by Aidy Award
The crone patted Dumuzid on the shoulder as if telling him he'd done a good job. He smiled and held out his arms to a woman who appeared out of the shadows behind the crone. "Brother? You've done it. You've saved me from Inanna's punishment."
The woman ran to her brother and kissed him on the lips...passionately.
Eww. If Zara was lucky and this was anything like Game of Thrones, spoiler alert, things would not end well for incestuous siblings. Blech. Also that dragon would rain fire down on the whole lot of them.
Alongside the demon dragon, the crone, and the icky siblings, Niko snarled and shifted into his gorgeous white wolf. His fur was streaked with wide swaths of red blood. He howled and legions of wolves joined the ranks of the snake dudes.
"What are they all gathering to do? It looks like they're about to go to war."
“Look.” The woman pointed down the hill where people, including her mother and father, were gathered. They were fenced in, like cattle in a stockyard.
"Oh my God." Before the words were even out of her mouth the wolves and snake men charged down the hill toward the trapped humans. The people screamed and Zara gulped for air, her heart skipped so many beats it may have stopped and tears pooled in her eyes. "Make it stop. Make it stop."
The vision faded and the sounds muted, but the attack continued. I can't make it stop. But you can. You can end this alliance before it ever starts and change the future. Give the good guys a chance to defeat evil.
Good versus evil? This was so far beyond the scope of what she'd set out to do when she wanted to take down Crescent, and happened to fall back in love with Niko. Now she had to stop a war between heaven and hell too? "How? Just tell me what to do and I'll do it."
She had a horrible feeling this was going to hurt.
Love. That's what all of this is about. The answer is always love.
Zara's eyes snapped open and she was back in the sacred circle. She grumbled under her breath. "Are you freaking kidding me?"
What the hell was she supposed to do with that answer? She already loved Niko, he knew that. She'd told him so just earlier today. Hadn't she? Shoot. Now she wasn't sure. Surely she had. She knew he'd said it to her.
"Kneel, Nikolai Piotryvich Troika and accept your place as Tzar of the wolves." Dumuzid pointed to the ground in front of Niko.
Oh no. Niko couldn't be Tzar, that was the beginning of the end for them all. "Niko, no."
Zara rushed forward, shoving people and wolves out of her way. It was then that she noticed almost everyone was frozen, down on their knees and staring straight ahead at Niko and the Volkovs. Except for her. She slowed and stared around her. Heli and Kosta were still standing, but were having a hard time moving. Gal and Max were very, very slowly stalking forward as if they were having to wade through quicksand made of cement.
"Kneel, Zarenity, daughter of no wolf, and become Tsarina at your master's side." Dumuzid pointed at her, and she half expected rays of colorful magic or lightning to come flying out of his fingers.
That same itchy power that struck at her before hit her again. Her knees wobbled, but she did not fall. She had to get to Niko and make sure he knew she loved him. "You have no power over me, demon slave. I know your secret. I have seen the future."
"You know nothing," he spat. "Demon slave? You are mistaken. Only weak wolves fall prey to demons."
"Zara," Niko's voice cracked on her name, and he reached his arm out for her.
That buoyed her like the best lifeline. The people around her, the ones that she loved the absolute most in her life, were the ones resisting this manipulative prickhole's crazy-ass powers.
The power of love... Amazeballs.
Zara made her way to Niko and gripped his hand in hers. Warmth curled through her from his touch. The stiffness in Niko's body released, and he had control over himself again.
"You've overstepped your purview Volkov, and failed. The reign of your Tzars are over. I will not be your puppet." Niko's words rang with power, and his eyes glowed so brightly the whole sacred circle filled with the amber light.
"My reach is much farther than even you can imagine, wolf. You will be the Wolf Tzar and do as we command, or an army of demons will destroy all of the Crescents, the Troikas, Zara, and her family. Do you want that on your conscience? I don't think your soul can handle much more guilt… Can it?"
Niko squeezed Zara's hand so tight it was painful. But there was no way she was letting him go. "Niko has nothing to be guilty about."
"Really? Killing his best friend, letting wolfkind fall into chaos without a clear leader, and starting a pack war, aren't offenses dark enough to keep him awake at night? Even his own wolf has deserted him, hasn't it?" Dumuzid needled at them both with his accusations.
Zara knew better. "Niko did none of those things."
"Solnyska, I love that you believe in me so deeply. But I did all of those things, and my soul is indeed black for it." Niko's voice wavered breaking her heart. "You have already seen that I can not shift into my wolf form. There is too much truth in what he says. I will never be his puppet, but I am also not worthy to rule my people."
"You're right about one thing. I do believe in you deeply, and just in case I didn't say it before because I was overly distracted by orgasms, I love you."
"Enough," Dumuzid groaned. "Kneel before me or face my wrath."
Zara stood up on her tippy-toes and kissed Niko on the side of his mouth. "I got you, wolf of mine. Believe in me, like I believe in you."
She faced Dumuzid and pointed at his dirty, tainted heart. "Niko tried to save Mikhail. The two of them saw through your façade . You're not even a wolf and have no rights over them. You and your demon master killed Mikhail. I saw your act of treason, and I bear witness. Release his memories... Now."
Dumuzid narrowed his eyes and directed a whole new wave of power at her. Zara felt his compulsion, which was also filled with a dark lust and a craving for blood. Whatever kind of creature he was, he had some serious issues. She didn't even bend a little under his push, and he crowed his frustration with her and stalked forward.
Niko stepped between them. His arms and shoulders expanded, fur sprouted from his skin, and he looked distinctly werewolf-ish. Scary. "Don't even think about touching my mate. Do as she says and let me see the truth of what happened to Mik."
Dumuzid glanced back at his compatriot in the black cape. The man, who Zara assumed was a demon, threw off his cloak and huge black wings spread from his back. He lowered his head and growled at them, smoke and fire pouring from his mouth and nostrils. His transformation continued, black and red magic swirling around him until his entire body shifted into that of a huge, honking, fire-breathing, black-scaled, dragon.
Zara stared into the eyes of the dragon and recognized that it too was being manipulated by whatever power Dumuzid had over most everyone in the sacred circle. Well, crap. That wasn't fair. Zara didn't think dragons were going to show up yet. Hopefully that creepy crone-witch-lady and the snake-bat-ostrich-men wouldn't pop up too. But they couldn't count on it.
"You see, I am no slave to a demon, but you will be." Dumuzid threw his golden cloaks off and the wrinkles of an old man faded away. He transformed into a suave-looking ladies man, dressed in a black suit and slicked back hair. "Nor am I a wolf. Although you can see it wasn't hard to penetrate their ranks. Their minds are so easily manipulated."
Ooh,. that was a low blow. She had a retort on her lips, but Niko beat her to the punch. "Because you haven't allowed us to fall in love with our true mates."
Zara poked her head out from behind Niko's hulked-out form which she could no longer see around. "Yeah, ass munch."
"I've had enough of your smart-mouth, you fat bitch. I don't need you to win this war, only the Tzar." Dumuzid waved his dragon forward. "Eat her."
Fight, Fight, Fight
Niko shoved Zara out of the way of the charging dragon and jumped on the beast's head. He still didn't have his wolf or it's deadly power, but his claws w
ere enough to kill Ramsey Crescent, they would at least act as a painful distraction for Dumuzid's guard dragon. He sunk his claws under the dragon's scales and pierced his skin.
The dragon roared and thrashed about trying to get Niko off, but it was holding back. The poor beast was under Dumuzid's control too, so Niko wouldn't kill it. He understood better than most what that was like, now that he had his memories back and they fueled his rage.
The second Zara revealed the truth, he didn't even need her to tell the bastard to release his memories. He saw the whole scene as clear as the night it had happened. She once again had found a way to heal him and set him free.
He and Mik had fought Dumuzid and some kind of horrible snake-like demons side by side. He hadn't murdered his best friend. Mikhail died a warrior's death, taking a claw to the heart and throat. Not something even their healing abilities could overcome.
Niko would not allow Dumuzid to do that to anyone else ever again, even if that meant showing mercy to his enemy. "Fight his control, dragon. You do not have to do his bidding. Fight him, not me."
The beast flailed and screeched out a horrible bellow. It thrashed and threw Niko to the ground, then stalked toward him, teeth bared and he trapped Niko beneath his giant talons. I will do his bidding because it will get me what I want. Your soul was once empty too, wolf.
A soulless dragon was a dangerous foe. But Niko didn’t believe the beast had nothing in his heart. He could see the battle warring between good and evil, right and wrong in the dragon’s black eyes. Niko could recognize all that because he saw himself reflected there. This dragon hated what he was and wanted something better.
“Dumuzid and his brethren can’t give you what you want. You need to find yourself a mate.”
The dragon growled and squeezed Niko’s chest to the point of asphyxiation. His ribs cracked.
No soul. No mate.
He couldn’t speak, much less breath to refute the brute’s false belief.
Zara screamed and they both looked over to see what was happening. That break in the battle gave Niko the chance to roll away from the beasts claws and make a run for his mate. He couldn’t allow the bastard to harm his one true love and destroy everything. He would save her.
Dumuzid gripped one of Zara's arms and was trying to drag her away. He had fangs that were nothing like a wolf's and they were dripping with saliva. "You're more trouble than you're worth. I'm going to enjoy drinking every last drop of your blood, even if it will probably go straight to my waist since you're so fucking fat."
"Get your hands off me, you fat-shaming demon spawn." She slapped his face, and left three lines of claw marks across his cheek. Claw marks.
They'd told him marked humans either got psychic powers or the ability to shift into wolves. Could Zara have both? If she was a wolf, and he was her master, he could use his alpha voice to make her shift. It was worth a shot if it would save her. He sprinted across the circle toward her. "Shift Zara. I command you."
All eyes turned on him, Dumuzid’s wide with surprise then glanced at Zara as if he thought she’d turn into a dirty snot rag instead of a wolf.
Zara didn't shift. She did however use the distraction to knee Dumuzid in the groin. The jackass went down with a groan. Either Zara did have some supernatural strength or Dumuzid was particularly vulnerable. It was never pleasant for any dude to get kneed in the junk, but a human female wouldn't be able to do much damage to a shifter.
But Dumuzid wasn't a wolf. Realization hit Niko in the gut like a cannonball. Well, holy shit. Drinks blood, sensitive manhood, power to compel. It all added up to only one thing. He was an incubus. Those demons had dicks practically made of glass.
Rasputin hadn't moved once since this battle had started. He simply stared at Niko like he was the most interesting character on a TV show. "You can not use your alpha voice on her, malenky tsar, but you can use it on your pack. You are their leader after all."
Niko would like to rail at Rasputin for allowing a demon among the Volkov, for not doing anything to stop this abomination, but that would have to wait, because that was actually a good fucking point. Maybe being an ancient Volkov had its advantages.
Since Zara had taken care of Dumuzid for the moment, Niko pivoted and faced the majority of the people and wolves standing on one side of the sacred circle. They were all still frozen in place by the incubus’s compulsion except for his brothers and their mates who had some control over their own bodies. Niko didn’t know if his alpha voice would still work on his brothers now that he had a pack and they weren’t in it. It definitely wouldn’t work on Heli or Galyna, but some back up was better than none and he had to try.
From somewhere deep inside, Niko pulled on the power that made him an alpha, the same one that Zara had healed in him with her love and belief that he was a good man. He let it rise up his throat and howled with the strength of a thousand wolves. "Awaken, wolves. Shift into your true forms."
Niko felt his own body, his bones, muscles, and skin change. With every pop, stretch, and tear of skin, he praised the Goddess and his true love for helping him find what made him who he truly was. Niko landed on all fours and scratched at the ground beneath his paws. He growled, let out a resounding bark, and lifted his face to the moonless sky in another howl filled with gratitude, hope, and the promise of vengeance.
For the first time since Mik's death, Niko was once again, the great white wolf.
He faced his pack and spoke into their minds with the power of his alpha and all the alphas before him. Join the battle to save our kind from the evil ploy of hell to infiltrate our proud race and tear us apart from the inside. Awaken and fight alongside me.
The weight and authority rang through with such power that his alpha voice shook the leaves off the trees and swept through the people gathered around like an earthquake. Every person fell to their hands and knees and became wolves, in every color of nature's rainbow.
Even Heli, who hadn't manifested the ability to shift, changed into a plush golden wolf, the same color as her hair, a soft golden wheat. Kosta in his wolf form stared at her with a purple glow in his eyes, and Heli's matched with her own lavender gleam.
Max and Galyna were already in their wolf forms, but on his command, their eyes glowed with the Troika blue that all the wolves of their pack had. The same color Niko and Kosta had grown up with. Now with their own packs, their eyes had transformed into that of their true selves, of the alphas they were all meant to be.
Niko glanced around at the Serenity Bay wolves and they returned his appraisal with incandescent eyes, the color of amber flames. The same color he'd seen in the mirror when he and Zara were together. They showed him their deference and acceptance as their leader by turning their heads and showing their throats to him as was his people’s way.
Niko vowed to be the best leader he could be for them.
Enforcers. Surround the Incubus and the dragon. But do not harm them. I want them both alive. He waited until the mass of enforcers moved in, closing their ranks around their common enemy. Niko lowered his head almost to the ground, until he was just about eye level with Dumuzid. The right to kill the incubus for his crimes is mine alone.
The enforcers including Max and Kosta formed a growling, snarling circle around the demon and his dragon. The dragon did nothing to resist, except a few swipes of his spiked tail to warn the wolves behind him from getting too close. Apparently the incubus's spell over him shattered when Zara kneed him in the nads.
Dumuzid slowly got back to his feet and glared at Niko. "You will never--"
"Shut up." Zara pointed a finger at Dumuzid and then dropped her gaze to his crotch. He shut up.
Niko stalked forward ready to pounce on the bastard if he had to. Yes, he wanted to question Dumuzid and find out how this whole plot to infiltrate the Volkovs happened and how long it had been going on, but he'd be perfectly happy not knowing anything if Dumuzid moved a single muscle toward Zara. He didn’t like her being that close to the demon, but he
loved her strength and bravery even more.
Niko fired his questions at the demon and stalked around him in slow circles with his teeth bared and tail swishing back and forth menacingly. How long has this been going on, incubus? Why have you infiltrated the wolf community? How does that benefit you and your kind?
Dumuzid stayed staunchly quiet and glared back at Niko. Rasputin didn't however. He too had shifted into his wolf form on Niko's command. He stretched and shifted back into a human and stepped into the circle of enforcers. "We all have things we want. Some of us make deals with devils to get what we crave."
He shrugged like that was no big deal. "You assume it's for power and influence, but it rarely is. I did it to be with the woman I loved. You see, she was a human. Not just any human, but royalty. No wolf can mate a human, so I made a deal so I could be with my Alexandra. But we all know how that tragic story ends. Poor little Anastasia alone escaped."
Zara looked at Niko and made is-he-kidding-me eyes at him. He nodded back at her. He was as shocked as she was that a Volkov, one of the wolves who made the rules, would break their most rigid edict. Yes, solnyshka, I do believe he is referring to the Romanovs.
Rasputin didn't take any notice. "None of that would have been necessary if the Volkov's would have lifted the ban on interracial mating when I asked them to. The next one-hundred years would have been very different for both wolfkind and humans if they had."
Huh. So Rasputin, the corrupt mystic and powerful Volkov was on their side? That was too weird to comprehend. Niko didn’t trust the implication one bit.
"So why didn't you change the laws, you schmoe? You're one of these all powerful Volkovs, you could have used your influence for good, dammit." Zara's voice was filled with so much disdain, it was almost funny. His fiery mate was going to eviscerate Gregori Rasputin.
"It's not that simple," he said with an almost sad forlorn quality.
Niko refused to feel sorry for Rasputin and the misguided decisions he’d made. Zara was right. He could have changed everything. Mik might not have had to die if he had. In Niko's eyes, that made him as guilty as Dumuzid.
