Chapter 43
FORTY-THREE
NATALIE
They park the trucks a few dozen yards away from the tree line just outside the eastern edge of the property.
None of it looks familiar, not with the fleeting sunlight casting an eerie shadow over the treetops, but I know a fence is in there somewhere.
The same long stretch of fence I used to escape.
Had the rest of the captives listened, some might’ve made it out.
Some of them could’ve survived whatever hell Viktor intends to put them through.
They didn’t. And now, with the sun on the verge of setting, it’s only a matter of time before they will have no choice but to run for their lives against an entire pack of monsters.
The Duval wolves waste no time. From the moment a new crate hits the dirt, one of our allies is there to rip it open and pull out the armor for the rest of the pack.
The urgency is infectious, as is the way all of their heartbeats seem to match the same rapid rhythm.
Clément and Jade are the only two in the bunch who manage to keep their hearts under control.
Can’t say I’m surprised, but it’s hard not to be envious when my chest feels like it’s been set to vibrate mode.
“That’s everything,” Alexey announces, stepping down from the truck.
Nik extends his palm to him. “Stay off the main roads when you double back. We will only get one shot at this.”
Alexey ignores Nik’s hand and pulls him in for a hug. “I’ve got it covered, wolf prince. Don’t you worry your pretty little head about Alexey, eh?”
A subtle grin works from one side of Nik’s face to the other as he shakes his head. “Stay safe.”
When they part, Alexey turns to me, his amused expression losing slack.
He opens his mouth and closes it enough times to notice, and for the first time since meeting him, the soldier doesn’t seem to know what to say.
I’d give anything for a snide remark right now.
A joke. Something to take my mind off the sun suddenly losing its flair.
“Princess …” he finally says and offers me his hand. “You’ll make them regret it, you know?”
I take his rough palm in mine, wincing at the sting of silver the moment our skin connects. “Wha—what do you mean?”
“Biting you,” Alexey says with a smirk. “They’re going to regret it.” He nods in Nik’s direction. “Keep this one safe, yeah? He still needs to foot the bill for this little rebellion, and my time isn’t cheap.”
I bite back a smile. “I’ll do my best.”
Before Alexey makes it back to the truck, Clément Duval meets him near the driver door, hands resting at the shoulder straps of his chest plate.
“Are you ready?” the alpha asks.
He doesn’t respond and instead tilts his chin upward.
Ready? Ready for what? Am I missing something?
Clément drags a single claw along his meaty palm and brings it to Alexey’s neck. Blood trickles between his outstretched fingers, some of it dripping inside his tactical vest. When Clément releases him, a large red handprint is left just below Alexey’s jawline.
“What is he doing?” I ask Nik, who also watches intently.
“In the off chance a wolf from his pack does come across Alexey and Dimitri, I thought it might be best to mark them with the scent of their alpha. Something to deter them from attacking.”
“Speaking of,” Jade interrupts, reaching Nik’s side. “It’s your turn.”
His … what? My mouth hangs on a lower hinge than I thought possible.
Jade, somehow sensing my unease, tilts her head and peers at me. “Easy, killer. No one is marking your precious Nikolai.” She scoffs and thumbs to the line of wolves behind her, each fitted with the same silver armor. “He is marking us.”
Nik buries a claw into the soft skin of his palm and adds a handprint to Jade’s armor first, then the next wolf to step forward.
“I know you’re scared, Natalia. Afraid of what you might do when the wolf takes control.
” He continues to add his bloody print to the line, at times re-puncturing his own skin when the wound seals together. “I figure if they all have my scent—”
“Then I won’t attack them …” I finish, realization dawning on me. “That’s why you had me find you by your scent. Follow a trail of your blood. You wanted to be sure I could recognize it.”
Nik nods, a slight smile tugging at his lips. “Yes.”
He knew this whole time. He knew I was worried what would happen the moment I transformed.
But he’s not leaving it up to chance. Am I afraid to turn?
Yes. Am I also terrified I might hurt someone fighting alongside us?
A resounding, unequivocal yes. And somehow, Nik still found a way to help me even when I might not be myself.
“Do you think it will work?” I ask, the horrible feeling in my stomach easing for what feels like the first time in days.
He turns to me, a flicker of red in his golden eyes. “Clément is their alpha. Their noses can detect him on a cellular level. Even if they lose all sense of who they are during a full moon, the Duval pack will still recognize his scent.”
I think back to the forest. How I was not only able to smell Nik’s blood but see where each drop fell despite the pitch-black surroundings. It was as if all of my senses were dialed into his exact frequency. His wavelength. Finding him was easy. Almost instinctual.
After adding a few more prints, he wipes his hand on his shirt. “I would give every last drop if it means you wake up the woman I love tomorrow.” He brings his palm to my cheek, warming my skin. “And our bond is stronger than theirs. I am not just your alpha. Everything I am is yours.”
Incredible heat radiates from my chest to every other extremity. The woman he loves. This man, this werewolf capable of ripping out hearts has decided to give me his.
“Nikolai,” Dimitri says, walking toward us apprehensively. He bears Clément’s mark too, except the bloody print isn’t on his neck like Alexey, it’s covering the right side of his face. “It’s time.”
“Moy brat,” Nik says, closing the distance.
They stand a foot away from each other as quiet as they are still. And when Dimitri finally offers him his hand, Nik pulls the large man into his arms.
“For Ida?” Dimitri says, his voice on the verge of cracking.
Nik nods and pats his back. “For Ida.”
There’s a slight glisten in Dimitri’s eyes when they part, the same sheen of sorrow I’ve seen whenever he talks about his sister. But I don’t think it’s just that troubling him tonight. Maybe it’s because he knows there’s a chance he won’t see Nikolai, his true brother, again come daybreak.
“Ms. Nat …” he says and takes two steps toward me.
My eyes begin to well, blurring his face when I peer up at him.
“Don’t be afraid. Part of you is a wolf now, not the other way around.”
I nod and wipe away the tears making their escape.
He holds me at a shoulder’s length, even bending down to meet me at eye level. “Don’t tell Alexey I said this, but he is right. You will make them regret turning you, and I cannot wait to see it myself. Be strong, Ms. Nat.”
I don’t wait for him to let go of my shoulders. No. I thrust myself forward and hug him, doing my best to wrap my arms around his tree-sized torso. He does the same with little effort. The silver tucked away in his flak jacket stings my cheek, but I don’t mind it. Not right now.
“For Ida,” I say, my voice wavering. And I mean it. I need him to know that I’m not just fighting for Nik. For myself. I’m fighting for him, too.
When we part, a small grin appears on his half red-stained face.
“My sister will finally get the justice she deserves tonight, and I have you to thank for that. You saved Nikolai from becoming a monster. From becoming his father. It’s only fair I save this for you.
” He reaches inside his shirt collar and pulls out a necklace. My necklace.
“Where did you …” My words trail off, the air ripping from my lungs.
“Nikolai found it at Volk the night you were taken.”
Nik’s eyes meet mine and he nods. “I would’ve given it to you sooner but I thought it might be best to wait until you’ve had time to adjust.”
Honestly, I’m thankful he didn’t. The plane ride was bad enough already. Add in a silver necklace brushing against my collarbone and there’s no way in hell I would’ve survived the flight.
“Promise you will give it back to me in the morning yourself,” I say, emphasizing yourself just so we’re absolutely clear on what I expect the moment I come out of my werewolf comatose.
Him. In one piece. Breathing, of course.
And handing over the necklace sure to sizzle on my skin like a hot skillet. “Promise me.”
Dimitri’s lengthy brow knits together, his expression drawing serious. “Da.”
“I don’t want to break up lovey-dovey family time,” Alexey interrupts, gaining all of our attention. He points at the small sliver of the sun making its final descent behind the landscape in the distance. “But we’re running out of time. We go. Now.”
Dimitri gives us both one last glance before following Alexey to the truck and climbing inside.
They leave down the same gravel beaten path, driving slowly to keep the truck’s noise to a minimum.
It isn’t until the truck is out of sight and the sound of the engine is only a faint hum that Nikolai speaks again.
“Is your pack ready, Clément?” he asks. “Once we cross that fence, there’s no turning back.”
The alpha grins wide, his eyes glowing bright red. Two pointed fangs reach his curling lower lip. He looks from Jade to the rest of his armored wolves awaiting his command. “Lead the way.”