by Tigris Eden
“We are, Nerina,” Blue growled.
Her eyes nearly sliced him open, and for a moment, he could see the goddess Selene’s power radiating beneath her skin.
“Neri, calm,” Victor said, coming to stand behind her. Blue watched as his longtime friend nodded in his direction, dismissing him. “Blue, go and see to the human. Nurse her back to health. Once she is fully recovered, you will take her down the mountain.”
“Agreed.”
The private bath was a natural spring of some sort. The cave glowed with light blue stones. At least that’s what Olivia assumed. Elena and Cassandra were attentive. Both women seemed unashamed of their bodies as they stripped and stepped into the water with her. No big. You know what tits and ass look like. You have that in spades. She did, but sharing her nakedness with other women made her uncomfortable.
She would have argued, but her strength was nil. She needed the help, and it was nice to have someone take care of her for a change. They washed her hair and cleaned the dirt from her body. Assuring her that the bath would clean itself when she protested stepping into the pool.
“Earth coats your skin. It will return to its rightful place,” Elena said, tugging a brush through Olivia’s hair. “You have beautiful, healthy hair. The strands are different shades of brown, but I can see the undertones of red in there. A deep red. How peculiar. And there’s such a natural shine to it.”
“Um, thanks.”
“It’s not dyed either. This is your true hair color?”
It was. Dye didn’t take to her hair for some reason.
“Stop complimenting the girl, Elena. We are to wash her, feed her, and return her to Blue’s care,” Cassandra scolded.
Elena bowed her head but otherwise said nothing. Maybe they’re a couple. Olivia wasn’t one to judge, but she was good at reading others. It came with the territory. She had to be able to gauge people’s mannerisms and their lifestyles to deduce the risk they might pose to the insurance company. It wasn’t that Cassandra didn’t like her necessarily, but she saw Olivia as a distraction. But from what?
“How was it that Hunters stumbled upon your camp?” Cassandra asked, interrupting her thoughts.
Olivia turned in the other woman’s direction. “Hunters?”
“Yes, Hunters, the men who killed the group you traveled with.”
“Is that what they’re called?” She wasn’t crazy, there was a name for the monstrous men who’d slaughtered her entire camp. “I’m glad there’s a name for them. I was thinking vampire, but I know that’s ludicrous.”
“They are vampires. We just call them Hunters,” Elena informed.
“There is no such thing as vampires. They don’t exist, not in real life.” Olivia noticed both women staring at her strangely. The violet in Cassandra’s eyes seemed to glow, and Elena held a small smile on her face, her expression one of mirth. Great. She’d stumbled across a cult of gullible people. Maybe that’s why they lived inside a mountain. Vacations are for chumps. She should have never stepped foot on that damn plane. Olivia could have gone anywhere, but she’d chosen to disconnect. Become one with nature. The damn brochure had promised a quiet adventure. Hindsight, she should have listened to her gut. In a way, it had warned her not to travel to Alaska, but something had pulled her here. Lent voice to the idea already swimming around in her head, that it was time to expand her world. Well, it’s certainly wide now isn’t it. She’d cast a net for sure, only what she caught in it was crazy wannabe vampires and a cult of idiots who believed in the lore. What she really wanted was to punch her ex in the face and tell the board members to suck her motherfucking big toe. Bastards. The lot of them. If not for them, she wouldn’t be in this mess.
“Says who?” Cassandra shot back.
The hairs on the back of Olivia’s neck stood on end. Her hair was wet, plastered to her skin, but she still felt it. Her abuela had told her never to ignore the signs. She wasn’t about to start now. Stepping away from Elena, Olivia waded through the water until she was at the edge, then struggled as she pulled herself out.
Cassandra approached her cautiously, towel in hand. Olivia snatched it and quickly wrapped it around her body as she took in both women standing in front of her. They were probably Hunters, too. Just like the men who had attacked her camp. They just lived inside a mountain and thought they were vampires.
Don’t panic. Don’t show fear.
She’d find a way out. Play along if she had to until the opportunity arose where she could escape. If they don’t try and have me for dinner. Too bad her phone was back at the hotel. The board had said she needed to completely disconnect, and Olivia may not have been happy about the forced vacation, but when she put her mind to something, she fully immersed herself in her project and saw it all the way through.
“Are you going to hurt me?” Olivia wondered aloud.
“Why would we? We’re not like them.”
“You mean you’re not Hunters?”
Elena and Cassandra both shook their heads.
“We don’t kill for sport, or drink the blood of humans.”
“Humans?”
“Yeah, humans.”
“As in you and me?” Something was seriously wrong with the two females in front of her.
“As in you. We are not human,” Cassandra offered.
“You’re not?” Olivia found herself taking small steps back toward the mouth of the cave. They were crazy, and crazy-ass people did crazy-ass shit.
“Cassandra, I don’t know if this is such a good idea.”
“It is. She will be here until Blue releases her. The others are not going to like her presence. It’s better to give her the crash course. Rip the Band-Aid off and go from there.”
No one was ripping shit. Olivia clutched her towel tightly, her mind going over as many different scenarios as she could. Both women blocked the entryway, but maybe if she swam deeper into the cave, she’d find a way out. No, you’d get stuck, or worse, drown. Shit. Now what?
“I don’t know about this,” Elena whispered again.
“I would listen to Elena, Cassandra. I think she’s right,” Olivia rationalized.
“Sorry, but this needs to be done. Just please remain calm.”
Nothing good ever came from the words, “remain calm.” Not one damn thing.
Olivia heard bones cracking before she realized the sound was coming from Cassandra’s body. The woman’s eyes changed from violet to gold. Her legs were the first to go. Her muscles twisted, and her limbs began to bend against the joints. Olivia froze in place as she watched the woman in front of her drop to all fours and arch her back as grey and white fur sprouted from her pores. Her face elongated into a snout. What appeared to take minutes, was over in seconds. In front of Olivia towered a large beast of a wolf. Like the one who chased me in the forest, only much smaller.
The moment merited a scream, but that’s not what came out of Olivia’s mouth. Nope. Her brain analyzed what she saw. She’d just witnessed a woman transform from human to beast. How is any of this possible? More importantly, why wasn’t she afraid?
Olivia’s mind worked through the problem in front of her. Slowly, her hand reached out, and the wolf walked up to her and sat. The wolf’s size paled in comparison to the black beast from the forest. But this one was right in front of her. Violet eyes ringed in gold appraised Olivia. Elena stood close by but otherwise said nothing. She stroked the beast’s head. The fur was soft and thick.
“Okay, so it’s not a hologram.”
Elena laughed. “She’s real. You’re taking all of this well.”
“I don’t do freak-outs. You lose your wits when you freak.”
Elena nodded.
Vampires and werewolves are real. Take a moment and realize, understand…this is all real.
A normal person would have pissed their pants by now. But Olivia had witnessed a lot of things a regular person would never have the chance to see. She was from Echo Park, and a lot of shit went down there.
“What happ
ens now?”
“We get you healthy. I’m sure Victor and Nerina would like you returned to civilization.”
“But I know your secret.”
“You do, and if, at any time, we see you as a threat, you’ll be dealt with.” The playfulness Elena had displayed earlier was replaced with a seriousness Olivia knew could end in her death. She couldn’t un-see what had been shown to her.
“Why even show me at all? Why not let me think I was going crazy?”
“Because you’ve stumbled into the middle of a war between our kind and the Hunters. And as cliché as it sounds, you’re going to see things—things that are unnatural to you in many ways,” Elena informed.
The wolf—Cassandra—chuffed and shook her massive head before walking a circle around Olivia. She tried to move out of the way, but when she stepped, the wolf butted its head gently against the side of her leg.
“What is she doing?”
“Scent-marking you. Making sure the others know that you are not to be harmed. Cassandra is sister to the Alpha.”
Not the response she’d sought. But better than nothing.
“How many of you are there?”
“It’s hard to tell, we normally don’t live in the mountain. Most of us have real jobs and live in towns. We come together to celebrate the seasons and give thanks to the goddess. But for the most part, we’re just like you.”
Right.
“Why are you here now, then?”
“Because of the war. It’s a long story. Nerina’s father, Roman, is the original vampire.”
“You mentioned her before. Who is Nerina? And when you say ‘the original vampire,’ do you mean like Dracula?” It was a fair enough question to ask. Because if lore were correct, he was the be-all, end-all, who started the entire epidemic. This shit is surreal.
“Nerina is mated to Victor, the Alpha. She’s also the first hybrid.”
Olivia wasn’t sure she was following, and the only way for her to comprehend was to summarize or surmise in her case. Everything she’d believed to be a fairytale or, in this case, a scary story or over-dramatized dark romance…it was undeniably real. Motherfucker. If only her abuela could see what she saw. She’d probably clap her hands ecstatically and smile.
“Victor is the Alpha. His mate’s father, Roman, is the original vampire-slash-Hunter, and she is a hybrid, meaning half-vampire, half-werewolf. This war, is it because the two don’t belong together?” It was the only possible reason. Two houses, a Romeo and Juliet kind of thing.
“Yes, and no. The war is over the—”
“Elena, that is enough,” came a raspy voice. There was a slight accent to it. Olivia didn’t know why, but at the sound of the newcomer’s voice, her chest felt heavy. She knew that feeling, dreaded it. It was reserved for someone who meant something, yet she didn’t know the stranger. The back of her neck prickled with awareness. The hairs on her arms stood on end. The charge she felt was unreal but familiar. You’re trippin’, Liv.
Elena bowed before scurrying away. She didn’t wait for the newcomer to speak, and although Olivia couldn’t see his face in the dark alcove he stood in, she could feel his massive presence.
“Cassandra, thank you. Your brother has left her in my care.” Again, the voice called to her, and Olivia stood her ground. She would not cave to whatever it was her emotions grasped at. Her abuela called it “the fire.” A gut-deep feeling reserved only for those who meant something to her. She felt it when she was around her family and had thought she felt it with her ex-husband. But this newcomer? A stranger? It had never happened like this before—instant and strong.
Olivia raised her hand to her chest, her bare chest. Her towel had somehow slid lower than she intended. Shit. But Cassandra was gone. She trotted past the tall figure in the alcove, leaving Olivia alone with the man and his dark, raspy voice. Ashamed of her nakedness, Olivia readjusted her towel.
“Who are you?” she asked the dark figure.
“Bödvar, but everyone here calls me Blue.”
Olivia pulled in a sharp gasp. The Viking from the forest. The one who’d rescued her from the large, black wolf chasing her.
“I’m Olivia. Thank you for rescuing me.”
Blue had yet to show his face, but she knew what he looked like, had committed his features to memory.
“Olivia, you are under my care until you’re healthy enough to go down the mountain. There are clothes for you on the bench there.” A large hand sliced through the darkness of the alcove and indicated a seat across the way from her. “Dress, and I’ll see to it that you are fed. Then, I will take you to Victor and Nerina.”
“Okay.”
Blue didn’t move. Didn’t show his face, and Olivia thought he might be giving her privacy. Fine by me. On the bench, a pair of pants, and a black t-shirt, along with a sports bra and underwear waited for her. Dressing quickly, she rung out her hair, picked up the towel, and took a step closer to the male in the dark corner.
“I’m ready when you are, Bödvar.”
As if the shadows were keen to him, his face was freed from the darkness. His massive form stepped from the alcove. He was monolithic, imposing in size and solidity. Everything about him was hard. The cut of his jaw, the slash of his brow. Even his lips, looked cut from glass. His ice-blue eyes roamed the length of her body from head to toe in a slow perusal. It held her immobile and confused. What the hell was that? It was something, it was potent, and it was scary as fuck.
“It’s Blue, Olivia. This way.”
Olivia. Her name rolled off his tongue pleasantly. He liked the sound of it. It wasn’t the first time he’d heard the name, but he would have thought that was the case by the way his heart pounded. She is not for you. The woman who trailed behind him rattled every instinct he possessed. The control he kept close to his core was shaken. Multiple hues of brown hair mixed with strands of red fell in damp ringlets down her back. He was breathless, and his inner voice raged with desire. Wild. Crazy. Wanting. The circumstances of their meeting, could not have come at a worse time, and a human no-less. What was the goddess thinking, placing a human in his path? Her eyes, a vivid green with gold flecks, almost made her irises appear cracked. It reminded him of the striations found in the rocks in the mountain. Thick lashes lent to the boldness Blue could see in her stare. The defiance and strength. There wasn’t a submissive bone in her body. Another reason she is not for you. You’re just horny, and your instincts are on high-alert. She is not yours.
Blue liked his women submissive. Desired control in all things. Clear, straight lines. No left or right turns, just one steady direction. Anything else was unacceptable. Clearing his throat, he led them into the common area where children played. He didn’t want to take her farther into the mountain. Most of the Pack there stayed in their wolf forms. She may have handled Cassandra, but one wolf versus many was different, and something he knew could become problematic.
No one would be in the dining area, and feeding her wouldn’t turn into a spectacle. He’d passed Allesandra on the way to the bath, and she’d explained that a small meal waited for their guest.
“How long have you all lived here?” Olivia questioned.
Even her voice aroused him. Throaty but not too deep, just enough to attract attention. It was warm, sleep-sexed. Or you could be projecting. Possible. Mating season had ended weeks ago, but wolves still mated. All the sex in the air pushed him to the edge. That had to be it.
“Not long. This is a place of sanctuary. We normally reside in homes like everyone else. We even have televisions and running water.” The fact that he felt the need to inform her that they lived like everyone else only served to prove that he was hanging on by an unraveling thread.
To his reply, she snorted. Blue looked over his shoulder at the female following him. She had curves for days. Her hips, breasts, and even her ass and thighs were perfectly portioned. Plump. Lush. Her skin tempted him to mark her. He wanted to watch as her golden body bloomed red…because of him. For
him. Shit. Keep it casual.
“I wasn’t implying that you were ignorant of those things. I merely asked a question. There’s no reason to get defensive.”
“Isn’t there? Why did the Hunters attack your camp? How is it you survived?”
“The hell if I know. I’d gone off in search of some peace and quiet. It’s a good thing I did. I’d be dead right now if I hadn’t.”
“Why were you even out camping. You don’t look the type.” Blue eyed her again, taking in her demeanor. She didn’t look like a person who enjoyed the wilderness.”
“Believe me, I’m not the type. But something called to me, or maybe it was the forced vacation, hell, I don’t know. But I’m here, and I’m alive, and I’m grateful for it.”
The thought of her dead had his hackles rising, and his skin burning as a growl started to form in his chest. Olivia didn’t show fear towards him. Her steps didn’t falter as they made their way to the dining hall. Her bravery amazed him. Even if he didn’t want to admit it, he was in awe of her.
“We are here because we are at war with the Hunters. My club was burned to the ground recently. The town, Talkeetna, is not safe. It was decided that we should all seek refuge in the mountain.”
“You sound irritated by that.”
“I am.”
He didn’t like it. Being cooped up in the mountain didn’t sit well with him. He was used to his amenities. His space. Used to his staff following his rules. Victor and his mate, Nerina, led Pack Canidae as well as the Denali Clan. Blue wasn’t part of either. Merely a guest. As a Berserker, he was naturally a loner.
“You’re not from here.”
“Neither are you,” Olivia answered back.
“You didn’t answer my question.”
“You didn’t ask one, you made a comment. Stated the obvious.” Her voice was terse as she spoke to him.
Blue pulled in a deep breath. Any other female would be quick to answer his query. Not her.
“Olivia, you’re not from here,” he repeated. “Where do you come from?”
“New York, by way of East Los Angeles.”
“Nerina is from New York. She will be happy to have someone else to converse with. I also know the city well.”