Black Werewolves: Books 1–4

by Gaja J. Kos

  She growled into the empty space, the feeling of being helpless threatening to overwhelm her. A headache began to pound in her temples, reminding her she had become too agitated for her own good. She stalked into the kitchen, poured herself a glass of lukewarm water and drank it in one gulp. The throbbing in her head continued, persistently getting stronger with every passing minute. She knew there was nothing left for her to do but to take a painkiller and tuck herself into bed; with any luck, she would be okay come morning.

  By the time she returned to the living room, reaching for the medicine cabinet resting on the opposite wall, the tension threatened to crush her head from both sides. She made a mental note to call her acupuncturist as soon as the shitstorm of past events calmed down. If she managed to survive that long, of course.

  Rose gulped down the pill, turning to drag herself into the bedroom, when she realized almost a third of the door had been cut off from her sight. Swirls of liquefied diamonds followed her gaze around the apartment. She managed to mutter a long streak of curses under her breath, finding her way towards the bedroom with her left hand outstretched to keep her from bumping into anything her impaired eyesight had hidden from her.

  She threw herself on the bed, the shimmering diamonds spilling across her vision, violently affecting her balance. Her stomach clenched uncomfortably, but she fought the sensation. Shutting her eyes to get away from the diamond streaks, she tried to breathe steadily through the agonizing pain that continued to crush her temples in a pulsing rhythm.

  Chapter 18

  “If it's you, at least I know I'm not dead yet.” Rose’s voice was a hoarse whisper, accompanied by a weak, but sincere attempt at laughter.

  She felt the warmth of his large hands as he clasped her own into a tight grip, squeezing them as a way of hello. She didn't need to see to know exactly who sat beside her, but decided to try and pry her eyes open anyway. Sunshine poured into the room despite the drawn curtains, reflecting in the golden strands of Sebastian's hair.

  “How are you so goddamn huge?” she muttered. She smiled at the Kresnik who seemed to loom over her, his tall figure even more prominent than usual from her bedridden point of view.

  Sebastian flashed her a smile, hugging her where she lay. She gratefully accepted the affection, burying her head in his shoulder, glad to have woken up with a friend by her side.

  “Don't tell me I got you worried?” She grinned as he eased out of the embrace, placing her carefully back down on the pillow.

  “Pain causing you to pass out sort of does tick the worry box.” The sparse flicker of humor in his voice indicated the situation was far more serious than she had thought.

  She sat up, her back propped against the pillow. “It was a migraine. It happens.”

  Sebastian's eyes shifted from the usual warm shade of green to a teal color as he fixed his gaze on her; suddenly, he looked more immortal than she had ever seen him. “This shouldn't.”

  She pulled her legs up, hugging them just below the knees. Sebastian continued to stare at her, concern drawing lines around his mouth.

  “I've had migraines before,” Rose said to fill the silence. “Never with an aura, that's true, but things can change. Why–”

  “Things certainly have changed.” Sebastian stood abruptly, stalking over to the window with his back turned towards her.

  He slid the curtains to the sides, causing gold light to vigorously spill across the bedroom, making her aware she must have slept at least until noon. She winced into the light but was nonetheless pleased to notice the sunshine was the only thing blinding her. Relieved by the absence of liquefied diamonds, she shifted her focus back to Sebastian, who leaned against the windowsill, his fingers digging into the wooden surface.

  “What has changed, Sebastian?” She slid across the bed, throwing her bare feet down on the other side.

  He turned around, unsuccessfully trying to camouflage the strain on his face. He sat down next to her, wrapping his arm around her shoulders.

  Letting out a sigh, the Kresnik kissed Rose's temple and pulled her into a tight hug. “I couldn't see you.”

  Despite being kept on the outer rim when it came to the world of immortals, she knew the meaning of those words. As Rose's protector, Sebastian had a permanent connection with her; it was a link that had been established as soon as she moved in Ileana's womb, and one that would be severed only by her death. If he hadn't been able to see her, it meant she hadn't been a part of the living world at that moment.

  Rose was at a loss for words; she had fallen asleep while fighting the pain and nausea, but despite her effort to remember if something had been different, it nonetheless felt only like the deep sleep that wraps your body after extreme exhaustion, nothing more.

  Sebastian stood, offering her his hand. “You need to eat. Come.”

  Realizing that she was, in fact, famished, she took his hand and curled her arm around his. He accompanied her into the dining room, taking her weight as she wobbled alongside him. She was more than glad for his support; her whole body felt weak, the strain of the night draining all of her energy. She sat down while he went into the kitchen, the clank of dishes letting her know breakfast was on its way.

  He drank coffee as she ate in the comfortable kind of silence that gave her the time to recover. The food tasted good, and she could feel the color returning to her cheeks with every bite. By the time she cradled her own cup of coffee in her hands, she felt fit enough to carry on a conversation.

  Sebastian must have noticed her improved state and didn’t waste any time. “Okay, so it's clear you're still alive...” His voice held a teasing undertone, and Rose was pleased to see the Kresnik had lightened up a bit; it didn't change the hard facts, but somehow it made thinking about them easier.

  “For the record, I never did feel dead.” She shot him a beaming smile, her own spirits heightened. “I don't remember anything besides falling asleep. But I'll ask Veles if he saw me lurking around in the underworld last night.”

  “You two have gotten quite close, haven't you?” He eyed the two puncture marks still decorating the side of her neck.

  Rose was surprised to sense a hint of disapproval in his tone. “What? Matchmaker not pleased with the match he's made?”

  He knit his eyebrows together, looking more than just slightly puzzled. “What?”

  “You did allow him to abduct me, didn't you? In New York?” She shot him a smug smile, reveling in the small payback she had waited for since Veles told her about the Kresnik's involvement, or rather the lack of prevention in her kidnapping.

  “I knew you'd bitch about that eventually.”

  They stared at each other for a few long seconds, the sound of their breaths echoing in the silence, before simultaneously erupting in a cascade of uncontrollable laughter.

  “Don't worry, immortal one.” She fought to keep her voice straight. “You're safe for now. I promised Veles he could watch when I got around to clawing you.”

  “You're such a jerk.” Sebastian laughed in his deep voice that seemed to vibrate throughout her apartment. “As long as getting laid will keep your spirits up enough to solve whatever the fuck you're dealing with and come out of it alive, I don't mind.”

  She threw a crumpled receipt that had been lying on the table near her at his grinning face. The Kresnik didn't even flinch as the piece of paper bounced from his forehead to the ground; he merely remained staring at her, his lips drawn in an amused smile that seemed plastered on his face.

  Likely deciding he had annoyed her for long enough, he returned to the more pressing matter, but he didn't drop his smile completely. “I'll talk to Veles about what happened last night. I swear I'm not trying to keep you from your lovergod, but you already have too much on your plate right now.”

  “Want my lovergod's attention all to yourself?” Rose jested, but nodded in answer at the same time, acknowledging that Sebastian was right. She needed to speak with Evelin, and that was an energy-consuming task all on i
ts own. Not to mention she hadn't spoken to Zarja since they had returned from the Czech Republic, her resolution to keep an eye on the were glamorously washed down the drain.

  “I'll visit you as soon as I find out anything,” he added, taking a final sip of his coffee. “Just promise me you'll rest for a little while longer before you head out.”

  “Promise.” She smiled at him, knowing they had a very different understanding of what a little while meant; she had no intention of losing more time than necessary, but to her credit, she wasn't foolish enough to do anything before replenishing her strength. Luckily, in werewolf terms, that wouldn't take very long.

  Sebastian walked over and hugged her, messing up her hair with one hand in the process. “Take care.”

  She growled, but returned the embrace, kissing him on the cheek in farewell.

  Rose found herself standing before a closed door. She stretched her hearing, but no sounds brushed against her senses; Zarja clearly wasn't home. It wasn't a cause for concern all by itself, the werewolf could have gone out running or on an errand, but somehow, knowing how the were operated, Rose doubted it. She exited the building, following the narrow streets that ran alongside the Ljubljanica river to a human bar Zarja liked to frequent when her life took a slightly darker turn. And thinking about the events of the past week, they undoubtedly qualified as dark. It was still very early in the afternoon, but Rose had been right.

  The werewolf was sitting at a corner table, a small collection of empty beer bottles in front of her, giving away that she had drunk them faster than the waiter could clear them. Rose growled under her breath, part concern and part frustration. At least Zarja's ex wasn't working this shift. Rose never did understand why the were continued to frequent this dump of a bar when there was nearly a 50 percent chance of running into Ana.

  The human had tried hard to get Zarja back while the latter was dating Rose; Rose had pointed that aggravating fact out on several occasions, but Zarja merely waved her hand, telling her that why should it matter, if she didn't have any intention of giving Ana the chance to act on her impulses. Rose had decided to drop the subject a long time ago, but her claws still ached to get a hold of Ana's neck.

  “Mind if I sit?” Rose's voice was curt as she approached the successfully drunken were.

  Zarja shrugged, raising an almost empty bottle to her lips. Rose was reluctant to sit down, but she didn't have much choice; this wasn't how she envisioned spending her afternoon, but she couldn't exactly leave Zarja by herself in the state she was in.

  “How long have you been here?”

  Another shrug.

  Rose sighed quietly enough to hide it from the were; it was clear she was already quite far down the drunk-and-gloomy road where the stubbornness tended to overpower any kind of rational thinking. It was highly unlikely she could pull Zarja out of the black hole she had so willingly stepped into.

  “How about I take you home?”

  Despite knowing what she had learned from the two years they had spent together, Rose had to try. If she managed to lure her away from the booze, there was a small chance Zarja wouldn't end up doing something she’d regret the next morning.

  “I'll go crazy.” The words were barely audible, without any hint of anger, only despair.

  Rose slid closer to her, daring to touch Zarja's shoulder. The smell of alcohol burned in her nostrils; she put up a firmer shield, reverting her focus on helping the were who sat slumped in her chair.

  “What do you mean?” She traced her fingers gently across Zarja's back, careful to keep the caress as low-key as possible.

  “I can't be inside that place any longer.” She fumbled the now empty bottle in her hands. “I can't stop thinking about Libor. And that's all I can do. Nobody fucking knows anything, Rose.”

  Zarja broke down, tears violently flowing down her cheeks. Rose pulled her into an embrace, feeling Zarja's whole body shake with uncontrollable sobs as the were tried hard to get enough air in her lungs. Rose fought back her own tears, knowing it wouldn't do either of them any good if she let her sympathy pull her into an emotional release of her own.

  Werewolves faced loss more often than humans, but that didn't make it any easier for them to cope when something tragic happened. Grief was grief, no matter how many times you went through it. She kissed Zarja on the top of her head, slowly easing out of the embrace.

  “I might be able to get some answers for you.” Rose's words were slow, steady; she had to make sure they would actually reach the rational part of the werewolf, the one that had been buried underneath the several bottles of beer she had downed.

  Zarja looked up at her, her eyes bloodshot from crying, but nonetheless filled with understanding. And that was all Rose needed.

  “You just have to promise me you won't do anything stupid in the meantime, yeah?” She managed a soft smile, just enough to take the harsh edge off her words. “I don't care if you don't go home, but at least let me call Jens and Jürgen to keep you company.”

  The Double J team would never decline a drinking offer, and despite their easygoing nature, they somehow always managed to keep their grip on things. Rose couldn't have asked for anyone better to keep an eye on Zarja, and to keep her occupied just enough for her to get away from her thoughts without letting her slip farther down the hole.

  Zarja nodded and wiped away the tears. She mouthed a silent thank you, squeezing Rose's hand, a soft gesture, letting her know she was stable enough to wait by herself for the twins to get there.

  Rose lit a cigarette as soon as she finished the call with Jürgen. The twins were already on their way, and she desperately needed a few moments for herself. She leaned against the cold plaster of the building that stretched alongside the riverbank, taking in the view of the willow trees that kept the street shaded. Sebastian had been right—she had too much on her plate, and she couldn't afford to exhaust herself.

  Dragging on her cigarette, she considered her options. As much as she hated to see Zarja so distressed, enquiring about Libor could wait. There weren't any guarantees she would even find any new bits of information. Mentally noting she would deal with it in the evening, she put out her cigarette and headed down the street towards Evelin's place.

  Her meeting with a severely distraught Zarja, who was usually the toughest werewolf of the pack, had put her in the non-negotiable kind of mood, the kind she wasn't particularly fond of, especially not in the given situation. She needed to calm her nerves before speaking to Evelin if she wished to achieve anything at all. Lighting up another cigarette, she cruised the too-crowded streets, keeping to the shadows whenever possible. Time passed faster than she would have liked, and she found herself standing on the sunlit doorstep without figuring out how to tackle the issue beforehand. She took a few deep breaths, clearing her mind as best as she could before pressing her finger against the doorbell.

  “Hello, Nikolai,” she said to the figure who seemed to fill the doorframe. “I need to speak with Evelin.”

  He greeted her with all the cordiality that seemed appropriate for someone of his stature, stepping aside to invite her in. His warm brown eyes matched the sincere smile that made him appear much younger than he actually was. “She's upstairs, guest bedroom.”

  Rose didn't need any further instructions. She thanked the werewolf and headed up the stairs. The door wasn't completely closed; she knocked, peering inside through the crack. Evelin was sitting in an armchair by the sickbed, her features soft as she played with the recovering cub. Her expression didn’t change when she saw Rose, inviting her in with a smile on her face.

  All the anger that had been piling up inside Rose suddenly disappeared; she had never seen Evelin so happy. She hadn't even imagined this kind of joy was part of the werewolf's capacities. Still, Rose knew what the purpose of her visit was, but seeing Evelin with the cub brought her the patience to carry on a conversation, one without the need for threats.

  “Rose, come.” Evelin's voice mirrored the beaming joy on
her face. “He's doing so well!”

  She walked over to the sickbed to find the cub in an adorably playful mood. She had crossed paths with White werewolves before, but they were always well into their adult lives. Seeing a cub, the combination of human and animal playfulness of someone so young, so innocent, she couldn't help but to smile. He was wagging his tail, gently growling and biting at Evelin's hand as she skillfully reached underneath him to tickle his belly.

  “He really has improved,” Rose observed and laughed as the cub stumbled over the palm of Evelin's outstretched hand and rolled around on his back like he intended for it to happen.

  Evelin scratched him behind his ears, nodding. “He's strong, aren't you, Rafael?”

  With one final pat on the head, she turned her attention to Rose. “I'm guessing this isn't just a social visit?”

  She motioned Rose to the other room when she shook her head, but Rose didn't follow.

  “Evelin, I don't want to waste your time, so I'd much rather get straight to the point.”

  Evelin turned around, leaning with her back against the doorframe. A concerned seriousness replaced the joy that had occupied her features moments before, almost making Rose feel guilty for bringing the subject up. “What's wrong?”

  “Nothing. But I do have a request.” Rose sighed, shifting the weight on her feet as she second-guessed whether the direct approach was indeed a wise choice. “I know you didn't want Nathaniel to examine the little one, and I understand. But would you allow me to do it?”