by Kimber White
He knew. No. He couldn’t know. Fear and cold reality finally sunk back in.
I scrambled backward. “No,” I whispered. “I can’t…you don’t.”
He was too close. I’d brought him out here to let his guard down and he’d turned it around on me. I was the one who’d almost revealed everything.
As another of the wolves let out a howl, I scrambled to my feet and ran toward the house.
Chapter 11
Viktor
The rumors were true. They had to be. I felt Mia’s wolf. Her heat. Her wildness. And yet, she was like no other shifter I’d ever been around. She slept soundly in the room down the hall as I fingered the small, gold disk with unknown magic inside.
Luka stood in the doorway. He had a single question for me, and I knew I owed him an answer.
“Viktor,” he said. “You know we all trust you.”
“And I’ve never given you a reason not to,” I said, harsher than he deserved.
“You’re different though,” he said.
“Different how?” I asked, slipping the disk back in my pocket.
“Distracted,” he said. “The others don’t notice. But I know you better than they do. This girl. She’s done something to you.”
“She’s done nothing,” I snapped.
“Then why haven’t you marked her? Or better yet, why haven’t you used that thing on her? It’s been weeks. We see how you look at her. She’s not just some...girl. She’s a shifter’s mate, isn’t she? Is she yours?”
I couldn’t tell him the real answer. I was lying to myself as much as Luka. I hadn’t used the fae disk yet because I wanted Mia to reveal herself to me on her own. I wanted her to trust me just that much.
She was so close. I felt it in her the other night. There was something primal in her that went beyond sexual frustration.
“I just want to be sure it won’t hurt her,” I said. It was partially true, at least. “The mage I bought this from told me it would bring out the animal in any shifter. We didn’t really talk about what would happen if I used it on a human.”
Luka’s jaw dropped. “Viktor…”
“I know. I was so sure...I’m still so sure about what she is. It’s just, if there’s a sliver of a chance that I’m wrong, she still has value to us even without being a shifter. She’s still Andre Kalenkov’s granddaughter. The pact still holds.”
“And you’re certain the Ring will honor their end of it?”
I gave him a wry smile. “I’m never sure the Ring will honor anything. Soon enough, it won’t matter.”
“We trust your judgment,” Luka said. “And...well...we like her. I know she’s the enemy, but I don’t know. She feels like she could be one of us. She feels, um, perfect for you, Viktor. She’s got fire in her. A real woman. She’s good for you.”
I smiled. “Good for me?”
“Yeah,” he said. “I mean, if she could maybe forget about the fact that she hates you for two seconds. Yeah.”
I opened my mouth to say something else, but Gregor came to the door. I already knew what he wanted before he said anything. Mia was awake.
“She wants to take a walk in the gardens,” Gregor said. “You’ve let her do it in the past. I just wanted to make sure.”
“It’s fine,” I said. I grabbed a clean shirt out of my dresser and slipped it on. “I’ll go down and keep an eye on her myself. Thanks for letting me know.”
I brushed past Luka and Gregor. Gregor needn’t have bothered to tell me where Mia was going. I could already sense her.
She’d slept in late. Skipped breakfast. She’d been doing that for the last couple of days since what happened out in the woods. What almost happened out in the woods.
God. Maybe it would have been easier on all of us if I’d just given in to my basest desires and marked her. Even the thought of it now made my step falter as lust flooded through me. I had to take a breath to push my fangs back.
I found her among the white roses. She wore an oversized t-shirt and ripped jean shorts. I made a note to send Nico out to get her more clothes. Though at the moment, I wouldn’t have minded seeing her out of them.
She knelt in front of a large blossom and inhaled its scent. The breeze picked up, lifting her dark hair away from her cheek. I knew she knew I was there. Still, I stood still for a moment, savoring the sight of her.
Mine!
I quieted my wolf and went to her. “They say Olivia Clairmont planted these herself,” I said.
“I believe it,” she said. “They’re beautiful.”
I reached around her and plucked a single rose, breaking off the stem. I don’t know what made me do it, but I slipped it behind Mia’s ear. She let me.
She looked up at me, eyes sparking. God, I wished I could take a peek inside of her mind. I wanted her connected to me. I wanted my mark on her to burn for me when I was near. I wanted just a single word to make her lips open for me and that blush rise into her cheeks.
As I stood there watching her, I knew there was something else I wanted even more. I wanted her to want it. I wanted her to know me for who I truly was.
“How much longer?” she said.
“What?”
“It’s been weeks, Viktor,” she said. “I can’t take the waiting much longer.”
“I don’t know,” I answered truthfully. “I want to make sure I can keep you safe. Denall made promises and I mean to ensure he keeps them. Besides, what’s your rush?”
I gave her a wicked smile. Her cheeks colored. Dammit if I didn’t feel her heat rise. If she were a shifter, it would burn through us both.
“What did they have planned for you?” I asked.
“Who?”
“Your family,” I said. “Surely you weren’t meant to sell real estate to rich beta shifters for the rest of your life.”
“I liked selling real estate to rich beta shifters,” she said. “It’s good money. Great money. And it made me feel like I was making a difference. Helping them make homes for themselves. That’s something in this world, Viktor.”
“You’ve always had that, haven’t you?” I asked, unable to mask the hint of resentment in my tone.
“What do you mean?” she asked.
“You’ve always had a roof over your head,” I said. “A place to call home. Brandhart. That’s a name that still carries weight.”
“We lost a lot,” she said, instantly defensive. “We lost more than most, Viktor. Don’t assume you know what my life has been because of who I’m related to.”
“Ah,” I said. “Daddy had to live on millions instead of billions. Sorry, my mistake.” I hated the bitterness in my tone. This was going sideways. I hadn’t come out here to argue. This woman though, Luka was nuts. She seemed to bring out the worst in me.
Her nostrils flared. God help me if I didn’t like stoking a little anger in her. There was plenty enough in me.
“Admit it,” I said. “You’re one of the lucky ones, and I don’t even think you grasp that.”
“I’ve never had a home,” she said. “Not in the way you mean. You think you’re the first? I’ve been running from the Ring’s procurers my whole life.”
“And I’ve told you, I’m not a procurer,” I said. “If anything, I’m a damn janitor. When the Ring needs a mess cleaned up, they call me.” It felt like a lie even to my own ears. This was bad. I was losing it. Luka was right about everything. This girl was messing with my brain and it was the last thing any of us needed.
“You had to run,” I said. “Hide. We all did. Only we ran to the gutters. Underground. We went from one prison to the next. Had to fight for every scrap. Every meal. Had to kill each other to survive. What did you have to do? Go from a mansion to a three-bedroom apartment? Don’t compare your struggles with mine, Mia.” Dammit, I hated the sound of my own voice. Luka’s words echoed through me. This girl had fire. Why did I want her to burn me with it so damn much?
“You don’t know anything about me,” she railed.
“S
o tell me,” I said, gripping her wrist just before she would have tried to scratch my eyes out. “Tell me your secrets, Mia. I know you have them.”
“We all have them,” she said.
I let her go. “You’d be wise not to judge any other shifter for what they’ve done to survive.”
“You’d be wise not to compare yourself to the other shifters I know,” she said, tears rising. I wanted to wipe them away at the same time I wanted more of her anger. I fed off it. Her fears. Her rage. Her sadness. I wanted it all. As I squared off with her, I knew the one thing I wanted most of all.
Her love.
No!
My fangs dropped.
“Yes!” she hissed. “You want to know who I really am? Then show me who you are, Viktor. Prove to me you aren’t a monster. Because you are. Admit it. You want me to trust you? I could never trust you.”
She took a step back. My vision went pure white. I knew what she saw. I knew what she wanted.
The wolf.
“Show me,” she whispered.
It was a challenge. A dare. Was I strong enough not to give in to the urges she had to feel? I’d done it the other night. Could I do it again? Did I even want to?
“Show me!” she screamed. This time, I didn’t block her when she clawed at me. Her nails stung as she opened up three red lines on my chest. It burned. It shouldn’t burn that much if she were just…
A growl tore out of me. She wanted the wolf? She’d get him.
The shift rumbled through me, giving me release that was almost as good as an orgasm. I knew she’d seen me like this before. I knew she watched me from the window when Luka and the others first came here.
But this was different. She was only a foot away from me.
Mia’s eyes went wide.
“You’re…my God...you’re…”
Big. She was looking for the word big. I was probably the largest Alpha she’d ever seen. My fangs dropped, saliva dripping from them. I drank in her scent. Like this, I could take in so much more.
Sweet. Clean. But her lust was unmistakable. Her nipples hardened. I could see them clearly through the t-shirt. Dark as wine. I licked my teeth and advanced on her.
Mia took a step back. I took another step forward.
She dropped to her knees. I towered over her. Beauty wanted the beast? Be careful what you wish for.
She reached for me. I stood stock still as Mia ran her hands over my head. She went up on her heels and let her fingers sink into my coal-black fur. She felt my flank, my haunches. She gripped my tail and circled it with both hands. Then, she came around the other side.
“Viktor,” she whispered.
Mine! I snapped my jaw. It was my turn to inspect her. She knelt before me as I rubbed my snout against her shoulder. I licked my way up her neck. I let my teeth graze the nape. Right there. That’s the spot where I would mark her.
My low growl vibrated through the air. Through her. She shuddered with pleasure she couldn’t hide. Not from me. Not ever again.
Show me, I thought. She was in there. She had to be. I should be able to see Mia’s wolf in my mind’s eye. Instead, I just saw blinding whiteness.
She was doing something. Some magic. Female shifters were supposed to have it, but this was different. She shouldn’t be able to hide herself so completely in the presence of her mate. Because as sure as I was about who I was, I knew the truth about her.
Mine!
Mia slowly rose to her feet. I wanted to command her. To dominate her. I wanted her naked before me by the time I shifted back. I’d held back the other night. I wouldn’t today. I meant to take her right here, right now, in broad daylight. I didn’t care if the others saw. Let them.
She rose. She walked around me again, running her fingers all over me. Petting me. Enticing me.
Then, two things happened at once. Mia’s bare arm brushed too close to the rose bush. A thorn punctured her skin, drawing blood. The scent of it sent a wave of electricity through me.
I turned to her. I took a step back and started to shift.
Mia looked away for a second. A reflection of light shone in her eyes, momentarily blinding her. It was the gold disk, lying on the ground. It had fallen from my pocket as my jeans ripped to shreds during the shift.
I would have screamed no. I had no voice yet.
Mia tilted her head, curious. She reached for the disk, unaware of the blood still pouring from the scratch on her arm.
“No!” I managed, as I completed my shift.
But it was too late. Mia grasped the disk. Her blood was too close. The disk’s magic drew it, turning one drop into a red mist that spiraled into the gold.
A flash of light. A scream. Then a soulful howl as Mia’s last secret ripped out of her. I staggered backward, shielding my eyes from what felt like the sun coming straight down in front of me.
When I got my bearings and opened them, Mia’s wolf stood before me. White fur. Piercing blue eyes. Raw power.
I had just enough time to cry out her name, before she turned tail and ran for the woods.
Chapter 12
Mia
My magic turned inward. It was as if something grabbed hold of it and twisted it back against me. If I didn’t shift, if I didn’t let my wolf burst forth, I knew with absolute certainty I would die.
Viktor called after me. Twin emotions warred for my soul.
Go to him.
Run from him.
I chose the path I’d been taught. I ran.
As terror gripped my heart, so did joy. I can barely explain it. The moment my paws crossed from the manicured lawn of Clairmont to the wilder, rougher dirt of the woods, I felt more myself than I had my whole life.
But I wasn’t alone. I felt Viktor’s wolf gain ground behind me.
Chase me.
Oh, God. What was happening to me? It seemed as though thousands of years of instinct flooded my veins at once.
My Alpha. My mate. My enemy.
I wanted him. I needed him. I hated him.
I’d never run so fast in my life. I’d never been given the chance. With each step, it felt as if my power grew.
This was who I was. Animal. Primal. Strong.
I had no idea where Clairmont ended and the rest of the world began. The logical part of my brain tried to hang on. Don’t go too far. You don’t know what’s out there. It could be better. It could be worse.
I didn’t care. I just wanted to run. To hunt. To fight. To...fuck.
Viktor’s howl shocked through me. Unwittingly, I answered back. It was as if we’d harnessed nature itself. The bright, sunny sky disappeared. Storm clouds rolled in, darkening it to ominous purple.
Thunder cracked. I kept going. I ran along the stream, following it down into the valley. I knew what I’d find. I knew where I was supposed to be. I’d seen it a thousand times in dreams I couldn’t recall until this very moment.
Grouse flew upward, disturbed by my steps. Grace. Power. Instinct. I was all of them.
Finally, I reached the clearing. The stream fed a hidden lake tucked deep into the valley. It seemed untouched. No footsteps. No cleared beaches. No encroaching vacationers.
Mine.
I came to the water’s edge. A ridge of hair stood on end along my back as I looked skyward and bayed at the sky. It answered with lightning. A moment later, sheets of rain came down. Each heavy droplet bounced along the surface of the water, as if the lake tried to throw it back to the sky.
“Mia,” a husky voice whispered behind me. “My God. Mia.”
In an instant, I shifted back. It didn’t feel entirely voluntary. My body was in control. I turned to face Viktor.
Sweat poured down his muscled chest. He looked at me with shock and wonder.
“Mia,” he said again, taking a tentative step toward me.
I growled back, ready to shift again.
“I’m not going to hurt you,” he said. “I’ve promised you that a thousand times.”
“What did you do to me?�
�� I asked. “What was that?”
Viktor swallowed hard, his guilt written plainly on his face. “Mia…”
“You son of a bitch,” I said. “You tricked me.” I wanted to claw at him. I wanted to let my wolf back out and tear into him. I wanted to...
“No!” he shouted. Then softer. “No. I mean, it was fae magic. But I wasn’t going to use it on you. It was an accident. You picked it up while you were bleeding and triggered the spell inside of it. I didn’t plan that. I swear.”
Fae magic. The Ring. I couldn’t let myself forget who and what this man was. And yet...
“But you had it,” I said. “Why the hell would you have it if you weren’t going to use it?”
“I wanted... Mia...you need to let me explain.”
“Explain?” I wanted to scratch his eyes out. I wanted to knock him off his damn feet. I wanted…
That was it. The crux of it. I wanted. A rising tide of desire swelled within me. Only one thing could quench it. Only one thing should have sent me tearing off deeper into the woods.
“There were rumors about you,” he said. “I wanted you to tell me yourself. Yes. When they asked me to find you…”
“To kidnap me, you mean. Let’s not pretend it was anything else, Viktor.”
“It’s complicated,” he said. “I’ve asked you to trust me. So far, I’ve not broken a single promise I’ve made to you. Do you really understand what Denall and the Ring want to do with you?”
“Better than you do!” I snapped, my wolf coming back just a little.
“They will never touch you,” he roared. He came to me then, gripping my elbows, he jerked me toward him.
I wanted to kill him. I wanted to fuck him. The human parts of me seemed to fade away. I was all emotion. All anger. All lust. Deeply wild.
“Never,” he said. “I will kill any man, wolf, fae, whoever tries to lay his hands on you. I swear it on my life. I swear it on the lives of every one of the shifters loyal to me. No one touches you. No one but me.”
His words thundered through me, stoking an explosive flame inside of me.
Yes. My sex throbbed even as my mind reeled. What was happening to me?
