Storm of Shadows Ch. 16

Here we go again, back up the Carpathian Mountains LOL. This has to be the longest mountain trek ever hehehe. They've only been stuck up there for the last 10 years O_O

Once again, my heartfelt thanks to Alli for helping me proof the chapter. And to all my lovely readers who've made me laugh so much on the Group with your wild speculations and inability to accept that some characters are just *bit* characters and not major ones... like Louis... and no, I don't have a mate for him. He's just supposed to be a *bit* character LOL

Enjoy!

Chapter Sixteen

Kothari wanted to turn his head and watch his mate walking towards the lake but he managed to restrain himself. He knew she was safe with Freya, that the vampire would defend her with her life if needed. That still didn't mean that he chafed at not being the one taking care of Natalia. She was his mate and it was his responsibility to protect her. He knew she wouldn't thank him for interfering though and he could understand that.

She was transitioning and had been through so much already in her short life. He had seen the determination in her eyes and heard it in her voice. She wanted to be seen as strong and worthy of being his mate. Not that he gave a flying fuck about that. She was his and that was all that mattered to him. But the part of him that was both panther and vampire approved of the strength they had seen in her eyes, and he understood that this was what his mate needed so he gave her the respect she craved even as his overprotectiveness kicked in.

And Freya had been right in her earlier statement. His mother had spent his entire life loving him unconditionally and receiving a lukewarm response from the son who had almost killed her at birth. His mother deserved so much better than that, just as his father had. He had come to Europe to find them and bring them home. He'd barely spent a moment with his mother and she deserved his attention.

She was watching him as he approached, and Kothari noted that his father whispered something to her before he turned and walked over to where Joshua stood close to Louis' vampire coven. He clapped the blond vampire on the shoulder in a friendly greeting and that had Kothari's attention piqued though he didn't divert from the object of his current scrutiny.

"Mother," he said as he reached her, seeing that she was now once more impeccably dressed and cleaned up. He hadn't known when she'd taken care of her needs but he figured there may have been a judicious amount of magic use involved given that he'd noted his father was also cleaned up and impeccably dressed too.

"My son," Rayne sighed softly, her eyes running over his features intently, halting on his eyes, a soft smile crossing her stunning face. "Your eyes are beautiful, Kothi, though I think there will always be a little part of me that misses the old ones. They were equally as beautiful in my eyes."

And in that one statement Kothari felt his defences crumble and he gathered his mother into a crushing embrace, burying his face in the side of her neck to hide the hot tears that threatened to spill down his cheeks. His mother had always loved him unconditionally, her statement made that abundantly clear when she sighed at the loss of the indicator of his fractured mind. He'd always been aware of that but had never been free to show her just how much her love and devotion mattered to him.

"I thought I would go mad when I lost you," he whispered, his voice so low no one around them would hear but everyone appeared to have moved away a bit further as if giving mother and son as much privacy as they could. "I think I did," he admitted.

Rayne's hands gently soothed her boy, her heart thumping wildly as he leaned on her for the very first time, truly needing her as a parent. "No you didn't, my beautiful boy. You just tapped into the part of you that was most able to cope with what had happened." Her hand stroked through his hair, her love and compassion wafting over him as if it was something tangible.

"Have you considered that perhaps this was what was meant to happen?" she asked softly, moving over to the place Natalia had rested and pulling him down beside her.

When he gave her a quizzical look, she graced him with one of her beautiful, loving smiles that had always lit up his world as he was growing up, even though he hadn't been able to show just what it had meant to him.

"It wasn't so long ago that Reasa travelled an equally difficult path, son, Pietro too. They both had to go through excruciatingly painful trials to find their inner balance and peace with their mates. Perhaps the only way to mend your soul was to let Agony free, to see that despite his ferocity that he could still maintain control, that he had the capacity of protecting those he loves."

Kothari looked away from his mother, staring off into the treeline, denial on his face. "I almost killed everyone up there when Natalia was hurt. How was that control? How was that protecting everyone?"

Rayne could hear the disbelief in his voice and she gently tilted his head back to her so his had no choice but to meet her gaze. "You heard me, Kothari," she said gently. "You heard Freya. I'm presuming that wasn't Agony's first lapse either. Who did you listen to the other times? Kallum? Dara? Yourself? Agony has always been able to listen and maintain control, my son. You've just been so focused on Agony's violence that you've never seen his need to be a part of our pack and that his love was just as strong as your panther's and yours. You made him into the villain because of your misplaced guilt about your birth and treated that part of yourself accordingly. He only ever wanted to protect you, to protect all you loved. Perhaps now you can finally see that and have your peace with Natalia."

Kothari could hear the wealth of love in his mother's voice and it stunned him. Because that love wasn't just directed at him and his panther, it encompassed Agony too, and he realised that she had always loved that part of him too, had never distinguished between any of his personas when it came to loving him, and neither had his father. It had been his own fears and guilt that had kept Agony on the outskirts. His parents had never viewed him as being a monster. That had been all down to him.

"I'm sorry, Mom," he whispered and didn't try to halt the silent tears that fell down his face this time. "I didn't mean to hurt you when I was born. I didn't mean to..."

"Oh, Kothari," Rayne choked out the words, gathering her son close once more and wrapping him tightly in her arms. "It wasn't your fault, son. It wasn't anyone's fault. You have to stop blaming yourself for something that none of us could have envisioned. Let it go, Kothari. If I had to do the whole thing over again even knowing what I know now, I would in a heartbeat. I would do anything to have my beautiful boy in my arms. I would die a thousand deaths if that was what it took."

"We both would," Gard said quietly, coming to sit beside them and wrapping his arms around his mate and his child. "We would walk through fire for you, my son, and our only regret is that it has taken us this long to be able to reach past your impressive defences to get this message through to you."

He hadn't been able to stay away feeling the pain running through their familial bond. He had known they had needed him, and nothing would have kept him from his family. His big body shielded them from all eyes, giving their son the privacy he needed when he was so vulnerable. It was instinctive and something Gard would always do. He would protect those he loved with his very last breath. He was the Guardian and always would be.

Dara's gaze flickered over the family wrapped around each other and she reached out tentatively along the Vârcolac bond she shared with Kothari, not wanting to intrude but feeling compelled to make sure he was okay. They had always had a strong bond, though there was no apparent reason for it. Perhaps it had been his misplaced theory that they were mates when they were growing up, or perhaps it was just her empathy levels were higher than she had first thought.

Whatever it was, she felt that bit more protective of her troubled friend and was relieved when she felt how much more balanced his emotional makeup was. "I always wondered why Karn never selected Kothi to go up to the Praetorian Compound that day. Of all of us, he and Liam needed the most help with finding their inner balance."

Demetri watched the family too, his expression turning thoughtful. "Perhaps he knew that Kothi had to travel this path alone?" he speculated. "Sometimes the only way to be at peace with the darkness within oneself is to give it freedom to just be. Caging a beast only makes it more feral. Understanding its limitations is required to reach an accord with it."

There was silence for a long moment and then Dayton snorted out a laugh. "I don't know what freaks me out the most about you sometimes, Demetri. Your crazy ass or your in-depth introspections."

The vampire grinned at him, not the least offended by the comment. "It should be both," he laughed softly, his big frame relaxing more as it became apparent that his charges were now all safe and they would soon be going back home. He let his green eyes roam over the clearing and then his brow puckered slightly. "Why is Nors so entertained with Louis and his coven?"

Dayton rolled his eyes in amusement. "Apparently they're regaling him with tales of my mate's antics when she resided with them when they were apart. He's saving them up to tease her with them when we get home."

That sounded just like Nors when it came to his sister and they all shared a smile as Rayne and the others headed over to them, finished with their family gathering. Dayton quirked an eyebrow at his best friend as they reach them, and grinned when she rolled her eyes at him and slipped into his arms much to Gard's irritation.

"What the fuck were you thinking letting yourself get abducted, Rayne?" the wolf growled softly, the fierceness of his hug letting her know just how afraid he'd been for her even as his Beta instincts kicked in and he told her off.

"That I was invincible?" she quipped back giving him a quick kiss on the cheek and laughing when Gard growled softly. "Behave! You're still in the doghouse for throwing me into a wall, mate. You can park the possessiveness while I reassure my best friend."

"They blew up the bloody cave, Sarayne. If I hadn't thrown you back then God knows what would have happened," Gard muttered defensively but his lips were twitching as he gave Dayton a brief nod to let him know that he didn't really object to the affection being shown to his mate. He understood how close they were, that they had kept each other sane for over half a century. He would forever be grateful for the wolf taking care if his mate when he was still searching for her.

"We should have anticipated that," Demetri remarked, ignoring the byplay and focusing on what had happened. "They've used human weaponry against us before. We should have factored that in and considered the option of them using other forms of human weaponry."

Joshua had joined their group and he nodded his head in agreement. "Good to see you safe and well, Rayne," he grinned and she smiled back at him. She had liked him on first meeting even when he had admitted to soothing their emotions with his empathic skills.

"Thank you, Joshua. For that and also for helping to protect our son. You will always be welcome in our home should you ever come stateside." Rayne looked at Gard as she spoke and he gave her a resigned smile.

"I've already told him that," her mate admitted. "He's not so bad, even I can see that."

That had Rayne slipping out of Dayton's embrace to slide into her mate's. "Of course you have," she laughed softly. "I would never choose a stupid mate."

They were all grinning at that until hushed words were heard coming into the clearing. Mila appeared all freshly cleaned up and dressed in a dark pair of blue jeans and midnight blue blouse, her black hair damp and flowing down her back in inky waves. The petite vampire's expression was in a deep scowl and it was so unusual for her that everyone else's expressions turned surprised.

They didn't know the vampire well but from what they had seen of her so far she had come across as gentle and kind, wearing her heart on her sleeve. Seeing her so irritated appeared out of character and they listened as Dante entered the clearing just behind, his black hair damp too, his body covered in black jeans and T-shirt.

"You are being unreasonable, Mila, and stubborn as hell. This is not happening and the sooner you accept that the better it will be." There was no mistaking the dominant command in Dante's tone and it was almost amusing to see the indignation that crossed the petite vampire's exquisite face before she rounded on him, her hands coming to her hips.

"You do not dictate my actions, Dante Castillo!" she ground back, fury in her voice as he stopped inches away from her, his expression just as furious. "Never forget that I travel with you because I want to, not because you have any right to my presence. I make my own damned decisions. If you want to come along, then fine. If not, fuck off and go back to trying to get to the bottom of what's going on with the covens but don't you ever dare try to force me to do your bidding. I am not yours to command!"

Her tirade appeared to surprise him as much as it did the others and he frowned, running a hand through his damp hair, his expression turning frustrated. "I'm not trying to force you into anything or dictate to you, Mila," he grumbled in frustration. "I'm merely pointing out that it's bloody stupid to go back up that mountain after everything that's happened. There's nothing up there, beautiful. It's time to go home."

His slightly more reasonable tone appeared to settle some of Mila's anger because her posture eased slightly and her expression softened infinitesimally. "There may be nothing up there, Dante, but I won't know that until I go back," she conceded. "I've never had a vision that hasn't come true before. You know that so why are you doubting this one? Everything within me is telling me that we can't leave yet. Why can't you trust in me this one more time?"

With a muffled sigh, Dante reached for her, pulling her into a tight hug and resting his cheek against the top of her head. She was so petite she fit into his arms so securely that he could almost wrap himself completely around her. "I do trust you, beautiful," he sighed softly. "I just think it's madness to go back up there. What if we missed some of them? What if there's more vampires hiding and waiting for us to come back? I can't bear seeing you hurt again like that. You know it kills me when you get hurt."

Mila allowed him to hold her because she knew how much it did kill him when he saw her in pain. He was the most loving of people only he just couldn't see that about himself. He viewed himself as tainted and a monster, and she was trying her hardest to give him the space to work through his errant thoughts but sometimes it was so hard to stand by and wait for him to finally accept he was worthy of the same love and happiness as everyone else.

"I know," she breathed softly. "But that's not going to stop me, Dante. I need to do this. You can either accept that and come with me, or you can return home with everyone else. Either way, I'm going back up that mountain, and there is nothing that is going to stop me."

With another deep sigh, Dante tilted her chin up until he was staring into her unseeing eyes. He knew she was seeing him in her own unique way and he titled his own head a fraction as he smiled at her, so she would capture that snapshot of an image and know that she'd won. "You know damned well that I'm going with you, beautiful. Nothing short of death would keep me from your side."

Her answering smile took his breath away and he was so close to kissing her that he almost did, and then he remembered where they were and realised there were God knows how many sets of eyes on them watching what was one of their rare fights.

"Mila? Dante? What's wrong?" Natalia's concerned question had them both turning to see their friend walking slowly towards them, Freya hovering closely but not supporting the younger woman.

Natalia had been surprised to hear them arguing and also relieved to see that Mila looked none the worse for wear after the attack against them. She was wearing the same dark blue jeans Natalia had changed into, though Natalia was wearing a pale pink button down cropped sweater and her friend was wearing a dark blue blouse.

"Tali!" Mila was instantly at her side, taking her into a gentle hug before running her hands tenderly against her cheeks. "I'm so relieved to see you awake. I was so afraid for you." There was no mistaking the bond between the vampire and the newly made Vârcolac and it was hard for those around them not to smile at the affection between them.

"I was afraid for you too," Natalia laughed quietly, her joy plain to see because her expression was never guarded. "I was worried when I woke and you weren't here. Is everything okay?"

Mila rolled her eyes. "Just Dante being a silly male," she smiled. "He's behaving now though." There was no mistaking the affection in her tone or the wry smile her constant companion gave her.

Natalia pursed her lips, her expression concerned. "Did I hear right and you want to go back up the mountain?" she asked quietly. "Is that safe, Mila? Perhaps Dante is correct?"

At the stubborn expression that crossed her friend's face she laughed and held up her hands in mock surrender. "Okay, okay," she grinned. "I don't want to be on the end of your anger, Mila. I don't know why you're so insistent on going back up the mountain but if you deem it to be critical then perhaps some of us could stay behind and return with you?"

Natalia's gaze automatically went to Kothari who was frowning in displeasure. He crossed over to them, his frown deepening. "Dante and Mila have managed to exist safely before we ever came along, Natalia. I know they're your friends but we don't have time to linger here any longer. It's imperative we get back home and debrief with Annie, Caleb and the pack."

She was aware that what he said was right, but she didn't want to leave Mila and Dante alone. "They're your friends too, Kothi," she reminded him with a slight hint of reproof in her tone. "Without them you'd never have come to the pack and saved me, Pippa and Mama. They've travelled here with us and fought at your side to keep me safe. Doesn't that make them your friends?"

It crossed Kothari's mind to point out that she had been mortally wounded whilst under the petite vampire's care however Mila had almost lost her life too protecting her and most probably would have if Freya and Dayton hadn't arrived just in time. He had to concede that everything his mate said was true and he was indebted to the two vampires with them, and he did actually like them.

"That's beside the point, Tali," he answered with a resigned sigh. "It isn't about whether or not we're friends with Dante and Mila. It's about getting everyone home safely and letting everyone know what's happened here. We're at war with an invisible enemy, Natalia. Knowledge is the only weapon we have right now."

His gaze turned to Mila and he frowned at the stubborn expression that still marred her pretty face. It was evident that she wasn't going to be dissuaded from her course of action. "Couldn't your vision relate to another location, Mila?" He almost smiled at the fact he was asking a question rather than just barking out orders about how things would happen. It was a true testament to Agony being much more integrated within him.

The vampire was already shaking her head. "When I had my vision of the Justice Seeker you hadn't arrived in Europe yet, but I knew you were coming, Kothi. I knew we had to find Tali and show you a path to her or our world would run in blood."

When his expression turned rueful she gave him her first proper smile and he was transfixed by her exquisite beauty and his respect for Dante ratcheted up a notch. He had to be one strong male to withstand the beauty in front of them. Perhaps he would have a word with him about denying himself because of having a misguided view of oneself.

"Yes, I know there was a lot of bloodshed but that was our enemies," she conceded with her own wry smile. "What could have happened was much worse if we had failed in our mission. My point is my visions are more of a warning than a true vision of what will happen. Like Tali's sickness when she was human and her pack were about to head into danger. Our powers are similar, they're defensive. I would not have had the vision about the wolf not long before we were attacked if it wasn't crucial in that moment."

"Wolf?" Gard interrupted, his brow drawing down into a deep frown. Being around Seers was something he was used to, having lived with his Anakatrine for so long. He'd been listening intently as had all the others, learning more about Mila's abilities, but at the mention of a wolf his instincts kicked in, and he could tell by Rayne's posture that she was more alert too. There was also a stiffening of Kothari's shoulders, and he could tell their son hadn't told his mate of the wolf in the cave.

"Mila had a sort of mini vision about a wolf earlier," Natalia said, her mind trying to recall her friends exact words. "Something about a wolf who wasn't a wolf, and who was loyal to me but belonged to someone else. There was a bit about him saving two packs too, wasn't there Mila?" She turned to look at her friend who was nodding her head.

Mila closed her eyes and recalled the spoken vision. "The wolf who is not a wolf is in need, child. His soul belongs to another though his loyalty is to you. Bring the wolf home and he will save two packs. Convince the Justice Seeker, child, when he seeks to protect his home. He is not wrong to want to protect, but he doesn't understand what is needed. Only you can convince him... only you can make him hear."

Her eyes slowly opened, her expression pensive. "The spoken vision came when I hugged Natalia. I know it relates to her and this moment in time. We have to find this wolf."

Gard and Rayne looked at their son who had turned to face them as Mila spoke. It was his mother who spoke, her expression full of sorrow.

"We couldn't save him," she whispered. "The explosion collapsed the cave ceiling. We were buried alive and we were at the very back of the cave. My minimal injuries were only because your father protected me with his body. He took the brunt of the damage. The wolf was buried under tons of rock. We couldn't do anything."

"What? There was a wolf with you?" Natalia's tone was shocked, her gaze connecting with her mate's. "You knew there was a wolf with them?" She could tell that he did because there was a flash of guilt in his eyes. She shouldn't have felt so disappointed, knowing what Agony was like with his overprotectiveness, but she found she was and it showed on her face.

"I didn't want you to suffer any more loss if my parents couldn't rescue him, Natalia," he said quietly. "You had already suffered so much, it would have been cruel to get your hopes up if the wolf couldn't be saved."

"If he was part of my pack then I had a right to know, Kothari," she retorted, anger shining in her eyes even as her heart felt like it was going to break at the thought that it could have been one of her packmates crushed to death in that cave.

"I warned you," she heard Dara say quietly and she found the other Vârcolac watching her sympathetically. It was clear Dara hadn't agreed with Kothari's decision, but then she hadn't told her about the wolf either.

"We didn't even know if the wolf was part of your pack, Natalia," Kothari said with a mulish expression on his face. He clearly didn't like being challenged on his prior decision. "We were only speculating that may be the reason because the vampires hadn't killed him. It was needless to get your hopes up for no reason."

"Needless?" she repeated, her expression turning furious. "What gave you the right to decide what I did or did not need to know, Kothari? Whether or not the wolf might have been a member of my pack is irrelevant. I was entitled to know, especially after Mila's vision."

"I am not apologising for my decision, Natalia." There was a thread of Agony in his tone, his own anger rising. "I was responsible for everyone in our team. I had to make all the hard decisions and if I had to make them again I would not change it one bit. You had already been wounded enough. We needed you to help with detecting if any more of our team had been compromised by our enemy. Your mental health was vital to our success and I made the decision I did based on that. You might not like that but that's just the way it was. You are pack, Tali. You understand the need to follow the chain of command."

Her expression didn't soften. "I wasn't yours to command, Agony," she said in a waspish tone, stressing the name Agony because that was what he was giving her right now. She saw him flinch and her heart twinged knowing that it hurt him but if they were going to be mates then they needed to find a balance that didn't consist of Kothari ordering her around and her meekly obeying.

"I wanted to stay with my mother, but you decided I had to come along with you. Granted, that was based on Mila's vision but you ultimately made the decision. Just because I agreed to come didn't mean that gave you the right to make my decisions for me. Just because I was human didn't make you or anyone else superior to me. If I was important enough to this mission to use my abilities to protect us all then I was equally as important enough to have all the information the rest of you had."

She folded her arms across her chest, trying to hide the fact that standing so long and being so emotional was taking a toll on her still weakened body. Her arms were starting to tremble and it was only sheer defiance that was keeping her knees locked in place. She heard Freya tsk lightly and knew her new friend was aware of her struggles, though she didn't interfere.

For a long moment there was utter silence and then Kothari let out a long breath, and his anger dialled back. "Fine, you had a right to know," he conceded. "But all of this is moot now anyway. The wolf was crushed in the cave, Natalia. He didn't make it so there's no point in Mila and Dante going back up there. It's time for us all to go home."

"He lives."

Mila's confident words echoed around the clearing and all eyes turned to her. She didn't need to have conventional sight to know that they were staring at her in disbelief, and that made her sigh loudly. "If he is the wolf we need and he were dead I would be having another vision about the demise of two wolfpacks," she remarked drolly. "Which I'm not."

Kothari growled in frustration, pinning her with one of his best glares. He'd half expected his parents or Demetri to wade into the argument but they appeared to be standing back and letting him deal with it. Which was just typical. Usually when he wanted the more powerful adults to keep out of his business they couldn't keep their mouths shut. Now when he wanted them to express their thoughts they stood back and said nothing.

He knew it was because the disagreement was with his mate and no one got between two mates when they were fighting, but he had no experience of dealing with having conflicted emotions when dealing with someone he loved. Not successfully.

He growled low in his throat once more, focusing on the petite vampire who was fuelling the disagreement. "That could mean anything, Mila," he finally answered, trying to rein in his annoyance. "Just because there was a wolf in the same cave as my parents it doesn't mean that your vision related to that particular one."

"The only other wolf here is Dayton and I'm certain it has nothing to do with him. It has to be the wolf in the cave, Kothari, and he has to be linked to Tali in some way because the vision was triggered by her." Mila's expression was resolute. "He has to still be alive, and if he is, I have to go and find him."

Natalia sighed and reached out to take Mila's arm. "Come on then," she said firmly, taking a shaky step forward as Freya tsked again and shook her head.

Natalia ignored her and took another shaky step brushing past Kothari who was staring at her as if she'd just grown two heads.

"And just where the fuck do you think you're going?" he ground out, reaching out just as her legs finally gave out and she started falling to the grassy ground. He had her scooped up in his arms in a second, fury dancing across his gorgeous face.

"Put me down!" Natalia snapped, her expression turning indignant.

He put her down, right on her ass and pressed up against the boulder she'd woken up beside a handful of hours beforehand. "You can barely walk, Natalia," he answered in a clipped tone. "Do you seriously think you can walk back up that mountain in your current condition?"

She knew she couldn't but that didn't mean she was ready to back down. She believed in Mila, and she believed in her visions. Her friend said Kothari needed to be convinced to go back for the wolf so she would employ whatever tactics she had to until he saw sense.

"If that wolf is one of my packmates then I'm not leaving without him," she muttered stubbornly. "Not all of my pack was with us when we were attacked. Our strongest Beta took some of our non-mated males with him on some secret mission for our Alpha. It could be one of them up there, Kothi. I won't leave him. Not until I know for sure that he's dead."

She could see his expression turning dark with anger once more and bit her bottom lip as she faced down his disapproval. He couldn't make her go with them if she didn't want to go. She would appeal to his mother and father if he tried to make her leave against her will. She was about to turn to Rayne when she blinked slowly, her heart stuttering wildly in her chest as her last comment registered in her mind, entwining with the vision Mila had just repeated.

A wolf who wasn't a wolf but whose loyalty was to her despite his soul belonging to another. Natalia gasped, her eyes filling with tears as she looked and Rayne and Gard.

"The wolf... was his hair short and dark?" Her voice trembled as she spoke, both hope and fear lacing her tone.

It was Gard who spoke his brow furrowing as he tried to remember the male. "Yes," he finally said and a loud sob choked out of Natalia's throat.

"Fox."

Kothari was immediately kneeling before her, his angry expression changing instantly to one of concern. "Natalia?"

"The wolf who isn't a wolf... because he's a Fox," she whispered, tears running down her face, her expression turning anguished. "The wolf in the cave has to be Fox, second in command of my pack and the Beta that was sent off on the secret mission weeks ago."

Dara gasped and came over, sitting down beside them as Kothari shook his head in confusion. He couldn't understand how Natalia had come to this conclusion or why Dara was suddenly looking so pale.

"Cassia met a European wolf called Fox just before I came after you, Kothi. She told me about him when I packing to leave. She didn't describe him but did mention that he had mistaken her relationship with Pietro and tried to protect her from him. The misunderstanding was resolved and she told me that there was something about this Fox that made her wolf trust him. She told me this just in case I came across him over here, so that I would know he was someone I could trust."

Natalia sniffed and rubbed at her wet cheeks. She manged a watery smile. "That sounds just like Fox. Always trying to save everyone even if they don't want it."

Kothari was still torn between wanting to do what was best for Natalia and unsure about this new male that was suddenly being thrown into the mix, first with Cassia and now with his mate. How coincidental was it that he showed up stateside on some mission from his Alpha and just happened to meet up with one of the Vârcolac? He looked at his parents and then at Demetri, Nors, Freya and Dayton.

"There have been strange wolves hanging around the cities our pack and the Hanlon pack have their businesses," Dayton confirmed, the vampires nodding their agreement with his comment.

"Rafe ordered more patrols and the Praetorians are supplementing them too," Dara concurred. "Cassia said Fox told her that it wasn't the European wolves she could see that she should be concerned about, but more the ones she couldn't see. Rafe and Jared were organising patrols into both cities with Kal taking the lead in ours. Lily and Elle were going to head over to the Hanlon pack with Karn to bolster their patrols too."

"Two packs," Mila said quietly and Kothari's gaze settled on her for a long moment before he let out a long deep sigh. If the wolf was this Fox person, and important to Natalia then could he continue to fight against going back? If Cassia had met this Fox and instinctively trusted him then that was another vote in the unknown wolf's favour.

Natalia was watching him, her expression a mix of anguish laced with a little hope. It hurt his heart to see her eyes full of unshed tears even as everything in him just wanted to get her home safe.

"Please, Kothi," she whispered. "Even if there's only the remotest chance of Fox still being alive, we have to try. We have to."

With a muffled groan he pulled her close, pressing his lips to her forehead before resting his against hers. "You will stay here with the others," he sighed giving into her. He couldn't stand to see her tears or hear her beg him for help. His mate needed this from him and he wouldn't deny her.

Natalia sagged against him in relief, her tears falling but there was such hope in her eyes that he knew he was doing the right thing even if it turned out the wolf was dead. At least this way she would know.

"Thank you," she whispered and he pressed his lips against hers in a gentle kiss before he rose swiftly and looked at his parents.

"Are you up to showing me where this cave is?"

His father nodded, and there was such a look of pride on his face that for a moment Kothari was stunned. He'd never seen that expression on his father's face before, but then, he likely hadn't done too much in the past to earn it. It appeared agreeing to go back for the wolf was the correct decision.

"Your mother cried when we had to admit we couldn't help the wolf," Gard answered with a regretful expression. "It didn't sit well with me either but there was nothing we could do that was any different at the time."

Kothi's gaze turned to Demetri and Nors. They would likely need more help if they had to move tons of rock. "You two up for some more exercise?"

Demetri's lips curved in a slow smile as did Nors'. "Good of you to invite us, Kothari, though we were coming anyway," Demetri drawled softly but there was no censure in his tone, just a healthy dose of respect.

"What he said," Nors agreed, giving Kothari a big grin.

Freya raised an eyebrow as if insulted that she wasn't being invited to the party and Kothari rolled his eyes. "If everyone goes back up the mountain who's going to keep Tali safe?" he asked, his lips quirking slightly when she let out a deep sigh.

"Fine, the rest of us will clean up here and wait for your return. Your girl will be safe with us, boy."

With one final glance at his mate and a quick brush of his fingers against her wet cheeks, Kothari turned away and began to run back up the mountain, his parents and the two Ancients on either side of him. He had no idea what they were going to find when they reached the cave but he would do this for his Natalia because she asked it of him. He only hoped that they weren't going to discover the wolf dead under the pile of rocks. He didn't want to be the one who had to tell her that her Fox was dead.

They ran at supernatural speed, Kothari allowing his parents to take the lead as they knew where they were headed. It took them less time than it did the first time up the mountain, but then they'd had Natalia with them that time, and they had to be more vigilant of their surroundings. None of them heard or scented any danger around them though they did pause every so often and do a quick surveillance of the area just to be sure.

It took them about half an hour to reach the spot Gard and Rayne had managed to get out of the cave. They were more cautious now as they were close to where the vampires had kept their base, but a quick reconnoitre around the area turned up no other Supernaturals this far up the mountain with them.

"That's going to be a pain getting back in," Gard commented staring up at the ledge at the opening he'd created. It was easier getting out because they were jumping down towards the trees. Getting back in meant they would have to climb up the trees and try to jump across and up.

"It will be problematic getting back down if we find the wolf," Rayne agreed, her expression eager. She'd hated leaving the wolf behind. Now they would finally know if he could be saved and regardless of the outcome she was eager to get back into the cave.

"Kothi, can you do the freaky eye shit again?" Demetri asked, his green eyes scanning the surrounding area. When the younger male turned to quirk an eyebrow at the Ancient he grinned and pointed upwards.

"This tree here looks stable with strong branches at the top," Demetri commented. "If we can take down some of those larger trees around it we should be able to bridge the gap over to the ledge. Between us we're strong enough to secure them this end and over there."

"Effectively building a makeshift bridge," Kothari completed the sentence for him, a slow smile crossing his face. "Let's do it. We shouldn't waste too much time here."

His mother quirked an eyebrow at him and he had the grace to look a bit sheepish. "I don't mean it like that, Mother. I just want to get this over and done with quickly so we can get back to the others and go home."

"I know," she smiled softly. "I guess it's just second nature to try to work out what's going through your head and what it is you're not saying. I guess we're all going to have to adapt to the new you." There was so much warmth and love in her tone, but then his mother had always been that way with him even when she gained nothing in return.

Giving her a quick smile, he immediately set about working out which trees they'd need to take down. They settled on two with thick trunks and Kothari concentrated the flow of his fire at the base of the first one. It was so unusual not to destroy with his ability. Until he'd cauterised Natalia's wounds, he'd never used it for anything good.

He took a deep breath and then concentrated a thin sliver of white fire at the base of the tree, slicing through the thick trunk like a scalpel, keeping his focus and relying on the others to keep the tree upright once he'd cut through. It work perfectly but then apart from himself, he was surrounded by some of the oldest beings to walk the planet. It should work perfectly just for that fact alone.

With a quick assessment of what was required, it was decided that Rayne would be the one to cross over to the ledge to receive and secure the tree on that end. The bulk of the weight would be on this end of the makeshift bridge and it would take brute strength to climb the tree up to the height required.

Gard kissed his mate soundly and then pressed his forehead to hers. "Don't fall, Kitty," he breathed softly and she laughed.

"I only fall when you drop me, love," she grinned back at him and then she shifted into her panther, quickly scaling the tree until she was higher up than the ledge. It was always easier to reach her target when she was going down rather than up. With another quicker look at the distance, Rayne launched herself from the tree by her powerful hind legs, sailing gracefully through the air and landing agilely on the small ledge.

She grinned again, proud of the distance she'd covered easily. Her panther preened at its prowess and then she shifted back to her human form, inching inside the cave and surveying the boulders just inside. They would need the entrance to be made bigger and she turned back to look at the others.

"Kothi, do you think your fire would cut through rock?" she asked down her bond with her son. "We will need the opening widened a bit."

A moment later her son landed agilely on the ledge, examining it carefully before entering the cave. His dark grey gaze travelled over the space his parents had been held captive in, and his lips tightened for a moment before he turned his gaze on the rock face.

"Stand back, Mother," he said quietly and she did as he asked, giving him the room he needed to work in. The white light once more burst from his eyes, thicker this time but still very focused. In next to no time, he'd carved out more of a rectangular opening, higher and wider than it had been before. He managed to avoid cutting into the ledge, and caught each piece that he carved out, placing it carefully beside himself for later use.

"We're ready, Father," he sent to Gard. Demetri Nors and his father pushed the trees he'd previously cut through the final bit forward they needed to begin their fall and the huge trunks began to tilt over the chasm towards the ledge.

Rayne and Kothari caught the first one, gently leaning it down on the ledge. The others climbed the tree across from them with the bottom of the first tree until they reached the desired height and quickly secured their end in the sturdy branches of the tree. Once that was secure, Rayne and Kothari braced the top end of the tree with some of the boulders Kothari had cut from the rock wall.

They did the same with the next tree and quickly secured that the same way. Kothari was suddenly aware that this was the first time he'd ever worked with his mother to perform a task and he was impressed with her skills, even as he realised that he was being condescending with his thoughts. Rayne was over three thousand years old and had survived most of that alone. It was a bit arrogant of him to be impressed with her abilities when it should be the other way around.

As if she could read his mind, Rayne gave him a warm smile. "It's okay to be impressed with your old mother's skills," she laughed softly. "Don't tell your father but I still puff up with pride when he compliments me on something I do well. The same applies to my son."

For a long moment he just stared at her and then he smiled back. "I wish I'd known just what I was missing all these years," he said quietly and his mother reached out and touched his cheek gently.

"We have eternity to create new memories, my beautiful boy. Today is just the first of many."

And then his father was running across the makeshift bridge, Demetri and Nors right behind him. He paused long enough to drop a quick kiss on Rayne's lips and smile proudly at his son.

"Great work," he rumbled out. "Now let's see if we can find this wolf." His green eyes searched around the area for a moment.

"We were about there," he said to Rayne pointing a little further into the cave more around the middle section. "You were closer to the opening and I was beside you. The vampires tossed the wolf around about there."

Gard pointed to a spot a little further down and towards the other wall, the area completely covered by huge boulders. Kothari sized up the area quickly, his brows drawing into a deep frown.

"It looks like the entire area has caved in," he said quietly, his lips tightening. It was as he had feared. The wolf had to be dead, there was no way he could survive something like that.

Demetri's cool green gaze travelled upwards, his expression thoughtful as he surveyed the ceiling. Something caught his gaze and he moved a step forward, his expression more intent.

"It looks like that section of the ceiling detached in one big slab," he pointed out. "It's balancing on the boulders this side. It could have created a hollow in the middle of the debris. The wolf could be trapped inside."

They all shared glances, none of them appearing to want to show any signs of hope at his words. There was a slim chance Demetri could be right, but they knew it was a very slim one.

"Let's work on that assumption," Nors finally said spending a long moment examining how the boulders lay. Apart from Gard he had probably spent the most time in caves over his long life. Sometimes caves had been the only place he could keep Freya when she was at her worst back then.

"We'll need to be careful how we remove the boulders," he said pointing at various sections of the debris as he spoke. "Don't remove any that are there, there or there. Those could destabilise the slab and bring in crashing down."

Gard was watching carefully, nodding his agreement. "Rayne, Kothi, can you try to make a small corridor close to that wall following the line of the slab. It could help us to determine if the slab is balanced at the other end."

His mate and son nodded silently and began to move boulders in the area he'd pointed. That left Gard, Nors and Demetri to start carefully excavating the section directly in front of them, being careful not to go anywhere near the danger area the redheaded Ancient had pointed out.

For the next fifteen minutes they worked in silence, the only sounds in the cave being their breathing and the grinding of rock against rock as they gradually cleared the area. Kothi finally called to the others, halting their movements.

"This side of the slab has slipped but it appears to be leaning against more boulders inside the hollow area at a slant. I don't think we should go any further." He tested the slab by slowly applying more weight to his hand, until it shifted ever so slightly and some dust fell.

"It's pretty secure," he told the others as he came back into view with his mother. He was impressed with the amount of boulders his father and the Ancients had already gotten through. "I had to apply a considerable amount of pressure to draw a small trickle of dust. I think we can presume there is a hollow area within. The only question we still have is how much of the wolf may be within that hollow."

"We're almost through this side," Gard replied, and they doubled their efforts until they finally broke through into the small hollowed out area. "Rayne, can you see if you can slip inside?" The rest of them were huge so it made sense for his mate to be the one to try to wriggle through the smaller opening they'd managed to create.

"Looks wide enough for my panther," she replied with a small smile, shifting instantly into her animal form. Cats were famed for being able to squeeze through spaces that most other larger animals couldn't. The sleek black panther dipped her head inside the opening and then her body wiggled and shifted as it disappeared into the hollow.

"I so wish I could do that," Gard said with a wry smile. "How I envy my mate and son sometimes."

Kothari hadn't spent all the much time in his panther form and he was equally as impressed by the dexterity his mother had in hers. He was definitely going to spend more time as a panther when he got home. He had clearly underestimated his animal's skills all these years.

"He's here," Rayne called from within but her tone was full of concern. "He's half pinned under some boulders and one of them appears to have crushed his chest. I've removed it and he is breathing but there's another huge gash in the side of his head and his whole left side is badly damaged by the rocks on him. His breathing is very shallow though and he doesn't appear to be healing. If his natural healing abilities have been trying to repair the crushed sections of his limbs then it could have started cannibalising the healthier organs to compensate for not being able to heal the more badly damaged parts."

"Let's get this opening bigger so we can get inside," Gard said, suddenly not wanting his mate to be the only one in there in case the top slab came down.

They quickly moved more boulders until the opening was wide enough for Gard to get in and the others to get a view inside. The wolf was gravely hurt but they could detect his slow heartbeat. He was a mass of black and blue bruises, his huge body covered in deep gouges where the rocks had struck him during the cave-in. He was unconscious but that was probably for the best given the size of the boulders holding him pinned to the floor.

After a quick discussion to form a plan of action, Gard and Rayne began carefully moving the boulders crushing the wolf until there was a rumbling sound above them.

"Drag him out!" Gard roared and they grabbed the wolf and pulled hard as he pushed Rayne ahead of him. The rumbling increased and dust began to fall faster, some of the smaller rocks beginning to tumble down.

"Gard!" Rayne cried out, slithering through the opening and turning back instantly to reach for her mate.

There was a loud cracking sound and then the slab above him split in two just as Rayne and Kothari helped pull Gard out of the way. The hollow disappeared a second later, and they all scooted back a bit further until the movement stopped and the dust settled once more.

"That was just in the nick of time," Nors laughed softly and they looked at him and then laughed too. There was something about having a narrow escape that always amused them once their hearts slowed down after the excitement.

Rayne looked over at the wolf who was still unconscious and noticed that a few of the bruises on his damaged face were slowly starting to fade. It was a good sign but she imagined the more serious injuries would take him a while to recover from and there was a good chance he likely wouldn't come around for hours.

Gard rose and pulled her to her feet as the others stood. "I'll take the wolf." He was the oldest and strongest of them so no one disagreed with his statement.

Kothari quickly produced some thick fabric ties with his power handing them to his mother. "It might be best to tie Fox to Father's back. That will leave his hands free for any emergencies." It was a smart suggestion.

Demetri and Nors carefully lifted the wolf, pausing when Kothari halted them. The Vârcolac produced a pair of loose jogging pants and covered the naked male. The wolf had been through enough as it was. He didn't need to be subjected to the indignity of everyone staring at his bruised and battered naked body too.

The warm approval in his mother's eyes made his chest puff up a little and he wanted to roll his eyes at just how needy he was suddenly becoming. Something must have telegraphed on his face because his mother laughed softly and touched his cheek gently again and he leaned into her caress for a brief moment before he turned back to the task at hand.

It didn't take them long to secure the wolf to his father's back. They made sure that his arms and legs were securely bound around Gard's waist and chest but not too tightly it would hurt the wolf further or restrict Gard's movements too badly. Rayne secured the wolf's head to rest against her mate's shoulder, using a softer scarf-like fabric to keep it secure without being too constricted.

Once Gard was satisfied, they headed back outside and across the makeshift bridge. Once on the other side, they climbed down and Kothari shot a beam of white fire at the tree trunks, making them erupt into flames in the middle. They snapped and both ends fell down into the chasm below, incinerating into ash as they fell.

"No point in leaving easy access to this side of the mountain if any of our enemies happen to excavate the cave," he said when Demetri quirked an eyebrow at him.

Nors burst out laughing. "And here were we thinking we knew everything. We could learn a thing or two from our newest generation."

"We haven't seen any sign of anyone else for hours now. It will likely take them a while to regroup after getting their asses handed to them," Demetri added. "Come on, I'm tired of this bloody continent. The sooner we get back down this mountain the sooner we'll get to go home."

No one argued with him. The group took off running at supernatural speed back down the mountainside, Kothari's heart kicking up a beat as he came closer and closer to his mate, hoping that the wounded wolf survived the journey and that he was Natalia's pack member and not just some random wolf.

~~~~~

Natalia couldn't stop glancing at the treeline. Kothari and the others had been gone a long time and whilst they'd been gone, Freya and Dara had organised the cleanup of the clearing and they were all ready to leave as soon as the others returned. The only good thing about waiting for so long was that she felt her body steadily getting stronger the longer she rested. She was optimistic that she would be able to move around more and possibly even walk most of the way back down the mountainside if they took a more leisurely route down.

Her attention went to Mila who was sitting watching Dante speak with Joshua and Louis. She had a small frown on her face and it was so strange to see that expression on the petite's vampire's face that it took Natalia's attention away from the treeline.

"Are you two still fighting?" she asked her friend, startling the other woman who turned in her direction.

"Not fighting, no," Mila sighed softly. "Dante's currently ignoring me because he's still annoyed. He can be a tad stubborn sometimes. We usually agree on most things but when we do disagree, particularly when it comes to my safety, he can take that a bit personally. I think he believes that I don't think he can protect me which is just plain silly. I found that it's best to just let him get it out of his system. He'll come around once he's had time to process everything."

Natalia looked over at Dante and saw his gaze flicker towards Mila for a moment before he turned away again. It weas obvious he wasn't any happier than her friend was right now. She hoped they made up soon because she'd never seen a couple more suited to each other even if they weren't mated.

"What are you going to do once we leave here?" Natalia's question appeared to surprise Mila and she took a moment to mull it over before she sighed softly once more.

"Probably upset Dante some more," she replied in a quiet tone. "I want to go with you, Tali. I want to experience the way the weres and vampires work over there. I keep hearing about it but I want to see it for myself. And then there's this silent enemy. Dante and I have wandered all over Europe trying to discover what's going on here but the strongest visions I've had have related to Kothari and you, Tali. Now that the wolf is in play and I've discovered there's two wolfpacks over there, perhaps I could have more visions that could help if I'm in the heart of the location the attacks are directed at."

Her answer surprised Natalia though she wasn't upset about it. She was about to walk into a pack where the only people she knew were the ones here with her and her mother and little Pippa. She didn't think Kothi's Alpha and pack wouldn't accept her but she wouldn't mind having her own friend there to help support her.

"You think Dante won't want to come with you?" Natalia couldn't imagine the huge darkhaired vampire refusing to return stateside with them. It was obvious he was in love with Mila. She couldn't imagine him agreeing to be parted from her by thousands of miles.

"I think he'll try to talk me out of it," Mila admitted with a rueful smile. "And, of course, I will disagree with him and we'll have another of our rare fights until he realises I won't be dissuaded. Then he will most probably agree to come with me."

Natalia would have said more but the sound of approaching footsteps had everyone's attention turning towards the treeline and a moment later Kothari appeared, gently cradling a huge male in his arms.

"Fox!"

Natalia's anguished cry rang out in the clearing as Kothari appeared with the wolf in his arms and he was glad that they'd stopped a mile back and transferred the wolf over to him. His father had remarked that if the wolf was strong enough to keep breathing after everything he'd suffered, then he deserved to be carried the last distance with some respect and not like and oversized backpack. He'd handed the male over to his son, telling him that it was only right that he present his mate's packmate to her.

Now he crossed quickly over to his mate and gently set the unconscious male before her, almost like an offering. That she'd cried out the wolf's name meant that he was her packmate. The way she moved to place gentle hands against his damaged face told him how important this male was to her.

"What have they done to you?" Natalia whispered, tears falling down her cheeks as she knelt over her Beta. She'd never seen him brought this low before. Oh, he'd come home with a fair few wounds over the years but nothing like this. She could barely make out his wolf tattoo amidst the awful cuts and bruises on his chest.

Kothari sank down beside her placing a comforting arm on her back, her distress hurting his heart. He had to soothe her somehow, he just wasn't sure if he was up to the task. "He lives, Tali," he said as gently as he could which didn't come naturally to him. "He is clearly a strong wolf to be fighting so hard to survive."

"The vampires did all this?" Her tone was hard and he could see fury starting to kick in. That fury appealed to his vampiric side, and he fought not to smile knowing it would be inappropriate in this moment.

"Some of it, though I think the more recent injuries were caused in the cave-in, which the vampires were responsible for, I know, but those injuries were not a direct attack on the wolf, more a byproduct of the explosion." He knew that was merely semantics but for some reason it settled some of his mate's fury.

Natalia stroke a hand gently against her Beta's brow, a small frown marring her brow. "He won't die will he, Kothi? He will heal? I don't think I could bear to lose another of my pack so soon after the others."

"We can give him some blood to boost his healing," he answered instantly wanting to wipe the haunted expression from her face. "I can give him some of mine. Vârcolac blood is so much superior."

He had barely finished speaking when there was a strangled growl behind them and he turned his head to see Dara's brown eyes fixated on the damaged wolf, only they were almost black in colour and her wolf claws were out and clicking together in agitation.

Everyone was staring at Dara too, Freya and Demetri subtly moving a little closer, their body language tense as they stared at the Vârcolac who was one of the most balanced of them all but who appeared about ready to go feral.

"Tali, listen to me and do exactly what I say," Kothari breathed quietly. "Remove your hands from Fox immediately and slowly back away from him."

Her puzzled gaze told him she was confused by his sudden tenseness and then she noticed Dara and her mouth dropped open and she slowly backed away. Natalia was pack enough to recognise the signs she was seeing. She watched the tall blond Vârcolac march over, ignoring them as she sank down onto her knees and ran her nose down the side of Fox's neck.

Dara's wolf howled loudly, pure rage filling her like molten lava. Her wolf had erupted the instant Kothi had arrived back with Fox. It had startled her so much she'd literally been frozen on the spot, barely listening as Tali started weeping at the sight of the wolf's injuries. Her first thought was for the girl, her own Beta protective instincts kicking in now that she knew she was Kothi's mate.

But then she'd heard her friend talking about healing the other male with his blood and her wolf had surged forward and wrestled control away from her, her fury overwhelming her. She was vaguely aware of Kothi and Tali backing away and giving her some space, but it was just a vague flash of awareness because she was fixated on the male lying before her. His scent teased her nostrils and she had to inhale deeply, her wolf baying loudly at the damage done to their mate.

"Mine," Dara growled, her voice low and guttural. "Mine," she growled again, using a claw to slash at her wrist and press her healing blood to Fox's mouth. She held in there letting her blood fill his mouth. "Swallow, Fox," she whispered softly. "Take my healing blood."

Freya took a step forward and Dara growled low in her throat. Freya moved another step forward undaunted by the warning, tsking under her breath.

"The wolf is unconscious, Dara. Are you trying to choke the poor male? I know you want to help him heal faster but this isn't the way."

"They damaged him!" she hissed back, fury making her face twist into a dark scowl.

"All the more reason for you to not add to the insult already done to him, girl. Now stop pissing about and put those bloody claws away before you do something you're going to regret."

Freya's cold, blunt words snapped through the haze in Dara's mind and she blinked and then sat back, shaking her head to clear it. What the fuck had just happened? One moment she'd been fine and the next she had been lost within her wolf's mind, acting on pure instinct. She stared down at the male she'd just been trying to choke to death with her blood. As she did, she saw him swallow as if by reflex and the sight made her wolf hum with pleasure.

This was the wolf Cassia had told her about, the one who had thought her sister might be his mate. Only Cassia hadn't been his mate because Pietro was. But they were very much alike in appearance and scent, only their eye colour being different and the fact Cassia's hair was curly and hers were straight.

Her eyes widened as the memory of her wolf's response rattled through her brain. She had claimed the wolf. And if Fox's reaction to Cassia was anything to go by, then it wasn't too far of a leap to suspect that the reason he'd mistaken the possibility of her sister being his mate was because of how alike they both were.

Dara swallowed hard and tentatively reached a hand out to brush her fingers down Fox's bruised cheek. This beautiful, damaged male was really hers? The one Mila's vision had said whose soul belonged to another though his loyalty was to Natalia. Her stunned gaze rose to look at Kothi and Tali before slowly looking at the others, finally settling on her uncle who was giving her a rueful smile. "He's my mate," she whispered, astonishment crossing her face.

"Welcome to our world, niece," Dayton grinned at her.

To be continued