Chapter 55 Feral Horde
❦ Nikolai ❦
My bride clutched her silvery strands with whitened knuckles, screaming at the sky.
I scowled.
Was she reacting this way because she’d been separated from the wolf? Or was it something else?
Granted, she’d been so close to meeting her mother, and then had nearly been taken from me by IronWolf soldiers.
I glanced at the human girl beside me. She stared back, hard, eyes eerily intent. I knew what she wanted before she asked.
“You’re a vampire,” she noted.
“That I am,” I returned.
She held out a hand. “I’m Tammy.”
Without taking her hand, I told her, “You don’t know the cost of what you seek.”
She pursed her lips, undeterred.
“So, what now?” Maeve rasped.
I turned to my bride. She’d finished venting and now stood with her shoulders back, eyes slitted with malice.
“Why are you upset?” I asked, knowing the answer.
“Why?” She scoffed, then faked a thoughtful expression. “Let’s see. Not only did you kill my pack members, you traced me away in front of a score of witnesses!” she hissed.
I dampened the grin that threatened. “It was unavoidable. You saw what happened. The commander would’ve taken Tammy.”
When her scowl remained fixed, I added, “And you’d never let me take just Tammy, would you?”
When her eyes softened, as I knew they would, I turned to Tammy.
“Can you show me the path to the lab?”
The girl looked around, brows furrowed. “It would help if I were somewhere higher…”
I reached an arm out. She hesitated, then took it.
The ground fell away as I traced us, replaced by rough bark beneath our feet. Tammy opened her eyes and gasped at our new vantage point.
District 3 sprawled before us, dilapidated buildings and abandoned vehicles dotting the landscape.
Rings of dark earth soaked with old blood marked former violence. The lighter ones proved recent death.
“See anything?” My bride called from below.
She had her face turned up to us, moonlight illuminating those sharp ambers and the silvery sheen of her hair.
I finally had her to myself. I would never let her go.
Turning back to Tammy, I followed her gaze.
“There…” Her pointed finger trembled.
Eyes glassy, she released a breath as she stared.
On the horizon, tucked at the border of Blackbridge and Veilmoor, lay a band of small cottages. A mountainous backdrop rose behind it, gray beneath swirling white clouds.
Instinct flared. My claws thickened.
I hadn’t been successful in tracking Graves because I’d searched too close to IronWolf. Meanwhile, he was in District 3, right before Veilmoor.
The mortal was within reach.
I could almost taste freedom from this obligation. Soon, I’d be able to accommodate my bride without worry.
Still gripping Tammy’s hand, I traced us back to the ground beside Maeve.
She looked expectant. “Did you see it?”
I wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her flush against me. “We did.”
She tensed in preparation. I traced us.
Tammy stumbled inside the cottage, unused to teleporting.
Maeve looked the space over, “Where are we?”
“You’ll be safe here,” I told them, gently pushing both past the hidden wall at the back and into the cave system.
“Safe?” She peered over her shoulder as I secured the locks on the thick wooden door. “Are you going to leave us here? What if we get attacked?”
“You won’t.” A struck match later, a candle illuminated the circular space.
After a brief dig into my cloak pocket, I took out the talisman and handed it to her. She accepted it carefully, eyes brightening as one would with a gift.
It pleased me to see her reaction. I swore I’d gift her every day just to see it again.
I’d given it to her without unraveling the protective cloth. She unwrapped it, strip by strip.
Her lips tightened as she exposed and gripped one end of the wooden relic.
She flung it with a startled yell.
The talisman hit the stone wall so hard, something cracked.
“What is that?” she demanded, cradling her hand. “I’ve seen it before. In your lair… it burned me just like it did then.”
I immediately took her hand, studying the already healing burns on her dainty fingers, brows drawn.
“Forgive me… I hurt you…”
The talisman had been a gift from my mother. During the war, bleeding and weak, she’d given it to me and made me run. She’d made me swear never to lose it. It repelled vampires.
I’d carried it wrapped in fabric to protect myself ever since my transformation into the very thing my mother had sought to shield me from.
And it had burned my mate—
A loud crash shook the cottage doors.
Tammy gasped.
Ferals.
“Stay here,” I hissed.
Before I could turn toward the locked doors, the wood splintered down the middle.
Clawed arms shot through. Blood-red eyes peered right at us.
Change of plans. “Run.”
Both of them spun and fled.
The first wave of ferals poured through. I struck them down with slashing claws. Smashing heads against the stone wall gave me no pleasure. They were simply a nuisance to handle.
Three more ferals stalked toward me. Two were turned wolves, muscled and snarling, blood and drool running down their chins.
I unsheathed my sword, the glint preceding a spray of red.
A scream rang out.
Ignoring more ferals squeezing between rock face and wood, I raced deeper into the cave.
I caught up with them to see Tammy had fallen and scraped her knee.
Maeve crouched beside her, helping her up. Her gaze flitted over me with worry, and she glanced away only after confirming my condition.
“You worried for me,” I purred.
“Anyone would. You were outnumbered.”
“I’m afraid any opponent who challenges me, band or not, is the one grossly outnumbered.”
She rolled her eyes, hurrying Tammy along.
“Left,” I directed.
A right and two more lefts later, I had them hidden in a curved corner. Hissing and footfalls sounded closer.
I pressed a finger to my lips, instructing them to be quiet.
Maeve pressed hers together. Tammy’s eyes watered, but she sat frozen.
Suddenly, the approaching group of ferals paused right around the corner.
Silence.
My fingers tightened on my sword, tensing—
The horde attacked.