Dmitri

by D'Elen McClain

  “Nikka, I challenge.”

  Fuck no. Esta turned back to Aster, her eyes burning with anger. “You cannot challenge her tonight.”

  He gave her a pompous smirk. “There’s no rule against it. Nikka can accept the challenge or decline if she’s willing to give up her position.”

  “I accept,” came Nikka’s soft voice into everyone’s mind.

  Esta ignored her and walked straight up to Aster.

  His bloody mouth opened in a smile, displaying white teeth. “I will not hurt her too badly, mate.”

  She so wanted to wipe that smug grin from his face with a two by four. “I am not your mate, you damn mutt. Just challenge me and get it over with.”

  His grin widened. “Have no fear; you are the dessert on my plate tonight.” He had the audacity to turn away.

  Bets started up again and the revelry continued.

  “Give him a fight, Nikka,” Esta said into the she-cat’s head.

  “I plan to.” Nikka smiled and winked at Esta.

  They faced off; Nikka’s fangs and claws sharper than a wolf. She was also faster. Within minutes, it was obvious Aster was trying not to hurt her. Nikka took advantage and came away with fur and flesh locked in her jaws. They clashed again and Aster finally walloped her upside the head after a particularly painful bite.

  It took Nikka a moment to get up, but as soon as her legs found purchase, she charged. Aster let her come and rolled backward when her body hit his. Mid roll, he twisted, his teeth finding her throat. Nikka’s feline scream was filled with frustration. Aster’s jaws tightened until Nikka slammed the ground beside her, tapping out.

  A little worse for wear, but still ready for the next fight, Aster pulled Nikka up and turned to Bernard. “I challenge.”

  “About time. I’ve wanted a piece of your hide for decades.” Bernard cracked his knuckles with a bored expression on his face.

  Aster was noticeably tired and there was a good chance he wouldn’t win this challenge. The stupid wolf should have waited. But no. He seemed to have something to prove, and Esta’s cat was enjoying his demonstration. She groaned as she walked over to Nikka.

  “Are you okay?”

  Nikka held her side and spoke with a grimace. “I’ll survive, but I have a feeling he’ll be coming after you if he’s still walking after this challenge.”

  “That’s been his plan all along.”

  Nikka gave her a long, level look. “You need to sleep with him, Esta. The two of you are mates and you’re hurting. He’s hurting and it isn’t just the battles tonight.”

  “Never.”

  Esta turned back to the two combatants and watched them smash into each other. Bernard was good. Esta had worried he’d challenge her and win. She’d been expecting it. He fought Aster with everything he had, determined to hold his pack position. Bernard’s ferocity mixed with lethal concentration, his moves more precise than Troy’s or Nikka’s, giving him a better chance of winning.

  After twenty minutes, both wolves were bloody, Aster bloodier from his early battles. They circled, rolled, wrestled, and tore large chunks of fur and flesh from each other’s hides. Bernard breathed rapidly while his sides heaved. Aster’s legs were shaking with fatigue, his face a mass of bloody puncture wounds. Esta had no idea of the outcome. She was beginning to think they would fight until the sun peeked over the horizon and both dropped dead from exhaustion.

  A few minutes later, Aster tripped, going down hard. Bernard took advantage and lunged. The two wolves moved so quickly it was hard to see whose teeth found purchase or when claws did deadly damage. A loud crack sounded and Bernard fell heavily under Aster.

  “Call Vorlyk; his back is broken.” Aster shifted to human and managed to get the words past his bloodied lips.

  Aster crawled several feet away and rolled to his side, facing her.

  “I challenge.”

  There was no place on his body without blood, bruises, or teeth marks.

  Esta had had enough. She marched toward him, fury in every cell in her body. From the corner of her eye, she saw Vorlyk feeding from Bernard. Aster struggled to his knees, weaving back and forth like a punching bag in slow motion.

  “You crazy mutt.” She took one swing, her human fist plowing forward with the strength of a sledgehammer. She caught Aster’s jaw perfectly. Blood and saliva flew from his mouth and his body soared back, his head striking the ground.

  Aster was out cold.

  Nicolas put his hand on her arm. “We will carry him inside.”

  She turned hard eyes to her alpha, willing to take him on if he gave her any trouble. “No one touches my mate but me.”

  ***

  Current day…

  “Are you thinking about me?” Aster’s growly voice was back in her head.

  “Never.”

  “I’m thinking about a brown-eyed cub with the mean disposition of his mother and the brains of his father.”

  “Dream on. He will have your crazy disposition and my brains.”

  “That works for me.”

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  The attack began two hours before sunrise, the enemy thinking they slept.

  Amy and Vorlyk faced two vampires knowing another ravaged the clan. The battle was ferocious, but surprisingly over quickly. The two vampires were mere babies and no match for Amy and Vorlyk.

  They quickly searched for the third vampire. Vorlyk saw a critically injured wolf and sank to his knees giving aid in the way of vampire and beastkind. The wolf would survive, but Vorlyk smelled death and knew several had not. He flashed to the women. They cowered behind their guards crying. Even though he knew they play acted, it unsettled him. He hated that they were forced to stand by and watch the first wave of fighting. His female cats deserved blood. But they’d discussed it, brought Esta in asking her feelings and she agreed. Amelia and her beasts had to underestimate their forces. Vorlyk shook his head. The she-cats and wolves of his clan would get their chance.

  “Vorlyk, go to the bears,” Nicolas yelled into his mind.

  Badly injured bears with three dead awaited him. The third of Amelia’s vampires had gone straight for their clan. But worse, he captured Tyboll.

  Hunter limped shakily, going from bear to bear checking their injuries with Vorlyk’s help. “I think that was their plan all along. The vampire had one goal and he went through us easily. Tyboll fought, but he was no match. He was still alive when the vamp carried him off, though barely. I have no mind connection with him now, so he’s either dead or unconscious.” Hunter fell over.

  “You are injured, my friend. Remain still while I help you.” Vorlyk lifted the bear’s arm.

  “I can no longer feel Tyboll.” Hunter passed out.

  Amy came to help a few minutes later. “Five dead, counting the bears. Several injuries will take twenty-four hours to heal, but the rest are minor. Why do you think they went after Tyboll?”

  “I’m not sure. Maybe The Moor will know. Have you heard from him?”

  “No. I tried contacting him, but he hasn’t opened the connection. I’m worried.”

  Hunter’s body gave a huge shake, as if he was in his shaggy bear form.

  “Are you with us?” Vorlyk asked.

  “Awwwe, my head hurts, but I’ll be okay.”

  “Contact Dmitri and let him know what’s happened. We’re missing something.”

  ***

  Amy had had no communication with The Moor in the past forty-eight hours. They’d had to bury their dead quickly because of the temperature. They would mourn when the war was behind them. Late in the afternoon after the attack, the bears had gone crazy. When it happened, she and Vorlyk flashed to Hunter, who was on his knees, anguish in every line of his face. Another bear’s loud roar silenced the jungle sounds.

  Amy could see no danger present, but she felt the bears’ anguish. “Hunter, talk to us. What is it?”

  “They make Tyboll scream.” His eyes were black, his voice low. “Tyboll would never scream.”
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  The bear was being tortured and his clan could feel it.

  Gut-wrenching pain engulfed Amy. This was the consequence of war. “We will get him back.”

  “No.” Hunter covered his face before lifting his hands higher and slipping them into his hair. He pulled the short strands before he said it again, “No.”

  Vorlyk looked to Amy. “We must do something.”

  Through his anguish, Hunter managed to speak again. “That’s what they want. Dmitri orders us to wait.”

  Amy couldn’t take it; she tried connecting to The Moor again.

  His voice—quiet, despair in each syllable, threaded through her mind. “Retreat. Death will take you all.”

  “You must help us, Moor.”

  “All is lost.” The line snapped shut.

  Amy opened her connection to her mate. “Put our other plan into action. We have no choice.”

  “It will be done. I love you.”

  “And I you.”

  Amy turned to Vorlyk and spoke aloud. “The Moor says retreat. I’ve contacted Marcus. We hold our ground and wait. No mind communication from here on out. Help me tell everyone.”

  Without The Moor or Ivan knowing, Amy, Marcus, Columbus, Vorlyk, Nicolas, and Brandt made a second plan. They would use no mind communication to put it into action. Good old-fashioned telephones connected Cheri and Dmitri. The Moor might or might not be in their corner, but it didn’t matter. One way or another he could not stop what would happen next.

  Amy pulled herself from her thoughts of what happened the day before. Now they waited. Their entire camp could feel the pulses of anger coming from the bear clan. When their energy intensified, they knew Tyboll’s torture continued. As horrible as it was, it was their only hope that they might still rescue him.

  ***

  Dmitri lay awake holding Nikka, her head on his chest, hair fanned over him like a blanket. He couldn’t help the tightening of his hand on her hip when Hunter’s words shot through his head.

  “Be safe, Hunter, and know you did everything you could.”

  Nikka rolled slightly, looking up at him. “What’s wrong, Dmitri?”

  “They captured Tyboll. It may have been a trap. Hunter told me the vampire Amelia sent had only one goal. He also thinks Tyboll may already be dead.”

  Dmitri could not stay in bed. He disengaged from Nikka’s embrace and began pulling on his clothes.

  “Where are you going?”

  He knew his eyes were amber and he fought to hold in his fury. “I must get out of the house for a while.”

  “I will go with you.”

  He couldn’t look at her because her eyes held pain, too. “No, but I will stay close.” He blinked from the room and reappeared outside a few hundred yards away.

  Tyboll’s son needed a father. Dmitri tried connecting with the bear. A very faint thread of awareness gave him hope, and some of his rage left. The bears were targeted for a reason and Dmitri had a feeling Amelia actually wanted him in this fight. She was out of her mind, but they knew that. His fists clenched then loosened at his sides. He looked into the darkness, seeing a faint glow of morning light in the east.

  Nikka’s energy soothed along his spine and his anger and uneasiness drifted away. She helped more than The Kodiak, and he shouldn’t have left her alone in bed. Blinking back into their room, he pulled her into his arms, holding her, her blood calling him. Laying her back against the mountain of pillows, he moved her hair from her throat and watched the pulse at her neck.

  “I’m yours; don’t hesitate.”

  He didn’t. Her words broke the ice around his heart and he sank into her warmth, taking her blood and further calming his soul. He needed time to convince himself he could stay out of this war even if it was a lie.

  He barely slept throughout the day. Nikka kept slipping into the room to check on him. Directly before the sun went down, he tried again to connect with Tyboll. Suddenly, pain shot through his body and Tyboll’s scream sounded like it was in the same room with him. Dmitri knew The Kodiak felt it, too, and so would most of the bears. Nikka’s hand settled on his cheek and even with the killing rage consuming him, he turned slightly and rubbed his jaw against her palm.

  He looked up and saw the tears running down her cheeks. “You felt that?” he asked.

  “Yes.” Her lips trembled. “He suffers.”

  Dmitri’s eyes turned amber, his final decision made. “I will kill them all.”

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Only a few rays of the sun remained, the orange and yellow hues casting peaceful radiance over the trees. Dmitri stood with Nikka and The Kodiak.

  He turned away from them when he spoke. “We travel to Cheri’s territory tomorrow and fly out from there. Everyone will go.”

  Nikka took his hand trying to comfort him. He squeezed her fingers gently, loving her, and knowing his gift could kill her.

  He pulled her close. “I need to do this and both of you must be prepared to stop me.”

  She didn’t understand. He sensed her confusion. It was impossible not to kiss her. He lowered his head, breathing in her scent before their lips met—she tasted like the sweetest honey. Pulling away, he peered over her shoulder at his friend, surprised that The Kodiak didn’t grumble over the passionate display. But the intense dark eyes looked back at him understanding what he was about to do.

  “Hold her. Both of you stay behind me. If even a tingling hits you, do what you must.” A deadly sharp ax rested a few feet from the bear.

  Dmitri gently pushed Nikka back until The Kodiak grabbed her upper arms.

  It only took a second for her to realize the bear wouldn’t be letting her go. “What the hell are you doing?”

  Dmitri ignored her and spoke to The Kodiak. “I have given orders that no one is to be out here. I need you to keep her at my back.”

  Nikka’s panicked words filled his head. “Dmitri, don’t do this. We can win this war without your sacrifice.”

  “Hold her.”

  The Kodiak tightened his grip and Dmitri turned away.

  Rage.

  His curse called for rage and that was easy enough to give.

  His world shifted from color to black and white. Then the red haze built from the edges of his vision. The power was raw—hot. It felt fucking great. It grew and he didn’t hold back. He could feel the destruction that fell in the path of his anger, the animal screams that came with the throws of death. Everything burned and he loved every fucking minute.

  He let it go, enjoying the purity of death. It had been too long since he’d opened the cage door and he didn’t understand why. His laughter was deep and uninhibited. Joy. Lust. Destruction. It was his.

  At the corner of his consciousness, he heard crying, and through the fog, a touch—cool against his burning skin.

  Peaceful.

  Another touch—stronger—calmer.

  He focused, shaping his rage, pulling it back.

  Control.

  His eyes remained fixated on the distant forest, but his hands captured the arms circling his waist. Nikka grounded him. The Kodiak’s hand on his shoulder also soothed the inferno inside him. Wetness on the back of his shirt came from Nikka’s tears.

  The tears of his mate.

  He closed his eyes and took a long, slow breath.

  He smelled death, the scent of his curse.

  He shut it down completely, falling to his knees unable to stand.

  “Dmitri. I love you. I love you.”

  She said it over and over—holding him—loving him.

  The Kodiak removed his hand, but remained near. Nikka was draped across his back, her arms still around his middle. Her body trembled as she continued crying. He turned, pulling her into his lap, kissing her with all the love he had.

  He opened his eyes and gazed into the green depths of hers. She smiled through her tears.

  “Don’t cry, kotika.” He wiped the wetness trailing down her cheeks.

  “We must check the damage.�
� The Kodiak’s rumbling voice broke the spell.

  “What did you do, Dmitri?” Nikka tried to hide her fear, but her eyes were bigger than he’d ever seen them.

  His heart broke just a little for the pain he knew this would bring, but he wouldn’t lie. “I called death.” He wiped more tears away. “We need to know where it stopped.” He lifted her as he stood.

  Moving loose strands of hair behind her ear, he wanted so badly to erase the devastation of his curse. The Kodiak began walking toward the area Dmitri targeted.

  “I smell burning meat,” Nikka said, her sensitive nose scrunching up.

  They walked into the dense forest. Dmitri knew the trees were burned on the inside and would eventually die. Everything in his path was dead or would be in a matter of weeks. They saw the first animal, a deer, about a hundred yards from where Dmitri released his power. Its eyes were open and staring, obviously dying in pain, a trail of blood still flowing from its nose and mouth.

  “You did this?” she asked quietly without censure.

  Nikka released his hand and walked to a small rabbit displaying the identical manner of death. Dmitri didn’t answer her question, just took her arm and continued forward. A few birds had fallen from the sky unable to escape the disease Dmitri spread.

  The Kodiak’s voice broke into the silence. “I will check outward and return.” He walked off, heading to the right of where they stood.

  Nikka turned. Her green eyes searched his, obviously trying to understand what she was seeing. The intensity of her gaze humbled him—no accusation, no revulsion, but mostly no fear. She went to her tiptoes and placed a gentle kiss on his lips. “I love you.”

  The words should have helped, but it broke his heart even more. She loved a killer—one who could take massive life from a distance, annihilating everything in his path. He’d done it before, unchecked, violently without remorse. And he was prepared to do it again to keep his clan safe. He would unleash the horror that was him. His true monster.

  She continued holding his gaze, her cool hands against his face.

  “Their blood boils from the inside. The trees, bushes, even the insects will die if they haven’t already. My curse is the ability to kill every living thing on this planet.”