“Nice to meet you,” Sergei said, enjoying the teasing. Lindy tugged on his hand and led him to the Christmas tree. She sat cross-legged on the floor next to the pile of packages. He joined her.
His heart hurt suddenly with missing his brothers and his little sister-in-law, Sonya. He’d called and told them where he was, but had no idea when or if they would come to America to join him. If he took over the Argent pack, he might never see his family again. Whether he did or not, Lindy wouldn’t be happy away from her family, so it looked like Montana would be his new home.
Lindy squeezed his hand. “They won’t bite.”
“I didn’t think they would. They’re not lycans.”
Lindy burst out laughing. Her family paused to look at them and then went back to their conversations.
“Lindy, since you’re sitting by the tree, you can be Santa this year,” Gwen said carrying an extra chair into the room from the kitchen.
Lindy jumped up and started to distribute the packages. Several of the presents were set next to him, surprising Sergei. When the space under the tree was empty, Lindy sat down again.
“Okay, everyone. Merry Christmas,” Lindy said.
“Merry Christmas!” everyone shouted as they began to unwrap the gifts.
“Go ahead, Sergei,” Lindy urged him.
Sergei smiled, touched by the thoughtfulness of Lindy’s family. He picked up the first gift and read the tag, from Raven and Cara. He opened the package to find a blue silk shirt inside.
“I thought the color might bring out your eyes,” Cara said.
Sergei ran his hands over the fabric, enjoying the softness of the material. “It’s beautiful, thank you.”
Cara nodded, pleased. Raven looked over and smiled. Sergei reached for the next package. It was from Isanti. He opened the small box to find two wedding rings inside. A running wolf encircled the band of each. Sergei handed them to Lindy.
“Oh, Dad, they’re beautiful.”
“You two need to set a date now that you’re sleeping together,” Isanti said with a warning grumble. Lindy blushed.
Sergei took the rings from her hand and rose to one knee. “Lindy, I know that the lycan mating bond snapped into place and your Shadow marked us as mates. Since meeting you and being with you these past few days, I’ve realized how much you mean to me and how important a mate can be. Will you marry me?”
Katherine and Cara couldn’t hold in the “awws” that naturally fell from their lips. Isanti smiled and nodded. Sergei loved the way Lindy’s gaze softened when she looked at him.
“Yes, Sergei. I’ll marry you.”
“Yes!” Raven and Derek shouted. Cara clapped her hands. Gwen sat quietly in her chair watching.
“Cara and I will help with the planning,” Katherine said. “What date are you thinking?”
“As soon as possible,” Isanti said with a wink. Everyone chuckled.
The family went back to opening presents. Sergei opened an obsidian knife from Derek and Katherine that could be carried into Shadow without disintegrating. The last box came from Gwen. Sergei looked up in surprise catching her eye. She nodded and gave a little smile. He opened it to find a blue scarf made of the softest wool. Sergei took it out of the wrapping and put it on liking the feel on his skin. Gwen smiled and then dropped her eyes. Isanti reached over and patted her knee and then whispered something to her. She nodded.
Lindy began to laugh uproariously at something, taking Sergei’s attention away from Gwen. She pulled a bright pink T-shirt from a box. On its front in black letters it read “Shadow Walkers do it in the dark.”
“Oh, I want one. Who’s it from?” Cara asked as everyone joined in the laughter.
“It’s from me,” Gwen said.
“We should order them at headquarters,” Derek commented.
Raven nodded. Lindy looked at Sergei, her eyes shining with happiness. She was beautiful. He felt himself fall a little deeper in love with her. Once he thought he would never find a mate and now he’d found this perfect woman. Hopefully the same would happen for his brothers.
§
Sergei passed a plate of turkey to Dr. Rick who sat on his right. Lindy passed Sergei the gravy. She was glad to see him chatting with the people around him. Raven and Sergei seemed to be getting along really well. It helped that Sergei seemed to dote on Cara. Lindy might have been jealous, but then everyone doted on Cara. There was something about her.
About twenty other people showed up that afternoon. Sergei helped set up extra tables and chairs while Lindy helped Gwen in the kitchen. All the women discussed ideas for the wedding, suggesting color schemes and flower options. Lindy’s mind raced with possibilities. Everything happened so fast.
“Oh, Lindy,” Raven said. “I forgot to tell you. I have a new job contract for you in Washington D.C. at the Pentagon. General Holland has an opening in his staff office. It’s not as exotic as Russia, but the pay is good.”
“Washington D.C.?” Lindy looked around the room. She loved being home.
“Lindy doesn’t need to work. I have plenty of money to support us,” Sergei said matter-of-factly. Lindy looked over in annoyance. She didn’t want the job, but she could speak for herself.
“Lindy should decide on her own if she wants to work,” Gwen jumped in.
“Lindy is mated now and soon to be married as is your custom,” Sergei pointed out.
Lindy groaned. “Stop both of you! I can take care of this myself. Neither one of you should make decisions for me. I’m a big girl, fully capable of deciding on my own.”
“But Lindy…” Gwen began.
Lindy glared at her sister, and then winked. She loved that Gwen cared enough to butt into her business. That’s what family did after all. Lindy glanced up at Sergei. He waited patiently to hear her response. She turned to Raven.
“I appreciate the offer, but I’m not willing to take a job so far away from home. I missed all of you terribly while I was in Russia and even though I could Shadow Walk home on most weekends, it isn’t the same as living here.” Lindy put her hand on Sergei’s knee and squeezed. “Now if there is a job at Isanti or somewhere here in Montana, then I am willing to consider it.”
“Lindy,” Sergei said.
A shiver ran up her spine. That’s all it took with her new mate, her name on his lips. “I said consider. That means think about it,” she sent to him through their link. He nodded.
§
Sergei liked how Lindy stood up for herself. He had a tendency to forget that she was a strong woman. Even while wounded, she had established a connection to him and he was a protective man. His mate could handle her family on her own. He wondered how she would handle the pack. As a human female, she wasn’t as strong or fast as a lycan. Still, she might have inherited some lycan traits from her grandmothers. He’d need to keep her close. Find a second-in-charge he could trust. Too bad his brothers weren’t here.
“Sergei could you pass the gravy?” Cara asked.
He reached for the gravy and picked it up when a telepathic shriek filled his mind.
“He’s hurting her. Sergei. Help!”
Sergei lost control of the gravy boat and it crashed to the table spilling across the tablecloth. Gasps sounded around the room. Sergei saw through a child’s eyes. She ran around headstones.
“I’ve got to get to the cemetery! Kylie and Julie are in trouble!” Sergei leapt from his chair and grabbed his leather jacket.
“I can Shadow Walk you there,” Lindy said rising.
“You’re not going alone!” Gwen gasped. She rose from her chair as did Raven and several others.
“We’ve got to hurry!” Sergei insisted, his heart racing. He could feel Kylie’s terror.
Lindy took his hand and opened a door into Shadow. Raven grabbed his other hand and they walked through. Sergei didn’t know how many came behind Raven and didn’t really care. He must get to Kylie now!
They walked out of Shadow onto a road overlooking a cemetery. A beat up
gold sedan sat parked, the driver’s side door open.
“Fan out. Keep your eyes open.” Raven directed the Shadow Walkers that appeared around them. He looked inside and shook his head.
Snow covered the ground and small glimpses of red and green could be seen from flower arrangements scattered amongst the headstones.
The first thing Sergei smelled was blood. He ran down the hill, following the scent, weaving around the headstones. First he saw Julie lying on the ground. No, no, no. Whoever did this would pay.
He kneeled down, searching for a pulse. She was alive. He checked her for injuries. Someone beat her. Her clothes were torn and she bled from several scratches on her face and arms. Luckily, no bones were broken. Sergei reached for her wolf spirit.
“You will shift. NOW!” He commanded her using his Alpha voice.
White lights surrounded her form and then a young wolf lay on the ground. She shook her head and opened her eyes. “Kylie,” she asked.
Touching her mind told him she was still confused and traumatized. Lindy and Gwen knelt down beside them.
“Help her,” Sergei commanded and was up and running again. He pictured Kylie in his mind, remembering the baby powder smell of her skin. He sniffed the air, searching.
There. He found it. He followed it away from the road and headstones toward the woods surrounding the cemetery. The scent of blood once more filled the air and Sergei ran faster. Please let the little one be all right.
He saw a body lying in the snow, too large to be Kylie. Then a shaft of sunlight bounced off golden curls and a pink parka to the right. He ran to the child, her body crumpled against a tree. Gently, he turned her over checking for a pulse. It was there. Breathing a sigh of relief, he searched her for injuries. Her arm was broken. He couldn’t command her to shift until the bone was set. He didn’t want to take a chance on crippling her wolf. Looking around, he spied several small branches and grabbed two to splint her arm. Tearing pieces off his shirt, he soon had it done and then took off his leather coat to cover the child.
“Sergei,” Isanti called. “Henry is asking for you.”
Sergei lifted the child in his arms and handed her to Raven. “Her arm must be set before she shifts.” He hurried over to where Isanti knelt next to Henry.
Blood trickled from Henry’s mouth. He wheezed when he tried to breathe. “You should shift,” Sergei said.
“Won’t help. I told you I couldn’t beat Chuck in a fight. Stopped him from raping Julie though. He wanted to force her to mate with him so he could fight in the Alpha challenge.”
A wolf howl sounded on the air. Sergei looked up as twenty or more wolves appeared out of the trees. They surrounded Sergei and Isanti where they kneeled next to Henry. One of the wolves shifted and Allie Lee stood naked in the snow, her long silver hair acting like a cloak. She walked up and joined the group around Henry. Taking his hand, tears fell from her eyes.
“Chuck is considered rogue. He’ll have to be put down. Silas helped him. They both ran when Sergei and the others appeared on the road.” Henry coughed and more blood came from his mouth. “I name Sergei Sokolov as my heir and successor. The pack is yours now, son. Guard her well.” Henry coughed and gurgled. Then he exhaled, falling quiet.
Sergei reached over and closed the old man’s eyes. Then he lifted his head to the sky and howled out his grief. Voices raised as all the lycans joined him.
§
Tears fell from Lindy’s eyes. Her throat constricted. She too felt the need to howl at what happened. She’d smelled the blood in the air with Sergei and stayed connected to him when he found Kylie and Henry.
Gwen took Kylie from Raven and closed her eyes. She placed her hands on the child’s arm. Warmth came from Gwen’s touch. A short time later, Gwen opened her eyes.
“The bone is set. Sergei can command her to shift now.”
Sergei hurried over and placed his hand on Kylie’s forehead. Lindy heard his command clearly in her mind through their link.
“You will shift. NOW!”
Lindy gasped when white light’s surrounded not only Kylie, but Gwen and her as well. Her bone’s broke and reformed. Fur sprang from her skin and ran down her body. Her tailbone elongated. The pain was agonizing. It was over in an instant.
Lindy blinked her eyes open and looked down to see her pants hanging off her back legs and her shirt torn. She panted. Panic began to take over. Sergei’s quiet presence filled her mind and settled her. “You’re fine. All of you. Don’t panic!” he commanded them.
Lindy looked at Gwen’s silver and gray fur and then down at the pup that lay between her paws.
Chapter Ten
Sergei held tightly to the link to Lindy’s mind. She was close to panicking and he needed her to stay quiet. Quickly he divested first Kylie and then Gwen and Lindy of their clothes. Kylie ran over to her sister. Raven and Hugh stood nearby their mouths hanging open. Isanti walked over and petted both girls on the head.
“I knew you could do it,” he said proudly. “The Nuni Nagi have mated with lycans and other magical races for many generations.”
Allie Lee walked up. She wore one of the men’s leather coats. She leaned down to stare into first Gwen and then Lindy’s face. “Your grandmothers would be so proud. Gwen you are a natural healer. You should join the Order of Asena. My twin sister Jennifer is the oldest priestess. She will be arriving in a few minutes to remove Henry’s body and prepare it for burial.”
“Sergei, please. I want to change back.” Lindy whined and fidgeted.
“Of course, Lindy. You’ve torn your clothes and it would be better if you Shadow Walked back to the house first.”
“No. Now!” The wolf raised its head and howled. Sergei looked around in surprise when several of the lycans answered her call.
Sergei petted her head. “All right. First you must calm yourself. You too, Gwen. Close your eyes and picture yourself in human form. Really visualize every little thing, like you were going to Shadow Walk.” Sergei stayed in Lindy’s mind. He sent her reassurance and strength through the mating bond. He checked in on Gwen and was glad to see her body already preparing to make the shift. Using his Alpha voice he commanded them. “You will shift to human form, NOW!”
White light’s coalesced around the two wolves and in moments two naked women stood before him. Sergei swirled his coat around Lindy while Raven handed his coat to Gwen. The two women picked up the remains of their clothes and Raven took them by the arm preparing to Shadow Walk them back to Isanti’s house.
“I’ll be home in a little while. I need to see that Henry is taken care of,” Sergei said.
“Please be careful,” Lindy said. “Chuck is still out there somewhere.”
“A truck parked down the road from the cemetery. Whoever it was peeled out leaving tracks in the ground. Hugh will stay with you, Sergei, and take you back to the house,” Raven said, already leading the women into a shadow.
Sergei glanced at Hugh who still watched Raven and the women. Then Hugh looked around at the wolves wandering around the cemetery. “Wolf shifters. Why didn’t anyone tell me?”
“I think Raven would say, ‘Need to know.’” Sergei smiled.
Hugh laughed. “You’ve figured out the chief pretty well. Sounds like something he would say. I wonder what else is out there I don’t know about.”
“Be careful what you ask for,” Joe said walking up to them. “You might find out more than you bargained for.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Hugh asked.
“Let’s just say, there’s a reason General Holland knows about the Shadow Walkers. He recruits agents with special abilities.”
“He does? Guess I need to do a little digging.”
“I wouldn’t. Like us, most of the magical beings don’t want to be found. General Holland won’t thank you for sticking your nose into things.”
“Sergei,” Allie said, walking with a woman who must be her identical twin. “This is my sister, Jenny Lee. She’s the senior p
riestess of the Order of Asena.”
“Mr. Sokolov, I understand Henry named you as his successor. The Order and Elder Council will have to approve your candidacy as our new Alpha.”
“I’m sorry, I don’t understand,” Sergei said. What went on here?
“In America we have a checks and balance system to run our packs. You may have been named by the Alpha, which is the executive branch of our government, the Elder council is the legislative, while the Order of Asena is the judicial. We’ll need to approve your qualifications to take over the Alpha position.”
“What exactly do I need to do?”
§
Sergei sighed as he signed the last piece of paper on the application to be named Alpha. He glanced around the office and saw a few of Henry’s things lying around including a computer. His heart still hurt at the loss of the old Alpha. This kind of bureaucracy felt like a waste of time in his mind. Henry named his successor and that should be the end of it. But this was America and they did things differently. If he wanted to live here, he’d need to understand the rules.
“I’m sorry to insist on all this paperwork, Sergei,” Allie said, picking up the pile of papers and tapping them on the desk. “Our records must be complete. The Order and Council will meet forthwith and name you temporary Alpha. You’ll be expected to meet any challengers tomorrow for the official Alpha Challenge.”
“How exactly does that work?” Sergei asked.
“Lycans interested in taking over a pack check out which packs are having Alpha Challenges this year. They fill out the paperwork and apply either online or through the mail. Then they enter a tournament to see who comes out the winner. Once a final winner is chosen, then that entrant challenges the Alpha of the pack and whoever wins is the new Alpha. This year the caveat says you have to be mated. That made the numbers of entrants who were eligible lower than past years.”
“So the current or temporary Alpha only fights once,” Sergei said.
“Yes. It was too much to ask for one man to fight all of the challengers.”
Shadow Mate Page 10