Chapter 4

 

“I’m sorry. Could we stop, please? Just for a moment,” the woman said softly.

They had only been walking for half an hour and he sighed in annoyance before turning to face her. “The storm is growing worse, human. If we do not find shelter, you will die. Do you understand that?”

She nodded, her face pale and her body trembling. “I just need a moment to warm my feet.”

He cursed to himself as she leaned against a fallen log and lifted her leg. Her feet were pale and she winced as she wrapped her hand around one and rubbed briskly. The cold snow didn’t bother him but he had forgotten the human was barefoot.

He strode toward her, his stomach sinking a little at the way she shrunk back, and lifted her on to the log. He took her feet and tucked them under his arms. They were like blocks of ice and he scowled at her. “Why did you not remind me of your bare feet?”

“I’m sorry,” she whispered.

“You will be sorry if they blacken and fall off,” he said gruffly.

She gave him a frightened look and he waited five minutes before examining her feet quickly. “They do not look like they are bitten by frost. Are they warmer?”

“Yes, thank you.” She smiled tentatively before pulling her feet away from him. “I can walk now.”

He shook his head and turned until his back was to her. “Climb on.”

“I – what?” She said softly.

“Climb on.” He gave her an impatient look and pressing her lips together nervously, she stood on the log and draped her small body across his back. He hooked his hands around her thin thighs and pulled them around his hips. He groaned at the feel of her warm core rubbing against his back and she tried to squirm free.

“I can walk, really. I was just being a baby and – “

“Be quiet, human.”

He started to walk and she made a frightened squeak and clung to his broad shoulders. They walked in silence for nearly an hour. He needed to find shelter. The female on his back would not survive the storm even clinging to him.

“Am I too heavy?” She asked.

He snorted loudly. The woman weighed less than Raina and he used to carry his baby sister around on his back for hours. “No, human. I carry my sister on my back all the time and you are half her size.”

“You have a sister. That’s nice,” she said quietly. “I have – had – a brother. His name was Garen. What’s your sister’s name?”

“Raina.”

“What a pretty name. Is she older or younger?”

“Younger.”

“Do you have any other siblings?”

“Do you always ask this many questions?” He grumbled.

“I’m sorry.”

“You say sorry too much.”

“I – I’m sorry?”

He laughed, he couldn’t help it, and she patted his shoulder nervously. “I do need to apologize for uh, what happened in the tree. I was having a dream and that’s not an excuse but I should not have, uh, touched you like I did. I know I disgust you.”

“Aye, you do,” he lied.

She flinched and he could practically feel the heat of her embarrassment rolling off of her. “I know. I’m very sorry, Radek. I’m not usually like that.”

“Are you not?”

“No.” She sounded like she was going to cry and feeling unsettled he hurried to change the topic.

“What happened to your brother?”

“Darius and the other vampires attacked our village. He was killed trying to protect me.”

“What is a vampire?”

She jerked in surprise and he pulled her closer against him until he could feel the soft curls between her legs nestled against his back. He ignored his wolf’s soft growl of happiness.

I hold her closer only to keep her warm. I have no interest in mating with the human, he snarled inwardly to his wolf. The damn thing had scented the female and didn’t care that she was human. It wanted her badly.

He realized the human was speaking to him and he craned his head to stare at her. “What did you say?”

“You really don’t know what a vampire is?”

He could feel heat rising in his cheeks and he scowled at her. “Tell me what it is and be quick about it.”

“Well, it’s a – a blood sucker. They need blood, human blood, to live. They have sharp fangs and they bite their victims and drink their blood.”

He stopped and stared silently at her. Her blonde curls were covered in snow and the flakes were catching on her eyelashes. Her lips were still blue despite his body heat.

“There is no such creature.”

“There is.” She frowned at him. “I was captured by Darius. He’s a very cruel vampire who was using humans for sport. He made them fight to the death in front of an audience of vampires.”

“You were going to be used in a fight to the death? Someone as little as you? It does not seem like much of a sport.”

She flushed. “No, I – I was going to be used for something else.”

“What?”

“Well, I – you know…”

She trailed off. Her face was very pale except for the bright red spots high on her cheeks.

“No, human. I do not know. Tell me before I lose my patience.”

“Some vampires keep humans as pets. I was captured by Darius to be used for feeding from and for, uh, sex.”

His hands tightened around her thighs. “They forced you to fuck them?”

She shook her head. “No. A few days after Darius killed my brother and brought me to his home, I was given to a nice vampire as a present. At least I think he is nice, Abigail says he is, and he didn’t want me for food or sex.”

“Why not?”

“Well, he has Abby. He feeds from her and I think he loves her.”

He was silent and she cleared her throat. “It’s why I’m dressed the way I am. The vampires took my clothes and made me wear this outfit. I normally wear, um, underclothes.”

“How did you escape the vampires?”

“I don’t really know. I mean, they were about to kill us because they discovered that Joven was not who he said he was and – “

“Who is Joven?”

“He’s the nice vampire, only I think his name is Val. I’m not sure. It was very confusing.”

“Go on.”

“They were about to kill us and then there was this big ball of light and Michael had my hand and we – “

“Who is Michael?” He interrupted. “Is he your mate?”

His hands tightened on her thighs and she squirmed against him.

“Radek, my legs – please, you’re squeezing too tight,” she whimpered.

He relaxed his hands and gave her a guilty look. “Is Michael your mate?”

“No, I don’t have a – a mate. I don’t even really know who Michael is.”

His wolf had surged forward at the mention of this Michael and the question about her mate had spilled out before he could stop it.

She has no mate! Are you happy? Will you stop this ridiculous behaviour now?

His wolf growled happily, not the least bit ashamed of his behaviour, and he rolled his eyes as the woman continued.

“Anyway, Michael took my hand and he dragged me into the ball of light and the last thing I remember is his hand slipping from mine. Then I woke up in the middle of the forest and that bird thing attacked me and then you saved me.”

The shifter didn’t reply and she touched his shoulder. “Radek, what’s wrong?”

“You are not on your world any longer, human,” he said suddenly.

“What?”

“That light, it brought you to a different world. My world.”

“That’s impossible,” she said slowly.

She wondered if the shifter had gone mad and she unconsciously eased her upper body away from his as she glanced around them. If she got away from him, she could slip away in the storm. Maybe he couldn’t smell her in the snowstorm.

If you leave him, he won’t even bother searching for you. He doesn’t care if you live or die.

That was true. Of course, if she did leave him, she really would die. She knew that perfectly well. Even if the shifter was mad, she needed him to find Abigail and the others.

“It is true.”

“No, it can’t be.”

“It is,” he insisted. “I know of another who was brought to my world.”

“Someone else from my world?” She asked.

He shook his head. “No, I do not think so. You don’t have the same scent as her.”

She was silent and he gave her a quick look. She was crying again and he frowned at her. “Why are you crying?”

“Why am I crying?” She glared at him and he blinked at the unfamiliar anger that was suddenly surrounding her in a thick scent.

“You just told me that I’m on some – some different world and you wonder why I’m crying?” She smacked him on the back. “Put me down.”

“No.”

“Put me down! I have to use the bathroom!” She punched him on the shoulder. He barely felt the blow from her tiny fist but he slid her to the ground.

She pushed down her skirt and scowled at him before marching into the bushes.

“Do not go far, human!” He called after her.

She turned and gave him another glare. “I know!”

 

* * *

 

“Human, do not fall asleep!” Radek had to shout to be heard above the howling wind.

“I’m so tired,” she muttered.

“Stay awake!” He shook her roughly and she moaned softly as she slumped against his back.

He squinted through the blowing snow. He had been walking for nearly three hours and the storm had grown steadily worse. It was almost impossible to see and he realized that if he did not find shelter soon, the human really would die. Even his heat was being leeched from his body by the wind and she was like a frozen piece of meat against him.

He walked blindly forward. Perhaps he could shift to his wolf form and wrap himself around her. It might work better to –

He grunted loudly when he ran into the wall. He touched the wood with his hand and walked beside it until his fingers traced the seam of a door. He fumbled for the door handle and wrenched open the door. He placed the human on the floor and slammed the door shut against the fierce wind. The sound of the storm quieted to a dull roar and he shook the snow from his thick hair before glancing around.

They were in a small shack and he wrinkled his nose at the horrific smell. The smell was strongest from the pile of pelts in the corner. He approached it and kicked at it gingerly before clapping his hand over his nose. The scent of human stench along with urine and semen was thick in the air and he cursed under his breath. There was no way he was using any of those pelts to wrap Sara in.

There was no fireplace and no furniture other than a chair and an old table shoved against the far wall. Other than the pile of pelts in the corner and a pair of worn boots by the door, the room was utterly empty. The woman made a soft groan and he hurried over and sat her up.

“Wake up, human.” He shook her until the snow fell from her mass of curly hair and frowned when she didn’t respond.

“Wake up, human!” He spoke loudly and patted her lightly on the face.

When she still didn’t respond, he hesitated and then returned her to the floor before covering her small body with his. The shack was cold but being out of the wind and the snow had helped and he was already warmer.

She moaned softly at the feel of his warmth and he touched her face lightly. “Open your eyes, Sara.”

Her eyelids fluttered open and she stared blearily at him. “Radek? Where are we?”

“We’re out of the storm.”

“Why does it smell so bad?” She wrinkled her nose and he smoothed back a strand of her curly hair.

“You will get used to it. I’m going to shift to my wolf form. It will be warmer for you if I do. All right?”

She nodded. Already her eyes were drifting shut and he didn’t like the paleness of her skin. He stood up and shifted abruptly before curling his massive body around hers. He chuffed at her, nudging her face with his nose and she squinted at him before touching the fur on his face with a trembling hand.

“So warm,” she whispered before she turned on her side and pressed her body into his. She dug her toes into his abdomen and burrowed her face into the thick fur on his chest. He covered her legs with his long tail. She was so tiny that she was nearly completely covered by him and she sighed happily before slipping into slumber.

Radek rested his chin on his paws and closed his eyes wearily.

 

* * *

 

Sara stretched contently and burrowed deeper into the pelt. Her bed was incredibly warm and soft and there was a steady and oddly comforting thumping noise coming from it. She pressed her ear against the noise and smiled happily. Her brother would be coming soon to wake her. Dova, their cow, was a stubborn beast and Sara was the only one she would allow to milk her. She shivered a little at the thought of leaving her warm bed. Normally she didn’t mind but her bed was not usually this comfortable.

She frowned and rubbed her cheek against the soft fur. The fur was softer than the bear pelt that was on her bed. Where did this one come from? She buried her fingers in the soft fur and stroked it lightly. Her bed made a rumble of contentment and she smiled and stretched her hands higher. She rubbed lightly and the bed lifted its head so she could stroke the thick fur on its throat. It chuffed happily, its hot breath washing over her, and she scratched harder. When the warm and wet tongue licked her forehead she giggled. It was –

Her eyes flew open and she stared at the wolf beneath her. She was lying completely on top of his warm body, her tiny one nestled against him. Her eyes widened when his eyes opened and his light green eyes glowed brightly. The confusion in them turned to outrage and she squeaked in alarm when the wolf shifted and soft fur turned to warm, hard flesh.

“Get off me!” Radek shoved her away and she landed on the floor with a thud as he scrambled to his feet and backed away from her.

Radek shook himself all over and glared at her. He had licked the woman, licked her like he was nothing more than a common dog and she his mistress. And why? Because she had scratched his throat? He growled angrily as Sara climbed to her feet.

Sara gave Radek a cautious look as she backed away. “I’m sorry, Radek.”

He glared at her and she cleared her throat nervously before looking around. “Wh-where are we?”

He shrugged dismissively. “I do not know. I stumbled onto it in the storm.”

“What is that smell?” She covered her mouth and nose with her hand and he glared again at her.

“If this place is not to your liking, human, you are more than welcome to go out into the storm and find another.”

“No.” She shook her head and wrapped her arms around her thin torso. “This is good, Radek. Thank you.”

He stalked to the door and opened it. Cold wind and snow blew in and she shivered and took a step back as he peered into the gloom.

“Stay here,” he ordered curtly.

“Where are you going?”

Without answering he disappeared into the storm, slamming the door shut behind him.