Chapter 10
TEN
NIKOLAI
A string of alarms wail from one sector to the next, tone carrying the same sharpness of a dog whistle. Dimitri doesn’t seem to notice the noise. No, he probably can’t even hear it. I can’t say the same for myself or the dozens of other Vostik wolves scrambling toward our target on high alert.
“That got their attention,” Alexey says through the headset with a pleased chuckle. I can barely make out his rapid heartbeat on the opposite end of the property, but it’s noticeable enough to sense his enjoyment. “Drone approaching west end now.”
“Sure you’re up for this?” I ask Dimitri, taking note of his calm features. Silver knives peek out of the front pocket of his ballistic vest. I’m not sure what other things Alexey saw fit to arm him with, but each pocket bulges with devices designed to eliminate my kind.
He tightens the rifle strap at his chest, and one side of Dimitri’s mouth curls into a confident smirk. “I’ve waited a long time for this moment, moy brat.”
I nod and place my hand on his shoulder. “For Ida.”
He returns my nod with one of his own, pulling the slide of his rifle. “For Ida.”
“Is big man in position or busy crying?” Alexey’s voice cuts over the frequency.
Dimitri releases a scoff and starts for the tree line.
“I still don’t like him,” he tosses over his shoulder and disappears between the trees, large shadow hidden in the thicker parts of the forest. These are the same woods we’d explore with his sister before sickness became her new normal.
Now, we’re fighting against my family in her memory.
Taking my little wolf was the last fucking straw.
I knew from the moment I found her necklace in the red room what I was up against. And if my father truly believes I’ll let anything happen to her without a fight, he doesn’t know me at all.
“Drone on target,” Alexey says, his tone militant.
“Any sign of Viktor?” I ask, scanning what pack members are visible from my vantage point.
Radio static swells in my ear awaiting his response.
There are only two people here that can stop me.
Sure, my father has the numbers, but these fresh hires are nothing more than a stall tactic against someone as trained as I am, much less a wolf that isn’t reliant on a full moon.
I can rip through their human forms with ease, but another that has shifted?
We will do what we must, my wolf declares, and I nod in agreeance.
Viktor insinuated he wasn’t a prisoner of the lunar cycle at Volk.
Whether he was toying with me, I’m not sure.
If he is able to shift at will, there’s no telling how powerful his wolf might be.
And even if I do manage to stop him, the only person I’ve ever truly feared will be waiting for me next.
He’s in there right now. I know he is. Watching what’s happening on his property from the safety of his study like he’s preparing for a new round of chess.
He’ll sacrifice his pawns if need be, but I’ll be damned if he touches my queen.
Focus, my wolf speaks again, breaking the silence in my head while the Vostik property erupts in a symphony of erratic commands and guards zeroing in on the destruction at their doorstep. We will handle your brother first if need be. You’ll know when he’s close by.
How? I ask, counting each of the armed pups moving toward the fire with tactical precision. Dimitri manages to make it to the outer perimeter unnoticed and scales the fence line. He climbs the wall, using his long arms to hoist himself up and over without drawing attention.
We will smell him, the wolf says matter of factly. Humans rely on their eyes. A wolf only needs their nose and ears.
Getting lectured by my inner partner wasn’t a part of tonight’s plan, but okay. This is my new normal. Navigating life with an estranged family and a piece of me always having something to say.
Get used to it, my wolf huffs.
“Is big man in position?” Alexey asks impatiently.
Dimitri reaches the top of the fence and swings one leg over. “Da.”
We destroyed the gate at the northwest side of the property, the farthest point from the main house.
If all goes as rehearsed, I should have enough time to get to the cage and get her out.
There’s only one problem, though. My wolf’s words ring in my ears like warning bells.
Humans rely on their eyes. The soldiers my father recruited aren’t human, at least, not anymore.
They don’t depend on sight the same way a sniper needs a scope to find their mark.
Wolves can hear and smell a kill from miles away.
These new pack members might not be as strong as me, but they will have no problem sniffing me out.
We only have one shot at getting her back before Viktor, or worse, my father intervenes.
And as the forces gather around the fiery destruction like moths, it’s time for the next step.
The explosion wasn’t a distraction. No … This was bait.
“Now!” I yell and sprint for the fence at breakneck speed.
“Do svidaniya,” Alexey says in the headset as the drone above the pack releases its hatch.
For a second, there’s nothing. None of the wolves even seem to notice it. Then, the unmistakeable glint of ground silver flitters down, catching the evening winds and landing exactly where we wanted. Right where they’re standing.
The toxic dust circles over the wolves still barking orders and radioing for backup. One stops moving first, seeming to sense the strange shift in the air, but it’s too late. They’re all covered in it.
Chaos erupts. Chocked gasps work from one end of the formation to the other. Each of the guards take turns dropping their rifles to claw at their own throats. Most of them double over, pain-filled gurgles dampened behind the alarm.
“Bullseye!” Alexey says triumphantly. “You have your window, wolf prince. Better make it count.”
But I didn’t wait for his confirmation. No, I’m already halfway through the forest edge with my sights set on the front door of my family home.
The place I’ve dreamed of burning to the ground for as long as I can remember.
First, I’m going to save her, and when she is as far away from this fucking place as possible, maybe I’ll pay my father another visit.
I run faster now, picking up speed without the trees blocking my path. Gunshots erupt from the fence, a crescendo of three round bursts.
“Down,” Dimitri says over the headset. “Path is clear.”
Step three. Dimitri holds the line from the house back to the front gate, leaving no room for a blindsided attack with me getting in and out. I won’t sacrifice his safety, though, and if I have to keep him perched on a fence incase things go south, so be it.
More gunshots ring out as Dimitri’s bullets land true, leaving sharp yelps and whines to replace the deafening blasts. “I’ve got four now,” he says victoriously. “How many has your pixie dust killed, Alexey?”
“Oh, don’t worry your pretty bald head. I have a surprise for them.”
When I reach the gate, I don’t scale it but leap over in one powerful thrust. The excruciating fire inside me starts at my core and heats up each extremity like a furnace.
My skin begins to split, some of it falling off in thick slabs.
Fur. Dark brown fur consumes my whole body and every limb twists and contorts to the wolf taking shape.
My father wanted me to be a monster. I’ll fucking give him one.
Landing on all fours, I focus again on the door and the small group of soldiers filing out. Dimitri clips one in the shoulder, but the others advance, rifles trained on me with a noticeable amount of fear in their eyes.
“He’s shifted!” one yells, releasing the magazine catch and reaching in his vest. “Silver points authorized!” The soldier readies another magazine and pulls the slide. Those behind him do the same, securing new magazines into the housing of their weapons.
I respond with a staggering roar, shaking the property grounds into submission.
Bullets split the air near my face and body, but I’m too fast to give them the chance.
I slash at the first, claws burying into his chest and splintering the bones underneath.
Blood spews from the cavity, splashing my fur a satisfying shade of red.
More gunfire erupts, each soldier drawing closer to box me in.
It doesn’t work. No, it only fuels my bloodlust.
“Five,” Dimitri announces as the one to my left drops to his knees. My headset fell out somewhere near the fence, not that I need it now. My senses are at their peak. I can hear everything, even the excited pace of Alexey’s heartbeat.
“Wait for it,” Alexey says eagerly. “Wait for it. Almost—” The remote-controlled truck zips through the wreckage on a direct path for the wolves still fighting off strangulation.
None of them notice. No, they’re too concerned with coughing out whatever they can.
The truck slows to a stop at the center of the group. “Watch and learn.”
A devastating explosion rocks the entire compound, sending wolves, dirt, and debris flying in all directions amongst the flames. Horrified shrieks accompany the noise, as well as the faint laughter coming from the trees.
“Ten!” Alexey shouts with a snide chuckle.
Focus or I’m taking over, my wolf says. He’s right.
There’s only three more soldiers standing between me and the front doors.
I can’t afford any other distractions right now.
They retrain their barrels in my direction and open fire in unison.
Muzzle flashes blast in a spectacular shade of yellow and orange.
I sprint away on all fours, praying they’ll have trouble with a moving target.
The world around me slows second by torturous second.
And just when I think I might outrun their silver points, an agonizing heat punches straight through my calf and sends me tumbling across the dirt.
“Nikolai!” Dimitri screams and does the one thing he swore he wouldn’t.
What I made him promise not to do under any circumstance.
He drops off the fence and lands inside the perimeter, rushing toward the soldiers taking aim.
One. Two. Three soldiers drop in an instant, but the only thing I’m thinking now is getting him out.
I try and stand fully, staggering to my feet and failing.
Fire radiates from the bullet hole, silver burning something unbearable with each ragged breath.
It’s in there. Poisoning me from the inside.
If I don’t get it out and fast, there’s no telling how much damage it’ll do to us.
I reach for my leg, ready to dig my nails in if I must and pause.
Not because the pain has subsided, but from the familiar stench overwhelming the front steps of my father’s home.
Two piercing gray eyes meet mine but quickly glance behind me.
Viktor emerges from the shadows, his large frame coming into view.
His clothes begin to split and his features distort somewhere between pain and excitement.
A wide, atrocious grin spreads on his bloody face, teeth replaced with sharp daggers.
But he isn’t looking at me anymore.
He's staring at the person behind me.
My brother, the monster my father always wanted, is shifting into his true form, and his eyes are set on Dimitri.