Fang Chronicles: Zenya's Story (19 page)

Nicolas’s wolves drove back to the cabin while Nicolas, Zenya and Columbus’s wolves shifted and took off for the main house. Vorlyk beat them there. The meeting took place upstairs where heavy shutters covered the windows during the day. The vampires didn’t look sleepy, they looked pissed off.

“Brandt lost one wolf, but they managed to kill four cats,” Marcus’s voice was tight.

“Were there vampires?” This from Vorlyk.

Marcus ran a hand through his hair, “No, there was only a pride of about twenty cats.”

Amy joined in the conversation, “Do you think the northern cats attacked?”

All eyes turned to Vorlyk. “I don’t believe so. The southern cats have been trying to force the Canadians into joining their fight, but they’ve had little success. I would guess it was a group of southern cats on their way home.”

A gleam entered Amy’s eyes. “So that means they’re heading our direction”

“If we’re lucky,” Nicolas growled.

“Brandt is having them followed,” Marcus said.

Vorlyk spoke up, “I say we intercept them where they don’t expect us.”

Nicolas looked to his liege. “For a vampire who doesn’t fight often, I like your thought process.”

Zenya’s quiet voice added, “It works if it’s not their plan to separate us.”

Nicolas glanced at his mate, though his words were for everyone, “We have three vampires here. Cheri’s clan is our weakest link at the moment. I say we send wolves to intercept and if we need help, we call for one of our vamps, leaving two behind.”

“You won’t take me to fight will you?” Her heart was in the words.

“No. Sorry, my love, but you’re not ready. I will take Esta and Nikka, though.” No one questioned that Nicolas would lead the team.

“How many of my wolves do you need?” Even though he needed to stay and protect their home, Columbus looked ready to go himself.

“They have approximately sixteen wolves, so twenty from you. I’ll bring four.” He took Zenya’s cold fingers and squeezed her hand.

“When do you leave?”

“In one hour.”

Marcus called Brandt and received an update on the location of the fast-moving cats.

Nicolas decided on Reece and McDonald. He wanted Troy and Bernard to stay behind with the females. They grumbled, but understood. Troy was his third and with Esta going on the hunt; he needed to hold steady and stay with the other females.

Nicolas tried to speak with Zenya, but she refused to acknowledge his request. Taking her hand and giving her no say, he pulled her into their room. His lips took hers in a long, deep kiss. He pulled her t-shirt up and over her head and took her breasts into his hands.

“I want you, but you can say no.” Applying pressure to her breasts, he tipped the scales in his favor. They both knew it.

When she didn’t object, he pushed her pants to the floor and picked her up, turned her around, then pressed her back to the door. Her legs wrapped tightly around his waist, and for a moment he only plunged his tongue into her mouth, battling with hers, wanting everything she had to give. He thrust his body deep into hers and pulled away from her mouth to sink his teeth into the curve of her neck. He wanted to memorize her taste and smell, the very essence of his mate and he made love to her with fierce intensity. He didn’t want to leave and the fact that he had to tore at his soul.

After their heartbeats slowed, she didn’t say a word, but her eyes conveyed every hurt feeling she possessed. Nicolas stoically refused to budge on his decision.

Before walking out the door, he pulled her into his arms and kissed her until her stiff body yielded. “I promise to return.”

She touched the side of his face and then let her arms drop to her sides. She refused to cry.

Five SUVs left the main house holding twenty-five beastkind ready to kill their enemy.

Chapter Twenty-eight

Walking back to their room, Zenya fought against her feelings of rage. She crawled onto their bed and breathed in Nicolas’s scent.

He’d left her after she saved him, cared for him, and mated with him.

One lone tear traveled down her cheek and landed on the soft comforter. She scrambled beneath the sheets and let the rest of her tears flow while holding tightly to his pillow. She was not a strong she-cat. For years she hid and shook in fright at the approach of any cat or vampire. Being with Amy and Marcus helped, but she lived in daily terror of the next bad event in her life.

She remembered the first time she saw Nicolas—strong, confidant, and completely alpha. Her cat noticed the way his brown hair stood up on his head in wavy disarray and his dark eyes took in everything around him. Her cat stood at attention that day, though her human side quivered in fear.

Rescuing Nicolas was her single act of courage. The thought of him in Raykon’s hands brought terror worse than anything she’d ever experienced. Being with Nicolas strengthened her and brought out her inner beast that she never knew existed. But Nicolas saw her weakness.

Silent tears continued to fall and eventually she drifted off to sleep.

“Zenya?”

She peeled open her eyes.

“I’m sorry to wake you.” It was Talya.

“Has something happened?” Zenya snapped to instant alertness.

“No, but I’m scared.”

Her hand came out and took Talya’s hand. The monsters did this to a child, and her mate left to kill the monsters.

Talya leaned in and Zenya wrapped her arms tightly around the youngest pack member.

“You smell funny.”

Zenya couldn’t help her laugh of embarrassment, thinking the teenager smelled sex. “I need to bathe.”

“It’s not unpleasant. You actually smell really good.”

Zenya’s embarrassment escalated and she nudged Talya away. “I’m taking a shower and then we need to eat. I’m sure Madayah has something wonderful planned.” It was all she could think of to stop Talya’s talk about the odor that was probably saturating the room.

She turned the water as hot as she could stand and scrubbed every inch of her body. It saddened her to watch Nicolas’s scent slide down the drain, but she would crawl back into their bed tonight and absorb the smell into her pores again. She was the alpha’s mate and her deluge of tears was over. Their small pack had been together for just a short time and it was her job to hold them steadfastly together when her mate was away.

Everyone waited at the table. There were no pitying looks, just acceptance that food would not be served until she sat down. Both ends of the table remained empty, so Zenya chose Nicolas’s chair. It felt good and safe.

Madayah began sitting bowls of soup in front of everyone and laid a large plate with crusty garlic bread by Zenya. Madayah turned sharply, sniffed, and gave Zenya a puzzled look ,then took her seat at the other end of the table next to Vorlyk’s empty chair.

Everyone dug in. The Mexican soup was wonderful and the bread delicious.

Laughter was absent, but slowly they began to talk about trivial matters.

Troy suddenly spoke up. “We need to be learning from each other while Nicolas is away. Columbus is having several sets of throwing knives delivered here. Bernard is the best teacher. I think we can get in an hour or two before the sun goes down if you don’t object Zenya.”

“We need something to keep us occupied. Set up a practice area and we’ll all be there.”

Zenya glanced around the table and noticed Madayah still had a questioning look on her face.

“Is something wrong, Madayah?”

At first the cat didn’t say anything, but then her words spilled out quickly, “Are there humans around here?”

“No.” Zenya said, somewhat at a loss.

“No humans?”

“No. Why?”

“Could I request a word in private with you, Zenya?”

“Of course. I want to walk to the main house. Will you accompany me?”

“Yes, that would work.”

Bernard spoke up. “Nicolas doesn’t want anyone outside alone.”

Zenya stared directly into the eyes of her mate’s third, gathering courage. “I’m aware of that, but he left and we are thin in numbers. Madayah and I will shift first.”

“I will let Vorlyk know we are going and then notify him immediately if we are in danger.” Madayah pacified the worried wolf.

Neither Bernard nor Troy appeared happy, but they kept their objections quiet.

Everyone helped clear the table and then the women disrobed and shifted. Talya opened the door for them.

It felt good to run, and Zenya wanted to be away from the cabin before she spoke with Madayah. The other cat was acting strangely, and talk of humans made Zenya nervous. When they finally slowed down, Madayah ran her nose along Zenya’s side and then backed away.

Zenya shifted and sat down against a log, pulled a prickly branch from beneath her bare bottom and tossed it away. Madayah shifted and then sat a few feet away.

“What’s wrong, Madayah?”

“If there are no humans here then there is a big problem, though not exactly a problem, but something difficult to explain.”

“What are you talking about?”

“You’re pregnant.”

Zenya stood suddenly, staring at the crazy cat. “You’re insane.”

“I know the smell, and you are carrying a child.”

“That’s impossible.”

“Without a human, yes.”

“I haven’t been touched by a human since my last pregnancy two years ago.”

“But a wolf has touched you.”

“Beastkind cannot produce children together.”

“Maybe it’s that the same beastkind cannot produce children. How many mixed couples do we know?”

“I know of no others.”

“Then how do you know cats and wolves cannot produce children?”

“I don’t know, but if they could don’t you think someone would have figured this out long ago?”

Madayah laughed. “Think about it. We’re raised to hate each other. Cross species don’t even mingle, much less mate.”

“Talya said I smelled weird.”

“You smell wonderful.”

“I can’t tell but I don’t feel different.” Zenya’s heartbeat sped up and her hand went involuntarily to her stomach.

“You will.” Madayah’s smile held such tenderness.

“We can’t tell Nicolas until he returns. He will have trouble believing what’s happened.”

“He will accept what’s happened if we all need to hold him down and gently beat some sense into him.”

“Gentle won’t work with him, but maybe one of your frying pans will.”

They both laughed, and then Madayah crawled across the two feet separating them and laid the scared side of her face on Zenya’s lap, kissing her belly. “I’ve craved this smell for years, and maybe our clan will produce more children than we know what to do with.”