Nastia slammed her eyes trying to make sense of the information.
She digested it.
And she threw herself at me with a cry of joy.
- Yulenka, honey...
I don't know what kind of miracle I was on Valentine's neck. But I wasn't going to get my hands on a fox that was stunned for joy.
- Are you out of your mind?! - I woke up Valentine, who I mercilessly grabbed into my ears. It's okay, he'll get over it. I wonder who he is. Me or her?
- Yulenka... you... I... you are to me... I am everything... and life and soul...
- Somebody take her on a leash! - I cried out to my buddy so Nastia wouldn't get my legs. Whatever she was going to do with them - hug, kiss, or just shed tears of gratitude - I was not satisfied with any option. - Don't you understand that if she doesn't calm down, it could hurt the children?!
The nettles are as good as the nettles. Nastia froze like a dug in.
- Yulechka, she's a baby, and...
- Shut up! Listen! What did you get here for?!
- I got here by car.
- Can you drive yourself home? Obviously not. Val, order somebody to drive her. She'll fit in the pole herself with joy. Nastia, stock up on your food and stay home for the full moon. You'd better not go out in the open air. Now, while it's time.
- I'll sit at home all three days!
- Here you sit. And try to be more calm. Don't jump or run without needing to. You know, if your emotions go over the edge, my patch will just tear off. And I can't get a second one this month.
- Why not?
It's already Valentine. I froze around his neck. Oh, really, why?
The answer was found where Daniel's gift was kept.
- It's too much power. You can't see it now, but I'll barely be able to use mine in the next two days...
force
. Today, tomorrow, maybe also the day after tomorrow afternoon.
I was really starting to feel a little dizzy. And my stomach was moving suspiciously, about to jump into a white light.
- That bad? - It's Tanya.
I shrugged my shoulders.
- Guys, get me down on the ground before I throw up your head leader, will you? The first five minutes on adrenaline looks like nothing, and then it's heavy. Oh, and one more thing. The moon is insidious. It won't forgive the prey it took. You're gonna have to live out of town after having kids of the month of three. Somewhere where you can hide. It's better with friends. Because any night you can turn around even unexpectedly for yourself. You know what I mean? You'll be dangerous to people and yourself for a couple of months. And even for the kids.
- I can do it, - answered confidently Nastia. - If you need me...
Strong hands picked me up and carefully, trying not to shake, put me down.
- I'm gonna need it. I'm sorry, but you just don't have a choice.
- I'll put up with it.
Nastia had so much confidence in her voice, I sighed. Jealous? Cause... Her dream came true. I'm not getting mine back. Not a dream, not a loved one... ever.
- Go home," I asked. - And buy a motherwort from the pharmacy. It's good for you.
- I obey and obey, madam! - Nastia sang and flew out of the clearing. Some tall guy followed her. I looked at Valentin questioningly. Wolpe understood and calmly rubbed me on the shoulder.
- Vanya, one of my notes. He can hold on as long as he wants.
- Okay. Well, then I'm calm.
And my head hurts. And it hurts a lot. I shaken my head, removing the hair from my face.
Oh, I shouldn't have done that. My stomach decided to look at the white light after all... mommy...
I barely made it to the bushes and bent in half. But they wouldn't even let me suffer in peace. I was supported in twelve hands, someone wiped my face with a wet towel, someone slipped a glass of water, someone sizzled behind me: "Will you get out of here or not, you insensitive donkeys, she's sick..."
When I got a little better and my stomach stopped turning out, and the steel hoop was a little loose, I looked around and my eyes went to my ears. There were only female werewolves around. There were about twenty girls circling around me, offering help and not wagging their tails. Why would they pick me up like that?
Although I knew it. I'll help. What am I, you bastard? I gave the girls a look around.
- I'll help you, I'll help you. Just one at a time, starting with the oldest, okay? And I'll talk to the vampire about it so you don't get touched for six months - three months before and three months after. Or better yet, a year.
Only now I'm thinking about Mieczysław. Your zebra. And he'll rip my head off...
- It's not gonna rip. Or I'll rip him off something myself.
Nadia. Am I talking out loud?
- No. It's just your smell changed a lot when you thought about fang. And your face is expressive.
- You're the muzzle. Green," I snapped at you. - And with a tail.
- Yul, don't do that, okay? - Nadia gave me a face. - We're not such pigs. And we all understand.
- All what?
- That it's hard for you, that it hurts...
- It's just little things. But two healthy children in five minutes of pain and a day of weakness is more than a fair price," I swung away.
- I know. Your grandfather raised you beautifully.
- I was mostly raised by my mother.
What the hell was that? Nadka's like a cousin in my family, but why dump everything in front of those tails?! Well, at least I don't have Cluck, but without her, I'm not gonna be honest about my family in front of outsiders! But Nadia wasn't taken care of...
- Yul, who are you noodling to? It's your grandfather who's in charge.
- Are we going to discuss my family here? - I'm the one who's rattled.
- Oh, you're coming back to normal. You're not in the mood for work," said that cheeky woman. - Shall we talk like business people?
I spit to the side.
- Go ahead. Do you want to trade my abilities?
- Don't you want to?
Not in the eyebrow, but in the eye. I mean, it's disgusting, but I knew it very well...
power
werewolves will carry me on their hands. But is it good to sell children?
There was a way out in no time.
- The flocks who want to be friends with you and support both you and Mieczysław will receive my services. Almost for free. The price will be set by a vampire. I'm sorry, girlfriend, but we can't have the slightest weakness right now.
- You can't allow it in the next twenty or thirty years, - said Nadia quietly. - That's why we're hanging on the phones tomorrow, girls. Everyone will have to tell us about Nastia. And about what Yulia has done for her. Although it's not very good, but this is our only chance. What's more, we have to make them believe us. As long as Mecislav and the Prince of the city are still in power, he and Julia will live here. And if - Julia, forgive me for saying so, but life is life - someone else will kill him and get the rights to Julia, our friend will leave here forever. And we will be doomed to childlessness. Does everyone understand that?
They didn't just understand it. It was written on the girls' faces that anyone who decided to take me away from here wouldn't get away with just tearing my head off. At best, it'll be torn to pieces the size of a matchbox. And then they'll put it in a small bag and throw it in the sewer. Worst-case scenario... let's not talk about the scary one.
- I don't want it to be like this...
I got scared. But Nadia shook her head and patted me on the shoulder. With a heavy foot like that...
- Stop worrying about nothing. You're not just giving hope, you can really save Nastia's baby. Kids. You did everything consciously, didn't you?
The question was far from idle. Nadia knew I wasn't in touch with Mieczysław, nobody taught me how to use mine...
force
I'm actually self-taught. Can I repeat something that was previously considered impossible?
I
focused on my memories. And suddenly I realized: I can. And what's more, I can teach it. Only who? There are no vampires. They're too dead for that, and they're too dependent on the moon.
You need someone like me, but who? I don't know anybody else. Except for those psychics from the IPF. But they won't agree to help werewolves reproduce. On the contrary, they'll try to come up with some crap to counteract it.
- Girls," I squeezed out my thoughts to get them in order. - Let's get me cleaned up at least a little - and we need to start the ceremony of initiation, address or whatever it is called ... And I have two huge requests to you. One of you must look after Nastia...
- Yul, well, you're already osviny, - outraged Nadia. - What are we, the last vipers here? We'll see, and help, and in general, everything we need to do. And we'll hire her a babysitter for a while after the birth. And note: if the second request is as offensive - I'll kick you.
- The second request will be even more insulting," I sighed. - You see, I don't trust my brother or his Klavka. And I wanted to ask you to keep an eye on them.
All alone, my face was smooth. There were cold smile on the girls' lips.
- Let's see," Tanya promised for all of them. - Yes, we will. They won't even notice.
That's what I needed. Why? Oh, I don't know. Or the other way around, I know. The beast with human eyes inside me roared and clawed the mirror. It was angry at its brother and demanded to tear him apart. The woman with beastly eyes smiled arrogantly. She didn't trust Clara. She didn't trust Clara for a second. And together, half of my soul ordered me to watch, to drag and drop.
I didn't mind.
Nadia wiped my face again with a towel and pinched my nose.
- Let's go catch up with the guys.
- How far to catch up with them?
I know those teeth. It's better to follow a bird into the sky than a werewolf into the woods. There's no chance of catching it, not even seeing it.
- They're in another clearing. It's the one you spit on hopelessly. Or should I say you threw up? Did you puke?
- One more word - and you'll get one too, - I warned a friend.
- You've got nothing.
- I have enough yellowing for everyone. Nadia picked me up under her arm.
- Yulka, I'm glad you're getting out of depression.
I wouldn't call it that. I snapped, I tried to be practical, I did what I had to do. And that was it. And I didn't really like it. Too much of my behavior was like the days I spent with Danielle. Saving his life, his life... not saving...
Oops!
Dreaming in the woods is a dead end after all. And your toe will hurt. Okay, we'll suffer at home and on the couch, now we have to look under our feet. Once again, I didn't want to fit my thumb into the root of a tree. Bo-oh...
* * *
The men aren't far away. They stood about two hundred steps away in a nice clearing. There was also Slava and Klavka.
- Hello," I waved at them. - I didn't even notice you.
- You were too busy," said Clara in a strange tone. Paging? But what kind of challenge can there be here and now? Or has she not yet had enough? Let's add it!
I didn't have to add it. One of the werewolves - I didn't even know him - stepped forward and gave her a decent cuff.
- When addressing Julia Yevgenyevna, you must add "mistress".
Slava was twitching, but where is it?
- What's wrong with you? - Valentin came up. - Will you be able to attend, or shall we postpone the ceremony?
- What are you, crazy? What "postpone"?! We have Ramirez's visit on our nose!
- You don't feel well...
- So what? Let's move! What's in the script?
- For starters, this.
Valentin cleverly picked me up.
- Hey, let go! I'm not dying, I just got a little sick!
- And now you just sit in the warmth and comfort and look at the interesting spectacle, - cut off the werewolf. And cleverly sat me down on something soft and tall. A tree?
A tree? That's right. We were in a mixed, pine and deciduous forest. The wolves were simply using nature's gifts: they found a bifurcated tree (it seems to be oak), covered the fork with a blanket, and planted me there. Comfortable, warm, there's a view. Otherwise, with my height will have to bounce to see something.
- That's it. Now sit back and watch. Nadia, will you stay with her?
- Of course I will.
- If there's anything, you'll explain.
- If there's anything, what is it? - I've been inquiring.
- If something seems strange or scary to you, try to sit quietly and not interfere. I mean, we're werewolves. Our strength is largely built on rituals, customs...
I raised my hand. My head was rattling like a coffee grinder.
- Let Nadia and someone else you trust stay close to me. I won't interfere. We'll talk about this later, okay?
- I promise you I'll explain everything to you after the ceremony. And remember, whatever you see is not life-threatening.
Valentine's gone. Nadia and another woman in her 30s stood next to me.
- My name is Lisa.
- Yulia. It's a pleasure.
- If you need help, please contact me. I'll help you as much as I can.
- Thank you.
- Thank you, ma'am. Thank you. You gave us hope, the opportunity to have children...
- It's either Yulia, or Yulia Yevgenyevna. But don't call me mistress. It's a S&M thing.
- Didn't you stop this paddy and fix it when she called you that too? - Nadia was climbing into all the gaps again.
- It was her own fault. She provoked me.
- Words worthy of Jack the Ripper.
- Nadia, one more word - and I'll remember how we were taught to dissect samples - I sizzled. - What the hell are you so...
- Medical," said her friend without offending her in any way. - I suppose I'm a rare...
- Treplo," I typed. - All right, let's talk later. You see, the show is starting!
- I'll come to you tomorrow.
- You got it.
The werewolves, meanwhile, have formed a circle. Slavka was in the front rows, Klara was far behind. I noticed that two girls were unobtrusively rubbing themselves next to her. Clever girls. Valentin came out in the center of the circle.
- I urge my flock. By right of strength. By the right of blood. By the right of recognition. I am the leader of the Bloody Claws pack. Who will challenge my right?!
Everyone was silent. I wonder if this is a simple introduction.
- I lead the pack. By right of force. By the right of blood. By the right of recognition. Who's not happy with my actions?
The silence again.
- I am the leader of the pack. Do you recognize me at this hour?
–
Yes!
There was so much unanimity, I almost came out of a tree. Valentin raised his hand.
- I want to discuss two things with you. One more important. As you know, the wolf of our pack Anastasia was preparing to say goodbye to her children. Julia Evgenievna Leoverenskaya, surname of the Prince of the city, did not allow it.
Valentin has changed intonation from sublime-pathetic to usual. Well, everything is clear. The ritual has been passed, the actual discussion of problems and the search for solutions begins. And then there's no need for extra bashing.
- Are you sure about that? - Someone's voice has been heard.
- Yes. Julia assured me that Anastasia would be fine. She just needs to lie down, get some sleep and repeat the procedure next month. Okay, before she gives birth. This way, the women of our flock will no longer be barren. Who wants to speak up?
- – Я! - Nadia immediately shouted loudly while everyone was thinking. - I, Nadia, prima-wolf, please speak!
- The word is given! - Valentin solemnly announced.
- I spoke to Julia, too. What's more, she's a friend of mine. Anastasia will be all right. But Julia had a much heavier time. You can't do these things more t
han once a month. Julia promises to help the women of our pack, but asks to set up a line and make a schedule.
- Copy that. The schedule will be made according to the age. What else?
- I ask permission to tell all this in the other packs.
- What for?
- Everyone must assess the opportunity. There aren't many of us. If Julia stays with us, werewolves can have full-fledged children.
- Full-fledged children? - I whispered.
- It's when both parents are werewolves, Lisa whispered back.
- This proposal will help us make profitable alliances with other packs.
- I agree.
- Why does this girl agree to help us? - There's a tall man with brown hair in the circle. What the hell is that ball from the mountain?
- That's Mikhail, he's a fool. He was better off in front of Andre, and now he's muddying the water, but not much. He won't even take it himself," Lisa whispered again.
- And what will she ask for her help?! People like her don't just do anything!
They've forgotten to ask him! Hum tram!
- It's nothing. Julia agrees to help us, because her brother will be a wolf and a member of our pack. So will his wolf friend.
- Why would we accept a pack of new wolves?
- Julia Yevgenyevna and the Prince of the city have urged us to do so. And in payment we receive a means of infertility for our women.
- About it we have learned only twenty minutes ago! And what would we have received if it had not been discovered?
- Twice around the neck! - I couldn't take it. And then I jumped out of a tree. - I ask to speak as the Prince of the City's surname!
Valentin was eager to throw up. Apparently, this guy got him all over his claws. Bloody claws. Me, too. Well, how much can I do?! What is this, the State Duma, to talk about any good project?!
Lisa supported me at my elbow.
- All right, then. Mechislav is the Prince of this city and is not going anywhere. I am his surname. At least for now. Maybe things will change, but are you sure you'll live to see this historic moment?
- What is this, a threat?! - A truth-cutter beaver is outraged.
And the voice is shaking...
Ring of Madness Page 94