Late one night, while they walked several feet apart, he stopped suddenly and she turned to see why. From the heated look on his face, her heartbeat quickened. He inched closer and she couldn’t control her step back. His intensity frightened her and the amber glow of his eyes didn’t help. He didn’t stop until her back pressed against a tree.
“I dream of you.” His fingers threaded through the hair at her nape. “I dream of your hair splayed across my bed.” He touched her cheek, his thumb running over her lower lip. “I dream of this.” He lowered his head.
His warm lips pressed firmly against hers, his tongue seeking entrance, which she gave without thought. His fingers tightened in her hair, tilting her head so he could deepen the kiss. He didn’t touch her anywhere else, only her face, scalp, and mouth, but she felt him everywhere. His energy flowed across her flesh, heating her skin and causing her thighs to clench tightly.
Beastkind rarely romanced their mates. When their beast chose, there was little they could do to stop the tide of passion that consumed them. Dmitri was different. Nikka wasn’t sure what he felt. If his body suffered the same undeniable hunger that hers did. If he could walk away and not die inside from the loss. This kiss confused her, but also opened the floodgates of passion she kept deeply buried.
He pulled away, his forehead resting against hers. He didn’t say anything more, but when he released her, he took her hand. From that evening on, he held her hand while they walked, but he didn’t kiss her again.
She was used to men taking what they wanted sexually, and for the first time, she wanted sex so badly her entire body ached with need. She tossed and turned each night trying to sleep, but her dreams were filled with his sensual touch and her unfulfilled desire.
Her strange vampire remained a mystery and drove her crazy at the same time.
Two weeks passed as they prepared for war and the journey to take the fight to the cats. Nikka would remain behind, but Esta and her mate were leaving. Nikka had seen little of Dmitri the past two days as the preparations intensified, and she was beyond frustrated. She stayed as far away from Talya as she could. Dmitri told her of Talya’s continued gifts. There was too much going on right now, and confronting the young cat would only cause additional confusion when they needed it the least.
Nicolas, Vorlyk, and additional northeast pack mates would accompany ten bears on the airplane journey to Marcus’s clan. Brandt and his wolves would rendezvous the same day. Emily, mate to Brandt and alpha in her own right, would stay behind and protect the northwest pack. Cheri, their vampire, would also remain in her territory.
Nikka and other she-cats trained with the bears as much as possible before they left. The bears had more of an advantage than the wolves because of their size, but they still needed to know about the ways their enemy battled.
“Don’t think I don’t smell him on you.”
The angry words thundered into Nikka’s head. Slowly, she turned and faced Talya. “What you smell is your choice,” she snapped back into Talya’s mind.
Nikka turned to walk away, but Talya jerked her arm painfully, causing anger to resonate throughout Nikka’s body. Taking a deep breath and fighting for calm, Nikka knew it was not the time to put Talya in her place, but that time was coming soon.
Talya’s lips curved into a satisfied smile. “You embarrass yourself, Nikka. Dmitri told me my age would not stop him from taking me.”
Nikka’s fury rose, but she managed to control it. “He never told you that. He hides from you whenever possible. He does not want a child.”
The slap shocked Nikka and she didn’t block because it was the last thing she expected. If she touched Talya now, she might kill her, so Nikka didn’t accept the other cat’s challenge. She turned and ran instead. Talya’s laughter floated behind her, causing her to run faster.
It was daylight and Dmitri slept. When the punishing run didn’t calm her fears, Nikka paced on his porch in front of the cabin door not daring to enter.
“I can feel you, kotika.” He’d flashed behind her, his scent as comforting as his words. Nikka turned, her breath catching, her heartbeat accelerating. Dmitri stood gloriously naked in the sunlight, his body finely honed with defined muscle that begged for her lips and teeth. Clothed, he was handsome. Unclothed, he was breathtaking.
He took her hand. “I cannot be out here for long; come to my room.” He led her into the house, up the stairs, and into his darkened bedroom where his scent was stronger, creating a sensual ache deep within her body, centering between her legs.
Sitting on the bed, he pulled her close, running his fingers through her hair, soothing her highly disgruntled cat.
“What has you so upset?” After a moment’s hesitation he continued. “That was stupid of me. What if we try this?” He stood and walked to his dresser, returning with a tablet and pen.
Nikka smiled. They could communicate. Zenya had been teaching the she-cats to read and write. Education was not a part of their life among the South American cats, but education was required for members of Nicolas’s. Dmitri handed her the items, turned on the bedside lamp, and waited patiently. She wasn’t sure how she should start this conversation, but quickly decided to jump straight in. She slowly printed out the words.
Talya says her youth will not stop you from claiming her.
He sat next to her reading as she wrote, while running his fingers across her back. “Hmm, that’s interesting. I told her if I wanted her, her age would not stop me. I made it very clear her age and arm were not a factor in why I wouldn’t be with her. I don’t see how I can be any clearer.”
Nikka’s hand shook when she wrote the next question.
Do you want me?
Chills ran across her skin when he gave a deep, sexy laugh. He pulled her closer, tilting her head to the side and kissing her lightly along her jaw. “I think the evidence of my want is before you.”
Nikka looked down. He was fully erect. She slowly brought her head up and gazed into eyes that had turned amber. She could see herself reflected in the fiery depths, her cat rolling in the flames.
“We need to talk first.” He practically groaned the words and gently lifted her away.
No, she screamed silently; she needed him. Nikka obstinately shook her head trying to convey her frustration. Her hand slid down and ran along the hard, silky length of him. He groaned loudly then grabbed her fingers, stopping her exploration.
“You need to understand a few things before you bind yourself to me.” His throaty voice was at complete odds with his words.
She twisted her hand from his grasp and moved both her arms until they crossed in front of her chest. She shook her head again.
“Oh, my stubborn, kotika. You are hard to resist, but I will not fall under your spell and put off this discussion.” He grabbed her and turned her around so his legs straddled her hips and her back rested against his chest. She felt him stiff against her bottom, which caused her to squirm.
“Stop that.” He gave a slight tug to the back of her hair. “I am hard enough.”
She gave a loud sigh and he laughed.
“Here…” He pulled up the hem of her shirt and brought it over her head. “I want you like this.” She was now naked from the waist up. He cupped her breasts in his hands. “That’s better,” he said as he massaged her fullness, sending shivers across her flesh and creating delicious havoc at her core.
He suckled gently on her neck then nibbled along her collarbone and back across her throat. “There is much you do not understand about me and…” He breathed deeply, scenting her. “There are consequences to our actions. You must fully embrace them all with your eyes open; there is no going back.”
He bit down gently and she felt the sharp pinpoints of his teeth a breath from entering her skin. She arched upward in ecstasy.
He released her flesh, whispering against her ear, his hot breath fanning across her cheek, “I like that, too, kotika. Your blood calls to me and an agonizing pain shoots throughout my
body with the denial of the sweet liquid inside your veins. Once it happens, and I’ve tasted your very essence, we will be unable to stop the chain of events that will alter your life forever.” He hugged her close, sharing his warmth and allowing his words to sink in.
“I am the liege to the bears and that will not change.”
The hazy bliss of being in his arms didn’t fade.
“Claiming you completely as my mate will take your mind-sharing capabilities from your clan and link you to mine. Once I possess you fully, your body and soul belong to me. You will become part of the bear clan, gain some of their strengths, and share their secrets. This is nothing to take lightly and my clan will not do so either. I am not only their liege, I am the trunk of the tree that holds them up, brings them eternal life, and assures they remain stable. Before I became part of their world, they chose to live without a vampire and die young in order to keep their secrets. Seeing The Kodiak’s control of the dead was a huge gift to your clan, but there is so much more. Ultimately, being my mate will sever you from your pack.”
Her body stilled, but her heart raced. She’d never thought about the ramifications of being with Dmitri—losing her clan, being separate from those she loved. Denying them would hurt deeply, but denying her mate would kill her.
He smoothed his hands over her shoulders. “There is more.” He hesitated and circled his arms tighter around her, his heartbeat accelerating. “Each vampire has a gift or a curse. Mine is the latter. I became a vampire hundreds of years ago. For much of those first centuries I was weak.”
Nikka tried to turn, but his hold remained tight, keeping her in place. She grumbled, but he didn’t loosen his arms.
“I need you to hear this and it’s easier this way, kotika.”
She had no idea what “kotika” meant, but the sound of that one word held her in thrall. She squeezed his arms and leaned back so she could lift her chin and kiss his bristly jaw. The quick kiss turned into a long, lavish lick, and a rumble of passion escaped him.
“You are naughty and must pay attention to the rendering of my soul.”
She tipped her head to his shoulder ready to hear her mate’s confession, knowing it would change nothing.
“A tragic event brought me into my full power. The humanity, which remained after my rebirth, left me. I became a monster worse than anything this world has seen. My craving for blood drove me to kill countless innocents. I killed men, women, and children without remorse. A group of vampires in Europe hunted me because I risked the secret of our existence. Cheri, the liege of the northwest clan, saved me. She captured me and placed me on the ship that brought us to America. Even after that, she almost had to kill me because I could not control my bloodlust.”
His pain came through. Nikka had seen only his gentleness, though Talya spoke of Dmitri killing the vampire at his club, reveling in the blood of his enemy. Beastkind understood the animal instinct to protect and no one blamed Dmitri.
Dmitri continued with pain in every word. “It was The Kodiak who brought me out of my murderous rage. He can control his fallen brothers even in death, as you saw at the funeral. His power soothed my beast, the part of me that makes me vampire. His blood calmed my inner demon. I have stayed away from anything that brings the need for violence to the forefront. The Kodiak is not going on the journey to South America because I cannot be left alone during chaos. I am not only a danger to my enemies—I am a danger to everyone. If I lose the hold on the nightmare that I have buried for decades, I could kill indiscriminately and annihilate everything in my path, including my mate. That thought above all others terrifies me.”
His arms were squeezing her to the point of pain. She gently unclenched his fingers from her skin one by one and then pushed his arms away.
She turned.
His eyes were their light brown color—no rage, no passion…fear. Placing her hands on his cheeks, she slowly leaned in and kissed his soft, warm lips. Her beast also had power, though nothing compared to an alpha. She poured it into him. Her essence that made her beastkind, her cat, who made her crave him, and her human side that tried to understand his inner turmoil.
He took it all, devouring her mouth and nicking her lip with his teeth. He pulled away, holding her back. “We must not continue. I can barely withstand the temptation of your blood.” He groaned, pulling her in tightly against his broad chest and pushing her face to his shoulder. “Your beast soothes mine like nothing I’ve experienced before. Thank you.”
They held each other for over an hour, both feeling a sense of peace at their body-to-body contact. With a long, slow breath, Dmitri gently pushed Nikka away, gazing deeply into her eyes.
“You must choose when it’s time to leave your family and become part of mine.” His grin turned feral, his voice firm. “Make no mistake, I will not wait long.” He leaned in and bit down on her neck, tugging lightly on the skin before releasing her flesh. “But I will give you a little time.”
He rubbed her shoulders and ran his rough cheek across the same flesh. She wanted those bristles rubbing over her breasts, leaving a burning path of red. Her moan finally had him pulling away.
“When you are ready, I will be waiting. Until then, we will only play…” he pinched a hardened nipple, “a little.”
She couldn’t stop another moan from escaping.
His voice teased, “I learned a lot from Mandy when she kidnapped Honey. You’ve had the only warning I will give you. Say your goodbyes as quickly as possible.”
She giggled, but it ended on a sigh as he tweaked her sensitive flesh again. He moved to her lips, causing sparks of passion to travel throughout her body. He nibbled and his tongue licked until she opened completely to his demand. He possessed her mouth, holding her hair so she couldn’t get away.
Not that she wanted to. She never wanted to leave.
When sanity returned, she knew she needed to say goodbye to her family so she could claim her mate.
Chapter Fourteen
Dmitri paced the confines of his great room. It was done. He’d made his intentions clear. He didn’t shower when he woke up because he could still smell Nikka on his skin. Did she understand what he’d told her? Had he expressed the danger she was in because of his curse? Did she believe him?
All these thoughts left him exhausted, but her scent left him horny. As vampire, little was denied him, but love made him hesitate. His greatest fear was that he would harm her and it terrified him. The Kodiak thought she might be his salvation, but how did Dmitri know without placing her in danger? If there was any chance he could harness the red haze, how could he not try? But if he did, he risked everyone’s life, including Nikka’s.
“Kodiak, I need you here.” Usually he spoke normally when contacting the great bear, but he couldn’t stop the tight demand of his words.
“Grrr.”
Dmitri waited while continuing to pace. The Kodiak didn’t knock, just threw open the door and charged in. Hair disheveled, sweatpants covering his legs and nothing else, not even shoes. Obviously, the bear was busy doing something Dmitri didn’t want to think about.
He got straight to the point. “We must try to harness my power.”
The Kodiak took a deep breath. “You have mated the woman.”
Dmitri felt heat slide across his cheeks knowing the giant bear could smell Nikka on him. “No.”
“You reek of her. Claim the damn she-cat and put the rest of us out of our misery.”
Usually the red haze receded when The Kodiak was near, but the damn bear was making it worse. Dmitri’s eyes went amber and his barely controlled anger turned on his friend. “I must know if I can focus my power. I cannot take a chance of harming her.”
“You wish to try it without her?” The bear’s shock was apparent.
“I cannot risk her.”
The bear’s face went red. “You risk everyone by not using the gifts given to you. This cat has more control over you than anyone, including me,” The Kodiak shouted. “The last time
you completely lost control you nearly killed us all.”
Dmitri turned away. “You do not understand.”
The bear’s large hand fell on his shoulder. “I do. I will do my job as The Kodiak, but do not ask me to risk the clan because you won’t accept help from your mate. All of us can feel it. Your thoughts, though clearly not word for word, and your desire runs through our minds. Open your heart, Dmitri, and remember the vampire before the destruction. You are still that man. There is nothing inside of you that would let harm befall this woman. Trust who you are and I will stand by your side.”
“You make it sound so easy.”
“Hell, women are never easy, but they are soft, their minds gentle when we need the reminder, and they feed our souls.”
“Someone stole my friend and replaced him with a wimp.”
Dmitri flew fifteen feet across the cabin, The Kodiak’s mighty arms sending him sprawling. “I heard you teased my son in the ring. Next time, wait for me so you have a real match.”
They both knew the outcome of their next match, but Dmitri also knew his bear needed to knock sense into him. With the shove, the red receded and Dmitri laughed. “Bring it on, my friend. Bring it on.”
***
Both clans watched their loved ones board the plane. Zenya ached for Nicolas as soon as they took off. Talya stood by her side, but she wasn’t the same happy cat they’d loved during the past year. The young woman’s anguish poured off her in waves. Zenya felt overwhelming sadness for Talya, but was at a loss over how to proceed. Ivan the Terrible slept in The Kodiak’s arms. He was the only one who had any luck disciplining her little hellion and Zenya had no trouble turning him over to the grumpy bear.
The remaining beastkind began making their way to cars or shifting to their animal forms to run the two-mile journey back home. The private airfield was now desolate and Zenya needed to get away.
Dmitri Page 8
