by Gaja J. Kos
Rose nodded, understanding the implication. Even with Morana by her side, their chances of saving themselves from the Vedmaks were slim. Especially since Rose had no doubts the warlocks were waiting for her to arrive in whatever Chernobog-damned hole they dwelled.
Quite possibly with the armor that had taken her father’s life in hand, eager and waiting to lock her in it.
“How can I prevent him from conjuring the dark mist once he wakes up?”
Morana stood and took Veles’ place by her side. He stepped back, observing the goddess in absolute silence.
Beautiful, white energy curled from the tips of her fingers, like a million snowflakes swirling through the air.
There was something in those icy blue eyes that Rose understood. A gentle request for her to do something, no matter how much her instincts wanted to protest.
Accepting, Rose slowly reeled in the golden light, her gaze never leaving Morana’s.
“You can’t,” was all the goddess said before the icy white tendrils dove into the Vedmak’s flesh, doing what death always did.
Chapter 32
“Sebastian!” Zarja called, catching up with the Kresnik as he made his way across the parking lot next to Pri Sojenicah.
Tension was plastered like a neon sign across his back, but at least he stopped. For a moment, Zarja wasn’t certain he would.
The immortal had been in a sour mood throughout the meeting, more concerned with Rose’s absence than the words that were being exchanged quietly enough not to be carried further than the doorstep of the back room.
Not that she was faring any better herself. She could barely catch a few minutes of sleep after Katja had called her late last night. Lili’s absence in her bed had made it all even worse. Left alone, Zarja’s whole body had itched to go out for a run, but she didn’t trust herself enough to be certain she wouldn’t end up at Barle’s residence, her teeth finding the filthy pulse in the vamp’s neck.
Katja’s instructions had been clear—no further action until after the meeting.
The call had been a courtesy and a warning, as well as an opportunity for Zarja to get a hold on her temper. She snorted inwardly. For someone who’d been in her life for less than a year, the vamp did know her frighteningly well.
The meeting would have been an uncontrollable feast of snarls and curses if she hadn’t had time to vent beforehand. Besides, having the night to cool down had cleared her head enough for her to re-evaluate her options. Rushing into things wouldn’t suffice. Nor would doing it singlehandedly.
“I need you to do something for me,” she began, stalking up to the Kresnik until they stood face to face.
Without giving the displeasure she saw on his face time to transform into words, she pulled a folded napkin from her pocket and handed it to Sebastian. She couldn’t be the one to initiate contact. Her number might be traced back to her by someone who knew what they were doing, and she wasn’t willing to take any chances. Not when all of them had been fooled so easily before.
“Find the woman that lives at this address. Only her. And tell her to meet me at the bar written on the bottom edge in forty minutes. I’ll be waiting for her until four, in case she can’t slip away from home straight away.”
Sander lounged with his back propped against a tree just outside the sacred circle, savoring the untamed nature that surrounded him and sung to the very essence of who he was. He drank in the pleasant silence.
Serafina had returned to recharge her strength last night, and the Kolduny had switched their endless nagging from him to her. That suited Sander just fine.
Still, he was tired of hearing their voices even when they weren’t directed at him, exactly. They were a constant noise, set into the background but just loud enough that tuning them out was impossible. At times, he couldn’t even hear his own thoughts over the chatter. Besides, though the circle was fairly large and offered a small amount of privacy if you knew where to look, someone eventually found you and wanted to drag you into whatever piece-of-shit story their mind came up with. He decided long ago that constantly running from them ate up more of his nerves than simply being in one spot and enduring the forced company.
Out here, however, he could find solitude whenever he wished. For hours at a time.
He never understood the Kolduny’s aversion for what lay beyond the invisible border of their land. With all the magic in their veins and the ability to obscure it from prying eyes, he couldn’t look upon them as anything but cowards. Sheep, keeping to the same fucking field even when the grass on the other side looked bloody inviting.
He had been aware of Serafina’s desires to venture outside for decades now, but the Koldunya allowed herself to be convinced into staying time and time again.
You don’t have any business outside.
You will reveal our existence.
You shouldn’t go out alone.
If people find out who you truly are…
Nobody had babied him like that. They wouldn’t have dared to even try.
Even though he harbored no great love for the witch and her god-fucking friend, he was still glad to see Serafina stick it up everyone’s asses and doing what felt right for her. She had finally shown some backbone, and the few questions she had asked him when the assholes weren’t swarming her like bloody moths had peaked his interest.
Even magic that was predominantly good could have less than pleasant effects if used in the right way.
Serafina hadn’t told him what had transpired on her trip, but whatever it was, leaving the circle had been a wake-up call for the Koldunya. And from the silent strength and determination he sensed coming from her, the change was a welcome one.
Sander looked up past the green branches and into the blue sky.
When he examined the boy, memories of something he had fought hard to repress surged to the surface with a vengeance. He remembered what it was like to fight for something. For someone. Even if his battle had burned down to ashes nearly half a century ago.
He had returned to the Circle then, admitting defeat, but now… He needed some time away from those yapping mouths.
Besides, he had good reason to be out in the woods. And though the footsteps were nearly inaudible, he felt the reason for his trip beyond the border approaching.
“Hello, wolf,” he rumbled, gazing at the bushes from where a delicately curved form appeared, clad in jeans and a tight tank top.
Instinctively, his eyes drifted up and down the werewolf’s feminine frame, noticing the corded muscles that flexed with inhuman grace as she moved. Her hair was twisted into a dark bun on the top of her head, a few loose strands brushing against the nape of her neck as she walked.
Almost transfixed, he observed the were as she sat down by the tree opposite him, crossed her legs beneath her body and leaned against the bark.
The words slipped from his lips before he could even think about what he was saying. “How is the cub?”
The werewolf fixed him with her magnetic emerald eyes, filled with a sadness that Sander wanted nothing more but to banish from that gaze.
“I have taken him somewhere safe. For now, at least,” she replied, but the tension in her voice made it clear it wasn’t a subject she wished to continue discussing.
He nodded, acknowledging the spoken and unspoken alike. “What did you wish to see me about?”
Leaning slightly forward, the werewolf placed her palms on the grass and took a deep breath. “I need another favor.”
“Is that so?” he said, allowing a hint of humor to seep into his words. He tilted his head to the side, waiting for any kind of reaction—a scowl, a glare, anything—but the were remained serious, almost as if she hadn’t heard him at all. “Ask, and if it’s within my power, I’ll give it to you.”
His gaze was met by clear green eyes, a shred of hope now swirling within them. He didn’t know why he wanted to help the wolf, but the impulse was there, and it was strong enough that he knew better than to ignore it.
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br /> This woman stirred something within him.
Something he had buried with time and believed to be locked away so deeply, resurrection was an impossible feat.
He should have known it would come back to bite him in the ass someday. Yet the sensation wasn’t completely unwelcome.
“I need to find someone,” she said and brushed away a strand of hair the warm summer breeze blew astray.
It was only then that he noticed his magic had been acting up. He corrected the energy, reeling it closer to his body then dipped his chin so the werewolf would continue.
She nibbled on her lip but eventually asked, “Do you know where I can find the Perelesnyks?”
Sander let out a wild laugh. He was aware the woman’s pack was wading through difficult waters, but he certainly hadn’t been expecting that. This one, it seemed, was full of surprises.
“You want to find demonic dragons that happen to be incubi at the same time?” He huffed, then rolled into another wave of laughter as his own words hit him.
The werewolf gave a little smile. “That’s exactly who I want to find.”
Chapter 33
The familiar woods stretched as far as Rose could see. She stood by the open window in Veles’ bedroom, taking in the alluring scent of pine and spruce, waiting for that trace of olive to mix in with the fragrance. It felt like coming home after a long time—and in a way, she had.
Veles. The residence.
Every inch of her body thrummed with the desire to simply stay here with him and allow everything else to fade into oblivion.
If it weren’t for the pack, for Ileana and the few individuals Rose called her friends, she wouldn’t mind letting the world devour itself as long as she could remain with the god. In their home.
They would take care of the souls. And they would take care of each other.
She frowned.
She was doing it again.
She had vowed not to dwell on the morning’s events, but every thread of thought eventually led her in that precise direction. Sometimes, she didn’t even know her mind had turned on that path before it was too late and the headache had already begun to throb in her temples.
It was too much too fast. Her brain was lacking the tools to compartmentalize all the information into a manageable whole.
The Vedmak. Morana. The trinity of death.
She shook her head, the movement spreading down her neck to her shoulders and back. Shaking the strain from her body always worked. At least temporarily.
She wasn’t deluding herself that she wouldn’t have to face everything eventually, but for now, she needed to take it one step at a time. Her laughing breakdown had been warning enough.
Tendrils of olive power wrapped around her, that unique scent bringing a smile to her face. She turned around and leaned against the windowsill, observing the god’s lean figure as he strode into the room, his long legs carrying him towards her.
She clamped down hard on the impulse to strip him out of those tight black pants right where he stood. They had a houseguest, after all.
“How is she?”
“Excited,” Veles replied, a half smile playing on his lips. “She wants to go out, explore, but I ordered her to rest first. A condition that must be met if she wishes to remain in my residence while she’s in this realm.”
Rose snickered. “And she actually obliged?”
The god slithered closer, placing his hands on her hips. Hunger roared through her, arching her back.
“Not without a fight.” He laughed, then arched an eyebrow and cocked his head slightly to the side. “But I can be persuasive when I want to.”
“You don’t have to tell me.” She snorted even when the urge to snag his lips between her teeth became almost unbearable. “I remember very clearly how you snatched me from New York when you decided it was time for us to talk.”
The god clicked his tongue. “You can’t still be upset about that, srček.”
She scowled at him but pulled his body closer at the same time. She buried her head in his shoulder, drinking in the fragrance that was pure Veles.
Ancient. Powerful. Desirable. Hers.
Slowly, she dragged the tips of her claws down his back, shudders rippling through the god beneath her touch.
“Naughty wolfie,” he breathed. He leaned into her so she could feel the hard length of his demand—feel every detail of the effect she had on him.
Heat exploded in her core, the energy inside her reacting in unison with her lust, demanding more. She lifted her head, meeting those black-rimmed eyes before she brushed her lips against his, the touch tentative, exhilarating. His tongue pushed into her mouth, and she accepted him. Her head spun as the Veles’ taste hit her. Gods, it felt right.
She purred as strong hands traveled down the small of her back. He cupped her butt, squeezing until she found herself in the air, her legs instinctively wrapping around the Veles’ hips. She ground against his unyielding erection, and the hungry moan that coiled in his throat blanked out her mind until nothing existed but the rush of their bodies.
The god pivoted them around in a graceful display of strength and placed her on the bed without breaking the kiss. His tongue stroked hers, the movement echoed by the rotations of his hips.
She wanted her clothes to burn, wanted nothing more to stand between them. She needed him. Yearned to be taken by him. The warm slickness in the vee of her thighs pulsed with need so strongly, the sensation turned into the kind of pain only the god could cure.
When he finally tore himself away from her lips, she was left gasping for air, every inch of her existence ruled by the yearning for release. Her body hurt with the desire to feel him inside her, to become his again with each stroke of his prominent masculinity.
“Fuck, I’ve missed you,” the god breathed. He buried his head in her curls, then trailed the curve of her neck with his tongue, tasting her quickened pulse.
She writhed, a moan rolling from her lips until it saturated every atom of air in the room.
She had missed him, too.
Those months without him seemed like years—a nightmare she hadn’t known how to wake up from. But the warmth of his presence robbed her of her words.
She existed in a realm of pleasure, fueled by his touch, her lungs breathing the satisfaction she could give him. They were a single entity, shaped by each other’s needs, primally interlocked in a symbiosis of fulfilment.
Responding to her growing moans, he moved lower. He raised her tank top to lick his way down the side of her stomach, curving around her bellybutton before following the straight line down. He lifted his gaze as he reached the button of her pants, fangs visible and eyes vivid with violent lust.
“What about Morana?” Rose gasped, a blurred image of the goddess forming in her mind, accompanied by a vague idea that perhaps they shouldn’t be leaving her alone.
But Veles merely pulled on her zipper, the same fanged smile resting on his face. The expression oozed such hunger that she shuddered from the sight. “I don’t give a fuck.”
With that, he tugged off her pants, leaning back just long enough to strip them completely off her, before he nestled himself back between her thighs. His breath grazed the exposed skin, Rose’s body tense with anticipation.
“Shit, you’re beautiful, srček,” he whispered, and plunged his tongue inside her.
She moaned, arching her back to allow the god to go deeper. Pleasure rolled over her in rhythm to the devious flicks of his tongue and it didn’t take long before the sensation threw her overboard.
She cried out her peak, and Veles released a deep groan of satisfaction as he tasted the irrefutable proof of just how much she had missed him. Of how much she loved him, too. Slowly, he crawled on top of her, sealing her lips with his before every piece of fabric on his body disappeared.
He lifted himself up, offering her the full view of his breathtaking form. She took in every honed muscle of his lean frame, every delicious inch of his skin, coat
ed in that otherworldly energy, and finally guided her gaze to the god’s more than willing demand.
She bit her lip, her breath suddenly deepened. “I want you inside me.”
He arched an eyebrow, a beautiful, carnal expression that was pure male resting on his face. “Yes?”
“Yes, damn you, yes!”
His right hand cupped her breast, and at the same time, he thrust, the rigid length of him nearly throwing her over the edge once more. With every push, she could feel him throbbing inside her, sensing how he eased the rhythm just so he could last a little longer.
Another moan tore from her lips as his mouth worked on her nipple before moving on to her neck, grazing the delicate skin with the tips of his fangs. Pleasure rolled through her, primal and complete.
In that moment, nothing existed but them.
Her mind was saturated with his presence, her senses drowning in his scent, his touch.
This was where she belonged.
And she wouldn’t let anyone take it from her.
Pain teased the side of her neck, and she arched her back further, tilting her head to the side to allow his fangs to pierce deeper into her skin. The god groaned, almost losing his rhythm as the beginning of a new orgasm gripped her. She writhed beneath him, the desire to feel him even harder, faster, overpowering her body.
Veles obliged.
“Fuck, fuck, fuck,” she breathed into the air, her claws digging into the god’s back until they drew blood. She was so close, and she knew what she desired. What she needed. One final thing that would obliterate reality
“I want you to come.”
He tore himself away from her neck and met her gaze. There was such wilderness inside those black rims, such unbarred longing that it unraveled her completely. The god caught her climax, lengthening it as he, too, neared the edge.
