Cloaked in Sorcery Page 9

  He teetered into a tree. Too much blood loss.

  I faced Enre, raising my voice. “Is it such an accomplishment to defeat an injured wulfkin?”

  Enre’s frown deepened, and maybe that was a stupid angle to take, but I couldn’t stop myself. “Back in Bulgaria,” I began, “Alena’s father was going to slice your throat, but he gave you a chance. Be the bigger alpha, Enre. Let Axe tell you his story, then decide. Please. For me.” My hands clenched, fingernails digging into my palms.

  Something shifted behind Enre’s eyes—a tenderness—and he lowered his gaze.

  We remained locked in time. I fought to keep myself from screaming at my leader to open his eyes, to save the wulfkin in need, to not follow protocol for the sake of fitting into an expected alpha mold.

  Axe cleared his throat. “Enre, alpha of Transylvania, I am Axe Vuk, the commander of the Russian wulfkin army for the Varlac Tsar. He has close to two hundred powerful wulfkin in his armed force and double that in his own pack.”

  Enre huffed, lifting his hooded gaze. “You’re not in any position to threaten us.”

  “It’s not a threat; it’s the truth. The Varlac Tsar has declared war against your pack. He’ll attack in the coming weeks. You can kill me, but use my knowledge to avoid slaughter.”

  My stomach lurched, and fear sat on my chest. Our pack stood at less than fifty, and only a quarter were fighters. Even if we banded with the European wulfkin, were we strong enough to face such an army in a short time?

  Color drained from the alpha’s face.

  “Enre—”

  He silenced me with a wave of his hand, still glaring at Axe. “I’ll give you one chance to tell me everything before I decide if you live or die.” Enre spun and barked, “Bring the Russian with us. Now!”

  A huge wulfkin, now in human form, shoved his hands against Axe’s back, driving him deeper into the woods. I rushed after them, my skin clammy and bile hitting the back of my throat.

  Enre’s rage I could live with, but not if he ended Axe’s life after extracting all the intelligence he needed. The thought of that left me incapacitated with terror.

  Chapter Twelve

  Axe

  “War is coming,” I repeated to the twenty wulfkin standing around me in the Romanian pack’s den. They encircled me, as if I were prey. Part of me had expected this group to live in a grand castle in Transylvania. Instead, they stayed in huts and trailers like commoners. Maybe that was me judging based on my old alpha’s expectations.

  When no one responded, I continued. “I showed you on the map where the Varlac Tsar is, his bunker, and the location of his armed forces. You can launch a surprise attack. Eliminate the outer posts and weaken the main group.” I had zero idea if Enre would listen or just demand I die, but sharing intel was all I had to offer. If he was a smart alpha, he’d take advantage of this information. Yet, I still feared he’d take my life. And if that was how it ended, then I’d fight him as a true warrior—and die as one.

  Despite sunlight streaming through the windows, flames curled and swayed in the hearth, crackling, overheating the room. They threw shadows over a dark rug, and I inhaled the smoke of burned wood.

  Sweat rolled down my spine. I gripped the walking staff like an invalid to avoid falling over from my injured leg. Sure, my wounds were cleaned and bandaged courtesy of sweet Kalin, but each time I put pressure on my foot, I drowned in agony. Give me a few days, and I’d return to normal . . . assuming I had a few days left to live.

  Not a sound came from the wulfkin filling the room, yet the heaviness of wolf smells smudged my senses.

  Enre stood a couple of yards away with legs apart and arms folded across his chest. He towered over most of the others around him. In Russia, gossip had spread about the two brothers—Marcin, the golden-hearted Varlac of Europe, and Enre, the skilled soldier who never backed down from an adversary. But the stories about him being a wulfkin who just attacked were wrong. He studied his enemies, watched them and listened. My previous alpha wasn’t concerned with how a wulfkin measured up, only that he did what he was told without question. Maybe all hope wasn’t lost for the Europeans.

  “I’ve told you all I know.” Including how Natalya’s spell had gone askew and the humans had killed Leo and Titus. I wasn’t sure I’d convinced Enre that witch sects existed, and it surprised me they hadn’t heard of the legends. Thinking about witches made me wonder whether Natalya had made it back home in time to save her daughter. I prayed to the Moon Goddess to keep her protected. If I survived the current fucked-up situation, I’d find a way to rescue her and her daughter. For now, if she reached the wulfkin compound in Russia, the Varlac Tsar would know of our failed plan. I pictured him swearing and throwing furniture around in a fit. Once he calmed down, he’d plan his strategy for finding me and attacking Romania.

  Enre stared at me, darkness flooding his expression. I studied the wulfkin in the crowd, who held nothing but contempt in their gazes, ready to rip me to shreds if given the command. Fuck! The fact that I still breathed was a testament that Enre was a better alpha than the Varlac Tsar. He would have chopped my head off the moment he found me in his woods. But the true savior had been Kalin, convincing Enre to give me a chance.

  Close to Enre stood a female in her mid-twenties, dark-haired and beautiful, with porcelain skin. Must’ve been Enre’s mate, because the two of them stared at each other with such admiration. I noticed the quick touch of hands, the exchange of knowing glances.

  Enre paced from the fireplace to the center of the room. “My issue is that I don’t trust you, Axe Vuk. This could be a plot by the Russian leader to insert one of his own into my pack.”

  “If that were true,” I replied in a strong voice, “he’d send someone without the Russian insignia on their neck. Someone completely unrelated to his pack.”

  “Enre.” Kalin stepped forward, her arm wrapped in a bandage. She wore jeans and a V-neck top, the complete opposite of her gown the night before. Didn’t matter. To me, she was beautiful with her honey-blond hair cascading over her shoulders, her fresh face. Even amid the other wulfkin, her scent of citrus and timber found me, calmed me.

  “No one”—Kalin faced Enre—“would have known that Lenuţa and I were wulfkin working at the castle. The fact that the Russians were there too is pure coincidence, or perhaps fate. This isn’t a setup.”

  The cords in Enre’s neck pulsed. “Enough. For all I know, you’re lying too, and I won’t jeopardize our safety on a single wulfkin’s word.”

  Kalin gasped, her hands pressing against her stomach.

  I tensed, leaning forward on my staff, eager to wrap Kalin in my arms, to keep her safe, protected, and loved.

  “The final decision is yours, of course,” I said, drawing Enre’s attention. “But what if I’m telling the truth? Would you remain unprepared only to make a point, or take a risk and believe me? The Varlac Tsar wants my head, and I have two options. Run—but he’ll eventually catch me—or stand and fight. Alone, I’ll lose, but with the Europeans, we might have a chance. Especially with your bravery and my insider knowledge. I know some of his weaknesses.”

  Enre’s gaze kept wandering as he paced up and down the room. “We’re all in a shitty situation,” he said. “Trusting you goes against my better judgment, and I can’t endanger my pack. So, Axe, you will remain our prisoner and aid us in preparing for war, if that’s the case. If not, then your time will come to a swift end for coming onto our territory with the intention to claim land and put our entire pack in danger.”

  “That’s all I ask.” If it weren’t for Kalin, I would have fought to escape and follow my original plan of returning to Siberia to cause havoc with the Varlac Tsar’s army. But that had to change, and the greatest satisfaction lay in keeping Kalin by my side for as long as possible.

  With a wave of his hand, Enre said, “Take Axe to the dungeon and lock him up.”

  Kalin dashed to my side, her warmth touching me, filling me, and I smiled at her caring
nature, her passion. “It’s all right, little wolf.”

  Her eyes glinted in the firelight, her chin trembling. “Enre!” she called out. “Will you make the trek to the dungeon each time you need intelligence? Give Axe a proper room.”

  The alpha cracked his neck, and his voice boomed, “Don’t push me, Kalin, or you’ll share a cell with him.” Enre turned away and vanished deeper into the house with several wulfkin at his side.

  Firm hands dragged me outside, and I stumbled onto a lawn, sunlight beating down on my shoulders.

  If I intended to help save this pack and Kalin, I needed to prove to Enre that I was a wulfkin of my word. If that meant living in a prison until the Varlac Tsar attacked, then they could bring it on. But once the Russians attacked, nothing would stop me from breaking out to keep Kalin safe.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Kalin

  I staggered out of my bedroom, the bundle of blankets in my arms hindering my vision. But I knew my way through my hut and could avoid bumping into the walls.

  “What are you doing?” Alena’s voice came from somewhere in front of me.

  I dropped the blankets, my gaze meeting Alena’s. “I’m relocating to the dungeon and taking extra cushioning for Axe.”

  Alena stared at me with narrowed eyes, her head tilted, brown hair cascading over her shoulders. Her blue blouse crumpled beneath her folded arms.

  Before she went into a rant, I jumped in. “You once told me when you first met Enre, it was as if lightning had struck you. Everything else blurred in comparison. That’s Axe for me. Yeah, he’s a Russian, but our wolves have claimed each other. It’s a blessing from the Moon Goddess, and she doesn’t care about different wulfkin packs or what countries we’re from. I would rather die than never be with him again.” My words were fast, rolling over one another.

  Alena’s mouth opened, but I kept going.

  “How can I sleep when he’s in prison, cold and starving? If he didn’t carry out his alpha’s orders, he would have died. Did you know the Varlac Tsar killed his parents? And—”

  “Enough, Kalin. You don’t need to convince me. I saw it in your eyes when you stared at each other. That you’re mates is undeniable.”

  Warmth hit my core. I climbed over the mound of linens and grabbed Alena’s arm. “Really? Then why did Enre lock him up? Axe could help us against the Russians. He’s threatened no wulfkin in Romania.”

  “But his mere presence does, whether it’s under the command of his alpha or not.”

  A punch might as well have collided with my chest. “He’s not a danger. The Varlac Tsar would murder him for failing his mission. And the only reason he didn’t run away earlier is because of me.” I paused, my mind spinning. “Your father took Enre in, so why can’t Enre do the same?”

  Alena sighed and scooped up the blankets. “Because he has the whole pack to worry about and trusting a Russian wulfkin could be deadly. If he makes the wrong decision and it backfires, all our lives are at risk.”

  “But—”

  She reached over and set a hand on my arm, her touch soft and warm. “Over time, he will see Axe as an asset to our pack. Especially if war is coming.” Her voice shook, and not once had I considered how the news would impact the rest of the wulfkin. Alena and the twins . . . My throat choked up.

  My legs buckled under me, and I fell to my knees on the fabric. “What if we can’t defeat the Russians?”

  Alena crouched next to me, pushing a loose strand of hair off my cheek. “Let’s not panic yet. Enre is sending a scouting pack into Russia and he’s heading to Hungary to visit Marcin. If the Varlac Emperor of Europe joins us, we’ll stand a fighting chance.” Her painful smile hurt to look at, reminding me of her agony whenever she watched her angels sleeping.

  “I encountered a witch, Natalya, in the castle, and her spell was powerful. So I asked her about your family curse.” I paused, my mouth drying. “She said something about the spell being done with a demonic force and . . . She says there’s no cure.”

  Alena nodded, but her gaze deepened.

  “But, apparently, there are two sects of charodeykas in Russia,” I went on. “Oh, and there might be a secret one living here in the Transylvanian woods, in Hoia Baciu forest. Can you believe that? Right under our noses. We can search for them, and—”

  “Maybe you’re right. I mean, my granddad did say he thought the witch came from Romania, so that would make sense. First, let’s deal with the bigger problem at hand, then we put together a search party.” Alena hugged me. “Thank you.” She climbed to her feet and flicked dust from the linens off her jeans. “Now, instead of moving to the dungeon, how about I speak to Enre about allowing Axe to move into your room?”

  Her words didn’t sink in at first, and I sat there, frozen, as if the gears of my brain weren’t moving fast enough. A grin spread across my face, and I got to my feet. “You’d do that?” Before she responded, I leaped forward and wrapped my arms around her waist.

  She laughed and nudged me back. “No guarantees. Don’t get your hopes up.”

  I hugged her again.

  “I remember back when I thought I’d lost Enre, thinking my father had killed him,” she said. “I was ready to die alongside him. I don’t know what our future holds, but for now, let’s cherish what we have.”

  Euphoria engulfed me, even as I trembled from the terror of an imminent war. Alena was right. Until we had all the facts, I’d enjoy the special moments. Like Axe moving in with me.

  • • •

  Axe slouched on a pile of furs on the ground, studying the boxes stuffed with my clothes in a corner. A tower of books stood nearby, but no other furniture. Most wulfkin slept huddled together, but Lenuţa and I shared a room alone. With her injuries still not healed, she rested in the main house close to the pack medic, and while she complained about it, she loved the constant attention and all the food she could eat. It also meant Axe and I could be together in this room.

  “So what do you think?” I turned to Axe. His leg was still bandaged, but the wounds on his face and neck were almost healed.

  “Well, it sure does smell delicious in here. Like candy.” He winked, and I swooned on the spot. A smile danced on his lips. The air grew thick with tenderness, and warmth embraced my soul.

  I nudged him aside and plopped down next to him.

  He slid a hand along my lower back. “If it weren’t for you, I’d be dead by now. I almost lost you. But I won’t make that mistake again. I’ll defend you with my life.”

  To hear such words from a wulfkin as proud and strong as Axe left me jittery.

  “Enre trusted me enough to take me out of the dungeon. He hasn’t killed me.” Axe paused, his gaze drifting somewhere behind me. “My old alpha doesn’t care about anyone but himself. He’d kill first and not bother to bury the body. Not even one of his own. I should have left that place long ago.”

  I leaned against Axe, sailing a hand across his stomach, hugging him. “Perhaps the Moon Goddess didn’t mean for you to leave until after we met.” Glancing up at him, I studied how the crease in his brow unfurled. How his delicious grin widened when he looked down at me. His arm tightened around my back.

  “I think so. And I’ll do what it takes to show Enre I’m on his side, including teaching his wulfkin how to win in combat.”

  I couldn’t stop bad things from happening around the world, but I could grow stronger, to protect my own pack and those I loved. “Will you teach me as well?”

  He got up, breaking free of my hold, and crossed the room to close the door. Then he turned and faced me with amber eyes. “My priority is properly claiming you as my soul mate.”

  I chewed on my bottom lip, adoring where he was going with this. I shut the blinds, closing out light and prying busybodies. Yeah, the other wulfkin would know what we were doing, but I didn’t care. Hell, the entire pack heard Enre and Alena most nights.

  Axe crawled across the furs and over me as if he were a wild wolf. Muscles rippled across his
shoulders and arms. I wanted to kiss him and his square jaw, full lips, and rugged facial growth. My heart beat faster. Beneath his piercing stare, something vulnerable lay. Despite the tough-guy persona, he had to feel the agony of losing his home and friends and joining a new pack that hadn’t yet accepted him. But they would. I’d make it my mission to make sure they did.

  “You’re incredible and beautiful and all mine.” When he spoke, his raspy voice sent a shock wave of desire through me.

  Before I could find a response, he kissed me with passion and hunger. I curled into his arms. His tongue pressed against the seam of my lips, and I gasped a shaky, shallow breath. His hands worked their way down my body. I closed my eyes, and behind my eyelids were explosions of bright light.

  “Kalin,” he whispered, prolonging my name. “I adore everything about you. You’re independent, strong, and caring. And sexy as hell. As long as you’re by my side, everyone who stands in our way can go fuck themselves.” His eyes searched mine, and in that moment, his company, his kiss, his love gave me the strength to believe I could take on the world.

  He planted a kiss on my cheek. “But tonight is about us, not our troubles. I’m going to drive you crazy, then stop, and do it over again.”

  My pulse fluttered. “Is that a promise?” I snaked my fingers up his hard chest and then along his collarbone, clasping the back of his strong neck. No one had ever made me feel so alive, so wonderful, so adored. This was happiness. While the pack’s battles were just beginning, with Axe by my side, I felt stronger, braver.

  Our lips locked. His intoxicating scent put me in a heady trance. The apex between my thighs shivered in anticipation as I recalled his passion and strength back in the castle. My cheeks heated when I recalled his skillful tongue.

  “I always keep my word,” he growled in my ear, and I giggled. A day earlier, when I’d thought I’d lost Axe, I swore I’d never smile again. Laughing in his company now was beyond liberating. Whatever fate sent our way could wait for another day, because we’d face it together.