by Louisa Bacio
He assessed the setting. The windows must be the most difficult to put together, but while there were not as many in a traditional, commercial house, the picturesque home featured two: one in the main room and one in the bedroom. He knocked on the window, testing it out. How in the world did they get glass to install those?
“You’d be amazed at what one can order online. I actually asked about those windows. There are websites devoted to accessories for one’s cabin. Well, maybe you wouldn’t be too surprised since you were training with Lawrence.”
Sure, but finding an old, dusty copy of a first-edition book was so much different from freakin’ making houses. This Viktor possessed skills that Nick couldn’t even fathom. What could he do? Make a good drink at Club Blood? Stake a vampire without much of a second thought, and run pretty damn fast? If he was going to survive much in the great outdoors, odds were he was going to have to expand his skill set.
“You doing all right?” Silver asked.
“Just a lot to take in.”
“My room has that window, and it’s built for the light to stream in during the day. Not the best location for you.”
She didn’t have to say it: For a vampire who would disintegrate in the midday heat. That also meant, though, that he didn’t get to snuggle with Silver in bed, either. He wasn’t sure what he was expecting once he found her, but this wasn’t it.
“I’ll show you where everything’s at, and you can make yourself feel comfortable, but for sleeping I think it’s going to have to be the cellar for you.”
“The what?”
“The cellar, where we keep food in order for it to stay fresh during longtime storage, like during the winter. It’s dug into the ground, has no windows or other sources of outside light. We can put the door locks on an automatic timer so no one disturbs you for the day.”
Damn. Like Dracula, or another one of those old-time vamps. He was resigned to hiding out in a hole dug in the ground. At least she didn’t expect him to sleep in a coffin. And while he was doing the sleep of the dead during the daylight hours, he wondered what Romeo Viktor was going to be doing with Silver. Obviously, something was going on between the two of them. Even if they had not fully acknowledged it, that moment wasn’t too far off in the future.
Either Nick had gotten there just in the nick of time, or he was already too late.
Silver left the bedroom door partially opened. Nick would have pulled it shut the entire way, but odds were that Viktor would come barreling in immediately. She turned down the portable light and stripped off her shirt, leaving on her bra, and climbed into bed.
The sight of her bare skin and pulsating vein immediately sky-rocketed Nick’s senses. She smelled so good naturally, without all those manmade perfumes. In everyday life, he couldn’t contain himself. Now, with her innate senses flowing, he purposely had to keep his desires intact.
As fast as possible, Nick chucked his own shirt and jeans, and slid into bed next to his lover. Her skin warmed his hands. He smoothed his palms down her arms, and moved in closer, breathing her in.
“You don’t know how much I’ve missed you,” he whispered. “I would do anything for you.”
“I’ll keep that in mind,” she lightly teased back. “Right now, though, think about your needs, and feed your hunger. We have time to work on everything else.”
Usually, Nick fed from Silver when they made love, with his cock sunk deep inside her. He’d sink his teeth into her neck, or on the large vein on her thigh muscle while going down on her. Now, with her mostly clothed and him in a state of undress, it felt weird to jump instantly to the climatic stage without any of that foreplay.
He caressed her ass, gliding her against him, her pelvis flush against his, and his cock letting her know he was more than willing to give her more. She tilted her head to the side, offering him the sustenance he surely needed.
“Let’s get this over with,” Silver said.
Her words caused a slight decrease in arousal. Yes, physically, he was more than willing to take her. Mentally, though, he realized a barrier had grown between them, and more than likely it had to do with the brute strength outside guarding the door.
He grazed her collarbone with his fangs. On her moan, he struck, going in without any special accommodations, but his hand slipped between them, adding some much-wanted pressure between her legs. As he drank from Silver, losing himself in the intoxication of her sweet nectar, he pressed against her mons, adding that extra physical stimulus. She moaned against him, and undulated her body.
* * * *
Damn. What were they doing in there? He heard Silver cry out, but it didn’t sound like she was in pain. To be fair, she sounded more like she was in ecstasy. She might not want to admit her attraction to Nick for whatever reason, but if Viktor wanted to keep her happy for the long term, he was going to have to figure it out.
On her next cry, he was up on his feet and at the door. He couldn’t in good conscience let the encounter go on, not being sure of Silver’s frame of mind. Nick was using her like a blood donor. Her sense of responsibility forced her to offer herself up like a slab of meat. Maybe he could find another unmated victim like Jana or Pearl. Now guilt clawed at his mind. Viktor collapsed in a nearby chair, resting his head in his hands and silently begging for the encounter to be over.
Chapter Twelve
Carefully, Silver cleaned the wild mushrooms, picking off the unwanted debris and making sure not to let the delicate vegetables get too wet, which left them soggy and lacking flavor. She enjoyed listening to the women talk as they worked. The female camaraderie made her miss Lily and her adopted siblings. Maybe when she went back to New Orleans, she’d arrange to visit them. She’d been so worked up about moving on with her life that she’d forgotten that there were several things worth looking back at.
Now that Nick had come, it was an important lesson for her to remember. She knew she should make a decision if she was going to leave the Wolfe Pack with Nick and return to New Orleans, or stay within the encampment. Last night, Viktor could barely contain himself, and he was more than happy to lock Nick in the cellar for the day. Finally alone, she’d slept fitfully.
Jana tried her best to distract Silver from her thoughts, chatting about the Festival of Leaves ceremony and what they could do in the coming year to make it even better. Mid-sentence, Jana’s description halted, and she looked up over Silver’s head. Behind her stood Sheba. She tried not to flinch. If she was going to become a regular member of the Pack, then she’d have to get along with her father’s mate, no matter how the other woman treated her. Within the hierarchy of the tribe, she held the highest power. Her brother Trevor would probably be the second-highest-ranking male, if he ever wanted to take his place.
“Jana, dear,” Sheba said, “can you please do me a favor and go fetch an oversized pot from our cabin? I forgot it, and my knees are bothering me right now.”
Scrambling to get up as fast as possible, Jana knocked over her water glass, and righted it. “Su-sure,” she said.
Silver watched the interaction, and how Jana kowtowed to her evil stepmother. Well, if she thought about it, that was exactly what she was – mean and up to no good. In fact, the moment Jana left, Silver would probably figure out what she really wanted.
With Jana gone, and them alone, Sheba struck as sure as a raccoon in a trash can with a loose lid. “How are you doing today?” she asked.
Such an innocuous question. “Good …”
“I was actually wondering if you could do me a small favor, too.”
Ah, here it came, some sort of wild goose chase that would keep Silver away from the camp and keep her from interacting with the other members.
She finished off the last of the mushrooms in her bowl, set it aside, and washed her hands, then dried them on the front of her jeans.
That smile again.
“Now, her
e’s the thing,” Sheba said in all seriousness. “This has to do with Viktor’s birthday next week. We always seem to forget about him at the last minute, but with you here this year, I thought you might be able to help.”
“Sure, whatever you need,” Silver said, wondering about the entire birthday angle anyway. It had to be true, because if next week wasn’t Viktor’s birthday, she’d certainly find out, right?
“Fantastic. I even drew you a little map, just to make sure you don’t get lost or anything. I know you’re still not too familiar with the forests, dear.”
Silver held up the map in the noonday sun and questioned the route.
“What exactly do I need to get from all the way out there?”
“Some flowers and herbs we can use to mix his favorite scent. Like one of those colognes you grew up with.” She flicked her fingers at Silver, her body language not as friendly as her voice.
Silver wondered about the disconnect. Maybe she was wrong to question Sheba’s motives; instead, maybe she simply didn’t understand the woman.
“Plus, it’s pretty marshy in that area. You’d better head out right away so you can travel during the daylight hours. No worries, I cleared that extra time with your father.”
“Let me get a few things, and I’ll go,” Silver said.
Although they were so close to winter they could literally kiss the approaching season, the sun beat down relentlessly. She dressed lightly and tied a sweatshirt over her waist in case the weather turned cold. She grabbed an extra empty sack in order to bring back the supplies she’d pick up. Nick was asleep for the day. Now, only to sneak out without Viktor seeing her. With her regular guard out hunting, Viktor would insist upon going with her. She couldn’t keep it a surprise if he came along with her.
* * * *
Even with the map drawn by Sheba, Silver got turned around pretty quickly. Once out in the depths of the forest, landmarks and trees merged together. Perhaps she should have laid a trail of crumbs like Hansel and Gretel. She picked some purple flowers and wild berries, tucking them into her satchel, and moved on.
In the next clearing, she came upon two men dressed as hunters.
“Oh, sorry, I didn’t expect to see anyone out this way,” she said, holding her hand up to her throat.
The man closest to her grinned. On closer inspection, neither wore the orange vests required of hunters. Both looked at her like she was prey.
“What do we have here? What’s a pretty little girl like you doing out in the forest all by yourself?” he said.
“Well, Bobby, she’s not alone anymore, is she? Now that we’re here, I’m sure we’ll be able to help her.”
Silver backed up slowly. “I’m fine, thanks for the offer. I’m meeting back up with my friends in a few moments.”
“Well, if that’s the case, maybe we’d better have some fun before these friends of yours show up.”
The guy called Bobby lunged at her, and she dashed to the side, debating on the path to take. She could probably fight them, but flight seemed a much better option. If she went the wrong way, though, it would take her further into unknown territory. She’d never shifted in front of humans before, and tapered down the urge unless absolutely necessary.
The other man circled around, bringing a knife out of his pocket. “You’re a quick one, aren’t you? If you make this easy for us, we’ll be much nicer to you.”
“Fuck that.”
Silver squatted down, tensing up her muscles and as soon as the wiry dude with the knife drew closer, she leaped up, kicking him in the chest, and smacking Bobby in the face with her bag full of petals. Maybe they were poisoned, and he’d choked on them. She took off full throttle, tearing through the trees, branches whipping against her face and arms. Behind her, she heard them pursuing but their bodies would be no match for her werewolf speed, even in human form. She didn’t need to shift and lose her clothes. Bad enough being chased in the woods by two would-be attackers. She didn’t want to be naked if confronted with them again.
She kept running long after she stopped hearing them. She glanced behind her, and when she turned around, she’d run through a humongous spider web.
Screaming, webs clung to her hair, as she flailed her hands around her head. Where there were webs, there was a spider, and that sticky-icky feeling made her want to get-them-out. She tripped, tumbling over a gnarled root and, unable to stop herself from falling, she crashed her elbow into a boulder concealed in the foliage.
For crying out loud, what was wrong with her? She wasn’t a helpless, lost individual. She could find her way back to the encampment. Things simply got turned around a bit, and that witch Sheba had given her a few wrong directions, most likely. Maybe she thought Silver would get lost and never return. Well, at the end of that sweet little Grimm fairy tale, it was the witch who went into the oven, not the defenseless kids.
She steadied herself. She had plenty of time before dusk, before Nick would wake, and Viktor had been out working on another project. They both were going to be pissed at her for leaving without an escort. Nick because he was Nick, and Viktor because he was in charge of watching out for her, and other reasons.
Those other reasons gave her stomach a little tumble when she thought of him. Yes, it made her feel guilty now that Nick had come to the encampment, but he had given her free rein to explore other options, and she didn’t set out to meet someone else. It happened.
She rose, brushing the debris off her clothing and assessing the rips and tears. It wasn’t like she had a lot to spare. Blood came through a hole in her jeans. She didn’t remember hitting it. Her elbow smarted, and she hoped she hadn’t chipped a bone. All in all, she was in one piece, a little worse for the excursion. When she returned, Sheba would get a piece of Silver’s mind, and some of her claws if the woman wasn’t careful. She wouldn’t be duped again.
A crackle in the bushes drew her attention, and a squirrel jumped out. Silver put her hand over her chest. “You know, you scared me, little guy. You shouldn’t jump out at people like that.”
The animal cocked its head to the side, picked up a few acorns, and scampered back into its hiding spot. Her stomach rumbled, reminding Silver it had been a long time since she’d eaten, and she could definitely do with some water, too. Now she’d thought about it, her tongue hung in her mouth dry, and she swallowed, parched. Whose fantastic idea was it to set out on an adventure without even a bottle of water?
On the way back, she’d find one of the many abundant brooks and get a drink. She turned in a circle, deciding upon a direction, and set back out. She didn’t want to head directly where she’d come from for fear she’d run into those two wonderful male specimens. Her luck: lost in the woods and the first people she’d run into to possibly help her had to be derelicts. What were the odds?
Considering her lovely stepmother had set her out on this chore, maybe it wasn’t such a coincidence. The implications stunned Silver. She wouldn’t dare, would she? If Sheba truly wanted Silver gone, what lengths would she go to? She had to be even more careful.
The area she walked into grew denser, and the blanket of tall trees drowned out the sunlight. She shivered. Perhaps this wasn’t the best way to go. It wasn’t like she had much of a choice. There wasn’t a nice hiking path as an option. She pushed aside some tall grasses and stepped down.
The second before the trap wrenched tight on her ankle, she sensed the difference on the ground. More firm. The pain flared instantly, and Silver found herself being yanked upward cruelly by the animal trap. She screamed, clawing at her ankle, trying to get her foot free before she couldn’t reach it. The quick swinging momentum crashed her into the tree and the air whooshed out of her lungs.
Too late; she hung upside down from a tree. Pain burned from the wounds on her ankle. The weight of her body dragged her down, and if she stretched out her fingers, she could barely touch the forest floor.<
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Muscling all the strength she could, she crunched her body upward, bending at the waist, and holding onto her free thigh with one hand while she worked at the rope gripping her skin. Her nails peeled back, digging into the rope, but she made no headway. Her body’s weight and gravity fought against her efforts. Her stomach screamed for release, and she fell back down, yanking on the trap further. She could lose her foot, and get out. People did remarkable things—cutting off limbs to escape death.
But then could she bleed to death before finding help? How would she be able to walk with a bloody stump for a leg? And if she called for help, who would find her?
She closed her eyes and thought of Nick. He’d shared her blood. They possessed a tight connection. Maybe he could sense her, and when he woke up and got free, he would search for her.
Another thought came to her. This trap didn’t get set by itself, and from what she had seen in those few moments, it didn’t look old and worn. That meant whoever placed it out here did it with a purpose and most likely would be coming back. She’d been warned about watching for hunters. How quickly she went from being the hunter, foraging for flowers and berries, to the hunted.
* * * *
Once Viktor got back to the main camp, he did what had quickly become a habit: he looked for Silver. Her hair didn’t blend in, especially in the natural habitat. When he couldn’t find her in any of the common areas, he headed toward her cabin. After knocking on the door a few times, he pushed it open.
“Silver, hello, are you in here?” A walk-through told him what his gut already hinted at. She wasn’t inside. All her belongings remained, and it was still daylight, so it wasn’t like she’d run off with that bloodsucking bastard locked in the cellar. And with the auto-locking mechanism Viktor had installed for Nick’s safety, Silver wouldn’t be going down there either.