Dmitri

by D'Elen McClain

  Dmitri jumped from his chair, shoving it away, and flashed to the staff rooms. Several bears stood outside the door while loud snarls came from inside. Dmitri stood listening until something, obviously made of glass, shattered against the door. His patience with the hell-cat at an end, he flashed into the far corner of the room.

  With her rage in full bloom, chest heaving, muscles tense, she didn’t realize he was there. Talya lifted a framed picture above her head, her intention clear.

  “Think twice before throwing that.” Dmitri’s deep voice resonated throughout the room, the lethal tone he used to freeze a thousand pound Kodiak bear in its tracks evident in each word.

  Talya spun in his direction, fire blazing from her eyes, and chucked the frame at his head. He easily ducked. Lifting an eyebrow, he watched her look around for something else to throw. If he wasn’t short on sleep and aching for a she-cat he couldn’t have, he might have laughed.

  He was finished running from this tiny fluff of cat fur who needed her butt spanked until it was cherry red. And, she needed it done by someone other than him. “If you continue your tantrum, I will make use of the feral cage in the basement.” He flashed amber eyes, lowering his voice so it was deadly soft. “There will be no additional warning.”

  Her anger rolled off her in waves and she put her icy fury into words. “I have left you gifts, but you do not go home to see them. Your females toss them out like trash. Now, your he-bears accost me and lock me in this room. I will inform Vorlyk and he will make you pay.”

  Deadly menace rumbled beneath Dmitri’s skin, his amber eyes glowed with a need to punch his fist through a wall to keep from hitting a child. “If Vorlyk challenges me, he will die. Do you want that on your conscience?” He knew his anger was unjustified and irrational, but at that moment, he didn’t care. The red haze tangled in a thick web that beat against his skull.

  Her entire persona changed instantly, her shoulders hunched, her facial features relaxed, showing vulnerability that she used as a tool. “Why are you avoiding me? Is it because of my missing arm?” A tear hung on her lower eyelash, threatening to roll down her flushed cheek.

  She could be an award-winning actress, but Dmitri knew her game. The time had come for him to take care of his own problems. Avoiding this cat and his home was not solving anything. He walked forward with slow easy grace that screamed vampire stalking its prey. Talya froze.

  Smart cat.

  He took her chin within his grasp, holding her face so she couldn’t look away from his predator’s eyes. He spoke succinctly, making sure she understood her predicament. “You missing an arm bothers me not at all. If I wanted you, the fact that you are on the cusp of womanhood would only give me momentary pause. I do not want you.”

  Her eyes grew dark, but he continued to hammer in the spike. “Your clan spoils you rotten and I don’t like or need the she-cat who stands before me in a room destroyed by her temper. Others, they may see your beauty, but me, I see the ugliness on the inside. I pity you.”

  It was harsh, but Dmitri knew honesty was the only thing she would listen to. This one small cat could cause untold problems in the middle of a war and it would stop now. And just taking control of this situation allowed the red haze to recede slightly.

  “You want Nikka,” she spit out.

  He could tell she held so much fury in her small body and didn’t know how to face her inner demons. Loathing, bone deep—a killing hatred haunted her eyes.

  The two of them had a lot in common.

  Dmitri remained silent for a few seconds, loosening his grip slightly on her chin. Her youth and the painful agony she hid gave him more control over himself.

  “What does Nikka have to do with you throwing yourself at me when I have shown no feelings for you?”

  “She told me to stay away from you because you were hers.”

  An instant spark of pleasure raced through Dmitri, his pulse increased, and the red haze all but dissipated. “Did she now?” He couldn’t help his husky tone.

  “You do want her.” Talya’s scream was more cat than human.

  This she-cat was nothing but trouble—poison looking for a victim.

  “Who I want in my bed is none of your business. I will not treat you as a child if you don’t act like one. We’re leaving here and I’m returning you to my home. If your punishment for this folly is not severe, I will carry out my own.” He released her, opening the door, causing it to slam back against the hallway wall. “Rufus, give me your truck keys.”

  The bear couldn’t pass the keys over quick enough. The others looked away, afraid to meet the amber eyes of their liege.

  Dmitri grabbed Talya’s arm and pulled her along behind him. “Behave.” He held her tight enough to cause pain, but didn’t care.

  He dragged her out the back door and stormed toward the parked truck. The wind shifted and he scented the last thing he needed at that moment. Pushing Talya behind him, he turned and scanned the area knowing an enemy was near.

  Provon stepped from the shadows with three cats close behind. “Greetings, Dmitri, liege to the bear clan of North America. We come under your promise of safe territory within the walls of your club. We did not know you harbored our kind.” The cat’s eyes stared past Dmitri at Talya. His angry scent gave away his desire for destruction and not peace.

  The cat’s syrupy voice only irritated Dmitri. He’d been pushed far enough during the past thirty minutes. The cat’s deadly intentions when he looked at Talya were icing on Dmitri’s cake. The cats wanted to play and the vampire needed a meal. “If you came for a friendly party night at my club you would use the front door. What do you want?”

  A vampire attacked at the same time Talya screamed. Dmitri sent a silent message to his bears within the club to protect her. He didn’t know this vampire, but he was strong. Dmitri spun, trying to grab his head, but the vamp flashed away.

  Bears poured out of the club and began fighting the cats. Rufus grabbed Talya and rushed her back through the door. Dmitri knew the bear would get her to the stronghold down in the cellar. His current problem was finding the vampire and holding onto his rage.

  Red washed over his vision. Shaking his head, he tried to hold it back. Talya’s scream had him flashing to the bottom of the stairwell that led to the safe room. Taking in the blood-soaked walls and Rufus’s head twisted at an odd angle was all Dmitri had time for. The vampire tossed Talya into a wall and attacked.

  Dmitri’s amber eyes matched his enemy. “You motherfucking pussy. I can blink away, too, and go kill your cats, but I’m not a coward.”

  Cold laughter was the vampire’s response. “Killing you will complete my nearly perfect day.”

  Dmitri leapt away then immediately charged again. “I accept your challenge,” he growled. He focused with deadly intent on his enemy. The club could have burned down and he wouldn’t have noticed.

  The enemy vampire managed a solid blow to Dmitri’s head, making his ears ring, but Dmitri managed a kick to his stomach, causing a low grunt to spill from the vampire’s lips. His enemy’s teeth tore away a chunk of muscle from Dmitri’s shoulder, but the pain made him laugh with demonic glee. The Dmitri of old gained a foothold, the cold-blooded killer slipping from the confines that Dmitri tried so hard to maintain. His powerful arms wrapped around the vampire as Dmitri’s fangs entered his neck, ripping the jugular and windpipe away. Dmitri shook his head in a frenzy, small bits of flesh and sinew splattering against the walls mixing with Rufus’s blood. Dmitri’s rage almost boiled over and seeing his fallen bear didn’t help. He needed more enemies to tear apart and slake his thirst for death.

  He released the vampire after removing his head. The bloody body slumped to the floor. Low whimpers from Talya assured Dmitri that she would survive. He flashed outside and saw that his bears had killed two of the cats and held down the other two. His fist struck the stone wall of the building, but still his powerful rage slammed into his bears feeding their need for more blood.

 
; Kill.

  The one word running through his mind threatened to completely unleash the vampire killer who needed vengeance like the ocean needed the tide to keep a natural balance. Taking deep breaths, slowly in and out, the red mist faded enough that Dmitri realized what was happening around him.

  In, out, slow and even.

  “Stop,” he yelled at his bears who were now set on killing the creatures they’d captured.

  He opened his connection with The Kodiak. The great warrior bear with undeniable power sent a calming peace through their telepathic line. It wasn’t just for Dmitri; The Kodiak also calmed his bears. Dmitri relaxed, leaning against the wall, gaining control and pushing his unwanted power back inside the deep recesses of his mind.

  Once he was stable, he told of the attack and gave orders to The Kodiak.

  “Inform Vorlyk immediately and double our guard. Tell them their she-cat Talya is at the club and I will bring her home. It will be a few hours yet, but I will be home before the sun rises.”

  The Kodiak didn’t grumble or complain. He knew Dmitri held on by a thread. It was the reason they honored Dmitri as liege. Dmitri was crazier than the bear family and managed to tap down the tremendous power that brought insanity. For that, the bears respected him, accepted him as brother, feared him as they should, and loved him beyond measure.

  Dmitri turned to the bears surrounding him. “Clean up the mess and get these two into the feral cage. Rufus is dead along with the cats’ vampire. I will return Rufus to our home, and from here until further notice, any cat who enters my club is a dead cat.

  Dmitri flashed back to Talya, her soft cries echoing in the cold cellar. Her tear-stained eyes peered up at him in accusation, no play-acting this time. “You left me.” Her voice trembled.

  He nodded, her blame reminding him that she was still a danger to his alliance with the other clans. “You want to be treated as an adult, so be it. The safety of my bears and my club supersede your need for a babysitter.”

  Her lips quivered. “Why are you so mean to me?”

  Dmitri looked toward his dead bear and deep sorrow seeped into his consciousness. He turned back to the ornery she-cat. “You are alive and I do not have time for sniveling children. You will help the bears clean this bloody mess and then I will take you home.”

  Without looking at her again, Dmitri walked to Rufus. He lifted the large man into his arms with little effort and carried him down the hallway into one of the undisturbed bedrooms. He had a fleeting moment of respect for Talya because she didn’t argue.

  A short time later, he stood in the shower and watched the blood travel down his body, swirling into the drain. Death was not pretty and it was not without its price. Dmitri rested his hands against the wall, his forehead heavy against the cool surface where the hot spray didn’t reach.

  Breathe in. Breathe out.

  He left the shower when he knew he was once more in complete control. The drive back to his territory was interminable. Talya tried speaking to him several times, but Dmitri was lost in a world of controlled rage for his fallen bear. He continued pushing his desire for death and destruction deep inside himself, holding back the killer within. It would help no one if he went on a bloody rampage.

  After several attempts at starting a conversation, Talya left him alone, but her heavy stares pressed down on him and it wasn’t a pleasant feeling. Something must be done with her or she would bring unforeseen problems to them all.

  Chapter Ten

  A pregnant Mandy in wolf form and her mother-in-law, Sonora, were spending time with the cats when they received word of the attack on Dmitri’s club. They were all put on alert. Nikka asked to be part of the guard rotations with Esta. The she-cat could speak and communicate with the bears when Nikka could not. They usually worked as a team.

  Nikka cast another glance at the spunky she-wolf. It was impossible not to like her. The downside was that Mandy mated early at nineteen and didn’t wait until twenty-one. Zenya had explained to Nikka about Talya’s research of animals in the wild. Now Nikka worried about Dmitri and Talya together at his club and she couldn’t suppress her jealousy.

  A bear was dead, but all Nikka could think about was Dmitri being alone with Talya. Nikka was seriously going crazy, and the hours of waiting for their return took a toll.

  Two hours after the sun went down, Talya stormed into Nicolas’s cabin. Nicolas and Vorlyk immediately left to meet with Dmitri and The Kodiak. Zenya pulled Talya none too gently into her bedroom.

  “Nikka, Esta come with me.”

  Zenya was crazy, because Nikka shouldn’t be near the young cat, and going into a small room with her would be difficult at best.

  Zenya barely waited for the door to close. “What has gotten into you, Talya? The vampire is off limits and you have refused to obey my commands regarding him. We do not have enough pack mates to keep you out of trouble as well as protect us. The thought of placing you in a feral cage was repugnant, but now, it’s sounding like the only solution. What do you have to say for yourself?”

  Talya’s once sweet face turned spiteful. “You said you would allow me to mate,” she sneered. “My cat has chosen the vampire and you don’t need to like it.”

  Nikka couldn’t hold back her distress caused by Talya’s words. Horror, fury, and sadness warred inside of her. Fury won.

  Dressed in her clothes, Nikka couldn’t shift, but she tackled Talya with a fierce, garbled scream from damaged vocal cords before anyone could stop her. Tearing out Talya’s throat was her objective. It took both Esta and Zenya to pull her loose.

  Struggling within their grasp finally brought Nikka back to her senses.

  Zenya spoke sharply into her mind. “Leave us, Nikka, and gain control of yourself. We will discuss this later.”

  Nikka ran from the room. Every wolf and cat in the main part of the cabin heard what happened, but she ignored the stunned looks. After running outside, she removed her clothes with sharp jerky motions and made her way deep into the trees.

  Her thoughts whirled. Talya could not mate with the vampire, it was impossible. Nikka’s cat claimed him.

  Mine.

  The feeling was so strong Nikka could no longer fight it.

  But… he was vampire and his mating instinct did not play by beastkind rules. Nikka ran until her legs shook so badly she had to stop and rest. Lying down, she thought about her options, one of which was never returning to her pack. Even during her years of abuse, she’d never truly been alone. Right now, she craved nothing more than to be away from the turmoil caused by her cat’s claim on a vampire who might already be spoken for. She curled tightly into a ball, praying for anything that would make the ache leave her.

  She woke with a start. The hand on her side suddenly moved away. Dmitri’s eyes practically glowed in the dark and she couldn’t miss the concern they conveyed.

  His upper lip tilted into a crooked grin and his voice sent a thrill to her heart. “Please don’t be upset. Again, I mean no harm, kotika. My friend died today and I needed to be alone for a while. I found you sleeping and couldn’t help but touch your beautiful coat. Bear pelts do not have the softness of yours, nor do they soothe as well as yours.”

  She blinked her green cat eyes. He was stunning. His angular jaw begged for soft kisses along the bristly skin. She could drown in his eyes. Brown or amber it didn’t matter—they pulled her into their depths holding her prisoner.

  He had to hear her accelerated heartbeat, but she couldn’t slow its tempo.

  Mine.

  “I know you cannot speak, but maybe that’s what I need right now.” He walked a few feet away and lowered his body to the ground, sitting with his back against a tree.

  He sat staring at her in silence, allowing her to grow comfortable in his presence. She wanted to laugh because that would never happen. The heat from his gaze alone had her inner beast fighting the need to mark him with her teeth.

  His voice startled her. “I did not wish a war with the cats. I’
ve spent years keeping my bears safe and staying away from conflict. The need for blood by violence is buried deep within me. I’ve always known a war would bring it back to the surface.” Deep sorrow spilled from his eyes. “That cannot happen. With Mandy mated to one of my bears, we are in this war and now another bear under my protection is dead. The beast I hold within fights to escape and wreak vengeance.”

  The despair in his tone guided Nikka’s actions. She felt the pull of his beast and his need for her beast’s comfort. She thought she understood his battle and knew he’d suffered untold horrors just as she had. Lifting her feline body from the ground, she crept closer, lowered her eyes, and lay beside him. When his fingers ran through her fur, an electric charge thrummed throughout her body. It wasn’t quite sexual, it was something more—a feeling of completeness. She wanted to push him over and roll against him, scenting him with her essence. Pull his scent into her nostrils, memorizing the powerful spicy musk that called to her.

  Mine.

  His hand stilled, but he didn’t pull back. “I am drawn to you, my little kotika. That has not happened for many decades. Your scent attracts me, but it’s more than that. I long for your blood. I want it running through my veins, heating my cold heart and making it beat with passion, not war. No vengeance, no overwhelming need to kill, just a need for something much older than death.” His gruff laugh blazed across Nikka’s fur-covered skin. “You must think me an old fool. Here I sit baring my soul, but I run from a young she-cat who terrorizes my every waking hour and I do not know what to do.”

  Nikka’s mind snapped to Talya and a low growl rumbled up her chest, escaping her lips.

  His fingers began moving again, calming her. He gave a low, sexy chuckle. “I guess you can communicate.” He continued threading his fingers in her fur as he spoke again. “I must fix this problem with your pack’s young she-cat, Talya.”