He sighed. Lukina was already fast asleep. Poor girl, he thought, demanding to know why he did what he did. Becoming the messenger of the pack meant she was privy to all the secrets, all the silent chatter, everything that transpired between pack members. Prophecy dictated her place in this world, in this pack. And he had to admire her, respect her for taking it up at such a young age. She couldn’t possibly know all the crap she had and deal with it easily. Her scorn he understood, just didn’t like tolerating it. His reasons for leaving were simple. She had to already know the answer if she'd dealt with Józsi’s demons. The truth was, men in this pack were expected to move heaven and earth, and for what?
Some nonexistent place where wolves could live in peace?
The idea of peace was itself a lie.
As was this heaven.
Stupid girl.
There had to be more to life than the ideal of protecting mankind from its’ own stupidity. Hell, it seemed lately the wolves weren't much better off, what with them leaving the packs and splitting off.
But he’d go after their—Katarina's lover. He’d do this for her.
The plane ride sucked ass and took most of the energy out of him. He’d slept some between Chicago O’Hare and Istanbul, but the moment they got off the plane to switch and fly to Budapest, his senses remained on alert. The Turkish packs in the land were known for having fealty to nothing.
Not even the Opeth Pack.
The Opeth Pack itself was supposed to be the revered pack directly of the Moon and Hungarian fertility goddess, but the truth had become evident about the status of the pack when shit started getting weird with Kiba.
Come to think of it, since Nicholaus had history drilled into him from birth, the Opeth Pack had been losing power since the last great World War.
Lukina had filled him in on what they'd learned about the Lunar Flower disease, which amounted to not a god damn thing. At least not anything as to why it happened. Medically, an autopsy had been done on Kiba’s body and found decay in the organs, particularly in the part of the mind where it was believed to control the animalistic urges.
Questions remained unanswered about the Flower Maiden’s purpose for infecting wolves. Such as why the fuck someone who was supposedly helping the race get into this made up Heaven would betray her own kind.
Unless, she wasn’t one of them after all, and she was a deity in disguise, one of the few who thought wolves should have never been created.
That irked Nicholaus. Don’t create something if you can't be responsible for it.
Seemed like common fucking sense.
He’d held Katarina's hand during the entire four flights, never letting her out of his sight. It seemed like he’d resumed his old duties and honestly, it felt too good.
When he’d tried to extricate himself from her grip, she held on tighter.
Once they’d landed in Budapest, all his old fears reared their heads. Nerves were shot from stress and the realization of having to come back home for the first time in ten plus years.
What would others think of his return?
Would Krystyna be glad to see him after he rescued her?
How would the new Alpha react to him returning, let alone the suggestion of him being here to help? He and Józsi weren’t exactly friends. They knew each other, but Józsi left right before Nicholaus had and disappeared into the wind.
Of course that was the inspiration for why Nicholaus did what he did. Ghosting meant no scared glares or hushed whispers of ‘stay away’.
Now that he was back, he had to ask himself how he would deal with all the rejection and fear. Surely the remaining pack members have held those memories of his killing close to the heart.
He sure had.
Once they landed, grueling traffic in Budapest made the trip take even longer but still he sat between the two women, holding both their hands on the drive toward Balatonföldár where Józsi had relocated the pack. Katarina gripped his hand tightly while Lukina was more focused on driving down the narrow dirt path toward their village. The bench seat had seen better days and made for a tight fit, but all three of them managed to squeeze in.
No one said a word while Lukina drove, which suited Nicholaus just fine. He had little to say anyway, aside from an occasional note about how the land had changed in some ways, yet overwhelmingly had stayed the same.
Shit in this part of the world mostly stayed the same.
An hour and a half later, they’d reached the end of the dirt road and stopped just before a metal fence. Lukina killed the roar of the old engine and hopped out. "Last stop for human appearing wolves. Everyone out.”
Katarina yawned. The sun had begun to set.
He'd stayed awake to watch them both on the flight, keeping a closer eye on Katarina. When she rested her head on his shoulder, he thought she’d pass out. She did fall asleep, her gentle breathing alerting him to her drifting off. But she twitched, moaned softly, clutched at his thigh, squeezing it, then pulling away.
He nuzzled her gently and woke her from what seemed like a nightmare. When he questioned her, she dodged him.
Of course he’d filed the information away in the back of his mind for later.
Nicholaus and Katarina got out of the beat up truck and stretched. Their immediate surroundings, mostly rolling fields and hillsides, smelled strong on the wind, bringing back memories Nicholaus had tried to forget.
Lukina yawned. “Time to go back. Nicholaus, don’t pull any of your macho shit with the remainder of the pack here. They are scared and somewhat hostile toward outsiders.”
He scoffed. “I’m not an outsider.”
Lukina narrowed her eyes. “To them you are. You’re a foreigner, Nicholaus. Since you left and turned your back on them, they consider you a foreigner. And Józsi's in America with Ilona so he can't help you yet. No bullshit.”
“Wait,” his jaw dropped, “What? You said nothing of the Alpha not being around.”
“I know. Now, come on.” She turned and dropped the illusion of being a human and stood on all fours as a beautiful wolf with soft gray fur, narrow killer’s eyes, and a strong sleek, muscled body.
“Fine.” He dragged his hand down his face.
Katarina did the same, her body covered in a dark gray coat, angry green eyes set in her head. She licked her lips and whimpered. Looking at Nicholaus, she whimpered louder.
“You're so beautiful,” he choked on a breath before dropping his illusion to stand between the two of them. Animal instinct plus what little of his humanity he retained in wolf form made him seek contact. He padded toward Katarina and nuzzled her ear.
She returned the favor by nipping him on the neck and trotting toward Lukina.
I get it. This is going to be hard, isn’t it? Nicholaus took a step forward, pawing the ground.
Cocking her head, Lukina looked back and licked her muzzle. Let’s go.
He and Katarina nodded.
Both of them followed Lukina down the dirt path through thick underbrush, running faster and faster until they were out of breath. They ran a bit further until they came upon a village. White brick and wood houses stood in rows along both sides of a dirt street. A few wolves walked the streets appearing as humans, but only the movement of a gentle wind interrupted the eerie quiet.
The wind picked up, ruffling Nicholaus’s fur. He turned his head, then padded closer to Katarina and nuzzled her, careful not to send the wrong signals or otherwise indicate he’d be staying longer than promised. Where are we staying tonight?
She whimpered. You want to sleep tonight? I want my other lover back!
He snorted. It’ll be easier if we go later, after we’ve had some rest. We’re all very tired. Not able to think clearly. We need to get her when we are at our best, okay?
Katarina whimpered louder and nodded. Come with me then. Lukina can go to her house for the night. We don’t need her right now.
Ahem! Lukina snorted. I’m right here. And I am aware that my presence isn’t requ
ired for this ordeal. I have business to attend to with Ilona and Selene.
Go then, handle your business. Katarina and I will fend for ourselves tonight.
I will meet you two before you leave tomorrow. Lukina nodded and trotted off toward her house.
Nicholaus looked at Katarina. Standing before her, he rose to his full height as a human and extended a hand to her. “Come on, sweetheart. Let’s go get some rest. I promise you’ll sleep better tonight.”
She shifted and took his hand in hers.
He let her lead him down the street. “None of this looks familiar.”
“It shouldn’t. Józsi moved us just west of where we were staying. Said it was a tactical decision.” Her arm interlocked around his. “I’m really scared for Krystyna.” She huddled closer, the smell of fear and arousal drifting toward his nose. He hated the putrid scent of fear, but with Katarina, it smelled so much more delicate, like weeping flowers.
“It’ll be okay, szeret. We’ll get her back tonight after some rest. You need it if you’re coming with me.”
Katarina nodded again. “How easily you slip back into your accent.”
He hadn't realized he’d done that until she’d pointed it out. “I never had an accent.”
“You lie,” she ran a finger down his chest, “It’s cute. It means something.”
He growled, forced her to face him. They were not going to have the discussion about his return home unless it involved going back to Albuquerque, New Mexico. “Do not go down this path, Katarina. I am here to help you, and then I’m gone.”
She sniffled.
He gazed into beautiful green eyes, looking for that sparkle of life, of hope. “There,” he spoke softly before leaning into her. Against her, his body wanted nothing more than to give in to the war of his heart but his head screamed loudly. It had been so long since Nicholaus had taken a woman to bed, and none of them had compared to either of his lovers.
Katarina's posture softened in his hold. She tilted her head to the side, exposing the slender line of her neck, emerald eyes closed slightly. Her mouth parted, a pink tongue darted out and licked her lower lip.
Unable to resist just a taste, Nicholaus pressed his mouth to hers, savoring the sweet velvet, softness.
Katarina opened for him and bent her head to meet his fervent kisses.
Hands clasped around the back of his neck, his shoulders. Inhaling her earthy, musky scent, he kissed her again and again, claiming her mouth with his. Capturing her tongue, he coaxed her to into his mouth. He stroked her tongue with his, suckling and playing with it while running his hands over the smoothness of her slender back.
She moaned against his body, pressing herself into him. Breasts crushed against his hard chest, soft hips met his.
His cock grew hard beneath his pants. His pulse quickened. How he wanted to fuck her now in the middle of the street!
“No,” she pulled away from him, “I want you both to be present when we do this again.”
She’d read his mind. Not like it was difficult to picture what he wanted while sporting an erection he could drive through six inches of hard oak. He leaned forward, close enough to smell her, taste her lips again. “Are you sure?”
Katarina reached for him and ran her fingers through strands of his hair. She smiled weakly, nodded. “Yes. I am. My heart wants what it wants, szeret. I cannot change that.”
Nicholaus couldn’t ask her to anyway. She was right. If they were going to make love, it had to be all three of them. One kept his mind calm, the other kept his heart in check. Never in their relationship had they made love without all three of them. It was an unspoken rule.
Besides, sexual encounters with them would only entrench him back to a life he had no desire to lead.
Slowly, he released her but kept her hand in his. “Okay. Then let’s go back to your place.”
She led him by the hand down the street until they came to a brown cottage. “You used to love our home,” she whispered in his ear.
“I always loved the fact that I could sneak in when your parents were asleep.” He grinned, recalling the memories from his childhood where he'd snuck out of his bedroom and into theirs. With wolves, mated lovers often shared rooms in a brother/sister fashion only without the incest. While they were not biological sisters, they were raised as such until personality differences began to develop.
She clasped his hand tighter. “We used to spend so many nights up late talking. I missed those days when we got older.”
His pulse reached his throat. Yeah, she’d want to go down memory lane, irritating him further. This would end up in a fight if she continued this line of discussion, so he said nothing.
“Fine.” She tried to retract her hand.
He almost let her, but the contact felt so comforting. Nicholaus couldn’t remember the last time he’d had this connection with anyone. Humans certainly hadn't given him anything. “You look tired.”
“Thanks.” Again she tried to pull away.
He wouldn’t let go. “You’re going to take me to bed with you?”
“You can sleep on the couch.” Katarina shoved the wooden door open and let him in first.
“Bullshit. You shared a bed with me last night, why not tonight?”
“Because…” She didn’t finish her sentence.
“Aha! You couldn’t finish your thought. I’ll hold you tight and promise not to let anything bad happen. Okay?”
“Yet you're sending me mixed signals. You at first appear harsh and unfriendly when we show up, then you turn like this and go back to your sweet, innocent self.”
How easily he had slipped from his antisocial tone indeed.
“I have no idea how to answer that unasked question, Katarina.” Truly, he didn’t. Speaking to her, his accent, his choice of words, all seemed like rote once he’d set foot on Hungarian soil. Hell, even before that, Nicholaus offered comfort with ease and found his old world tongue returning.
Damn it. This wasn't good. If he stayed too long, things would only be more difficult when he pulled the plug from them both and returned to America.
His home.
Clenching his fists, he growled and strode away from Katarina.
“You’re…”
He glared over his aching shoulder. “What?”
“Tension is pouring off you in waves, vehemence and hatred. Why do you hate what we are, Nicholaus?”
“I don’t. I just don’t like me very much. I’m not…look, I was happy when I was alone. I was able to live a life free of the duties and responsibilities I had here. I didn’t have to bother anyone with my being around.”
“But you shucked those and your heritage for a lie you believe to be true.”
He stopped himself from responding, his temper already had his skin warm and his fists clenched. Nicholaus crossed his arms over his chest, narrowed his eyes at her and counted to ten. Very slowly.
Katarina reached for him, her hand didn't quite touch his skin though. “You…”
She looked like she’d burst into tears at any moment. For a second, he relaxed his posture, his shoulders tightened. Her smile hadn't quite reached her eyes, nor had her skin the same gleam it normally did. In fact, if he had to guess, she’d grown weaker.
“You don’t know what you did for me, do you?”
She’d punch him in the gut repeatedly with that question, wouldn't she? He knew better than to answer her.
Katarina blinked, cocked her head to the side. “I bet you know what you did by leaving us.”
He tried hard to avoid her penetrating gaze but the daggers she shot at him struck his heart. Of course he knew what he’d done, but this was still the best for everyone. “You'll never understand me, Katarina. I promise.”
“I understood you when you were here. What changed?”
He clutched her by the shoulders and held her at arm’s length. God damn it, touching her made things even worse for him. “I learned the world was harsh and I had to grow up.”
The way she spat the words out made him almost cringe. Even his Katarina—no, he couldn’t think of her as his anymore, could be cruel. “See, even you realize this truth.”
“Fine.” She crossed her arms over her chest and straightened. “At least tell me you have a plan for rescuing my lover.”
Yeah, she was going to continue to push daggers into the wound he’d tried hard to keep closed. “No, I have no idea right now. You two pick me up without so much as even a clue where to begin. You tell me I'm to come here and fucking do this thing with this new Alpha, show of strength and all that, except he’s not here. Then you tell me only that the Turks are involved and they’re making inroads into a third fucking world country as far as the rest of us are concerned, and expect me to come up with a plan on the spot?”
She gasped and fear raced across her face.
“You’re right to be afraid. I told you I’d help and I will. But have you or anyone else scouted anything around here? Know or tracked her scent?”
“No one has been able to focus on anything. The truth is, our pack has grown weaker in the last few months since our new Alpha took the reins. He’s trying to help us but others are more resistant to what they perceive as a foreign dictator.”
“Is he a dictator?”
She shook her head. “No, he’s…” She bit her lower lip, “forcing us to do difficult things in order to survive and rebuild. He hasn’t a clue how to lead, he tells us but knows we need structure, cash and a means of making a life for our pack, and ourselves rather than just surviving. He’s ordered the males who stayed to find jobs as humans. Money will flow into the pack and a society will be set up with what he says are fair laws. The women are to be protected and trained back in the old ways while our witch studies the ancient texts about prophecy.”
“Fuck prophecy.”
“Indeed,” she spoke dryly, “you've said that before. But it’s destiny that brought us back together. You cannot deny that.” She stepped closer, extended a hand to once again make contact.
Nicholaus straightened his posture, puffed out his chest and looked over her head. He could and would. “Bullshit. This is not destiny, it’s a favor. I owe you at least that much.”
Raining Kisses (The Opeth Pack Saga Book 2) Page 4