When the woman moved to open Kat’s shirt to check her torso, Kat stopped her and glared at Boris. “Hey! I don’t need an audience for this. You don’t get to see my...covered area.” Her cheeks pinked. For all she knew, he had already seen her while she was unconscious.
Boris chuckled and bowed. “As you wish, sweet Kat.” He made a show of turning around to face the door, then clasped his hands behind his back.
The woman finished and didn’t make eye contact with Kat again. When she was done, she gathered her things on the tray and hurried from the room.
“Kat, please take the pain pills. They are not too strong, but they will make you more comfortable.” He opened his hand and in his palm were two white pills.
“Take them yourself. I don’t want them.”
“Kat, please...”
“No!”
Boris’ lips tightened, and he closed his hand around the pills. “As you wish.” He opened his mouth for a moment, then snapped it shut. He turned and left, locking the door behind him.
Kat moved to the chair with a groan. She lifted the cloche from the plate and set it aside. Kat knew that rebellion through starvation was a fool’s game and she was no fool. She ate everything. Her greatest weapon and protection was her ability to shift and that required strength.
The next morning – Kat assumed it was morning based on the blueberry pancakes and sausage she was served – started out quickly. She had no sooner finished her breakfast than the door rattled and opened.
Boris walked in, followed by Andrei.
Kat noted with profound satisfaction the purple bruise on Andrei’s cheek as well as a cut on his chin and above his lip, and that’s only what she could see.
Kat’s lips curled into a smile. “Ready for round two, Andy?”
Andrei stared at her with the same impassive look he wore before their encounter.
Boris responded for him. “He is not going to lay a finger on you, sweet Kat. You are our guest.” He reached out to help her up, but she ignored his offer and stood on her own. The movement hurt, but she kept her face neutral. “We are escorting you somewhere special.”
Kat squared her shoulders. “Is it as special as the gym?”
Boris grimaced and shook his head. “No. Nothing like that, I assure you. Come with me.”
Kat glared at Andrei as she passed him and forced her body to walk as though she felt no pain, even though it was excruciating, especially in her ribs. Boris didn’t say anything more, nor did Kat inquire about where they were headed. She would find out soon enough.
They travelled on the elevator, down the hallway, and through a corridor. Kat noted the surroundings became more opulent.
Boris clutched an ornate golden doorknob and gave Kat a sober look before he gently rapped on it with his knuckles. He then opened it and poked his head inside. There was a brief murmured exchange before Boris opened the door wide and gestured for Kat to enter.
Kat took a deep breath, braced herself, and walked through.
A tall man who looked to be perhaps in his fifties, although his age wasn’t easy to determine, moved gracefully toward Kat with a broad smile and an outstretched hand. Everything in Kat crackled and she stiffened at his approach.
“Ah! This is the Katherine I have heard so much about. Please do come in. Come in!” The man’s Russian accent was unmistakable, even though his English was smooth. His black eyes held many secrets. “It is my greatest pleasure to make your acquaintance. I am Vladimir Barotkoff.”
Chapter Eleven
Kat froze. This is the man she had heard so much about. Right in front of her.
He stood before her, hand still outstretched.
Kat looked at the hand and thought it would be wise not to let her first action be an insult. With a sense of revulsion that she quelled, she shook his hand.
“Ah. It is nice to finally meet you in the flesh for myself.” He studied her face. “It is unfortunate what happened to you. I apologize for your treatment as our guest.”
Kat stood to her full height, which didn’t make a difference when you’re only chest height to those around you, and returned his gaze. “It was nothing.” The strength of her voice surprised her.
Vladimir blinked and narrowed his eyes. “You are surprising. It takes a lot to surprise me.” He turned abruptly and gestured to a leather chair that faced a massive oak desk. “Please have a seat. I would like to get to know you better.”
Kat glanced at Boris and Andrei, both of whom had their hands clasped in front of them and their heads bowed in respect. She sat stiffly on the edge of the chair. Vladimir nodded at his nephews. They both took a seat in similar leather chairs that flanked Kat. She noticed there was enough seating to accommodate at least eight in this space.
Vladimir sat behind the desk, rested his elbows on the desk, and folded his hands in front of his mouth. He studied Kat over his knuckles. Nobody spoke for a long moment.
Kat refused to break the stare or the silence and hoped she didn’t show any traces of the fear that gnawed at her gut.
“Are your accommodations comfortable, Katherine?”
“My name is Kat.”
One eyebrow lifted. “My apologies,” he murmured. “I will refer to you as Kat from now on. Are your accommodations comfortable, Kat? Is there anything that you need?”
“They’re fine. What I need is to leave.”
Vladimir chuckled. “I am afraid that is something I cannot grant you. You are far too important.” He narrowed his eyes. “Do you know why you are here, Kat?”
Kat took two breaths before she answered. “No.”
Both of Vladimir’s eyebrows rose. “No? A young woman as strong, smart, and talented as you. You don’t know why you are here. Try again.”
Kat shifted in her seat. “I am sure you’ll enlighten me.”
Vladimir smiled and rubbed his palms together. “You are here because you are special, Kat. You are like no other. You are unique and therefore priceless. You belong with us.”
Kat stared at him. Vladimir continued to study her. Kat felt like a pawn on a chess board with unknown rules.
Vladimir took a deep breath and said something in Russian. Boris and Andrei rose, bowed their heads at their uncle and left without a word or even a glance in her direction. The door closed softly behind them.
Kat swallowed.
Vladimir pressed a button on his desk. Seconds later, a beautiful young woman slipped into the room from a corner door Kat hadn’t noticed. It was a hidden panel door that blended in with the wall. Vladimir spoke to the young woman, again in Russian, and she nodded, bowed, then retreated.
“She will bring us tea. You like hot tea?” Vladimir asked.
“Who is she?” Kat blurted.
Vladimir looked at her with an amused expression. “She is my wife, Emma.”
“Does she speak English?”
“No. She is from a small village in the Ukraine.”
The woman returned in record time just then and set a silver tea service tray on a credenza along the wall adjacent to Vladimir’s desk. She busied herself pouring tea.
“How do you take your tea?” Vladimir asked.
Kat shrugged. “I don’t care.”
Vladimir turned to Emma and murmured in Russian. She nodded without looking up. When she turned around, she served Vladimir a cup of tea first, keeping her eyes on the floor, then she served Kat.
Kat looked at the woman, who was a truly stunning beauty, and accepted the saucer from her. “Thank you.”
The woman ignored Kat and retreated to the credenza. Vladimir spoke to her in Russian again. She bowed and hurried through the hidden door. It latched behind her with barely a sound.
Kat noticed there was a slice of lemon and two sugar cubes nestled on the saucer with her cup along with a dainty spoon.
“You may sweeten it as you see fit. There is milk on the tray, as well. Please don’t be shy.” He lifted the saucer to his lips and sipped from the fine bone china cu
p.
Kat dropped both sugar cubes into the tea and ignored the lemon. She stirred it and watched the cubes dissolve. “Look, I didn’t come here to have tea with you. What do you want from me?”
Vladimir placed the cup on the saucer, then made a show of placing the saucer on his desk. He leaned forward and stared at her. “I prefer the old-world rules of etiquette. It eases one into meaningful conversations and business. Do you disagree? I would have thought you were raised better than that. Do the Wolffs adopt the countenance and bearing of their namesake animals and have no manners?”
Kat put her saucer on his desk and crossed her arms. “What do you want from me?” she repeated.
Vladimir sighed. “As you wish.” He leaned back in his chair. “You belong with us as one of us.”
Kat couldn’t help herself. She scowled. “You must be joking. I’m female. Don’t you hate females?”
“Quite the contrary. I love females, for specific purposes. What man in his right mind could hate females?” He smiled at her, but it was more like a leer. He pointed at her. “You, Kat, are not a mere female. You are a shifter, and an extraordinary one at that. You are what we have always desired. You are an ideal’nyy rebenok like myself.” His tone was reverential.
“No. I’m not. I am a Wolff.”
Vladimir’s expression was venomous for a split second before the mask of civility returned, but the glimpse was enough to make Kat’s blood run cold. This was a very dangerous man, even if he did like tea and etiquette. Her instincts told her to tread carefully.
His voice was quiet and slow, as though speaking to a child. “Perhaps you were born a Wolff, but you are no longer a Wolff. You are one of us now. You are so young. There is so much you don’t know, but so much you were made for.”
Kat stared at him, dumbfounded. “I don’t understand.”
He smiled with the eyes of a madman. “You are one of us now, Kat. Accept it. You are never leaving us.” He splayed his hands on the desk. “I am Uncle Vlad to you now. You are so special, Kat. So special. You will not be like the other females in our household. No. You are a god, like us!” He stood up abruptly and walked over to a window. He stared out at the manicured lawn and woods beyond, his fingers twitching with excitement behind his back. Kat followed his line of sight and her legs itched to run fast and far from this place. But she remained rooted to the seat. She knew she wouldn’t get out of the room, much less outside.
He turned to her with gleaming eyes. “I will tell you a story so that you will see the truth and know who and what you are. I have glorious plans for you, Kat. You are sent to me by God Himself for such a time as this.” He paced in front of her. “We have tried for generations to create...you...and have been unsuccessful. Of course, I am perfect, but I cannot have children. So, God saw fit to create you and bring you to us.”
Kat didn’t bother reminding him she had been kidnapped.
Vladimir sat on the edge of the desk and crossed his arms. The maniacal gleam in his eyes intensified. “Long ago, when we realized we couldn’t force the creation of the ideal’nyy rebenok, we turned our attention to what we could do. We turned to science. When we arrived in America, genetic research was embryonic, at best. We found two gentlemen by the names of Watson and Crick. Do you know these names?”
Kat shook her head.
Vladimir rolled his eyes. “No matter. They are the men that discovered DNA. We funded their research. We hoped to unlock the secrets to what makes us who we are and what makes humans who they are. Medical science had not even created vaccines yet when those two discovered DNA, so we had to wait patiently. Oh, so patiently. We scoured the earth for the smartest scientists, the ones with big thoughts and even bigger questions. We gave them money and equipment to find the answers we wanted.” He leaned in conspiratorially. “Don’t you wonder what makes you so special and myself so perfect, too?” He gestured to himself as though he were royalty.
Kat fought the urge to gag.
He ignored her and continued. “It occurred to us that perhaps we could alter the humans for our purposes instead. They do outnumber us, you know. But, the sheep always outnumber the shepherd, do they not?”
Kat looked confused. “What are you talking about?”
Vladimir lifted his chin in pride and walked around the desk. He sat down and retrieved his tea cup and saucer. “Genetic modification, dear child. Perhaps you’ve heard of it? It’s been all the rage since the nineties, you know.” He watched Kat and smiled broadly. “I will spell it out for you, then you will see the majesty of our plan. The Barotkoff family has heavily invested in bio-agriculture and engineering as well as medical research for vaccines. I am proud to say that we pioneered these fields of science with our funding.” His chest puffed out. “We can’t publicly take the credit, of course, but I don’t care about that. We will reap our rewards when the time is right, and that time is now. The genetically modified foods have been in the human food chain for a complete generational cycle, and the vaccines have been around even longer. We have altered the human DNA enough that humans have shortened attention spans, are more compliant and question their world less than ever before. They rule with their emotions more than their heads. The harvest has come!”
Kat’s heart thumped in her chest. She didn’t like where this was going. “What sort of harvest are you talking about?”
Vladimir gave her an exasperated expression. “My dear Kat, they are ready to be ruled as the herds of sheep they are. And as the confirming sign from God that we are His chosen ones, here you are! As I said, I have plans for you and your progeny, Kat. The Barotkoffs, and your descendants, will rule as we are intended to rule, as the gods we were created to be.”
Kat’s jaw dropped. “What are you talking about? We aren’t gods. I don’t have progeny! What...?” she blurted.
Vladimir continued as though she hadn’t spoken. His eyes raked over her. “I would take you for myself, but alas, I cannot procreate. Our feeble experiments didn’t work. But you,” he pointed at her, “you will pair well with Boris. He has asked for you and it is a good match. Your abilities with his abilities...” He shook his head as though the possibility was too glorious to utter aloud. “The timing is perfect! Our brilliant plan is coming together. Our patient manipulations have seeped through the population and they are ripe for rule. And you!” He let out a bark of a laugh. The mask of civility dropped more. “Here you are! The final piece to our puzzle. It is coming together better than I could have thought!”
Kat stood up, but a hand pushed her back into the chair. She gasped and looked behind her. Mikhail, Boris, Andrei, and one other man had entered the room. During Vladimir’s ranting, Kat hadn’t heard the door open.
“Sit!” Mikhail barked.
Vladimir stood and smiled at the men. “Our time has finally come. I am grateful to have lived long enough to see it through. No matter what the current president does, it’s too late for America to become great again. Your last president made sure of it! They were taken off the world stage by Providence! They cannot stop us! The Bear of the East is rising again. We are poised for the ultimate revolution.” He licked his lips and his eyes grew wide. “Long live the Barotkoff Dynasty! Mother Russia will rise again!” He lifted his fist in the air.
The men cheered, and Kat stole a glance at them. They all looked as maniacal as Vladimir. Kat’s heart thumped painfully in her chest.
What had she gotten into?
KAT TOSSED AND TURNED, unable to sleep. Her restless mind would not let her body stop moving. Finally, she flung the covers off, ignored the pain of her injuries, and paced the floor. She needed a plan of escape and needed it now. The thought of being forced into a pairing with Boris made her skin crawl. There was no telling how much time she had before Vladimir made that a reality, but based on the way Boris practically salivated when he stared at her told her it wouldn’t be long.
She would not let that happen. If the worst happened, she would end her own life to prevent Vladimir�
��s plan from becoming a reality. She refused to be a part of it.
Kat pounded her fist into her hand. She had to think! She paced, her mind whirling and searching, until she heard the door rattle. With a gasp, Kat hurried to the bed, whipped the covers over her body, and curled onto her side facing the door.
Her heart sank when a tall, broad-shouldered male form filled the doorway, silhouetted by a soft light in the hallway beyond. Nobody had ever come to her at night before. Had her time already run out? Kat shrank into herself. The door closed softly behind her nocturnal visitor and he advanced toward the bed. Kat tensed, ready to do battle to save her own honor. The ice grew in her chest and she forced it to pause and wait.
The man stopped at the side of her bed and looked down. She stared back up at him through her lashes and held her breath. A scent wafted to her nostrils and she went cold to her core, but it had nothing to do with the ice.
It was Boris.
He quickly removed his clothing down to his boxers and slid under the covers next to her in a fluid movement. When he reached for her, she shimmered so bright that he shielded his eyes.
Not today! Kat thought and swiped at him with her large feline paw. She screeched and flung herself on top of his torso, enjoying the feel of the skin on his chest puncture as she dug her claws in.
Boris roared, punched her in the face, then grabbed her paws and flipped her onto her back.
His grip was so strong that Kat screeched again and reached up to bite him with her long teeth.
Boris outmaneuvered her and pinned her beneath his body. “Stop fighting me, Kat. We are meant to be!”
A thought occurred to Kat and she concentrated hard. She shimmered and tried to shift into fire, but only succeeded in shifting back to herself for a moment. She gasped and stared at Boris in horror.
“That’s more like it,” he growled and crushed his mouth over hers.
Revelations: The Shifter Series: Volume Three Page 18
