Revelations: The Shifter Series: Volume Three

by Cari Schaeffer

  Every day, she woke up hoping today would be the day her family came and rescued her.

  In the meantime, Kat thought to distract herself by honing her shifting abilities, but then realized it was not the best idea she’d ever had. The Barotkoffs were somehow watching her and she did not want them knowing exactly what she could do. They already knew she had a wide range, based on her initial conversation with Mikhail, but Kat didn’t want to confirm, nor expand, their information. So that outlet was nixed.

  When the woman delivered her next meal tray, Kat turned on Mikhail.

  “If your plan is to make me crazy, it’s working. I need something else to do! Gah!” Kat walked in a tight circle and waved her hands around. “I can’t sit in here anymore! If you’re going to kill me, do it now and do it swiftly. I’m losing my mind from sheer boredom!”

  Mikhail murmured to the woman in Russian after she placed Kat’s tray on the dresser.

  Oh, why hadn’t Kat learned Russian?

  The woman nodded and hurried from the room. As always, she closed the door behind her. Kat caught a brief glimpse of the hallway that lay just outside of her room and gleaned nothing helpful from the brief view. It was just an opulent, non-descript hallway. Surprise, surprise.

  She turned her attention back to Mikhail. “Well? What are you going to do?” Kat widened her stance and put her hands on her hips, ready for anything.

  Mikhail’s dark eyes twinkled. “I am going to amuse you.” He took a step toward her and Kat instinctively took a step back.

  She didn’t like the look in his eyes. He took another step toward her and gauged her reaction. Kat took another step back. Her legs bumped into the bed. She quickly side-stepped and moved away from the bed.

  “We can keep dancing if you’d like.” He took another step toward her. “I know some interesting moves you may enjoy.”

  Kat tensed and readied to defend herself, but still took another step back.

  He noted every move she made. The corner of his mouth twitched up. “But I think you’d rather be amused in another way.”

  Kat swallowed and made her voice strong with a confidence she did not feel. “I’m a horrible dancer. What other way do you have of amusing me?”

  He slowly raked his eyes over her body. “I think perhaps you would enjoy...,” he paused for cruel effect, long enough for her face to pale, “watching television.”

  Kat’s knees almost buckled. She forced herself to remain upright and hoped he hadn’t played a malicious joke on her. She wasn’t a big television fan but compared to what she thought was on his mind, she would be more than happy to watch anything right now.

  Mikhail took another step toward her with a gleam in his eye. She clenched her jaw and forced herself not to back away this time. She lowered her chin and glared at him in defiance.

  He stared at her and a smile played across his face. He took another step toward her. He was so close she could smell his scent. It was repulsive. “I told you I like feistiness.” His voice was barely above a whisper. “And your green eyes.”

  Kat cracked her knuckles and growled at him. “Bring it on, boy.” If he intended to harm her, she would make sure he would spend the rest of his life as a soprano.

  He blinked, and his mouth opened in surprise. Before he could respond, someone knocked on the door.

  Mikhail took two steps away from Kat and she relaxed her shoulders a little. “Come.”

  The door opened, and another unfamiliar man walked in carrying a flat screen television. He was a shade taller than Mikhail and had broad shoulders and bulging arms, too. Mikhail moved the vase of flowers, which were refreshed every couple of days, to the nightstand. The new man placed the television on the center of the dresser, then nimbly reached around and plugged it in and hooked up a cable wire, too. When he stood up, he nodded at his handiwork.

  “All set. Oh!” He snapped his fingers and pulled a remote control out of his back pocket and handed it to Kat.

  She gaped at him. Physically, he was a god. He couldn’t hold a candle to Christopher, of course, but he could certainly stand in the shadows next to him.

  The man narrowed his eyes at Kat, then tossed the remote on the bed. “It’s all set. You’ve even got movie channels, if you want them.”

  Mikhail nodded at the man. “Katherine, this is my brother, Andrei.”

  Kat glared at Mikhail. “I prefer to be called Kat, thank you. You people think you’ve got all this information on me, but you couldn’t figure out something so simple as my name? Ha!”

  Mikhail grinned at Andrei. “I told you she’s feisty.”

  Andrei flashed a smile at Kat and she swallowed. Hard. “Nice to meet you, Kat.”

  Kat averted her eyes and glared at the floor. She would not give him the satisfaction.

  Andrei clapped his hands together. “All right. I’m done here.” He jerked his thumb over his shoulder and looked at Mikhail. “Are you coming?”

  “In a second,” Mikhail murmured and watched Kat.

  Andrei left and closed the door behind him. Of course.

  As soon as he left, Kat glared at Mikhail. “You can run along now, Mikey.”

  Mikhail sucked air in slowly through his teeth. “Feisty. You are here as our guest, Kat. We want you to be as comfortable as possible.” He lifted his foot and took a slow, deliberate step toward her, then another one when she didn’t back away. “If there’s anything we can do to make you more...comfortable, please don’t hesitate to ask. We are at your service.”

  His scent filled her nostrils again. The hair on Kat’s arms stood up. There was something about him that her gut said was very, very dangerous. Deadly. It both frightened and angered her.

  She balled her hands into fists at her side, pushed the fear aside and made room for the anger. “What would make me most comfortable is to leave this room. How long are you going to keep me here?”

  Mikhail licked his lip. “That’s up to my uncle, of course.” He sniffed the air around her. “I smell fear. I like that.” He backed away and gave a tight smile. “I’ll let you know. Enjoy your cable.”

  He moved away slowly, staring at her the whole time until he reached the door. With a small triumphant smile, he walked out and closed the door softly behind him. The predictable sound of the key sliding in the lock sounded and Kat slumped onto the bed, her palm pressed to her chest. She had no idea what their plans were. When she first awoke here, Mikhail had inferred they wanted her to become a part of their family.

  As if!

  She chewed on this and wondered how they intended to accomplish their goal. Surely, they realized the futility of it. What could possibly make her change her mind was beyond her comprehension.

  Chapter Ten

  Kat got hooked on several soap operas. The television helped orient her days and kept her from going completely insane. She stopped counting her meals after she reached one hundred. What was the point? She fought the despair that threatened to overwhelm her and murder her hope of ever leaving. Where was her family? Why hadn’t they rescued her yet? She absently rubbed the tender underside of her arm and felt the hardness of the tracker. It was still there.

  She retreated into her own mind and worked to stave off madness. The only other human contact she had was with Mikhail and occasionally, with Andrei when Mikhail was occupied elsewhere. Both men regaled her with tales of the Great Barotkoff Dynasty. Kat feigned interest when she realized that overt opposition did nothing but embolden them to test her nerves. The young woman that brought her trays never wavered from occasionally stealing fast glimpses at her. They had no other opportunity for meaningful interaction. Kat quit trying.

  She lounged on the bed and twirled the remote in her hands as the credits rolled across the screen from another inane movie selection. This time, she chose a darker film that ended with the deaths of most of the characters in a poetic sort of justice. Perhaps that would be her end, she mused. She would take out as many Barotkoffs as she could on the way, though. That
caused the corners of her mouth to twitch up in a mirthless smile.

  She didn’t even glance over at the now familiar sound of the door being unlocked. It was almost lunch time. She sighed, tossed the remote aside, and sat up.

  The door opened and instead of Mikhail’s now familiar face, a new one appeared followed closely by Andrei and Mikhail. The three men filled the room in short order.

  This was new. Kat’s senses were immediately on high alert and she tensed.

  “Hello, Kat,” the unfamiliar man said and offered his hand. His voice was deep, like a radio personality. Kat briefly wondered if he could sing and thought he probably could do that very well. “My name is Boris.”

  Kat looked at his hand, then looked at him. She crossed her arms and stared. He was as handsome as the others, but she was immune. As with everyone else she had encountered, Kat was dwarfed by him, too.

  Boris glanced back at Mikhail and nodded. Mikhail’s face twitched in amusement while his eyes never left Kat.

  Boris withdrew his hand and gestured at the door. “We thought perhaps you would take your lunch elsewhere today. Would you like that?”

  Kat’s eyebrows rose, and excitement welled within her. Would they actually let her out of this room? “Are you serious?” she blurted before she could restrain herself.

  Boris’ smile was easy and immediate. “Absolutely! It’s a lovely day outside. The sun is shining, and the courtyard is at your disposal.” He stepped back and gestured like a butler toward the open door. Mikhail and Andrei stepped aside at the same time. “After you.”

  As eager as Kat was, she remained wary. “You would actually let me walk out that door?” She pointed toward the opening.

  Boris chuckled. “But, of course. I insist. We will lunch on the terrace. It is quite lovely, I assure you. Come.”

  Surely they had something up their sleeves, but she had been cooped up in this room for so long that she didn’t care. Every fiber of her being ached for fresh air and sunshine. She wondered what month it was. Boris had said the sun was shining.

  “Fine.” She leaped up from the bed, scurried into the hallway, and whipped her head around at the sight of something different for the first time in forever.

  “Excuse me. This way, please.” Boris side-stepped around her and walked to her left.

  Kat glanced back at Mikhail and Andrei.

  Mikhail held his hand out, palm up, toward Boris’ retreating form. “After you, Kat.”

  Kat stared between Mikhail and Andrei with suspicion. She squared her shoulders and stiffened her spine, then hurried to catch up with Boris, wherever he may lead her. They walked down the long corridor which was bereft of any décor save for the textured gray paint on the walls, fine carpeting, and soft lighting overhead. They reached another locked door that Boris opened with a key he kept around a small brass ring in his pocket. Kat noted there were five other keys on the ring.

  The door opened to an elevator that would fit well in any high-end building on the planet. Kat kept her face neutral and took in the surroundings and direction they moved in. All four of them filed into the elevator. Instead of a panel with push buttons for floors, there was a flat touch screen. Boris placed his hand on the pad and it glowed and came to life. He moved to block her view while he did whatever he had to do to get the elevator moving. Kat’s heart sank as she stared at his back. This level of security was out of her league in more ways than one.

  Mikhail chuckled behind her. “Yeah. You’re not going anywhere, Kat.”

  Kat didn’t miss a beat. “Apparently, I’m eating lunch outside today, Mikey.”

  Andrei snorted a laugh. “Ha! Yeah, Mikey.”

  Mikhail growled low in his throat and punched Andrei in the arm. Hard.

  Andrei’s expression blackened. He wasn’t one to back down. “Wanna go?”

  “Enough!” Boris boomed, then smoothed his expression. “Don’t be rude in front of our guest.” He faced the front of the elevator and waited. Kat’s skin crawled as she felt Mikhail press against her in the small space. The machine’s movements were barely a whisper. Kat couldn’t even tell if they were going up or down.

  When the doors opened long moments later, they had stopped at a main level floor, but Kat couldn’t be sure. The air smelled different. There were faint smells of something delicious, and maybe cleaning products. There were no other sounds to discern aside from the usual hum of a centrally heated and cooled home. They were in a luxurious hallway with deep mahogany paneling on the walls, art work scattered throughout, and plush silk rugs on the polished wood floor.

  Boris left the elevator first, followed by Andrei. Mikhail’s hand snaked around Kat’s waist to hold her in place, and his hot breath filled her ear.

  “Behave yourself, delicious Kat,” he murmured in a husky voice only she could hear. “I could make you very comfortable here. Or not.”

  She fought back a shudder and moved away from him as quickly as she could to follow Boris and Andrei. She felt, rather than saw, Mikhail close on her heels. She worked to calm her thundering heart. The thinly veiled threat reached to Kat’s very core. Mikhail had never touched her to this point, but his glances had grown longer and more probing. She wouldn’t be able to hide from him should he attack her, but she had defenses and wouldn’t be shy about using them all. A small smile played at her lips thinking about how many ways she could damage him.

  To her surprise, they entered another equally opulent elevator which finally opened directly to the outdoors. Kat blinked and squinted at the unfamiliar sunlight.

  She stumbled slightly exiting the elevator and drew in deep lungfuls of air. The heat and humidity of summer hit her full force and she welcomed it with gratitude. Her senses were overwhelmed. The earthy aroma of cut grass mingled with warm sunshine, pine trees, and a waft of the heady scent of a magnolia tree filled her nostrils while she absorbed the sounds of birds all around both near and far. She ingested all that nature offered. Kat lifted her face and arms toward the sun to embrace its vitality. The purest, basest part of her unfurled like a flower.

  “Oh....” she breathed.

  The three men observed her reaction. Only Boris smiled. Mikhail and Andrei simply watched and waited to take their cue from him.

  Boris allowed her several long moments before he cleared his throat. “Kat? Lunch is this way.”

  Kat returned to her present situation with great reluctance and equally great sadness. She followed Boris but allowed her eyes to drink in the cobalt sky and emerald square of grass. She noted the carefree, frolicking dance of a butterfly as it zigzagged up and over the stone wall. She wished more than anything to follow it. Her eyes tracked upward, and she noticed something – there was a very fine mesh installed above the courtyard. It extended about two stories high and surrounded the space thoroughly. The entire space was a cage.

  Andrei followed her gaze. “That’s just in case you get any ideas about shifting into a bird and taking off. You won’t get anywhere.”

  Kat ignored him. She had been thinking that very thing.

  “Here we are.” Boris walked over to a round wrought iron table large enough for six, but set for two, with fine china and crystal goblets. Ornate silver cloches covered two plates and a linen covered bread basket sat in the middle of the table. “Thank you. That will be all.” He nodded to Mikhail and Andrei, who nodded and retreated.

  Kat glanced at their retreating forms before returning her attention to Boris. “Why are we eating together?”

  Boris pulled her chair out and looked at her. Kat sat down and allowed him to push her chair in. He waited until they were both seated before he answered.

  “Why not? Unless you’d prefer to eat with them, as well. Although, I imagine you’re tired of seeing Mikhail’s face every day.” He fluffed out his napkin and deftly placed it in his lap.

  Kat did the same with her napkin. “I am tired of his face, yes. I’m also tired of being imprisoned here.”

  Boris clucked his tongue and c
lasped both cloches. He lifted them with a flourish and a smile. “Have we not treated you well? Are your needs not being taken care of to your satisfaction? Please. Let’s enjoy a splendid meal, shall we?”

  He placed the cloches on the table and looked at his plate with eagerness. “Ah! Baked salmon with capers. One of my favorites.” He picked up his utensils and nodded at Kat. “Please. Enjoy. The bread and the noodles are from scratch, you know.” He flaked off a large bite from his generous portion of fish. He moaned and winked at Kat. “The best.”

  Kat’s mouth watered, and she dug in. The salmon was delicious. She gave a nod and allowed a tiny smile to cross her mouth. “It is perfect.”

  Boris beamed. “Nothing but perfection here.” He glanced at her as he wrapped some noodles around his fork. “That is why you are here, Kat. You are perfect, and a perfect fit for our family.”

  Kat swallowed and kept her eyes on her plate. “Nobody is perfect.”

  Boris swallowed and gingerly wiped the corners of his mouth. He leaned toward Kat and lowered his voice. “You are wrong. You are absolute perfection, dear Kat. Don’t you see that? You are all that any of us strive to be. Your abilities are incredibly special and as rare as any gem this world could produce. We need you.”

  She looked at him then. His dark eyes were fierce and intense as he met her gaze. They reminded her of Christopher’s eyes and her stomach flipped. “What on earth do you need me for?”

  Boris put his fork down and reached for her hand. She forced herself not to pull away. “You, dear Kat, are all that we have tried to create and to become.” He looked down and paused. “I don’t know if you know of the ideal’nyy rebenok.”

  She slid her hand from his grasp and coolly slathered butter on a roll. “I know all about your family’s experiments with incest and that it all went down in flames.”

  Her companion’s face registered shock for a brief second before the easy smile returned. “Yes. It was an unfortunate chapter in our family’s history.” He shook his head and closed his eyes. When he opened them, he gave her an imploring look. “Personally, even though it happened before my time, I regret that it’s part of our family history.”