“You can’t imagine what it was like having silver pressed on your neck,” she continued, her voice muffled against his chest, “being ravaged by two or three wolves at a time.”
He felt the blood drain from his face and a white hot rage welled in his chest. “You escaped and that’s the important thing. How?” he asked running a tender hand down her hair. He felt a tremor run through her.
“One of Balkathan’s guards helped me. Balkathan called him Gar. He was his chief guard.”
He heard her broken sigh and his Lycan heart stirred with an inexplicable need to soothe her pain.
“I went mad in isolation, and I don’t remember much, but I do remember one night when I was sobbing in my cell and Gar entered. I grabbed his hand and cried for him to help me. I remember him staring at me coldly, but something in his dark eyes gripped me. It was a hint of warmth, of compassion, and…and fear. I had glimpsed a part of his humanity Balkathan didn’t control. He tried pulling away from me, but I refused to let go of his hand. Then, I remember sobbing and talking about my mother…how I missed her, and wanted to see her. I told him how she was the only family I had left and that I wanted to be with her one more time. My talk of family was what completely transformed his features and he pulled out his key from his pocket and unlocked my neck brace. He dragged me to the exit, all the while his expression a curious mixture of pain, fear, and grief. I…I think he was fighting Balkathan’s power and was trying hard to help me escape before he lost control of his mind. Malek, we cannot allow the other prisoners the same fate as Gar, forever trapped in Balkathan’s nightmare.”
“The king will organise his attack upon our return. We go to war in one month.”
He couldn’t imagine the horrors she must have endured. One thing he knew, she was terrified of men. The only thing she knew of a man’s touch was rape and brutality, he thought grimly as he recalled her violent reaction to him when he had tried to help her out of her trousers and then later when he had stumbled upon her when she’d bathed.
He didn’t understand why, but something inside him snapped and he desperately wanted to show her tenderness. He wanted her to know his touch was not the same touch as Balkathan’s wolves who had brutalized her. Slowly, he gathered her closer to him and kissed the top of her head as he gently rubbed her back. She immediately stiffened, but to his satisfaction, she did not pull away.
He placed a hand under her chin and tilted her face as he gazed down at her beautiful features Instinctively, he knew she wasn’t afraid of him. He sensed her wonder as her dark gaze fixed on his mouth, her curiosity covering him like a veil. She wanted him to kiss her.
Malek obliged willingly.
The moment his mouth touched hers, he inhaled sharply, stunned at the powerful well of emotions rising in his chest. This wasn’t lust, he realised with astonishment. This was more.
Malek moved his mouth over hers, sliding his fingers in her hair as he willed his thrashing beast within to calm down. He wanted to kiss her, not ravage her with his uncontrollable passion.
He deepened his kiss and Katya moaned softly against his mouth as she slid her arms up over his chest to the back of his head. This was torture unlike anything he had ever experienced. He had to control his violent need to make love to her. He didn’t want to scare her. He knew she was a strong woman, but he also sensed a fragility within her that touched his protective core.
Malek slipped his tongue into her mouth and after a brief moment where Katya tensed, she slipped her tongue into his mouth and their kiss grew more heated. He groaned against her mouth, willing himself to pull away.
His wolf roared for release and his arousal coursed through his veins like molten lava. This torture was turning into physical pain, his erection pulsing with aching heat, and he gripped her by the shoulders and slowly withdrew, flaring his nostrils as he drew in air. Malek stared at her upturned face. Katya didn’t appear frightened, more surprised.
“Do not be afraid of me.”
“I’m not,” she said.
“You don’t have to be afraid anymore. I’m here to protect you.” On the outside, she was a strong woman, a woman who survived two terrifying years in a dark prison, but she was also vulnerable, soft, and he wanted to protect her not because the king had ordered it, but because Malek wanted to. The thought staggered him. “Go back to sleep. I’ll be outside if you need me.”
She nodded and lay back as he covered her. As he was leaving, he heard her soft, “Malek?”
He turned around and looked at her.
“Thank you,” she said softly.
“Good night, Katya,” he replied.
Chapter Four
The next morning, Katya was nibbling on her bread and cheese. She was eating alone again, but this time she didn’t care. She was too deep in thought to make conversation. Her mind warred with what had transpired in her tent last night with Malek. She couldn’t deny she felt something for him, something she’d never felt for a man before—warmth. And she couldn’t get the kiss out of her mind. For the first time in her life, a man had held her gently, kissed her softly, made her feel things she never experienced—comfort, security, protection. It was as if he’d opened a dormant part of her heart she never knew existed and a flood of emotions had tumbled out. The thought of seeing him this morning filled her with a curious sense of unease and excitement. She didn’t know if she liked him or was petrified of him.
“We will begin packing our things in ten minutes.”
His deep voice startled her and she snapped her head up to his handsome face. His expression revealed nothing. Crestfallen, she realised he wasn’t as affected by their kiss as she was. Katya nodded, rising slowly, her feelings hurt by this revelation.
“Finish your breakfast. I will take care of our tent,” Malek said.
“I can help. I don’t want to sit around waiting for you.”
His face was grim. “All right. If you want, you can help Nolan pack away all the breakfast plates and utensils.”
She nodded and went to Nolan. He welcomed her warmly and they chatted lightly as they worked. Katya was thankful for the undemanding camaraderie. She liked Nolan. From what she knew of him he was the youngest guard and very sweet.
“I watched you in combat training. You have some very impressive moves I’m not familiar with,” he said as they wiped plates.
“My mother taught me to fight at a young age.”
“It’s a unique fighting style.”
“She learned it from the Orient. My mother spent two hundred years living in China with the monks and they passed their knowledge onto her.”
“The rest of the men are also impressed with you. It takes someone special to escape from Balkathan’s prison.”
She stiffened. “So you think I’m a spy, too.”
He shot her a dark glance. “Nay, milady. None of us do.”
“Malek thinks I’m a spy.”
“He has his reasons.”
“Something about his brother?”
“Aye. It is a long, sad tale. Garrek was the king’s chief guard. He taught Malek everything he knew, and as the older brother, Garrek looked after Malek like a father would look after his son.”
“What happened?”
“Two hundred years ago, on a full moon, Balkathan and his army attacked the castle. One by one we were turned into Lycans, Balkathan believing we would follow him, but we didn’t. We all fought, some to the death, to protect our kingdom. At one point in the battle, Malek was caught between having to save the prince and his brother. Garrek yelled to him to save the prince. Malek did as he ordered and watched Balkathan attack his brother and perform mind sorcery on him. Balkathan’s army retreated because we were gaining on them and Malek watched Garrek disappear.”
Nolan gave her a sad look.
“Garrek would willingly die protecting the royal family. When he told Malek to save the prince, he was standing by his oath. He was a warrior first, a brother second.”
“Malek is t
he chief guard now.”
“Aye, the best one. Garrek would be proud of him.”
“How awful it must have been for Malek, unable to save his brother.”
“Aye. Worse because over the course of the last couple of hundred years, when Balkathan’s army has attacked us, Malek has come face to face with his brother in battle and Garrek has not recognized him, does not remember him. It is as if he is in a dark trance.”
“Malek thinks Balkathan is controlling my mind.” She hoped after last night Malek didn’t think that of her anymore. She’d seen real compassion in his eyes.
“You need to give Malek time. After what happened to his brother, Malek does not trust anyone who comes from Balkathan’s lair.”
They finished packing the crate with the breakfast utensils when she heard Malek commanding everyone to prepare for departure. She went to her horse, mounted it and then smiled at Nolan as he rode next to her.
She knew Malek was somewhere behind her and she tried focusing on Nolan’s words, but she was having a hard time concentrating. Her thoughts were on Malek and what she’d just learned about him. She smiled again and nodded at Nolan as she tried not to appear rude.
A deep growl rose from behind her and she stiffened, knowing it was Malek. Who else could make the hair at the back of her nape rise with his mere presence? Malek rode next to them and gave Nolan a dark look.
“I want you to take the rear with Falk,” he ordered.
“Aye, sir,” Nolan replied quickly and nodded at Katya before he flicked his reins and rode away.
She gave Malek a curious look. Why did he look so angry? Surely after last night, he wasn’t back to hating her?
“My men have duties to perform on this mission. I do not want them to be distracted,” he said, his tone harsh.
Her temper flared and she tightened her grip on her reins. “He was just being friendly,” she offered stiffly.
“Nonetheless, I want my men on guard and alert at all times.”
Without saying another word, she angrily tugged her reins and drew her horse away from his, riding to the front of the caravan.
“We stop here. Be on the lookout, men. This is bandit territory,” Malek ordered loudly from the front of the caravan. The sun had already set and the air was cooler.
Katya looked around and saw the mountain range was closer. Balkathan’s lair was only a couple of days away.
Two horses approached from afar and Katya immediately went tense. The hair at the back of her nape rose and she trained her Lycan eyes on the approaching riders. She frowned. It was a family, which included a man, a woman, and a child of about nine years old.
She couldn’t shake the feeling something wasn’t right. She was near the back of the caravan and saw Malek approach the small group of people. Katya trained her Lycan ears to hear what they were saying.
“You are King Drago’s royal guards,” exclaimed the woman. “Thank the stars above! We recognized the royal emblem on your shields. We are weary from fatigue and hunger. Please, can you help us? We need food and protection from the bandits in this region.”
“Our home was beyond that forest, but it burned down and we have been searching for a new place to start a new life,” the man added.
“Please, help us, sir,” the little girl said. “We are hungry.”
Katya inhaled sharply. The little girl’s voice was off. It didn’t have the youthful sound of a nine year old. It sounded much, much older, and…and amused. The odd way she had said the word hungry was almost as though she’d been taunting Malek.
“You are welcome to join us, but we will not be returning to the castle for a few days. I can leave two guards with you and you will wait for us here,” Malek said.
He obviously didn’t feel the same apprehension she did. The family wasn’t Lycan, otherwise she and all the guards would have sensed it. Her frown deepened and then…Katya froze.
“Damn,” she said slowly. Were they…were they vampires?
Fear made her grow cold. If they were, Malek and his guards were in big trouble. Vampires moved like lightning and they all carried silver. She started to ride slowly to the front, keeping her gaze fixed on the little girl. For some reason, she sensed the little girl was the one who posed the most threat.
“Papa, I’m hungry,” the little girl wailed, giving her father a pouty look.
Her father tossed her an angry glance before he returned his attention to Malek. “I apologise, my…child hasn’t fed today.”
“Mama, I cannot wait!” the little girl persisted.
“Darma, be quiet,” the mother hissed angrily, tossing a nervous glance to Malek. “She is an impossible child.”
“We are stopping here for a break,” Malek said. “There is plenty of food. We can prepare your daughter something to eat.” He slid down from his horse and approached the child. He raised a hand up to her. “You will have something to eat soon enough.”
Katya saw the worried look passed from mother to father as Darma narrowed her eyes on Malek’s hand. The little girl licked her lips and Katya inhaled sharply at the brief flash of tiny incisors. She knew Malek didn’t see them because he had his hands on Darma’s waist and he was helping her down. The little girl wrapped her arms around his shoulders, gawking at on his neck.
“Malek! No!” Katya screamed. Immediately, she snapped her reins and galloped towards him, yelling at the startled guards around her, “They’re vampires!”
The vampire mother hissed as she drew out a silver dagger hidden in her clothes and moved like lightening towards the first guard approaching her. He didn’t know what hit him as she dug her dagger into his chest.
Panic seized Katya as she watched Darma raise her head, her fangs growing as Malek growled ferociously. Katya shifted into her She-Lycan form and sprung towards the child, dragging her off Malek before she sunk her incisors into his neck. Malek snarled and shifted in his terrifying Lycan form.
All around them the guards, transformed in their Lycan or massive wolf forms, avoided the silver blades the mother and father were slicing through the air, but it was like trying to avoid the wind because the vampires were so fast.
She saw Darma fly through the air towards Malek, her hand raised with a silver dagger. Katya roared, grabbed the leg of the wagon next to her and snapped it in two, the pointy wooden edge raised.
Only a wooden stake through their heart or not feeding for the day could kill a vampire.
She saw Malek spring to the side, narrowly missing Darma’s silver. Katya howled ferociously as her eye caught Nolan in his wolf form unaware the mother was closing in from behind. She flung her stake through the air and it plunged deep into the vampire mother’s heart. The mother fell to the ground, disintegrating into a pool of dust.
Frantically, Katya looked back at Malek. Darma was a blur, darting around him, trying to find the right moment to kill him, but Malek was too fast for her as he kept dodging her silver thrusts. His looked at something behind Katya and his Lycan face contorted with fear.
“Katya! Look out!” he roared.
She spun around and saw the vampire father sprinting towards her with his silver aimed at her chest.
She couldn’t move. The vampire was too fast, and she held her breath, hearing Malek howl in anguish. The vampire was almost upon her. Then, in a blink of an eye, she saw the massive figure of Malek in front of her, stopping the vampire with a vice grip on his neck. The vampire father hissed and Ortega flung a stake through the air. Malek caught it and plunged it into the vampire’s chest.
Malek dropped the vampire to the ground, and turned to Katya, his Lycan eyes boring down on hers.
The look of relief on his face slammed into her chest and she inhaled slowly. He cared. She was about to tell him she was all right, when she saw his attention dragged to something behind her. She turned around and froze. Darma was flying through the air toward them, the silver dagger clutched in her hand.
“You killed my father!” Darma screeched. “Now,
you will die!”
Katya grabbed the stake from the disintegrated remains of the father and shielded Malek with her Lycan body, her stake outward. Darma let out a horrifying shriek as the stake pierced her heart and she slumped to the ground.
Katya gaped at the little body of Darma disintegrating right before her eyes, and something painful welled up in her chest. She was going to be sick. Katya had just killed a child.
Numbly, she reverted to her human and lay naked on the ground, staring at the dusty remains of what once was a human, sweet, little girl. Katya gasped, trying to drag air into her lungs as her eyes burned with unshed tears. She covered her face with her hands and mumbled, “I killed a child.”
“That wasn’t a child,” Malek said roughly.
Katya sobbed an incoherent response and Malek fell to his knees in front of her, dragging her hands away from her face.
“Katya! Look at me! That was not a child. Only a very old vampire disintegrates that fast upon death.”
She didn’t say a word and he grimaced as he rose and went to his horse and removed a small blanket from the saddle. He returned and wrapped the cover around her bare shoulders. He rose and lifted her in his arms, holding her tightly against him.
“We find a camp site now,” Malek roared to his men. “There. Beyond those hills!”
She couldn’t speak as he carried her to his horse and hoisted her over his saddle before he vaulted up behind her.
Katya couldn’t control her tremors.
“That was a very foolish thing you did. You could have been killed,” he said gruffly over her head.
“She was going to kill you,” she whispered, finding her voice. Malek dying was an unbearable thought, too painful even to contemplate. The realisation was a blow to her senses. She had grown to care for him more than she dared to admit.
He tightened his hold around her and she rested her body against his bare chest, drawing strength from him.
Chapter Five
Katya watched Malek standing over the gravesite of his guard. His shoulders were tense and he fisted his hands at his sides as he gazed down at the pile of rocks Ortega and Falk had placed over the dead guard, killed by the vampire mother.
Lycan Warrior Page 3
