by Dakota Brown
"Nikolai, your Russian counterparts have never heard of you. They say you're to return to Russia immediately."
Nikolai snorted. "Am not from Russia. Am from Detroit. Will not be going anywhere I don't wish to."
"Detroit?"
Ed didn't need a werewolf nose to smell her disbelief. He glanced at them while the pancakes cooked.
"Yes, Michigan. Big city, dirty. Lots of cars. Much happier here. Free country, yes? Don't need permission to live in Colorado." He crossed his arms.
"Can you, uh, prove that?"
"Of course." Nikolai waved a hand negligently.
She arched her eyebrows.
Nikolai's eyes narrowed and he dug out a wallet and handed Adriana his driver's license.
Ed knew Doc had some pretty good contacts in the making up new identities department. He hoped Nikolai's would withstand a heavy look. Adriana took a picture of his license and sent it to someone before handing it back to the Russian.
"Who trained you."
"Family, of course. They died in a fire."
"Convenient," Adriana muttered.
Nikolai's face reddened. "Nothing convenient about it," he snarled.
"My apologies." Adriana apparently realized she had hit on a delicate subject and backed off.
"And you trained Sofia?"
"The demon trained Sofia." Nikolai continued to glare at Adriana. "I simply filled in a few gaps."
She shook her head and glanced at her phone when it beeped. Her frown deepened before she sighed.
"Whoever made up your background did a very thorough job."
"Adriana, why are you here?" The menace in Doc's voice cooled the temperature in the yurt a few degrees.
She shivered. "I, uh, will of course inform the Russians that your background is properly accounted for even though no one has heard of you." She stammered for a moment before getting her composure back. She turned on Doc. "You are not a mage. You don't even have the same ID information that you did the last time I ran across you."
"Do you?" he asked, voice no less frosty. "Not all mages age normally. You certainly haven't. Does your ID have your actual birthday on it?"
She blinked.
"Maybe you should let it go," Nikolai suggested.
Ed got the next round of pancakes cooking, really glad he was just a werewolf and didn't really have anything to hide. At least from Adriana.
Ash took plates and set the table.
On reflection, he cursed himself for making food. If Adriana stayed, she'd be paying a lot more attention to Doc than normal. Would he be able to get away with not eating anything?
Sofia had perched on the edge of the bed and was glaring at Adriana, lavender flashing in her eyes. If Adriana wasn't careful Sofia was going to roast her. The burning scent of anger rolled off his mate.
"So, you tore your cabin down because you didn't like it, and are all living in a yurt? With one bed?" She was clearly trying to change the subject, but she chose a poor topic.
"The cabin was a casualty in the war with the Andersons," Doc bit out. "We're rebuilding it now that the Andersons are handled. We didn't want it to get burnt down twice in short order. Figured that would gather too much attention."
"I see." She turned her attention to Sofia and flinched at the glare she received. "Are you comfortable with the arrangements."
"If I wasn't, I wouldn't be here." Sofia scowled.
"Ash, have you made any further decisions on your path now that you are free of the Andersons?" She switched subjects again.
Ed knew they were all grateful for the help Adriana and her people had provided, but there was so much they should have done long before Sofia had ever gotten involved, that no one was feeling terribly charitable toward those invasive questions.
"I am staying here." He stared at the plate of pancakes he held, looking uncertain, but his voice was firm.
"Very well. Should you change your mind we will help you find new accommodations. Unrelated to that question, none of us have had a chance to talk to a demon. If you become willing to answer questions for us, please contact me. We have a lot of them, but we also understand you've been through quite an ordeal. We also could have use for you. All of you." She looked at everyone in the yurt for a moment. "You're a powerful group and there are many people out there like the Andersons who have gone unchecked for far too long because we simply don't have the ability to take them on. You do. Think about it. We'll be in touch." Adriana headed toward the door and Nikolai pulled the flap open for her.
We heard her car start, but no one moved until Nikolai nodded and took a deep breath. "She is outside the wards. Now you're cooking like I do." Nikolai gestured toward the pancakes.
Ed yelped and scooped them off the magical stovetop. "They're only a little singed," he replied defensively.
Nikolai laughed.
Sofia groaned and sank down at the low table, sitting on one of the cushions. Ash sat next to her and Doc sat on the demon's other side. Allan claimed Sofia's other side and Nikolai sat next to Allan. Ed squeezed in between the mage and Doc.
"Are you okay?" He hoped nothing was wrong. He scented the air, but she smelled all right.
"I just want that vacation I mentioned." She leaned her forehead on the table for a moment before sighing and grabbing a few of the pancakes.
Doc handed her a mug of tea he had somehow procured.
"What kind of vacation?" Ed shoved a pancake in his mouth, ignoring the burnt side.
"Just. A vacation. Here. Not having to go anywhere unless we want to. Not having to deal with anyone else. Just the pack."
Doc smiled. "Hopefully, we can manage at least a day of that."
She leaned against Ash and put her forehead on his shoulder. "Please?"
The demon awkwardly put an arm around her.
She stayed in that position when she spoke. "Okay, let's stop talking about all of that. Let's talk about last night."
When she didn't continue right away, Ed stopped breathing. She'd hated it. She was never going to run with them again. Fuck, he should never have pushed her to run with them.
"I don't even know what to say, or how to say it." She sat up again.
Damn it, damn it, damn it. Ed kicked himself.
"Fuck that was amazing," she finally breathed out. "I mean…the way the wind whispered through my fur. The scents, the sounds. Hell, the hunt…we have to do that again soon. Like, all the time."
His heart skipped about five beats and then he finally figured out how to breathe again.
"You liked it?" He winced at the way his voice squeaked.
"Duh. What part of 'fuck that was amazing' did you not hear?" She grinned at him.
He blushed. "I was worried."
She didn't give him a hard time about it, just accepted his emotion.
"I also enjoyed running as a wolf. I would enjoy doing again." Nikolai agreed.
Ash nodded. "I felt like I belonged for once."
The sadness in his voice sobered them, but only a little. Sofia and Doc both put their arms around the demon.
"You belong with us, Ash," Sofia insisted. "For as long as you want to be with us."
Ash twisted around until he was looking at her. He cupped her chin with his hand and brushed a strand of hair out of her face. She didn't pull away, meeting his cautious gaze with her own open one.
No one spoke, or really dared to breath. Ash needed to feel accepted, needed to know that they wanted him around, and no one wanted to do anything to push the demon away. He'd been mistreated for so long, Ed knew it would take a while for him to trust the rest of the pack, but hopefully they'd get a chance to prove to him that they really did want him there.
Sofia leaned forward, inviting Ash in.
He could sense through their pack bond that everyone felt peace with this move and knew Sofia felt that acceptance, too.
Ash wasn't part of the bond, and he hesitated. His hand dropped away from her chin and his shoulders slumped.
So
fia clenched her jaw briefly before leaning forward, tangling her fingers in Ash's long hair, and pulling his mouth to hers.
The demon stiffened, and she didn't push him beyond pressing her lips to his. After a moment, he returned his hands to her face, holding her as he kissed her deeply, as if he were kissing Sofia to her very soul, trying to decide if her acceptance was real, or just a trick. Ed smelled Ash's desperate hope and desire conflicting with fear.
His heart broke a little for the demon. Three hundred years, or more, he had said he fought his bonds. Ed couldn't even imagine. There was no way any of them would be able to undo several lifetimes of torture, but he wanted to try.
Without breaking off their kiss, Sofia moved until she was straddling Ash's lap. She left one hand in his hair, as if to keep him from running away, but she dropped the other one down to the demon's broad shoulder and caressed his arm.
Ash rumbled in his throat, and some of his fear scent dissipated, replaced more heavily by lust.
Ed glanced at the others. They looked as content as he felt while the demon lost himself in Sofia's embrace.
They finally came up for air. Ash stared at Sofia with wonder in his mottled blue and white eyes.
"You know," she said slyly. "I had always thought you were just after Doc."
Ash's jaw dropped and he cleared his throat, his eyes darting over to the vampire, a hint of panic overcoming the wonder.
"Uh…"
"It's okay. Ed's the only one not after him," Sofia whispered and pressed her lips to Ash's again. "He is pretty hot," she said against his lips.
Doc smirked, possibly finally owning up to that particular aspect of their pack dynamic.
"Mmhm," Ash agreed as he focused on the woman in his arms.
Ed quietly got up, working on clearing the table, though Sofia's hungry moan distracted him. Ash cupped her ass, holding her close. The rest of them had the table cleared by the time Sofia let Ash go. Though the demon certainly wasn't complaining. He looked happier than Ed ever remembered seeing him.
"Should we start the cabin?" Nikolai suggested. "It will snow again soon."
Ash tore his gaze away from Sofia and glanced around the yurt, looking slightly panicked again. Obviously, he had known everyone was there, but maybe he hadn't quite thought through the implications of kissing Sofia.
Doc, probably trying to reassure Ash that it was okay, put his arm around Ash's waist.
If he hadn't been watching the demon, he wouldn't have caught the hint of mischief that flashed thorough his eyes. Ash turned quickly and grabbed Doc, pressing his lips to the vampire's.
Doc's eyes went wide, but he didn't have any reason not to kiss Ash back and Ed found himself wondering just how good of a kisser the vampire was. He was certainly getting a lot of practice recently.
Nikolai huffed, rolling his eyes. Sofia laughed.
Ash released Doc, a smile tugging at his lips. "Yes, we probably should go build a cabin."
Sofia hopped off the bed where she had perched while watching Ash and Doc. "Great. I can't wait to get this done. Bigger showers, here we come!"
Chapter 16
Sofia
Kissing Ash was definitely the right thing to do. He had a spring in his step I'd never seen, and though I wouldn't exactly call him cheerful, he stood straighter and a small smile tugged at his lips. The move he'd pulled with Doc had showed he was relaxing a little.
If only I had been able to wake up more slowly and enjoy the tangle of limbs and possibilities it had presented.
We probably had been a bit short with Adriana considering she and her people had come through as they said they would and helped take out the Andersons, but her questions were getting frustrating and worrisome. Of course, she also presented an interesting possibility. Especially with Ash in our pack, we were powerful. Should we help others? Or should we stay hidden away in the mountains? Could we do both?
All I really wanted to do at the moment was enjoy my guys and work my way through college.
My phone chimed while I pushed my feet into my snow boots.
Mom: We'll be there in a week if the weather cooperates.
Sofia: Sounds great. Got a place to stay?
Mom: Yes.
She sent the name of one of the bed and breakfasts in town. I was impressed she had gotten reservations. Ski season was in full swing. I'd been a little worried that they would want to stay with us.
Nikolai handed me my jacket. His calloused hands caressed mine and he winked.
I wanted to fold myself into his arms, but we had a cabin to start and snow to beat. The storm bore down on us with a heavy pressure that had me a little worried now that I focused on it.
"We should be able to get this all done today," Ash said as we headed out into the crisp mountain air.
"Really?" I couldn't imagine building an entire cabin in one day.
"The shell, anyway. The little details will take longer." Ash glanced at the sky. "We'll likely be snowed in for a few days, so we'll have plenty of time to rest and put the finishing touches on everything."
"Wow. Okay." I hadn't expected it to go that fast.
"We're all powerful," Ash explained. "You and Nikolai work together well. It will make this all easier."
Nikolai didn't comment and I glanced over at him. A slight frown creased his brow as he studied the spot where the old cabin had stood.
"Nikolai?"
Blue magic danced in his dark eyes. "Ready?" He didn't answer my unspoken question, but I sensed confidence through our bond.
"You and Nikolai should join your magic and then let me in. I can guide us."
Nikolai called his magic and I groaned as it washed through me, tugging my magic to the surface and lighting me on fire. Working magic with him hadn't affected me this strongly in a while and I wondered if Nikolai had done it on purpose. His hands slid around my shoulders and he pulled me against him as we held our magic and waited for Ash.
The demon hesitated, staring at the ground, platinum hair obscuring his face as he hid from us.
Finally, I reached out my hand and took his. "It's okay, Ash. Join us."
"It's so different with the two of you. I've had to work magic for and with that family for so long and there was never any affection. To feel the love in your bond." He shivered. "It's frightening."
"How can we help?" I squeezed his hand.
"I'm just…" He didn't finish but I could guess. He was afraid of letting us in, of getting hurt again.
"Ash, I can't promise we'll never hurt you, but we won't do it on purpose. Just like you don't know you won't ever hurt us. Mistakes happen. I can promise that we do want you with us, and that we will do our best to avoid causing you pain."
He tilted his head so that he looked at me through the long fall of his hair. My Viking demon was breaking my heart with his fear, but I couldn't make this decision for him.
Ash took a deep breath and called his amber magic. He took a step closer and kept a hold of my hand, but tension sang through the uneasy set of his shoulders. His amber magic melded with our dark blue and lavender, creating a colorful lightshow that stood out against the white backdrop of snow that covered everything.
"Ready?"
"Yes," Nikolai answered for both of us.
Ash let go of my hand and moved so he could touch both of our shoulders. His warmth washed through us as we let him into our bond so he could direct our efforts.
"Oh," I gasped as the raging fire of his magic washed through me. I'd felt it before, when I'd taken his magic from Doc, and my body accepted it, pulling more from him and feeding it to Nikolai.
The Russian rumbled in pleasure. "Benefits to working in groups you trust," he murmured.
Ash didn't respond, but we could sense his cautious hope at our acceptance. After we all had a moment to get used to being melded together by our magic, Ash gently took control. I could see what Nikolai meant about trust, though. Ash could have controlled both of us completely, instead of just directing our
magic.
Still, we had a cabin to build and the land was willing to aid us. Now I understood what Nikolai meant when he said he wasn't good at elemental magic. Where he could shape some of the land's magic to his will, the environment around us practically begged for Ash to take its magic and use it.
"It helps that the land likes us," Ash explained when I commented on it. "It wants us to stay."
Slowly, we gathered the elements we needed from the land around us. At some point we also pulled energy from Ed, Allan, and Doc and mixed it in with the power from the land. Our pack bond flared to life as we told the land everything we hoped for in our new home.
The power of this place responded enthusiastically. Trees nearing the end of their lives volunteered, stone, soil, and even the transient nature of the snow came at our call and solidified as Ash wove the energies into the design we had come up with over the last week.
I didn't know how long we worked, all of us joined with our land to build our new home, but Ash was right, we did get the shell done in one go. After it was formed, he slowly released us.
"Wow." Darkness had fallen but the moon was full and though our immediate area was bare of snow, it was bright enough that I could see what we had created.
Doc, Ed, and Allan came over to us. Ed put his arms around me and I leaned against his solid warmth. Exhilaration at what we had done warred with the fatigue that pulled at my limbs. Ed kept me upright. Doc supported Nikolai, and Allan stood close to Ash in case the Demon needed help, but he seemed okay.
"That's amazing," Ed breathed out.
Managing to push some of the weariness away, I walked forward until I could touch what we'd created. Stone gave way to logs as I ran my hand up the wall. Slate covered the roof. I touched the storm shutters and lightly ran my hand over the smooth glass before peeking inside.
"Go on," Ash suggested.
I hurried to the door and worked the handle. Lever style so wolves could open the door easily.
Grinning, I rushed inside. Beautiful wooden floors creaked ever so slightly under my feet as if the house spoke to me as I moved from room to room. It was just as we had imagined it. The large fireplace, a bigger kitchen, individual rooms for everyone, and a large master bedroom. I ran my hands over everything as I explored and the energy of the house responded to my touch, tingling up my arm and down my spine, caressing me.
