“Have you forgiven me?” Nicolas continued his sweet torture.
“No, it will take at least another year in bed before I could possibly do that.”
He chuckled. “I love a wanton she-cat.”
“I love my alpha wolf.”
“Then I will love you until you beg for me to stop.”
“Never.” She challenged with a playful smile.
Chapter Forty-one
Zenya woke up with Nicolas’s head on her belly. His hair tickled. Gentle kisses began covering every inch of skin around her bellybutton until she giggled. His teeth nipped gently in answer to her trying to squirm away.
Nicolas finally rested his hand on her stomach and his chin on his hand, looking up at her smiling face. “I’ve never been a father.”
“You will be wonderful.”
“I think so, too.”
She pulled his hair slightly for being so arrogant.
“You don’t believe me?”
“Of course I believe you. Is there anything you don’t do well?”
“I would need time to consider your question. Nothing comes to mind immediately.”
She gave another tug, but then her playful mood vanished.
“You promised not to leave again until the baby is born.”
“Yes, I did promise.”
“And?”
“And I never break my word.”
“You will let someone else go if there are she-cats needing rescuing?”
“Yes.”
“I love you.”
“I’m glad. I want to take you to see Dr. Stevens before you change to cat full time.”
“Is there a good reason?”
“You are a miracle and she needs to check your blood levels and make sure you are safe to carry.”
It was the wrong thing to say and she tried to pull away. Her angry eyes shot fire. “What do you plan if it’s not safe?”
He understood his mistake and his startled eyes softened. “I plan to keep you there so you have all the medical help you can receive. This baby will be healthy and so will her mother.”
Several deep breaths later, she was able to speak. “You promise she will do no harm to our child.”
He didn’t look away. “I promise.”
“She will use me as a pin cushion.”
“Are you afraid of a few needles?”
“Maybe.”
“I will hold your hand.”
“What form of beastkind do you think I carry?”
“Does it really matter?”
“No.” Her smile lit up the room.
“Now I will make love to you again and pierce my teeth into your shoulder so you have practice with needles.”
She laughed. “You just want your pack to know I’m taken.”
“That, too.”
They eventually left the cabin and joined the others for breakfast. Mateo and Cruz could barely remain seated, showing their impatience in having to wait for the alpha to begin eating. They shoveled their food like only teenagers can do. Nicolas didn’t have the heart to make them help with cleanup detail, and released Troy and Bernard to take the youngsters to the gym.
“Madayah, please take my mate to the couch and both of you rest. I kept her awake long into the night and want her taking it easy.”
Zenya rolled her eyes and giggles broke out among the women. Nicolas realized as his old clan grew, moments like these happened less frequently. The mate bond usually moved a couple into their own home and families broke off to live apart. They remained within a few miles, but it was nothing like sharing meals, making puppy and kitten piles to sleep, and building a tighter bond.
He helped the others clear the table to the shocked gasps of the new she-cats. There would be new rules for the clan. If Vorlyk wished to acquire his own residence so be it, but Nicolas had other plans for his pack.
He finished the dishes, then excused himself to make a phone call. Dr. Stevens was available to see them two days after the ceremony. She wanted Zenya there immediately, but Nicolas refused. Bonding his pack was more important than a few blood samples, and Zenya was looking and acting healthy.
He found her sitting outside with the babies and the women. Small bundles of fur jumped and rolled across the pine needles. The women asked Zenya about her pregnancy.
“You mean this is not the child of a human?”
Nicolas sat behind his mate and placed his hands possessively on her shoulders. He answered the question, “No, this is my child, my seed.”
“We didn’t know it possible.”
He continued, “Neither did we, but it is. We leave to see our doctor in four days. She is a geneticist and has dedicated her life to finding a way for us to produce our own children.”
“Did she discover this?”
“No, we accidently discovered it.”
Zenya huffed and peered over her shoulder. “I don’t call what we did an accident.”
He laughed and kissed the top of her head. She settled back against him.
Another of the she-cats spoke up. “You will allow human begat children, cross mating, and the guaranteed survival of our children?”
He remembered her name. “Marta, I cannot guarantee anyone’s safety, but each of us will fight to the death for the other. That is what a pack does. Our pack is finding its way, but in this I will not be deterred. Each and every one of you will learn to fight and protect each other. Our women will be as deadly, or deadlier, than the men. You have my promise.”
The women seemed unsettled, and he decided it was time to visit the gym to begin their training. He knew they were tired, but they needed to quickly become a part of his pack. If they decided to leave, he would let them go. But for now they needed to understand what they would give and receive as part of Vorlyk’s clan.
Madayah and Talya asked to stay with the babies.
They first saw Cruz in the ring with Troy. The youngster’s anger made him sloppy. Troy refused to let up on the teen and used his voice to relay instruction. Finally, Troy called a halt to the lesson. When he turned to Nicolas, Cruz shifted to cat and raked his extended nails along Troy’s face. The cat was instantly on his back with a furious Troy, in human form, above him.
The new females gasped and one cried out, “No!”
Nicolas and Troy both realized the women expected him to kill the young cat. Troy picked him up by the scuff of his neck and tossed him across the ring like he weighed nothing. His voice rang out, “In war there are no rules, and your behavior is acceptable. Here, during training, you will follow adult commands. If you wish to practice in this ring again, you will do all the dishes tonight.”
The young cat shifted then sneered with typical teenage hostility, “Dishes are female chores.”
Troy walked to Cruz and went to one knee, going nose to nose. “If dishes are too much for you, I will work with the females until each and every one of them can kick your ass. Then you will have dish duty every night. Do you understand?” Troy refused to back away until Cruz quietly said yes.
“Yes what?”
“Yes, sir.”
When Troy stood, there was no anger in his demeanor. He asked Mateo to step into the ring. The young cat looked to the door leading outside, but sucked in a breath and stepped between the ropes.
Killing was one of many lessons these teens needed to learn, but it wasn’t the most important. Their willingness to help the females didn’t take away the years of thinking them as nothing more than possessions.
Nicolas started the women on different machines and weights. With their exhaustion and the coming ceremony, he wanted them to accustom themselves to what was expected. Seeing them flinch when men walked past was hard for all the wolves to ignore. The men kept their voices down and tried to accommodate the females. After a week or two, the men would forget they were there and return to their rougher habits, but for now, gentleness was the key.
That night, Cruz began silently clearing the table. The new cats wanted t
o help, but Nicolas held them back with a stern look. Troy stood and began gathering dishes. When Cruz looked at him with a questioning gaze, Troy smiled.
Chapter Forty-two
Everyone attended the ceremony. Amy and Marcus brought Sierra and Roland. The new cats brought Alana and Nessa, the youngest of the beastkind.
Marcus began with a short speech. “Two of my wolves have expressed their desire to join Nicolas’s pack. Amy, Columbus, and I give permission. Cheri, Brandt, and Emily also permit Isaac to join with Nicolas. We wish Torrent, Blayne, and Isaac a long life filled with contentment and the warmth of their new pack. Will the three step forward and offer their fealty to Vorlyk and Nicolas?”
The three wolves approached Nicolas. He first sliced his palm, and then held the sharp knife out to them. They each cut their palm deeply, and then shook Nicolas’s hand, mixing their blood. The wolves stepped to Vorlyk and went to one knee.
Vorlyk walked to Torrent and tapped his shoulder.
Torrent stood. “My liege.” He offered his neck and the vampire struck quickly, and then went to the next man.
Nicolas called Talya, Nikka, and Sheeba forward. Nicolas drew the knife against his palm again, before slicing Sheeba’s smaller one. The she-cat smiled and placed her hand out. Nicolas took hers in a solid grasp and bent forward, whispering in her ear, “Welcome to my pack, Sheeba.”
Her smile went from ear to ear. Nikka made her own cut and also smiled when her blood mixed with Nicolas’s. Talya followed the lead of the other two women until she threw her arm around her alpha and hugged him with everything she had. He hugged back, but pushed her away with a chuckle when his mate made a slight growl under her breath.
One by one the cats came forward, including the ones recently rescued. Then Columbus stepped up, and took one baby cat in his arms and sank sharp teeth into her thigh, passing her to Nicolas next and taking the other female infant. By sharing blood with the Northwest Clan’s alpha, he agreed to offer protection, too. Zenya explained this to the she-cats so no one panicked. The babies cried, but stopped a few minutes later.
Mateo and Cruz excitedly took their turn. They high-fived each other after sharing blood with Vorlyk, and everyone laughed.
Madayah and Esta went directly before Zenya. Esta sliced her palm deeply and held tight to Nicolas’s hand for several moments. “Thank you, alpha.”
“I’m honored to have you as my second, Esta.”
Nicolas turned to his mate and sliced both his hands. She took the knife and did the same. He placed his palms out and she took them. He drew her in, placing a scorching kiss on her lips that caused a cheer to resonate throughout the crowd. He stood by as she knelt and offered her neck to Vorlyk. Nicolas walked to her side, going to his knee, and vowed to be Vorlyk’s alpha and friend.
With the vampire’s bite, the cuts to Nicolas’s palms mended and he turned to his pack. “Our vampire heals us and gives lasting life. We give him our blood to complete the circle. Long live Vorlyk.”
More than one-hundred wolves watching the ceremony along with Vorlyk’s new clan shouted the words.
Nicolas nodded to Columbus and his pack began dispersing, leaving the Northeast Clan alone. When the last of the wolves were well away from the clearing, Nicolas took Zenya’s hand. “I’m sorry, my love. This will hurt.”
“I’m ready.”
They all dropped their clothing to the pine needles beneath their feet.
Nicolas released Zenya, threw his head back, and howled into the sky. He called his new pack to shift, ripping fur from human skin. The stronger the cat or wolf, the harder they resisted, but the call was unavoidable and finally his pack stood before him as beastkind.
Nicolas shifted and spoke into their minds, “We have discovered the secret the goddess has kept hidden for centuries. Combining our different beasts will bring offspring into our clan and guarantee our survival.”
Howls and roars filled the clearing. The mix of the two was amazing and seemed completely natural. They left their clothing behind and traveled as a pack back to the cabin. Bowls of food awaited them and after shifting again they celebrated long into the night.
The following morning, grumpy cats and wolves resisted waking up as long as possible. Coffee and food eventually filled their bellies, and bleary eyes opened wide with smiles, jokes, and good-natured ribbing traveling around the table. After the food disappeared, Nicolas told them of his and Zenya’s trip to Houston the following day to see Dr. Stevens.
“I want to go,” insisted Talya with a swift stomp of her foot.
“I will guard Zenya,” Esta’s voice held no request.
“I travel also,” McDonald stated.
“You will leave us, alpha?” This came from Marta.
The entire clan numbered twenty-four and Nicolas looked around the table at each of them. After a silent conversation with Vorlyk, he spoke, “Bernard, get on the internet and book us enough rooms to handle everyone. Zenya and I will visit the doctor with only Esta and McDonald, while the rest of you are close by. Does anyone wish to stay behind?”
No one took him up on his offer. This was a start for the new rules for his pack. Children meant everything and his child belonged to them all.
He looked around the table again. “There will be no shifting during this trip unless we are attacked. You will stay in groups of five or six with two males at all times. If you break these rules for any reason, doing the dishes will be a punishment you beg for. Am I clear?”
“Yes, alpha,” filled the room.
The cats brought out the crazy in their new alpha and Nicolas shook his head for giving into them so easily. He knew the insanity would only increase as their pack grew. The thought lightened his heart. He sent a silent prayer out to Fredrick and knew the vampire smiled from the summerlands.
Chapter Forty-three
The Northeast pack had little in the way of clothing or luggage. After several discussions, they decided to use backpacks. There was a slight problem with birth certificates and Nicolas contacted a connection to set the process in motion. If there was an incident during the trip, Nicolas’s military connections would come into play.
Marcus and Amy smiled when Nicolas told them the plan. Columbus called him crazy and Nicolas agreed.
Twenty-three beastkind walked onto the plane. Vorlyk decided to arrive when they settled or if Nicolas had need of him sooner. Bernard reserved an entire floor, including the penthouse, at The Joule in Dallas. The well-trained staff didn’t bat an eye as Nicolas’s scraggly crew was shown to their rooms.
Shopping was high on the priority list during their visit. They would have the majority of items shipped, but each member of his pack needed immediate clothes other than their prerequisite sweatpants and t-shirts.
He noticed Madayah sheltering her face and looked around for Marta. She walked in the middle of her group, but the ambiance surrounding them overcame her shyness of the public seeing her and her huge eyes stared at everything they passed.
Nicolas also had Bernard acquire laptops for delivery to their rooms. Online shopping would take care of some essentials. When they finally returned to his true home, the real fun would begin, but for now he wanted his pack comfortable with what they had.
He and Zenya shared the penthouse with Madayah and Vorlyk. The vampire had traveled for Victoria and took the accommodations in stride. Madayah was amazed at the view, the bathing facilities, and the softness of the sheets. She planned to remain in the room, until Vorlyk told her they were having dinner at one of the luxury restaurants in the area; the two of them, together, alone.
Her hand went to the wounded side of her face.
Vorlyk pressed his face to hers. “I love you. All of you. The scars prove your strength and I’m proud to show you to the world.”
Nicolas and Zenya quietly entered their bedroom and shut the door. He looked longingly at the bed and Zenya smiled. “We need to make our appointment on time.”
His gaze traveled over her body. �
�I know, but a wolf can dream.”
“You know in another week our sex life will be over for six weeks or longer.”
“I spoke with Brandt on the phone about that.”
“Please tell me you didn’t.”
Nicolas grabbed her arms, bringing her snuggly against him. “Brandt said he spent quite a bit of time in wolf form during Emily’s change. He said things were different, but sufferable.”
“Sufferable?” Her voice held an edge.
“I’m only telling you the information relayed to me.”
“Our beastkinds are different and I assure you I plan to be completely insufferable.”
He kissed her deeply, then pulled away, resting his nose against hers and whispered, “Then we need to make up for the time we will lose.”
“Dr. Stevens.” She reminded him.
He sighed. “Yes, we need to leave now, but when we return we’re having a long talk with us both naked. I have a feeling things like ‘insufferably’ will be mentioned.”
She laughed and took his hand, leading him out the door and down the elevator to their waiting car. His plan to keep her mind off the appointment worked, and he needed to remember to tell Brandt about their supposed conversation.
Dr. Stevens’ office and lab were fifteen minutes away. The clans financially supported her work, and her equipment and staff were cutting edge. Dr. Stevens’ mother mated with one of Nicolas’s wolves when Laura, Dr. Stevens, was a child. The pack raised the human child as one of their own.
Before exiting the car, Nicolas took Zenya’s shaking hand. “Everything will be as it should. You will like Laura and she will love you.”
“As her pin cushion.”
“Yes, for that reason, too.”
She punched him in the arm and they walked to the elevator leading to the beastkind clinic. There was no check-in and no waiting. Laura stood inside the clinic door and rushed to Nicolas, wrapping him in her sturdy arms. Zenya’s cat thankfully didn’t feel a threat from the handsome woman in her fifties. Nicolas introduced them and Zenya received the same warm welcome.
Fang Chronicles: Zenya's Story Page 18