Fang Chronicles: Zenya's Story Read online

  “Fuck.” He began taking off his clothes, refusing to look at her. She stuck everything in the backpack when they were naked.

  “We need to walk in the water for at least thirty minutes before we cross back over.”

  They trudged against the current. The water was harder on him than the jungle, but he refused to ask her to slow down. If the bitch could do it, so could he.

  “We’re crossing here, but don’t step on dry land. We’ll head back through the water halfway from where we came.” She didn’t ask if he could make it, just began heading into the deep current.

  Once he was submerged up to his shoulders, the cold water actually felt good on his ribs, but his arm was useless for swimming. He finally sank under, then tried to get away when she dragged him up by his hair, pulling him into a lifeguard rescue carry and continued swimming. It was too much trouble to fight her, and he knew drowning them both wasn’t a good option. Eventually his feet found purchase and he managed to make it the rest of the way on his own. The rushing water carried them farther downstream, but when they got to the shore, she turned back, struggling against the current.

  He was dead on his feet, but stayed within sight of her.

  “Here’s a good place to get out. Can you walk another hour through the jungle?”

  His entire body shook, and his hands trembled too hard to put on the clothes she offered. He didn’t object when she helped him dress. He would kill her for that alone. The only cats he wanted to feel were those in his grasp right before he broke their necks.

  “I’ll make it.”

  He drank the water she offered and then ate more jerky and some dried fruit she stuck in his hand.

  He was beyond caring about the terrain beneath his feet and just placed one foot in front of the other until his knees hit the ground. Struggling to get up was useless.

  “Drink and then sleep.” He didn’t remember swallowing, just faded into a dreamless darkness.

  It was hot and he needed to take a piss. He opened his bleary eyes and looked around. Zenya lay a foot away, sleeping with her head propped on her arm. The sun barely made it through the trees but it was daylight, the sweltering heat attested to it. Having bodily urges felt good even if it was only to pee.

  He made a small noise trying to get to his feet, and she moved slightly in her sleep but didn’t awaken. He walked farther into the dense trees and relieved himself. A rustle in the foliage caused him to look over his shoulder. Zenya stood blushing.

  “I thought you left.”

  Zipping up his pants, he refused to acknowledge her comment. He couldn’t care less if she watched him. He was tired and in pain but feeling better than he had in months, though that wasn’t saying much.

  “How far do we need to go?”

  “We’ll get there late tonight.”

  “I think I can safely shift now and go faster.”

  “Yes, but the wolf odor will be stronger, and I don’t want you leading anyone to where we’re going.”

  “Do you really think we’ll make it out?”

  “I learned a long time ago not to wish for anything good. I’ll meet you at the backpack; I need privacy.”

  He didn’t argue, just made his way back. She’d filled the water bottles in the river, but he didn’t remember her doing it. There were four left. It would be a long day without enough water, but it wouldn’t kill him now. His thoughts drifted to her comment about not wishing for anything good. He didn’t even know why it bothered him. He ate more food and handed over the pack when she came back.

  Ignoring him, she drank some water, grabbed a piece of jerky, then slung the bag over her shoulder and started walking. He followed.

  Four hours later, the jungle thinned and between the trees he could see a mountain range in the distance.

  “We can’t leave the jungle until dark, so now we rest.

  He didn’t bother arguing.

  Chapter Four

  He woke with his head in her lap and the smell of cat permeating his nostrils. “Do you have a death wish? I fucking don’t want your filthy cat body anywhere near me,” he said as he rolled away too quickly. The pain in his ribs caused him to suck in air.

  “I think if you were going to kill me you would have, so please stop with the death threats and your foul language.”

  He almost laughed. The bitch had balls. She was right, though; he probably wouldn’t kill her unless she gave him a good reason. His brain was finally functioning past thoughts of her death, but she was still a cat and he didn’t want her touching him.

  He rested quietly until the sun set and knew they would start off again soon. “Why did you help me?”

  “For some reason Amy cares about you.”

  “I barely know her.”

  “She thinks of you and Brandt as part of her family. I didn’t ask her why, but she was upset when they all thought you were dead.”

  “I am dead.”

  “That’s nice. If you want any pity you’re asking the wrong woman.”

  “You mean cat.”

  “Whatever, wolf.”

  They finished off the last of the water and food in silence. She neatly placed the empties in the pack and then looked at him. “Do you mind if I sleep for an hour before we get started?”

  “As long as you don’t expect to rest your head on my lap.”

  “I’ll somehow resist, but I need you awake and keeping watch. An hour from now we need to go.”

  “I’ll wake you.”

  She lay down, curled into a tight ball, and shortly after breathed in and out steadily. He tried to look anywhere but at her. Every few minutes his gaze returned. Her hair was dirty, but he remembered the color as a honey blonde with sun-streaks. Her facial features were delicate with a cute sharp-angled jaw. The first time he saw her, her cat eyes didn’t cause the anger they did now. His memory flashed on light green orbs that darkened to emerald with yellow flecks when her emotions heightened. The darker green stood out the first time at Amy’s house when one of his pack wolves tried to attack her. That wolf was dead now, along with the entire eastern pack.

  His anger built with the memories of the battle. He became so lost in thought that the imagined smell of smoke made his eyes burn.

  The plane landing.

  A vampire subduing him.

  The last terrible images of his pack.

  Vampires and cats slaughtering everyone.

  Franklin, the vampire leader of his pack and his best friend, torn to pieces.

  The screaming of she-wolves as the children died.

  Those same she-wolves torn limb from limb shortly after.

  He remembered everything, the graphic details imprinted on his brain forever. Now he had a chance to exact his own revenge and something to live for.

  The hour went quickly. Right before he leaned over to wake her, she cried out in her sleep. The sound was heart rending and ended on a low moan of desolation. “No. My baby. Please.”

  A small piece of his heart shifted. He’d heard the story of her clan leader killing her child.

  Zenya’s eyes snapped open and she wiped her tears away without acknowledging her nightmare. Gaining her feet quickly, her lithe form seemed more cat-like than ever, and his eyes followed her with something besides hatred. He wouldn’t take the time to consider exactly what he felt.

  Neither spoke as they started walking. There was no more food or water, though she could shift to cat if she wanted and catch one of the small animals running through the vines and leaves. She didn’t offer and he wouldn’t ask. They didn’t have a machete and at times they had to veer off course because of the heavy growth.

  It took an hour to get to the first of the mountains, and the uphill pace was excruciating on his ribs. He put one foot in front of the other, refusing to give into his weakness. They skirted around a small human village and kept heading higher. Two hours later he didn’t think he would make it.

  “How are you doing?”

  His stumbling made it ob
vious, but his stubbornness came through. “Just go. I’ll keep up.”

  She did and he managed another hour. She stopped and he collided with her back.

  Vorlyk, the kid vampire, stood in front of them.

  Chapter Five

  “I didn’t think you would make it.” His youthful voice sounded over the noises of the night.

  What the fuck. Nicolas grabbed Zenya and had her neck in his hands ready to snap. The bitch tricked him.

  “You don’t want to do that.” The vamp’s eyes went amber.

  “Why not?”

  Zenya wasn’t moving. Smart cat. Her life was a split second from forfeit.

  “Because I couldn’t care less if you live or die, but I’ll protect her. If she dies, I’ll make the torture you’ve suffered seem like child’s play.”

  Nicolas turned her sharply around to face him. “What have you done?” He shook with rage.

  “Saved your ass for Amy.”

  “She’s a wolf.”

  “She’s my friend and so is Vorlyk. He’s here to help.”

  “You’re a fool.” He pushed her roughly away so he didn’t give into the subconscious need to strangle her.

  Straightening, she walked into Vorlyk’s waiting arms.

  That pissed him off even more, and, even exhausted, his wolf almost burst through his skin.

  “He’s got broken ribs and a compound fracture in his arm that needs to be reset but otherwise he’s ornery and showing typical wolf behavior.”

  “He’s the only wolf I’ve known, so I’ll take your word for it. He’s damn stubborn.”

  She actually laughed. “You have no idea.”

  Them talking like he wasn’t there didn’t help his already sour mood, but it threw him for a slight loop realizing she knew about the injuries he tried to keep hidden. He wouldn’t give her or the vamp the satisfaction of knowing he gave a shit.

  Finally the vamp turned his way with a disgusted look on his face, “Can you make another thirty minutes, wolf, or do I need to carry you?”

  “Don’t fucking touch me.” Zenya’s singsong voice rang out at the same time as his, using his exact words.

  The vamp laughed. “This should be fun. Let’s go.”

  They walked another two miles, and while Nicolas struggled with each step, Zenya and the vamp talked.

  “I’m sure no one followed.” Zenya murmured.

  “Good.”

  “How’s Madayah?”

  “As mean and ornery as ever. She’ll get along great with your wolf.”

  “He’s not my wolf.”

  “Can I drain him and then have him stuffed as a souvenir?”

  “Ha ha. No wonder Madayah is ornery.”

  “She’s worried.”

  “So am I.”

  They stopped talking when the lights ahead became clearer. The enormous stone house was part of the mountain. Nicolas wasn’t sure if it was one home or several apartments. He never expected to find luxury high in the South American mountains, but from what he could see it was no straw village.

  His wolf suddenly came to attention; cat eyes stared from the darkness and he stopped walking. “Cats are surrounding us.”

  “And your point?” The vampire’s voice held mild disgust.

  Nicolas saw two cats, in their mountain lion bodies, walk into the clearing to stand between him and the mountain villas’ front door. One adjusted her gait to accommodate only three legs. The other’s body was half mutilated. There were more in the shadows, but they stayed out of sight. Nicolas’s wolf bristled threateningly, knowing additional cats were there, just not how many he needed to kill.

  The disfigured cat rubbed against the vamp’s side.

  “I told you she would come tonight. I won the bet and now you’re washing my back.”

  The cat shifted to human. On one side her body was twisted muscle and tendons, but half her face showed the beauty she once possessed. Nicolas couldn’t imagine the amount of suffering her injuries caused. Beastkind could take a lot of pain. He knew it from experience.

  The vampire kissed her full on the mouth, obviously not caring that part of her lip pulled down from twisted sinew.

  The woman disengaged with Vorlyk and gave Zenya a long hug. “I worried for you. You’ve been gone for months. Vorlyk walked down the mountain every night saying you would be back.” Her eyes moved to the wolf. “He’s ready to drop.”

  He was. The darkness he’d held off for the past few hours closed in. He didn’t feel himself caught in strong cat arms and barely heard the vampire’s laugh. “I really think he’s yours.”

  ***

  The breaking of his arm woke him up. He couldn’t get away from the pain or the multiple sets of cats holding him down.

  The vamp’s voice was matter of fact, showing no emotion, “It had to be re-broken in order to be set properly. I can’t feed from you and help you heal until we’re finished. Are you ready for the next step?”

  He couldn’t breathe, but he managed to nod his head. He heard the yell and realized it came from his raw throat. He was a fucking pussy.

  “No, you’re just at the end of your endurance,” Zenya whispered.

  He didn’t realize he had spoken out loud.

  “He’s a gorgeous pussy.”

  “You are no longer needed Talya.”

  You’re no fun Zenya. For a wolf, he’s pretty damn sexy even with his skinny bones showing.”

  “Enough.”

  It was the vampire this time. Slowly, Nicolas’s eyes focused through his pain. Vorlyk bit into his good wrist and fed. Unavoidable shadows rolled in.

  Chapter Six

  He woke in a feminine room. A frilly comforter covered him and a pink canopy hung over the bed, along with a noticeable feminine cat scent. Pushing back the cover, he stood quickly. Not caring about his nakedness, he walked to the door. He needed answers, and his growling stomach needed food.

  Opening the bedroom door, he tripped over a feline on the floor in the hallway. His wolf almost burst through his skin with the need to kill the cat scrambling from beneath him. Before she could slip and fall due to three legs, she changed into a young woman missing her left arm.

  Fuck. Even he couldn’t kill a one-armed woman who was little more than a child.

  “You must be hungry.” She sounded exasperated.

  “Are you my guard?”

  “If I was, I think you’ve healed enough to eat me. Hmm, I like the thought. Why don’t you have a bite?” Now she sounded outrageously flirtatious.

  “You’re a child.”

  “I’ll be eighteen next month.”

  “I like grown women.”

  “You probably like women with two arms.”

  “I don’t care if the woman has no arms. It’s not that part of her I fuck, but I don’t fuck teenage girls or cats.”

  “Well at least you don’t watch your language in front of me. I haven’t heard that word in over a year.”

  “Could you shut up and help me find food?”

  “I’d be fucking happy to.”

  Great. A she-cat with a sense of humor. And another one he couldn’t kill.

  He followed through the cavernous home, taking stock of his health while mapping their path. His arm and ribs no longer hurt. His stomach did, but that was lack of food. His skin was paper thin and seemed to barely keep his bones contained. He needed to shift and could feel his wolf just beneath the surface. The smell of cooking made his stomach growl loudly, causing the she-cat to giggle.

  The kitchen appeared at the end of a long hallway. Stone walls surrounded the large room.

  A woman looked over her shoulder. It was Madayah, the vamp’s female.

  “Thanks for bringing him, Talya. Now go do your chores and then head to lessons.” Her heavily accented Spanish held no room for argument.

  The she-cat gave Madayah an impish grin. “Nicolas asked me to marry him, and we’re eloping after he eats.”

  Madayah’s unmarred eye held steel.
r />   Talya gave Nicolas a wink. “Don’t keep me waiting wolf. I have beaus standing in line.” She walked out with dramatically swaying hips.

  “Sit down, wolf.” Again the hard voice.

  He didn’t argue, because he needed the food too badly. The aroma also held back the overpowering scent of cat.

  “Where is Zenya?”

  “I think she’s bathing. She went to sleep smelling as bad as you. All the sheets will need to be washed.” A steaming plate of rice and tamales landed on the table in front of him.

  He picked up the fork laying next to the plate and dug in.

  “It’s hot,” she warned.

  It was. Spicy hot. He didn’t stop eating until the last bite disappeared. Madayah sat in the chair beside him and pushed a glass of water closer. He looked up, took the glass, and downed it.

  “Sorry, it’s not exactly pleasant to look at me while you eat. Would you like some more?” Her statement didn’t hold self-pity.

  He ignored it. “Please.”

  She stood and made another plate before sitting back down.

  This time he didn’t take his eyes off her while he ate the second helping. If she cooked, he’d look.

  She gave him a smile. “At this rate you’ll fatten up in no time.”

  He didn’t answer, just kept shoveling and then drank another glass of offered water. Feeling a chill across his naked back, he turned slightly, looking over his shoulder.

  Vorlyk stood watching. “Clothes in the kitchen please. This is my woman’s territory, but I’m laying down the law.”

  Madayah stood and walked to the vampire, giving him a brief hug. “I don’t want him in any of our clothes until he’s bathed.”

  “It still won’t take the wolf stink away,” Vorlyk said.

  Nicolas jumped to his feet, reacting without thought.

  The vamp had him on his back and on the floor in the same instant. Cold hands wrapped around Nicolas’s throat and cool breath brushed against his ear. “Don’t forget your place, wolf. You’re alive at my whim.”

  “Then kill me.”

  “For some reason Zenya wants you alive. She has a soft spot for wolves that I don’t understand.”