head wearily, she added, “Besides, you and your people need to see that female Alliance military members can be counted on in a fight. We’re not little and we’re not to be belittled with pet names like lubha and gemate lubha .” Wulf smiled as he reached for her. “I can guarantee my men will never call you those pet names.” Or mention the fact all of them have seen you naked.
He swept the men surrounding them with a glare. All bowed their heads in acquiescence.
Satisfied he’d gotten his point across, he swept Melina into his arms and up against his chest, inhaling her unique scent. He whispered against her hair, “You have no idea how special you are, gemate lubha . But all will be explained later.”
“It’s always later with you.” She laid her head on his shoulder and took another deep breath, relaxing into his hold, and sighed. “Why do you smell so damn good?” He didn’t respond. She wouldn’t have heard him anyway. Now that the battle was over, her previous injuries, blood loss, and exhaustion took hold and she slipped into semi-consciousness. The battle-mate connection that aided her in
Wulf waved his brothers away. He didn’t want them to distract her, giving Ullyn an opening to harm her. He moved closer, just in case she needed him, but not so close so as to impede her decimation of one of his Prime warriors.
His connection to her told him she had this traitor under control. Despite his reluctance to see her as a battle-mate, he did.
Concentrating, he followed the instinctive path that had been awakened upon holding and scenting her for the first time and fed her his strength as battle-mates of the Prime’s glorious past had done for many millennia.
Ansu bhau, but she was magnificent, just as his brothers and Maren had advised him.
Her supple strength, her ferocity, made him hot. It would take all his control not to throw her to the floor and take her in front of his men, claiming her in the most primitive of ways possible.
He snorted back a laugh. She’d emasculate him on the spot if he tried. Later. It would all happen later—in privacy. And he planned to take a long, long time learning all the secrets of her body. Of her fascinating mind. Of her woman’s heart.
His crew crowded around, all respectfully giving her the room to fight. The mood in the room was one of awe. Pride. Envy. Many of his men had lost their mates because of the exodus. He thanked Diew his had been returned to him.
Narrowing his gaze, he observed Melina’s movements. She was visibly tiring. He felt her exhaustion and pain as his. Even battle-mates had limits—plus she fought with injuries, blood loss. He’d give her a chance to finish it; he would not shame her in front of his men. But if she couldn’t, he would. He could not allow her to harm herself, even to save face.
“Finish it, gemate lubha— or I will.”
The crowd grunted their approval of his words. The whispers of “battle-mate” swept the room. They all knew of the legend, but had never thought to see one.
As Melina kicked and punched Ullyn in a rapid sequence of punishing hits, she panted out a response to his deliberately arrogant order. “I’m. Not. Little. Nor. Your.
Love. And—Not a— Gemate . Either. Whatever in the ansu bhau that is!” With her last words, Ullyn fell to the floor and didn’t get up.
Wulf signaled two men to guard Ullyn. He approached his tired little warrior who was bent over at the waist, taking deep breaths. She turned her head to look at him. “I couldn’t let him kill Iolyn. You and Huw kept him talking long enough for me to get into position.” Blowing out a deep breath and tossing her midnight dark hair out of her sweaty face, she sighed. “Plus, he had the audacity to announce he’d seen me naked.” She stood taller and arched her back as if eliminating a kink. Shaking her head wearily, she added, “Besides, you and your people need to see that female Alliance military members can be counted on in a fight. We’re not little and we’re not to be belittled with pet names like lubha and gemate lubha .” Wulf smiled as he reached for her. “I can guarantee my men will never call you those pet names.” Or mention the fact all of them have seen you naked.
He swept the men surrounding them with a glare. All bowed their heads in acquiescence.
Satisfied he’d gotten his point across, he swept Melina into his arms and up against his chest, inhaling her unique scent. He whispered against her hair, “You have no idea how special you are, gemate lubha . But all will be explained later.”
“It’s always later with you.” She laid her head on his shoulder and took another deep breath, relaxing into his hold, and sighed. “Why do you smell so damn good?” He didn’t respond. She wouldn’t have heard him anyway. Now that the battle was over, her previous injuries, blood loss, and exhaustion took hold and she slipped into semi-consciousness. The battle-mate connection that aided her in
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