Chapter 9 Dimitri
DIMITRI
The night air was warm and humid as Dimitri and Mattie walked toward the lab, Dimitri carrying the plastic bag containing Mattie's belongings.
It wasn't heavy because she didn't have many things, but the little she had would now be placed next to his in the closet, her toothbrush would be next to his in the bathroom, and Mattie herself would share his bed every night.
The problem was that sleeping on the narrow mattress had been fine for a few days, but now that this arrangement was becoming permanent, or as permanent as it got in this hellhole, he needed to find a more comfortable solution.
The cells downstairs, where the new volunteers were supposed to be housed, had beds with proper frames and mattresses.
They were brand new, brought in for when the lab would start implementing the new protocols on a fresh batch of subjects, but the enhancement program had stalled, and the promised recruits had failed to materialize.
He could take one of those beds, bring it upstairs, and push it against his existing one. Create something approaching a proper sleeping space for two people.
"What are you thinking about?" Mattie asked.
"Beds," he said.
Her eyebrows rose. "Beds?"
"We've been making it work on my single bed, but we need something more comfortable. I was thinking that I could take one of the beds from the cells downstairs and push it against mine. Not as good as a single large mattress, but better than what we have now."
Mattie leaned into his arm, her shoulder pressing against his bicep. "I kind of like the narrow bed."
"You do?"
"Mm-hmm." She smiled up at him. "You can't escape me on the narrow bed. I get to sleep on top of you, using you as my personal mattress. It's very cozy."
"It is, but not very comfortable. This morning, I woke up with your elbow in my ribs."
"That's because you move around too much. If you stayed still, my elbow would stay where it belongs."
"And where does it belong?"
"Somewhere that isn't your ribs. I'll work on my aim."
Dimitri laughed, some of the tension leaving him. Mattie's humor was one of the many things he loved about her. She'd been through hell, was still going through it in many ways, but she hadn't lost her true self. It was still there, shining through in moments like this.
"I'm still getting another bed," he said.
"Fine." She sighed dramatically. "But I'm going to use you as my mattress anyway."
"It will be my pleasure." He transferred the plastic bag to his other hand.
They walked in silence for a few moments, with Dimitri thinking of ways to rearrange his room so Mattie would be comfortable living there, and she probably thinking along the same lines.
"I'm glad I won't have to use the stinky potion," she said. "I was worried it might deter you as well as those it was supposed to deter."
So, she wasn't thinking about the room arrangements after all.
He'd forgotten about his failed experiment, most likely because it wasn't working.
"I'm still very much attracted to you, which means that it doesn't work." He turned to her. "What about the immortals in the bar? Did it work on them?"
"Not that I could tell. No one was crinkling their nose or pulling away when I brought their drinks. But I also didn't get any of the usual leering looks tonight. No one made suggestive comments or tried to grab me."
"Maybe the immortals in the bar tonight just weren't interested in you."
The words were out before Dimitri could think them through, and he immediately wanted to take them back. "That came out wrong. I didn't mean—"
"That I'm not attractive enough to leer at?" Mattie snorted. "Please. Those immortals are always interested. Some are just nastier about it than others." Her expression darkened. "And Tarik was the nastiest. He's a pig."
"That's an insult to pigs," Dimitri said. "I happen to like pigs."
Mattie laughed, but the sound faded quickly. "Maybe the potion did work a little." She shook her head. "Or maybe I just got lucky tonight. Either way, it doesn't matter now. I'm done with the bar."
"I'm glad that you don't have to do it anymore," Dimitri said. "You're safe now."
She shook her head. "Tarik is still out there. He still knows where to find me."
He stopped walking and turned to face her. "I'll figure something out. A better potion. A different approach. And if that doesn't work, I'll come with you everywhere you need to go." He took her hands in his. "You're not alone in this, Mattie. Not anymore."
Her eyes glistened in the dim light, but she smiled. "You can't be with me every second of every day."
"Why not?"
"Because you'll get bored with my company."
"Never."
"That's what you say now. Wait until you have to be around me twenty-four-seven."
"I'm looking forward to every moment."
Gazing into his eyes, she swallowed hard and seemed to want to say something, but then she thought better of it and resumed walking.
What had she wanted to say? That he shouldn't get so attached to her because their relationship was so new, and it might not last?
Dimitri knew all that, but he also knew that what he'd said was true. He was looking forward to spending every moment with Mattie. Today at the lab, when she watched him work, he felt bad about her having nothing to do, but he loved having her there next to him.
When she wasn't near, he missed her and worried about her.
When they reached the lab building, he slowly punched in the entry code so Mattie could see the numbers.
"You should memorize it." He opened the door and held it open for her.
"Why? I'm never leaving the lab without you, remember?"
"Mattie."
"Fine." She made a show of reciting the numbers back to him. "Happy?"
"Ecstatic."
The lab was dark and quiet, the equipment dormant, the workstations abandoned for the night. Petrov hadn't returned yet, was probably still nursing his vodka at the bar, which meant they had the place to themselves.
Dimitri led Mattie upstairs to his room and set her bag on the bed. "Get yourself settled. I'm going to grab that extra bed from downstairs."
"Do you need help?"
"I've got it." He leaned over and kissed her cheek. "Immortal strength, remember?"
"How can I forget?"
He hoped that she meant that in a good way.
They hadn't talked much about his transformation, and Mattie didn't ask him about how he was feeling and whether his fangs were starting to push through his gums or his venom glands were growing and pressing against his throat.
It wasn't because she didn't care. He suspected that she was trying to forget that he was no longer human.
Should he bring it up? Or should he allow her to perpetuate the illusion that he was still the same guy she'd met in the bar not that long ago?
On the inside, he was. But there was no denying the changes in his body, and the enhanced strength was just one aspect of that.
He'd always had a healthy sex drive, but now it was off the charts, and he needed to restrain himself not to scare Mattie.
He didn't want her to associate him with the other immortals on any level, and especially not their heightened sexuality.
Downstairs, Dimitri entered the first cell and assessed the bed. Metal frame, thin mattress, nothing fancy. It would have to do.
On second thought, he could collect two more mattresses from the other cells to make their new double bed more comfortable.
He bent down and gripped the frame, lifting it experimentally. It was heavier than it looked, probably eighty or ninety kilos with the mattress, but he lifted it easily. Too easily. Before his transformation, he would have struggled with this weight. Now it felt like nothing.
He maneuvered the bed through the cell door, which required some creative angling, and started toward the stairs. The frame was awkward, more than heavy, the mattress threatening to slide off with every step, but he managed to keep it together.
He was halfway up the stairs when the lab's main door opened, and Petrov walked in.
His boss stopped dead and stared at Dimitri. "What are you doing?"
"Getting a bed for Mattie." Dimitri shifted his grip, trying to look like the effort was more than it actually was. "The single upstairs is too small for the two of us."
"And you're carrying it by yourself?"
"It's not that heavy."
Petrov's eyes narrowed. "That bed frame is solid steel. How are you carrying the whole thing like it's nothing?"
Dimitri's mind raced for an explanation, but nothing reasonable came to mind.
"Motivation," he said weakly. "I really want to sleep comfortably tonight."
Petrov didn't look convinced. "Let me help you with that."
"I've got it—"
"I insist."
There was no way to refuse without making things more suspicious. Dimitri waited while Petrov climbed the stairs and took hold of the other end of the bed frame.
"Ready?" Petrov asked.
"Ready."
They lifted together, or rather, Dimitri lifted while Petrov provided mostly moral support, and they navigated the bed up the remaining stairs and down the short hallway to Dimitri's room.
Mattie had cleared a space near the wall, pushing his existing bed aside to make room for the new one.
"Right here," she said, pointing to the spot.
As they lowered the bed, Petrov bent over, hands on his knees, breathing hard.
"Boje," he gasped. "That thing weighs a ton. How were you carrying it by yourself?"
The man's face was flushed, sweat beading on his forehead, but his eyes were sharp and suspicious.
Dimitri shrugged, trying to keep his expression neutral. "I told you. Motivation."
Petrov straightened and fixed him with a searching look. "Have you been experimenting with the compounds we're giving Dave?"
"What? No."
"I can understand the temptation, especially when you have a pretty girl you are desperate to protect. But it would be incredibly dangerous for a human. In fact, it would probably kill you."
"I'm not taking anything." Dimitri met Petrov's gaze steadily. "My drug is love. I'm motivated by love."
Petrov stared at him for a long moment, then burst out laughing. "Love?"
"Love is a powerful force."
"Love is a chemical reaction in the brain. It doesn't grant superhuman strength."
"Yes, it does. We all know the stories about mothers who lifted cars to save their children."
"Stories." Petrov shook his head, still chuckling. "That's all they are, and you're a terrible liar, Dimitri. Just be careful. Those compounds are not meant for humans." He glanced at Mattie, who was standing very still, one hand pressed to her chest. "Talk to him. He will listen to you."
"I will," she whispered.
Petrov turned to leave, then paused at the door. "Do you need help pushing the beds together?"
"I think we can manage."
"Good. I'm going to have another drink, or two, or three. I need to drink myself to sleep tonight."
When he walked out of their room, Dimitri let out a breath and turned to face Mattie, who was still standing in the same spot, her hand still pressed to her chest, her eyes wide as she stared at him.
"What?" he asked. "You know that I'm not taking any drugs."
"You said your drug is love."
The way she was looking at him made his heart stutter. There was something vulnerable in her expression, something hopeful and fragile and terrifying.
He hadn't told her he loved her. Not in words. He'd shown her in the way he held her, the way he looked at her, the way he needed to be near her, but he'd never actually said the words.
"I was trying to deflect Petrov's questions."
"Were you?"
She was standing there with her heart in her eyes, and he realized that his silence might be hurting her more than any words could.
"I meant it," he said quietly. "What I said to Petrov. About love."
"Dimitri..."
"I'm sorry." He crossed the room to stand in front of her. "That was a terrible way to tell you. I should have done it properly. Candles, dinner, something romantic. Not like this."
Mattie half-laughed, half-sniffled. "I don't care about candles and dinners." She reached up and cupped his face in her hands. "I just care that you love me."
"I love you." The words came easily now, flowing like water from a broken dam. "I love you, Mattie. I think I've loved you since the first moment I saw you."
"That's so romantic."
"I'm a romantic."
She chuckled. "You're a scientist. You are ruled by logic."
"Of course. And my logic says that you are the best thing to ever happen to me and that I need to keep you close and protect you because you are precious to me."
"I love you too, my precious Dimitri."
He pulled her into his arms and held her tight, burying his face in her hair, breathing in the scent of her. She fit against him perfectly, her small frame molding to his larger one, her arms wrapping around his waist like she never intended to let go.
"I love you," he said again, just to hear himself finally saying those words that had been circling in his head from day one. "I love you, I love you, I love you."
"Okay, okay." She was laughing and crying at the same time, her voice muffled against his chest. "I believe you. You can stop now."
"I can't. I'm going to tell you that I love you a hundred times each day."
"That could get annoying."
"You'll have to learn to live with it."
She rose on her toes and kissed him, soft and sweet and full of promise. He kissed her back, trying to pour everything he felt into the contact—his love, his fear, his determination to keep her safe.
When they came up for air, Mattie glanced at the two beds still sitting side by side.
"We should push those together," she said.
"We should."
Neither of them moved.
"In a minute," Dimitri said, and pulled her close again.
The beds could wait. Right now, he just wanted to hold the woman he loved and pretend, at least for a little while, that they were somewhere else and that they were free.