by Unknown
Suddenly, a hoarse scream pieced the air. “No!” Terror coursed through him as Kai jumped the bigger man, only to be intercepted and thrown aside with ease. He hit the wall of the building hard, sliding down to the ground like a broken doll.
“Ssstupid, idiotic, worthlesss creature!” Jamari hissed, taking hold of Kai’s neck and lifting him off the ground with one powerful arm. “How dare you ssstand in my way? I’ll eat you alive and digessst you while you’re still breathing, and I’ll make him watch! And after I’m done, I’ll cut him to little piecesss and throw hisss remainsss to the dogsss!”
Unimpressed by this display of power, Kai glared at Jamari with hatred. A smirk appeared on his lips, and to Viktor’s surprise, he head-butted Jamari, causing him to lose focus for a second. Kai’s body disappeared, the form of a beautiful taipan appearing in its place.
As he watched the scene unfold, disbelief gripped Viktor’s mind. Kai was a snake! Of course! It all fit, the blood temperature, the peculiarly hypnotizing eyes, the poison, the speech pattern. Strangely, somewhere deep inside, this didn’t surprise him, not really. Did he know all along? Did he hide the knowledge in a sheltered corner of his mind to avoid the sorrow of being faced with reality? It was very likely. It hurt to realize his mate approached him with the intention to assassinate him, so much so that he didn’t even want to acknowledge it. However, the truth remained that three quarters of all snake shifters became assassins of some sort, selling their services to anyone who could pay to have a rival efficiently and quickly disposed of. Whispers in the pack spoke of a specialized Assassins’ Guild, although its existence had never been confirmed. Even so, something told Viktor that Kai wasn’t like the rest of them. He couldn’t be.
Kai's snake form slithered away from Jamari, disappearing into the darkness. However, Jamari didn’t give up so easily. “Sssstupid sssslut! You think you can essscape me ssso easily?”
A forked tongue crept out of Jamari’s mouth, making him look every bit the snake that he so obviously was. The tongue started darting around left and right, searching for Kai’s hiding place.
When a triumphant smile appeared on Jamari’s face, Viktor knew Kai had been found. The knowledge gave him strength, and Viktor leapt to his feet, his anger morphing into blood lust as he leaped towards his enemy. Jamari hissed when the wolf’s weight landed on his back, Viktor’s sharp teeth snapping at his neck, his front paws ripping into his shoulders and hind legs digging into his back. Taking advantage of the surprise, Viktor greedily tore into sensitive tissue, reveling in the sounds of anger and pain his prey made.
Unfortunately, the element of surprise could only give Viktor a momentary advantage as Jamari’s strength came into play. Jamari’s human form melted into a huge, black king cobra, and the confusing transformation caused Viktor to fall forward, hitting the ground hard. The huge snake raised itself behind him, unblinking eyes staring at him with cruel decisiveness.
The fall barely affected Viktor. He quickly recovered and jumped to his feet, facing Jamari head-on. Viktor’s human mind guessed that the cobra reached at least twenty-six feet long and weighed about one hundred pounds. It was seriously abnormal for a cobra, but Viktor supposed that snake shifters couldn’t be compared to normal snakes, just like werewolves and their animal equivalents couldn’t be compared. It didn’t matter. This snake would die this day, and Viktor would kill it for his beloved mate.
Viktor easily disregarded Jamari’s threatening hiss and paced in wide circles around the snake, waiting for a moment of carelessness. Just one moment would be enough. He could still taste Jamari’s bitter blood in his mouth, and he could imagine himself ripping Jamari’s head from his body. It would be sweet vengeance for daring to attack Kai.
Suddenly, lightning tore through the clouds above, followed a mere breath later by the dark rumble of thunder. Cold rain started to pour, icy hail mixed with drops of rain water. The hail crashed against rooftops and windshields, a force of nature impossible to be denied, denting metal and breaking glass. All around them, the world turned to ice and water as nature unleashed its fury upon the helpless city.
Despite the rain’s intensity, Viktor knew he could have easily ignored the storm. He faced many such natural displays, and they stopped fazing him long ago. Even drenched, his white coat still protected him from the downpour. However, his ears detected a hissing sound somewhere behind him, and he instinctively knew that it came from Kai. Viktor looked in the direction of the sound for a second, startled by the sound of his mate’s pain. Kai seemed to be trying to find a shelter, but the only thing that qualified was the dumpster at the end of the alley, too far for Kai to reach. Kai tried to slither away and make for the dumpster, but the rain obviously affected him, hail crashing into his lithe body.
Distracted by the sight of his mate’s plight, Viktor didn’t sense the danger until it was too late. Jamari lunged for him, and before Viktor could dodge, he wrapped his long body around the wolf. In spite of Viktor’s heavier weight, he found himself helpless when faced with such an attack. He dropped to the ground littered with ice pellets, rolling his body around, hoping to dislodge it. He awkwardly tried to scratch at the snake, to crash it into the walls, but nothing he did affected Jamari. The powerful body of the reptile slowly squeezed the life out of him, effectively cutting off his breath. Viktor’s vision dimmed again, and the sound of the rain and the hail crashing against the concrete seemed to come to him through static. All that hail, all that rain and Kai faced it alone…
Viktor continued to fight, the thought of Kai still helpless in the hail renewing his strength. Inevitably, though, the fight drained out of him, and he felt his life slip away with the last breath of oxygen in his lungs. Distantly, he thought he could feel Jamari’s fangs trying to get to his skin. He was too tired to feel triumph over the fact that Jamari could not bite him because of his coat. He could only think about his beautiful mate, the exquisite creature who risked his life for him and now paid the price. Forgive me, Kai! Please forgive me…
* * * *
In his snake form, Kai watched with horror as Viktor fought Jamari. He knew Viktor didn’t have a chance against his half-brother. In order to survive, Kai had studied Jamari, and he knew all too well the extent of the abilities Jamari inherited from his parents. Kai had met Jamari’s mother, a dark spotted anaconda, and her cruelty surpassed even that of their father, the leader of the Assassin’s Guild. With his size from their father and his color and temperament from his mother, Jamari would probably be their next leader. A venomous constrictor. Ideal for the Assassins’ Guild.
In that moment, Kai knew Jamari wouldn’t live long enough to attain leadership over the Guild. He shifted and took hold of Jamari’s large sword. The falling rain and the ice hitting his naked body seemed like something distant now, unimportant when compared to his goal. He could not allow Jamari to hurt Viktor. No matter what, Viktor needed to live.
His bare feet crushed the ice pellets on the ground, sending shivers of numbing cold through his body. He knew that he should probably find some sort of shelter, some way of protecting himself from the weather, but he simply couldn’t find it in him to care. With no hesitation, he walked towards the two struggling shifters, carefully judging the scene with a skilled eye. He shifted his eyes and his infrared vision took in the way they moved, anticipating and judging the position. He needed to be careful to not hurt Viktor when aiming for Jamari.
Absorbed in squeezing the life out of his current prey, Jamari didn’t see Kai approach. Kai guessed that Jamari tried to steal warmth from Viktor’s body, as the cold weather greatly affected snakes his size. However, in his foolishness, he gave Kai the opening he needed to act. The blade swished through the air, and in a swift motion, Jamari was no more. The tight hold of the snake’s body around the wolf loosened, and Kai had the time to thank whatever deity watched over them before succumbing to the deadly chill that surrounded him.
Chapter Three
Forgive me Kai…Please forgive m
e…. Just as this last thought drifted into his mind, Viktor felt the pressure across his windpipe weaken until it disappeared altogether. Immediately, blessed air flooded Viktor’s lungs. He was alive. He could save Kai now and everything would be all right. He struggled to discard the weight of the snake, but when he looked up to search for his mate, he witnessed the most unlikely sight ever. Kai stood just inches away, naked in the rain, the bloody katana in his hand, a snake head at his feet. Shock and disbelief morphed into terror as Kai fell to the ground and instantly turned back into his reptilian form.
Viktor forced himself to shift back into his human form. The cold rain chilled his blood, and the hail bruised his naked body, but he didn’t care. He lovingly picked up Kai’s snake form from the icy concrete and coiled him around his hands and neck, trying to shelter him from the freezing temperature. Kai’s rust-colored skin felt cold and clammy to the touch, and Viktor’s heart started to beat a thousand miles an hour at the thought that his mate might not survive the ordeal. The rain intensity increased, and Viktor knew Kai needed to be in a dry warm place. The only option would be the club, but how would the staff receive a snake Kai’s size inside? It didn’t help that shifting forms caused Viktor to be naked as well. The club personnel would probably take him for a lunatic, call the cops, and toss Kai back into the rain or worse. No, he needed something else.
A car! He could probably find several cars in front of the club. Hastening in that direction, Viktor looked towards the club entrance and gaped when he realized that, with the exception of his battered bike, he could see no vehicles there. The owners probably decided to move them when the rain started. Where could he hide Kai now?
Viktor could feel despair threatening to overwhelm him, when his gaze fell on the dumpster next to him. It wasn’t the Ritz, but it could at least provide a dry shelter, so it would be much better than standing in the rain. He didn’t have another choice anyway. He only hoped the rain would give way soon, so that he could take Kai to a safer, warmer place.
Without another moment’s hesitation, Viktor rushed to the dumpster. As he opened the metallic lid, the sound of an approaching vehicle drew his attention. Holding Kai protectively under the metal, he squinted to get a better view of the car and its driver. It was a silver Chrysler. Viktor knew that car well. Instantly, he realized the identity of the person behind the wheel and the knowledge woke mixed feelings within him. Suspicion, hope, relief, fear, and bitterness. Flame.
As the car drew closer, Viktor took a deep breath, praying for patience and composure. He felt acutely aware of every second that passed, ticking away mercilessly, stealing Kai from him. Viktor knew that his mate’s life hung by a thread now. Flame could mean Kai’s survival, but if he turned against them…. Viktor could try fighting Flame, but the results would probably be disastrous. Even in the doubtful situation that he would win, the time lost with the fight would probably claim Kai’s life. Besides, he didn’t want to accept that his friend had changed quite so much. Surely Flame couldn’t have anything to do with the assassination attempt.
So Viktor waited. Desperately ignoring the hostile elements of nature, he focused on the approaching car. He didn’t know how much time passed when Flame finally pulled over next to the dumpster and hastily opened the door to the passenger seat, gesturing Viktor inside. “Get in!”
Viktor didn’t wait for a second invitation. He circled the car and got into the passenger seat, still clutching Kai to his chest. He didn’t completely trust Flame, but taking into account the situation, he didn’t have much of a choice. At least the car would be warm and dry, exactly what Kai needed.
At the same time, though, he kept a close watch on Flame, just in case the other werewolf did indeed have malignant intentions. He distantly wished he remembered to take the katana with him. It didn’t matter. Either way, he couldn’t have carried it with Kai in his arms.
“Drive! My place, now! And hurry!” he snapped at Flame, unable to keep the roughness from his tone.
A frown appeared on Flame’s handsome face when he took in Viktor’s appearance. Still, the other werewolf didn’t question him. The tires of the car shrieked as Flame revved the engine and drove out, crushing the pellets of ice covering the ground with an almost eerie sound.
In spite of the warm temperature in the car, Viktor barely managed to suppress his shivers. As the Chrysler sped down the streets of the city, his wet hair clung to his skin, but he felt too worried about his mate to even think about his own discomfort. “Do you have anything warm, a coat, a blanket, something like that?”
Flame nodded. “In the back,” he said, pointing towards a jacket in the back seat. Viktor took the indicated coat and struggled to wrap it around Kai. The material wasn’t very thick, and it didn’t provide for much protection, especially for a snake Kai’s size. True enough, Kai’s body couldn’t really compare to Jamari’s huge weight, but he still seemed to be at least eleven feet long. Even so, the coat was better than nothing. Flame arched a brow and gave him a curious look, but didn’t ask. Viktor thanked God for the little miracle, since he didn’t think he’d be able to face an interrogation right now.
An uncomfortable silence stretched between the two werewolves, broken only by the sound of the windshield wipers ineffectively fighting the elements. “I overheard something in the pack.” Flame suddenly spoke up. “Jessica and the Alpha were talking on the phone with someone, and I immediately understood they would try to kill you. I came right over.”
Viktor absently nodded, unsure of how to respond. His mind couldn’t function properly, clouded by the terror of losing his mate to the elements of nature. As he looked out the passenger window, he saw very little through the curtain of rain. They didn’t even seem to be moving. For once, Rook Valley seemed to have suddenly turned into New York. “Go faster,” he growled at his friend.
Flame frowned at him again, but didn’t question the order. Viktor felt the Chrysler accelerate. Distantly, he acknowledged the fact that the speed endangered all of them. The rain hadn’t stopped, and the hail still battered the metal of the silver car. However, it was a necessary risk. The warmth in the car and the jacket would not be enough to save Kai. Viktor could only hope that his friend was as skilled a driver as he remembered him to be.
The Chrysler skidded on the wet tarmac of the highway, but Flame expertly maneuvered it, controlling the skid to get the vehicle back on track. Even so, when the silver car stopped in front of his house, Viktor almost sighed in relief. Taking a moment to better wrap Kai in Flame’s jacket, he exited the car and headed to his apartment. He cursed when he realized that he lost his keys during the attack at the club. Well, fuck it!
Growling, he kicked the door, and it opened with a crash. Even if solid and almost unbreakable for a human, the wood couldn’t take the pressure of an angry, fully-grown werewolf. He ignored the alarm that started screeching with his violent entrance and hastened to the bathroom, Kai’s snake form still coiled in his arms. He immediately ran the hot water in the shower and entered the cubicle, cradling the unmoving reptile to chest.
The scorching hot water hurt, but also did wonders for Viktor’s frozen arms and legs. Yet, despite the high temperature, Viktor’s blood still felt like ice in his veins. Kai did not transform back into his human form, and Viktor knew that this was most definitely a bad thing. Even so, Viktor refused to give up. As the minutes ticked by, he gently bathed Kai in the hot water, hoping against all hope that it would help revive his beautiful mate.
* * * *
Cold…. He was so cold. Somewhere he could feel a warmth he knew and yearned for. But he found himself surrounded by pain, and Kai didn’t want to feel it any longer.
He swirled back, lost in a whirlpool of icy darkness. Suddenly, the darkness turning crimson red and the nauseating, yet familiar scent of blood filled his nostrils, coppery liquid invading his lungs, choking him. Flashes of a long forgotten past, of a sorrow buried deep inside invaded his mind and Kai found himself in another place, in a
different time.
The two assassins grinned as they dunked the beautiful woman in the cold water. Fat tears flowed liberally on Kai’s cheeks as he watched his mother being tortured.
“No, mother, no, please…” He dared a glance at the tall man behind him and pleaded, his eyes in tears. “Father, please, stop them…. You have to stop them!”
The man’s black eyes narrowed, and he squeezed the child’s shoulder, crushing the still-fragile bones under his strong fingers. Ignoring Kai’s cry of pain, he hissed. “Don’t call me that, whelp. What makesssssssss you believe you can order me around?”
Kai’s cries died as Tamara’s human form melted into a graceful dark-rust taipan. The assassins laughed as they threw Kai’s mother down on the grass. Tamara tried to slither away and hide, but finding safety with so many assassins around would be impossible. All of a sudden, a new person emerged from the group. “Now, father, please. The boy wants us to stop. Surely we can grant him this request.”
The Guild leader grinned at his eldest son. “Of course, Jamari. Perhaps that would be wise.”
Kai watched his brother, confusion, suspicion, and hope warring inside of him. Jamari spent the better part of his days tormenting him. Why would he try to help save his mother? Why would he interfere?
Tamara must have known this as well, because she instinctively tried to disappear into the greenery. However, her movements looked sluggish and uncoordinated, and she didn’t have time to make her escape. One minute Jamari stood by their father’s side and the next his muscular form shifted into a huge king cobra. Kai’s eyes widened in horror, and he tried to step forward, forgetting all about his father’s strong hold on him. The man laughed as Jamari lunged for Tamara, easily cutting her escape.