Chapter Chapter Nine: The First Portal
Akira stirred in her sleep as a hot poker pressed into her skin just above her left breast. Who was torturing her in her sleep? She moaned and rolled over. A large arm pulled her closer to a hard body. She sighed and settled against the warmth. A grunt had her stirring again, and she slowly opened her eyes.
A slight pain above Akira’s breast had her whimpering—she sat up.
“Akira?” Malique whispered from the other side of the bed. “Are you okay?”
Akira took in a deep breath. “I don’t know. It feels like a hot poker being pressed against my chest.”
Another moan came from Wolfric. He rolled onto his back, and a large symbol was above his left chest where she had felt hers. She looked down at her naked body and squealed as she jumped to her feet.
“What the fuck?” Wolfric asked as he opened his eyes.
He stared at his Psychi, who was running in place on the bed.
“I’ve been branded!” Akira shouted, waving her hands in front of her.
“What are you talking about?” Malique asked, trying to grab hold of their Havent.
“Someone branded me!” she squealed, looking at Wolfric. “They got you too!”
Wolfric looked down where she was pointing, dumbfounded. His eyes opened wide, then he looked up at his Psychi and grinned.
“Calm down, Akira. No one has branded us but ourselves.”
Akira snorted, “I did NOT hold a hot poker to my chest.”
Wolfric chuckled, took hold of her ankle, and pulled. She squealed as she fell back on the bed.
“Akira. It is the Gods approving me as your Warrior,” Wolfric said, his hand caressing across her cheek.
Akira blinked up at him, then looked at the marking on his chest.
“What is it?” she asked as she reached out and touched the mark on her Warrior’s chest.
Malique looked at his friend’s chest and smiled. “That is the symbol of a healer.”
Akira smiled and ran her fingers over it.
Wolfric sucked in a breath. She pulled her hand back, and he took hold of her wrist and placed her hand against it.
“Does it hurt?” she asked, looking into his eyes.
Wolfric smiled and shook his head.
“It is a symbol of our love. When you touch it, it sends chills through my body.”
“In other words, it turns him on,” Malique whispered in her ear.
Wolfric snorted at his friend, having heard what he said.
“What is mine?” Akira asked, looking down at her own marking.
Wolfric leaned forward and looked at the marking on her chest, and smiled. “It is the beginning of your Warrior Circle.”
She scrunched up her face and stared at him. “My what?”
Both men chuckled.
“Remember how I told you that we will share you until you have chosen?”
She nodded, her eyes opening wide. “You mean, in bed, right?” she swallowed.
Wolfric chuckled, “that is how you will choose your chosen mate. But not all of us at once. That would be too confusing. Each of us will woo you.”
“There’s that word again,” Akira said, scrunching up her nose.
Malique chuckled, and Wolfric leaned forward, kissing her nose.
“You will feel a difference in each of us. And you will know when you have found the one you are meant to spend your life with,” Wolfric said.
“What is in the circle?” she asked, looking down at the marking again.
Wolfric smiled. “That, my love, is the Greek symbol of the Wolf.”
Akira nodded. That made sense.
“Now, let us get some sleep. We have a long day tomorrow,” Malique said, moving to cuddle behind Akira. He may not have had his time with her yet, but he still felt as one with her.
Wolfric smiled and pressed himself to his Psychi, kissing her. She moaned and wrapped her arms around his neck. “I love you, Akira,” he whispered.
Akira sighed and closed her eyes. Her Wolfie is finally hers.
~⚔~
“Wake up, sleepyhead,” Wolfric said, kissing his Psychi on the cheek.
“Ten more minutes,” Akira grumbled.
Wolfric chuckled, “no—can—do—love. Malique has already signed us out; we need to get going.”
Akira blew out a puff of air and opened her eyes, smiling up at her Wolfie.
“Good morning,” he said with that Wolfie grin of his.
She grinned back. “Good morning.”
He tossed an outfit on the bed and winked at her. “Get dressed.”
She looked at the clothes, then up at him, and he smirked.
“I have already seen everything you have to offer.”
She turned bright pink, and he chuckled.
“Hurry,” he said, smacking her on the hip.
She yelped and jumped out of bed, completely naked. But Wolfric was right. He has already seen everything she has, more than once. Not to mention her jumping on the bed in the middle of the night. She watched him watch her pull her clothes on.
He never once took his eyes off her, and she could see that he was turned on from watching. The bulge in his pants said it all. Once she was dressed, he took hold of her arm, grabbed her bag, and walked out of the room. She chuckled while he dragged her to the elevator. They must have taken the rest of their luggage to the car already.
“About time,” Malique said with a grin as he opened the back door for her.
She scrunched up her nose at him and pulled herself into the car. For five years, she had been alone, except for her ancestor. And for five years, she dreamed of being reunited with her Wolfie. And now that she is, she not only has her Wolf Warrior back but has gained her second Warrior.
A Vampire Warrior.
And not just any Vampire Warrior, but an Upir. A Mythical Vampire. From what she knows, it is rare for a Havent to have more than one Mythical creature as her Warrior.
Well, she is the descendant of Brynhildr. The strongest, baddest Valkyrie ever born.
“Where are we going?” she asked.
Akira cuddled against her Wolf Warrior once he was seated and buckled in.
“Well, Wolfric and I have been talking,” Malique said as he started the car.
“Yeah?” she asked, watching him.
Malique nodded. “We have a theory where it comes to you, my little Havent,” he said with a wide grin.
“Oh? What is that?” she asked, looking up at Wolfric.
Wolfric looked down at her with a grin. “You are different than any other Havent ever born. And I don’t mean just your heritage.”
Akira nodded. She knows being the last descendant of Brynhildr is a big thing. But what could her Warriors be getting at?
“We think that your powers are connected with your Warriors,” Malique said as he pulled out onto the road.
“How’s that?” Akira asked, confused.
Wolfric smiled. “When I met you, I opened your soul,” he said, then lifted his hand and caressed her cheek.
She blinked up at him. “You did?”
He chuckled, “that’s why only we can see your soul.”
“We think all your Warriors are going to be Mythical Creatures,” Malique said.
Akira turned her head to look at her Vampire in the rearview mirror. She had always thought that Vampires do not have reflections. But there her Warrior was, for all to see. Their eyes met and locked, and she swallowed. Soon it will be his turn to woo her.
There is that stupid word again—they have her saying it now.
“Akira,” Wolfric whispered, pulling her thoughts back to her wolf. “We think we need to travel through some of the dimensions.”
“Really?” she asked, shocked.
He nodded. “It is the best way to look for Mythical Warriors.”
She swallowed. “Has anyone else done this before?”
Wolfric looked over at Malique’s reflection, then back at their Havent. “No.”
Akira laid her head on her Warrior’s shoulder. She has nothing to fear if she is with her Warriors. Right?
“We will protect you, Psychi,” Malique said as if he had read her thoughts.
And maybe he can. Akira does not know much about an Upir. This is the first one she has ever met. She has seen a few Vampires, but only in passing, in the middle of the night. They did not dare come near her once they saw her Wolfie in the shadows. But Malique is on a whole different level from those Vampires.
“Akira?” Wolfric whispered, bringing her out of her thoughts.
Akira looked up at her Wolfie and smiled. “Let’s do it,” she said with excitement.
Both of her Warriors grinned. This is going to be an exciting adventure.
~⚔~
“So, this is what a Mythical Portal looks like?” Akira asked, staring at the glowing circle in front of them.
The blue of the glow was so pretty; she was mesmerized by it.
“One of them,” Wolfric said with a smile.
Akira nodded and watched him touch the outer ring of the circle. Electricity sparked from the portal where he touched it, but it did not seem to affect him.
“Only Mythical Creatures can pass through a Mythical Portal,” Wolfric said.
Akira nodded at him. This is her chance to prove that she is a Mythical creature—a true Havent.
“What do I do?” she whispered.
“First, you touch the portal,” Malique said from behind her.
Akira turned to her Vampire Warrior. “We’re not going through it?”
“Oh, we are,” Wolfric said, then pulled her to him and held her back against his chest. “But Malique and I agreed that we will not chance you going through the portal until you have touched it, and the portal accepts you as a Mythical Creature.”
She swallowed. “You don’t believe me?”
Wolfric spun her around to face him, then tilted her chin up so he could look into her bright amber eyes. “We believe you are a Havent. We know you are our Psychi. But not all Havents or Warriors are Mythical. You should know that. Since your father is human.”
She nodded and stared up into his beautiful eyes. “Okay,” she whispered.
Wolfric smiled, then turned her to face the portal again. “Just touch the edge,” he said, leading her to the portal.
Akira took a deep breath and reached her hand out, touching the portal. Electricity sizzled around her hand, but it did not hurt. It actually tickled. Wolfric and Malique grinned at each other. Eat that, councilmen and women who denied their Havent since the day she was born.
“Now what?” Akira asked, pulling her hand back from the portal.
“Now we go through,” Wolfric said, then lifted her into his arms and jumped through the portal.
Akira squealed as they disappeared.
Malique grumbled and picked up their bags, then jumped through the portal, following his friend and their Psychi to another world.
~⚔~
Wolfric chuckled when he landed on his feet on the other side of the portal, a screeching Akira in his arms.
“Don’t do that again!” Akira squealed, punching him in the shoulder.
Wolfric laughed as he leaned his head down and kissed her. Akira moaned and leaned into the kiss.
“You could at least move out of the fucking way,” Malique said with a growl when he landed close enough to them—he almost toppled them all over.
Wolfric chuckled and moved out of Malique’s way.
“You can put me down now,” Akira said, glaring at her wolf.
Wolfric grinned and placed Akira on her feet.
Akira looked around at the surrounding forest. It was beautiful, giant trees with snow drifting from the branches to the ground. She looked at the ground and grunted.
“What is it?” Wolfric asked, watching her take in the scenery.
“We didn’t get me any warm clothes.”
Her Warriors chuckled.
“I did while you were looking at the t-shirts,” Malique said.
She watched him set the bags down and shuffle through her bag. He pulled out a sweater and handed it to her.
“What about a jacket?” she asked, shivering.
“Put the sweater on, love,” Wolfric said, then took the sweater from her and pulled it over her head.
Akira shrieked with annoyance. “I’m not three anymore, Wolfric!” she squealed as she shoved her arms through the holes.
Wolfric laughed as he pulled the sweater over her head, and she yanked it down her body. He loved it when she called him Wolfric.
“This is warm,” she said, cuddling into the sweater.
“Of course it is,” Malique said with a grin.
“But it still doesn’t beat a jacket,” she said with another shiver.
Malique grinned as he went into his bag and pulled out a giant parka. “For you, my dear,” he said, holding it out to her.
Akira stood there and blinked at the parka. “But what about you?”
Malique shrugged. “I only wear the thing, so humans don’t look at me funny in the middle of winter. The cold does not affect me.”
“Right,” Akira said with a scoff, “Vampire.”
Malique chuckled and helped her into the parka.
“Okay, now what?” Akira asked, snuggling into the warm coat.
“Now, you let your senses lead us,” Wolfric said with a smile.
Akira looked around them and frowned. “How do I do that?”
Wolfric moved behind her and wrapped his arms around her. “Close your eyes.”
She did, and he moved his head so he could whisper into her ear.
“Now think about your Warriors. See if you can sense one of them here. If you do not feel anything, we can find another portal.”
She nodded, then let her senses seek out her Warrior. “I can feel something faint. I don’t know if he’s here or was here,” she said as she opened her eyes.
“Very good,” Wolfric said with a grin.
“Let’s get moving,” Malique said, then picked up their bags and walked down the only path before them.
Akira smiled as Wolfric gave her a nudge toward the path. They are going to search a different dimension from the one she was born and raised in.
Could this get any more exciting?!