AMAZON KINDLE VERSION A Siberian Werewolf In London EDITED 3 9 2012 (13 page)

He edged out of bed and reached for his clothes, slipping them on quietly. He’d take a quick look around and hopefully calm his wolf. He could give Brencis a break and take over the watch early.

“Where are you going?” Melisande asked as she sat up in bed.

She looked so delightfully sexy, the sheet wrapped under her arms, her hair mussed. Grigori was tempted to go back to bed.

“I am going to check in with Brencis. Go back to sleep, Melika,” he said, walking to the door reluctantly. The feeling of danger persisted. He needed to find out what caused it.

“How soon will you be coming back?”

“Miss me already,
milen’kij
?”

“Yes.”

“Nothing can keep me away for long. Rest,
lyubov moya
. I will hurry back to your embrace.”

“You better. I’ll be waiting.”

Grigori smiled and slipped out the door, making his way to the kitchen exit. It felt good to know his mate waited for him. Once outside, he paused on the stoop. The sense of danger was palatable. Someone watched.

Brencis?

Here by the back gate. I thought I saw someone in the alley, but I can’t smell anything except rotting trash.

I’m coming.

Grigori hurried through the garden and over to the small, wrought-iron gate in the brick fence at the back of the property. Brencis stood in wolf form, his silver and gray coat shining. He looked alertly down the alley. With his ears and tail up, he looked like the alpha male he was.

As Grigori came up to him, he caught the scent of oil and metal, a gun. He jumped forward, pushing Brencis away from the gate and behind the fence, as the sound of gunfire echoed in their ears. The blow to Grigori’s chest took his breath, and then pain blossomed and rushed through him like a fire. He lay on the ground, trying to breathe.

“Govno! Grika, how bad are you hit?” Brencis asked, leaning over him, naked from shifting back to human form.

“Grigori?” Melisande yelled from the back door.

“Let’s get you inside, before your mate comes running,” Brencis said, lifting him. Grigori’s pain was unbearable, and his sight went black.

Melisande stood at the back door in a panic. Feeling thirsty, she had come down to the kitchen for something to drink. She had heard the gun shot and felt the pain of being wounded in the chest. She actually grabbed at the site, thinking her hands would come away covered in blood. But she was fine, which is when she realized the pain must be coming from Grigori.

Brencis came around the hedge, carrying Grigori in his arms. Melisande gasped, knowing Grigori must be hurt badly. She hardly noticed Brencis’ naked form, shining in the moonlight.

“He’s been shot. Help me get him inside.”

Melisande held the door open and hurried in after Brencis. Valerii came bursting into the kitchen, then ran out the back door.

“Where is he going?” Melisande asked, grabbing a towel off the counter.

She already saw blood dripping down Grigori’s arm. Her stomach clenched in fear. Was she going to lose him?

“Hunting. Help me get his clothes off,” Brencis said as he laid Grigori down on the floor and kneeled over him removing his shoes.

“We need to call an ambulance. He needs to get to the hospital.”

“Melisande, if you want him to live, you need to help me,” Brencis said, a stricken look on his face. “Please . . .”

Melisande couldn’t deny the look of pain and terror on Brencis’ face. She rushed over. Ripping Grigori’s shirt open, she pushed the towel onto the wound. There was so much blood. God, what were they doing? Brencis slipped Grigori’s pants off and moved up next to her.

“Call him. He needs to wake up. He’s got to shift. Do it, Meli.”

“Grigori, can you hear me?”

“Use your bond. Reach for him. You’ve got to hurry. He’s bleeding out. The bullet must have nicked his heart.”

Melisande followed the mating bond into Grigori’s mind. She saw his soul, a tiny light getting weaker. She cried out, and following her instincts, she grabbed at it, surrounding it with her will. She poured strength into the light and called to the man who was her mate.

GRIGORI!

Melika?

“Tell him to shift, Meli, quickly. It’s the only way.”

Shift, Grigori. You are injured badly.

“Pour strength into him. I will as well. He won’t be able to shift in his weakness. Hurry!”

Shift, Grigori!

Melisande concentrated on pouring strength into Grigori. She felt Brencis as he joined her. The light that was Grigori grew stronger and began to expand. Melisande was pushed out of his mind. She looked down to see Grigori’s body beginning to glow, rainbow flashes burst around him.

The light became too bright, and she closed her eyes. She still held the towel to his chest and felt him when he moved suddenly. She opened her eyes to find a large wolf, lying on its side, panting under her hands.

“Holy, Shit!” Melisande said, crab-crawling backwards until the kitchen cabinets supported her back.

“Grika! Thank God, I almost lost you that time. You shouldn’t have jumped in front of that bullet,” Brencis said, his hands buried in the fur of the wolf.

Melisande watched in amazement. The wolf was Grigori? That’s impossible, she was losing her mind.

“Thank you for saving me, Grika. But I would never want to cost you your life,” Brencis continued.

The wolf began to glow. Melisande turned her head and closed her eyes. What was wrong with her? She opened her eyes to see Grigori and Brencis hugging. Then Grigori turned to her. The fact both men were naked wasn’t lost on her. But what just happened?

She looked at Grigori’s chest, and though covered in blood, the wound was gone. She reached out and touched his skin, needing to make sure the bullet hole was really healed.

“Melika?” Grigori asked uncertainly.

All of the fear at Grigori being shot suddenly turned into something else. Melisande’s hand tightened into a fist, and she swung, hitting Grigori in the jaw. He fell back away from her, his hand going to his injured face.

“You, bastard! You lied to me!” she yelled.

“Nice hit,” Brencis said chuckling.

“Shut up! You lied with him.”

Melisande got up and stormed upstairs. Running into her room, she locked the door behind her. She looked down at the blood covering her nightgown and hands, and tears started running down her face.

Hurrying into the bathroom, she stripped and turned on the shower. What was she going to do? He had never trusted her. How could he have kept being a wolf a secret? How could he say he loved her and lie to her? Who was she really mad at? Grigori for keeping secrets? Or herself for being stupid? There had been so many clues. She always got pictures of wolves from Grigori’s thoughts. Why didn’t she put it together? Had she been deluding herself?

CHAPTER TEN

Grigori sat on the kitchen floor in shock. The coolness of the ceramic tile, hard against his behind, contrasted strongly to the heat coming from his bruised cheek. His mate had hit him in anger. He heard her crying upstairs, her sobs barely audible as she stood under the water of the shower. What should he do? How was he going to make this right?

He struggled to get to his feet, still feeling a little wobbly from blood loss. Brencis jumped up to help him as he swayed.

“Let me help you upstairs,” Brencis suggested as they made their way out of the kitchen and to the stairs.

“She hit me.”

“Yes, quite a good one, I might add.”

“But, I got shot. I almost died.”

“Yup, I’d say that might be part of the problem. She’s suffered a shock. Give her some time. She’ll be okay.” Brencis steadied him as they started climbing the stairs.

“But will I be okay?”

“Are you saying the shift didn’t heal everything? Should I call in a healer?”

“Don’t fret like a mother hen. I’ll be fine in a few hours.”

Grigori was glad when they finally reached the top. He held onto the banister a moment, catching his breath. This weakness upset him. He didn’t like feeling feeble. Glancing down at the blood starting to dry on his chest and arm, he realized he needed to clean up.

Brencis hovered at his side as Grigori made his way to the bedroom door. He reached for the handle to enter, but it was locked. Leaning his head against the door, Grigori sighed.

Melika, please unlock the door.

Go away, Grigori. I’m angry at you.

The water turned off in the bathroom. Grigori heard Melisande moving around in the room.

Please, Melisande, I’m still feeling rather weak. Open the door, Milaya moya.

I am not your sweet. Get out of my head.

Meli, I am not leaving until you let me in.

Melisande heard Grigori slowly sink to the floor outside the door. She wanted to run over and open it, but that would mean giving in, wouldn’t it? Why hadn’t she figured out he was a wolf? Was he anything less than the man she fell in love with because he shifted his shape? Was she so close-minded she couldn’t accept he was more than human?

“Grika, if the faithless bitch won’t take care of you, I will. Come. Let me get you cleaned up.” Brencis’ angry voice could be heard clearly.

“No, Brencis. Don’t call my mate names. That is unacceptable. You will show her the proper respect. I am not moving until I see her.”

“
Idi K Chyortu,
Dammit, Grigori. If she loved you, she would care for you. You are weak from blood loss, and you’re a mess.”

“She is feeling betrayed. I have wronged her.”

“You can’t stay here naked on the floor. Let me take you to my room.”

“No, Brenka. Go. I will wait for my mate.”

Melisande waited with bated breath. Would Brencis leave Grigori alone in the hall? Was she being faithless? He had been shot and almost died. He was weak and needed to be cleaned up. Was she being stupid in her righteous anger? She heard Brencis swear and then move down the hall.

Melisande threw open the door. Grigori lay slumped on the floor.

“Brencis, help me get him inside,” she demanded.

Brencis turned around, a look of hatred on his normally stoic face. She knew he thought badly of her. But he walked over and scooped Grigori up and carried him into the room. Placing him on the bed gently, he patted his cousin on the shoulder.

“I’ll clean up downstairs and check in with Valerii. Rest, Grika, regain your strength.”

Grigori stirred and sat up on the bed. Melisande quickly placed pillows behind his back to support him.

“Forgive me. I am weaker than I thought.”

“You are lucky to be alive,” Brencis said with vehemence.

Melisande knew the remark was for her benefit. Brencis turned and left the room.

Melisande looked at Grigori. He skin looked pale, except for the red blood. She went into the bathroom and wet a towel to begin washing his chest. At the first touch of the warm towel, he reached up and grabbed her hand.

“Forgive me, please, Melisande. I’m sorry you found out our secret in this way.”

“Be quiet and let me clean you up. You look like hell,” Melisande said, pulling her hand free so she could continue to bathe him.

“I wanted to tell you. But the right time never came. How do you tell the woman you love, you are an animal? A monster from out of legends?”

“You’re not a monster. A wolf is not a monster. You should have trusted me.”

“Yes, I’m sorry I wronged you. Please say you will forgive me.”

“I can’t say that right now. I’m not sure what I’m feeling or if I should stay.”

“Don’t leave me, Melika. I love you. Neither of us can live comfortably without the other.”

“Go to sleep, Grigori. You’ll feel better in the morning. I promise to be here when you wake up,” Melisande said as she took the soiled towel into the bathroom to rinse. She couldn’t leave him when he was so weak and vulnerable. Tomorrow was soon enough to decide what to do.

“Come to bed with me. I need to feel you close to me,
lyubov moya
.”

Melisande sighed with acceptance. She needed to feel him close to her as well. She came out of the bathroom and slipped off her robe. Then she climbed into the bed and let Grigori hold her close.

Being in his arms always felt so right. Was it so hard to understand why he might be afraid to tell her he was a wolf? He almost died tonight. All of her dreams of a family and home were wrapped up with this man. He was her future. Tears started to slip from her eyes. She had almost lost him. Her dreams would have gone up in smoke.

“Oh, God. I almost lost you,” Melisande said, crying in earnest.

“Shh,
detka.
I know. I’m here,
milen’kij.”

Grigori listened as his mate cried out her fear. Then her breathing became soft and even as she slept. He held her close, needing the contact. When he relaxed, he drifted off to sleep.