Reed: Nano Wolves 4

by Donna McDonald

  Reed nodded. “Brandi sent some emergency rations. They’re not great, but they’ll get you by until we can figure out something better. This is the off-season here. The cabin isn’t stocked with anything edible. Didn’t your captors feed you?”

  “All food and drink had drugs. Lucky that I knew that from Heidi and Yana.”

  “Indeed,” Reed said as he bent to pick her up.

  “You don’t have to be he-man. I can walk.”

  Reed snickered. She felt damn good in his arms. “You can fall down too. I know because I’ve seen you do it twice now.”

  Katarina narrowed her eyes. She lifted a finger and pointed it at him after he put her back on the bed. “So it was no dream. You ran by me last night and did not stop.”

  “You were being chased by wolves. I jumped over you to protect you from some bearded Russian wolf and one of my grandsons. I don’t know how you can trust me when everyone who looks like me is your enemy.”

  Reed moved to where he’d put his clothes and started pulling them back on.

  Katarina hated hearing the defeat in his voice. “Bad grandson is problem. Good grandson is with scientists, Temptation. We must save him. Your beta is already experiment. We must be quick.”

  Reed closed his eyes and swore.

  Katarina wished he’d come sit beside her so she could touch him. Her desire to hug him and not let go was strong today. “I am sorry to share bad news. Maybe he becomes nano wolf. That would not be so bad.”

  Nodding at her attempt to console him, Reed sat in a chair to put on his shoes. “Becoming a nano wolf would be the best outcome to hope for, but I’ve been an experiment myself. I fear the worst.”

  Katarina waved away his negativity. “We ask ghost of Nicolai to help him. Then you must be positive.”

  Grinning, Reed nodded. “Sure. Let’s ask Nicolai to help. It couldn’t hurt.”

  “What happened to Stewart and Terra? I don’t remember. I did not see them. I threaten captors and they said they only took me.”

  “Terra got shot with bear tranquilizer. She’s recovering slowly but should be fine. Brandi let Jon help her agent friends tear apart the aircraft they were using for their abductions. She said he feels better now. By now, all the bears should be headed to Alaska.”

  “Everyone safer there. Whole group can fight together,” Katarina said. She nodded gratefully when Reed produced a pack of beef jerky and a bottle of water. “Bol'shoye spasibo,” she said in gratitude. “Is Stewart okay? I had to get rough to make him do right things. They scared him.” She gave a shrug. “I was scared too, but that feeling is normal for me.”

  Reed went to the other pack and pulled out a bag of jerky for himself. Luckily, there were several in each bag. “Fearing for his life, your life, and Terra’s brought on the boy’s first shift. I didn’t see Stewart in his beast form, but I heard he made quite the impression on the bears when he charged back to the fight to help you.”

  Katarina nodded in approval. “Good. So boy is now wolf. That is dream come true for him, yes?”

  Reed snorted. “Unfortunately, that didn’t get to happen. Rumor is the boy changed into a freakish man-beast, which is what ultimately scared your kidnappers away.”

  Katarina finished her bag of jerky, crumbled the container, and tossed it accurately across the room into the trash basket. It was amazing how much food helped a person. Hunger appeased, she opened the bottle of water and drank half without stopping. She lowered it when Reed tossed a packet of something else that landed in her lap. She looked down and saw it contained dried apples.

  “Dessert,” she said happily, tearing open the bag with genuine joy.

  Reed watched her eat. “I need to be honest with you, Katarina Volkov. I find you interesting.”

  Katarina chewed and swallowed a slice of apple before she answered. “Like bug pinned to board? You do not look like geek to me.”

  Reed shook his head. “Nothing with you is ever easy. You know that’s not what I meant.”

  Katarina rolled her eyes. “How could I know anything, Temptation? You speak like old man yet your body is like youth. Why don’t you let your mind feel youth too? Be positive about life.”

  “How do you feel about me?” Reed asked.

  Katarina ate two more apple slices and made him wait. Finally, she smiled.

  “I’m interested in you as well, but my interest has purpose, Temptation. I am interested in how you fuck, but all the waiting you do… this not work for me. I get bored. Who needs reluctant male? No one.” She shrugged at his glare. “I will not be offended if you do not feel same urgency. Plenty of good fucks in the world. Not all of them beautiful like you, but that is life.”

  When she continued to stare at him and eat her dried apples, Reed finally stopped glaring and dropped his gaze. She seemed unaffected—like they just hadn’t had an intimate conversation at all. Was he an idiot to hope she felt passion for him and him alone?

  Katarina finished her apples, slid off the bed, and walked to dispose of the empty packet. She wasn’t running yet, but she felt a lot better. She went to stand in front of Reed’s chair. Reaching out, she lifted his chin and made him look at her.

  “You think too much and feel too little. This is why zest of life is gone. I could give that back to you, but then I think—why bother? It wouldn’t last. You don’t want zest. You don’t want pack. You don’t want family because some are evil seeds. From your words, I do not think you want anything in life except to be alone. Me being interesting means nothing. How could I ever know you want me? I have no answer to this question. A female should know.”

  Reed stared at the female who refused to let him establish any boundaries. He was supposed to be in a quieter phase of his life. He was supposed to be able to find peace. How could he do that when he kept having an emotional cold war with his very own Russian?

  Sighing, Katarina turned away and started back toward the bed. One of Reed’s hands grabbed her wrist and spun her back to face him. “You’re right. I don’t want to be young again. I don’t want the life that comes with it,” he said, and then let her go.

  Katarina stood there and searched his face. She saw torment and struggle. She saw centuries of disappointment weighing on him. When others saw his calm, she saw below it. Another male was hiding out there in that dark place and he tugged at her.

  She stepped closer. “I wish to kiss you. Tell me, Temptation, are you interested in kissing me back?”

  Reed’s answer was to use his hands to pull her onto his lap. He ran his hands through her hair and got caught in the tangles.

  “My hair is mess. I need shower.” She tried to back out of his lap, but he held her firm.

  “Who was the bearded Russian wolf, Katarina?”

  She sighed at Reed massaging her scalp despite the tangles. He was putting her to sleep. Maybe he was terrible in bed. Maybe he had no heat. But this was nice. She would take what comfort she could get. “Science would say bearded wolf is my father. I do not consider him that.”

  “He said you belonged to him.”

  Katarina chuckled. “It is his favorite delusion. I killed all those he sent to kill me, but still he does not believe when I tell him I belong only to myself.”

  Reed lifted one of her hands and kissed each finger. “He didn’t take it well when I told him that you were mine now.”

  “I am no one’s. I am lone wolf, Temptation. Do not forget that.”

  Reed let go of her fingers and pulled her tighter to him. “And don’t you forget that you’re not alone anymore. There are some things you need to know about me. I don’t share. I don’t…” Katarina’s finger over his lips stopped his declaration short.

  “All that can wait until your infamous later. See how much better that works?” she pointed out with a grin.

  “Yes, but…”

  “Enough buts,” Katarina declared and pressed her lips to his.

  The heat she’d been seeking exploded in flames when Reed’s tongue entered her
mouth to explore. Sweat beaded on her forehead and all he’d done so far was kiss her.

  “More—bol’she,” she whispered when he set her mouth free for a moment.

  Reed’s hands under her shirt cupping her breasts sent her diving for his mouth. Russian streamed from her before her tongue tangled joyfully with his. Katarina pushed her fingers through his long hair and dreamed of it draping over her as he plunged deep.

  She rose to her knees and then sat down higher in his lap. Feeling the hardness of him twitch between her legs made her dizzy.

  Katarina giggled as she pulled away. “I think you are more than interested, Temptation.”

  Reed’s continued silence as he ran his enormous fangs over her neck was loaded with something powerful that she couldn’t wait to unleash.

  Her head was spinning now. If she didn’t have him soon, she’d tear everything in this place apart. This was nothing she’d felt before. This was primal… and becoming critical.

  “Katarina, we can’t do this.”

  She reared back in Reed’s arms. His words hit her like a hard slap. There was nowhere on her body that didn’t ache.

  “Please don’t look at me like that. I want you. This is not about not wanting you,” Reed said desperately, gripping her shoulders with nearly all his strength to keep her from retreating when she went to move away. “I want you more than my next breath, but you’re in heat. Do you really want to risk getting with a child right now?”

  “I’m in…” Her mind rolled with his words. Male wolves always knew—they knew before the females in their lives.

  She shook her head to clear it. “Let me go,” she ordered, and was disappointed when he did. She should be grateful, shouldn’t she?

  Free of Reed’s grip, Katarina slid backwards and when she stood, she walked backwards until she hit the bed. “It’s not my time. I have months to go. With no male, heat does not come often. When it does, I feel it.”

  Wait…

  What did the men who tried to steal her say? She was valuable for blood and babies—that’s what they said. She buried her face in her hands. They must have done something to her.

  If Reed hadn’t stopped… but he did.

  “Bastards! They gave me drugs when they took me—something to bring cycle on. This is only answer. They told me plan was for me to make babies for experiments.” Katarina laughed with no humor and ran a shaking hand through her hair. When it got caught in a tangle, she yanked it out. “No more pity party. I need shower.”

  She rose and started toward the bathroom. At the door, she turned to look back at the male who now sat stoically in his chair. “I guess we are both lucky that you only find me interesting.”

  When she disappeared from sight, Reed stood and walked to the fireplace. He picked up the wrought iron tools and bent them quietly in half while he listened to Katarina sniffling in the shower.

  10

  To put a healthy distance between her and Reed, Katarina spent the day by the lake. What Reed did with himself, she had no idea. Used to her own company, it was no hardship for her to entertain herself. Colorado was beautiful. It was warmer than Russia or Alaska. It was like a vacation to be here.

  She skipped rocks and gathered firewood for the people who would be in the cabin next. There was a place near the cabin to stack it. Heidi would say her actions were good karma. Katarina was simply happy to have a purpose that accomplished something.

  When she felt she was recovered from the tranquilizer, Katarina undressed, shifted to wolf, and spent a couple hours in the lake catching fish. It was a fun activity and one the icy lakes where she’d lived most of her life would not have made as enjoyable. She kept only enough fish for their evening meal and let the rest go free.

  Assuming she and Reed would both be keeping their human forms, she built a fire in a metal ring that looked like they had made it for that purpose. With all the trees surrounding them, it was easy to find a stick or two to slide the fish onto. What was hardest was finding something to raise the food to a decent height so the fish wouldn’t burn. A pile of discarded bricks she discovered behind the cabin served the purpose quite nicely.

  She’d found some lawn chairs back there too. Under better circumstances, this place would be a fun place to stay.

  She was staring into her tiny but hot fire when Reed exited the house. Sighing in resignation, she looked her fill again, absorbing his male beauty. Desire to touch him churned in her, but she was no untried she-wolf. She ruled her hormones, not the other way around.

  “Come eat, Temptation. While you were brooding, I caught fish for dinner.”

  “I was resting… and thinking. I brought dessert,” Reed said, holding up two packs of dried fruit.

  “Dessert? We have feast then.” Katarina pointed to a chair she purposely placed on the opposite side of the fire. “Sit there. It’s not safe for you over here.”

  Grinning, Reed nodded and obediently went to sit where she’d indicated. “I appreciate you keeping the fire low enough not to be seen. Billowing smoke might give us away.”

  “Low fire is so fish doesn’t burn, but I take compliment. I suspect you don’t give many.”

  Reed’s mouth lifted at one corner. “No. I guess I don’t. I always thought that made the ones I gave more sincere.”

  Katarina raised a shoulder. “You are stoic—means you are quiet, strong, and brooding. It is no crime to be that.”

  Reed waited a heartbeat or two to speak. “Maybe I was brooding. I’m sorry about what happened earlier.”

  “It is our fate to wait, yes?” Katarina asked, then chuckled. “I am rhyming in English. My command of your language has improved since I got stranded here.”

  “Stranded? Is that what being in Alaska feels like to you?”

  “Not as much now as at first,” Katarina answered, poking at the fire with a long wooden stick to stir the embers. “When I think clearly, I think here Yana and I can safely live among wolves for first time in our lives. There would be no need to fool humans as I did for many years. Maybe we live easier life in Alaska than Russia.”

  Reed leaned back in his chair and stared at the fire. “Matt has a few humans living with his pack. My pack has none. The bear children are about to change that, I guess. What did you have to give up to fool the humans?

  “Give up? Nothing. But always there was pretense. I moved every thirty years and started over. I paid werewolf underground to make me new ID so humans never know my real age. It was…” Katarina picked the fish up and flipped it over. “It was pain in ass to always move. Lose job, status, friends, house—lose everything.” She shrugged. “It was also necessary.”

  Reed studied her across the fire. “You’re not nearly as youthful as I thought you were. After all that’s happened to you, I’m surprised you’re not as jaded with life as I am.”

  “You are not jaded.”

  “I’m not?” Reed asked, surprised at her quick response.

  Katrina lifted her chin. “Fish nearly done.” She sighed internally when she saw Reed’s confused expression. “No, Temptation. You are worn down from hurt. This differs from jaded.”

  Reed held out both hands. “Explain this to me.”

  Smirking, she leaned forward in her chair. “My father is bastard. If I met wonderful father figure tomorrow, I would not want him. Not even if he were Nicolai Vashchenko come back to life. Know why?”

  Reed leaned forward and grinned. “I’m on the edge of my seat with wanting to know.”

  “Okay, I tell you. I’m tired of whole father thing. He killed my mother. He sent my brothers to kill me. He killed Yana’s mother. He probably helped bastard clone find Yana. This is too much trouble. I used to dream of finding good father, but now I don’t want one.”

  “Is that healthy? You’re judging all fathers by your bad one.”

  “Da, is true. And my head,” Katarina said, tapping hers. “My head says this is not fair. But my heart,” she said, tapping her chest. “My heart says risk too high.
Next father may succeed in killing me. Make sense?”

  Reed blew out a breath. “Not completely, but I understand why you feel that way.”

  “I feel similar way about you.” Katarina lifted the fish and slid one for her off the stick and onto a piece of mostly clean board she’d found. “Here—you get two fish. Big man needs more fuel.”

  Reed took the fish but didn’t touch it. Katarina always ate like she hadn’t had food in weeks. He wondered how often she’d gone hungry in her life.

  “Fish is excellent. Eat while hot,” she ordered, nodding with her chin.

  “I can’t eat until I know something.”

  “Fine. You miss good meal. Ask question while I eat,” Katarina said.

  “How do you really feel about me?” Reed asked.

  Katarina grinned as she shrugged a shoulder. “You could be my favorite dick. I do not know for sure yet, but I have feeling.”

  Reed burst out laughing and hung his head. “I will need a lot of clarification about that statement.”

  Katarina chuckled. “Heidi knew it was love for her because Ryan was favorite dick. She say that is why she tolerate his male shit. This is universal female problem, Temptation. All males are trouble, one way or another. If they have talented dick, at least they good for something other than being handsome naked man who looks nice when wet.”

  Laughing, Reed lifted an eyebrow. “And here I always thought females were the ones who were trouble.”

  “We are, but I made you fish dinner. You do nothing for Katarina but save her life. You got best deal today.”

  “That’s true,” Reed said with a laugh and began to eat his fish. “Fish is perfect. Most of the time I eat it raw, even as a human. I get impatient waiting for food to cook.”

  Katarina laughed. “I like you, Temptation. More after I kissed you.”

  Reed smiled. “I like you too, Katarina Volkov. You have the power to do what no other female has ever done to me.”