Arctic Bite

by N. J. Walters

  Oh no, he wasn’t going to let her turn this around to him. “About the weapon.”

  “Dog with a bone,” she muttered and started walking again.

  “Persistent,” he corrected, ignoring the canine reference. He was a mighty bear, not some werewolf mutt.

  “Yes, I’m one of the head reapers. Yes, I used it a very, very long time ago.”

  He scanned the horizon, keeping a watchful eye out for anything out of place. “You told me you never killed anyone.”

  “A human. I’ve never murdered a human. Death ordered me to reap those creatures, and since they weren’t ready to die…” She stuffed her hands in her pockets and rounded her shoulders as she trudged onward.

  He hated to upset her more than she already was, but he needed to know. “You executed them.”

  Her footsteps slowed until she came to a stop, the icy wind rushing around her. Like a woman in a trance, she reached for the blade and gave it a few experimental swings. It was an extension of her hand. There was an ease with which she handled it. “It was a slaughter.” Her eyes became unfocused, her pupils dilated. She no longer saw the snow or the mountains but the horrors of the past.

  “Cassie,” he began, but she spoke over him, lost to the scene unfolding in her mind.

  “Death swung his scythe. Hundreds went down in one swoop. And he was only getting started. The males tried to attack, tried to save their wives and children. Mothers huddled over their babies, doing their best to save them. Blood. So much blood.”

  “Jesus. Cassie—”

  “It was a sunny day. So beautiful. It should have been raining with all the tears that fell. I stood there watching, unable to move. He yelled at me, told me to strike.”

  Alexei put his arms around her from behind, anchoring her. She didn’t even seem to notice. Her gaze was fixed on the curved weapon in her hands.

  “I couldn’t do it, couldn’t move. Not until I was attacked. A male swung a sword at my head. Not sure if it would have ended me or not. I no longer know fact from fiction. Not after what you did to Egan.”

  She might have died. They might never have met. “You defended yourself?”

  “Yes. Instinct kicked in and I fought. I slew hundreds. The more lives the blade took, the more it craved. That’s its power and its curse. For someone like Egan, weak and angry, it would whisper to him, making him long to mete out death.”

  He studied the blade intently. It seemed to be glowing. “It’s hungry.” It was an odd thing for him to say about an object made from metal and wood, but it felt right.

  “Always. It’s why only the strongest and oldest among us have them. Once used, the blade gets a taste for blood and wants more.”

  Much like a vampire. Every muscle in his body tensed at the comparison. He was similar to the ancient device. The darker side of him craved blood, needed it to survive. And just as Cassie did, he fought the compulsion to keep going until he’d drained the donor.

  “I’m sorry.” Totally inadequate, but he didn’t know what else to say. “Who were they?” An entire race of people wiped out.

  “Those kinds of questions are dangerous, but I asked him why. He was more approachable in those days.”

  She kept gazing out over the land, but he knew she wasn’t really seeing the splendour and rugged beauty of it. No, her mind was locked on blood and death.

  “What did he say?” He kept his voice calm and low. As much as he hated her having to relive such a horrific memory, he needed all the information he could get.

  “Nothing. He walked away muttering something about the gods and their abominations.” She sighed and shook herself. “Some of the gods try their hand at creation now and again, and it throws off the balance of the universe. Although those creatures did nothing to earn their fate, their mere existence put all the other worlds and civilizations in jeopardy.”

  TMI. “Other worlds?” And the gods created other species. Was that how his kind had come into being? No one could say for sure. And just how old was Cassie?

  She nodded and shivered. “We should keep moving.”

  Right. He could stand here all day, but she couldn’t. Keeping one arm around her, he guided her off to the left. She kept the weapon in her right hand. He wasn’t certain she was aware it was even there.

  “Not much longer.” That was a lie unless he did something about it. He opened all his senses and cast around the area. “Screw it,” he muttered as he lifted her off her feet.

  “Hey. What are you doing?”

  “Running.” He took off, moving faster than the eye could track. As he ran, he prayed she wouldn’t decide to lop off his head.

  The other Brothers would call him crazy. Right now, he wouldn’t disagree.

  …

  “We’re here.” Not even winded, Alexei placed her on her feet. She had no idea how far they’d traveled. It had been difficult to keep track with the landscape blurring around her.

  She placed a hand on her stomach, trying to calm it, frowning when she noticed she still held the sickle. Handling it carefully, she tucked it away before examining where exactly “here” was.

  They were standing on a snowy ledge partway up a mountain. The wind was strong, whipping around them, creeping into every available opening in her clothing. It skated down her neck and up her arms. She couldn’t remember ever being this cold. Wasn’t sure she could feel her toes.

  “Umm, there’s a rock.” Understatement of the year. There was a giant boulder blocking their way. The kind it would take a dozen men and lots of heavy equipment to even attempt to move. Either that or dynamite. Lots and lots of dynamite.

  “Front door.” As casual as you please, he walked over to the enormous stone, put his hands against it, and pushed.

  Front door. He’d brought her to a cave. She’d envisioned a cozy cabin with a fireplace, not a cave halfway up a frozen mountain.

  The rock moved easily, scraping across the ledge. He didn’t move it far, just enough so they could slip inside. “You coming?” he asked.

  Let’s see…dark cave or freezing mountain. Not much choice, especially with night falling. She took a step into the unknown.

  It was dark. Really dark. Metal rings had been hammered into the rock, and he used them to pull it back into place.

  “Give me a sec.”

  He could have as long as necessary. She’d just stand here and shiver to death. No way was she taking a step until she could see what was in front of her. God, she missed her abilities.

  Alexei’s eyes glowed in the dark. Talk about a horror movie. If she hadn’t been expecting it, she’d have been totally freaked out.

  A bright light blinded her. She threw a hand up in front of her face to shield her eyes from the glare.

  “Sorry,” he murmured before he lowered his phone. She almost laughed. He didn’t have a flashlight. It was an app on his phone.

  He held out his free hand.

  She took his hand and let him lead her down a path, surprisingly free of debris once they got past the first few feet. They took a right and then a left, moving deeper into the mountain.

  At least it was getting warmer.

  She wasn’t surprised when they hit a huge metal door. It was old and carved with various symbols, most of which she couldn’t see. There were flowers and vines flowing around the edges. It would be right at home in any fantasy novel. Any minute now the mountain dwarves would appear. Or with her luck, mountain trolls.

  He pressed several different places on the panel, turned the handle, and pulled.

  “Welcome to my home.” He tucked his phone away and waved her forward.

  Okay, she’d thought she couldn’t be surprised by anything, but she was wrong. Whatever he’d done, a light had come on inside the space. The room was huge, perfect for a male his size. There was a fireplace in one corner. A fireplace! It seem
ed set into some sort of natural rock opening that acted as a chimney. The floors were stone, but certain areas were covered in rugs.

  “Fur?” That seemed wrong somehow.

  “I come across a lot of dead animal carcasses. Seemed wasteful not to use them.”

  He was right. When he removed his boots, she did the same before venturing farther inside. She was pulled toward a comfortable seating area in front of the fireplace. A huge sofa and chair were arranged in front of it. They were both obviously handcrafted, the wood smooth to the touch. “Your work?”

  He gave a curt nod. The cushions were covered in animal hide, but the pillows were ornate and silk.

  “Why is it so warm?” She was actually starting to sweat. She removed her knapsack, setting it on the sofa before unzipping her coat and sliding it off.

  “Geothermal hot springs.” He yanked off his sweater, leaving him in a long-sleeved cotton shirt.

  “This place is incredible.” He’d created a home in the middle of a mountain. She glimpsed his quick smile before he turned away.

  “The kitchen is this way.”

  Curious, she followed. It wasn’t a separate room but tucked away in an open space to the left of the living area, creating an L-shape. Counters ran below and above on one side. On the other was a gas stove. “No refrigerator?”

  Alexei jerked his head toward another door on the far end of the kitchen. “Walk-in freezer. It’s a cold zone.”

  Unable to resist, she opened the door and peeked inside. A slab of meat hung from a hook. There were more items stacked on shelves. She tugged on several boxes. “Frozen pizza?”

  One corner of his mouth kicked up. “I stock up when I know I’ll be in the area for a while.”

  “The logistics must be crazy.”

  “Not that hard to move a couple of shipping containers full of stuff up here.”

  It probably wouldn’t be to someone with his abilities. “Anyone ever find this place?”

  He shook his head. “No. They’ve come close a couple times, but they have no way inside.” He eased around her. “This way.”

  As she followed him down a short hallway, she avoided looking too hard at him, too afraid to see his reaction to what she’d told him. She’d helped Death slaughter a race of beings, which went against everything she was as a reaper. Her job was to guide confused spirits to where they needed to be, to help them transition. Not to participate in genocide.

  Yet that’s what she’d done, blindly following orders. Well, not quite blindly, but she’d done it to save herself.

  What kind of a person did that make her?

  From all she knew, and she’d studied their historic archives extensively, there was no record of the event. It was a secret to all but Death and, of course, her. There were also no records of anything similar ever occurring. But there wouldn’t be.

  It had changed her in some deep, fundamental way. Other reapers didn’t understand the violence of death. For them, it was a natural occurrence. What they did was important, valuable to every world and civilization.

  “What are you thinking?”

  They’d stopped in front of an open door. She had no idea how long they’d been standing there while she’d been lost in thought.

  “Maybe I’m defective.” She licked her dry lips. “What I went through changed me. We’re not supposed to kill. We help people, guide them when they’re lost and afraid.” She placed a hand on her chest, over her heart. “Maybe I’m not fit to do it after what I’ve done. Maybe I should be put down.”

  He ran the tips of his fingers over the side of her face. “Taking the lives of all those people had to change you. I know.”

  And he did. Alexei was an assassin, by choice. Or maybe it wasn’t a choice. She had no idea what demons or instincts drove him. And she wasn’t in the position to judge. From all she’d learned, he didn’t take life indiscriminately. Otherwise, he’d have taken the money that had been offered and simply tried to end her.

  He caught her chin between his fingers and applied light pressure until she looked up at him. He was so big and strong, solid and dependable. Not once in their short acquaintance had he let her down.

  It would have been safer for him to simply walk away and leave her to her fate. Instead, he’d put his life on the line.

  “You don’t deserve to be put down.”

  “How can you be sure?” She needed something to cling to. The past was rising up and threatening to consume her whole. She’d thought she’d put it behind her, but the shields she used to keep the past at bay were weakening, allowing all sorts of thoughts to come to life.

  Emotions, too. God, she wanted to weep for a month, no, a year, for what she’d seen and done.

  “How long ago did it happen?”

  Time had lost all meaning to her. “I don’t know. Eons.”

  “Yet it still torments you. No, you don’t deserve to be put down. You’re a good person. A kind one.”

  “How can you say that? You barely know me.” Yet, his belief in her was unshakable.

  “You give Buck free nuts to eat. You keep an eye on all your regular customers, making sure they don’t drive while drunk, even the idiot ones. You know them by name.”

  “Well, yeah.”

  He brushed his lips over her forehead, sending heat throughout her body with that simple touch.

  “You’re worried about me, even though your own life hangs in the balance.”

  “I knew what I was doing.” She couldn’t allow him to make her seem better than she was. “You were yanked into the middle of this. It would be best if you just let me go.”

  He slipped his hands around her waist, resting them at the small of her back before pulling her against him. “Never.”

  Never. His vow settled into her bones. Something inside her let go and her tension dissolved. This risk had been so worth the gamble, because it had brought her to Alexei.

  He was a hybrid, the likes of which the world had never seen. And he was better off staying well beyond Death’s radar.

  He was special, made her believe she could be something more. What she did was important, but shouldn’t there be more, especially after a lifetime of service? Didn’t she deserve a chance to actually live?

  Whatever time they had­­, she’d take it as a gift. And no matter how things turned out in the end, she wasn’t going to allow Alexei to be harmed. Somehow, someway, she’d make sure he was safe. Even if it cost her own life.

  A shiver raced down her spine, making her body shudder. It was as though the universe had heard her unspoken vow and accepted it.

  “What are you thinking?” His jaw was taut, his lips pursed, his eyebrows pulled down in a frown, and his eyes too perceptive. She reached up and stroked his beard, intentionally distracting him. Sure enough, his eyes became heated.

  Time was short for her. She felt it in her bones. But they were here now. Talk could come later, much later.

  They’d made it this far and were together. They should be safe for a little while. Egan wasn’t going to run back and tell anyone he’d found her. That would lead to a whole lot of uncomfortable questions.

  No, they were safe for at least a short while. And she planned on making the most of it.

  She went up on her toes, fisted his hair in her hands, and stroked her tongue over his bottom lip, eliciting a deep groan. When his lips parted, she slipped inside.

  This was what she needed, his heat, the connection to another person. She wasn’t really sure she understood love, but she had feelings for Alexei. Ones that went all the way to her very being. She couldn’t say soul, because she probably didn’t have one.

  But her heart ached and every cell in her body clamored for his touch. Her breasts were swollen and the place between her thighs throbbed.

  He cupped her ass in his hands, lifted her, and carried her i
nto the bedroom.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Cassie was trying to distract him. Problem was he was more than willing to be sidetracked. He was worried about her mindset. The way she talked. Maybe I deserve to be put down. Yeah, that made his guts twist.

  His first instinct was to love her so long and hard she’d never utter those words again.

  It was probably stupid not to spend their time planning, deciding what to do next. But screw it. He was tired of always having to stay one step ahead of the rest of the world.

  His room was fairly spartan, but it had a huge bed. One big enough for him to comfortably lounge on when he was fully shifted. He only had a single comforter. The cold didn’t bother him, not with his home heated from the nearby hot springs.

  As a polar, he could sleep in the middle of a blizzard if it came to it. Heck, he’d even enjoy it. But he occasionally craved creature comforts. Now he was glad for them.

  When he placed her in the middle of the bed, she blinked and then squinted. He’d forgotten she no longer had preternatural abilities.

  He reached across her and flicked a switch on a battery-operated lantern. Not everything was run off the generator. That was reserved for his television and computer. Somehow, he managed to get a signal up here. One of his Brothers, who was good at such things, knew a guy—a drakon according to him—who was an electronics genius and had set him up. It had cost him big time, but it was worth every penny. How he did it, Alexei didn’t know. All that mattered was he managed to stay connected, except during the worst storms.

  She was so beautiful, her hair tousled, her cheeks pink from the exertion of getting here. Or maybe it was because of what was to come. He settled onto the bed so he was lying on top of her, his weight supported on his forearms. She stared up at him with those huge green eyes that fascinated him with their expressiveness.

  He’d pictured her here since the first time he’d laid eyes on her—flat on her back in his bed. Maybe she wasn’t naked yet, but he’d get her there.