Chapter 14
FOURTEEN
NIK
He didn’t argue. Didn’t plead for me to reconsider.
No, Dimitri rushed away from me when I told him to save her, slung rifle slapping against his large back.
I watched him scale the fence and reach on the other side, wasting no time following the perimeter to the area Natalia was searching.
And only when I hear him drag her to safety now do I release the breath I’ve held in since she fled into the woods.
I need to get to them, but first I need to be able to stand.
We need to shift, my wolf warns. We won’t heal fast enough in your form.
He’s right. The wound my father gifted me didn’t heal fully until my next full moon, and even then, it left me with jagged scars lining my torso.
I draw an uneven breath and close my eyes, putting my last ounce of strength into whatever focus I can gather.
I block out the pain. The exhaustion taking over my arms and legs.
The howl is all I hear in my head now, the howl of my wolf begging to break free.
My fingers crack and twist, nails growing to claws.
The skin on my forearms splits, giving way to the thick brown fur rooting beneath.
I’m changing, and while agonizing, it eases the torture on my chest.
I stand and stretch each limb, reaching my full shifted stature.
Relief sets in, not only from how the deep lesions start to heal, but from the sound of Dimitri running away from the property.
He’s not alone. Small footfalls accompany his as they navigate the untouched wilderness toward Alexey’s remote armory.
I turn to head in their direction and pause, the fur at my spine raising.
An unsettling sensation has the wolf and me snarling on impulse, a low rattle vibrating my chest. Someone is watching me.
I don’t have to see them to know it. The glare is sharper than a silver-tipped arrow.
And as I peer back, I see the unmistakeable shadow of my father standing at the study window overlooking the grounds.
His intense glare focuses on me, eyes as red as the blood stains on my chest.
He's challenging us, the wolf says.
Can we stop him? I ask, growling with harsh lines traveling up my snout. I bare my teeth and display each claw at my sides. He doesn’t move. Doesn’t gesture me to him. He only watches, curiosity adding new wrinkles to his weathered face.
Not in our current state. We’d be lucky to handle a pup right now.
He’s right. I hate to admit it, but he is. Even transformed, I’m struggling to keep my footing firm. If I attack my father, I’d only give him the satisfaction of being right about me all along. Instead, I’ll give him something I wouldn’t dare to do before. A warning.
I howl with unrestrained fury, my eyes never leaving his. The prodigal son might be leaving, but I’ll be back, and when I return, I’m coming for his fucking head.
I stumble through the front door of Alexey’s armory, each stride ripe with exhaustion.
My bones crack back into their human place, both elongated hands splaying into something less monstrous.
The gashes lining my chest still burn, but the blood has stopped for now.
I’ll take the small victory. I’m alive, and the heartbeat I focused on the entire race here pulses with the same vibrance.
Natalia. My little wolf, is safe. Still breathing despite my brother’s attempt to wound me deeper than his claws ever could.
He failed in killing me, and it’s the first bitter pill he’s ever had to swallow.
Welcome to our father’s disappointment club, Viktor. Happy to have you.
Dimitri emerges from the vault of silver weaponry when I enter, relaxing his heavy brow. The rifle remains secured to his back, and if I had to guess by the clips in his hands, he’s gearing up for another fight.
“Nikolai,” he says, hooking our arms and helping me to a chair. He grabs a green military issue blanket from the stockpile. “Are you healing?”
Wrapping the blanket over my shoulders, I do my best to keep the itchy fabric away from my chest and stomach.
I peer over at Natalia nestled on the cot.
She’s fast asleep, her pained face a few shades lighter.
It could be due to her captivity, but something tells me the real reason is far worse.
“Slowly,” I say, my eyes fixed on her. “I had to shift to make it back.”
“Have you heard from Alexey?”
“He isn’t here?” I ask, strain in my voice. The last time I heard Alexey was before Viktor gained the upper hand. He should’ve been back by now.
Dimitri shakes his head and takes the seat across from me. “Nyet. I hoped for backup to come find you. Do you think they got him?”
“I’m not sure.” I knew attacking the den was a dangerous game from the start, but I never imagined how far left our plan would go.
We killed more than a dozen of my father’s soldiers, so there’s little doubt in my mind they are hunting for all of us now.
If they do find him, he wouldn’t be kept with the rest of their captives.
No, they’d cut him down where he stands.
“We can’t stay here for long, Nikolai. The pack will search this entire forest to find you.”
And Viktor will search the continent to find her. He can’t have a stain on his immaculate record. Bested by a human in his own backyard. His ruthlessness was unmatched before, now, he’ll stop at nothing to finish what he started.
I use the table to stand and will my body toward her, fighting the fatigue in each leg. Dimitri follows close behind, his arms ready to catch me should my body give out.
“She blacked out quarter mile from here,” he says, accent thick.
I brush the hair from Natalia’s brow with my thumb. “She put up a good fight.”
Her closed eyes flutter but remain sealed as sharp breaths escape her.
“Da. No one’s ever stood against your bother and lived.”
I smirk, caressing a hand to her cheek. “I told you she was special.”
Dimitri goes silent, and the air in the room shifts from dry to suffocating. His heart rate quickens, and he hangs his head low. “Nikolai … there’s something I have to tell you.”