Alpha Night
Page 33
“Loyal and I will finish our Hourglass Lives marathon.” Margo patted the side of her thigh, and Loyal wandered over. Margo crouched down to put an arm around his back, so he wouldn’t follow Ethan when Ethan left.
“Oh, and my love has set up your table and chairs,” Alia said with a smile. “Tyoma also wants you to know you’re making him look bad.”
Carrier bag slung over his shoulder, Ethan said, “Spasibo,” to the group and made sure to touch Manuil’s shoulder before he headed out.
The boy’s face lit up like a small sun. “Good luck, Ethan.”
Ethan hoped he wouldn’t need luck, that it would all go according to plan. When he reached the den’s vehicle bay, Kostya was waiting for him by the jetcycle Ethan had already ridden more than once. “Selya’s just back in den territory.” He handed over a helmet. “Probably in a bad temper and muttering about bears. You have seven minutes.”
Pulling on the helmet, Ethan thanked the lieutenant, then roared out of the vehicle bay and onto the path that’d lead him to the small table and two chairs Artem had set up. He’d done this exact trail three times this week, to ensure he was aware of all possible hurdles that might come up.
But the ride was smooth today, the moon a silver spotlight on the world.
Reaching the small clearing surrounded by huge trees that created a kind of amphitheater, he parked the jetcycle and hung his helmet on one of the handlebars. Then he quickly arranged the table with the items he carried; the one thing none of the others knew about was the bunch of paper flowers he’d brought in his pocket.
Selenka delighted in the origami he left for her to find.
Table set, he got a beep on his phone that proved to be Dinara giving him the one-minute countdown. Taking a deep breath, he slipped out through the trees to stand at the side of the dirt track Selenka was driving. Her headlights appeared around the corner not long afterward—and Ethan stuck out his thumb as if hitching a ride.
Switching off the lights the instant she spotted him, so he wouldn’t be blinded, she brought the car to a stop and jumped out. Hands on her hips, she stared at him with a stern expression, but delight bubbled along the mating bond. Because this was a game, and wolves loved to play.
“Ethan Night, if you tell me Valentin was in on this, I really truly will bite you,” she threatened.
“He was only peripherally involved,” Ethan said and held out a hand. “No details. But you can still bite me. I like it.”
Shoulders shaking, she took his hand. “What are we doing, zaichik?”
“Having dessert in the moonlight.” Tenderness filled him at the emotions he sensed in her, the simple pleasure and happiness that suffused her.
She sighed when she spotted the white-draped table, the bowl of cherries, the chocolate he’d found for her after she’d mentioned it once in passing. “Oh, Ethan.” Taking the seat he pulled out, she propped her chin on her hands and looked up at him. “Is this in the manual?”
It had been a joke between mates, but Ethan solemnly shook his head. “I thought of this myself using a little inspiration from Wild Woman.” He wasn’t an expert yet, after all.
Primal delight in her. “Aren’t you going to sit?” she asked after he poured her the beer she liked. “How am I supposed to straddle your lap and kiss you stupid if you aren’t seated?”
His cock reacted as it always did to any flirtatiousness from his mate. But Ethan had more to do this night. “I learned something. I want to show you.”
A tilt of her head.
Taking out his phone, he started the quiet background music, then inhaled, exhaled . . . and began to sing to his mate who loved his voice. In front of him, Selenka ignored her drink, ignored the cherries and the chocolate, her eyes closing as she listened with every cell in her body. Her pleasure was a song of its own through his blood.
She shuddered when he stopped, her eyes pure gold when she opened them. “Your voice, Ethan . . . You could captivate my entire pack with it.”
“No, it’s only for you.” For his queen.
“The things you say, Ethan Night . . .” Rising from her chair, Selenka took a cherry and bit into it. She kissed him with lips stained cherry red before she fed him the other half and threw away the pip. “You’re not the only one with secrets.”
She took a step back with another lush kiss, then reached into the vee of her T-shirt to pull out the pendant she wore on a chain. He’d noticed the chain, but the ring-shaped pendant was new to him.
“I planned to do this later tonight, but . . .” A deep smile as she undid the chain and dropped the ring into her hand. A thick band with a simple design that made it appear like beaten metal, it had the letters E and S entwined in the central section.
“Our mating,” she said, “was a thing of instinct. But it’s become so much more. We’ve become who mates should be to one another—lovers, friends, swords, and shields.” She held up the ring. “I want you to wear this so you never doubt who you are to me. My mate, my love, and my Ethan.”
Chest crushingly tight, he stood frozen as she slid the ring onto his finger; then he curled his fingers inward into a fist, holding the gift close. “How did you know?” he rasped. That he still sometimes worried she wouldn’t have chosen him if her wolf hadn’t pushed her into it.
“I’m your mate.” A chiding glance, but her kiss was tender. “You’re my always, Ethan, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
Wrapping her up in his arms, Ethan lifted her off the ground . . . then he spun her around as his heart spun, his blood turning to dazzling light. Throwing back her head, his mate sent up a howl that was a song more beautiful than any he could ever sing—because in that howl was untrammeled happiness.
He was her always and that made her happy.
It was a joy the broken, trapped boy he’d once been could’ve never imagined, but the shadow of that boy danced in the light today, no shackles on his mind or on his heart. A heart that belonged to an alpha wolf.
* * *
—
AS Ethan and Selenka spun under the moonlight, Kaleb Krychek looked at the fault lines in the PsyNet, the weak spots created by multiple recent hits, and turned to Aden. “We no longer have a choice.”
The leader of the Arrow Squad showed no emotion, but his eyes were obsidian when he looked at Kaleb. “No, we don’t.”
They were agreed: it was time to break the PsyNet into pieces . . . and hope it survived.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
While writing this book, I had questions relating to the Russian language and Russian naming conventions. My thanks to Tetiana Matsypura, Karen Lamming, and Vladimir Samozvanov for generously answering those questions.
In cases where the transliteration from Cyrillic included different spellings, I’ve chosen one and gone with it.
Any errors are mine, and I hope you’ll forgive them.
Spasibo!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
New York Times bestselling author Nalini Singh is passionate about writing. Though she’s traveled as far afield as the deserts of China, the Highlands of Scotland, and the frozen landscapes of Antarctica, it is the journey of the imagination that fascinates her most. She’s beyond delighted to be able to follow her dream as a writer.
Nalini lives and works in beautiful New Zealand. You can contact her directly through her website: nalinisingh.com. While visiting the site, Nalini invites you to join her newsletter for up-to-date news about both the Psy-Changeling and Guild Hunter series, as well as fun exclusive extras, including free short stories set in her worlds.
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