It landed lightly on its paws with preternatural grace that did not go unnoticed by Nicholai. The warrior rolled to his feet, rotating his injured shoulder to test it. The wolf limped slightly, took shallow breaths that puffed in the air in front of its long muzzle.
Julie sat on the forest floor watching, with wide, frightened eyes. Wanting to spare her from witnessing what no doubt would be a brutal battle, Nicholai pushed into her mind.
You will not see blood. Wounds will appear as mere scratches until I command otherwise.
Nicholai spared her one last glance before the wolf drew his gaze. Nicholai and the wolf circled each other like two mighty predators dancing a macabre death dance. Each studying the other for weakness.
The silver wolf, larger than most, seemed well over a hundred pounds. Muscles rippled under its thick fur. A snarling growl showed long sharp teeth.
Careful to keep the wolf in front of him as it tried to circle, Nicholai noted intelligence in its eyes. On one loop, shock narrowed Nicholai’s brows when it turned its back, and he discovered the wolf was female. It was unusual to see any wolf this size, let alone a female. Females were not known for their aggression. If it were spring, he might believe she had some cubs nearby which she defended. He could not fathom what had triggered such an attack this time of year.
Perhaps it was rabid.
The thought sent a wave of fear mixed with rage through his blood when he remembered it bit both of them. Rabies didn’t concern him, his vampiric immune system would destroy the virus, but Julie’s human system could be ravaged by the disease. At the very least, it would take a series of painful shots to heal her. Nicholai’s quick mind sent him an image of Julie lying on a gurney suffering. It was all the incentive needed to spur him into action.
Nicholai launched at the wolf, but the animal anticipated the attack and dodged. The vampire feigned right, hoping to lure the wolf so it would turn and expose its side. The move took Nicholai off balance in a way that exposed the side of his body, but he chanced it. The wolf was not fooled. Instead of going for the ruse, it snapped at the Alpha’s exposed ribs, cutting through the cloth and flesh. Pushing the pain from his mind, he spun his body, flinging the wolf from him. It hit the ground with a huff and landed on its paws in a squat.
Snow and debris flew from under her feet when the wolf charged. Nicholai straightened to his full height, shifted into a fighting stance, and braced for the coming attack. He had underestimated the wolf, but he would not make that same mistake again.
The wolf slammed into Nicholai with the full force of her weight. The two rolled in the snow. Nicholai pounded the wolf in the muzzle with his fist, landing a direct hit that sent the wolf’s head spinning in the opposite direction. Its body had no choice but to follow, and it rolled off Nicholai.
Before the wolf could get its paws beneath her, Nicholai pounced on her and pinned her to the ground. The wolf yelped in fear.
The duo struggled. Teeth gnashed, limbs flailed, until the wolf gathered its legs beneath it and gave a mighty push, sending Nicholai backward. Both predators scrambled to their feet and faced one another. A burst of silver fury scattered the snow between them as the wolf charged again. The snarls of the wolf, carried on the wind, whipped around Nicholai.
The two forms blurred into one mass. Round and round they moved. Dark spots splattered on the snow. The unmistakable stench of animal heat and blood permeated the air. It sickened his stomach.
Nicholai doubled over when the wolf’s claws struck home and sliced deep furrows across his stomach. Blood pooled at his feet and turned the snow a dark red as an unbearable pain burned across his midsection. Nicholai wrapped an arm around his waist, stumbled backward against a tree, and let it support him.
The wolf sniffed at the scent of his blood in the air once before turning toward Julie. The wolf became an explosion of silvery speed. A growl rumbled from its snarled lips. Julie threw up her uninjured arm just as it launched for her face, mouth open, sharp teeth exposed.
Fear closed Julie’s eyes. She opened her mouth to scream, but no sound escaped from her throat. Nicholai summoned the last of his energy and reached the wolf in three long strides.
The yelp that sounded inches from her face brought open Julie’s eyes. He spun the wolf by its tail and flung the animal aside. Its body made a satisfying smack when it hit against a thick tree trunk and slid to the ground. Nicholai staggered from the effort, one arm held tightly against his middle.
The wolf scrambled to her feet. Her breath coalesced in thick, white plumes in front of her muzzle as she dragged air into her lungs. She swayed a touch. The ribs must be broken, but the pain, rather than deterring her efforts, seemed to give her incentive to continue the attack. She stood her ground as he stalked toward her.
Nicholai moved forward on silent feet. With luck, he could finish this fight in one more move. Nicholai knew this battle needed to end fast before he lost the last of his strength due to the blood seeping from his flesh.
The beast leapt at him, feigning a strike at his thigh with her mouth. As Nicholai’s hand reached down to intercept the muzzle, she pivoted in midair, sending her sharp claws out to rake his stomach. Her claws found the furrows in his flesh and followed their paths again, first with one mighty paw, then the other. Each swipe dug deeper. The final blow pierced through the last of his muscles.
The Alpha staggered backward and eyed the pink intestine spilling from his gut. Sweat beaded on his brow from the intense pain. This was the end. The wolf had managed a killing blow. Without blood to replenish him, his body would not recover from this injury. And his death would give the wolf the opportunity to kill Juliette. He must kill the beast before he succumbed to death.
Nicholai lunged at the wolf and caught it about the neck. Teeth nipped in his face as the animal struggled. He tightened his hold, one muscular forearm pinning its body against his, the other pinning its neck against his chest. Like castanets, the large teeth snapped, looking for skin.
The snarls and growls ceased. Its tongue lulled at the side of its mouth. It struggled for breath and shook viciously, trying to break free from Nicholai’s hold. Its legs kicked madly in the air.
Nicholai struggled to keep the wolf against his frame until it went limp. He rose with the animal in his arms and slammed the wolf’s body over his knee. An audible crack echoed in the night air. Nicholai threw the wolf away from him. It hit a snow-covered tree with such force that flakes from the branches rained down over the limp body.
Burning sweat rolled into his eyes. As he took a step toward the body, the agony of his stomach made his knees week. Julie stumbled toward Nicholai, and he quickly held his intestines in place with both hands.
“Nicholai, are you all right?”
He draped an arm about her shoulders. “I will admit, I’ve been better, but I’ll live.”
Wanting to distract her, he motioned toward the animal with a nod of his head. “Look.”
The snowy wolf blurred and rippled, warped into something else. Silvery fur turned into pale skin, hard muscles contorted into soft feminine curves.
“It’s a woman,” Julie gasped, looking down at the snow-covered form on the ground.
“That was no woman,” Nicholai corrected. Pain made his voice raspy. “It was something else entirely. I’m just not sure what.”
Nicholai’s legs gave. The frozen ground bit into his knees when he went down, taking Julie with him. His heart beat throbbed in the wounds on his body.
“Nicholai!”
Pain stabbed at him, twisted his body until he lay flat on his back in the snow, looking up at Julie. His only concern, though, was for her. The beast might be dead, but she had wounds that needed tending. She needed to get to safety, but he would not be the one who got her there.
The shocked expression on her face twisted into concern for him. He wanted to comfort her, reach out to her, but his muscles would not obey. His vision blurred, the world went silent. He struggled to talk. The coming darkne
ss swallowed the words. He floated away on the blackness, allowing it to take his pain with his consciousness.
Chapter 41
Julie knelt beside Nicholai. The instant his eyes closed, her mind registered his grave injuries. Her stomach twisted in knots, threatened to purge her dinner. Her throat constricted tight and tears clouded her eyes, making Nicholai a blurry mess of red. Panic rose, choked her breath. She hadn’t realized how badly he’d been hurt.
Nicholai needed help desperately. The tears fell, allowing her to see the miles of bloody intestines that pushed from the gaping wound across his stomach. He didn’t have much time. Julie looked around, not knowing what to do in the middle of the woods. Not even an animal occupied the space, their horse having long ago run off again in fear.
A phone, the thought came to her. I can call for help.
Out of habit, she scanned frantically for her purse, knowing her cell phone would be inside. When she remembered that she’d left the purse at the house, she chastised herself for the futile search.
Maybe Nicholai brought a phone.
She folded open the remains of his coat and anxiously patted the pocket of his jeans.
She found nothing in the first pocket. “Damn it!”
She patted her way across his legs until she discovered what she needed. Relief pulsed through her, giving her a ray of hope. Julie lifted her face toward the heavens. “Oh, thank you. Thank you!”
She worked the phone from the pocket soaked in blood. Her fingers turned red as she held it.
It was 9-1-1 in the States, 9-9-9 in England. What the hell was the emergency number in Russia? Had she bothered to learn that before getting on the plane to come here?
I didn’t, she realized in terror.
Surely, Nicholai would have some numbers programmed into his phone. Perhaps one of them would be the emergency number.
Shit! She stared down at the Russian alphabet on the phone’s display. I can’t read that.
She pushed random buttons feverishly, hoping she might get lucky and hear it connect. A list appeared on the screen. She watched the highlight bar move south.
A contact list? Julie wondered.
Julie hit the green button, hoping that the tiny phone on the button meant that it was the Call Button. Her heart nearly beat from her chest with anticipation when it rang.
“Privet, Nicholai,” a male voice greeted.
Juliette’s hand clamped down on the phone. “Vweetye. Do you speak English?” she asked, her voice as shaky as the hand that held the phone.
“Who is this? Why do you have Nicholai’s phone?” the deep voice demanded with a suspicious growl.
“Nicholai has been injured. He needs help. Can you help us?” Julie gushed.
A vile curse bellowed in her ear. “What has happened to Nicholai? Why did he not call me himself?”
“He’s passed out. Hurry, he’s injured, there’s been an attack! He’s dying!”
“Where are you?”
Julie glanced down on her lover, tears spilled onto Nicholai’s face. “We are in the forest behind Nicholai’s estate. Please, can you send help?”
“I’ll be there in minutes. Do not leave him.” The voice brooked no argument before the line went eerily silent.
****
Vladimir Starikovich scrubbed a rough hand over his stubbled head and stood. He quickly laced his biker boots, pulled on his leather jacket, and dematerialized to Nicholai’s estate.
His form coalesced by the stables. He’d hunted in the forest with his fellow Alpha and knew the estate well. Vlad sent his awareness throughout the surrounding area until he sensed the fading energy of his friend next to the strong aura of a female. He homed in on their direction. The realization that his friend lay injured and unconscious in the woods with only a female to protect him spurred him to put on a burst of vampiric speed, and he took off for the forest with a curse.
****
A rustle in the trees caused Julie’s heart to seem to leap into her throat. Was it another wolf? How could she protect Nicholai with a broken arm? It didn’t matter. She’d die to protect him.
A dark figure emerged from the tree line. He advanced with purposeful strides. His long steps ate up the ground as he crossed the terrain toward her. He was tall, at least as tall as Nicholai. His sturdy face sported a dark goatee around a mouth set in a taut line. His black eyes held an intensity that made Julie cringe, but she didn’t cower from him. Instead, her shoulders slumped with exhaustion as she realized assistance had finally arrived. Someone came to help, and by the looks of him, he’d have no problem getting Nicholai the help he needed.
Just in time too, she thought as Nicholai’s body chilled beneath her hands where she kept them in a futile attempt to stay the rushing blood.
Julie pulled her hands from the bleeding wounds, waved her good arm and called, “Over here!”
She moved aside and knelt behind Nicholai’s head. “He needs an ambulance.”
The man knelt beside Nicholai’s still form, assessing his injuries. His eyes lingered over the gravest injury. The intestines, now a gray color, didn’t look good to Julie.
“No ambulance.” His gruff voice grated on her. “He needs blood.”
Julie nodded her head. “Yes, he needs a transfusion. He needs to get to a hospital.”
The man’s gaze pinned her, holding her eyes in his. “What is your name?”
Julie let out an exasperated sigh. They didn’t have time for this. Nicholai needed a doctor now. His breath grew shallow. She was losing him.
“What is your name?” the man repeated.
“J-Julie.”
“Ahhh. Nicholai’s heartmate. Demetri mentioned you. So you are the woman who has taken Nicholai’s good sense. No doubt he has you to thank for this.”
“Can you help him?” she asked, not caring in this moment of life or death to examine his rudeness.
The man glanced down at the man she loved, concern furrowing his dark brows. “I can, but I’ll need your help.”
“Anything. I’d do anything for him. Just help him,” Julie pleaded as she ran her fingers tenderly through Nicholai’s hair.
“He needs blood.”
The man grabbed her wrist and brought it to his mouth. He opened his lips, exposing his teeth.
Fangs! The guy has fangs! Is he another shape shifter? Julie gasped and tried in vain to pull her arm from his sturdy grasp.
He startled at her reaction. “He needs your blood to strengthen him. Why do you hesitate?”
The set of fangs that shown white in the moonlight against the man’s lips riveted Julie. He was about to bite her…with his fangs! Juliette’s voice eluded her.
“Chyort voz’mi,” Vlad cursed. “Do you want to help him or not?”
Help. Yes, they needed help. If this man was like the beast that had attacked them, he wouldn’t be trying to help, Julie reasoned. She summoned her courage and nodded slowly.
“Then he needs your blood. Let me open your vein so you can feed him.”
The threat snapped Julie’s voice back into place. “You want to feed him my blood! Are you mad?”
“Of course, I want to feed him your blood. It will heal him. Do you have a problem with that?”
Julie tried again to pull her arm from his fingers. The effort was futile. “What are you talking about? He needs a transfusion. You can’t absorb blood by drinking it.”
The stranger lifted a questioning brow. “Do you not know what Nicholai is?”
“Again, what are you talking about?”
“Nicholai is a vampire.”
Julie flinched at the word. I am in the middle of nowhere with the man I love dying, and the one person who I called to help is insane and obviously has no intention of helping Nicholai. What am I going to do now? Her thoughts flew through her head. Should she run for help, leaving her dying lover behind with a madman? Should she play along with this man’s insane fantasy hoping at some point he’d leave? Perhaps she could talk him into
seeing reason. Not likely, her inner voice admonished.
“Listen to me, Julie.” The man’s voice dropped an octave.
Julie’s full attention snapped from her chaotic thoughts to the man kneeling beside her. Her mind went blank, and she sat motionless awaiting his next command.
“Nicholai is a vampire, as am I. I am sure he would have preferred to break the news to you himself, but he didn’t, and I don’t have time to wait for you to grow accustomed to the idea. You will allow me to open your vein, and you will allow Nicholai to feed from you.”
Juliette nodded her head in earnest, sending her tousled locks flowing around her face. She pushed her arm toward the man.
He bent over her wrist and scored it with his fangs, then placed it over Nicholai’s parted lips and stroked his throat, triggering his swallowing reflex. Julie’s blood dripped into Nicholai’s mouth.
Nicholai’s eyes fluttered. His hand grabbed Julie’s arm and held it to his mouth. He took long draws from her wrist. Each one brought him back to life.
Julie swayed, her energy waning. Her heart ached with its struggle to beat.
“You can’t give him any more,” Julie vaguely heard the stranger say just before the fog cleared from her mind.
“Sleep now, Nicholai. You need to heal.”
Julie immediately came back to herself. Nicholai is a vampire. The stranger’s dark voice replayed in her thoughts.
Images flickered through her mind like old moving pictures through a Kinetoscope. Their first date where he made the comment about being older; the portrait in the palace that looked so much like Nicholai; Nicholai somehow crossing the room at the palace to save her; Nicholai appearing in her bed after her nightmare; his use of the term heartmate; the way he fought with the wolf at inhuman speed; the way he had been drinking from her arm as she came back to herself just now. Her eyes focused on the slashes across his stomach. The intestines pinked up and the filleted skin knitted together before her astonished eyes.
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