by Unknown
Kai’s peculiar eyes twinkled with an indescribable emotion, and he nodded, looking away from Viktor’s scrutiny. The wolf immediately sensed that his mate was distressed for some reason and whined, the need to comfort and the need to couple merging into a single, all-encompassing emotion. Viktor reached for Kai’s hand, caressing it gently. “Is everything all right?” he asked, both his human and his animal sides concerned.
“Yes. Everything is fine,” Kai answered snappishly, glaring at the liquid in his glass.
Kai’s attitude changed in mere seconds, shifting before Viktor’s very eyes. “I’m sorry. Thank you for your concern. You’re sweet.” Kai passed a cool hand over Viktor’s cheek, a gentle caress that made Viktor’s wolf want to wag his tail and Viktor the human hard as a rock.
“What do you say we take this someplace else?” Kai whispered in his ear. The seductive whisper froze the protest Viktor wanted to make in his throat. He nodded, the heat inside of him too strong for him to counter now.
“Good. I’ll go out first. Wait a few minutes and then meet me in the back.” With those final instructions still echoing between them, Kai placed a bill on the counter in payment for his drink. Viktor remained dead still when his mate pressed the smallest of kisses to his lips and then turned around, melting into the crowd.
Chapter Two
As he headed towards the back door of the club, Kai struggled to focus on the task ahead. He couldn’t think about how breathtaking Viktor looked, about how perfect his touch felt on Kai’s hand.
He refused to dwell on foolish thoughts and wishes. Viktor couldn’t melt the perpetual ice in his heart. Even if Kai were willing to give Viktor a chance, the fact remained that Viktor needed to die, and by Kai’s hand. No amount of useless hoping could change that.
Struggling to shut down that part that screamed at him to stop this insanity, Kai exited the club and leaned against a wall to wait. His target would soon come after him, of that he was certain. Viktor would have fucked him on a club table if he thought he could get away with it. He would not linger much just because Kai told him to be discrete.
Kai dug his nails into his palms as a flash of Viktor’s flustered smile passed before his eyes. Could he really do this? He didn’t even know if Jamari would keep his word and allow him to leave the Guild. Perhaps it would be all for naught. Why would his half-brother suddenly accept his wishes, when all their lives they’d been enemies?
In truth, Kai thought that Jamari didn’t actually want him in the Guild. Since they were both sons of the Guild leader, they both had the right to take over once their father agreed to it or went into hibernation. Normally, assassins refrained from hibernating in winter, but after a certain age, it became much too difficult to withstand the pull of the animal within them. Kai suspected that upon their father’s first hibernation, Jamari would try to get rid of the man and take over the Guild. But, if their father died, Kai would also be a candidate for leadership, and in spite of his size and looks, Kai earned a certain position in the Guild through his skills.
Acknowledging Jamari’s plans still didn’t help him find a response to his mental dilemma. What should he do about Viktor Petrovic? Could he truly hurt the werewolf? Kai didn’t know, and he really didn’t want to find out.
* * * *
Viktor tried to follow Kai’s instructions, he really did. He even managed to wait one minute on the clock. In the end, there was only so much that the animal within could accept. Right now, the wolf didn’t feel very pleased with the prospect of remaining in an establishment filled with disgusting, worthless humans, when he knew a horny, perfect mate waited for him just outside.
He placed a second bill onto the counter, not even giving attention to the more than generous tip he left behind. The hunt for his mate was on.
The club seemed even busier now, suddenly overwhelming Viktor’s sensitive senses, a variety of scents and sounds, all clamoring for his attention. Unfazed, he consciously blocked out all the offensive odors, focusing on the traces left by his elusive mate, his body already welcoming the excitement of the hunt. Following the scent, he delved farther into the club, his wolf’s hackles rising in silent warning. Something about the direction the scent led him in worried him. Kai told him that he would wait for him out in the back of the club, but why would that be necessary? Why did Kai take off so suddenly and interrupt their conversation?
Alarm bells started to ring in his mind, giving him the distinct impression that danger lay ahead. Even so, Viktor knew he would not back down. Nothing could stop him from going after his mate. Every part of him screamed for Kai's presence, yearning for his touch, drowning out the warning.
Determined, Viktor walked out of the club and into the moonlit night. Caution thrown to the wind, his hungry gaze fell on the form of his mate lying in wait, his leather-clad body leaning against the wall. Viktor took a deep breath, suppressing the urge to jump the other man and ravage him.
“Hey,” Kai whispered softly, licking his lips.
“Hey.” Viktor swallowed, praying for composure. He was so hard it hurt, but he needed to focus on their future relationship, rather than on dealing with his enflamed libido. What did one say when one finds his mate? Hey, you know what? You're my mate, and we're fated to be together for all our lives. So, wanna fuck? No, that would never do.
Luckily, Kai saved him from his dilemma. “It’s a beautiful night tonight.”
Viktor agreed with a nod. “Yes, it is.” He took a step forward and caressed the flawless skin of Kai’s cheek. Like Kai’s palm, it was almost unnaturally cool and pale like the moon. “But not as beautiful as you.”
He mentally winced at the terrible cliché, especially when seeing the mirth that twinkled in his mate’s surreal gaze.
“I’ve always had a soft spot for full moons.” Viktor froze at Kai’s softly-spoken words. Could he possibly know about…? Viktor mentally shook his head. Kai couldn’t know about the existence of werewolves. It had to be just a coincidence.
“Is something the matter?” Kai smiled, his expression unreadable. In the light of the moon, it made his skin look marble white, almost surreally pale, his eyes shifting unnaturally. It looked hypnotic, mesmerizing, and it made Viktor’s blood boil and his thoughts scatter to the point of madness. A growl emerged from Viktor’s chest a second before he pushed his mate against the wall, pinning his hands above his head and meshing their lips together.
His mate’s tongue wrapped around Viktor’s in a dance of seduction as they kissed and rubbed against each other, insane with arousal. Oddly, the coolness he’d registered before entirely disappeared, and Viktor made short work of the other man’s leather top, slashing it with his claws and discarding it in one swift movement. Then he feasted on his mate’s pink nipples, which instantly perked up and pebbled at his touch. Moaning, Kai arched his back, exposing the pale column of his neck.
“Mmm, nice,” Viktor rumbled, reveling in the taste of his mate on his tongue. The animal inside of him became almost feral with lust, and Viktor lost the battle with his other side completely, no longer caring about anything but taking his mate. The wolf needed to mate, needed to possess the body of his other half. There was no more time for conversation, no more time for courtship. His claws deftly removed the rest of the leather outfit hiding that perfect body from sight and granted him access to his hardness. Kai hissed at the touch, moaning. “Oh, yessssss, there! Oh, please!”
Viktor smiled as Kai struggled and writhed in his arms. The beast inside him reveled in Kai’s loss of control, in the implicit submission and total surrender. Still holding Kai’s hands pinned over his head, he sunk his teeth into Kai’s neck, the feeling of marking his mate flooding his senses.
The sizzling heat of Kai’s blood almost burned in Viktor’s veins. It was the most exhilarating sensation Viktor had ever experienced in his life. As he reveled in Kai’s taste, he felt a shift in the air, like something was about to happen. The next thing he knew, Kai sank his own teeth into his neck
.
* * * *
As Viktor’s mouth devoured his own, Kai tried to comprehend what was happening to him. Snakes weren’t creatures of passion and he’d never known that the touch of another could bring him such bliss. He’d always been aware of his powers of seduction, but whenever he lured his prey to their deaths, they had never managed to steal more than a kiss from him. Now, in the arms of the werewolf, Kai felt like his world melted, the warmth of the werewolf’s body turning his cold blood into lava. Somehow he managed to answer, but what came out seemed like a pathetic mockery of his own voice. Was that him, clinging to the werewolf like a slut? Could that be his voice pleading for more, begging for Viktor to touch him? Was he really no better than those idiotic humans?
Suddenly, Kai could see himself from the outside, and the image shamed him. The way he writhed against the werewolf, rubbing against Viktor’s body… It wasn’t acceptable.
Everything started to fall apart around him. He couldn’t allow the werewolf to shake him like this. He didn’t come to the club in search of pleasure, but in search of freedom. One last kill and it would all be over. One last kill and he’d be free to start a new life. Yes, he had to do this. As much as he hated the thought, he needed to kill Viktor Petrovic.
Without allowing himself another moment to change his mind, Kai took advantage of Viktor’s distraction and struck. It would take but a moment, only a moment, to hold on and allow the venom to slip into his victim’s body. Kai’s venom held one of the most potent poisons in existence. Just a few drops would easily kill a fully grown adult male.
It was easy, too easy. Viktor didn’t even fight it. And maybe for that reason, Kai found himself unable to allow himself to hold on to the bite. Somehow, this thing, this kill, everything about the whole night, was so wrong.
Why did he even feel like this? He’d long ago schooled himself to forgo his conscience when on a job, to put aside his guilt for taking a life. This time, he couldn’t do it. He hurt when he realized that even with his change of heart, the venom still entered Viktor’s body and started to do its job. He felt the pain of the werewolf’s heartbreak like his own. His fangs retracted almost by their own volition, and Kai allowed the limp body of the wolf to slide to the ground.
Seeing Viktor in pain and knowing that he’d been the cause of that pain nearly tore him apart. In that moment, Kai hated himself more than ever. He hated what he was, what he’d always been. He wanted to take everything back, to start the evening all over again and do things differently, but he knew he couldn’t. Viktor would never believe him now. He’d lost his chance for love before he even had it.
* * * *
In different circumstances, Viktor would have felt ecstatic about the fact that Kai wanted to mark him, just as he marked Kai. Alas, he felt the bite wound burn, weakness seeping into his body, and he knew that he’d been right to fear danger. Viktor’s heart broke as he realized that Kai betrayed him.
As if purposely trying to further the feeling of hurt and betrayal present in Viktor’s heart, Kai freed himself from Viktor’s grip, easily pushing him aside. As his vision dimmed and his muscles went lax, Viktor found himself unable to fight the separation. Dizzy, he wobbled on his feet, futilely trying to fight off the effects of the peculiar bite. He didn’t have a chance. Viktor fell on his knees as it seemed to take over his every limb, leaving him numb and unable to move. Viktor finally understood that somehow, his mate had poisoned him. Kai’s touch – the touch he’d desired for so long – would now kill him.
Distantly, Viktor wondered how exactly Kai could do that to him, but it didn’t really matter. He couldn’t find it in himself to care that he would die when it was his mate that killed him. Every instinct for survival fell into the background, overcome by heartbreak. If Kai wanted him dead, then he’d accept it. It was as simple as that. Kai’s indifferent look, just as cold and distant as the moon, already became too much for him to stand, more poisonous than whatever venom entered his blood. Death meant nothing in comparison to the pain crushing his heart, and Viktor wished he could stop feeling altogether.
His wish, however, was not meant to be fulfilled. His senses cleared for but a moment, and Viktor realized that he could once again smell Kai’s tantalizing scent and savor the taste of Kai’s blood in his mouth. Somewhere in the distance, he thought he heard the rumbling of thunder. The moment passed him by in a flash, and he barely had time to register the numbness starting to disappear when his immune system began to fight the poison, two enemies vying for supremacy over his blood and his existence. The battle between life and death unleashed a new flood of agony within him.
Jolts and jolts of pain tortured Viktor’s body until he felt like he was locked within an iron maiden, unable to escape, every second twisting his insides, stealing his air and piercing his flesh with invisible daggers. Viktor gritted his teeth, attempting to suppress the screams born inside his chest. He was unwilling to display further weakness, and he hated the fact that he couldn’t hide the unbearable agony.
Just as suddenly as the pain had started, it faded away. His body finally stopped writhing, and helpless as a pup, Viktor collapsed again, boneless, onto the pavement. As it happened in moments of extreme weakness, his human shape blurred and disappeared, leaving only a white wolf behind.
The humiliating feeling of helplessness irked Viktor to no end and he uselessly tried to get on his feet, only to fall back down on the ground mere seconds later, panting. However, all feeling of dismay vanished as if by magic when Kai’s gentle hand passed through his fur in a ghostly caress. The sensation made Viktor want to wag his tail, in spite of the weakness.
A soft whisper escaped Kai’s lips, echoing a deep and hidden sorrow Viktor could feel as if it were his own. “I’m sorry…”
Suddenly, his own pain didn’t matter. Viktor wanted to reassure his mate, to take the sorrow in Kai’s voice away, to protect him forever. He didn’t get the chance. Kai hastily got up and looked up at the clouds, frowning. Viktor could smell the coming rain in the air, and he vaguely wondered why a little storm would bother Kai. The thought disappeared from his mind when Viktor caught the scent of another individual.
Viktor’s lupine eyes darted to the end of the alley, and the sight of the new arrival pulled a growl from his chest. In wolf form, he couldn’t distinguish color, but he didn’t need it to realize the danger the stranger represented. Like Kai, he wore a leather outfit hugging his large, muscular body. Where Kai exuded elegance and confidence, this man oozed darkness, threat, and cruel power. The darkness seemed to echo in his outward appearance, as both the man’s skin and hair seemed a flawless black. The stranger blended so perfectly into the night, a deadly predator waiting to strike, looming in the shadows in silent anticipation. His cruelly-handsome looks and his virility only contributed to the aura of danger that surrounded him.
“Well, well…. If it isn’t little Kaiden.” The man gave a little chuckle, but it sounded nothing like genuine amusement. “How is the job going?”
“It’s going just fine,” Kai said coldly.
“Really?” The man arched a brow towards him. “Hmm…I’d like to check that for myself, if you don’t mind.”
The stranger stepped farther into the alley, apparently intending to make good on his words by checking on Viktor. Startlingly, Kai halted the other man’s approach. “Stay out of this, Jamari! It’s none of your business!”
“I don’t think so, Kai.” The new arrival, Jamari, chuckled. “It’s my duty to help my little brother when he needs it, you know?”
“This is my job, not yours!” Kai said, his voice low and threatening.
Heedless of Kai’s silent threat, Jamari shrugged and pushed him out of the way. As Jamari approached again, Viktor, instinctively sensing danger, snarled viciously. Jamari arched a dark brow. “Your job, huh? Well, apparently you’re not doing it very well. He doesn’t look like he’s dying to me. Care to explain that?”
Kai didn’t even flinch at the accusing tone,
but Viktor could easily tell that it was a mask. He seemed as tense as a bow string, but when he spoke, his voice revealed nothing of the turmoil within him. “It’s just his body’s last stand. He’ll be finished soon enough.”
Jamari’s face darkened, anger and hatred twisting his features. “You know asss well asss I do that thisss isn’t sssupposed to happen. Ssstupid boy, can’t you do anything right?”
Kai clenched his jaw, the insult seemingly getting to him. “He isss a werewolf. It’sss natural that thingsss are sssomewhat different.”
Instinctively, Viktor knew Kai was lying. He felt the effect of the poison starting to disappear. He didn’t know why such a thing would happen, but Jamari needed to be kept in the dark. Therefore, Viktor stopped moving. Even on a normal day, Jamari would be a worthy opponent. He would try for a more indirect approach. Maybe take him down by surprise. This way, Kai wouldn't have to explain why the venom wore off.
Viktor forced his body into stillness, faking unconsciousness and ignoring the way Jamari’s presence burned into him like a firebrand. The seconds felt like hours as they passed by in silence. Finally, Jamari spoke. “Well, he’s out cold, even if he is alive. I suppose the client did specify that we kill him slowly.”
“You see? What did I tell you?” Kai scoffed. “Just get out of here already and let me do my job!”
Even if Kai’s tone sounded rough, Viktor somehow knew that Kai wanted to deceive Jamari. However, Jamari didn’t allow himself to be so easily convinced. “Still, I’d rather kill him now, just to make sure. The client doesn’t have to know, right?”
At the proclamation, Viktor opened his eyes, only to observe as Jamari produced a large katana that had been strapped to his back. The blade shone in the moonlight, drawing his gaze like a magnet. Viktor was staring at his death. He just knew it. His body still struggled against the aftermath of the poisoning, and he couldn’t possibly expect to win this fight. The knowledge cut him to the core. He wanted so many things. He wanted to touch Kai again, to hold him, to whisper sweet nothings in his ear as they made love. He wanted to live, to fight and to protect his mate, but apparently he wouldn’t get the chance. He would die alone, just as he’d lived.