Free Mystik Warrior: (Dark Warrior Alliance Book 2) by Brenda Trim, Tami Julka

anyway the demons would be able to detect if these females were mates? I know the markings don’t appear until after sex with your Fated Mate, but is there another way?”
    “Goddess. Hearing the demons are kidnapping females and keeping them captive is just about the worst news we could get. To answer your question, I have no idea if there is a way the demons could identify Fated Mates. Zander and Jace need to return. We need to have a meeting,” Santiago said, cursing soundly.
    At the mention of Jace, Cailyn thought back to the day she first saw him. A wild fire had lit and burned unchecked throughout her body from the moment he had walked into her sister’s small apartment. It had burned so hot that she had been unable to douse it. Her attraction to the sorcerer was atomic, and caused her heart ache.
    She was torn between reconciling with John and pursuing Jace. She loved her life in San Francisco, her job, and John. Anything with Jace meant giving all of it up. It would be worth it, an insidious part of her whispered.
    She pictured his lips and how she wanted to kiss him and explore his body. His lean, muscular frame ignited arousal so intense she longed to be taken by him. Their lovemaking would be so hot she imagined it would burn her to cinders.
    With that thought, uncertainty plagued her. Was she pretty or funny enough for him? She had seen that woman he had been with at the club. She had been the opposite of Cailyn, tall and skinny with a perfect body. Cailyn carried an extra ten pounds, which only added to her insecurity. Sometimes she hated being a woman as doubts played through her mind.
    *****
    The second Jace entered the compound, sultry tendrils of cinnamon danced into his nose. Cailyn was aroused. For some insane reason he hoped she was thinking of him. His cock jerked eagerly at that notion. He placed a hand over his churning stomach and closed his eyes, breathing deeply. Goddess, he wanted that female, had never wanted one more in his entire life. The intensity of his desire had him once again questioning if she could be his Fated Mate. Like before, he dismissed the notion. The Goddess was infinitely smarter than that.
    He shook his head and placed one shaky foot in front of the other as he ascended the stairs behind Zander who was taking them two at a time, clearly eager to reach Elsie. In moments, Zander burst through the door to Cailyn’s suite of rooms and the King’s expression lost the hard bitter edges and softened.
    “Lady E, your mate has returned,” Zander growled and grabbed her up into his arms.
    Jace met Orlando’s awkward stare while Zander thoroughly kissed his mate. “Get a room,” Orlando said, and Jace didn’t miss the bitter undertone. Was the warrior as jealous of what they had as Jace? None of them had ever contemplated having a mate until Elsie. Now Jace wondered how many of them longed for it like he did. His gaze slid to Cailyn and he noticed that the circles under her eyes were darker, and her skin was paler. An invisible magnetic pull had him crossing the room to Cailyn’s side.
    “Good idea. Let’s go,” Zander responded with his lips still pressed to Elsie’s.
    The Queen playfully slapped his arm. “Later. First, tell me what you learned.” Elsie responded.
    “The Queen didn’t tell us anything really. She hinted that the antidote is in New Orleans and we need to travel there immediately,” Zander said as he stroked a finger across Elsie’s cheek. The love between the newly mated pair was tangible. Jace envied the King his fortune.
    “Why can’t one of you give her blood to heal her? You guys brought me back from the brink of death with your blood,” Elsie pointed out.
    Words tumbled past Jace’s lips before he could stop them. “No one will be giving Cailyn blood but me and even that isn’t going to happen, because blood will not solve our problem. This is magically induced and the spell needs to be reversed.” He took a deep breath to regain control