by C. T. Adams
I kept the gun out and we backed through the lobby. The double doors to the conference room were closed, but my nose told me that Nikoli was behind them with two other wolves. In one fluid move I spun and kicked them open while Bobby used his magic to freeze the pack members in the lobby. The guards inside started forward in a liquid blur that wasn’t even close to being too fast for my eyes. When they saw my weapon, they stopped short and glanced to the back of the room for instructions.
Nikoli Molotov sat in a high-backed, black leather chair on a slightly elevated platform. A table near his right elbow held three computers. Each screen showed different data but all the words were in Russian. To his left, another table was laden with liquor and platters of food. Something on one of the plates smelled really strange. Sort of a musty fish smell, like moldy lutefisk. It’s a stretch to believe that cod soaked in lye can mold, but it was the best description I could think of.
Nikoli turned toward us as we entered. The chair creaked under his weight as he leaned back to glare at us. He steepled his fingers over his buttoned vest then gestured abruptly for the guard to back off. Gone was the relatively benign man from the bus last night. Nikoli sat in his lair, bathed in his own power and rage. It made me think of something Paul Keating once said. “He is simply a shiver looking for a spine to run up.”
Nikoli has classic Russian features that American kids were taught to fear in the fifties. His square face has a high forehead framed with wild black hair that must take a gallon of gel to tame. His eyes are close together and seem small under heavy black brows. He appears full of malice even when he smiles. A thick muscular body and full beard complete the malevolent image he strives to project. He’s a powerful, double-dealing meglomaniac who is always thinking one step ahead of everyone else. He’s also well-spoken, intelligent and utterly dangerous.
I admired and respected those qualities, but I was not about to back down.
I took a deep breath, trying to get a “read” as to what he was feeling. Unfortunately, his natural scent is like hot Hungarian paprika, which is part of the pepper family. He always smells of deceit and anger, even when he’s happy and being totally honest. I’ll probably never trust him, but that doesn’t mean I can’t work with him. Assuming, of course, Bobby and I got out of this alive.
Nikoli gestured for the guards to leave. Since he and all the other pack leaders hold their positions with pure power, I was fairly sure he didn’t need the guards anyway. Still, I wasn’t sorry to see them go.
As soon as the door swung closed Nikoli spoke directly into my mind.
You surprise me, Anton. I would not have thought you would bring a stranger—especially a snake—into our home. The pain in my head increased until each word seared through my brain.
Power like fire raged across my skin, bending me nearly double. It took more effort than I would’ve liked, but I fought until I stood straight.
“Bobby is a friend. He’s always welcome in my home.” I intentionally said the words out loud. Head talking with my mate was one thing. I didn’t particularly want that kind of a bond with Nikoli.
I could feel Bobby’s magic flow across my mind once more as he heard the effort it took me to speak. It made it easier to think through the pain—easier to block out Nikoli’s smooth baritone.
When Nikoli couldn’t reach my mind, he spoke with annoyance. “Agent Mbutu is not welcome in my territory. He should leave before I tear him to pieces.”
Bobby stepped forward and I could feel, could see, a blaze of power emanate from him. The light was too bright even for the sunglasses. I had to close my eyes and fight down a wave of nausea.
“Wolven travels where it’s needed, Nikoli. We answer to no pack, as you well know. While you may not like me, you would like my replacement even less. But I’m sure that Fiona will attend to my duties if she must.”
Nikoli sat up straighter on his throne. I saw a brief flicker of what might have been fear in his eyes. A cautious breath confirmed it.
“You know how curious she is,” Bobby continued in a voice that betrayed no emotion. “She might not be willing to investigate only the issues in my current case.”
It was a thinly veiled threat, and a good one. From what I heard about Fiona Monier on the island she’s a particularly nasty cougar who takes the concept of law and order very seriously. Bobby tends to let white-collar crime slide unless it’s so blatant that it would be obvious to the human authorities. Something told me his boss wouldn’t. Nikoli makes most of his money on the bare fringes of the law. He might not be able to afford the kind of full-blown investigation Ms. Monier would conduct.
I watched my pack leader take a deep breath and glare at Bobby. Nikoli’s method of calming himself reminded me of my old boss, Carmine Leone. He let his arms go limp and moved his head from side to side briefly, easing the tension. The scent of ozone struggled to ride over the burnt coffee anger. As best as I can figure it, ozone is the expulsion of adrenaline, sort of like blowing off steam. Yet, it was all twined around that paprika-like smell, so I didn’t know whether it was all a lie.
“Very well, Agent Mbutu. But first you must excuse Anton and I while we tend to a minor disciplinary matter. I’m sure you understand. It is not a matter that involves Wolven so it does not concern you. I will give you my undivided attention as soon as we are finished. You may wait in the next room. My wolves will not disturb you there.”
From the corner of my eye, I saw Bobby flinch but I didn’t know why. He wears Wolven’s special cologne. It makes it nearly impossible to tell what he’s feeling. But his next words made the situation crystal clear.
“Normally I would do as you ask,” said Bobby with an annoyed glance at me. “You’re correct that Wolven doesn’t concern itself with pack discipline. But Tony is part of the reason I’m here. I need him conscious and well enough to travel. For that reason alone, I must remain.”
Nikoli growled deep in his chest. Burned metal and boiling coffee scorched the air—strong enough to make me cough. “Give me proof of this.”
Bobby motioned toward the adjacent room Nikoli had pointed out earlier. Somehow I just knew it would be soundproof, even to my sensitive wolf ears.
Nikoli stood in a fluid motion that seemed impossible for someone of his bulk and gestured for Bobby to follow.
I tried to speak, to say that I ought to be involved in any decision about any discipline I’d earned, but no sound came from my mouth. Bobby’s doing, no doubt.
He hissed at me as he passed by to follow Nikoli. “So help me, Anton, if you say one word to make this worse, I’ll finish what he starts!” His magic constricted my throat enough to make me believe it. The door closed behind him before he saw fit to remove the magic.
I wasn’t surprised I was in for it. Even if I hadn’t shot Sergei there was that thing in the woods with Yurgi. I wondered how he made out burying the bones. I hadn’t seen him since we’d gotten to the hotel. I’d take a beating if I had to, but before I did I was going to make damned sure to let Nikoli know that Sue’s servitude isn’t part of the bargain. I’d leave the pack and be a lone wolf before I let that happen. We’d just gotten her out of that kind of mess.
I used the time while Bobby and Nikoli conferred to get a handle on the pain in my head. I reached out to Sue with my mind. For a brief flash I saw through her eyes, felt the agony she was experiencing. She couldn’t even think clearly enough to form words.
Work through the pain, I tried to soothe her with my voice, using every bit of my will to make her writhing body relax. You’ve been through worse. Just stay still and it won’t hurt as much.
But she couldn’t. It was just too much.
I took deep long breaths and added her pain to mine. I started kicking myself immediately for the impulsive action. The intensified wave of mind-numbing pain dropped me to one knee. My teeth gritted and my eyeballs threatened to explode. But I knew I would adjust to the new level of pain soon. That’s the trick with torture. Adjust to each level so the
only part that affects you is the new injury. I’d been told the mind is capable of adjusting to nearly anything if the injury isn’t life-threatening. I hoped I wouldn’t have to prove that theory today.
I had regained my footing and was meditating when the door to the adjoining room opened. Bobby walked to the far side of the large room and sat down. Nikoli returned to his chair and eased into it, all the while staring at me oddly.
“So, Anton,” he began and steepled his fingers once more. The pinpricks were back, but they were closer to razor sharp daggers. I hissed through gritted teeth and concentrated on trying to breathe. “Let us begin this session with your failings as a pack member.”
My anger cut through the net of pain. I managed to stand straight again. I won’t deny it was an effort. “No, let’s begin with your failings as an Alpha.”
His eyes turned to blazes of amber light and his gums moved back to bare teeth. “The training of our young is not the concern of one such as you.”
Ah. So Bobby had already brought that up.
“I could care less how the kids are trained, unless it affects me directly—like today. I can deal with my leg hurting, but you had no business telling Alena to drop those kids at my house. My wife is not some sort of pack babysitter.”
Nikoli cocked his head as though I’d done something interesting. When he spoke he sounded the slightest bit confused. “All Sazi serve the pack as I think best. It is our law.”
I shook my head slightly, trying to see Nikoli through the sparkles in my vision that had intensified when I’d taken on Sue’s pain. “Not acceptable. Sue’s not a member of this pack. She’s human and not subject to your rule.”
Nikoli didn’t smell angry anymore. He had slipped into “instructor” mode. He shook his head lightly.
“Jessica is your wife. That makes her subject to my rule.” The rest of the pack knows Sue as Jessica. It’s part of the identity thing. Someday, I might make the transition, too.
Nikoli continued smoothly. “That is non-negotiable. Family members work in pack businesses. It is the way with our world. Only pack employers can possibly understand the odd duties that are required by the moon phases and plan a work schedule so that a business is not unmanned at key times.” His voice was sarcastic when he continued. “But I agree that minding our young may be beyond her capabilities.”
It was meant as an insult but it was the truth. From what I’d seen the kids were little demons.
His words were still sharp, but his scent was closer to greed. “Does your wife have any other useful skills?”
Sue and I hadn’t discussed her going back to work but I remembered from our first night together that she’d said she missed her job. She won a bunch of money in the lottery and instead of working she became a slave to her family’s needs.
I would like a job, came the whispered thought into my mind. She’d been listening the whole time. I was pleased that taking some of her pain had helped her cope. I was a bookkeeper. A good one.
“Do you have any businesses that are in need of a bookkeeper? That was her career before I met her.”
“Strangely enough,” he said with pursed lips and a rising scent of mildew. “I have need of someone to review the books of one of my businesses. I will send a car to get her and interview her for the post.”
I shook my head. “Not today. That’s the other reason we’re here. I guess you have a pack healer? There’s something wrong with her—with us. We’ve got a migraine that Bobby says is somehow magical.”
Nikoli looked at Bobby sharply. “You said the young one did not draw blood!”
Bobby shook his head. “He did not, Alpha. Of that I’m certain. But the timing does seem odd. The pain is definitely magical. I have little healing skill. I am a chemist. I would request that your honored mother, the Duchess, assist your newest wolf’s wife.”
The formality of the words sounded odd to me. It reminded me of how a serf used to talk to the lord of the manor back in the middle ages. I didn’t like it much, but I kept my mouth shut.
Nikoli was soothed by the formal request. He nodded his head thoughtfully as a patrone would in the mob. “My mother’s gifts are more directly related to the future of our pack, but she does have some healing abilities. She should be able to help if the illness is not a human medical problem. I will have her attend to Jessica.” He raised his voice and looked at the door. “Serg—”
He stopped abruptly and stared at me with anger growing in his amber eyes. Boiling coffee drifted on the breeze from the overhead fans once more. “Ah, yes. That’s right. Sergei is somewhat indisposed at the moment, so he cannot drive my mother. He seems to be having a silver bullet removed from his arm.” Nikoli’s eyes had narrowed to glowing slits.
I can take a lead. Nikoli liked formal—I’d be formal. “I was defending our honored Wolven guest. I’m not as magically powerful as Sergei, so I’ve adapted my skills to my needs.” Not perfect, but the best I could do. I waited to see how Nikoli would respond.
There was a long pause and a flood of scents too complex to sort. “Sergei was admittedly outside his bounds in attacking a member of Wolven who did not first offer a threat.” Nikoli said the words grudgingly. But then his tone changed to outright fury. “But bringing silver bullets into our midst is an affront to us all!” He slammed a fist down onto the arm of his chair and let out a snarl that would send a full-grown bear up a tree. I fought an involuntary shudder, but held my ground.
I gave him a dark smile that was a little forced, mostly from the pain that had intensified when he’d raised his voice. “It’s not an affront, it’s a threat. A threat has no teeth unless your opponent knows you’re willing to follow through. You can’t expect me to be some sort of pack omega if I’m capable of more than that. I thought this culture valued power and ingenuity.”
I know what an Omega wolf is in the wild and I’m not willing to be one.
Burned coffee flared in a blast of scent. “You spit the word Omega as though it has no value, and yet it is one of our most honored positions.”
“I don’t see being the pack whipping dog as an honor. Sorry.”
He nodded his head and the sweet cloying scent of dark glee filled the room. He was ready to pounce on that statement.
“Ah, but you are the newest member, Anton. You are the Omega until you earn another position through proper combat. You are the ‘whipping dog,’ as you phrase it. You knew that.”
“No. I didn’t.” My words were cold and flat. “You didn’t tell me. That idiot historian of yours didn’t tell me. Hell, I’ve learned less from her than the kids have. How would I know? I’ve been here all of two weeks.”
Nikoli glanced at Bobby with shock that approached anger. “Santiago said he would be trained in our ways before he reached Chicago!”
Bobby stared at me open-mouthed. “You had the books, Tony. I saw Betty give you our historical records before we left the island.”
I furrowed my brow, trying to remember. I shook my head. “Dr. Perdue gave me a couple of novels to read. You remember—you were there. She said, ‘here’s something to read if you get bored.’ I didn’t get bored. Besides, I don’t like fantasy novels. The covers looked like sword and sorcerer stuff. I like mysteries and thrillers.” The shock I was feeling rose to my voice. “It would never have occurred to me that you would actually put the history of your people in print! Are you nuts?”
I glanced back to see Nikoli nodding in agreement, but there was something under the surface that made his eyes glitter darkly. “Very well. I will see that you are properly trained. You seem to have made a few logical conclusions, which I will give you some credit for. Each pack position has benefits—and responsibilities. One of the primary duties of the Omega is to help maintain our secrecy among the humans. The only way to do that is to eliminate the signs of our hunt to passersby. As payment for this duty, the pack provides food, shelter and protection to the Omega.”
I didn’t want or need protection, as I’
d just proven to Sergei. I am not burying bones. I glared soundlessly at Nikoli. He glared back, as though he could hear my thoughts. Without taking his eyes from mine, he snapped his fingers.
From the corner of my eye, I saw movement in a shadow in the corner of the room. A petite, beautiful Oriental woman stepped into the light. Where had she come from?
She stepped onto the platform and stood near Nikoli. She rested a tiny hand on his shoulder and stared at me coldly. Her slightly almond-shaped eyes were perfectly proportioned beneath penciled brows in an oval face. Her features and coloring put her origins somewhere south of China. Straight black hair framed the face and softened the broad nose and thin lips. I tried to place her nationality. Maybe Thailand?
Nikoli gestured to the woman with a small smile and a scent that was somewhere close to lust. “This is Asri. She is my enforcer. Her duty in the pack is to punish those who have broken our rules. Anton, you disobeyed a direct order today. Regardless of whether you know our history, I instructed you to bury the remains of our hunt and you failed to do so. You went so far as to attack our Omega. Normally, I would allow Asri to seriously injure you for your infractions. However, Agent Mbutu says it is in the best interest of all of the Sazi for you to remain conscious. So, my lovely Asri, make sure you leave enough of him to speak and travel.”
The woman nodded once and stepped forward with eyes only for me. Fine. I’d take it like a man. Right now, I was about on pain overload anyway. Maybe she’d knock me unconscious for awhile. That’d be nice.
I didn’t move as she stalked closer. I realized with a start that it was the Asri that smelled like moldy fish. She’d been in the room the whole time. I hadn’t seen or heard her. A testament to how much pain I was already in.
“Still,” Nikoli mulled. Asri instantly froze when he spoke. “You’ve impressed me today, Anton. You managed to break through when I called you home. You have endured the pain I have inflicted on you and remain standing even yet. You defeated Yurgi in the woods—although, admittedly, that isn’t much of a challenge. But you also injured Sergei when he was in attack mode. That earns you a certain prize. Hmm, what should that prize be?”
