Yes, my sex appeal was practically nonexistent, but I didn’t need to be reminded by my stunningly beautiful, half-fae best friend and roommate. Yay for me. I huffed as we walked out of the bar.
The same strange, prickling feeling crept up my neck again, and I felt like I was being watched. I looked over my shoulder. No one. I was probably just overly paranoid after everything that happened only a month ago. Instead of mentioning my growing edginess, I snatched the keys from my purse and continued to joke with Ana about Olezka’s total lack of modern slang.
He and I had run into this problem a couple of times, but that wasn’t the only issue we had. He often deflected when it came to talking about his past. We also hadn’t been able to spend much time together since this Dreamscape business kept dominating our waking thoughts.
I tried to push all unpleasant thoughts from my head, determined to enjoy the ever-dwindling time I had to hang out with Ana. We got home and settled in to watch our favorite show together. She didn’t even bring up the reminder that I’d Netflix-cheated on her.
Chapter 2
“Ozorink.”
“Don’t you dare hellion me! I can’t help that I’m a master at this game!” I gloated as I moved my piece ahead. Ana barely muffled a snort as she clasped a hand over her mouth, turning her head into her shoulder.
Olezka and I sat on a cozy couch placed in front of his farmhouse coffee table while Ana sat on the floor on the opposite side of us. Kallan had tried to sit on the floor with her but eventually moved onto a comfy chair. An elaborate board game sat between the four of us.
Kallan sat with his back ramrod straight, observing the board and carefully determining his next move. Olezka sat next to me, his thigh pressed against mine. When his heat rose, my body responded in kind. Swallowing, I tried to ignore the building desire, thankfully becoming distracted when Anubis whacked me with his tail as he settled in to sit beside me. Olezka gave a sexy little growl when he got annoyed as Kallan reached over to play his next move.
Ana and I had decided we needed a night with the guys that wasn’t all business. No learning, no lessons, just good, old-fashioned fun. We tried a bar trivia night at a human bar, but that proved to be a hot disaster. The guys didn’t know as much human pop culture as we did, and boy, were they sore losers. We may have been asked not to return.
Movie and game night seemed to be the best option since we could hole up in either Kallan’s house or Olezka’s. Plus, here, we could wear comfy clothes and just enjoy each other’s company. Olezka shared his house with his two brothers, Timur and Roman. Timur disappeared after discovering me drugged out of my mind, wandering around the Nova labs, and I hadn’t seen him since. Roman distrusted the fae and barely tolerated Ana but always disappeared whenever Kallan was around.
“Anubis.” Olezka had a barking command in his tone. Anubis lifted his head, his too-big ears cocking a little as he looked at his puppy father, then glanced at me for confirmation.
I patted his rump and looked over at Olezka. “He’s just snuggling,” I said.
“He is supposed to be a guard dog. He never did this before you came around,” Olezka grumbled.
I smiled, wiggling a little closer to him. “Aw, I love my little man sitting with me,” I gushed.
“Weird human,” Kallan muttered.
Olezka’s gaze snapped to his friend’s face with a fire growing in his eyes, his shoulders tense and ready for a confrontation. I reached up and gently massaged the muscles bunching closest to me.
“Surely, you have pets,” I offered to Kallan, trying to diffuse the escalating tension.
Olezka made a weird, choking noise, and Kallan refused to look at me. Instead of answering, he pointed to a part of the game and asked the meaning of it once more, avoiding a topic that was clearly an unpleasant one. Neither of them wanted to divulge the happenings within the Veil. The scant information they gave us only included the rules for paras that lived in the human realm.
We didn’t question it; instead, we went back to the game. Eventually, Olezka slipped his arm around my waist, his hand tucking under my shirt and brushing his thumb over the flare of my hip. I squirmed a couple of times, which only invigorated him more. He tucked his chin into the crook of my neck and pressed a kiss there every time I made another move toward winning. By the end, I was blushing fiercely.
Ana kept peeking over at us with a small smile tugging at her lips. My heart fluttered in my chest when Olezka’s semi-permanent five o’clock shadow brushed against my sensitive skin. My eyelids drooped heavily when his hand brushed over my thigh.
“Zhizn' moya.”
“Olezka,” I whispered, turning to meet him when he came in to nuzzle my neck again. This time, despite the audience, everything in me screamed for him when his lips captured mine. Having his lips on mine was bliss; it reminded me of our first kiss. An inferno swelled inside me, igniting and racing as quickly as an uncontrollable wildfire. When I gasped, Olezka used it to his advantage and swiped his tongue deliciously into my mouth with a promise of so much more.
A throat cleared, and we pulled apart. I rested my forehead on his chin.
“Get a room!” Ana joked. But it was Kallan who cleared his throat.
He stood up, staring at us with a mixture of horror and disgust. “I believe it is time that we head out, Anastasia,” Kallan said.
“Wait. What?” I popped my head up. Thankfully, Olezka had quicker and better reflexes than me and moved his head out of the way before I could give us both a concussion.
“I am taking Anastasia out to check on a lead. Olezka requested a night in with his…mate.” He bit out the word as if the very thought pained him. And just like in the bar, I felt that strange sense of disquiet. He was personally attacking me for what I was, and the sensation was uncomfortable, making me squirm and feel dirty.
“Yes, my mate. Call if you need help.” Olezka said mate proudly, and in perfect English. Usually, he used his Russian pet names for me. Even as I tried to drum up some pride at hearing the words, I still felt uneasy. Was being human such an unpleasant idea to them?
“We will; you two use protection!” Ana called out as Kallan pushed her out the door. I didn’t miss how she avoided his touch and gave him a withering death glare. He’d get a talking to for sure. Olezka stood and started to put away the game. One thing I’d learned about him was that he liked his place organized and tidy. Having Ana and I here messed with his system in a big way, much to Roman’s enjoyment.
“Any word from Timur?” I knew Olezka’s family meant a lot to him, and no matter what he claimed, he worried about his missing brother. I was positive Timur had nothing to do with me getting drugged, but Olezka wasn’t so sure.
“Nyet. If I do, I cannot guarantee I will not kill him,” Olezka said as he swiped the last of the pieces into the box.
“You wouldn’t kill him. I told you before – I don’t remember him being in the laboratory with me. Your brothers love you. They would never hurt you like that.” I stood up and rested my hand on his arm. The muscles jumped, reacting to my touch before settling.
Olezka straightened and faced me. His dark hair had grown since we met and now brushed just over his eyes. I reached up and combed the strands back, unable to help myself. My heart thudded. This male, with his unforgiving rugged edges, was stunning. I still had a hard time believing he wanted me. But when he trailed his thick, calloused finger over the curve of my cheek, right under my glasses, I melted.
“You are too kindhearted, my priyatel.”
“I am not,” I pouted. He gripped my hip with his other hand, pulling me flush to his body. I peeked up at him, and his eyes darkened with craving. Desire fluttered low in my gut as I trailed my hand up to his chiseled chest. My experience with men was limited. The few boyfriends I’d had weren’t much to aspire to. I cringed, remembering how most were nothing more than relationships of convenience. I never felt passion like this with them.
“I looked up the definition of Netflix a
nd Chill after Roman laughed at me for ten solid minutes.” His voice dropped an octave. I swallowed.
“I didn’t mean… I wasn’t trying to suggest…” I stammered.
“Do not fret, my female. If you desire to be pleasured, I will always be ready.”
Oh…oh my.
“I didn’t mean we had to go that far, but we barely ever get any time alone, you know? And every time…”
“You are speaking a lot, pchelka.”
“No, I mean, I am,” I rambled, “but…”
Olezka crashed his lips against mine. I reached up and dragged my hand through his hair to bring him even closer, loving the feel of his body pressed against mine. As much as I’d fought this before tonight, right now, it felt so, so right.
Olezka moved his hands down my body, caressing all of my curves and molding them in his hands. When he gripped me tightly as if he couldn’t get enough of me, I shivered with delight.
Him. I wanted him. And, God help me, he wanted me. I wrapped my arms around his neck, and proof of his excitement pressed against my stomach. I groaned as he deepened the kiss.
Growling, he walked us backward to the couch. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Anubis take off, earning a deep-throated rumble from Olezka. I laughed and clutched him closer as he laid me down and pressed his weight against mine. Sighing, he moved from kissing down my cheek to my neck, nuzzling the spot that Effie had bitten. He always took extra care there.
A vibrating noise came from the coffee table. I groaned, but it didn’t stop Olezka.
“That could be…” I gasped when he nipped at my skin. “Fuuudge.”
The vibrating stopped then started again. I pushed against Olezka’s chest. Even though he barely moved, he did stop his sensual assault of my neck.
“Yebat'. Give me a moment, pchelka.”
I ran my hands through his hair as he breathed against my neck. He reached over, blindly grabbing his phone as it started to vibrate again.
“This better be good,” he growled into the phone.
I couldn’t hear the other person, but within seconds, Olezka got off me and sat up. I drew my knees close, wrapping my arms around them as I waited for him to tell me our date night had been interrupted, yet again. He said a couple of clipped das before slamming the phone down on the coffee table. Rubbing his hands over his face, he took a big breath before looking over at me.
“You gotta go meet up with Kallan and Ana?”
“Da. The werewolves I scented on you when you purchased the Dreamscape have resurfaced. I must go help with the tracking. This could be a big step forward in the Dreamscape case.”
Pressing my lips together, I nodded. “I understand. It’s okay. Should I…?” I moved to stand and motioned toward the door.
“Nyet. Stay here with Anubis. He is more than he appears. He will protect you when I cannot. And Roman should be home soon.”
“Okay.”
Olezka stood, picked up his phone, and headed into the kitchen to get his wallet. We had ordered pizza earlier online, and he insisted on paying. Once he came back, he crossed the living room and stood in front of me, disappointment wafting from him.
I looked up at him. “Be safe. If Ana is there…”
“I will keep her safe, pchelka.”
“Thank you.”
He leaned down and pressed a chaste kiss to my lips before leaving.
Anubis trotted back into the room and sat down, staring at me and wagging his tail as if this was his plan all along.
“Hey, sweet boy. Come here.”
Anubis joined me on the couch and rested his paws and head on my lap.
“Just you and me again, buddy.” I scratched between his ears. He groaned and closed his eyes, his tail slowing down as he started to drift off to sleep.
Chapter 3
Anubis and I had been watching re-runs for about an hour, and I was feeling stir-crazy, squirming and keeping Anubis awake. My stomach was coiled in knots; I kept glancing out the window, fidgeting with my hoodie sleeves and chewing on the strings to my hood. I picked up my phone every couple of minutes just to check it, even though I knew it hadn’t gone off. I watched the door like a stalker, anxiously awaiting even Roman to return. Even though he was a pain in the ass, he would be a distraction, at least, for a bit. When all attempts to divert my attention failed, I looked over at Anubis, who was lying on his back with his paws in the air. I snorted.
“Hey, bud, do you have to go to the bathroom?” I offered, hoping for any reason to do something. The thought of not only my best friend but my boyfriend/mate/whatever Olezka was and my sort of friend Kallan going after the wolves twisted me up inside to the point where I couldn’t think straight. Rationally, my brain was well aware they could handle themselves. Yet, logic had no place when it came to my overwhelming fear of werewolves.
The two wolves that assaulted me the night I secured our one and only sample of Dreamscape were ingrained in my mind. I could never forget their faces. Almost a month later, they still starred in some of my more gruesome nightmares. I started to pace, waiting for Anubis to react. When he didn’t, I peeked outside the living room window. Night had fallen, and darkness swamped the streets, broken only by a line of bright streetlights that attempted to chase it away. Maybe a little walk around the block would help clear my head.
I mean, I’ll take my phone and Anubis with me, so I’ll be perfectly safe. Just a quick stroll. Moving would help. Yup. I nodded to myself, pleased with my rational thinking.
“Anubis, you want to go for mini-walkies?” That got his attention. Anubis flipped over and sprinted to the door while I followed at a much slower pace. There was a hat rack bolted on the wall right beside the front door. Dangling among the various hooks were Anubis’s halter and leash. My keys were on one of the hooks, too, so I snatched them and crammed them into my pocket. I didn’t plan to go for a midnight drive, but if I needed an impromptu weapon, I could use my keys.
After pulling on Anubis’s halter and latching the leash, we stepped out into the night, and Anubis led us straight to the sidewalk. For the most part, he walked well. He didn’t pull me around and mostly stayed by my side. Every so often, he would dip his head and smell something interesting along the way. Once, he stopped to pee.
“See, Anubis? This is good. Fresh air is what we needed,” I stated confidently, although uncertainty still weighed on me. A couple of houses we passed still had their lights on, but most of the houses on the block were dark. I tugged my phone from my pocket to check the time. It wasn’t too late, but I decided we shouldn’t stay out there much longer.
Just then, my neck tingled with awareness. I glanced around, but the streets were deserted. Anubis wasn’t on alert, so I brushed off my feelings, assuming I was just being paranoid. But as we continued to walk, my shoulders tensed, and my flight instincts were on DEFCON-10.
Swallowing, I picked up the pace with Anubis, who tucked his head down and scouted the area, picking up on my stress. His gaze swept over the darkened streets. We were a couple of blocks away from the house, making me regret my decision to move past the safety of Olezka’s house even more.
A sudden, blinding headache made me stumble, and I clutched my forehead as nausea churned in my stomach. Anubis whined when I dropped the leash and dropped to my knees. His wet nose brushed against my hand that was currently trying to prevent my brain from spilling out. When another bolt of pain hit, I fell on my butt with a groan and clutched my head as tears streamed down my face. When I tried to squint, the soft glow of the streetlight caused another shot of pain that ricocheted through my whole body.
“If this is what a migraine is like, I understand people’s willingness to spend two hundred dollars on one tablet,” I groaned as I tried to will the pain away. Anubis barked once.
“Shush, Anubis. Kрошка.”
Only one brother called me that. Squinting through the pain, I managed to make out the shadowy form of Timur. He dropped into a squat in front of me and reached out,
rubbing my temples for me and whispering in Russian.
“Timur?”
“Easy, kroshka. I will not harm you. To harm you is to harm my brat.”
My stomach twisted violently, and I thought for sure I was going to toss my cookies.
“Anubis!” Timur snapped at the dog as the animal lurched forward and growled at him. The headache eased up enough so I could open my eyes, but it still hurt like the dickens. I could barely see straight. Anubis moved in front of me protectively again.
Timur sighed, pushing the Xolo out of the way so he could lift me in his arms, princess-style. Anubis barked again, announcing his displeasure to Olezka’s brother for touching me. I opened my eyes to see him jumping and nipping at Timur.
When I glanced up at Timur, my instincts told me to trust him. I attempted to soothe my overprotective canine friend. “Ease up, buddy. He only wants to help. Right?” I glanced up at the giant dude holding me. He had enough of the same features as Olezka, so one could definitely tell they were brothers. “Why did you disappear after the incident at Nova? Not that I’m not grateful that you got me to Olezka and Ana,” I added hastily.
“I had business to attend to.” Timur sighed and started walking back to the house. He refused to look at me, but his jaw was tense.
“You might not understand what you mean to my brat yet, but you will. I need you to be safe. This was not safe tonight, kroshka.”
“Oh, and here I thought you liked me.”
“I do. You are sem'ya – family now. My little kroshka,” he added with a smile. “I always wanted a sister. I taunted Roman with that constantly when he was growing up. He was supposed to be my mother’s only daughter and my little sister. Instead, I have another unruly brat.”
I laughed softly at Timur. The tension of my headache eased a little more. He seemed utterly sincere. I believed him when he said he wanted a little sister and considered me a suitable replacement. Still, I couldn’t forget how suddenly he’d disappeared after Erebus made his hasty departure or the whispered conversation I overheard between them that night at the Nova building.
The Sidekick Chronicles: Sixx and the Fae Page 2
