Arctic Bound

by Tigris Eden

  “Then don’t give him back the Bow.”

  “That’s what we’ve been saying. If we don’t stand up to him, he will continue to keep coming for us, no matter what.”

  Heads nodded in agreements, other’s voiced strategy and what should be done, but ultimately it was up to the elder council. Nord was the one to speak for the other three.

  “We agree with Victor, son of Thorn. If we are to be rid of the threat, than we must face it head on. There will be grave losses on both sides. This war will not be over quickly, that we can assure you. But in the end, all will be as it should. You go with our blessings, and our promise that victory shall be ours.”

  The four elders of the council turned and leapt off their ledge, changing, mid-flight into their wolves, and bounding out of the cave, back out into the wild, until they were called upon again. Victor turned to his father with a grin on his face.

  “Well, you all heard what the elders had to say. We go to war with the Hunters. There will be deaths on both sides. All that I ask of you is to die on your feet, not on your knees. Give them no mercy, and take out as many as you can.”

  A vibrant sound stirred sagacious in the bellies of all who were in the cave. A roar so loud, so strong, it shook the mountain itself, as all of the Northern Packs agreed in unison with one loud howl. Roman wanted the Silver Bow of Artemis, and now he’d have to fight to the very end to gain it.

  Victor knew in his heart the real reason his wolf and human half smiled in unison. He cared for his people, but what he cared about more, was pissing down the throat of a dead Roman. It wouldn’t bring her back. But it would give him some measure of pleasure.

  

  The town had been mostly empty as Nerina made her way up the hill. The heater from the car she’d stolen did very little to warm her up. It was below freezing, and she was not wearing a jacket. Her skin looked a bit paler as well, again, she knew it was due to Alaska’s weather, but just days ago the weather hadn’t been an issue. Maybe it’s because he drained you. That could be it, but it still didn’t explain why she was almost blue. Nerina hadn’t been out in the elements long enough for there to be exposure. It was still dark, but barely three in the afternoon. The sun wouldn’t be out for at least three more hours, and even then it was only going to make an appearance for two hours tops, she needed to get in and get out without being seen. The radio called for snow later on this evening, and she wanted to get a head start on the weather, ensuring there were no delays in flights.

  Her cabin was cold and silent as she entered through the front door. Quickly grabbing her parka, she made quick work of her stash. Grabbing only what she needed for the two and half hour drive back to the airport. She didn’t care where she was going; she only needed to get the hell out Talkeetna. Good thing she always had a plan B and C. Nerina took a look around the cabin. A place she’d first thought to call home. Somewhere she could settle down and not have to worry about life’s drama. But like any other place, this place held secrets. It held memories, and it was now a place of pain for her. It was true she and Victor hadn’t spent much time together, and knew little about each other but she wasn’t going to lie to herself. She would have taken the time to get to know him. Explored more of where her submission to him would have gone. Had he been the one to take her on the journey. She’d thought he’d earned the right to control her pleasure. You win some and you lose big. He’d made a mockery of something beautiful. Something she herself hadn’t fully understood until the last moment.

  She wasn’t going entrust her submission to another human, or non-human male ever again. The time for experimenting was over. She could trust no one but herself. She was the only person she could depend on.

  Self-exile.

  Rejection.

  The life, she’d thought she’d chosen had been thrown in her face, not once, but twice. What she was feeling now was the cold bitterness of betrayal. It was something that would stay with her forever. She knew she shouldn’t have left any trace of her whereabouts. Left no sign that she was even still alive. Not for her father, and certainly not for Victor. But she couldn’t let them both off with an easy out. Nerina was confident enough in herself, that if she didn’t want to be found she wouldn’t be. The note was addressed to Victor, and in it she laid all that she couldn’t say bare on the paper. What was left of her feelings was now inked into the paper that now rested on the counter of her one bedroom cabin. Without looking back, she grabbed her backpack, and her parka, and made her way back to the car and headed for the airport. Destination, unknown. But wherever she ended up, this time it would truly be a place of seclusion. She didn’t know enough about Hunters or Werewolves to know if they would come looking for her. But she knew enough about running and hiding. This time she would do it right. No contact with the outside world. She’d stay completely off grid.

  Chapter 20

  He had no right going back to the cabin. He was supposed to be preparing for war. The Bow had been put away by his father for safekeeping. The Elders didn’t want to know where. All they cared about was that it would be hidden. Blue had come to stay in town with his sister and nephew, Teak. Cassandra hadn’t been happy about his appearance, but Blue had assured her that he was there purely for protection purposes.

  “There was a car here about three hours ago.”

  Cassandra said as he pulled his jacket from the coat hanger. The temperature was cold even for him.

  “Do you know who it was?”

  “I didn’t care to look. I was more concerned with whether or not we were going to war. I can tell you, it was someone looking for Nerina. Maybe someone her father sent?”

  Could be. He was on his way up there, so he’d be able to check her place out when he got there.

  “It was probably her father sending someone to come and collect some of her things. Now that she’s gone.”

  “She was such a lovely human. Even if her father was a Hunter.” His sister said with true heartfelt feelings. She really did like Nerina.

  “Well she’s gone. There’s nothing to be done for it.”

  “I understand you claimed her brother, but it would have never worked. She was human. Sasha would have never allowed her to thrive as your second mate. There would have been more problems than civility.”

  “As the Alpha, it wouldn’t have mattered either way, both would have come to understand. Nerina was my Eros.”

  His sister eyes widened, slowly she lowered her head whispering. “To lose your Eros, that is a terrible loss to you and your warrior. I’m sorry brother.”

  He knew this already, but didn’t comment on the subject. Couldn’t. It wouldn’t bring her back.

  “I’ll be back within the hour.”

  Victor made it to her cabin in record time. The house smelled like her. It was like she’d just left. Her scent bled through the walls of the cabin and saturated his senses with an overpowering awareness that threatened to drive him made. Someone had been to the cabin. The snow had already begun to fall, covering any tracks of the car that had made its way up the drive. The inside of the cabin looked untouched, and the only sign that someone had been in her place was the note that was left on the counter.

  If you find this letter, then you know I’m not dead. I don’t blame you, Victor. How can I? It isn’t your fault that things ended up the way they did. How was I to know what my father really was? Or what that mean to your kind. There is also the issue of your connection with Sasha. Though we never got to know each other well, I would have liked to have taken whatever this was that we had to the next level. I’ve given you so much of myself already in return, and all I had from you was empty promises. You claimed me, yet you choose another. I can’t begin to tell you how that made me feel. I know for you its Pack politics, but for me it was something more. All that I am, all that was me, could have been yours. I won’t ever forget that night in the club. It was so beautiful; it was so peaceful and quiet inside my soul. Thank you for showing me that. For givi
ng me the chance to find complete and total security in my submission to you. I only wish it could have been more.

  Nerina.

  Victor crumbled the paper to his chest. Why would she think leaving could ever stop him from finding her? How was it that she survived being drained by her father? Unless he didn’t drain her dry? Did that mean she was a Hunter now? Hunters could be human before they were made. Is that why she left? Determination weighed heavy on his mind as he stepped from her house, only to be greeted by Blue and his brother Colin.

  “She’s alive.”

  “Well, I’ll be damn. Some people just won’t die.” His brother said, rubbing the back of his neck. Colin was just confused as he was.

  “Or they’re put here for a reason.” Blue countered.

  “We’ve got company. Roman and his men are here looking for the Bow.”

  Victor grunted. They could search for the Bow all they wanted. They were never going to get it. If he had any say in the matter, the Bow would never see the light of day again.

  “Let’s go and give them a proper welcome.” His father had made sure that all the women and children were nowhere to be found, just in case things went from bad to worse. There hadn’t been a fight between their kind like this in centuries, and now, because he’d stolen the Silver Bow of Artemis, their white landscape would become red with blood.

  

  Nerina made it halfway down the mountain when she started to hyperventilate. She pulled off on the side of the road, gotten out of the vehicle in the biting cold and dry heaved. Why couldn’t she leave? This wasn’t her fight. They weren’t her people. Neither side was. Somewhere along the line she came to care about more than herself. She didn’t want to see anything bad happen to Teak, Cassandra, or even Allesandra. There were kids in that town. She knew how her father was. He was narcissistic, and suffered from bouts of involuntary rage. Although, now she didn’t think they were involuntary. It was more of necessity for him. He was a predator by nature. A hunter of humans and Werewolves it seemed. Running away wasn’t going to make the problem go away. If anything she had an advantage because her father thought she was dead. She could be of help to Victor and his people. Lights from an oncoming vehicle had her quickly turning out the lights on her car. It was still cold as hell, and even though she had on her jacket, her body still hadn’t warmed. She’d left her guns back at the cabin. She did have a serrated bowie knife. Though she was cold as hell, she could definitely snap someone’s neck if she had to.

  The black sedan passed, and she knew it was her father and uncle. She only had maybe a few minutes to cut through the forest and hopefully get to the town on time to at least warn them. She didn’t know how far behind Victor and the others were. She could at least help. Cutting through the trees, Nerina made a run for it. There was a lot more strength in her legs now, and even though she was cold, she didn’t let it slow her down. She bounded over fallen logs, and frozen trees. She heard the life of the forest as she made her way through. Elk, Caribou, and even a bear or two were nearby as she sprinted for the small town that she’d come to care for. When she made it to the back of Thorn’s store, she could hear voices.

  “You’re making a huge mistake. Ask Bödvar. He can tell you, Victor. I don’t like to be told no.” Her father stated, arms relaxed at his sides.

  Blue said nothing as her father pointed out the obvious. She was too late, they were already there. Her father had brought Junior and Adamo with him. She hadn’t seen them at the hotel.

  “We’re not handing over the Bow, Roman. It stays where it is. You can either leave peacefully, or we’ll just force you to leave.”

  Roman Civiti let out a sinister laugh that echoed off the trees. A sliver of the moon was high above, a red ring outlining what was normally a vibrant white glow. The snow was already falling, blocking most of her visibility, but she found if she focused enough the flakes became insignificant.

  How do I get them out of this? Think Nerina, think!

  Thorn had guns in his store, they weren’t perfect. But they would do enough damage to at least send her father regrouping. Were her brother’s Hunters as well? Shit! She hadn’t taken that into account. What if the bullets did nothing but piss them off more.

  “Looks like we’re at an impasse.” Her Uncle Oscar said, stepping in front of her father. He was also the one to try and talk a person down. He was also the one that struck first too. If Oscar was talking, that could only mean that the order had been given to take them down. Nerina quietly made her way into Thorn’s store, careful not to bump into anything. There were five men outside with Victor, one of them was Blue, the others were Thorn and Victor’s two brothers, Colin and Theo. She couldn’t tell who the other person was, until he turned facing her. Dear God! It was Teak! Why the hell was Teak standing out there with them? He was just a child for crying out loud. Victor had no right asking him to come and stand with him.

  Knowing Teak, he’d probably insisted, but still. That didn’t mean Victor had to let him! When this was all over, and if any of them survived she was going to smack the shit out of him on general purpose alone for allowing the young boy to be a part of this madness her father had created.

  There was a shotgun behind the counter that she knew was loaded. Nerina grabbed that and made her way out of the store, taking a spot behind a copse of trees where she had the best advantage. No one was saying anything for long moments. It was as if everyone was sizing the other up. But it was Oscar who made the first move. He went for the sig at his back, and Nerina shot him dead in the shoulder. When the shot rang out, it seemed to kick-start everyone into action. Oscar took a step back from the impact of the bullet penetrating his shoulder, blood sprayed, soaking the snow-covered ground and Nerina could see the exact moment when his blood clung to the falling snowflakes. She’d almost call it art if she’d had the time to admire her handy work, but she didn’t. As soon as he stumbled back, both her brothers were bearing down on her location within seconds. Victor and the others had already started attacking her father’s men, each in different stages of their shift.

  “I can smell you, bitch.” That came from her oldest brother, Junior. His eyes were alight with malice and glinting in the moon’s light as he made his way towards her. His fangs evident as he bared them in the darkness.

  That answers at least one of your questions.

  Nerina got off two more shots before the gun was ripped from her hand and she was tossed out into the clearing where the fight was going strong. The ground was no longer covered in white, but soaked a mud-red as claws and fangs sank into its offending opponents. Didn’t people believe in guns anymore! Not one of them had pulled a weapon, save for her uncle in the beginning. She had a feeling the gun had silver bullets. Nerina didn’t stay acquainted with the ground for long. Junior had her by the ankle, crushing her bones in his strong grip. She screamed in pain. Teak came to her rescue then, or at least she thought it was Teak. The wolf in front of her was close to seven feet tall and he wasn’t having any of what was happening to her. He slashed a claw down the side of Junior’s face, splitting his jaw open. Her brother hit the ground with a thud, as blood poured from his wound. Her ankle was healing, and as she pulled herself into a sitting position, Teak was attacked from behind by none other than her friend, Raven. She had a silver chain she was wielding that she wrapped around the younger males throat. Nerina could see his skin burning from the contact of the silver, and before she realized what she was doing, she was throwing herself at Raven, and taking the woman down to the ground. Her claws were out, and her gums tingled as she held the woman by the throat. Nerina didn’t have time to ponder all that was happening to her body. Something dark and foreign was taking over. An instinct, guiding her as every cell in her body tapped into her victim’s vital sign. Strong heart, fresh blood, and the pungent odor of fear.

  “Nerina….” Raven chocked out. “What, what are you doing? Wait… wait!”

  But it was too late. Nerina struck withou
t thinking. Attaching her lips to the pulse at her friend’s neck and sinking her teeth in deep. At the first taste of hot blood, Nerina moaned. It was like being zapped with an electric jolt of hot energy all through her body. Her limbs began to shake and the cold that she couldn’t seem to rid herself of, dissipated with each pull at Raven’s throat. There was a loud roar in her ears as the beat of her friend’s heart slowed to almost nothing. Nerina took another pull, before finally, finally the sound of Raven’s heart beat was no more. What lay beneath her was a cold corpse of what used to be her friend.

  She was going to kill Teak.

  The words were on repeat in her head, she knew what she’d done was wrong. She also knew what it meant. She too, like her father was a Hunter. When she turned to check on Teak, the hair on his neck stood on end as he growled at her in warning.

  “Teak, it’s me, Nerina. I’m not going to hurt you?” Was that even true? Could she really say she wasn’t going to hurt him? She’d just murdered her friend. It had been pure instinct. No remorse, no thought whatsoever. There was something nudging her in the back of her mind, and she knew if she allowed her thoughts to surface, she’d be devastated. She couldn’t do that now. No Time. The wolf that was Teak backed up, still growling as the fight continued on around them. Nerina could see from her peripheral that Victor and the others were doing fine. Her father on the other hand, stood and watched as he sent his puppets to do his dirty work. Junior was lying face down in the snow, and she could tell although he was bleeding very badly, he was still alive. Adamo was facing off with Theo, and it looked as if Theo may be in a bit of trouble himself. Nerina looked over to Teak. She placed both hands out in front of her as she took a step in his direction.

  “I’m going to help your Uncle Theo, I promise, I won’t hurt you or anyone in your family, please Teak, believe me when I say, I’m here to help.”