by Aidy Award
"Don't move, solnyshka. Don't look in the house. Just pretend we're flirting and having fun. Laugh at what I'm saying and touch my arm."
Oh shit... Oh shitty shit. Not only was Niko freaking her the hell out, his eyes were glowing with an amber light from within. She gulped and did what he'd said. Zara grabbed his arm, right at the bicep and gave it a squeeze. "Ha ha ha. You're so funny."
"Good girl. I'm going to kiss you and then we're going to walk away all hurried like. We'll go toward the Troika house. Okay? Ready?"
Kiss? At a time like this? She didn’t even know what was wrong. "No."
“Too bad, I’m coming in. At least pretend to enjoy it.” If he didn’t sound so serious this would almost be funny.
Zara’s mouth was suddenly incredibly dry and she couldn’t seem to swallow. She darted her tongue out to lick her lips like she was a weird fish-mouth kisser. That’s exactly when Niko’s mouth touched hers. Her tongue was already doing its own thing, without her permission and licked along the seam of his lips.
Niko groaned so low, it was almost a growl, and opened his mouth, teasing her tongue with his. He shoved his hands into her hair and clenched the strands so tight it pulled at her scalp. The sensation sent her whole body tingling. He broke the kiss way before she was ready.
Really loudly, he said, “Come on, babe. My car is just around the corner. The back seat is calling our names.”
He made the play-along face and stretched one eyebrow toward her house. Oh. Ohhh. “Ooh, yes... I love me some back seat loving. Come on... I can’t wait.”
Whoever Niko was trying to lay a false track for wasn’t going to buy any of that. She sounded like a bad robot trying to act in a D-grade horror movie. Bugger. They were so going to be murdered.
Probably by werewolves if her luck held out.
Let’s Make a Deal
Zara didn't remember anything about being kidnapped or her time in captivity and now her worst nightmare was standing five feet in front of them. Thinking about kissing her again wasn't helping. But good Goddess, what a kiss. The way she'd tasted him almost made his head explode... and he didn't mean the one above his shoulders.
Now was not the Goddess-damned time. He planned on making a hell of a lot of time for kissing her, and hopefully more, later. As soon as he got them far, far away from the asshole stalking her. What the fuck was Ramsey Crescent doing in her house and how had the Troika enforcers not taken him down for being in their territory in the first place?
He and Zara were getting out of here right now. As soon as he had her to safety, maybe tucked away in the pack house with his mother and a half-dozen wolftress enforcers as guards, he was coming back here... and what? It wasn’t like he could fight Crescent. His human form was as weak as, well, a human. All Crescent would have to do was shift one claw and take a swipe at him.
That little fact of life had been proven at the battle for Kosta’s new pack. Niko would have gladly sacrificed his life to help his brother. He hadn’t had anything to live for back then. Seeing Zara that night changed everything.
“Let’s hurry.” He tugged at Zara’s arm, but made a major miscalculation. By doing so, he turned her so she got a direct view of her house. No time to stop. Hopefully her acting skills would improve in the next five seconds, and she could pretend she hadn’t seen anything.
"Tell me I didn't just see the Incredible Hulk standing in my living room." She looked away a little too quickly and gasped.
Shit. Nope. She glanced over at him wide-eyed and then back at the big window at the front of the house. No way she’d missed seeing green glowing eyes on the man standing in her living room. Zara tried to cover her surprise, but there was no mistake she recognized Crescent. Seeing him must be bringing back some memories.
Regardless, he wasn’t going to let that beast anywhere near Zara. He broke into a run, being careful to let her keep pace. "Do you know who that is?"
She shook her head. "No, should I?"
Niko's sense of smell wasn't what it was before he'd lost his wolf and he couldn't tell if she was lying or not. That was a new one on him. He'd always been able to rely on that particular sense to warn him of all kinds of emotions, which was especially handy when it came to the women in his life. One more thing to add to his checklist of how to be a normal human.
Even without scenting her fear, he could tell by the way the pulse point at her throat was beating so hard he could see it. Her breathing had ratcheted up, and her eyes had dilated. She was in fight, flight, or freeze response mode. Luckily, his flight response was working just fine.
Niko glanced over his shoulder to make sure Crescent wasn’t in pursuit and begged the Goddess that some enforcers were nearby. Should they duck back into the Reserve? He knew its trees and bushes, rocks and streams like the back of his hand. He’d spent the first eighteen years of his life running free through the forest almost every night.
They could hide, but they wouldn’t stay hidden long from a wolf like Crescent. He wasn’t alpha of the Crescent Bay pack just because of his name. He was a skilled hunter.
The Troika pack house wasn’t that far, especially if they cut through the Reserve. Hopefully, one of the Enforcer patrols would scent Crescent chasing them and come to the rescue. They were going to have to risk it.
“Hello, my naughty seer.” The creeptastic voice of their enemy laid claimed to Zara’s attention.
While Niko was being a dumbass and guarding from behind them, Ramsey Crescent had gotten the drop on them and popped out from behind a parked car on the street. No wolf worth his weight would have missed the scent of another wolf so close. He was going to have to put on one hell of a show to make sure the bastard didn’t clue into his disability. The second this alpha discovered Niko couldn’t shift, he’d take them both out.
“Get away from me, you ungracious toad.” Zara held out her hand like she could mow him down with the force of her mind, Luke Skywalker style.
Christ, she was gorgeous like this, all on fire and valiant, like she was going to protect him. She squeezed his hand so tight, he was going to lose circulation in his fingers soon, and that made her all the more courageous because she was afraid and still wasn't backing down.
Niko squeezed her hand back so she knew he wasn't going anywhere. "Step off, Crescent. You don't belong here."
"Ah, the prodigal son, back from the dead... Again. I had hoped my enforcers would have wounded you gravely enough that your family would be grieving your death for real this time. You're a cockroach. One that I intend to--"
"Shut up, fucktard." Zara took a step toward Crescent.
That took him by surprise. "Look at the mouth on you. If I'd known you were nasty like that I might have--"
"I said, shut up." Zara moved again like she was going to strike Crescent.
As much as Niko would love to see his woman take this asshole down a few pegs, she didn't understand what he really was and how much danger they were in. He pulled her back and stepped in front of her, even though he guessed that would piss her off. "You heard the lady. I'd suggest you do as you're told."
"Protect her all you want, but I will get her back," he snapped. His patience was wearing thin and that meant Niko and Zara didn’t have much more time until Crescent’s real attack would land.
Time to bluff. Niko lowered his head and glared at the other alpha. In a very deliberate and low voice he challenged. "You'll never touch her again."
His bluff paid off. Crescent paused before speaking again. But he had something up his sleeve. Niko just didn’t know what it was yet. Shit, he wished some Troika enforcers would get their asses over here.
Crescent paced one way and then another, taking his time responding. "Would you like to guarantee that, boy?"
Crescent was around the same age as Niko’s father would have been, but Niko had learned not to let age intimidate him. “Good try, old man. You even think about Zara again and my pack will destroy you. We don’t need any deal from you."
"
I doubt that very much. Your pack is in complete disarray. It was child's play to walk right into your territory and into her house. Not an alpha or Enforcer in sight. You were so preoccupied with getting in her pants that you didn't even notice you were surrounded." Crescent pointed at Niko with one claw extended. Then he flicked his wrist and two of his wolves prowled up out of the shadows, another two came up the street from the direction of Zara's house, and still two more from behind parked cars.
Niko expected Zara to cry out or yell at the wolves or something. She didn't even flinch. It was like she didn't see them at all. Perhaps because all of her focus was on Ramsey Crescent. He couldn't blame her for that.
He wished he didn't see those enforcers either. If they survived this encounter, he was going to have a lot of explaining to do. It wasn't like he hadn't wanted to tell her about wolfkind since they were teenagers. Guess this was his big chance. "You're assuming our enforcers aren't here watching us right now. All they need is the signal from me and they'll destroy you."
"Will they? But not you? What do you have to say about that, seer?" Crescent addressed his last question to Zara.
That was the second time he'd called her that. Why? What did he think Zara saw?
For the first time since Crescent and his wolves had shown up, Zara paled and lost some of her bravado. She opened her mouth but no words came out. Only the tiniest of whimpers. The seer thing had gotten to her. Strange.
"I think your girlfriend is broken, Troika, or she's hiding her abilities from you. Either way, she has reason to be scared. This time I won't be so kind. Maybe she already knows that." Crescent smiled and tipped his head to the side, studying Zara and her reactions.
Niko shoved her fully behind him pinning her between his back and the nearest car. She wouldn’t be able to see any more of this asshole. "Don't think for a second I will let you take her, Crescent."
He’d think of some way to keep her safe. Please, goddess. There had to be something he could do besides bluff. That could only last so long. Niko glanced down at the car windows hoping against hope he could punch through the glass on the door. Then what? Shove her inside to be trapped?
But... holy shit. The old-school pin locks weren’t depressed. There they sat upright like little tin soldiers. Niko inched closer to the door’s handle and grabbed Zara’s hand, slipping her fingers under the metal. Her quiet intake of breath signaled that she understood his plan.
Niko simply had to keep Crescent busy enough that he wouldn’t notice Zara pull that handle. Then they could both jump inside and lock the doors.
"I’ll make you a deal, Troika." The alpha in Ramsey Crescent was coming out to play now.
Perfect. Keep talking, asshole. Whatever his reason for being here was about to be revealed. If Niko was very, very lucky he could use Crescent's so called deal to get Zara as far away as possible and to safety. “Oh, really? Do tell.”
“You’re outnumbered and out maneuvered, but I’m a fair alpha. I’ll give you what you want,” Crescent stared Niko right in the eye, then his gaze flashed to Zara and back again. “If you give me what I need.”
Not a chance in heaven or hell. It was time for him to get Zara out of here. They’d have maybe a two second head start if they ran. More if he could shove her in this car and run over the bastard. This was one time Niko didn’t need his wolf. He’d learned how to hotwire a car from his human friends in high school. Thank the Goddess for his misspent youth. “What exactly is that?”
“I’m tired of this war and seeing our people divided.” Crescent paced back and forth waving his hands. Good, he was distracted with an evil villain monologue... Perfect. “We need a strong leader to take over in Volkov’s absence. Someone who can help the wolves come out of the darkness and be stronger than ever. That’s what Mikhail wanted, wasn’t it?”
Holy fuck, . Niko glared at Crescent. “You don’t know anything about what Mik wanted. Don’t think for a second you could be half the Tzar he would have been. He was a good man and could have...”
He held back the wave of nausea, but only barely. Mik had wanted to change the world, to lead the wolves out of the old ways. It was Niko’s fault he would never be able to.
“Yes.” The bastard stopped pacing and stared right into Niko’s soul. “Well, he can’t, can he? Since you murdered him? It’s time someone took over and ended the chaos before the infighting destroys us all. Since you won’t step up, I will.”
It was damn hard to not walk up to this asshole and punch him in the face for even daring to think he could be half the Tzar Mikhail had been. He clenched his fists and gritted his teeth. “You wouldn’t know progress if it bit you in the ass. You wanted to marry your daughter off to my brother to create an alliance. That is the opposite of what Mik wanted. This isn’t the dark ages.”
“No, it isn’t.” Crescent folded his arms across his chest. “It’s time for wolves to come out of the dark and take our rightful place.”
Shit... Niko should have known. “You’re a fucking one-blood.”
“Don’t be stupid, boy. The one-bloods are nothing more than trailer trash who can’t think for themselves. They’ll support me because I know how to say what they want to hear.” A couple of the wolves who were surrounding them paused in their incessant growling and looked quizzically at their alpha. That was news to some of them, and they weren’t all happy about it. Crescent either didn’t notice or didn’t care. “No, son, I’m not a one-blood. They have never thought big enough, can’t see beyond their own greed. I’m going to make wolfkind great again, and you’re going to help me.”
“What do you want?”
“We’ll start with Tzar of the Wolves. That’s all you need to know for now.”
“Afraid I can’t help you with that.” Jackass. “There is no Tzar anymore. The Volkovs’ reign is over. It’s time to make a new way in the world.”
“Just because your little fuckbuddy is dead, doesn’t mean the Volkovs won’t put another Tzar on the throne. They’re just waiting for the right wolf to step up.”
Rage swelled behind Niko’s breast bone, burning through the walls he’d put up around the wounds to his heart and soul when Mik died. No one would denigrate Mikhail Volkov. “Watch what you say, Crescent.”
“Or what? You’ll kill me too?”
Fucking hell. Niko couldn’t do a damn thing about Ramsey Crescent’s vile mouth, and he’d let the bastard get to him. This whole damn time he should have been focusing on getting Zara to safety, not getting riled up about a past he couldn’t change.
He took a deep breath and forced himself to back down, take a step back and reached out for Zara again. She was still there and probably freaked out as fuck. He couldn’t scent her fear, but he could hear that her breathing was steady and normal. Maybe she was stronger than he thought. Good. At least one of them was.
Crescent laughed. “No. I didn’t think so. Not in front of your girlfriend. You don’t want her to see what you really are, do you?”
“I’m losing patience with your evil plans to take over the world. Tell me what it is you want from me.” So he could steal this stupid car and relay all of this to Max and Kosta. Who could actually do something about this invasion.
Crescent rolled his neck, stretching as if this were a casual chat over biscuits and tea. “There are only two ways to become Tzar. Get support from enough packs that the Volkovs are forced to appoint the people’s choice or face rebellion.”
Niko ran his hand along the edge of the car again hoping to run into Zara’s fingers so she would be ready to make their move. “Yeah, good luck with that. The Troikas will never back you, and without our support, you lose that popularity vote.”
“Or an alpha’s challenge.”
What a dumbass. “It’s a little hard to challenge the Tzar when there isn’t one.”
“Ah, but I could challenge the alpha who killed the Tzar. The one wolf who has a rightful claim to the throne. Now, who could that be?”
Niko stumble
d back and had to steady himself against the hood of the car beside them. “My brother has taken over the pack. I’m not an alpha.”
“Oh, I think we all know you are. Your father made it no secret that he bred three alphas. Your mother always worried about how she’d keep the three of you from tearing each other’s heads off when you got older. Why do you think they sent you to Russia in the first place?”
He did know. It was the only way his father had talked Niko into leaving Rogue, leaving Zara. If he’d stayed the three of them wouldn’t be able to control their inner alpha’s and their needs for control of the pack. The marriage contract for Max with Taryn Crescent was so that his brother could inherit a pack of his own someday. His mother was working tirelessly to find a similar match for Kosta.
Or that’s what Piotr Troika had told Niko. He’d warned him that when both Max and Kosta came of age Niko would want to kill them both.
“I don’t need a seer to tell you know the truth of what I say, Troika. I’m sure your wolf’s need to be the alpha is half of what led you to challenge and kill Mikhail in the first place. But you’re too weak to rule all of wolfkind. Your pretty little mama made sure of that with her crusade for our kind to love whomever we want.” The enforcers surrounding them made yips that were equivalent to derisive chuckles.
Ramsey Crescent may not believe he was a one-blood, but his ideals ticked all the right boxes. Only he was worse. He didn’t just want wolves to take a superior place over humans, spouting the vitriol, he’d taken action. The knowledge that no matter what Niko did or wanted to do, Crescent had the upper hand, curdled in his stomach.
Niko couldn’t do a damn thing to stop him. He might be able to save Zara from having to live under Crescent’s thumb though. “You want an alpha’s challenge against me to claim the throne of Tzar of the Wolves?”
“Yes,” Crescent hissed.
“I accept.”
“No, Niko. What are you doing?” Zara whispered under her breath. “This is a bad idea.”