“I don’t know.” Her wings could have been polka-dotted, in bright yellow and purple, and he wouldn’t have cared.
“I’m content more than I can say being connected to you like this.”
“I know what you mean.” She flapped her wings gently then released a deep sigh. “I do know what I want right now.”
“What?”
“To curl up beside you in bed and sleep for about a decade.” He smiled. Nothing could have sounded better. “But I’d still like that shower.”
After spending the rest of the night and a good part of the day asleep, Vela awoke cradled in Samuel’s arms, facing him. She kept sighing, her contentment boundless. Earlier, around dawn, Samuel had awakened her gently then made love to her, bringing her to another roaring climax, which she was pretty sure Merl must have heard since both she and Samuel had cried out repeatedly.
If Merl had even come home last night.
Merl was one of those big unknowns, living almost hedonistically as a refugee from what sounded like a messed up dimension. But Merl wasn’t her problem right now, and hopefully never would be.
He had his own path just as she had hers.
She lay beside Samuel, her head on his shoulder. She kept fondling the incredible curves of his pecs, the dip below his sternum, the rolling landscape of his abs. “I still want to work as a counselor, no matter what this new power means.” To her surprise, Samuel chuckled.
“Why? It seems to me you have a whole new path laid out for you.” She hadn’t expected to hear something like that from him. She leaned back and met his gaze. “But, why wouldn’t I still want to counsel those unfortunate women? I’ve been studying psychology for years and I’ve had a lot of counseling myself. I think I could do some good.”
“Doing good isn’t the point. You’re not built for it.” She didn’t like the direction of this exchange, but she pressed on. “I think you’re wrong and given what happened at the palace, when I was able to give Alison some peace, this new power I’m experiencing might just take my counseling to a new level. In which case, I could be of even more use.” He frowned slightly. “Remind me again what you did?”
“I placed my hand on her forehead. I comforted Alison. The Alison Wells. I felt her empathic power flow through me and into her, easing her. And that’s one reason I think you’re wrong.”
“I didn’t mean to pick a fight this morning. It’s just that I’ve been inside your mind and I saw how much you loved traveling and living a more adventurous life. That’s all. I think you might want to open yourself up to, I don’t know, a calling that might have more meaning and purpose for you personally.”
“Like what? Like serving as a Militia Warrior?”
“I didn’t say that. In fact, I don’t think you’re a warrior. But this gift has to mean something, has to mean more than you think it does. Have you considered the possibility that the attack in 1922 affected you in a way that shut down your adventurous spirit, or did you already deal with that in counseling?” Vela couldn’t quite meet his gaze because her conscience prickled her.
During her sessions, she’d repeatedly glossed over the subject, afraid to plumb the depths of what had happened to her the night Jeff and his squad rescued her. “You may be right,” she said quietly. She then glanced at him and frowned. “But what of you, Samuel?” He drew his arm from around her and crossed his arms to rest on top of his head.
“What about me? I think I’m doing all right.” With that one move, she knew she had a choice to make. If she pressed on, the argument would escalate. But his strident opinions of how she should best live her life rankled. And hey, turnabout was fair play, so she said, “I think you should become a Warrior of the Blood.”
“What?” he all but shouted, drawing his brow into a neat line of ridges. “You think I should become a What-Bee? Based on what?”
“On seeing you battle beside Thorne, you know, the Supreme High Commander of the Allied Forces, and Warrior Leto in his beast-state? You’re their equal. Hell, you might even exceed them, Samuel.
What do you think of that?”
“My being equal in power has nothing to do with it. I’m a Militia Warrior. Even Gideon, after the breh- hedden took him down and his powers increased, didn’t join up. I belong to the Thunder God Warriors.”
“But Gideon has a different set of responsibilities. He’s Colonel Seriffe’s second-in-command. And you’re just a fighter.”
“I’m a back-up Section Leader. I have responsibilities.” But his frown deepened.
“Oh, I know what it is. I get it.” He leaned up on his elbow, turning slightly to face her, anger flashing in his eyes. “What do you get?”
“I may not have dived into your mind, but I understand something about you. The Warriors of the Blood are a tight group, really tight, connected, and that’s not something you do. Ever.” She even punched her forefinger into his chest for emphasis.
He narrowed his gaze, a smile suddenly playing at his lips. “Oh, I don’t know. I’ve connected pretty well with you.” Since he shed his bitter chocolate scent, and her body responded, she leaned in and kissed him. Samuel had full, sensual lips and he knew how to work his tongue. For a few seconds, she even considered drawing him back down on top of her and encouraging him to take her again.
But she had a point she wanted to make, so she responded, “Then let me mind-dive with you.” He snorted. “You want me to prove that I can connect by allowing you inside my head? No. And I’ve already told you why.”
“You mean those elusive streams of energy that haven’t yet made an appearance?”
“Are you saying you don’t believe I have them?” A knock on the door had Samuel moving quickly, dragging the comforter up to her chin, making sure she was covered.
“What is it, Merl?” Their host opened the door slightly and called out, “Endelle wants to make sure we get some practice in on sealing up the grid wall. Given all that happened last night, we should get going on that.”
“Fine. Give us twenty.”
“Good deal.” When Merl pulled the door shut, Samuel rolled out of bed. “I call the shower.”
“I’m not done discussing this.” He just waved to her as he went into the bathroom and shut the door.
Showered, with a fresh change of clothes brought over from his Scottsdale Two home, Samuel sat next to Vela at the kitchen island, fork and knife in hand.