by Kimber White
The forest stretched before us. Breathtaking. Dense. My back went up as I sensed the presence of many shifters. Echoes. This place had been overrun. Now, an eerie stillness settled all around us.
“This way,” she said. “The trail’s grown over, but I know the way.”
“You’ve been here before?” I asked. “This far south? How the hell did they let you cross the border? Mia, I don’t care who your family is. Nobody gets to move around this freely.”
She smiled. “You don’t know everything about me, Viktor.”
Apparently not. We went down a steep incline. A rocky wall loomed above us. Mia headed straight for it. I thought she meant to climb it. She stopped. As I drew closer, I saw a cleft in the rock, hidden behind thick foliage.
There was something behind it. The powerful scent of another Alpha assaulted my senses.
“Mia, wait!” I shouted.
She moved a tangle of branches, revealing an entryway into the rock.
“The cave system beneath us stretches for hundreds and hundreds of miles,” she said. “You’re now one of only about twenty people left alive who know about this entrance.”
“It’s a tourist trap,” I said. “Mia, we can’t…”
“South of us is a tourist trap,” she said. “Not here.”
“This is where they hid?” I asked. “The Kentucky rebel Alphas?”
“This is where they hid,” she said. “And this is where I’m supposed to be.”
Mia bit her lip. I felt the gravity of what she’d just shared with me. It was as heavy as what I’d done, showing her my hidden paradise near the Cumberland Gap. Trust. Mia’s trust. My heart swelled from it. I swore to myself I’d spend the rest of my life earning it.
She moved more branches, looking for something. She scrunched her face in concentration, not finding it.
“We leave a signal,” she said. “If there’s anything wrong. If it’s not safe.”
I came to her side. “Someone’s been here,” I said.
“I know,” she said. “But they’re gone now. And they didn’t leave a sign. It’s okay, Viktor. We’ll be safe enough. Follow me down into the cavern. When it gets dark, I’ll start getting word to my family. There’s a protocol for this. My father will have a plan.”
She recovered the secret entrance. Something was bothering her, too.
“It was too easy,” she said, hands on her hips.
“I’m thinking the same thing. Maybe there’s somewhere else we can go. At least until we know for sure.” Mia may not have found what she was looking for, but something wasn’t right to me.
“Yeah,” she said. “Let’s head a little further west. It’s more populated, closer to the public entrance to the caves. But we’re less likely to draw attention.”
We made our way down another trail. I could sense humans, lots of them, about a half a mile away. I had no plans to get anywhere near them. Again, I felt the strong feeling that I should have followed my instincts and just kept Mia hidden in the valley.
“Mia, I don’t like it. This feels like…”
A bolt of light shot through the trees. It hit me square in the chest, taking my breath away.
Mia growled. She crouched low, ready to shift.
“Don’t!” I shouted.
She stopped herself just in time. Then the trees came alive. Light poured out of them. Fae after fae dropped down, surrounding us.
“Viktor!” she shouted. Her wolf eyes glowed. “Steady,” I warned. Though it was far past too late. Denall might be dead, but at least two fae left Clairmont knowing exactly what she was.
“Well done, Viktor.” A familiar face stepped out of the light. He looked just like Denall, except his eyes were darker.
“Olen,” I muttered. Denall’s brother. I’d heard of him. He’d been one of the first to break through to our world. But I’d heard he’d gotten himself banished. Beside him, Riall and Jonall materialized.
They surrounded Mia. Shackles of light surrounded her wrists and ankles. I felt her panic. Thank God, she felt no pain. Olen walked over to her. I tried to get to her. Dragonsteel chains coiled around my wrists, ankles and neck, choking me, suppressing the wolf inside of me.
“Don’t struggle!” Mia shouted. “It’ll sap your strength faster!”
“Better listen to her, Viktor,” Olen said. God, he looked so much like Denall. He wore a chain with a pendant. Ring insignia. I recognized it instantly. He outranked Denall. With Jonall and Riall by his side, I realized I was likely looking in the face of the elusive boss Denall reported to. His own brother.
“How did they find this place?” Mia cried.
Olen stopped. He stood between us, a slow smile spreading across his face. “You mean she doesn’t know?”
Mia’s eyes went wide. The color drained from her face.
“I don’t know,” I pleaded with her. “I swear to God I don’t know.” Except I could guess. Someone in Mia’s family had been compromised. I should have followed my instincts. I should have never agreed to let her bring me here.
“Ms. Brandhart,” Olen said. “Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Olen. Viktor has been working with my brother Denall for a very long time. And he, in turn, has been working for me.”
“He suffered when he died,” Mia spat.
No. I tried to shout to her with my mind. I knew what she was doing. She thought maybe if she could make Olen angry, he’d get careless with his magic and she’d find a weakness.
“There’s a thing or two you need to learn about the fae, Ms. Brandhart. Or is it Kalenkov? Or maybe Call. So hard to keep track.”
“She’s mine, Olen,” I said. “Let her go!”
“Oh, she’s yours, all right,” Olen said. He ran a finger along Mia’s cheek, sending a trail of light down it. Her back arched with the shock of it. For a split second, her wolf came out. There was no more hiding it. I’d killed Denall, but it wasn’t enough.
“I see why you fought so hard to keep her secret,” Olen said. “Remarkable, really. I thought it was just a rumor.”
“Olen, I swear to God…”
“You’ll swear to me!” he shouted. “You’ve already sworn to the Ring. You don’t get to call the shots, Vadim. Luckily for you, you’re still more valuable to us alive than dead. You’ve held up your end of the bargain. It’s the only reason I haven’t turned you inside out.”
Mia’s face went sheet white. Her eyes widened.
“No,” I said. “Mia...don’t…”
“Vadim,” she whispered. “You’re…”
Olen laughed. “She didn’t know? She might be a strong wolf, but sure as hell isn’t a very smart one. Yes, dear. Let me introduce you to your mate. We expect great things out of the two of you.”
“Pavel Vadim,” she said. “Your father?”
“My uncle,” I said through gritted teeth. I would kill Olen. Just like I’d killed his brother.
“Your pack is already assembled, Viktor,” Olen said. “Just like you promised. I admire your initiative, trying to collect the remnants of the Kalenkovs all the way out here. But we’ve got it all well in hand. No more going rogue.”
“Vadim,” Mia cried. “Your pack...they hunted my family. You killed my grandmother. Exiled my grandfather...My mother was…”
“Promised to Pavel Vadim,” Olen finished for her. “So you do know your history. Well, Viktor has demanded that debt finally be paid. Cheer up. We could have found someone far worse for you.”
Olen gestured to the other fae. They released me from the Dragonsteel.
“Well,” Olen said. “Let’s get going. With everything else that’s gone wrong, the Ring wants this marking to be witnessed.”
He waved his hand and the light around Mia shifted, forcing her to her knees, her head bent forward, exposing her neck.
“You’ll mark her, Viktor,” Olen said. “By the end of the day, if I have anything to say about it.”
Mia’s eyes caught mine. I felt her heart hollow out and fill wit
h hate as she looked at me.
Chapter 19
Mia
I pitched forward into the blackness. The bands of Olen’s magic held me for a moment as he slammed the back of the van door shut. The engine roared to life, and the vehicle lurched forward.
Quickly, I got my bearings. The steel walls of the van felt hotter than they should have. Olen’s spell began to dissipate. He didn’t think he’d need it. The van itself had been reinforced with Dragonsteel.
“So much of it,” I whispered, running my hand along the metal framing. I’d only ever seen chains, bullets and arrows imbued with Dragon magic. My heart sank as I realized what this might mean.
The Ring had a new source. One of my uncles? My cousins? God.
We didn’t go far at all before the van screeched to a halt. Light blinded me as the doors opened and strong hands reached in to pull me out. A hood went over my head and Dragonsteel shackled my wrists.
Should I run now? Should I break free? They already knew I was a shifter. They didn’t yet know I had dragon blood in me, though. They didn’t know Dragonsteel couldn’t hurt me like other shifters. It was the one card I had yet to play.
“Don’t fight them.” Viktor’s lips brushed against my ear. It was his hands gripping my shoulders, keeping me on my feet so I wouldn’t stumble over the uneven ground. In spite of the hate bubbling through me, my heart still twisted at his touch.
“Wait here,” Olen commanded. “You won’t get far.”
I heard a metal door clang shut. An instant later, Viktor tore the hood off my head.
I didn’t wait. Rage poured through me. I swung my shackled hands upward and caught him under the chin.
Viktor staggered backward. He steadied himself with one hand against the wall. His eyes flashed gold as he rubbed his jaw and met my stare. He was more cautious after that, staying outside the slack of the chains. Soon, he and the rest of them would understand how little difference any of that made.
“Vadim.” I spat the word. “You’re Viktor Vadim.”
Still rubbing his jaw, Viktor’s shoulders sank. We were in a small room with cement walls and a metal door with bars over it. No furniture, just a wooden bench along the wall. The door was made of Dragonsteel too. The chain around my wrist was looped through a metal ring in the floor.
I could pull it out. I could wrap it all around Viktor’s neck. Would he make a good hostage? Or had the Ring already gotten their use out of him?
“I was going to tell you,” he said.
I sat on the bench and pressed my back against the wall. Viktor kept his distance, leaning against the opposite wall. I felt his heart. I cursed it. But he was scared for me.
“The Vadims drove my grandfather’s pack out of Russia,” I said. “They murdered my grandmother. Many of my uncles, aunts and cousins. My grandfather was barely able to smuggle my mother and her brother out alive. You’re killers. Assassins. Pavel Vadim was your uncle?”
“Yes,” he said. “My father’s oldest brother. I’m his...his heir.”
I tasted blood in my mouth. “I was an idiot. I believed you were doing this all for Luka and Clairmont. That was never the bargain, was it? I’ve heard the rumors, Viktor. Some say it was the remnants of the Vadim pack who were involved in the shifter attacks fifteen years ago. It was you, wasn’t it?”
Oh, God. Had it been Viktor himself?
“No,” he shouted. “Mia...no. I had nothing to do with the attacks. I swear to you. I’ve spent the last fifteen years trying to survive. Trying to save what’s left of my pack. Good men. Men that your grandfather cast out and left for dead. Do you know what happened to packless wolves when the Ring first took over?”
“Don’t you dare lecture me about the things our people have suffered,” I shouted.
“Well, my family has suffered more than most,” he said, tearing a hand through his hair. “I’ve saved those that I could. We’ve lived hand to mouth. I’ve walked and crossed every fine line, Mia. For myself. For Luka. And though I didn’t know it until I...touched you...I’ve been doing this all for you.”
I buried my head in my hands. The Dragonsteel weighed heavily. I could almost feel the anguish of the dragon who’d been enslaved to forge it.
“For me,” I finally said, spitting out the words. “The sick thing is, I think you really might believe that. How well did you really know your uncle?”
He didn’t answer. “That’s what I thought,” I said. “How old were you when he died?”
“You mean how old was I when your grandfather murdered him? I was sixteen years old.”
“Murdered?” I said. “Of course. That’s what you’d believe. Pavel Vadim was no better than any of the men out there who wanted to enslave me. To breed me to the highest bidder.”
My blood turned to ice. “Ah. To you. You’re the highest bidder.”
“No!” he shouted. “God. No. You know the truth. You can feel it in your heart. In your blood, Mia. You know what I am. You know what we are. That’s real. Believe me. It was as much of a shock to me as it was to you.”
I found a bitter laugh. “Well, how convenient for you. Except it’s all a lie. You knew I was Andre Kalenkov’s granddaughter. That’s why you took the job. That’s why you took me. Admit it. I’ll know if you’re lying.”
His eyes went dim. A muscle jumped in his jaw. “I admit it,” he finally said.
“I heard what Olen said and Denall before him. You think I belong to you. Forget about fated mates. You know what Pavel tried to do to my mother.”
“I don’t condone my uncle’s methods,” he said. “There are two sides to every story. At least. But arranged matings have been part of pack law for centuries, Mia. Your mother was promised to my uncle. If she would have honored that pact, then both of our packs would have been stronger. Neither of us would have suffered the way we did...splintered and warring when the attacks happened.”
“I don’t believe what I’m hearing.” I wanted to tell him the truth. I couldn’t. My mother didn’t honor the pact to mate with Pavel Vadim, because she was my father's fated mate. If I told Viktor that, he’d know too much. As far as the rest of the world knew, Gideon Brandhart was human. I couldn’t trust him with the truth. The chains around my very wrists were the reason why.
“I told you,” he said. “I don’t condone everything my uncle did. His way of leading a pack wouldn’t have been my way. But you can’t sit there and tell me we wouldn’t be stronger today if the Vadims and Kalenkovs had been joined the way we were supposed to be.”
“I can’t sit here and tell you that?” I shrieked. My eyes filled with tears. I lifted my shackled hands. “I think the fact that I’m sitting here is exactly the reason why I can tell you that, Viktor. Look me in the eye. The truth, for once. Do you believe my mother should have been forced to mate with your uncle against her will?”
I rose from my seat. It would be so easy. One quick movement. He wouldn’t expect it. The Dragonsteel did nothing to me. But to him, it would render him powerless. Chained in it long enough, it would drive him mad, sap his strength.
There was fire in his eyes, but he dropped his head. “No. Dammit. No.”
I wanted to believe he was telling me the truth. I knew if I looked inside my heart, I could look inside his. I wouldn’t let myself. I was too damn angry.
“Until the attacks,” I said. “My grandfather brought peace back to the Russian packs. He’s led them with honor, nobility, integrity. Your uncle was a savage. A tyrant. If he’d lived, the Ring would have turned him. He would have been the most powerful Tyrannous Alpha under their control.”
It felt as though my blood turned to ash as I said the words. “My God,” I whispered. “That’s what they’ve promised you.”
“No!” he shouted. “God. No. Mia, you think the Ring is using me. I’m telling you, it’s the other way around.”
He dropped his voice so low I knew only I could hear it.
“He would have raped my mother,” I said. “You know th
at. You know it. She wouldn’t have consented to that pairing. It would have been forced on her. You can try to twist your interpretation of pack law any way you like, but my grandfather would never have forced that marriage on her.”
“It doesn’t matter now,” he said. “Not a bit of it. What matters now is who you are to me. Who we are to each other. Mia, I love you. I’m in love with you. Do you have any idea what I’ve risked to keep you safe?”
“You’ve risked nothing!” I shouted. “All you’ve done is taken.”
My heart was breaking. Even now, I wanted to throw my arms around him. I felt Viktor’s pain. It wrapped around my own.
“Yes,” he hissed. “I’ve taken. I’ve already told you I’ve had to do things I’m not proud of surviving. I won’t apologize for any of it. Because no matter what you say, your heart is telling you the truth. This. Us. It’s fate, Mia. Even if it wasn’t, I’d still want you. I’d still die for you. I’d still love you. It doesn’t even matter anymore who my uncle was. Not when it comes to the two of us.”
He was on me then. His hands dug into my upper arms. Heat flared through me. God. I wanted him. Every inch of me burned for him. My pulse beat for him, echoing the truth of our words.
Viktor was mine. I was his. I wanted him to kiss me. I wanted him to take me. My skin cried out to be marked by him. My own heart and body betrayed me and it tore me in two.
“I can’t,” I cried out. He let me go as if my skin burned him. Maybe it did.
“I would never force you,” he said. “I would lay down my life for you.”
“They’re just words, Viktor,” I said, tears streaming down my face. “They’re not even the right ones.”
“What do you mean?”
“Look where we are!” I said. “How do you think this ends? You want me to believe your promises. To believe in you. Those men, the Ring. Out there. You’ve made them promises too. They’re going to make you honor them. They know what I am now. You won’t be able to save me. You’ll just be the first they give me to.”