Free Casey's Warriors (Bondmates) by Ann Mayburn Page A

he brushed his thumb over Nast’s cheek. “I know because the Lord of Life created us all with an endless capacity for love. She’s just been raised on lies. Once she sees the truth, once she feels how right it is, she will love you as well.”
    “But…”
    “No, no buts. I will go slowly; I will take my time with her and I will win her heart for both of us. You were created to be my blood brother and she was created to be our alyah . It will work.”
    The faintest hint of worry and doubt came from Lorn and Nast closed down his side of the bond to hide his shock. Lorn was the most confident man he knew, and rightly so. His blood brother led the 98 th Legion to victory after victory, getting them out of situations that would have led to their slaughter under a lesser man. Shit, they’d faced down an army of Hive mercenaries, with no more than two dozen men and a damaged gunship, and come out alive. To feel his lover doubt himself gave Nast the strength to let go of his own worries.
    “I know you will. You’re right. The Lord of Life created her for us and us for her. One cannot argue with the will of the Creator.”
    Lorn closed his eyes and pressed their foreheads together as the sun slowly set over the distant horizon. “I will miss you.”
    Swallowing back a lump of emotion Nast hugged him closer until no room was left between them. They held each other like that, the songs of the night birds filling the air while the darkness overtook the horizon. He drew in Lorn’s scent and smiled when his blood brother brought that tiny, insignificant bit of fabric between them that held the very real scent of the other half of their souls.
    Their Matriarch, their bondmate, their alyah , a simple word of affection that meant their eternal beloved.
     

Chapter Five
     
     
    Casey Westfall tried to keep from staring at the huge, scary, unbelievably hot guy who walked through the automatic front doors of the small grocery store on the outskirts of Chelsea, Michigan. The night was exceptionally warm for late May, bringing to mind going to the beach and summer barbecues. So when an enormous man with hair so blond it was almost white hanging past his shoulders, dressed in a full length black leather trench coat, black leather pants and a black shirt came striding into the store all of Casey’s internal alarms went off.
    While life had returned to what passed for normal, and they didn’t have to worry about gangs of looters trying to rob the place, she couldn’t help a little shiver of fear. There was something so…commanding about this man. Totally intimidating and not just because he was über hot in an unusual way. With his deep tan and startlingly blue eyes, he was at once the sexiest and scariest man she’d ever seen. He moved with a startling grace despite his large size, and she had to stop her gaze from drifting down to see what he was packing behind those tight leather pants. As he got closer she returned her attention to his face and met his electric blue eyes. Danger seemed to radiate from him, and when their gazes met, she stepped back with enough momentum to bump her hip on her register.
    It looked for a moment as if he was coming right for her, and her heart slammed against her ribs as she wondered if she could make it to the hidden alarm before he pulled a gun out of his long trench coat. He stared into her eyes and she swore something close to elation lit his face, turning him from handsome to a downright sex god. Even in the crappy florescent lighting his hair gleamed with hints of the purest silver and she found herself drowning in his bluer than blue eyes. They were so neon bright, so perfect that they had to be contacts. Then he licked his lower lip and her body gave an answering surge of raw lust, which knocked her out of her stupor.
    She looked around for her useless night manager, Jerry, but only saw her friend Kimber over at the next register looking equally dazed. When Casey turned back she found the