Lone Werewolf Duology (bxb)

22. Breathless

In a feat of superhuman dexterity, Volya didn't break his neck on his way to the camp, but it cost him. He arrived at the central fire completely out of breath. His heart monitor was informing Mumbai, Shanghai and, possibly, Manila how hard his heart was racing.

His wild hair should have been enough to raise the sentinels to their feet, even without his heart monitor's havoc... or the rest of his pack arriving on his heels. He caught a glint of metal as one of the sentinels reached inside her shirt.

"No, please, no!" he sputtered. "Friends... friends are coming."

As if on a cue, Marina—who else!—rounded the farthest tent. She took stock of the strained faces and lifted her hands above her head, slowly, deliberately, palms up.

"We are friends. Damir should have—"

Behind Volya, Damir produced a strangled cry.

Marina frowned.

"I didn't expect you so soon," Damir explained. "Or at all."

Then he, in turn, frowned. "Please tell me you didn't come alone."

"What do you think?" Marina asked testily.

Damir's reply was cautious, by design or by accident. "I... Hmm."

"Do you think?" Marina inquired. "Not daily, God forbid! No, we can't be so lucky, but on a weekly basis perhaps?"

"I... was waiting for the right time to mention it to the folks here, I swear. But, Marina, traveling alone... I didn't expect... such an insane risk."

Marina wasn't alone! She had Liam with her. But, of course, the moment Damir saw her, blood flow was diverted from his brain... elsewhere.

"I hate to butt in, but she is not alone, Damir." He snapped his fingers at Marina to break the eye contact between the two love-birds. "Marina! Where is Liam? He is here, isn't he?" The big, wonderful, gorgeous fool that he was...

Without high heels Marina lost about two inches of height. The power suits gave way to jeans and khaki camo jacket, but she speared him with the glance he remembered well. Then she slanted her eyes at Volya's closest relative, menacing Damir. She wasn't going to talk while her boyfriend was threatened.

Volya blew out a sigh. "Come on, Kramola. They're friends, even you can see that now. Can we all take a chill-pill?"

"We shall," Nadezhda said, walking forward, putting a calming hand on Kramola's forearm. She looked unperturbed, probably because her foresight was 20/20. "We welcome your guests, brother."

Kramola's lips un-pinched themselves. "They are our guests."

A smile flitted across Nadezhda's face. Kramola's lips pinched right back, as if she had swallowed a pint of vinegar. Volya loved this outcome, even if he didn't understand what this particular round of their family feud was about. But Nadezhda had won it, and this was enough for him. Yippie!

"Release him," Kramola nodded at Damir. Another win for Team Memory-Sight! He wished he could high-five Nadezhda.

Marina put two fingers into her mouth. The urchin's whistle trilled through the crisp mountain air.

Volya goggled. "She can do that? I thought she was from a cultured family."

Damir rubbed his wrists and chuckled. The blissful gleam in his eyes, the bristling beard, the deeper timbre of his voice—all signs pointed to one thing. Holding a conversation with him would be impossible until the rapture over Marina's arrival had subsided.

"Well, don't just stand there. Show me what you have here." Marina dropped her pack by the fire, then advanced on the Huntresses that flanked Damir. She growled, excuse me, at them—which miraculously cleared all Walkwe-made obstacles—and the happy couple climbed away in the direction of the dig.