Black Werewolves: Books 1–4

by Gaja J. Kos

  Still, that didn’t mean she couldn’t fear them at the same time. Somewhat disappointed in herself, she took a deep breath.

  “It’s the toxin, yes?”

  The Koldun dipped his chin, tight, blond curls brushing against his sculptured cheeks. “But it will not harm him.”

  For a moment, the words seemed to be suspended in the air, existing, yet not wholly there. Almost as if she was afraid they would lose their truth if she accepted them.

  But when tears of relief began to prickle at the back of her eyes, she knew they would hold. That they were true.

  She forced herself to blink away her treacherous emotions. There was still too much she didn’t understand yet. She couldn’t relax before. Wouldn’t.

  Sander seemed to pick up on the sudden change in her mood. He pushed a strand of his hair away from his face, and the small forget-me-nots glided through the air as they fell gracefully to the ground. “You weren’t wrong. The boy has old magic within him, traces of Psoglav’s and Vlkolak’s combined power, twisted into something new. The toxin that was meant to destroy him spread through the surface of his flesh instead, slowly seeping into this system and changing his cells where the two touched.

  “Even I can only offer you my speculations about why the events developed as they did. But my guess is, much like with all magic, that the amounts weren’t high enough. It couldn’t rip his system apart; so instead of the toxin forcing the shift on the child—like you said happened to others of his kin—the process grew organically within him. Or, at least, as organically as something driven by an ancient power could be. Shifting form is one of the abilities your cub possesses now.”

  “What about his soul?” Evelin asked in a small voice.

  A smirk pulled his lips to the side, a slight chill seeping into the spring atmosphere. “That’s a question suited far better for the fuckboy god your peculiar pack mate entertains.”

  “Rose is not—” she began, then bit her lip before she could finish. If Serafina hadn’t said anything, Sander was still in the dark about Rose’s single status. And, remembering the stalking incident Rose had mentioned, Evelin decided it was wiser to keep him that way. She exhaled, not even faking the slight annoyance. “I’m asking you.”

  The Koldun arched an eyebrow. “You’re trusting me over the great philanderer of the underworld?”

  She blinked. She was trusting the warlock in this matter. Not over Veles, since the god was nowhere near the pack, and that hardly made the comparison possible. But she was trusting Sander in this.

  She huffed. “I guess I am.”

  “Smart wolf,” the Koldun remarked, but there was a lightness to his words, echoing in the currents of the wind, once again fragrant and warm. “Forgive me for enjoying the moment, but it isn’t often that I hear those words.”

  “Don’t make me regret my decision now.” She snickered, surprising even herself.

  Sander ruffled his curls with one hand, an easy smile showing off his white teeth. “All right.” He leaned forward, and his eyes fell on Rafael’s sleeping form. “His soul is fine. The…magic…of the toxin is steady, and, like I said before, it’s embedded in his body, a part of him. This is who your child is now. Nothing foreign. Only him. So, yes, his soul is intact and will remain as such. However, I can’t say there won’t be outside dangers to his health.”

  She gripped Rafael tighter, her emerald gaze widening with a question she somehow already knew the answer to.

  The pain in the Koldun’s eyes made his words harsher. “Should they learn of him, the Keepers will try to take your child.”

  Rose stood in the alley that ran behind Pri Sojenicah, dragging on her second cigarette in a row. The pack—save for Evelin, who said she would join them later—was meeting in the private room in the back of the bar. Glad to see Rose back, Frank was more than willing to set up the space for them. Besides, they needed someplace safe to talk. Someplace where there wouldn’t be disturbances to throw them off course or pull them into a fight.

  She was eager to start the meeting, but she still needed to catch some fresh air first.

  She had spent the night in the small hotel room with Veles and Serafina, going over the basics. It had taken them until early morning to discuss all the possible future actions and the much-needed precautions they had to adhere to. It was only when the trio had reached an agreement that they dozed off for a mere couple of hours, her sleep deep but restless. Come first light, they grabbed a quick breakfast, some bagels and a few cups of coffee from the shop down the street, before the god had transported them to her apartment.

  She used the time before the meeting to strap on the blades she hadn’t been able to bring with her to New York, noticing Veles’ lingering gaze on more than one occasion as she went through the motions. It drifted from her to the sword of Mokoš resting on the top of the case of drawers set against the wall, then back to her.

  The silent admiration she had seen pooling in the green of his eyes made her want to say something, but she found herself lacking the words.

  They were merely cooperating. Nothing more than that.

  Before the truth of it could roar inside her, she submerged herself fully in the task, sheathing her weapons in silence even as his gaze burned into her skin.

  She flicked the ashes from her cigarette to the ground and took another drag. Some things were too conflicting to think about without tearing herself apart. The others, however, were crystal clear.

  It was good that she had his support.

  With Vedmaks in the city and vampires thirsty for her blood, dealing with a few uncomfortable moments between her and the god was the least of her problems. Particularly since their cooperation just might be the solution to gaining the upper hand.

  Her senses picked up more voices coming from the inside than there had been fifteen minutes ago when she had stalked out into the alley. The tone was, despite some barely noticeable restrain, one of almost childish excitement.

  She smiled.

  The twins had seen Veles.

  The cool, teasing sound of the god’s voice mixed into the air, followed by bouts of wolfish laughter. Without anticipating it, the easy blend gave her strength.

  This was what the pack needed. This was what made them withstand the pressure, no matter how difficult it seemed.

  Shoulders straight, she crushed the cigarette beneath her canvas ankle boot and stalked inside.

  The flurry of voices hit her as she opened the door, the opulent familiarity of the atmosphere dissipating the last remains of tension that had lingered in the pit of her stomach. She saw the Double J team standing around Veles, the smile on the god’s lips finally wide and sincere, echoing the glimmer in the twins’ eyes; Serafina was sitting on the bench with Katja by her side, chatting away with Mark and Tim; and dashing towards her, was Zarja.

  The werewolves embraced, the golden freckles in Zarja’s hazel eyes a shade brighter as she pulled back and took in Rose’s face. “So fucking glad to have you back home,” she growled, wrapping her in one more quick hug that Rose returned instantly.

  “I still might gut that one,” the brown-haired were continued, nudging her head in Veles’ general direction when they finally parted, “but it’s good to see you, Rose.”

  Rose chuckled. “Maybe postpone gutting him until after he helps us deal with everything?”

  Zarja snorted, but her lips stretched into a coy smile. “I’ll try.”

  “Good enough for me,” Rose replied, small snickers mixing in with her words. She wrapped one arm around the werewolf’s back, and led her to the table.

  Noticing them move, Veles and the twins headed for their seats, and by some bartender intuition or plain werewolf hearing, Frank busted into the room, balancing a platter full of coffees, two beers, and a glass of blood on the palm of his hand. Rose eagerly snatched her dose of caffeine the instant the werewolf placed it on the table, losing herself in the aroma for a few moments. Only low-key Italian pubs could best Frank�
�s brew. And even that was a tight call.

  “Howl if you need anything,” the brown were said as he made his exit, and every single person in the room knew he wasn’t just talking about the drinks.

  When the door closed behind him, the volume within the space lowered as well. Rose sipped on her coffee, observing the gathered crowd to see who wanted to go first. It had been a while since their numbers were this great—even with Evelin and Sebastian absent—and the dynamics of such meetings were always slightly different. Especially when they had spent the past couple of weeks as scattered as they had been, and nobody had truly called the meeting. It was one of those things that happened almost spontaneously, carried on winds of long tradition.

  After spending a few minutes in silence without anybody taking point, she realized they were waiting for her. She cleared her throat, quickly arranging the information by value and urgency in pack terms. Just in case they got carried away.

  “My energy is clean, and vamps tried attacking me abroad, so I guess there’s no point in shipping me off again any time soon.”

  “And I’ve been patiently killing all those vamps Rose or you hadn’t gotten to first…” Veles chipped in, his voice smooth like he hadn’t just confessed to a whole number of murders.

  “So it was you…” Tim whispered from across the table, followed by an interested nod from Katja.

  The vampire lowered her glass. “The bodies were similar to what we’ve seen with Damir.” Her eyes flickered towards Rose in a silent apology before she turned her focus back to the god. “But not all of them…”

  “I had to get…physical…with a few, yes.” Veles shrugged, an air of immortal power surrounding the easiness of his words. “I only had a few months to practice a skill that takes centuries to learn.”

  The whole room fell silent before laughter erupted from the twins. The god’s eyes met Rose’s and he smiled. The same alluring, dashing smile, half-twisted and all Veles. She couldn’t do a damn thing but smile back. Not only the pack—she had needed this as well.

  “We decided to track the Vedmak together,” Rose said after a fashion, and the tension in the room grew again. Even without the bond active, she didn’t have any difficulty reading that this was news to the pack. She glanced over to Zarja, giving the werewolf room to explain.

  “The Upir I was tracking met with the fucker. I’ll share everything with you later—not sure if I’m exactly focused enough to hand over the memory without skewing it in the process.” She paused, taking a breath. “As far as I could tell, he’s here alone. But I couldn’t trail him properly since my primary target was the two-souled asshole.”

  Katja snarled from the side, and Rose caught her gaze.

  “And there’s plenty more where she came from,” Rose added, fighting to keep her own growl contained. “With the help of my mom and Serafina, I’ve put together a whole bloody file on the Upirs.”

  The vampire’s gaze darkened, promises of blood and death swirling in its depths. Rose reached over to grab her hand.

  “I think it should be yours.”

  “What?” Katja breathed.

  “You should take point on the Upir situation,” Rose replied calmly and leaned back in her chair, her words accompanied by low growls of agreement that erupted around the table. “We work together like we have before, only this time, the pack is yours. You call the shots, you hand out the tasks. We all trust you, Katja. There isn’t a single one of us more qualified for the part. Besides, you deserve to be the one that goes after them. The one that will bring them down.”

  “Do you really think it’s wise? Given everything…”

  Despite the gratitude flashing across her face, Katja was reserved. Rose knew what the vampire was aiming at.

  She shook her head. “It’s better if it’s just Veles and me dealing with the Vedmak. If the bastard is alone, then the two of us will suffice. If he’s not… Best to keep all of you away from me, to keep you hidden, so that when the time comes to strike, they won’t see you coming.”

  Katja, as well as a few members of the pack, protested, but Rose stopped them. “We’ll have Serafina’s aid as well.”

  The Koldunya chirped her agreement, but there was a deeper understanding in her eyes. She knew well why Rose was pushing the pack away, and was wise enough to remain silent.

  Rose’s chest constricted. She understood just how difficult this was for the witch.

  The tense discussion she had shared with Serafina and Veles in the hotel room was still echoing in her mind. It was why it had taken them so damn long to come to an agreement. She recalled each argument the two had made, valid arguments that might have persuaded her if the circumstances had been any different.

  But in the end, the pair had realized her resolution was firm. The only thing they could do was support her in it or steer clear of her path. To her relief, they had chosen the former.

  The plan was as good as she could make it.

  With Serafina working from the sidelines until she learned how to control the lethal side of her magic, she’d be relatively safe. And Veles… He was Veles. The lord of the underworld. The most powerful god in existence. The wielders of dark energy would never succeed in bringing him any harm.

  “I think the key part is stealth,” she went on, the half-truths spilling from her lips as if no ulterior motives were lurking behind them. “Serafina will determine whether the Vedmaks can sense me. It’s imperative to have that cleared up before we take any further action.”

  “I had known who Rose was,” the Koldunya chipped in, brushing a red strand away from her face, “but not until we were practically face to face. Even the rest of my coven, when you came to visit, knew that there was something magical about her. It was why Sander acted the way he did. It drove him crazy, the familiarity, yet not being able to truly understand the energy that flows within Rose.

  “And honestly, I believe I wouldn’t have figured it out either, if it weren’t for the essence of Mokoš connecting us. So I think it’s fair to assume the Vedmaks need to get close to Rose in order to recognize her. But I will look further into the matter. I’m not too keen on relying on assumptions.”

  Rose nodded at the Koldunya, then turned her attention back to Katja and the pack. “This is why it’s important for as many of you to work on the Upirs and vamps. They can sense me. Shit, they managed to track me down in fucking France. And it’s them that possess the ability to point the Vedmaks in my direction.”

  The room remained silent, discomfort weaving through the air. It was unnatural for a pack to divide during times of crisis. But what she had said was the best option they had, regardless of her own personal motives. She stood up, fishing her cigarettes out of her blazer pocket.

  “I’m going out for a smoke, so you’ll have some time to think this through.”

  Without giving them a chance to protest, she stalked out of the room and into the back alley once more. She barely managed to take a breath of Ljubljana’s spring air before the door behind her opened, and she found herself staring at a pair of captivating, ethereal olive eyes. They dropped down to her cigarette then back up in a silent request.

  She offered the god one and lit it with the Zippo she kept turning between her fingers.

  Veles inhaled deeply, propping his back against the wall before he released the smoke with a small sigh. She leaned on her shoulder next to him, never turning her gaze away from his chiseled features. She drank them in like a drug, savoring each fine line even if it was torture. Discordant emotions clashed violently inside her, but she shoved them away. Neither the time nor the place.

  “You do know the pack will come after Serafina and me if anything happens to you…” the god said in a leveled tone, his head slightly cocked to the side. “And they will resent you for the choice you’ve made.”

  She dragged on her cigarette, and a cloud of smoke manifested as she exhaled. “Yeah. But they won’t harm either of you. And since they’ll be unable to find the Vedmaks on th
eir own, they’ll be alive. And that’s all that matters, Veles.”

  Chapter 25

  Katja sat on her couch, one leg bent beneath her, the foot of the other resting on the cushion to provide support for her cheek. She had gone over the notes Rose had given her three times already, and was now staring blankly at the sheets spread across the low coffee table.

  This was the kind of insight that got people killed.

  She didn’t want to consider the consequences if word got out to the higher circles that a third party possessed their precious information, but she was glad it was in her possession, nonetheless.

  The bastards had been sitting on this all along and had done nothing.

  Though Rose had told her it had been her mother’s connections that had filled in the blanks, Katja didn’t doubt for a second that the true image would have revealed itself sooner if the higher-ups weren’t so keen on dividing knowledge. It wasn’t like they were some secret bank with access keys divided among them to up the safety. What they had was valuable, but not something a thief might set out to steal.

  With the majority of the supernatural kept hidden from plain sight, this kind of insight should have been shared among them. How were they supposed to keep other beings in line when they didn’t even know of their existence?

  Jürgen had told her how the various packs cooperated. The werewolves were like a sub-division of a police force, sniffing out information they then passed between one another when its importance became evident. Granted, the Black pack was sitting on top of the command chain, but that was purely because their superior strength allowed them to intervene in those situations the regulars would have had a hard time controlling. But they all contributed.

  The higher circles, however, seemed to be inclined to share only the knowledge pertinent to its recipients. Though Katja didn’t doubt that there must be someone who knew it all. And that someone had decided to cross their arms, feigning ignorance while the world went to shit.