CHAPTER THREE

Sunday, September 18th

SUNDAY MORNING, Kandice woke with a splitting headache as Slava was applying a metal seal against her back.

"What the-" she said, not understanding what was happening at first.

"We did not expect you to wake until this afternoon," Slava said. "How do you feel?"

She relaxed her body, "My head hurts."

"Yes, that is to be expected." He reached over to the coffee table and grabbed a glass of vodka, "Drink. It will help."

Kandice was reluctant, but Slava tipped the glass up, so she took a small—then large—drink of the vodka. It burned her throat worse than usual, but the relief to her throbbing head was instant.

"Where's Lance?" she asked.

"He is out," Slava said. "He said he would be back with food and more vodka."

"If it's not too rude. How much vodka do y'all drink?"

"Maybe," he said, pausing a moment. "Five, six bottles a week."

"Together, or each?" she asked.

"Each. You will too. I heard how well you did. We are both proud of you."

The amount they drank was shocking. During their time together it was clear they drank a lot, but at that rate, they would have to be drunk all the time. She struggled to imagine needing, or wanting, to drink that much, but hearing Slava was proud of her made her heart soar. He had become a kind of surrogate grandfather toward her. It seemed a little dirty though to view him like that, given her feelings for Lance.

She sighed. Life shouldn't be so complicated—if only there was a way to go back before her parents died.

"What is it?" Slava asked.

"Nothing, I was just thinking about shifting. I didn't know I would be so strong."

"Yes. You will be a great fighter. Lance is glad he changed his mind. Now you rest. He will be back soon."

Kandice closed her eyes again. Soon, her mind filled with thoughts of Lance.

They were alone again in the forest, but they weren't training. She grabbed his arms and pinned him to the ground. His eyes shimmered in the sunlight. As she ripped his shirt off, his teeth shone white through a massive smile. His lips were soft, and his tongue moved with grace.

He flipped her to her back, and his hand worked its way down her pants. First, undoing the button then, sliding the zipper down. When his fingers pushed back the top of her panties, she moaned.

* * *

"SHE WOKE UP FOR A MOMENT," Slava said. "She has been asleep since."

"Good," Lance said. "I can't believe she woke up. I worried when she passed out in the SUV."

"She is a fighter."

"I think she might become a better one than you," Lance said. "Maybe even me."

"You never knew me when I was your age."

Kandice opened her eyes. She couldn't hold on to the dream with the sound of their voices.

"She's up." Lance said. "How do you feel?"

"Okay," she said.

All the pain was gone, but her panties were sticking to her. A hot shower sounded perfect.

Lance reached under her and pulled the metal seal off her back. She shivered as his fingers grazed against her skin.

"Are you sure? You look flustered." Lance placed his hand against her forehead, "I think you might have a fever."

"I'll be fine," she said. It was time to go home, to her shower, and her bed.

"Actually," she said. "I need to get home. Where are my keys?"

She patted down her pants, but there was nothing in her pockets.

"They are here," Slava said, picking them up from a bowl on the counter.

"She's in no condition to drive," Lance said. "If you need to go that bad, I'll drive you home."

"Oh, no," she said. "That's okay. I'm fine."

Being in a confined area with him wasn't a good idea.

"I insist," he said.

The look on his face said no was not an option. If she wanted to get home for a shower, he would be the one to drive her there.

"Fine." she threw her hands up in surrender.

Slava packed her a small bag with an extra metal seal for her to put on before bed, a small bottle of vodka, and an herb pack for tea that would help her sleep. Lance insisted on helping her into the SUV. He seemed to not believe she could manage on her own, and it annoyed her a little.

Chivalry is one thing, but no should mean no.

The drive was awkward for Kandice, because he still smelled like barbecue to her, which made her hungry and horny. She'd never been so sexually frustrated in her life. Her mind screamed, rip his clothes off and fuck him in the back seat now or else.

When they got to her apartment, Lance walked her to her front door. She invited him in since it would seem rude not to.

"We need to get you a car or SUV," he said.

The comment caught Kandice off guard, "Why?"

"Well," he said. "A moped isn't safe. If you ever need to chase someone, I doubt it could keep up if they got on a highway."

In the few times so far that it had come down to a car chase, her moped hadn't kept up at all.

"I don't have the money for a car."

"I've told you. We've got plenty of money. Tomorrow, we'll go pick a car out. We'll use our guy, so he can make the fake registration. That way, if you ever need to ditch it, you don't have to worry."

Kandice forgot they could make money out of thin air. They lived such a modest lifestyle she kept writing them off as half-poor.

The car idea made sense. An unregistered car would make things a lot easier for her if the cops ever got involved. She'd seen him and Slava change out cars so many times by now it had become normal to her.

"Okay," she said.

"Do you have any vodka?" Lance asked.

"There's some in the bag on the counter."

"I don't need any. You'll need it later, though. You should have a drink about every two hours. It will keep the pain down, and it kind of helps with the urges."

"Urges?" she asked.

"You know what I mean."

He looked her square in the eyes, "The urge to eat and fuck."

Her cheeks reddened. She hadn't expected him to know, but then she realized he must go through the same thing all the time.

"Do the urges ever go away?" she asked.

"No," he said. "They actually get stronger. It's yet another reason Slava and I drink so much."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Would it have changed your mind?"

"No."

"I didn't think so. I didn't say anything because I thought it would come off as me hitting on you."

"Oh," she said.

I'm a fool.

Her thoughts flashed back to that night in the river, it had just been him shifted. He didn't actually find her attractive. If he had let her in on this, it would have helped her own feelings.

"It's been hard enough," he said. "It's the main reason I have to drink so much around you."

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"You're fucking hot," he said, not breaking eye contact with her. "It's why I stopped to talk to you the first time we met. Slava scolded me afterwards. We couldn't have known you could see everything, and he warned me to keep things in check."

"But why not say something after that?"

"Well, we were getting to know you. Besides, you being able to help us was more important than my attraction."

Kandice grabbed the back of his head and forced his lips to hers. The heat between them was electric, her body screamed for more. It was everything she hoped it would be and more.

Then he pulled away, "No..."

It took a moment for her to come back to reality.

"What?" she asked. "You said-"

"I meant it," he said. "But this can't happen. At least not right now."

"Why not?"

"You're new to shifting. It will affect your sex life most of all. Trust me. After we kill the mayor, I'll explain more. If you still want to then, well I'll be lucky."

"I'm going to shower," her voice was cold, but her blood was hot.

Not looking back at him, her clothes peeled off before she'd reached the bathroom. The mind games were too much. So many rules, so many secrets, it was enough for one day. He knew where the door was.

The water was at maximum heat, but somehow it wasn't warm against her skin. She stood under the water, letting the steam build up around her.

Of course, becoming an oboroten would come at the cost of sex. Life is a prick!