Winter's Kiss (11 page)

The people passed and he tracked them with his senses, waiting until they were a good distance away before leaving the safety of the room. He ran along the corridor, Nika clinging to him, and skidded to a halt the moment his feet hit the icy dirt of the stable courtyard. It pained him to be here. He’d had several horses in his lifetime, but none like Midnight.

Nika moved against him, bringing him out of his thoughts. They needed a fast horse. One leaving the grounds would be less conspicuous than two.

Winter carried Nika into the main stable block and set her down on the hay-strewn floor between the two rows of stalls. A quick glance at her revealed that she was calm.
He set about finding them a horse. His senses locked on Nika as he gathered a saddle and bridle. She remained close to him, her blood speaking of fear. Strange how she had felt so safe in his room. Strange how he had felt so safe. As though a room could protect them. It would keep them safe from the werewolves, but not from his family.

Nika tensed.

Winter turned on a pinhead to face the person standing a few metres behind her and then instantly moved to defend her from the shadowy figure standing in the entrance to the stable block. His arm came out to block the man’s path to her. She moved behind him.

“Ah, the woodman’s daughter,” a familiar warm deep voice echoed around the room.

Winter tensed too. He caught Nika’s arm where she stood behind him and guided her closer. The man moved closer too. Winter stood firm. Nika clung to his arm, trembling. Or was that him?

He stared into Hyperion’s eyes as his lord came to stand not two metres from him.

“You have grown into your beauty,” Hyperion said to Nika, eyes flashing hungrily as he smiled.

Winter growled and Hyperion turned a frown on him briefly before looking back at Nika.

“I have not seen you since you were small and promised to the wolves.”

Another growl escaped Winter’s lips and he stepped forwards, intent on protecting Nika, even if it was from his lord. Everything he had thought before disappeared when faced with this threat to Nika. He would protect her from his family. He wouldn’t surrender her to his lord. He wouldn’t surrender her to anyone.

“And what do you do in the stables, Winter?” Hyperion turned to him, purple eyes searching his, handsome face marred by darkness. His lord wasn’t amused.

“I came for a horse, nothing more, my lord.” Winter bowed his head and closed his eyes, hoping that if he acted as expected, his lord’s patience and understanding would return. In a fight, Winter didn’t stand a chance against Hyperion. Hyperion was three times his age and
ten
times stronger.

“A horse, the woodman’s daughter and the scent of old blood,” Hyperion said. Winter stiffened. He had made Nika clean herself and change, but had forgotten that her blood stained his gloves and clothes. “A blind man could see that something is happening here, Winter. Explain yourself. You already have a horse to call your own, but you are stealing another?”

The lack of anger in those words surprised Winter and he found the courage to look up into his lord’s eyes. They held no anger either. His lord was no fool. He would know that Nika was a werewolf now, but he hadn’t mentioned it. Why? It was too much to hope that Hyperion was going to let them go. No matter what indiscretions his past held, Hyperion didn’t tolerate his Watchmen breaking the law. At least, that was what he said. He had never needed to prove himself before now.

“My horse is dead,” Winter said and braved a step towards Hyperion. Nika remained close behind him,

90

fiercely gripping his arm and peering around it. At least she had sense enough to know that Hyperion was a threat to her. “The werewolves attacked in Validus territory. Nika is not safe.”

“I am sorry, Winter. I know how you favoured the steed… but I cannot possibly let you leave here with this girl. Willem will destroy her family.”

Nika stepped out from behind him, her hand on the dagger at her waist. She glared at Hyperion. Perhaps she didn’t have sense after all.

“Willem. The beast that bit me and murdered my entire village?” Her words held an edge as sharp as the blade grasped in her hand.

“I thought there was an air of wet dog about the stables.” Hyperion smiled at her and then turned it on Winter. His look became thoughtful. “Should we send her to the compound?”

Winter pushed Nika back behind him and growled, his claws extending.

“You should know that you are breaking the law.” Hyperion’s eyes darkened and Winter sensed his anger rising.

He was a fool to anger his lord, but he couldn’t let them take Nika to the compound. She wasn’t strong enough. It would be the end of her.

“I know as well as you do. My lord is no stranger to the laws.” Winter took hold of Nika’s arm again and gripped it tightly, silently commanding her to remain behind him this time.

Pain surfaced in Hyperion’s eyes brief seconds before he lowered his gaze to the floor of the stables. He frowned
and whispered, “Sakura.”

Winter hated himself for mentioning something that hurt his lord. He had done it on instinct, an immediate reaction to the thought that he was breaking the law. If he was, then he was following his lord’s well-trodden path.

“Take Demeter,” Hyperion said and Winter’s eyes shot wide.

“But my lord, Demeter is your horse.”

“She is, and there is no faster horse to be had in these stables. Return her to me. I have business to attend to, but I expect you back before the eastern party arrives.” Hyperion turned away and walked to the stable entrance. He paused, the strange half-light of the approaching dawn shadowing his features and adding to the solemn look in his eyes. “It is too late to travel this morning. Rest here the day. I will order this area out of bounds. Tomorrow night, leave as the sun sets and take your little wolf girl to the last stronghold of her kin, on the borders of St. Petersburg, north of the city.”

With that, he was gone.

Winter stared at the empty doorway, his claws easing away and his body relaxing inch by inch.

“Your lord?” Nika whispered, still clinging to his arm.

“Yes,” Winter said, staring after Hyperion.

Light began to chase away the darkness. With a sigh, Winter guided Nika into the empty stall beside

Demeter’s. He waited for Nika to settle down on the straw and then stared at the large black mare. His lord was lending him his own horse to assist his escape from the mansion and speed him on his way to the bastion of Nika’s
kin. It was more than he had expected, far more. It had shown Hyperion’s faith in him more clearly than the day he’d had the title of commander bestowed on him. His lord believed in him, trusted him, and liked him enough to cover for him even when he was breaking the law. Winter smiled and settled down in the opposite corner to Nika, closest to Demeter’s stall. The night faded and sleep beckoned him.

Nika moved across the stall and curled up close to him, her cloak covering her. He glanced at her neck.

“Your necklace is gone,” he murmured and she touched her throat.

“I thought perhaps you found it offensive.” She lowered her hand to her trouser pocket. “I still have it. It doesn’t seem to bother me so I thought I’d keep it. My parents gave it to me when I was a child. Come to think of it, it was after the wolves had attacked. Maybe my father and mother had wanted to protect me from them.”

“Perhaps,” Winter said and stifled a yawn. He was glad that she had found something to restore her love for her father. What he had done was unforgivable but he had paid the price for it and Winter was sure that he had suffered all these years knowing what he had done for the sake of the village. Maybe the dreams of a better life he had woven for Nika had been more than that. Maybe they had been her father’s hope shining through, his wish that she would escape the wolves and be free to live that dream.

Closing his eyes, Winter released his breath and let sleep come to claim him. A smile still touched his lips.

Hyperion had given him a reason to return, a purpose and a direction. Without him asking, his lord had given him everything that he needed. Now he knew where to take Nika.

Now he could help her.

Now he felt he could return once this was all over.

With his lord’s consent, he wasn’t breaking any law by taking Nika to her kin.

Now he just had to resist breaking the law that forbade a relationship between species.

Nika moved against him and wrapped her arms around one of his. The warmth of her and the smell of her blood were alluring, intoxicating. He breathed deep, taking the scent down into his lungs and holding it there. His fangs itched for her blood.

It was becoming harder with each passing second.

Nika yawned for the millionth time and rested her cheek against Winter’s cloaked back. The gentle motion of the horse walking was soothing and lulled her to sleep. In the stables, she had fallen asleep as soon as she had leaned into Winter and even the scratching and poking of the sharp straw hadn’t bothered her enough for her to lose sleep. When Winter had left the stall, she had awoken.

She sighed and watched her breath turn opaque in the freezing night air. They had left the mansion at sunset, just as the handsome man had told them to, and had ridden out into the woods. Winter hadn’t said much about his lord, but she had the impression that he felt honoured to be riding his horse and to have permission to leave with her.

She also got the impression that as soon as they reached the stronghold that the man had spoken of that Winter would leave her. Once she was with her kin, he would have no reason to remain and his lord had demanded his return. The thought of him leaving her made her colder than the Russian weather ever could. She shuffled forwards on the saddle. Her upper body pressed against Winter’s back.

Her fingers were numb where they grasped his cloak. She was too afraid to hold his waist. She shivered when the wind blew her cloak open and invaded her shirt collar, sending icy ribbons down her back.

“Are you cold?” Winter’s voice was a soothing lullaby in the darkness.

Nika nodded and, to her surprise, he halted the horse and dismounted. A frown creased her brow when he was suddenly behind her, urging her forwards on the saddle, and a gasp escaped her when he turned her on the saddle so she was sitting sideways, almost on his lap. He closed her cloak across her chest and then drew the front two halves of his own around her, covering her.

Her fingers grasped his chest armour to keep herself from falling off the saddle. His arm slid around her, holding her close. She looked up at his face, suddenly warm from the feel of his body against hers, his arm around her, and the safe cocoon he had wrapped her in.

“Everything will be alright,” he whispered, his gaze fixed ahead of them. “The people we are going to see will look after you.”

The cold stole back in. She leaned her head against his shoulder and curled up into him.

“I don’t want you to leave me there,” she mumbled, too afraid of how he would react to say those words any louder. She hated the feeling of doom that filled her whenever she thought about what would happen when they arrived at this home of her new kin. She hated the thought that he was going to dump her there
and return
to his life, leaving her alone in the world. Her fingers curled, bunching his shirt into her fist, and she closed her eyes, clinging to an impossible dream in the hope of escaping a nightmare.

He was going to leave her. What had happened at the village hadn’t changed that. It had only delayed it. Soon she would have no one left in the world. She would be alone in a crowd of strangers. Her nightmare was only going to get worse.

The silent night filled her ears but did nothing to soothe her heart. It ached and stung, breaking little by little. Perhaps it would have been best if he had left her at the village to face her fate. The more time she spent with him, the harder it was becoming to
let
him go.

She didn’t want to let him go.

“There was a chance for us when you were human. I could have turned you.” His words, softly spoken in a voice filled
with hurt, tore her apart. To know that he had wanted to be with her caused fresh pain to pierce her already tired and worn heart. Tears filled her eyes and her grip on him tightened. “You are a werewolf now… it is forbidden.”

“I don’t care for your laws,” she muttered and pushed him backwards. His arms suddenly felt as though they were smothering her rather than comforting.

He caught her arm with his free hand and held her wrist. She struggled against him, frowning and cursing him the whole time. He wanted to leave her so why wouldn’t he
let
her go?

“I wish it was not this way, but it is, Nika! If I were seen with you, word would get out. I would be sentenced to death… along with you. I cannot allow that to happen.”

She stilled, staring at his gloved hand where it gripped her wrist so tight her bones creaked.

Her eyes unfocussed and she blinked slowly.

“Willem knows,” she whispered, pained by the thought of someone
discovering
them and
Winter
dying, but if he left her, there was no reason for her to live. She would die either way. She couldn’t face this terrifying new existence alone. Everything that had happened had weakened her. Her father’s betrayal and death, and her turning into a werewolf was too much for her to handle alone. If Winter left, the last shred of her strength would leave with him, but she didn’t want to see him die too. She didn’t want to die. Everything was so confusing. She felt torn between finding a way to make him stay and letting him leave. Was this how Winter felt? She couldn’t let him go. She needed him too much. “Your lord knows.”