Dark Blood Deleted Scenes

by Christine Feehan

  ~DARK BLOOD: DELETED SCENE 1~

  Christine Feehan

  Branislava raced through the forest, winding through the trees, leaping over fallen tree trunks, her heart pounding just a little bit in alarm. She was fast, she knew that, and with all the training Zev had been forcing on them lately, she was far faster than she had been, but still…the wolves chasing her were breathing down her neck. She could feel them behind her and closing in on her in spite of her best efforts.

  Faster. You’re going to get caught.

  Zev’s voice lashed at her and she actually flinched at the force of his tone. Anger drove her, not obedience, as she leapt the next tree trunk and pushed her body to a greater speed. It took more effort to grit her teeth together and not swear at him, although she did think of several ways to retaliate.

  Would you please remind me what it is I fell in love with, because at this precise moment, I can’t think of a reason, she snapped.

  She felt the graze of Zev’s teeth at her neck. I believe you’re madly in love with a certain part of my anatomy, he replied complacently.

  She splashed into a stream, and instead of crossing to the other side, ran upstream, skimming over the moss-covered rocks and leaping up small ledges where the water tumbled fast down into the pebble covered bed.

  Don’t think that will make up for this. You’d have to be twice as good as you were and then some.

  Finally, she could hear the footsteps chasing her. They’d been silent before, the wolf pack hunting her, but now that she was in the water, two had taken to the water behind her while the rest of the pack ran along either side of the stream, trying to close the distance and bring her down and they couldn’t hide the splash of their paws as they gave chase to bring down their quarry.

  They’re closing in on you.

  You don’t think I know that?

  She glanced toward her right to see the lead wolf just feet from the bank. He was black-furred and shaggy, but his eyes were intensely focused on her. He wasn’t even breathing hard and she could feel her lungs burning. She veered to her left abruptly, vaulting up to the ledge and banking off a tree. She hit the wolf in midair as he leapt to bring her down. A blast of hot air hit her in the face as a muzzle filled with teeth nearly closed around her face. At the last moment she managed to whip her head out of the way so that his teeth just skimmed past her cheek. He was so close she actually felt the burn of a scratch across her face.

  As they crashed together, she hit him with her fist right over his heart to simulate a silver stake penetrating deep. Using the momentum of his superior speed to double the impact, she left an impression of silver in the dark fur so later there could be no dispute that she’d ‘killed’ him in practice. Ducking the teeth she landed hard in a crouch as two others closed in from either side.

  Zev hissed a streaming torrent of colorful curses in her ear as she whirled, leapt over her pursuers, kicking both in the head as she went over them. She landed harder than she expected, rolled and took two steps before they brought her down. Her fall was gentle as Caleb cushioned her.

  Zev was on her instantly, yanking her up and dragging her to him to inspect her cheek. His finger touched the scratch and came away with blood. He whirled around and strode straight to the wolf that had injured her. The young man, Randy, had already shifted back to his normal form and he backed away from the alpha as Zev covered the ground fast. Zev was on him almost before the hapless mixed blood could take two steps.

  Zev slammed Randy to the ground, his hand closing hard around his throat. His eyes bore into Randy’s as he held him pinned. Randy didn’t move a muscle. Didn’t breathe. He stared into the alpha’s eyes, submitting instantly to any punishment the alpha dealt out.

  There was total silence in the forest, as if the very insects were aware of Zev’s wrath and chose not to oppose him—even with sound.

  “Don’t you ever come that close to her face again. Do you understand me? She’s aiding you, letting you practice against her and if you have so little control that you can’t do a better job than that keeping her safe, then you don’t belong in a pack of elite hunters.”

  Zev, Branislava cautioned. It was my fault, not his. I doubled-back on him and I miscalculated the distance…

  Stop it! For your safety as well as his, he has to learn to judge distance within a hair’s breath. That’s the only thing that will keep him alive. You didn’t misjudge and you damn well know it. Stop trying to baby them. Zev didn’t look at her, but his fingers tightened ominously around Randy’s neck.

  Branislava could feel the anger welling like a volcano. Her body flushed a dark rose and her green eyes went multi-faceted, changing from a deep emerald to a forest green. Color banded in her hair, a dark wine red striping through the red-gold. A brighter more carroty red added a brilliance to her vivid rage.

  He’s young, Zev. He wasn’t chosen as an elite as some of the others and he needs confidence. He was the first to get to me, that should show you something and he needs your approval, not your reprimanding him.

  Zev’s breath hissed out him and he abruptly dropped Randy, leaving finger marks around his neck. He turned on Branislava, taking such an aggressive step toward her that she actually stepped back, not that it did her much good. He caught her arm and yanked her close, his eyes all wolf.

  I’m responsible for them in a hunt. I will not lose any of them and that means they need to be their best. It doesn’t matter his age, he can’t make mistakes. And none of them ever gets away with laying a hand on you. Do you understand me?

  I understand you’re being a jerk. He’s been through a terrible ordeal…

  Zev tightened his hold on her and hauled her tight against his body, giving her a little shake. “Don’t defend him.”

  She stared into his glowing eyes, feeling the heat of his body, the burn of the wolf and instantly her fiery temper turned to something altogether different.

  “Mommy and Daddy are fighting and it’s upsetting the kids,” Caleb inserted softly.

  Zev grit his teeth together as they continued to stare at one another. “Randy, your speed is amazing, as well as your accuracy. She killed you though, and you weren’t able to prevent yourself from touching her. Practice, but all in all, the others are going to have to work harder to catch up with your speed. And two of the best got kicked in the head. Now go. Get out of here.” Zev managed to wave his arm dismissively.

  “I’m sorry, Bronnie,” Randy murmured under his breath as the twelve wolves drifted hastily away.

  Branislava circled Zev’s neck with her arm, pulling his head down towards hers. His fingers spanned her throat, setting her heart pounding. He looked fierce, still angry, the big bad wolf ready to spring on her any moment.

  “Kiss me,” she urged, the fire igniting so strong in her she thought she might burn down the forest. “Kiss me right now.”

  “You don’t deserve kisses,” he growled. “I’d like very much to do something else to another part of your anatomy.” His hand came down hard on her bottom, the sound loud in the silence of the forest.

  She felt the burn rush through every nerve ending, the firestorm rolling through her body until she wanted to weep with need. He held her close to him, his grip on her unbreakable, but he didn’t bend his head to hers and give her kisses.

  The sight of your blood and the bruise on you is disturbing to me.” He laid his hand against her cheek very gently, almost tenderly, a direct contrast to the smack he’d delivered to her bottom. She could still feel a wealth of aggression running through his body and it only excited her more.

  Relief was instantaneous on her cheek, the sting gone when he lifted palm. “Kiss me, Zev. I know I screwed up. I know
he needs discipline and you’re right, he could get killed messing up on a hunt, but I feel sorry for them. I do. I know I’m supposed to be tough but I can’t help myself.”

  His hand curled around the nape of her neck, his thumb sliding along her soft skin. “You have to be tougher, Branka. I don’t want any of them dead because I didn’t train them properly.”

  “I know.” She gave a little sigh. “I asked for wolves. Look what I got.” Her lips curved in a soft, rueful smile.

  “You got me,” Zev said and his mouth came down hard on hers.

  Branislava felt as if her heart might explode.

  ~DARK BLOOD: DELETED SCENE 2~

  Zev whirled Branislava across the dance floor, which was really no more than the forest floor, but smooth in the way Carpathians could make it. As always, when Zev held her in his arms, she felt as if she was floating in the clouds. She loved dancing and Zev was a strong leader, always in control, taking her through complicated steps, but making it easy for her. She laughed, happiness bursting through her like a thousand brilliant stars exploding inside of her. She’d never been so contented in her life. She didn’t know there could be such happiness.

  The music ended and hand and hand they headed for the side of the clearing. The Dark Troubadours immediately went into another song so that couples whirled around each other.

  “Fen’s voice is amazing,” Branislava said, indicating Fen with her chin. He was singing a duet with Desari, his eyes on Tatijana.

  “If I don’t watch him, when they leave, he’ll go with them just so he can sing all day instead of work,” Zev growled, but his eyes laughed at her.

  Anya and Anastasia ran over hand and hand and stood directly in front of Zev, staring at him with their identical enormous eyes.

  “What can I do for you?” Zev asked, his voice deep, with just the right scary edge to it that both girls shivered.

  “You gave Alexandru a ride in the forest,” Anastashia pointed out.

  Her voice quivered just a tiny bit. Zev kept a straight face but Branislava couldn’t help smiling at the two girls.

  “Yes I did,” Zev said, inclining his head.

  Anastasia put one hand on her hip and kept the other firmly in her sister’s hand. “Well, we’d like a ride please. Alexandru said you go very fast and the forest around him was blurry and cool. We want to see.”

  Zev studied the girls solemnly. “Well, I don’t know. It’s dark tonight in the forest and you might be scared.”

  The two girls looked at one another and then turned identical faces with identical indignant expressions on him. “I don’t ever get scared,” Anastasia declared.

  Anya gasped and shook her head.

  Anastasia sighed. “Sometimes, I do, but not often. And you’d take care of us. My father said you’re a really good vampire and rogue fighter.” The toddler mostly sent pictures into their minds, then actually saying the words, but they made themselves understood.

  “He said that to you?” Zev probed, a little astonished that Gregori would be discussing fighting vampires and rogue wolves with a two year old. Her ability to articulate shocked him as well whether it was in actual words or impressions in his mind.

  The children seem to learn at an astonishing rate. Which was a little frightening when he thought about having a child of mixed blood. Would that accelerate the learning process as well?

  I’ve been giving the children issue a lot of thought, Branislava said. Especially after having twelve wolflets to care for. Maybe we should let Tatijana and Skyler try having children. If their children aren’t totally ruling their lives by age three, we’ll give it a shot.

  He was stuck of ‘wolflets’. Where do you come up with these things? Wolflets? My elite pack of hunters, of mixed bloods, guardians of all, are wolflets?

  Branislava burst out laughing at his expression. Anastasia was not as amused. She tapped her little foot. “We really want a ride, Mr. Hunter.”

  Zev’s attention immediately switched back to her. How could anyone resist them? “Well, what do you have to trade? Alexandru had a very cool rock that he gave me.” He made a show of carefully extracting it from his pocket as if it was worth its weight in gold. “See? It’s polished and has beautiful purple hues. And you have to call me Zev. I can never remember to answer to Mr. Hunter.”

  I could tell them to call you wolfie, Branislava teased.

  Zev shot her his sternest look, but he couldn’t help the laughter spilling into her mind. Laughter and love. He couldn’t look at Branislava without feeling overwhelmed by the intensity of his emotion for her.

  The two little girls had their heads together and clearly were talking to one another. Anya nodded several times and Anastasia turned to him with a deep breath.

  “We have a crystal. It’s really nice. Maybe it could be for both of us to get a ride?” Anastasia’s voice was very low and wobbled a bit. Clearly the crystal was very important to them.

  Anya fished it out of her pocket and held it out to him on a trembling hand.

  Branislava’s breath caught in her throat. The crystal was unusual in color and form. A bluish-purple, the stone was shaped like the spiraling tower on a castle, with segments of aquamarine color wrapped around the blue-purple that ran through the middle. Branislava could feel the power radiating from the stone.

  Zev, that’s a mage’s power stone. Where did they get such a thing?

  Zev leaned toward the twin girls and held out his hand, palm up. “Let me see.” He had an I’ll-think-it-over tone and the girls looked anxiously at one another.

  Anastasia placed the stone carefully—if not a little reluctantly into Zev’s palm. Her lashes swept down and up several times as if she might be blinking back tears to give up such a treasure.

  “Where did you find this stone?” Zev asked as he passed the crystal cautiously to Branislava.

  It’s cool to the touch. There’s no dark spell here. I can sense soothing, calming properties as well as healing. Someone tuned it specifically to the girls. There’s a protection spell on it as well as the natural properties. I don’t sense Gregori. A mage did this.

  “We didn’t find it,” Anastasia replied shaking her head. She ran her palm down her thigh. “Uncle Jubal gave it to us. He said to keep it with us, but we really want a ride like Alexandru had.”

  Zev nodded his head. “Well, ladies, I think this is a very good exchange, although I don’t want Jubal to be sad that you gave his gift away.” He scratched his shaggy mane of hair. “We need a solution to this problem. Branka, what would you suggest we do?”

  “Since Jubal gave you this beautiful crystal,” Branislava said, “I think you have to keep it. Just for showing us such an amazing stone should be enough for Wolf…er…the wolf man here to give you a ride.” She shot Zev a quick, unrepentant grin for her near slip.

  Both girls looked anxiously and very hopefully at Zev. He nodded his head slowly, taking his time as if he was considering if just seeing the crystal was enough. “I think that’s a fair exchange,” he finally agreed.

  The relief on the twin toddlers faces was apparent. Anya held out her hand and Branislava carefully placed the crystal in her palm.

  “You should wrap that up in a cloth,” Branislava said. “And never part with it. In fact, take it back to Jubal and ask him to make you both a pendent out of it so both of you can wear it at all times.”

  “How could he make us both something out of the same stone?” Anastasia asked, clearly intrigued with the idea.

  “I think Jubal could do it. Just ask him,” Branislava encouraged.

  Zev, he has to be mage. There was excitement in her voice. A strong mage, from a powerful lineage. I thought I heard his family was jaguar.

  Zev realized some of her excitement was at the prospect of finding a family of mages who practices good magic not, dark magic.

  We’ll have to get to know him better. In the meantime, I’d better give these little girls a ride through the forest on a wolf.


  He stood up, and reached down to set easily scoop up a twin with one hand and set them, one on each shoulder. Anya sucked in her breath, but he could feel her excitement. He kept a hand on each to secure them in place.

  “Are you ready?” He asked, looking around for Gregori.

  Gregori sent him a warm smile and nodded his head in permission.

  “You have to be a wolf, like you were with Alexandru,” Anastasia demanded.

  “That will put you very high up,” Zev warned. “We’ll go very fast and you might be even more scared.”

  “We can do it,” Anya spoke for the first time, determination in her voice.

  Zev shifted with the girls on his shoulders, even as he began striding into the forest. He was fast at the change, and even faster loping easily, occasionally leaping over a tall fallen tree trunk to give them a thrill. The girls laughed wildly, clutching at his head and his long hair as the wind caught them in the face. Zev could walk faster than most others ran and yet he was smooth and silent. He made certain that he shifted speeds, loping, walking, even running in spots, but not too fast.