Fang Chronicles: Zenya's Story (26 page)

Nicolas shook his head then asked, “How much do you know about our she-cats?”

“I know they tore the enemy apart and would have eaten him if not stopped.”

It was hard to keep his alpha tone and he fought an internal smile. “That’s a slight exaggeration. They tore him apart, but I doubt they’d have eaten him.”

“That’s not what Columbus’s wolves think.”

Nicolas’s teeth flashed, looking fierce but actually the closest he could come to a smile in wolf form. “I think ours helped that along.”

Aster contemplated his alpha for a moment before speaking again, “Are you interested in having co-seconds?”

The flash of teeth appeared again ending with a growl. “What the hell is that?”

Pure lust came through in Aster’s voice, “My wolf took an interest in your second. He’s never done that before.”

“If you’re not careful, your wolf won’t have a dick.”

If possible, Aster’s voice grew more lustful. “I heard about that, too.”

“That was no exaggeration.” Nicolas barked at his friend.

“Then my dick’s in trouble.”

Nicolas shook his large canine head. “I take it back. You’re crazy as hell.”

The big wolf’s voice instantly changed to reflect his months of suffering. “Just don’t send me away, alpha, or I will be.”

“You’re stuck with us, though we need to take a side trip to Mexico and I want you with me.”

“To kill cats?” Aster couldn’t contain his glee.

“And to rescue she-cats if there are any left alive.”

“I don’t know if Esta will like that.”

Nicolas leapt over a fallen tree, loving the feel of wild beneath his paws. “What do you mean?”

Aster made the same leap. “I think she’ll be jealous.”

“She’s going with us.”

“That should make it easier.” Aster said with a sigh of satisfaction.

Aster wasn’t just crazy, he was insane, and Nicolas needed that insanity for what was about to happen.

He told Aster everything, including the intricate history of the she-cats.

Aster’s voice grew colder than Nicolas had ever heard it, “Every cat that touched them will die.”

“I think you and Esta may get on better than I thought.”

“Is there a spare bedroom for the two of us?” Aster sounded hopeful.

“Now we’re back to crazy. She will have a say.”

“Yes, but I have a feeling our beasts won’t be apart for long.”

“Let’s head back so I can be entertained.”

“The entertainment may get bloody.”

“You cannot challenge until the month is up.”

“I’m talking about our courtship.”

They headed back to the cabin and stopped fifty feet away. Through the trees they saw everyone outside watching as a she-cat ran up one of the logs holding up the porch and leap to the roof.

“That’s my cat.” Aster’s low voice gave away his feeling of awed wonder.

“Let’s see what’s going on before you claim her.”

“Too late, alpha.”

“Insane,” Nicolas mumbled under his breath after he shifted.

Madayah tried next. She wasn’t as graceful as Esta and it took two attempts, but she managed to scramble up. Talya stood quietly by and pouted. With only one arm she didn’t have a chance.

Nikka made it on her first try.

The two wolves walked closer, looking up at the roof. One hundred and forty pounds of cat flew down onto Aster. He went to the ground and Esta’s claws extended, allowing the tips to enter his naked chest.

Every pack member heard her words in their head. “I’m available, wolf, but you’ll have a hell of a fight.” She retracted her claws and turned away, taking a leap and climbing the log again.

Aster smiled and wiped the blood from his chest. “I told you, alpha.”

Chapter Thirty-seven

After dinner, Nicolas laid out his plan to search for she-cats.

Zenya remained frozen in silence.

Esta spoke first, “My job is to protect your mate. Nikka will go in my stead.”

“I won’t make you go, but I believe my mate can protect herself with Nikka and McDonald by her side. I need you to talk to the women if we find any alive and convince them to come with us.”

Esta looked at Zenya, “I promised to keep you safe.”

“The women need you. I’m safe here.” Annoyance at her mate clouded her words.

Esta looked at Aster, “Are you going, wolf?”

“I plan to kill more cats than you.”

Esta accepted the challenge. “I’ll go.”

For a wolf, not thought to be the brightest, Aster easily handled difficult she-cat.

Nicolas looked around the room, stopping to meet the eyes of each of his fighters. “We’re going in fast. Getting out will be harder, but even then we’ll have Samson waiting on day five. If we don’t show, he leaves without us.”

Madayah spoke up, “You have a traitor. What if they know you’re coming?”

“That’s why we didn’t leave right away. Marcus, Amy, and Columbus will know where we’re going. Everyone else thinks we’re heading to Brandt’s home in Colorado. We’ll fly north, land an hour from here, and jump onto Brandt’s plane while ours continues to his property. We touch down in Mexico City and go from there.”

“Who are you taking?” Troy asked.

“Esta, Reece, Bernard, and Aster. Dmitri is giving us two bears; they’ll be waiting when we switch planes.”

Troy sounded slightly frustrated, “You still don’t have enough. Why so few?”

Nicolas turned to the concerned wolf. “This is quick. I have intel that several females are in a camp on the Guatemala border. From Mexico City we take one truck as far as possible.”

Troy wouldn’t let up, “What about Vorlyk?”

Nicolas knew the wolf wanted to be in on the fight but some things were up to the alpha. “The cats have a vamp who intercepts telepathic communication. If it’s live or die, I’ll risk it, but having a group of vamps against Vorlyk won’t help our cause.”

Zenya tried to keep the irritation from her voice but it was impossible, “No, but you could die with only one vamp against you.”

“Going is voluntary.” Nicolas didn’t look at his mate.

Annoyance turned to anger and rolled off Zenya, but Troy was pissed, too. “We just got you back.”

Fighting his instinct to just bark out the orders, he purposely controlled his voice, “We can’t leave these women to die, and we’re hoping they have information about more females.”

Zenya finally spoke up again with all the hurt she felt, dripping into her words, “So it never ends.”

This time Nicolas’s dark eyes turned to the woman he loved. “When I come back, I won’t leave you again until after the baby is born.”

She shook her head, “You say that now, but what if you don’t return?”

He reached for her hand, which was stiff and cold. “I’ll be back in six days.”

Her words were barely audible, “When do you leave?”

“Tomorrow.”

She looked away. Through the mate bond Nicolas felt her turmoil, sadness, and fury. He couldn’t risk her, especially carrying his child, the miracle of beastkind.

Zenya left the room, going out into the night, followed by her new guard, Nikka, and McDonald.

Nicolas let her have this time alone while they strategized.

When Zenya returned in cat form he finally called a stop to their meeting and followed her swishing tail to their bedroom. He closed the door behind them, keeping a wary eye on his mate.

She shifted and a naked Zenya stood before him. “I must have my say.”

He gave a solemn nod of his head.

With pleading eyes she said, “I dread the thought of your death. You belong by my side and I feel guilty about the women that I would have you leave to their fate. I’m selfish, but I love you more than my own life. Please don’t leave me.” Tears slid down her face.

He couldn’t help his step closer or pulling her stiff body into his embrace. He held her close, breathing his words into her soul. “Every day of torture brought me closer to death and further from the revenge in my heart. At times, I prayed for death, but a small flame kept my anger pure and allowed me one more breath for vengeance. With you, the hole in my heart healed and for a very short time my need for justice fell to the background of my consciousness, but it’s still there. It continues to burn because more than anything you and our child must be safe. The future of our clans rests with the women held by our enemies. The pain of leaving you is unbearable, but the pain of leaving them to fate is beyond comprehension. I understand your feelings and my wolf does not want to leave you. I am alpha; the combination of both wolf and man. It’s my burden and yours as my mate.”

Her quiet tears turned to soft sobs, but he continued, “I will return to you and then put aside my quest until you deliver our child.”

“But what then?” She couldn’t hold back her anguish.

“Then, we will decide our next course. I will never needlessly endanger you or our baby.”

“You make the decisions and do it without thought of me or our child.”

He pushed her away to look into her eyes but continued to hold her arms in a firm grip. “I. Am. Alpha. I cannot be any other way. Eventually someone will fight me for the title. I will win or I will lose. Death is always on my horizon. You will learn to live with it or you won’t, but I can’t change what I was born to be.”

Her eyes dropped and she breathed outward, her body going lax. He scooped her into his arms and carried her to their bed, laying down with her snug against his body. He ran his fingers through her tangled hair, parting the strands with his fingers and inhaling the aroma of her cat and her pregnancy.

Her tears slowed until she was able to speak again, “I will learn to fight. I will help protect what is ours, but I don’t know what to do if I lose you. You’re right. It could be tomorrow at the hands of our enemies or later at the hands of one of our pack. Now, at this moment, I need you to make love to me so I may remember your smell, your taste, and your spirit.”

He kissed her, rolling their bodies so he covered hers. Tonight was theirs, and tomorrow receded while they made promises of love and found joy in each other.

Chapter Thirty-eight

Zenya needed to appear happy and even managed to give a wrapped gift to Nicolas in front of several of Columbus’s pack mates for Emily and Brandt’s child. She didn’t know if the deception would work or if Nicolas would return, but she had to try. The traitor needed to take the bait.

After the plane departed and she was back at their cabin, staying in control was harder. Everyone felt her anguish, especially Talya. The young she-cat curled up with her on the couch, placing the side of her face against Zenya’s stomach.