Was that what she was doing?
***
Valerii walked down the platform and joined the line of people waiting to board the train. When it was finally his turn, he climbed the two steps and took the window seat nearest the door. He leaned back and reached into his pocket for his cell phone. It was time to gather some information on Michon Boucher and Norris Fortescue.
“Solovyov Security... How may I help you?”
“Grigori Solovyov, please. This is Valerii Belikov.”
“One moment, Mr. Belikov.”
“Valerii? How goes the hunt? Have you caught up to Josephine? Rosie and her foster brothers are all in a dither.”
“Not yet. We’re taking the Eurostar to Paris. I’m a little over an hour behind her. Melisande’s Mercedes is parked at the St Pancras train station. You should send someone to retrieve it.”
“Not a problem. What else can I do to help?” Grigori asked. That’s what Valerii loved about his Alpha. He was always trying to be of help.
“I need information on a Dr. Michon Boucher and Norris Fortescue, both of Paris.”
Valerii went on to tell Grigori what he found out from Sanxay’s memories, how Josephine got ahead of him, and all the rest.
“You sound tired, Valerii. Try to rest during your trip. You will need to be at your best when dealing with these men. I’ll have the information for you by the time you get to Paris. Don’t worry about your mate. The grieving from being separated shouldn’t be too bad if you reach out to each other and link your minds together. You won’t be that far behind her.”
“Thanks, Grigori.” Valerii wouldn’t tell him that linking minds with Josephine wasn’t always possible. Grigori would only worry.
“Valerii, I hope you like Paris.”
“Me, too.”
Valerii clicked off and stared out the window. If Josie was the Alpha female of the Paris pack and successfully made her claim, he would be the Alpha male. Alpha of his own pack? The idea was inconceivable. He was born an Alpha; now he would need to prove it. But a pack where he knew no one, and what about the Alpha who was in place now? Would the current Alpha try to claim Josephine? Growling, he sat up. Over his dead body.
The woman sitting across the aisle to him gasped, and Valerii quickly turned away. He didn’t want to scare humans. But he didn’t mind at all when the woman moved to another seat. The train wasn’t full, and he turned to stretch his long legs across the two seats. Before closing his eyes, he wondered briefly if Sanxay and his men had made it on the train.
Josephine ran toward him through a mist that twisted and writhed around her. He rushed toward her and grabbed her, sweeping her into his arms. He kissed her hard, staking his claim, and she answered with the same fervor. All of the emptiness in his heart and soul were filled with the light of her presence. How was this possible? He forced himself to pull away from her and look around. The mist continued to writhe around them, and then at the outer edges everything turned to black.
Valerii, I’m so sorry. Will you forgive me?
How is this possible? he asked, his arms tightening around her. He didn’t want to lose her again.
We are dreaming, you in your train, and I in mine. Our minds have merged through the mating bond.
Chapter Four
Josephine stood in his arms, his mate. It didn’t matter if it was a dream or not, Valerii wanted to celebrate. His wolf wanted to nuzzle and lick, to cement the bond into place. His body responded by growing hard. God, how he wanted her.
He brushed the hair off her cheek before lowering his head and claiming her mouth. Her soft lips yielded to his pressure, then his tongue tasted her. Sweet, she tasted sweet. His wolf rushed to the surface. He kissed her deeper, swirling his tongue around her mouth and tangling with hers. Josephine answered in kind, wrapping her arms around his neck to keep him in place. They ate at each other’s mouths as if they were starving, until finally lack of oxygen forced them apart.
Josie, give yourself to me. Complete the bonding, Valerii sent into her thoughts while staring into her eyes.
This is a dream, Valerii.
I claim you as my mate. I take everything you are into my keeping and give everything I am into yours. He knew he was pushing her. Would she claim him in return?
I, Josephine, claim you, Valerii, as my mate. I take everything you are into my keeping and give everything I am to you.
Valerii”s wolf spirit howled with joy at her answer. He felt the bond swell and strengthen as the empty places in his soul filled with Josephine’s essence. But the bond wasn’t cemented until they linked physically. Still, this was an important step. Josie trusted him enough to accept the bonding.
Thank you for your trust, malyshka. I promise to do my best to make you happy. Valerii knew Josie’s trust was not lightly given. Her life experiences made her wary. He felt humbled by her gift.
I’ll try as well, Valerii. I fear I will drive you crazy. I like to give orders, not take them. Please don’t underestimate these men after me. They killed my parents.
I know, Josie. Lycan law states that any human who becomes a threat to our race must be eliminated. I need to look into this matter further.
No! Please, Valerii. You must stay safe for me, as I will stay safe for you.
Josie, we are wasting a perfectly good dream arguing. Why don’t you kiss me instead?
I thought you’d never ask.
***
“Joe, wake up. Josephine, we are pulling into the Gare du Nord Station. We’re here.”
Josie heard Susan’s voice from a distance and vaguely registered a hand on her shoulder. “No,” she moaned. She shuddered, ripped from Valerii’s arms. She still could feel him sleeping on the following train. “Give me a minute, I was dreaming,” she said, rubbing her hands over her face.
“Dreaming of your fiancé, right? I thought I heard you mumble his name.”
Heat suffused Josephine’s face. She talked in her sleep? “Did I er...say anything else?”
“No, but you did moan a little. I almost woke you up. I hope the dream wasn’t too unpleasant.” Susan patted Josephine’s shoulder and looked concerned.
Unpleasant? The dream was anything but unpleasant. “It was fine. We were talking, sort of.” Could her face get any more flushed? Josephine put her hands on her cheeks, feeling the heat.
“Well, it was just a dream,” Susan said.
A dream so real Josephine wished it had never ended. The train slowed even more and finally pulled to a stop.
“Can Jack and I share a taxi with you? We’re staying at the Hilton.”
“I need to meet with my pa...uh family,” Josie said.
“Well, I wish you the best of luck, Josephine. I know we’ll meet again. I have this feeling that our lives are intertwined. Remember what I said about your fiancé. Men like to feel needed.”
“I will, Susan. Thank you.”
“Go buy a new outfit. I’m sure your family will want to see the real you.” Susan smiled and headed down the aisle, her husband following behind.
Josie glanced at her reflection in the window, then down at her clothes. “The real me. That’s not a bad idea.” She smiled.
There was no sign that Fortescue’s men were pursuing her. The diversion had worked. She was home. Paris, city of lights, city of fashion. There was a small boutique she used to shop in with her mère over near the Opera Garnier. A quick trip on the metro would get her there in minutes. Pain sliced into her head. Anytime she thought of her past the pain would hit her. Hand on her forehead, she blinked and headed for the metro entrance.
Once she arrived at the shop, she stood and looked at the window displays, then at the people around her. She had been dressing as a boy for so long she wasn’t sure what to buy. Sighing, she walked into the store.
After help from a knowledgeable sales clerk, Josie took a pile of clothes into the dressing room to try on. Her favorite was a black lace dress with its miniskirt trimmed in black Marabou feathers. She tri
ed it on and smiled at her reflection in the mirror. It fit her perfectly. She would need a new black brassiere and panties, as well as shoes and maybe a pair of sparkly dangling earrings. Yes, this outfit would show the whole pack that the Alpha female was back. Would they accept her claim? Would she find the traitor who betrayed her father?
She picked out a pair of black, skin-tight leggings and a blue silk shirt to wear for the time being, and after paying for both outfits, slipped into a dressing room to change. She felt amazing in her new outfit. It had been so long since she’d dressed as a woman, she almost skipped out of the store.
The clerk had recommended a shoe boutique down the street, and Josie couldn’t wait to trade her boy’s high-top tennis shoes for something a little more chic. She hurried around couples strolling down the street, totally absorbed in shopping in Paris. The smell of baking crêpes from a local street vendor filled the air.
***
“No.” Valerii moaned in his sleep, reaching for Josephine with his telepathy. Shopping? He blinked, trying to overcome the leaden feeling of his lids. She’d arrived in Paris and was thinking of going shopping? He shook his head and chuckled. He would never understand the female mind. At least, she hadn’t broken their telepathic link completely.
He sat up, laid his head back, and continued to rest. His mind lightly touched Josie’s thoughts as he listened to the sound of the train roaring down the tracks. He hadn’t slept for thirty hours, and this little nap wouldn’t make up the time missed.
When he arrived in Paris, he should go and investigate this man, Fortescue. But the need to feel Josephine in his arms was overwhelming. He wanted to chase her down and cement the bond into place at once. He could still feel the softness of her skin as he held her in their shared dream.
Still, he needed to understand what kind of danger Fortescue presented to his mate and to the lycan race as a whole. He hated having to choose.
“Pardon, monsieur. I see you are heartmated. Where is your mate?” an elderly woman asked as she walked up the aisle.
Valerii’s eyes snapped open, and he looked in disbelief at the silver-haired woman. She could see his heartmate bond? He studied her and noticed light refracting off her eyes. She was a lycan? Focusing his eyes, he peered at her chest and saw that she, too, was heartmated.
“You are from the pack in Paris?” Valerii asked, waving at the seat across from him.
“Oui,” the old woman answered, smiling. She took the seat next to his, her light floral scent flowing over him.
“Who is the Alpha, and where might I find him?” Valerii asked.
“Durant Landry took that position last year when his parents passed on unexpectedly. But our pack is ruled by the Alpha female, a hereditary position, and the heir has not been seen for the last five years. We know she is alive, but not much else. Her mate will be our Alpha, when she chooses one. So, in truth, we have no Alpha. Some think she will mate with Durant. I don’t think they are destined to heartmate. Our Alpha female cared for him, but he isn’t the man for her.”
“What happened to her, your Alpha heiress?”
“She was taken from us, kidnapped, along with her parents. The whole pack sensed the moment our Alpha male died and the moment his mate followed him. The Beta, Durant’s father, weak and unsure what to do, sent the pack out to search. None of us knew who masterminded the kidnapping, or if they did, they didn’t say.”
“You believe someone in the pack knew where she was, your heiress?”
“It is strange. Is it not?” she asked, her eyes troubled. “That a whole pack of lycans could not track down one of their own? Some of us were blood-bonded to her and to her parents. Why could none of us find her?”
“It does seem strange. Did no one hear a cry for assistance? Not even from the Alpha male?”
“Again, if they did, it wasn’t reported. We get yearly letters from our Alpha’s heir. The letters are always postmarked from London. We search for her to no avail. Durant himself goes once a year, hoping to find her and persuade her to return. Other single males also go, looking for a mate.”
“Do I need to report to your acting Alpha?”
“I’m sure he would appreciate the gesture, though I don’t think any of our pack members has reported to the English Alpha when they go into London. I hear a new Alpha is in place in England?” she asked, smiling again.
“Yes, his name is Grigori Solovyov. He asked me to contact your pack and send greetings. We didn’t know you existed until a few days ago.”
“The old English Alpha was mad. All ties were broken while he ruled. We live quiet lives, blending in with our human neighbors. Our numbers are dwindling, and there are few females, and even fewer babies born each year. Many of our males mate with humans. But to do so means keeping your lycan half a secret. It is very sad.”
“Our Alpha in Siberia heartmated with a human. She delivered twin girls who are alphas in their own right. Do your males heartmate with human females?”
“I don’t believe so. In the pack, only a few heartmated pairs are left. But the heartmate bondalways comes before a mating without the bond.”
“You mean pack members are mating without the heartmate bond?” Valerii asked, confused. That had happened only once in the Siberian pack.
“It seemed prudent; we needed children. But none are born to an un-bonded couple, and often the mating fails. When that happens, one of the pair moves away. So our numbers have dwindled even more.” The old woman sighed and looked out the window.
Valerii shook his head. The Paris pack was in trouble. They weren’t holding to the laws laid down by the mother of their race, Asena. Mating without a heartmate bond was seldom allowed. It was cruel to subject a lycan to living with someone who wasn’t his or her true mate. Still, he could understand why they tried to stop the decline of their numbers.
“How many sit on the elders’ council?” he asked.
“We number only four. My mate and I, and one other couple.”
So few to advise the Alpha? The pack must be very small. “Where should I go to talk to Durant?”
“Most of the pack can be found in the evenings at Café de Luna Bleu on Boulevard de Clichy.”
“Thank you, Madam. I didn’t catch your name.”
“Louise Bontecou. You may call me Louise.”
“Thank you for the information, Louise.”
“You are welcome, but you did not answer my question. Where is your mate?”
“At the moment she is shopping in Paris. I will meet her tonight.”
“Ah, perhaps she buys a special outfit for you to enjoy. She is French, no?”
“Yes, she is French.” At least, he assumed she was.
“What is her name? I haven’t heard of a couple being heartmated in the pack. We must plan a celebration. You give us hope, monsieur.” She clapped her hands in delight.
Should he tell her? She seemed harmless enough. “Can you keep a secret, Louise?”
“A secret? Non. I see you are serious. Do not tell me, I will be so excited I will call Marie, and she will tell Amee, and so on. No, do not tell me.”
***
Josie put the pair of rhinestone earrings into her shopping bag and, smiling, walked out of the little jewelry boutique. She had everything she needed to be presentable to her pack members tonight. Her image needed to be filled with confidence and strength, a true Alpha female.
At each store she asked for help from the attendants and was pleased that her French was coming back to her. She carried her bags on her arm and strolled down the sidewalk with the rest of the crowd. Her stomach growled loudly, and Josie suddenly wondered what time it was.
A large ornate clock on the side of a building indicated it was after one o’clock. She’d been so wrapped up in shopping she’d let time get away from her. Valerii should have arrived by now. Why hadn’t he contacted her? Perhaps, he realized she really was trouble. A sudden ache in her chest stopped her for a moment.
You are being silly,
malyshka. I know you are trouble, but you are also mine. I need to assess the danger Fortescue and these men bring to our race. I will join you as soon as I can.
Just hearing his voice in her head made her nerves settle. How can you say that? I am not trouble. Well not much.
No? Enjoy your shopping. We can discuss this later.
Deciding to get something to eat, Josie prepared to cross the street. She could see a little café on the corner with patrons sitting outside at small tables. As the light changed, she heard a high-pitched scream coming from the alley a few feet back.
Turning, she ran to the alley entrance. The smell of blood hit her nose as she peered into the darkened space. She could see an assailant holding a knife up and threatening a young couple. The husband clutched his arm and blood dripped down onto the cement, while the pale wife clutched his other arm.
“Give me your wallet, or I will cut you, again,” the assailant said, gesturing with his knife.
“Give it to him, Jack. It’s not worth your life,” Susan said.
Susan? And Jack? Josie ran with preternatural speed down the alley toward the man holding the knife. To humans, she would have looked like a blur. She kicked the knife from the assailant’s hand, before punching him in the stomach. He sank to the ground with a groan.
Josie grabbed her friends’ hands and hurried them out of the alley toward the sun and the street.
“Josephine, where did you come from?” Jack asked, still holding his arm.
“Thank goodness, you saved us. What did you do to that man? I didn’t even see you coming,” Susan said, panting.
“Luckily, your assailant didn’t either. Come, we need to get Jack’s arm looked at.” Josie continued to move the group down the street.
Jack inspected his arm. “The bleeding is starting to slow down. But it may need stitches.” Josephine asked a few people on the street for a hospital with emergency services and was quickly directed to Hôpital Américain de Paris. Flagging down a taxi, she ushered her friends into the vehicle and climbed in beside them.
A Siberian Werewolf in Paris Page 5
