by Kimber White
I could make it. Power surged through me. Home. Safety. Family. It beckoned me.
Then there was Viktor. His lies encircled my heart. I grew up on the stories of how Pavel Vadim had tried to capture my mother against her will. How the Vadim Alpha before him had hunted Kalenkovs almost to extinction. I saw the pain of loss in my grandfather’s eyes as he held the memory of his murdered fated mate. It was the worst sin a wolf shifter could commit against another.
Vadims did that. Viktor’s family. He had struck a deal with the Ring to bring them back to power. I knew what that meant. We would be hunted again.
Run!
Even through his pain, I could feel Viktor’s command. Clear. Strong. Sure.
I lifted my head and howled at the moon. Adrenaline coursed through me as I turned and followed my Alpha’s command.
Chapter 22
Mia
I tore through the trees, pulse pounding. Viktor’s pain shot through me. He was on his knees. Olen stood over him. Chains of lightning circled Viktor’s wrists.
This was different from Dragonsteel. Viktor jerked at the end of the lightning, shifting painfully between wolf and man.
A few yards away, Luka lay motionless on the ground in his wolf. He bled from an ugly gash across his flank, so deep I could see his exposed rib bones. Jonall stood guard over him, his eyes glowing with purple light.
I let out a growl that caught Olen off guard. It was the opening Viktor needed. He sprang to his feet. His wolf launched himself from his powerful back legs and pushed Olen to the ground. Olen’s light went wild, sparking against the trees, catching the tallest of them on fire.
Mia!
I heard Viktor’s voice in my head. It was impossible. I did not bear his mark. And yet, I knew his mind anyway.
I came to his side, planting my front paws deep into the ground. I let my fangs drop. I could still taste Riall’s blood in my mouth.
Olen began to recover. His eyes widened as he saw me. Saw Riall’s blood dripping from my fangs.
“You can’t,” he said. It scared him.
I hung my head even lower and growled beside my mate. Viktor snapped his mighty jaws.
Side by side, we formed a wall of threat. Olen gathered himself. He raised his hands, ready to strike.
I went for his legs. I heard his knee crunch as I drove him back. He howled with pain but righted himself quickly.
A second blast of light caught Viktor in the side as he went for Olen. Jonall had left Luka. I saw the life fading from Luka’s eyes as he lay on the ground. Still, he tried to rise and fight.
“Be still!” I projected the command to Viktor’s second. Understanding blossomed in Luka’s golden eyes. He heaved a sigh and did as I asked.
Viktor took the full force of another blast from Olen. He staggered sideways, but didn’t go down.
“I’ll kill you slow,” Olen said, his voice ragged with exertion. Every blow he delivered took something out of him. If we could hold him off. If we could wear him down…
Viktor’s eyes turned red as the bloodlust overtook him.
“There you are,” Olen smiled. “Take a good look, Mia. This is who you’re bound to. You should have done what he told you.”
I went to Viktor’s side. He was still in there. His command to me burned strong. He wanted me to run. He wanted to die for me.
“Not today,” I projected to him. “Not today.”
Olen’s color drained. Viktor saw it too. How many more blasts of light did he have in him before he drained himself?
Viktor lunged at him. Olen countered. His light went sideways, catching me in the shoulder. It stung. It paralyzed me for a second. But I recovered.
I snapped at Olen’s hands. He was quick. I was stronger.
“You’re incredible,” Olen said. “Do you have any idea how much we can do with you?”
He was insane. He was almost out of power. And yet…
Another howl of pain from Luka drew my eye. Light skittered around him. Jonall was nowhere near him.
Viktor pounced. I saw it happen from the corner of my eye. Olen’s smile made no sense. Viktor would kill him.
Then, I saw a flash of metal as Jonall raised a crossbow. The thing materialized out of thin air. He aimed it straight at Viktor’s heart.
The point of the arrow glowed gold. Dragonsteel. Jonall released it. It seemed to happen in slow motion. I saw the arrow spiral through the air as it homed in on its target.
Viktor saw it too at the last. For a moment, an instant, he understood his fate. Accepted it almost.
I didn’t.
I launched myself into the air. Viktor’s howl of warning ripped through me. I took the arrow meant for him. It pierced my side. Stinging pain shot through me. Blood poured out of the wound.
“No!” Viktor shifted. He caught me just before I hit the ground. Pain. Anguish. His. Mine. I felt it all. But at the center of it, I knew Viktor Vadim’s heart.
He loved me. He would die for me.
Shifting, I reached up and touched his cheek. “Not today, my love,” I whispered.
I reached down with my other hand and pulled the Dragonsteel arrow out. Viktor’s eyes widened as he saw the wound. The edges were already beginning to close.
“How…”
An unnatural scream filled the air. It seemed to come from the trees themselves. Olen had gotten back to his feet. He lifted his arms out in welcome.
With Viktor’s steadying hand around me, we rose. Blinding light encircled us. Instinct kicked in. Viktor and I linked arms, standing back to back, forming a lethal circle.
But there were too many. Fae after fae materialized, lightning sparking from their fingertips. So many. They were joined by shifters of all kinds. Wolves. Bears. Tigers. Each of them had the blood red eyes of beasts no longer in control of their own actions. Killing machines.
One by one they began to close in.
“You can’t kill her,” Viktor shouted. “You can kill me. But not her. You know what she’s worth.” His voice was hoarse, desperate.
One of the biggest wolves stepped away from the others. I did not know him by name, but I recognized what he was. Tyrannous Alpha. He was what the Ring wanted to make of Viktor.
“I’ll die before I let them,” he whispered to me, knowing my mind.
I knew the Tyrannous’s mind as well. Mine! It was me. He wanted me. He knew exactly what I was.
“Easy, Torgen,” Olen said. “You’ll have her.”
“No!” Viktor shouted. He let go of me, shifted into his wolf and went straight for the Tyrannous. It was suicide. But if he could kill him quickly, he could break the hold he had over the other wolf shifters surrounding us.
It was then that the fae light brightened. They all joined their magic. It would incinerate Viktor and Torgen both.
It didn’t matter. I was the prize. And there was no more time.
Something happened. I felt it in my core. Magic. Light. Fire. As the fae aimed their killing blow at Viktor, I erupted.
Though my feet stayed firmly on the ground, it was as if I could see myself from above. My eyes changed, becoming the color of flame.
I found my fire.
I let out a roar that filled the air and bent the trees back. Flame shot from my mouth, eyes, and fingertips. I aimed it at Olen, the fae, the Tyrannous, and everything that threatened my mate.
I burned them all to the ground.
Chapter 23
Viktor
She became light. She became fire. Mia’s flame engulfed me. I watched Olen, Riall, every other fae and the Tyrannous Alpha turn to ash. The fire went into me. Through me. But I didn’t burn.
When it was over, Mia crumpled to the ground. I dove for her, cradling her in my arms.
“Mia,” I cried. “Oh, God. Mia?”
Her skin was ghostly white. Almost translucent. But her heart beat strong. Her eyelids fluttered. When she opened them, I could still see the flame behind them.
Mia’s magic. Her deepest se
cret.
“My love,” I whispered.
We weren’t alone. She hadn’t killed everyone. There were still three bear shifters and half a dozen wolf shifters. They staggered to their feet, casting off their animals. I knew in my heart that most of them probably hadn’t been allowed to shift back into human for months. Probably years. Each of them looked as though they were relearning how to use their arms and legs.
“Mia,” I said. I leaned down and kissed her. My sleeping beauty. My angel. My miracle.
She touched my cheek. Her warmth flooded me. “Are you okay?” I asked.
I helped her to her feet but felt her strength growing. When the fae unleashed their light, it took something from them. Whatever Mia had just done made her even stronger.
She smoothed the hair away from her face and surveyed the damage. We stood at the center of a charred circle in the woods.
“Thank you,” one of the wolf shifters said. He was just a kid, maybe sixteen or seventeen. Skinny. Pale. But he was back in control of himself.
“They’ll be back for you,” Mia said. “You don’t have a lot of time. You need to go due north. All of you. Ten miles or so. A town called Bradley. There are people there that can help you. Tell them Mia Brandhart sent you.”
The kid nodded. He was emaciated. Starving. But a different hunger lit his eyes, and I knew he would follow Mia’s command to the letter. They all would.
“Are you sure?” I asked her.
“More than ever,” she said. “This was all of them.”
I looked again at the charred remains of the fae she’d destroyed. The truth of it slammed into me. All of them. Mia had just decimated the Ring leadership in this part of the country. It would take months...maybe years for them to regroup.
“She’s right,” I said to the wolves. “You’ll be safe enough if you go now. Go quickly. Stay to the woods. No matter how hungry you get, don’t go into any town except for Bradley.”
“How will we know who to ask for?” the kid said.
“Don’t worry,” Mia smiled. “My people will come to you. Now go. Don’t look back. Don’t ever look back.”
And then they were gone. Each of them shifted and disappeared into the woods, heading north as fast as they could.
A moan drew my attention. “Luka!” I shouted. I went to him. He’d lost a lot of blood, still doubled over in pain.
“He’ll heal,” Mia said. I checked Luka’s wounds. They were still angry, but the skin was already starting to close.
“I think so,” I said. “Can you stand?”
Luka nodded. I helped him to his feet.
“He should go with the others,” Mia said.
Luka nodded. “I can make it.” He already had his feet under him.
“Luka,” I said. “What you’ve done here today. I’ll never forget.”
Luka smiled. “I’ll always have you back, Viktor. We’re pack. At least, we will be.”
I swallowed past a lump in my throat. I’d made so many promises.
“It would be my honor,” I said. I rose. Luka dipped his head. For thousands of years this is the way it has been done. I shifted into my wolf. For a moment, I thought the effort of it might reopen Luka’s wounds. But when his wolf came out, he rose even stronger.
He lowered his head until it almost touched the ground. Ancient power surged through me. We needed no words. I howled. Luka howled back.
A moment later, I felt his thoughts in my mind.
“I pledge my loyalty, my strength, my wisdom, to you, Viktor Vadim. Rightful leader of the pack. My Alpha.”
“I accept,” I said. With Luka’s pledge, I grew stronger. Our telepathic link formed. “I will lead you with honor, my friend. I will strive to earn your loyalty every single day of my life. Now go!”
I shifted back. Luka followed suit. “Are you sure?” he asked. “Viktor, I can stay by your side.”
“You can serve me best by regaining your strength,” I said. “Find the others. And I’ll find a place for us all to meet. To live freely.”
Mia came to my side. She beamed up at me. “I can help with that. I have a friend or two.”
My heart swelled with pride and love for her.
“You have my word,” Luka said. He took a step back and bowed once more. Then he disappeared into the forest.
I turned to Mia. “We can’t stay here,” I said. “It may be a long time before the Ring figures out what happened, but we’ve left a pretty big footprint.”
Her expression grew solemn as she looked at the burn circle. “I didn’t mean...I didn’t even realize…”
“Baby,” I said, pulling her to me. “What was that?” I asked, but somehow in my heart, I already knew.
Tears filled Mia’s eyes. “You kept your family a secret from me…”
“I’m so sorry,” I whispered. “I swear to you. Never again. You’ll know my mind. My heart.”
“No,” she said. “That’s not what I mean. I mean...I’ve kept my family a secret from you too.”
“You didn’t have to. I knew you were a Kalenkov…”
“Viktor, no,” she said. “Not my mother’s people. I’m talking about my father’s. You asked me what magic allowed me to cloak my wolf side from you. From everyone. You asked me how I was able to do what I did here today. The truth is, I’ve never done that before. I didn’t know I had fire of my own. My grandmother said I was born without it.”
“A witch?” I asked. “Mia, it doesn’t matter. You could be a unicorn for all I care.”
She smiled. “Well, you’re close anyway.”
My mouth dropped. Mia’s truth flooded through me. It had been right there in front of me this whole time.
“A dragon,” I whispered. “My God. You’re a dragon?”
She took my hand. “My father is Gideon Brandhart. And yes, he’s a full-blooded dragon. One of the last of his kind. My mother is Grace Kalenkov. That you already knew.”
“A dragon,” I whispered. It all seemed impossible and yet made perfect sense. “Your mother is a Kalenkov. They say as much as Dragonsteel can kill a shifter, Dragonblood can heal them. When they mated…”
“When they mated, it broke the shifter’s curse. And I was born with my full power. A wolf. Just like my grandfather before me.”
“My God,” I said, marveling at her. “If they know...if the Ring ever finds out…”
“Then they’ll hunt my family. They’ll use fae magic, witches’ magic, and everything in between to enslave them again. Just like a millennia ago when the dragons were nearly driven to extinction.”
Luka had just pledged his loyalty to me. In revealing her secret, I knew Mia had just put her trust in me...her life in my hands once more.
I pulled her to me. “I’ll keep your secret. I’ll keep you safe. I’ll die for you, my love.”
She smiled and stepped away, taking my hands in hers. “Not today, Viktor. Today is for something more.”
Chapter 24
Viktor
Dawn broke. Orange bands streaked across the sky, matching the color of Mia’s eyes. It was perfect. It was right that we should do it here, in the circle of her power. In the circle of mine.
We’d gone north, deeper into the forest. But not so far that I couldn’t still smell Mia’s fire. Her rebirth. Mia had been holding my hand. Now, she let go of me. Her desire coursed through her, sparking mine.
“Are you sure?” I whispered.
“I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life.”
She pulled her hair behind her shoulders. Her body glowed. So perfect. Her high, round breasts. The curve to her waist. Her well-muscled arms and thighs. Her nipples peaked and a thin sheen of sweat covered her, making her glisten in the morning light.
“I want you,” she said. “You’re mine. So be mine. Be my Alpha, Viktor. Claim me.”
I growled with lust. My fangs came out.
“Do it,” she commanded. Then she slowly sank to the ground. She stretched herself out on all fours for
me, letting her hair fall to the side.
“My God,” I whispered. She shimmied a little from side to side, beckoning me with that perfect, round ass of hers. She knelt with her knees slightly parted so I could see her sex. She was wet, swollen, ready.
“Fuck,” I whispered.
I stroked myself, growing long and hard as a rock. Mia felt my arousal and let out a little whimper of desire.
Oh, God. She was ready. She dripped for me. I came to her, running a finger along her slick folds.
“Viktor,” she gasped.
“Yes,” I said. “Cry out my name. Beg me. Tell me what you are.”
“Yours!” she cried. “Yours! Yes! Please! Viktor!”
I rooted myself inside of her. Her heat enveloped me. She set me on fire.
I curled my fingers around her shoulders, getting the leverage I needed to drive myself even deeper.
“Brace yourself,” I said. “I won’t be gentle.”
“Thank God,” she sighed.
And I wasn’t. I rocked back and forth on my heels, pounding into her ever deeper. She took it. Demanded it. She thrust herself backward, spurring me on.
I didn’t have to hold back with her. Her wildness matched my own.
My mate. My love. My everything.
She came for me. Fire crackled along her spine. It swirled around us. Blinding light. So much heat. It burned me. Remade me. Renewed me.
She marked me in her own way that day. As her orgasm ripped through her, a different hunger rose in her. She threw her head back. She reached up and pulled her hair away.
There. That delicious spot at the base of her neck. I knew it pulsed for her now, just like her swollen sex.
She ached for my mark. My fangs dropped even more. I grazed her tender flesh, making her moan.
“Yes!” she cried.
I sank my fangs into her, marking her deep. She bent backward, impaling herself on me. I was in her as far as I could go.