Fang Chronicles: Zenya's Story

by McClain, D'Elen

  Esta tried to soften her voice but her impatience still came through, “If we wanted you dead, you would be dead. Your own kind hunts you and killed nine women and children a day’s walk from here. We’ve come to rescue you. You need to help yourselves.”

  Green eyes pleaded for mercy and her voice trembled, “We had six and two babies, but if you killed the boys we are four adults,” she said in a thick British accent.

  Esta silently relayed the information to Nicolas.

  “We have two more women and one child. We’re heading to your location,” he responded.

  She looked back at the female who had spoken up. “Where are your men?”

  The she-cat looked at her friend, trying to reassure her with a nod of her head, and then gazed at Esta. “They heard other cats were coming and they left us to die.”

  “Cowards.” Esta spit out.

  The woman didn’t say anything, but they all turned when Nicolas walked closer, naked, and holding one of the women in his arms. “She passed out.” He laid her gently beside the other two she-cats.

  Honey and Aster walked behind the fourth woman. They were terrified and it took Esta twenty minutes to make them understand they weren’t there to harm them. Exasperation hung heavily in her words and finally Nicolas spoke up.

  “I have a clan of cats and wolves. If you don’t wish to be part of my pack, you will have safe passage to Canada. It’s what Esta wanted,” he said as he looked over at the disgruntled she-cat then back at the women. “Esta decided to stay. She is my second. We want to take you out of here, but we haven’t much time. Make your decision now.”

  Bernard herded the two teenage boys to the women and it helped them make the decision in favor of taking the offered help.

  Bernard looked to his alpha. “What about the boys?”

  Nicolas gazed at the two youngsters. They couldn’t be more than twelve or thirteen. “Why did you stay with the women?”

  “They needed our help,” one of the boys said bravely, though his voice trembled.

  Esta stared at them both. “Why do you care?”

  The same boy answered, “They’ve been good to us, and the babies are our siblings.”

  “They are female children.”

  “So?”

  Nicolas spoke into Esta’s mind, “We can’t leave them here.”

  “I know, but they may be too brainwashed to ever be on our side.”

  “They helped the women and that’s all I need.”

  “So be it, alpha. I will watch them myself and if they show signs of enemy behavior, I ask your permission to kill them.”

  He wasn’t sure if it was wise but it was part of her responsibility, “I leave it in your hands, second.”

  Nicolas looked at the new women of his pack. Only one showed signs of disfigurement and that was the one who had passed out. All of them appeared whole and able to travel, though the babies would slow them down.

  “Korep, Honey, you will hold the children so we can move faster.”

  The men didn’t object; they dressed, then reached for the infants.

  “No, please.”

  Nicolas placed his hand on the woman’s shoulder. “We must move quickly. It will take three days to get to our rendezvous point. We will travel as beastkind and the bears are the only ones that can keep up in human form.”

  The other woman handed her child to Korep, who snuggled the baby against his large chest.

  Honey reached his hands out and slowly lifted the other infant. “I will care for this child and make sure no harm befalls her. What is her name?”

  “Alana.”

  The large man looked at the sleeping child and then kissed her forehead.

  Each she-cat, including Esta, stared in confusion. The males never protected females. If they survived it was because a she-cat took the female child under her care. Many she-cats refused because the loss of girl children was so high and they didn’t want to become attached.

  Everyone but the bears shifted. They carried two large backpacks with everyone’s clothes and shoes, the children held against their shoulders.

  The cats taught their babies to remain quiet from birth and they never did so much as fuss. It saddened Nicolas, but made the journey safer.

  Samson and one of his wolves had flown out of Mexico City and would be waiting at the destination point. Now they just needed to make it there in one piece.

  Chapter Thirty-nine

  The she-cats explained to Nicolas and Esta that weaning the babies when they were young helped keep them safe. The women chewed small bits of meat and fed the children once they shifted to tiny mountain lions with sharp claws. When it was time to travel again, the women pinched their noses and the young beastkind changed to human.

  Nicolas wondered if this trick would work with Sierra and Roland, but figured they were too old to start this type of training. The two young boys stayed silent. It was almost as if they wanted to be forgotten. Nicolas hoped they didn’t give Esta a reason to kill them. They too were only babies.

  Every four hours they rested for one. The women and boys didn’t change from their beastkind form, just made a pile on any small, cleared space they could find. Like his pack of she-cats, they never complained. Twenty-four hours into their escape, Aster, while scouting, ran across a large contingent of cats that were following the wolf and bear scent.

  Esta gave Nicolas the news and he ordered the bears to change and leave the babies with the she-cats. Approximately twenty men were coming toward them. Nicolas knew their only chance was to make the men think they were an easy target, so they didn’t call for vampire help.

  Nicolas looked at the two young boys, handing them each a machete. “You are the last line of defense. Do what you must.”

  He left the fate of the women in their hands. It was time to fight and kill the enemy.

  His pack took out three cats before the others became aware they were under attack. Nicolas knew the bears could handle themselves, but if they made it out of this fight they needed to have as few injuries as possible. Notifying Vorlyk was the last resort.

  Two cats came at Nicolas and he fought with everything he had. Claws managed to rip into the skin and muscle of his back upper thigh and took him down, but Honey charged in with raging jaws of death, knocked one of the cats away, then ended his life. Nicolas made short work of the other. His leg bled profusely, but he would survive. Turning to find his next foe, Nicolas spun again with the horrifying yell that came from Honey. A vampire had his hands around Korep’s throat, and with one savage twist the bear’s body fell to the ground. Nicolas opened his link to Vorlyk and hoped the vampire would stop Honey from ending his own life as the bear ran at the vamp that killed his friend. Vorlyk materialized two feet away from Nicolas and then instantly behind the other vampire. Honey’s large body charged into the fighting vamps and Nicolas joined the chaos to prevent Honey from making it harder on Vorlyk. The bear’s frenzy showed he no longer had control of his beast.

  Nicolas shifted to human and grabbed the bear around the neck, bringing his legs up to circle the gargantuan chest. His alpha power poured from his body trying to suppress Honey’s insanity. He could no longer see what happened between the two vampires and held on while Honey tried to dislodge him. A cat attacked Honey and Nicolas let go, shifting again as another cat attacked him.

  His injured leg weakened him, but he continued fighting, feeling light-headed from blood loss. The cat above him brought sharp fangs toward Nicolas’s throat. Suddenly the cat went flying and Honey continued after him. Nicolas looked around trying to catch his breath, but was unable to locate Vorlyk. He managed to get to his feet, then shook off the pain and walked, limping on three legs, to the females. Both boys held their machetes, covered in blood, with a dead cat a few feet away.

  “We protected the women.” The taller of the two boys’ chest puffed up and his voice no longer trembled.

  Nicolas shifted. “You did well” He said to both of them, “But our fight
isn’t over. Continue your duty.” He had to find his clan leader and check on his pack.

  He managed to walk fifteen feet before his eyesight turned fuzzy. He went to his knees thinking he would crawl.

  Esta’s small hand settled on his arm. “We survived alpha, but you need to stay down.”

  “I must find Vorlyk.” The jungle spun.

  “He defeated the vampire and he’ll be here to help you in a minute.”

  “Honey?”

  “He is with his brother bear. You have the worst injury. All but Korep will live to fight again.”

  The last thing he saw was Vorlyk kneeling beside him. He didn’t feel the vampire’s teeth sink in.

  He opened his eyes to a darkened sky and looked around. They were still at the battle site. He sat up and checked his injury. The healing was almost complete, which meant he had been out for approximately two hours.

  Vorlyk sat against a tree a short distance away. “I’m glad you’re back with us.”

  “So am I. Where is Honey?”

  “He won’t leave his brother bear or change to human and communicate with us. If you don’t mind, I need to go to the ranch and have Marcus call Dmitri and see what must be done.”

  “Thank you.”

  Vorlyk disappeared and Nicolas rose to his feet and made his way to the women and children. “How are you?”

  The boy who spoke earlier replied for them. “We are alive. Thank you.”

  “You also helped. What is your name?”

  “Mateo.”

  “And yours?” Nicolas turned to the other boy.

  “Cruz.”

  Mateo offered Nicolas his machete.

  “You have earned the right to carry a weapon. We still need your vigilance to keep the women and babies safe.”

  “Thank you… um, ah...”

  “Call me Nicolas. You have also earned that right.”

  Mateo smiled.

  “I need to check on my pack and also the bear. Keep your post until I return.”

  “Yes, Nicolas.” …, the boys said at the same time.

  Esta and Aster sat about twenty feet from Honey and watched as Nicolas approached.

  “Where are Bernard and Reece?”

  “They are circling our camp watching for the enemy,” Esta pointed to the surrounding area.

  Vorlyk walked up beside Nicolas. “I spoke to Dmitri by telephone. He said Honey knows what to do and we must tell him when it is time to leave.”

  Nicolas looked at the two bears, then back at his liege. “That time is now. I will speak to him.”

  Nicolas approached slowly and spoke when he was five feet away. “It is time to leave, my friend. We will say the words of safe passage for your brother if that is your wish.”

  The large bear shifted to human and his shoulders shook harshly as he lay across Korep’s body. Finally he managed to sit up. “No, thank you. I need my backpack and five minutes. I will be ready to leave when you are.”

  Nicolas took the pack Esta offered and carried it to Honey. The bear removed a sharp blade and then lifted his brother’s hand and made the first cut at the top knuckle. Part of the finger and claw separated from the hand. Before Nicolas could turn away, Honey severed the next digit. His wolf screamed inside his head, but he walked to the women and informed them they were leaving. They needed to make up as much time as possible and leave the dead behind them.

  When they were all up and walking from the scene of the battle, Honey joined them with the bloodied claws of his brother strung around his neck. No one said a word.

  Vorlyk spoke in Nicolas’s mind an hour later. “I need to return to our clan. I think if other vampires were coming they would be here.”

  “I agree. Hopefully you won’t hear from me until our return.”

  “Be safe.”

  And then he was gone.

  Chapter Forty

  Everyone was too tired to talk and the last day took the women almost past their limit. Esta kept them going with not-so-gentle coaxing and non-subtle threats. They continued their pace and finally reached the remote airfield using the GPS navigator located in one of the bags. A rough-looking cargo plane waited.

  Samson and his pilot rested under the shade offered by the aircraft. He looked at Honey and shook his head with sadness. They boarded and took off. The women were past caring about anything but sleep and they passed out almost immediately. One of the babies became restless and for the first time since Korep’s death, Honey responded and picked up the unhappy she-cat. He walked to the back area of the plane and sat down to play with the infant. Everyone else settled down and fell asleep, including Nicolas.

  They changed to Brandt’s jet at a military base on U.S. soil. It took an hour for the last part of their trip.

  Nicolas took time to ask each woman’s name and assure them they were safe. Vorlyk waited inside an SUV at Marcus’s private airport, even though the sun was shining. Nicolas lifted an eyebrow when Vorlyk got out of the driver’s side.

  “Amy taught me to drive.”

  “Amy?”

  “Yes. It was a study in extreme territorial behavior having us both in the same vehicle sitting a foot apart.”

  Nicolas couldn’t help his grin. “Is she alive?”

  “Her patience is her most desirable quality. Her driving instruction is another story.” The vampire didn’t crack a smile.

  “You didn’t answer my question.”

  “Marcus decided to keep her and I separated for several days unless there is an emergency.”

  “That bad?”

  “I drove here and I will drive you home.” It wasn’t a question, but a command.

  Nicolas realized the vampire was learning more than just fighting and driving skills from the two vampires. He was learning to lead as the head of his clan.

  Honey slowly made his way back to the airplane. Nicolas caught up to him before he boarded. “Thank you for you and your clan’s sacrifice.”

  “We will meet again alpha of the Northeast Clan. You fight with honor and I’m proud to share blood with you.” The bear turned and walked up the stairs of the plane.

  Nicolas sat next to Vorlyk in the lead SUV. He said nothing and let the vampire concentrate on his newly acquired skills. Thirty minutes later they arrived at the cabin that was home for now. They needed more room. In short order, the men, Esta and Nikka decided to sleep in the great room if they were not on guard duty. After her initial welcome, Zenya remained quiet and watchful. Her eyes followed the babies everywhere. The new she-cats remained nervous, but the two boys tagged along behind Troy and Bernard with worshipful eyes. The two wolves were taking them to the gym the next day to begin teaching the art of self-defense.

  Though tired, two of the women, Marta and Sheila, cooked and had no problem following Madayah’s direction in the kitchen. Amy sent wolves bearing gifts of extra chairs for the table and bedding for their new additions.

  Dinner was less comfortable than the previous weeks with the new additions. Nicolas waited until everyone finished before speaking about his and Vorlyk’s plan. “In two nights, we will hold an allegiance ceremony. If you wish to join with my pack, you will give your fealty to Vorlyk and become part of his clan. Each and every one of you will honor him or tell us your plans to be part of another pack or join the Canadian cats. For some of you, this is a quick decision, but we have little time for pleasantries. Talk to your sister cats that have fought beside Vorlyk and me. Several of Brandt’s and Marcus’s wolves have asked to join us and give allegiance too.”

  The new cats looked at Nicolas with startled eyes.

  “Do you have questions?”

  “You will honor our fealty regardless of our gender?” Lithea spoke for the women.

  “Speak to your sisters. They know my heart and that of my wolves. We live together, we fight together, and if it comes to it, we die together.”

  Nicolas stood and took Zenya’s hand. She followed him out the front door and he led her to the small cabin whe
re they first made love. His mouth found hers as soon as the door shut. His alpha power sent electrical charges across their skin where it touched.

  When he could finally pull away, he gazed deep into the eyes he pictured in his dreams. “I love you.”

  She continued to stare at him while removing her clothing. Each piece fell slowly to the floor, then she turned to the bed and crawled onto the thick mattress. Her mate watched the sway of her hips, her alluring beauty, and her slender form as he removed his clothes and let them rest beside hers. He could see the yellow specks sparkle in her eyes. He reached the end of the bed and grasped her ankles pulling her down the bed toward him. He lifted her legs and positioned them on his shoulders. His hands on her hips, he moved her closer, and in one forward thrust, he entered her body and buried himself deep.

  Her eyes closed.

  “Look at me while I take you.”

  She opened to him, her eyes, her femininity, and her soul. His hands covered her breasts and squeezed to the point of pain before grabbing her ass cheeks and lifting them for deeper penetration. Their breathing quickened as he stroked in and out, over and over. Her scream echoed against the walls. His shout followed.

  She tried to take her legs from his shoulders, but he held her ankles and kissed her calves and then her inner thighs. He drew closer to her core and breathed in deeply. He looked into her gaze. “I love the smell of me on you.” He gave one long lick through her folds and then let her legs come down on either side of him. He kissed her stomach and then continued up her body, stopping at her breasts. “Are they sore?”

  “Now you ask?”

  “I momentarily forgot. I’m sorry.” He gently licked, running his tongue around the darker skin.

  “That feels wonderful.”

  He applied suction to one and then the other. “And now?”

  “Better… more, please.”

  “You are a greedy she-cat.”

  Her breath caught and then she let out a groan, “Only for my wolf.”