Nikka sent her thoughts to Zenya by habit, but the she-cat didn’t answer. The loss punched into Nikka’s gut when she realized their tie was severed.
Dmitri caressed her shoulder, anchoring their bond with a small flare of power. “It’s okay, kotika, I’ll speak for you.”
Zenya’s lips trembled slightly when she realized what happened. “Oh, Nikka, I didn’t know it would hurt like this.”
Nikka lifted her arms to the other woman and they clasped each other tightly. Tears streamed down both faces, the bond of sisterhood hard to let go.
Nikka turned to her mate. “Dmitri, please ask her about Talya’s leg. I know I broke it.”
Dmitri repeated the question.
“We set her leg. She shifted to human after she woke and we wrapped it to keep it immobile. I gave her a strong pain killer and sat with her until she fell asleep.”
“Ask about her disposition.” Nikka’s frustration came through in her panicked demand.
Dmitri relayed her words.
“She was so upset that she couldn’t control herself, forcing the two of you to fight. She said she accepted the mating, but she also cried that no one would ever love her. I slept beside her, but when I awoke, she was gone. For a short while, I didn’t worry because I thought she couldn’t go far with her injuries. After an hour, I decided to check on her.”
Dmitri didn’t wait for Nikka’s next question. “How much time has passed since you fell asleep?”
Zenya’s eyes grew huge. “Six hours.”
Dmitri pulled Nikka in for a quick hug. “I’ll check to see if any of the bears left for a shift at the club.” He flashed from the room.
Zenya’s sadness was a thick cloak, palpable in the small room, and dampened the happiness Nikka felt such a short time earlier. She wanted nothing more than to snuggle back into Dmitri’s bed and repeat what they’d done this morning.
Zenya broke into her thoughts. “This will be hard until I get the hang of not hearing you in my mind,” she whispered.
Nikka raised her hands and made the universal sign for writing on paper.
Zenya gave a relieved sigh. “Of course, that will work.”
Dmitri flashed back into the room. “One of my bears went to the club early and now that he’s checked the trunk, he smells her scent. They’ve searched the club, but she isn’t there. I’ve sent my available bears to search the surrounding area. They will cover a two-mile radius.” He gathered Nikka into his arms. “I’m sorry, but I cannot go. With the number of children here, it’s dangerous for me to leave our territory. My bears will find her.”
To Nikka, it felt like a heavy weight settled on her heart, but she would trust that the bears would find Talya.
Twenty-four hours later, there was still no sign of the missing she-cat.
Chapter Eighteen
Dmitri told Nikka of plans to send additional bears into battle against the cats. He also explained he would close the nightclub for renovations, bringing all available bears back to his territory until the danger passed.
Tyboll, The Kodiak’s brother, would lead the bears on their campaign. He was leaving behind his son, Patreous, with Honey and Mandy. The young bear took his responsibility to protect the newest bear clan member very seriously and had to be dragged from the baby’s side when it was time to return to his father. Having Patreous stay with the new family was a good match. Dmitri also explained that Tyboll adopted Mandy into his family and Patreous was now her brother. To the bears, adoption was the same as giving birth. Mandy was bear even if she changed into a wolf.
The thought made Nikka sad because she wanted badly to be accepted, but she didn’t think the bears would adopt her into their clan. Dmitri told her that through their mating, she was the co-leader of their clan and the bears didn’t need to like it. He didn’t understand her need for family. Nikka hoped with time, she could make him see how important it was to her.
There was no word of Talya. She’d been missing for more than a week. Under normal circumstances, they would hunt her down, but the current situation made that impossible. Nikka worried incessantly and blamed herself for Talya’s flight.
When she lay in Dmitri’s arms, her troubles faded, but when he slept, her insecurities took flight. Writing on paper made it difficult to explain her feelings to her lost family. She didn’t regret anything she had with Dmitri, but she didn’t feel worthy of being his mate.
The women trained each day. They would be ready if the war reached them. Many she-cats and bears were uncomfortable with the men, so they arranged to practice separately. With Esta gone, it now fell to Nikka to take over the daily exercise. Dmitri grumbled, but he slept most of the day. He didn’t like the dark circles below Nikka’s eyes, but it was also his fault because he tended to keep her up during the night.
She laughed as she remembered their conversation that morning while they lay twisted in the covers—naked and sated from making love. His fingers feathered across her hip and he cupped her head with his other hand.
“You should sleep by my side during the day.”
She gave a soft purr and snuggled in closer while speaking into his mind, “If I were here all day, neither of us would sleep.”
He ignored her words. “I like waking up with you in my bed, your scent covering my skin.”
She couldn’t help her laughter. “My scent covers every part of your skin, in bed or out of bed.”
“My mate loves to argue now that she pushes her voice into my head.”
“My mate loves to disregard my words and get his way.” She loved the darker skin of his nipple and moved away slightly so she could play with the small, pebbled tip.
“Then give me my way.” He didn’t wait for her answer, just kissed her deeply, leaving her breathless.
Nikka shook away the memory and turned to the women who waited on her to start their training. She squared off with an older she-bear named Ursula. They wrestled, their only goal to get a feel for the other’s strengths and weaknesses. After ten minutes, they shifted to their beasts with the same guideline. After a few moments, a large paw with four-inch claws slammed against Nikka’s head. She flew several feet away, landing with a hard thud against the mat.
What the hell?
Nikka had little interaction with the bears other than the daily defense lessons. Her mating to their liege was new to them and she knew they needed time to adjust. The bears didn’t acknowledge her relationship one way or another and it hurt her deeply.
She lay on the mat stunned and not quite sure what happened. She-cat growls came from her old clan and mixed with heavier bear grumbles from the new.
Nikka shifted to her human form and wiped the blood from her swollen lip, looking into Ursula’s eyes. Suddenly, the gym grew deathly quiet.
Ursula also shifted, giving Nikka a satisfied smirk and taunted her so everyone could hear, “You are a puny kitten, thinking to teach a larger predator how to fight. It would be well for you to hide if the fight comes here. You will only be in our way.” A rumbling growl accompanied each word of Ursula’s statement.
Nikka couldn’t deny the bear’s words. She was smaller, all the cats were, but she was also a cunning predator trained to defend herself and her clan. She wanted acceptance from the bears and had known the need to fight for respect was a high probability. Dmitri would be pissed off when she arrived home bloody and bruised, but he did not understand female beastkind.
“Ursula, that’s enough. Apologize immediately.” Sonora spoke aloud with the steel will of The Kodiak’s mate in her voice.
Sonora was the only bear who acknowledged Nikka and it was appreciated, but this was Nikka’s fight.
Ursula looked down, though she was unable to control the anger making her eyes burn.
There was only one thing to do and Nikka slammed her words into the minds of her new sisters. “Are you challenging me, bear?” Nikka also sent a one-on-one silent plea to Sonora, “I can handle this.”
Ursula jerked her he
ad angrily, but then looked back down.
“You are afraid to fight me?” Nikka goaded.
Cats and bears backed up, hearing the rumble coming from the angry she-bear, expecting her to explode. The cats couldn’t hear the entire conversation, but they knew the situation was turning deadly. They didn’t have long to wait. It took one more gibe.
“Of course, if you fear a fight head-on and attack only when I do not expect…”
The woman exploded into her bear form and attacked at the same time.
Nikka was ready.
In bear form, the woman outweighed her by hundreds of pounds, but Nikka was fast. She had seriously hurt Talya, but that was not what she wanted this outcome to be. You could not beat respect into people, but you could earn it. Nikka stayed out of the bear’s giant paws, pinching and nipping with her teeth, making the woman angrier.
Dmitri had told her his bears were lazy. It wasn’t just the men. The women did housework, but they didn’t run and they had no stamina. Ursula managed to get her claws into Nikka’s hind leg, but it was a relatively small wound. Nikka twirled out of reach then attacked again. She ran at Ursula, bit or scratched then backed away before the bear could turn. Eventually, the bear tired, taking huge gasps for breath until she finally tripped over her own feet. Her body sounded like a fallen tree as it hit the mat.
Nikka moved closer, but stayed out of reach. “I will wait to finish you off when you catch your breath,” she tossed out, barely breathing hard.
Between gasps, Ursula replied, “I choose to give up peacefully and avoid another waltz with you.”
Nikka couldn’t help laughing. She rarely commented on the Mexican influence in her life, but she couldn’t help herself. “That was no waltz…that, my dear, was the Cha Cha.”
One by one, the bears started laughing and Ursula joined them. After the bear shifted to human, Nikka put her hand down and helped her to her feet.
Ursula looked her up and down. “You are worthy of our liege, but he may not be worthy of you.”
Nikka smiled shyly and knew she blushed. “Have no fear; I plan to teach him to dance.”
One of the younger bears called out. “He has moves on the dance floor, or so I’ve been told.”
The heat in her face intensified, but she had no trouble responding, “I will gladly discover if this is the truth and let you know.”
Sonora stood to the side, obviously telling Zenya what was being said so she could pass it on to the cats. They were also smiling. Nikka missed her sisters, but knew she needed to be part of the bears’ world and make a new family.
Looking at the women around her, Nikka couldn’t help feeling that the beastkind war could easily be won if they took the men out of the equation. But then, she remembered it was a female vampire leading the opposing forces and Amelia was also a female to be reckoned with.
Chapter Nineteen
Dmitri was furious. His eyes glowed and his volume almost matched that of The Kodiak. “I will punish the bear who did this to you,” he growled.
Nikka grimaced, but ran her fingers through the hair on the back of his neck trying to calm him with her touch. “Why? I took care of the problem and our differences are settled.”
Nothing she said seemed to calm him and he went on, his voice actually rising further. “The bears rarely fight, and they are to never settle differences with my mate using physical force.”
She kissed his jaw then his neck, loving the taste of his skin. Her fingers tightened in his hair and her other hand smoothed along his collarbone before skimming over his chest. He needed to relax and she could think of only one way to take his mind off her sister-bears.
He stopped her travels when her hand dipped lower. “You will not move my mind from your injuries. I want the name of the she-bear.”
Nikka had showered before joining Dmitri in bed to wash away the scratches, but his eyes opened seconds after she lay down. “I smell your blood; you are injured,” he had said.
They’d been going around in circles since that moment. Now, she ignored his question about the name of the she-bear and asked her own, “When do you next feed from the bears?”
He ran his fingertip over the bruise on her face. “I will never feed from them again.”
Catching his fingers, she kissed each one. “You are being childish, my big grumpy vampire.”
“And you are hanging out with Mandy too much. She is the only one who would dare call me grumpy.” His voice had grown huskier even though he remained angry.
She had to make him understand. “The females are accepting me, Dmitri. Please don’t hinder my progress. Female rules are similar in all clans. Women do not like when an outsider takes the strongest of their men.”
“You are not an outsider. You are the mate to the deadliest vampire in the Americas.” His eyes glowed brighter, a sure sign that nothing she said registered.
Maybe if she teased him she could take his mind away from decapitating his family. “And you are egotistical as well as beautiful.”
He closed his eyes and leaned back against the pillows, releasing a long, irritable sigh. “You shouldn’t call me beautiful; it unmans me.”
She laughed, unable to help herself. “I also hear you have moves on the dance floor.”
He groaned because, as she spoke, she grasped his erection, her warm hand sliding up and down the length.
“Oh my naughty, kotika, my best moves are here in bed, but you shall heal first.” He hooked his fingers around her neck, pulling her down until he sank his fangs deep within her throat.
The healing enzymes flowed throughout her body, radiating outward, knitting her torn skin easily because they weren’t deep wounds. The ache in her bruised cheek lessened, too. A vampire’s bite always gave what a person needed most and at this moment, Nikka needed her mate.
***
After making love, they slept. An hour later, Dmitri left the bed and Nikka’s warmth. He watched her sleep for a few minutes, her beauty marred by a faint bruise that was still visible from her altercation with the unknown she-bear. He went downstairs with anger heating his blood and contacted The Kodiak, telling him to present himself immediately.
The bear grumbled less than usual, sensing the mood of his liege. Five minutes later, he arrived.
“I want the name of the woman who attacked my mate. I put up with the young cat hurting her because Nikka was not yet mine, but I will not let this pass.”
The Kodiak growled irritably. “The women must work out their own problems.”
Dmitri and The Kodiak had reached an understanding many years before. There was never a question of who was in charge, but a deep friendship had grown, uniting the two even more. Dmitri’s eyes went amber. He looked at the bear while speaking precisely so The Kodiak understood the situation. “My mate’s problems have now become yours. I. Want. The. Name.”
“Sonora, get over here,” The Kodiak blasted into Dmitri’s mind as well as his mate’s.
The two men waited. Sonora arrived with lips pressed together in a tight line. She gave her mate a mild look of disgust.
He ignored it. “Your liege wants the name of the woman who challenged his mate.”
Sonora focused her unhappy attention on Dmitri. “If you want the name, you must ask Nikka.” After years of listening to The Kodiak, she’d obviously picked up the fine art of bellowing.
The Kodiak growled, not accustomed to having his orders ignored.
A low feline growl from the stairs had them all turning.
Nikka stood looking down into the room. Her voice inside their heads was as cold as ice. “You seriously disregarded what I said and took your inquisition to others?”
“I want a name,” Dmitri shouted.
Nikka’s voice was cold, but remained level. “You do not always get what you want. The matter is settled and I hold no anger against my sister-bear. We are now friends and if the need arises, I will establish other friendships in the same manner without your interference.”
“Damn cat.”
“Damn vampire.”
He flashed behind her, bringing his hands down heavily on her shoulder. Nikka yelped, her body jumping.
“Kodiak, take your mate and return home.” He was pleased his voice could be calm in this situation. He heard the sound of the front door slamming as he ran his nose along Nikka’s neck, scenting her sleepy disgruntlement.
“That was rude.” Her breathing was heavy.
“I’m in a rude kind of mood.” He turned her so she faced him, moving his hands up her arms and placing one at the back of her neck where he could run his thumb across her hairline.
He loved that warm, sensitive part of her neck because every time he touched her there she arched into him. There were other places on her body he wanted to explore, and arguing wasn’t going to help with his next delightful discovery.
His feisty cat had similar ideas.
Her hands went under his shirt, rubbing her fingers over his chest. When they rested just above his pectoral muscles, they clenched, the nails digging in.
Leaning forward, her breath whispered across his mouth. “Don’t fight me on this, Dmitri. Please. If you want her name I’ll give it, but you will destroy my place in your clan.” Her eyes pleaded for understanding.
He tipped her head down, resting his forehead against hers. “I am not beastkind. They don’t challenge me or they die. My mate should bring the same fear.”
Nikka kissed the side of his eye before moving to his jaw, placing more soft, tiny kisses on the prickly skin. “You do not rule on fear. I’ve seen you. The bears respect you.”
He pulled the hair at her nape enough to tip her head back and look into her eyes. “They do fear me, never forget that.” He knew it was true. The bears had never seen him at his worst, but they’d seen him damn close.
She didn’t blink. “I do not fear you, Dmitri. I love you.”
His world fell off its axis again. His mouth came down against hers, his tongue seeking immediate entry, licking, sucking, and accepting her love. She grounded him, and the anger he felt only moments before melted away, the red haze finding its corner and settling in.
Dmitri Page 11