Dimitri (Immortals of New Orleans, Book 6)

by Kym Grosso

  “We all needed this tonight. Seeing you like that…”

  “Hey, I’m good now.” Jake smiled. “Gilly’s really special. I’m glad you found your mate.”

  “Someday you will too.”

  “Maybe. But for the record, I’m not lookin’. I guess it’s in destiny’s hands.”

  “Yeah, well, destiny handed you your ass tonight.”

  “Yes, she did, my friend.”

  “Speaking of destiny, I see food in your future.” Dimitri’s tone changed, reflecting his usual jovial attitude. “That’s right, bro. Tomorrow, you’d better get over here and make us breakfast. I’m getting tired of cooking and I have a feeling my mate’s going to be keeping me mighty busy for a while.”

  “Ya’ll know I don’t cook. Take out, okay? Beignets?”

  “You bet,” Dimitri replied, pulling the covers up further onto his chest. “Hey, can you do me a favor before you go?

  “Sure, what do you need?”

  “Can you text Leo and Logan? Make sure they know you’re okay. And lock the house on your way out, ‘K?”

  “Done and done.” Jake gave a wave on the way out the door.

  Dimitri heard the sound of his footsteps patter up the stairs to his bedroom, presumably so he could borrow clothes and get dressed. Within minutes, he heard his boots pounding downstairs, ending with the creak of the door opening and shutting.

  He lifted his head, elated to see the small smile on Gillian’s lips. His heart crushed with an emotion that he hadn’t experienced in his whole life. Not only had Gillian courageously fought with the pack, she’d given her cat to him, saving his wolf. Their sexual compatibility was icing on the cake as far as he was concerned, but the fresh memory of being inside her caused his cock to twitch. He silently laughed to himself, thinking that he might be spending the next couple of years locked in a bedroom.

  As he lay his head back down, he pressed his lips into her hair, softly whispering the words that were true to his heart. “I love you, Gilly.”

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Gillian stirred, smiling as her eyes fluttered open. She glanced back to Dimitri, who, although lost in sleep, kept his arms firmly secured about her waist. Pressure in her lower belly had caused her to wake. As much as she loathed leaving the warmth and safety of her mate, the call of nature was greater. Carefully, she peeled Dimitri’s fingers away, gently kissing his cheek before she got out of bed.

  After using the bathroom, she plunged her arms into the sleeves of a spare robe that hung on the back of the door. She tied the sash, and brought the lapels to her nose, deeply inhaling Dimitri’s masculine scent. With a satisfied smile, she quietly padded out of the guest room and into the kitchen.

  She reached for the refrigerator door, opening it. Rummaging around, she found a pitcher of filtered water and grabbed a clean coffee mug out of the dish rack. As she went to pour, she heard a high-pitched cry. The recognizable sound of a kitten in distress pierced her chest.

  Setting down the cup, she approached the sliding glass doors. She called Dimitri’s name, hoping he’d hear her. Her fingertips curled over the metal pull, her thumb flicking the lock open. She called to Dimitri once again, concerned that a stray animal had been hurt. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up, her intuition warning her of danger. Whatever had attacked the young cat was still out in the yard. A loud cry sounded again, sending her into action. As she flung the glass open with the force of ten men, her protective instinct overrode self-preservation. It was as if the remaining tendrils of her cat called on her to save the young feline.

  She tore out onto the deck and the screeching continued. Letting her nocturnal vision come into focus, she scanned the yard. She quietly advanced but saw nothing. Dimitri’s footsteps sounded in the house, when the sharp slicing pain of claws stabbed into her neck, causing her to freeze in place. A bony hand dangled a kitten, barely twelve weeks old, in front of her face. Gillian’s heart caught as it dropped to the ground, safely landing on its feet and scurrying underneath the crawlspace.

  Gillian went to scream but as the talon pierced her skin, it restricted air flow to her windpipe. She gasped for breath. Her eyes widened in panic. Unable to see her attacker, her gaze darted from side to side. Heart racing, she lost her concentration; her ability to shift failed her. Terror seized her body, blood flowing from her neck. Gillian swiveled her head, which drove the slicing barbs further into her flesh. She caught sight of Lady Charlotte behind her, her fangs dripping with saliva.

  “Get the hell off of my mate,” Dimitri growled, barreling through the exit.

  “Dimitri.” Gillian’s lips moved but only a gurgle of his name escaped her lips.

  “Don’t move, wolf,” the vampiress hissed.

  “You’re going to die tonight,” he calmly stated.

  Dimitri calculated his next move, observing that the vampire had gone stark raving mad. Her usually coiffed upswept hair had mushroomed, tendrils sprouting all over like overgrown weeds. Her lips were cracked and reddened, making Dimitri wonder if she’d already killed someone. Her blood-stained shirt and pants hung loose on her scrawny frame.

  “This is all your fault. You needed vampire blood…came to me for help. He killed her,” she spat.

  Gillian’s arms gripped at Charlotte’s wrists, attempting to dislodge her hold. But her iron-clad grip wouldn’t budge. The more Gillian struggled, the deeper the vampire’s nails curled into her throat.

  “Killed who?” Dimitri asked. Deliberately, he stalked toward her.

  “Lacey. Léopold did it. He killed her. And for what? Because she’d taken money from a wolf?”

  “No, because she signed Gilly’s death warrant. Rules are rules, vamp. You’ve got to either have a death wish or be fucking stupid to mess with Leo. You know it. I know it. And Lacey knew it. She gambled and lost.”

  “Shut up! You don’t know what you’re talking about!” Lady Charlotte screamed.

  “Nope, I think Leo got this one right,” Dimitri mused, giving her a cool smile. “I wonder how long it took for him to kill her. A minute? No, no, no. Not my boy. He strikes as fast as a cottonmouth on a hot summer day. Those fangs probably sucked her dry in seconds.”

  “I said, shut it, wolf.” Lady Charlotte extracted a silver dagger from her back pocket and tore open Gillian’s robe. “I’ll gut her right now, I swear it.”

  “Or maybe he just cut off her head. Nah, Leo’s not much for weapons, I suppose,” Dimitri pondered, edging closer to her. “Ya know he told me he can make it hurt, real bad. I bet that’s what he did.”

  Gillian tried to shift, extending her claws. Lady Charlotte swiftly responded by jabbing the knife into Gillian’s abdomen.

  “Nice try,” she jeered. “No shifting for you.”

  The razor-sharp weapon lacerated Gillian’s creamy skin, crimson droplets spilling down her torso. Her throat constricted; she coughed, her breathing growing ragged. As a fingernail pressed through to her trachea, a drowning sensation commenced, Gillian’s lungs filling with blood. Eyes bulging, she hoped the bond she shared with Dimitri would somehow allow her to silently communicate with him. But he wasn’t looking at her. She couldn’t understand why his gaze was firmly pinned on the vampire.

  “You know, I thought you were kind of smart when I first met ya, bein’ that Leo went to you for help and all. But all I see now is a pathetic excuse of a corpse, refusing to take responsibility for her own mess.” Dimitri’s eyes flared at the sight of his mate’s injury. He carefully strategized his attack. If he moved too quickly, he knew Lady Charlotte would flay her open like a fish. Gillian’s ability to shift had faltered, she couldn’t fight back.

  “Lacey was my lover. Before you say anything, always know that it was me who let her fuck you. Me! I did that. I gave to her, cared for her. She was mine. And now because of this piece of shit cat here,” Charlotte shook Gillian until her body went listless, her legs barely holding her upright. Acidic tears rained down Charlotte’s cheeks, hate spewing from h
er mouth. “She’s gone. Léopold showed no mercy that night in the club. He killed her, and now I’m going to kill your mate. If you’d never set foot in my club, none of this would have ever happened. An eye for an eye. I want justice.”

  “This isn’t Gillian’s fault. Ilsbeth is the one who…”

  “Ilsbeth,” she scoffed. “You’re a fool, you know that. She’s the one who set the dominos in motion. If I’d known at the time, I’d never have agreed to give you the blood.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “She’s always wanted what she couldn’t have. I should’ve known how far that bitch would go.”

  “I broke off with her months ago. Maybe she didn’t like it but she’s always known that I’d find my mate.”

  “She’s clever, I’ll give her that. Making it so you couldn’t shift. Trying to kill off your wolf. She put on a good show. You bought it hook, line and sinker. The sorcerer…that was a nice touch.”

  “You’re lying,” he growled.

  “Truth hurts, doesn’t it? Had to torture it out of her. But as you can see, I have a penchant for the fine art of persuasion.”

  “Fuck,” Dimitri cursed. Even though Gillian had tried to convince him, he’d held out hope that Ilsbeth hadn’t been responsible for his affliction.

  “Don’t fret now. Ilsbeth got hers.”

  “What did you do? Where’s Ilsbeth?”

  “I ruined her life the way she’s ruined mine. Don’t worry, she’s still alive. Death is too good for her,” she sniffed. “Let’s just put it this way, she won’t be casting any more spells for a while…if ever. It will be as if she never existed.”

  “You’ll never get away from Leo.” Dimitri’s eyes narrowed on her, his voice emotionless. He moved a few more feet closer, his body preparing to shift.

  “I’ll leave town. I’ll leave the country. None of you can touch me.”

  Gillian’s vision blurred as her spirit faltered. Their argument was but static in her ears, her mind no longer able to process their words. She reached within her mind’s eye and saw her wolf struggling to appear. The soft roar of her tiger echoed in her mind yet she couldn’t see her anywhere. Her eyes fluttered open and she caught Dimitri’s gaze but for a moment. Her heart broke for him, the life draining from her body. She loved him heart, body and soul. If she was going to die, she was going to tell him before she left this earth.

  “Dimitri, please,” she begged, her voice barely audible. Tears sprang from her eyes, her fingers too weak to hold onto the vampire’s forearms. As her lips moved to say the words, no sound could be heard.

  “I love you,” she mouthed, her eyes rolling back into her head. A blanket of unconsciousness fell over her as she began to convulse.

  Dimitri had managed to distract Lady Charlotte long enough to close the distance, yet it hadn’t been enough. Gillian’s confession spurred his wolf into a feral state. Dimitri lost the restrained control he’d demonstrated, determined to kill Charlotte. Transforming seamlessly, his wolf launched itself at the vampire, shoving them all down into the dewy yard.

  Lady Charlotte threw Gillian aside, launching her barbed fist into his flank. Like a missile, it cleaved through him. The intense pain drove him into darkness, but the beasts inside him fought through the haze, both the wolf and the tiger coming together as one. As they merged, he felt as if he’d been hit by lightning. The sizzle of their interaction cracked a loud thunderous explosion into the night.

  Calling on the tiger, he shifted fully into the great cat, his massive paws tearing up the turf. Enraged, he barely registered the slice of her knife into his hindquarters. As Charlotte sank her fangs deep into his shoulder, he repelled her with a tremendous shake of his muscular body, smashing her into the ground. She raised the blade to slay him and he swiftly evaded her knife, his sharp claws tearing across her throat. Blood sprayed into his thick fur, and he roared in victory as Charlotte’s head rolled from her body, quickly turning to ash.

  As he shifted back, the unimaginable reality slammed into him that he’d somehow become feline, driven by his need to protect his mate. But the fleeting thought disappeared as he saw Gillian lying unconscious on the ground. The cicadas sang in anguish, as if they were aware that she’d been critically injured. Dimitri scooped her up into his arms, pressing the wound together with his fingers.

  “Gillian, please,” he cried. Spent, and uncertain if he could heal her like they’d done with Jake, he commanded her. “Listen, Gilly. You have to shift. Can you hear me? This is your mate. Gillian!”

  Gillian moaned, aware of him calling her name. No longer in pain, the endorphins rushed through her body, causing her to feel as if she was floating up to the sky.

  “Goddammit, Gillian. You will shift. Do you hear me?”

  “No, no…I’m flying…I’m leaving,” she murmured, her face pale.

  “No, Gilly. Stay with me. You’re a wolf. Now, shift,” he demanded, his eyes brimming with tears. He could tell that she was lost in some sort of haze, unaware of her situation.

  The sound of Dimitri yelling startled Gillian back into reality. She clutched at the wound in her belly. Panting, she began to beg. “Oh my God. Please stop the pain. I’m going to die. Please stop it…”

  “Yes, you’re in pain. That means you’re fighting. You have to do as I say. You will listen. Submit to me now. Do you hear me? I am your beta. And you will obey.”

  “Oh God…I don’t know…help me.” Gillian began to scream as she flittered in and out of consciousness.

  “Obey and shift,” he ordered, his voice dominant. No longer could he afford to treat her with kid gloves, he had to appeal to her wolf’s sense of the pack.

  “Shift,” she repeated.

  “Shift now!” he yelled at her.

  Dimitri breathed a sigh of relief as the magic that was the wolves circulated around them, and within seconds, his little black wolf was lying before him, whole and healed. He plowed his fingers into her hair, kissing her fur. He’d seen Logan command his wolves to shift a million times, but never had he done it himself. Having killed the Alpha, Dimitri was certain that his Alpha tendencies had graduated; no longer would he be able to keep them secret within his own pack. Yet the desire to remain in the bayou with his Acadian wolves would far outweigh the need to dominate Logan or to lead his own pack.

  “Jesus, Gilly, you scared the shit out of me,” he told her, patting her on her rear. “You need to learn submission.”

  She barked at him, nearly nipping his fingers and began to run circles around him. Dimitri fell back on the heels of his hands, shaking his head at her.

  “You,” he pointed to her as she growled and wagged her tail, “are in so much trouble it’s not even funny. There’s no bitin’ your beta, cher. Not unless you want a punishment which I have a feelin’ you’re itchin’ to get.”

  Gillian whined, pressing her paws to the ground and bowed her head. She rolled over onto her back and whimpered, then shifted back into her human form. Dimitri leaned forward, easily scooping her up into his arms, embracing his mate.

  “I love you,” she whispered, her lips to his chest.

  “Goddess, I love you, too,” he replied, kissing the top of her head. “I love you so damn much. I never thought I’d fall in…”

  “Love?”

  “Yeah that.”

  “Yeah that,” she laughed. “Me either.”

  For a long minute, they both sat silent, contemplating their confessions. They touched and caressed each other’s skin as if they hadn’t seen each other in years.

  Gillian paused, and looked around the yard in surprise, unaware of what had happened to Charlotte. The last thing she remembered was hitting the ground.

  “What did you do with the vampire?” she asked, her eyebrows drawn in concern.

  “About that. It’s a funny story.” Dimitri paused. He wasn’t sure how to tell anyone, let alone Gillian, that he’d shifted into a tiger. He hardly believed it himself. It was as if he needed video evid
ence to confirm his actions. It was so entirely unbelievable, he needed a day or two to come to terms with the cat inside him.

  “I’m afraid to know. No, wait. Is she gone?”

  “She’s gone.” Dimitri pulled her closely against his chest, hiding his expression of amusement.

  “Dead?’

  “Yeah.”

  “Even better,” Gillian replied, relieved that they were safe from retaliation.

  “But you, my little wolf, are in trouble for trying to bite me. You know, Leo’s taught me a few tricks…he loves spankings.” Dimitri smiled, coiling his hands around her wrists, giving her a fair warning.

  “Spankings, huh? Something tells me I’m going to enjoy it,” she said with a coy grin. “Maybe I should bite you more often.”

  Gillian gasped as Dimitri swiftly flipped her onto her back, pinning her to the ground. His hands held hers to the sides of her head, and he let the pressure of his hips immobilize her. He may have been in love with her but she would soon learn that he wasn’t joking; she’d surrender her control to him. Her wolf would demand it, regardless of what the cat had taught her, and he’d enjoy every second of the struggle.

  “Now,” he whispered into her ear. “This is much better.”

  “Hey,” she giggled. Her cheek brushed the cool grass. “Don’t I get a break? I was just attacked by a vampire.”

  “You seemed pretty healthy to me a few minutes ago. You’ve got some sharp fangs, cher,” he growled, sucking her earlobe with his lips. Taking it between his teeth, he tugged until she moaned.

  “No fair,” she cried.

  “This isn’t about fair,” he laughed. “This is about you and me. And you’re about to find out why I’m the beta of this pack.”

  As Dimitri took her lips, he felt her body go limp, submitting to his will. Twice during the full moon, he’d almost lost someone he loved. But the exhilaration of having her back in his arms, the knowledge that she could shift, washed away any lingering concerns. When he’d entered his home with her in his arms, he’d never been happier in his entire life. Their home, their future, their love. A new life with his little wolf.