Branded By Etain (15 page)

Adonia smirked to herself as she stepped into her little cabin. She’d leave the preening white wolf outside to pick his jaw up off the ground. Did that man seriously believe she hadn’t noticed him? What rock had he crawled out from under when he got up this morning?

Granted, she would admit one thing, he probably had an agenda that went far beyond anything she could conjure in her mind. He definitely had the advantage there. She doubted he popped out of nowhere without ulterior motives. But, he didn’t hold all the cards. Most importantly, he hadn’t known she was part wolf. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have stood there in plain daylight all cocky, watching her work.

She’d sensed him before he’d breached the ridge. And she’d known he was her mate before she saw him out of her peripheral vision.

His senses were top notch, as any snow wolf’s would be, but she had the added advantage of being half fey. She’d never met her father, but his blood ran thick in her veins.

The door opened at her back, as she knew it would. She didn’t turn from where she stood at the sink washing dishes, humming to herself. “Well, shut the door. You’re letting the warm air out.”

Shuffling behind her indicated the man had at least stepped inside. A snick sounded as the winter was closed off from them. “Sorry,” he mumbled.

Good, she had humbled him. She had decided half an hour ago to take the upper hand in this . . . thing between them. Huge white male wolves in the wilds of Siberia could be very domineering.

Adonia wasn’t one to be pushed around. It was time to see what she was up against.

She turned from the sink and leaned against the short counter, crossing her arms under her breasts. With an intentional scowl, she narrowed her gaze at the newcomer and gave him the onceover from the bottom up, pausing an inordinately long time to take in his package on the way and making him squirm under the scrutiny.

She wasn’t disappointed. The clothes he’d conjured up to shift in were a good choice—well-worn jeans that hugged his cock to perfection and a white V-neck muscle shirt that left no room for doubt about his pecs and abs.

Oh, hell yeah. You’ll do just fine.

When she reached his face, she paused to study his expression. Regardless of her intense perusal, he was grinning at her, still trying to hang on to the upper hand. “Are you pleased?” His voice was deep, probably deeper than it would be if he weren’t so aroused.

She could scent his need. It matched her own. And she knew he would be well aware of that fact. Neither of them would be able to conceal their desire for the other. It was the way of wolf mates.

“I could do worse.”

His mouth dropped open at her shrug, but she couldn’t hold her form. Before he could retort, she started to giggle. Her mirth relaxed his expression and broke the standoff. “Imp.”

“Cocky Alpha.”

Now
he
grinned. Thank God. She was beginning to think his face was chiseled into a scowl.

“Sit.” She pointed at one of two chairs next to the fire place. She took the other. It was plenty warm in her tiny cabin, but she enjoyed sitting in front of the fire most nights, watching the flames jump around. It soothed her. She didn’t need the heat—both sides of her heredity were able to withstand very low temperatures—but she still loved the feelings it evoked. Home. Hearth. Heart.

“How did you find me?” She still had no doubt she’d been “found” rather than accidentally stumbled upon.

“It wasn’t easy. Why are you living so very far away from civilization?” She could feel his gaze on her, boring into her, but she kept her eyes trained on the flames.

“I didn’t choose this spot. My mother did. Many years ago.”

He glanced around, and then his gaze landed back on hers. “Interesting location to set up camp.” He spoke as though she were only here for a brief stop. In reality she’d been here her entire life.

“Did my mother send you?” Adonia narrowed her gaze at him. How had he managed to find her?

He shook his head. “No. Your father.”

“My father? You’ve spoken to him?” She widened her eyes. He’d managed to shock her.

The man laughed. His thick blond hair fell across his brow. His deep blue eyes burrowed under her skin. “I work for your father. I have for many years.”

The admission made Adonia pause. Perhaps this man wasn’t trustworthy after all. Nothing in his demeanor spoke of ill intent, but what little information she had about her father wasn’t admirable.

“Your father gave me very few details. In fact, he failed to mention you were half snow wolf.” He smiled, an endearing dimple popping out on both cheeks. “The vague directions he knew about your location made it difficult to find you.”

“I’m wondering how he even knew anything about me at all. To the best of my knowledge, he never knew I existed.”

“Frost knows everything. However, in this case he overheard some of your snow wolf family discussing the bastard child of his who’d been banished to live alone in the wild. Where is your mother? He expected me to find both of you. Please tell me you don’t live out here alone.”

How much could she tell this stranger? A man who worked for Jack Frost? It wasn’t really any of his business that her mother had raised her out here alone with very little assistance. “She went to town for supplies. She’ll be back tomorrow.” She narrowed her gaze, daring him to mess with her in her mother’s absence.

Suddenly, he chuckled. “Damn. I haven’t even introduced myself. I’m Zephyr.” He stood and held out a hand. “And I suppose I should at least verify you are indeed Adonia.” His grin was infectious. “Hate to think I’d drag the wrong woman back to meet her father.” His hand hung in the air, waiting for her to take it.

Adonia stared at his large palm, rough from hard work. She finally remembered her manners and tentatively reached her smaller hand toward his larger one. “You’ve found the right woman, but you’ve lost your mind if you think I’d let anyone
drag
me anywhere.” As her skin touched his, she sucked in a sharp breath. His warmth radiated through her fingers and traveled up her arm, filling her entire body with . . . peace. She jerked out of his grasp when something awoke deep inside her. Lust?

Although Adonia had met few men in her life and had limited experience with other people, shifters or human, she wasn’t ignorant. Her mother had raised her well, educated her both academically as well as worldly.

Zephyr chuckled again. “Perhaps
drag
was a poor word choice. I’m not in the habit of coercing women against their will.”

“Good to know.” She rubbed her hands on her jeans. She couldn’t shake the feelings he’d evoked just moments ago. She squeezed her legs together. Her sexual awareness had made itself known as soon as she’d first caught his scent in the wind, but now that he’d touched her, she was shaking with the desire for more.

More than enough time to rescue a pampered fae and return a deadly Guardian weapon.

No sweat.

Yeah right.

Evelina adjusted her clothing and glanced around. She couldn’t see her dog anywhere. Huskies were fantastic dogs, but not the most obedient.

“Damn dog,” she whispered. “Maddox?” Evelina didn’t dare raise her voice—not with magic so heavy on the air she could practically taste it. Only fitting that at this time of year the flavor was warm sugar cookies and pumpkin pie. Not traditional Russian fare, but she’d never been much for tradition.

Silence.

Her heart beat painfully as fear danced over her nerves.

“Maddox?” she said a little louder.

Evelina cast her beam of light around, searching for a flash of tail, the glow of his eyes, or some other sign of where he’d gone. His tracks were small, and his ability to stay on top of the snow was so good that any paw print would be wiped away almost immediately. Evelina stabbed her pole into the powder and put on a little speed. No one could get into trouble faster than Maddox. She loved and hated that about him.

Ahead of her, a dog whined.

Maddox.

Her heart clenched, and she tasted bile.

Evelina did her best to run through the powder, but it sucked her feet down deep and held her there with each step. She pushed through a low hedge of brush and into a clearing. Three creatures with vaguely human forms gleamed under her light like freshly polished glass. They held Maddox down, their fanged mouths thrown open in ecstasy as they sucked the warmth and moisture from the husky.

Evelina had tended to the poor souls the zombies had left in their wake at the Snow Palace. Frozen husks of the fae she’d known.

Fucking ice zombies.

“No!” Evelina swung one trekking pole and knocked the closest zombie off Maddox. She kicked the second back against a rock, and the creature shattered.

Well, that was unexpected.

Maddox scrambled to his feet, growling and snapping his mouth at the third, who couldn’t seem to decide who to go after—Maddox, or her.

All around them, shadows began to move, and the sound of groans and moaning broke the pristine night.

Adrenaline and fear shot through her. She reached out and touched the snow, driving all the magic left within her bones into the fresh powder. It hardened into a disc of ice. Evelina jumped on it and grabbed Maddox’s harness as he circled close to her, his fangs bared at the ambush. Her flashlight dangled from her wrist, casting drunken pools of light around them and illuminating more horrors in the night. The husky didn’t wait for her command. He charged ahead, pulling her ice sled along as he’d done a million times.

Maddox snapped at a zombie who got too close, and Evelina used her trekking poles to bludgeon the creatures away. The snow thinned, revealing the crystal limbs and icy stares. There were more. Lots more.

The zombies forced them to weave through the trees, but each jarring turn seemed to have them doubling back to end where they’d begun.

“Come on Maddox, good boy,” she chanted.

Two zombies lunged for them, and the husky swerved.

“No, Maddox!” Evelina yanked on the harness but it was too late.

The sled hit a rock, and the thin ice shattered. Evelina tumbled head over heels, rolling and crashing into zombies, trees, and bushes alike. Her head reeled, but she shoved to her feet as soon as she could get them under her. She glanced around, searching for something to help defend herself. Her magical reserves were gone. Completely shot. She didn’t see Maddox. One of her trekking poles lay nearby—a little bent, but it would work. She dove for it and brandished her make-shift weapon at an over eager zombie, its teeth chomping at her.

There were too many. Her light glinted off at least fifty different ice zombies, and she had a hunch that the blizzard concealed more.

A bark, followed by growls, let her know that Maddox was still nearby. She couldn’t worry about both of them. She stood a better chance on her own.

“Maddox, go!” she yelled. “
Ukhoditʹ
!”

The fray parted for a moment, and Evelina could see him. Everything stilled. He stared at her, ignoring the zombie gripping his harness. Confusion had his ears back and the whites of his eyes clearly visible.

“
Ukhoditʹ
!” she cried again.

Maddox twisted and bit the arm of the zombie clean off before speeding through the forest. Away. To safety. Without her.

What a time for the damn dog to actually listen to her.

Evelina swung her trekking pole in a wide arc. It cleaved the leg of an ice zombie clean off. The creature’s limb shattered, and its mouth gaped open. Its hissing scream was one of many. She kept moving, no time to focus on the one foe when there were so many.

She spun again, whacking one creeping up on her from behind. It gave her a small opening and she rushed to put her back against an old tree. The higher ground provided her a fraction of a better vantage, but the view crushed her.

The herd of frozen dead surrounded her, stretching through the trees in every direction. If she tried to make a break for it, she could outdistance a few of the shambling creatures, but there were too many. Her only other option meant climbing. Getting above them, but then what? She’d hang on until she fell asleep or froze to death, and they’d have her then.

Sweat trickled down her spine, and the fine hairs of her hat stuck to her brow.

Was this how she would die? In an attempt to rescue the Snow Maiden?

Again Evelina struck out, but her foot slipped on the snow and ice. Something snatched her coat, pulling her further off balance, and she tumbled into the snow. She rolled and kicked her limbs, fighting the grasping hands that rushed in for a chance to taste her warmth.

“No,” she screamed.

Her meager magics were gone, almost all the moisture in her body bled dry. Sharp fingers bit into her skin, seeking more warmth, more moisture, anywhere it could be gained. Even from her blood.

A hand tightened around her throat, and her body went tight, bowing upward as she flashed cold. So cold it hurt.

The gaping, sightless eyes of the ice zombies leered down at her, their mouths full of razor sharp, icicle teeth.

She grasped for something, anything, and came up with only snow. Evelina threw it in their faces, but the zombies merely closed in, hungry for the taste of life they once possessed in another time.

Overhead, the winter moon circled the Siberian sky and broke through the thick clouds, shining brightly. How ironic; she would die in the middle of winter by creatures born from the same kind of magic that had created her.

Her father’s people, the winter fae, were cruel. She didn’t expect them to revere her, or even for her father to notice her passing, but this wasn’t what she’d wanted.

Blood rushed in her ears, drowning out the keening cries of hunger. Snow pelted her body, and a white cloud rolled over her vision. The cries rose, heralding her last breath . . . but then the zombies scattered.

Evelina sucked in a deep breath, her lungs aching as she clasped both hands over her throat. The roar continued, not in her ears, but from something in the forest.