Her Mythical Warriors (Book Two)
Chapter Thirty-Seven: Tales of the Past

Akira opened her eyes and yawned. She blinked up at her Wolfie and smiled. She’d gotten tired much too soon after leaving Niall’s cabin. Wolfric had swept her off her feet and told her to sleep. She hadn’t needed to be told twice.

“Hello, love,” Wolfric said with his big Wolfie grin.

Akira smiled. “Hi.”

“Is she finally awake?” Malique asked as he moved closer to Wolfric and Akira.

Akira looked at her Vampire Warrior. Her heart warmed at the memory that she got to keep all her warriors. None of them will be her “lover”; they are all her mates, so they are all her lovers…

“She’s crying,” Darius grumbled.

Wolfric stopped walking, and the rest of her warriors stopped with him.

“Akira?” Wolfric whispered.

Akira looked up at her Wolfie, then at her other warriors. Tears continued to stream down her cheeks.

“Akira,” Zelious breathed as he took her from Wolfric’s arms. “What is wrong, little one?”

Akira held onto her merman with all her might.

Zelious looked up at his fellow warriors. Akira was crying against his shoulder and holding onto him as if she couldn’t let go.

“What’s wrong?” Darius asked, rubbing Akira’s back. Zelious looked down at Akira. Her face was hidden against his neck, and she refused to look at them.

“Did you have a bad dream?” Niall asked.

Akira shook her head and sniffled as she looked at her warriors. She felt silly for crying, but she couldn’t help it. She’d have died inside if she’d lost her warriors because she could have only one mate; she loved them all so much.

“Akira?” Wolfric whispered.

Akira looked at her wolf and smiled. “I’m okay,” she assured him.

“Why the tears?” Malique asked.

Akira looked at her vampire and sighed. “I woke from my nap and looked at all of you, and the realization that I get to keep you all; swamped me. I’m sorry for worrying you.”

The warriors chuckled.

“So those were happy tears?” Wolfric asked, wiping a tear from her cheek.

Akira nodded.

Zelious leaned forward and kissed Akira on the tip of her nose. “No more tears.”

She nodded. “I can’t promise that.”

The others chuckled.

Malique smiled at Akira. “Let’s get moving again. We have a long way to get out of this realm and even longer to find our home portal.”

“Would you like Wolfric to carry you?” Zelious whispered into her ear.

Akira felt a shiver run down her spine and shook her head.

“Would you like me to set you on your feet?”

She shook her head again. She was more than comfortable in her merman’s arms.

Zelious grinned. “Would you like me to carry you?”

Akira nodded.

Zelious chuckled as he started walking. Didn’t take long to catch up to the others who’d already started walking.

Akira sighed as she snuggled into her merman’s chest. Usually, she’d insist on walking, but she was too tired. She wasn’t sure why she was so tired lately. She felt like the world pressed upon her eyelids, forcing them closed.

Soon she was once again asleep. This time in her Merman Warrior’s arms. Her mate.

~⚔~

“Try not to wake her,” Wolfric whispered as he watched Zelious lean their Havent against a tree. There were too many trees to set up camp. But the trees were thick enough to lean against. He hoped Akira didn’t wake with cramps from sleeping against the tree. Soon, he would be beside her, so she had his arm to lean against.

“Should we wake her for dinner?” Stella asked.

Wolfric shook his head. “She woke earlier, and Zelious fed her.”

“I don’t think she’d stay awake long enough to eat anyway,” Malique said as he prepared the fire.

“I think we exhausted her last night,” Darius chuckled.

“You mean Malique did,” Zelious grumbled.

Everyone looked at Zelious, then at Malique, and the warriors chuckled.

Malique grinned, “I can’t help it. She brings the best and the worst out in me.”

“Is the fire ready? I’m starving,” Julianne inquired as she watched the vampire prepare the fire.

Malique looked at her with a look that said patience, and Jules grinned.

“Let’s eat so we can rest before we have another long day of walking,” Niall grumbled.

“Are you okay, Oscar?” Wolfric asked Niall, a blank look on his face. It was taking everything in him to not laugh, especially when the Centaur looked at him as if he’d sprouted another head.

“My name is Niall,” the Centaur growled.

Wolfric grinned when Malique stopped messing with the fire and turned to him.

“Akira is rubbing off on you,” Malique stated.

Wolfric chuckled and said, “that she is, Brother.”

“You do realize only the three of us get what the two of you say, right?” Malique asked, watching Wolfric.

Wolfric shrugged. He wished Akira was awake; she would be laughing her ass off right now.

“I get some of them,” Darius said.

Wolfric nodded toward the Pegasus. “He has cable. Remember?”

Malique grunted, “yeah.” He turned and went back to preparing the fire.

“I think I’m going to have a sandwich and go to bed,” Julianne grumbled.

Wolfric smiled. He could tell she was just as lost as the others. It had taken them hours to explain Akira’s burst of He-Man’s Grayskull verse. The others had laughed because it had come out of nowhere. Making everyone automatically respond. Most of them didn’t get half of what Akira said. It wasn’t as funny when you had to explain, but Wolfric would never tell Akira to stop.

Apollo hadn’t let Akira watch TV. Wolfric and Temple had to sneak her movies. Wolfric had told her a few of his favorites, which included He-Man and a few others. She’d found a channel that played old cartoons and had fallen instantly in love. They’d have conversations about them every morning; well—she’d talk, and he’d listen.

“Mind telling me why you called me Oscar?” Niall asked, watching Wolfric.

Wolfric smiled and threw his arm over the Centaur’s shoulders. “Akira and I are into old cartoons and TV shows. She uses a lot of quotes from them, which helps keep us focused. You were being grouchy, so Oscar came to mind.”

“Who is Oscar?” Niall questioned.

Malique chuckled, “a puppet who is always grouchy. He’s called Oscar the grouch.”

“And he lives in a trashcan,” Darius said, snorting a laugh.

Niall’s face scrunched in distaste, making everyone chuckle.

“No offense,” Wolfric snickered. “It’s a children’s program from our realm. It’s called Sesame Street. Akira loved it when she was little. When she could watch it….” Wolfric stopped talking and moved away from Niall.

A memory flashed through his mind of Apollo catching Akira watching TV. Wolfric had almost smashed the glass to get to her. Luckily, his brother came by to drag him home—because he’d still be in prison right now—and Akira would never have escaped Apollo’s clutches.

“Easy now, Brother,” Malique said as he pulled Wolfric away from the others.

“He beat her for watching TV,” Wolfric growled.

“Easy,” Malique said cautiously.

Malique helped Wolfric to sit on the ground next to Akira. Her presence always soothed him.

“Who beat her?” Niall growled.

Malique and Wolfric looked up at their newest brother.

“You stay here.” Malique pointed at Wolfric and Akira. “Hold her and calm down. I will explain everything to Niall.”

Wolfric nodded and pulled Akira against his side. She sighed in contentment as she cuddled closer to him. Wolfric sighed and leaned his cheek against her head.

Malique turned to the others and sighed. “I only know a few stories. Wolfric would get like this when he’d talk about it and had no way to soothe the emotions. Akira, as you know, was missing for five years.”

The group nodded.

Malique continued, “most of you know Apollo beat Akira and her mother every chance he got.”

“He what?!” Niall snarled.

Malique looked at the Centaur. “I think you need to sit down.”

Niall nodded and sat against a tree.

Malique asked Darius to finish setting up the fire and sat cross-legged before Niall and the others. He told them what he knew about Apollo, Akira, and Temple. When he finished, Niall was snarling, and the others were angrier than before. Apparently, there was a lot they hadn’t been told.

“Why didn’t Wolfric save her?” Niall sneered.

Malique looked at Wolfric and Akira, then back at the others.

“Wolfric and Akira lived in the main town of the city, where the council has the highest ruling. If he’d protected Akira against her “father,” they’d have imprisoned him, and Akira would be dead, or worse….”

“What’s worse than death?” Julianne asked.

Malique looked at the female fairy. “What would you consider worse? Death, or getting raped and beaten by the man you thought was your father—for the rest of your life. Or until he’s finished with you and throws you to who knows where. Probably his buddies, Wolfric told me the way the other men looked at her, and she was only thirteen!” Malique closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

“Shit, sorry,” Julianne whispered.

Malique shook his head. “I’m sorry. I know these questions have weighed on most of you for weeks. The answer is—If Wolfric had interfered, he’d have been killed or imprisoned, or both… The council didn’t believe Akira was a Havent, and no one believed a warrior would treat his Havent the way Apollo treated Temple. Temple tried going to the council several times. Still, none of them believed her, and Akira was nothing but an empty vessel.”

Jules frowned. She hadn’t realized how tough her friend had had it before she’d been “lost” after the plane crash. Being alone in the woods must have been a blessing for the thirteen-year-old girl who had just escaped hell.

“I can’t wait to get my hands on the bastard,” Niall growled, his hands forming into tight fists.

Malique nodded as he watched the Centaur. “Yes. But remember, Wolfric has first dibs on the bastard.”

The group turned to the tree Wolfric and Akira were leaning against. Akira’s head was now in Wolfric’s lap as she slept. Wolfric’s head leaned against the tree trunk, his eyes closed, but they knew he was listening.

“Tell me who looked at our little Havent with lust in their eyes, and I will pluck them out,” Niall fumed.

Malique grinned, “trust me, Brother. We all have plans for the town. We need to bide our time, and we will get there. I promise.”

~⚔~

Akira moaned in her sleep. Something didn’t feel right. A shooting pain in her arm had her twitching. What was going on? She felt something, or someone, move under her head.

She stirred from her sleep, and the pain left her arm. Akira sat up and looked around. She looked at Wolfric beside her and smiled. Now she knew who was under her. She looked around again and frowned.

What caused the pain in her arm? She looked down at her arm and sucked in a breath. What happened?

“Akira?” Wolfric mumbled in his sleep.

Akira turned to her warrior and placed her hand against his cheek. “It’s okay, Wolfie. Go back to sleep.”

He smiled and relaxed against the tree trunk again. Akira sighed and looked at the—the only word she could think of was hickey. But who would give her a hickey while she slept? And on her arm…

“Akira?”

Akira turned and looked at her best friend. “Hey, Jules.”

Julianne smiled. “Are you okay?”

Akira nodded. “I think so.”

Julianne yawned and cuddled closer to her prince.

Akira sighed and laid back in Wolfric’s lap. Wolfric wrapped his arms around her, and she looked down at her arms pinned beneath her Wolfie’s. Did she do it to herself? Did she dream of her warriors and react by sucking on her arms?

Akira shook her head and decided to heal them. She didn’t want to explain to her warriors why she had hickeys all over her arms. She quickly healed herself, closed her eyes, and fell asleep.

~⚔~

“Time to get up!”

Wolfric’s voice penetrated Akira’s consciousness, and she opened her eyes. She smiled up at her wolf and stretched. Memories of waking in the night with the hickeys on her arms had her cheeks burning with embarrassment.

“Come along.” Wolfric helped her sit up from his lap. “The others packed while we let you get a bit more sleep.”

Akira nodded and smiled at her Wolfie. “How long did I sleep?”

Wolfric grinned, “most of yesterday and all night.”

Akira shook her head. “Why was I so tired?”

“I don’t know. Maybe we had something to do with that,” Malique said.

Akira looked at her vampire. He winked at her, and she couldn’t help the giggle that trickled out of her mouth.

“Come on,” Wolfric said with a grin as he offered her a hand up.

Akira took his hand and let him pull her to her feet.

“I love you,” she whispered as she leaned toward him.

He grinned down at her, “and I love you, little one.”

“Yes, yes, we all love our little Havent. Now let’s get this shit can on the road so we can fuck up some assholes….” Niall stopped talking and walked away.

Akira watched her new warrior walk away and frowned. “What’s wrong with Niall?” she asked, looking up at Wolfric.

Wolfric sighed, “last night, he learned about your life before the plane crash and didn’t take it very well.”

“None of us did,” Zelious growled.

Akira frowned. “You told them everything?”

Wolfric shook his head.

“I did,” Malique said.

Akira frowned, “but it’s my life to tell.”

“I know, little one.” Malique pulled Akira into his arms. “But we also know how much it hurts for you to talk about it.”

Akira nodded and hugged her vampire, then turned and pulled out of his arms. “Catch up,” she told them as she chased after Niall.

Akira jumped onto Niall’s back and wrapped her arms around his neck. Her legs wrapped around his hips and linked against his stomach. He stopped walking and placed his hands on her legs.

“Don’t worry, my sweet warrior. I am better now, and I have all five of my warriors.”

She could feel Niall grin even if she couldn’t see it.

“You are a special woman,” he said.

Akira closed her eyes and smiled; he didn’t call her little one or girl. He referred to her as a woman.

“I love you, my brave Centaur Warrior.”

He bounced her on his back, making her laugh.

“I love you too, my beautiful Havent.”

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