The clan’s only two male cats, both teenagers, asked her if they could return home with their young friend, Patreous. She granted their request, happy that they could enjoy youth’s carefree world. It reminded her that this wasn’t their home, but her pack could be content here.
It would take a while for Zenya to become accustomed to leading the pack, but she would do it. Troy, Nicolas’s third, would also help and she was glad he remained behind. Like her, he wasn’t happy about it, but he would die protecting their clan, and it was a relief to have him by her side.
Zenya watched Mandy leap into one of the cars. Honey, in his human form, slid in after her. Zenya remembered the weeks of waiting for Jaime Ivan’s birth. Even in beastkind form and the shortened gestation, it was hell. A soft smile appeared on her face as The Kodiak, holding Jaime Ivan, got in behind them. If he was willing to babysit, Zenya would have some free time to work at ridding the sadness consuming her heart.
She sent the message to her entire pack. “Meet me in the gym and be prepared to work out. We have a territory to help defend.”
There were no grumbled replies; they were all on the same page.
***
A week later, nothing had changed. Nikka stole a few short moments with Dmitri, but her guard duty increased because of their fewer numbers, making her free time sparse.
They kissed and touched over their clothing like teenagers with chaperones. It would be funny if she weren’t so sexually frustrated. The damn vampire had nerves of steel and something else as hard as steel, but any time she tried to test his strength, he backed away. Why couldn’t her cat have claimed a beastkind male?
Her mood was going downhill fast. She spoke angrily into Sheeba’s mind during guard duty one night. “McDonald loves you and making him wait is cruel. He isn’t good enough for you, but I like him anyway. How can you battle your cat and deny him?”
Sheeba laughed. “It’s nearly impossible and gets harder each day. He lets me win when we spar… and I don’t like it. My cat wants proof that he’s strong enough to take me and won’t back down because I’m blind.”
“You’re kidding.” Nikka rolled her eyes, though she knew Sheeba couldn’t see her. “All this time the man just needs to knock you on your ass and that would end your crazy behavior? Did it occur to you that a true mate doesn’t have it in them to hurt us? You make the poor man suffer for something he can’t control.”
Sheeba got a stubborn look on her face and changed the subject. “Enough about me. What’s keeping you away from the vampire? Don’t think the rest of us haven’t noticed your late night rendezvous.”
“He drives me as crazy as McDonald drives you, but I’m the one holding back.”
“Why?”
“I must say goodbye to the clan and it’s hard. Once I mate with Dmitri, I will no longer share the ability to communicate with you and my other friends. I’m also worried about Talya and how she’ll react.”
Sheeba gave a low growl. “I don’t know if there is anything we can do to help Talya. I no longer trust her. She is a danger to us all.”
Nikka couldn’t believe what Sheeba said. She’d never heard Sheeba talk badly about anyone. The motherly blind cat was usually the clan’s peacekeeper. “Why do you say that?”
“She speaks of mating with the vampire like they are an established couple. We all see…” Sheeba smiled at Nikka. “Well the others tell me who he follows with his eyes and it isn’t her. He cringes when she gets near. Something has been wrong with Talya for a long time and I’m not sure we can fix it.”
Sheeba’s words only strengthened Nikka’s resolve. “I think I may know a way, but I need to discuss it with Madayah.”
“Challenge?”
“Yes, and I’ve delayed long enough.”
“You have, but so have I. When McDonald returns we will mate.”
“Thank the goddess. The rest of us can’t take the scent of frustration he throws off whenever he’s around. His wolf scent is more like that of a wet dog.”
“Tomorrow, you and I, in the ring. I’ll teach you some manners.”
“Deal. I need to work off a little frustration, but if you think I’ll let the little blind cat win, think again.”
“Says the little mute kitten.”
They both laughed, but underneath the banter of friendship, Nikka couldn’t help twinges of sadness. When she mated with Dmitri, Sheeba would not even be able to read her words if Nikka tried communicating with pen and paper. Saying goodbye to this special cat would be very difficult.
***
The following day, Nikka was on a rare visit with Sonora when the bear tipped her head and listened to the voice only she could hear. A huge smile appeared on her face.
“The baby comes.”
Nikka followed Sonora to Honey and Mandy’s cabin. When Sonora tried to shoo Honey away, the large man growled at his mother, refusing to leave.
“These modern ways are hard to understand. I wanted to kill The Kodiak before he left my birthing chamber.”
Zenya arrived and obviously heard the grandmother-to-be. She looked between Honey and Mandy, speaking gently. “I understand Mandy; Nicolas never left my side. I needed him.”
The wolf whined with another labor pain, but continued walking beside her mate as they paced.
Honey turned panicked eyes to Zenya. “If Nicolas was here, he could tell me what I need to do as a father.”
A low growl came from Mandy.
“Or maybe not,” he said, smart enough to turn away so Mandy didn’t see his quick grin. The worried look returned, but Nikka knew he’d survive the birth of his first child.
Two hours later, Nikka watched the first half-bear half-wolf beastkind child come into the world. The small cub was perfect in every way.
***
Dmitri remained outside the cabin during the birth, standing vigil with the other members of his clan. When they finally received news that the baby was female, he firmly slapped The Kodiak on the back.
“This serves you right, old man. She will be a hellion and have you wrapped around her finger in no time.”
“Female babes are left to the women.”
“You obviously didn’t get the memo. Things have changed and there’s no going back.” Dmitri tried not to laugh at the face The Kodiak bestowed on him.
Dmitri flashed away, deciding to allow the bears, cats, and wolves a chance to celebrate without his vampire presence. He poured himself a whiskey and sat back in his favorite chair, closing his eyes.
God, Nikka was beautiful. He no longer thought of Anastasia or dreamed of her. All his thoughts centered on the green-eyed woman who held his soul.
His eyes popped open at a sound from upstairs. That damn cat. He wasn’t sure what he should do. Talya was probably undressed and beneath his clean sheets waiting for something that would never happen. He decided to carry her kicking and screaming back to her clan and let them deal with her this time. Enough was enough and he never wanted her in his home again.
Dmitri finished his whiskey and with a deep sigh, flashed into his room. He looked around, but it was obvious Talya was no longer there. Unfortunately, her unique scent was and his nose twitched at the overpowering and surprisingly unpleasant odor. He walked to the bed and pulled back the covers.
“That little witch.”
Cat litter covered his sheets. The strong odor was her urine that clumped in wet heaps.
“I’ll kill her.”
Dmitri flashed to Honey’s cabin and pounded on the door with no thought to their new child. He didn’t care that two groups of beastkind stared at him with open curiosity.
Honey threw open the door and Dmitri stormed inside.
“Something must be done with that damn she-cat,” he thundered.
Honey had the audacity to grin. “If you calm down a little, my liege, I would like you to meet your newest clan member. Mandy insisted on naming her after you.”
Dmitri walked into the room, trying to hide his fur
y. Mandy handed Demetria to the vampire. “Should we ask what she’s done this time?” inquired a very tired Mandy in human form for the first time in weeks.
Dmitri’s eyes softened as he looked down at his namesake, and he managed to keep his voice low as the squirming ball of fur sought out food. “That damned cat put kitty litter in my bed.”
Stunned silence met his words.
His eyes went amber. “There are clumps in the litter.”
He turned toward an angry growl. It came from Nikka. Until this moment, he hadn’t noticed her in the far corner of the room, which showed just how pissed off he was. Internally shaking himself, he tried to control his anger. With another snarl, Nikka turned and ran from the home.
Dmitri looked at the curious eyes of those around him. He handed the squirming wolf back to her mother and flashed from the room. He found Nikka on the porch of her cabin, rage simmering, her hands balled into fists. His own anger disintegrated.
“I am sorry, kotika, but you need to calm down.” He tried to say it gently; she turned furious eyes on him as he implored, “The bed will clean. She’s a spoiled child and needs something to keep her mind off me.”
The door opened and Zenya came out, dragging Talya behind her. “I could hear what you said. This needs to end now.” Giving a not-so-gentle shove, she pushed Talya a few feet away.
Talya flipped her hair over her shoulder and gave Dmitri a sultry look. “You don’t want her. She is weak, she runs from me. You need a strong mate to stand beside you.”
“Talya, this must sto…” Dmitri tried to explain again, but Nikka stepped between them and slapped Talya’s face. The young cat’s head jerked to the side with the force of the blow.
“She challenges.” Zenya wasted no time making it official.
Dmitri looked back and forth between the she-cats. “Wait. What the hell?”
Nikka turned her full raging gaze on him. He’d never felt the frustration of her lack of communication as bad as this moment.
Zenya spoke for Nikka, obviously communicating with her, “Nikka says you must agree to accept the winner as mate.”
Now Dmitri’s anger returned. “Hell no. I will not agree.” He looked pointedly at Nikka. “You are my true mate, bloodshed won’t change that.”
Zenya didn’t wait for Nikka to tell her what to say. “Then they fight to the death.”
What the fucking hell? “No,” he thundered.
“Hell yes and I will kill you.” Angry energy rolled off Talya and Dmitri didn’t doubt she meant it.
This entire fiasco was moving too quickly, and there was no way his mate would die today. His mind felt scrambled, but there was more going on here than he could understand. He took a deep breath. He knew he needed to trust Nikka. He stared into her eyes before turning to Zenya. “Yes, I will take the winner as mate.” He turned back to Nikka. “I hope you know what the hell you’re doing.” The small wicked smile Nikka gave him didn’t offer reassurance. He ran his fingers through his hair. “Hell.”
Chapter Fifteen
Dmitri paced his library with a third tumbler of whiskey in hand. The challenge was taking place at midnight. The entire fiasco was ludicrous. Once Nikka was his mate, there would be no reason for her to fight any female outside of war. Just the possibility of her fighting to the death was absurd, and this entire mess was fucking crazy. He would kill Talya himself if she harmed his mate.
The instability of Dmitri’s world had his head pounding and red tentacles weaving behind his eyes. This wasn’t a good situation and if there were any time he needed control, it would be at the challenge. He just didn’t think it possible.
A loud pounding at his door pissed Dmitri off even more. Troy and a few other wolves stood outside. Dmitri flashed amber eyes at his visitors; he’d love nothing more than to tear out Troy’s jugular. “Don’t think you can come in, growl, and throw your weight around. In my current mood, I might kill one or all of you.”
Troy grimaced, instantly lowering his eyes and de-escalating the angry energy pouring off him. “We’re here to offer support. Those damn she-cats are crazy and we hoped you could put an end to this insanity.” He looked back up at Dmitri, which was a mistake. “Which cat do you choose?”
Dmitri didn’t blink, just picked up Troy, and threw him off the porch. The man tumbled head over heels before lying on the ground stunned and moaning loudly.
“I do not mate with crazy children,” Dmitri roared. The sound would have made The Kodiak proud.
Troy wisely remained where he landed, but offered a small grin. “We were hoping you would say that. Just sleep with Nikka, drink some of her blood, and end this.”
Dmitri ran his hands through his hair trying to control his fury. For everyone else the solution seemed simple, but there was so much at stake. Why he fought the inevitable he didn’t know. “Will it work?”
“I don’t know, but if you’re willing, I’ll ask Zenya. We live with the she-cats, but do not comprehend all their ways. When we learn something new, it’s usually an unpleasant surprise. They have a viciousness seldom seen in wolves. She-wolves are usually less aggressive and more cunning, not that we choose them over our pack. But understanding their ways seems easier.”
Troy tilted his head and Dmitri knew he was communicating with Zenya. It soon became apparent that Troy didn’t care for her answer. He looked at Dmitri. “May I rise?”
“If I don’t like what you say, you will find yourself on the ground again.”
Troy’s head fell back against the pine needles. “Fine, I’ll stay here.”
After a heavy sigh, Dmitri walked down the porch steps and placed his hand out, lifting Troy up. “Go ahead and tell me.”
“It doesn’t matter what you do, the cat fight is on.”
***
Midnight arrived quickly and Nikka was almost ready. She’d thought of challenging weeks ago, but hoped she didn’t need to carry through. Zenya agreed it might be the only solution. With Sheeba on board, too, it was only a matter of time before the two cats fought. One way or another, Talya had to end her infatuation and stalking tendencies. Her cat’s raging hormones combined with the human ones were not making it easy on anyone.
Nikka’s goodbye was quick, but still painful. Even with her need for Dmitri, the thought of being unable to communicate freely with Vorlyk’s clan was heartbreaking.
She stepped out of Zenya’s arms. “Thank you for your help and giving me such a wonderful family. I’ll miss all of you. When Talya’s ready, tell her I’ll miss speaking with her and I love her. ”
“We won’t be separating for a while and even with you in Dmitri’s bed we’ll see you every day. Ivan the Terrible will throw a fit if you’re not around to read to him now and then,” Zenya said while beginning a braid in Nikka’s hair.
Madayah was helping Talya prepare in the third cabin.
“You know I will hurt her right?” The thought made Nikka sick to her stomach.
Zenya kissed the back of her head while calmly separating Nikka’s long hair into three plaits. “Yes, I know, but she will recover and be able to keep her pride.”
That was Nikka’s fervent wish. She hoped Talya could move past this. “She needs this.”
Zenya finished the braid and wrapped a band around the thick bottom strands. With one last hug, the women walked outside. Bears, cats, and wolves stood waiting. Today might be the birth of a new member of the bear clan, but all hell was breaking loose among the female cats, and the bears would witness the fight, too.
Nikka noticed the wolves acting uncomfortable. She looked around, seeing no sign of Dmitri. She wished now that she’d explained her plan, but writing out the details in her slow script was never at the forefront of her mind when they were together. Now, it was too late and she could only hope that Dmitri would trust her judgment.
A burst of energy poured into the clearing. It came from Talya. The female was having serious problems containing her cat and it wouldn’t be easy to subdue the stubbor
n woman. Nikka released a small amount of her own beast’s energy, but kept the majority under wraps.
With age came wisdom.
Zenya entered the center of the large circle formed by their pack mates. The bears remained behind the wolves and cats, watching curiously.
Zenya spoke so everyone could hear. “Nikka, you have challenged Talya and she has accepted your challenge. The winner belongs to Dmitri, liege to the bear clan. The loser walks away.”
“The loser will be carried away.” Talya spit the words out on a hiss.
“Enough, Talya; you will have a chance to speak when I am finished.” Zenya continued, “There will be no interference until one of you asks for mercy or is no longer conscious to make the request.”
“Or dead,” Talya mumbled under her breath, though everyone heard her.
It saddened Nikka to see the she-cat in such a state. Sweat poured off the young cat, showing her lack of control and making her far more dangerous. The years of physical and mental abuse had obviously taken their toll.
“As the challenged, Talya, you may choose what form you wish to fight or name them both...”
Talya spoke before Zenya finished, “I choose both.”
“So be it.”
Nikka suddenly felt Dmitri’s presence, the heat of his gaze a painfully intense burning flame enveloping her body. She slowly glanced over her shoulder. Her vampire wasn’t happy. His hands clenched tightly and his power rolled throughout the clearing. Nikka cringed over the pain she brought him, but straightened her spine. This was not the way she wanted to begin their life together, but it was the only way to end Talya’s obsession.
Zenya spoke to Talya and Nikka. “Do either of you wish to make a statement?” Neither of the women spoke, so Zenya continued, “Come to the center of the ring and let the challenge begin.” Zenya left the circle, walking toward Dmitri and standing by his side.
Nikka removed her clothing and approached the center at the same time as a naked Talya joined her. Talya didn’t give Nikka a chance to breathe before she launched herself through the air and barreled into Nikka. Talya shifted to cat and her razor claws raked across Nikka’s forehead. Blood immediately ran into her eyes, making it hard to see. She wiped frantically at the blood, smearing it across her face before shifting and locking her powerful jaws on Talya’s single front paw. With a mighty jerk backward, the three-legged cat fell to her side, but it didn’t stop her. Talya shifted yet again and her hind legs scissored Nikka’s waist, pulling her in close. Quickly shifting back to cat, Talya sank her teeth deeply into Nikka’s shoulder.
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