Chapter 14

A few months passed since Liron admitted to herself and James that love was a legitimate possibility, though she had a feeling that it would be easier than she assumed. She loved Natalia, after all, even if that was different because they grew up together and it was probably a different kind of love. …she needed to do some research on that sometime. That would be interesting.

She locked the door of the training room and pulled off her blouse, setting it neatly by the wall. "One of the many important things about being what we are is that we need to be able to fight in any state of dress or undress, I've said this before. You remember, yes?"

Zima nodded, confusion mixed with dawning realisation floating through his scent as she pulled off her tanktop as well.

"Strip, and then we'll spar."

He hesitated for a long time before he obeyed. By that time, she was already undressed, and she watched him silently and with an air of nonchalance. He may be gorgeous, but that wasn't the point. The point was to get him comfortable with sparring naked and without weapons. …he looked awfully nervous…no, that wasn't the right word.

"You have literally no reason to be embarrassed, Zima." Honestly, he was beautiful.

Zima crossed his arms, giving her a look. "Well...I'm standing in front of the girl I like, naked, and for all to see, and we haven't even seen each other naked since...way back, before we were together. So…no, I guess there's nothing to be embarrassed about."

Liron stared at him for a moment, then started laughing. "The mouth on you...I think I like that. But be aware you can't talk to me like that when it's not just us."

He chuckled slightly, a faint half-smirk half-smile curling his lips. "I'll try to remember that."

"You'd better." She slipped into a fighting stance, and he mirrored her, still blatantly uncomfortable, but not as much as before.

He attacked first, and she dodged his punch easily, grabbing his arm. He twisted it out of her grasp and somehow managed to get ahold of her hair and get her head on his knee. She bit him, and he yelped, throwing her off.

She rolled to her feet and started circling him. "Watch out, I bite." Now it was her turn to smirk.

Zima shook his head, but he was smiling a bit, and she hadn't bit him all that hard…he wasn't even bleeding.

Liron grinned, then darted in with a series of punches to his torso and face. Some of them landed, some of them didn't.

"Well done."

He smiled faintly, and she smiled back as she kicked at his shin. He moved back, and she chased after him with a perfectly-timed knee to the groin.

Zima cried out, dropping his hands and trying to curl away. Liron grabbed his hair, yanking his head back so he'd stay.

"Think through the pain. Don't let it override your thoughts. Pain is all in the mind."

He groaned, his breathing ragged. "You just kicked me in the freakin' balls."

"I know I did. And I'm thinking we need to work on your pain tolerance."

…she could feel the warmth of his skin nearly touching hers, and his hair in her hand was really soft…her eyes flicked to his neck, exposed due her grip on his hair.

Zima blinked a little. "And how do you want to do that?"

"I don't know yet…" His eyes were so pretty…and his scent was so good… She leaned in a little, pressing close. "I have a few different methods."

She felt his breath hitch slightly, and she wondered if it was at her words or her proximity. He tried to look at her, but she did not loosen her grip on his hair, instead nosing lightly at his pulse point. His eyes fluttered slightly, and she could see in his body language and smell in his scent – and was starting to feel against her leg for that matter – he was on the edge of surrendering. Her free hand moved to rest on his chest, nails scraping gently down his pec. What would it take to get him to give in, maybe even fall to his knees?

Zima shuddered, a soft groan and a huff of air escaping his lips. Liron's free hand slid back up his chest to caress the other side of his neck, and then his face, fingers trailing lightly along his lips and jaw.

Her voice was soft, almost a croon in his ear. "Do you remember what I told you of what to do in this kind of situation?" She wondered…would he listen to her words, or would he only hear the tone in her voice, deliberately pitched to enhance the reaction she was already getting from him.

His jaw tensed, but she could see his eyes slip closed. Her nose brushed his pulse point.

"You smell so good…"

Her hand slid down his chest again, this time closing on his waist. Zima shuddered, and then just as he was about to give in completely, he started to struggle a little, pulling at his head. Her hand tightened in his hair, and she yanked him flush against her, knowing he could feel everything. The soft groan that broke from his lips made her grin.

And then his hands, both of which she hand left free, shoved at her, his metal hand gripping her wrist.

Liron's grin did not fade. "Well done, Zima."

He blocked her uppercut to his gut, and her punch to his head, but his knuckle strike to her ribs flew harmlessly passed as she was able to grab his wrist and twist his arm behind his back. He struggled hard, nearly straining it.

"Remember what I taught you, Zima. Don't let your training go out the window just because we're naked. You know what to do."

Zima's breaths quickened a little before he twisted around, kicking her back. Liron let herself tumble to the ground, rolling smoothly to her feet.

They fought for an uncountable time more before suddenly Zima felt something cold behind him, much colder than the chilly scarred skin of the woman before him. He dared a glance back and nearly tripped over his feet at the sheer size of the wall of ice slowly advancing and pushing him forward.

"Liron…what are you doing?"

Her voice and face revealed nothing. "Testing you."

"For what?"

"To see what you do?"

"But you're pushing with it while I have to watch you."

"I know."

Oh…OH. She was testing his awareness of his surroundings. That made sense…but couldn't she have picked a better way to do it?

A sort of clear foggy sharpness descended over his mind at his realisation, and he slipped into what he would call a 'fighting mode', one that held echoes of memory and of gunshots. The ice closed around them, sealing them in almost a box of cold. Blunt spikes and edges form and disappeared, the floor covered and melted, so many changes happening at once…but he kept up. His movements flowed into almost a dance, the ballet training and the combat starting to melt together like Liron said would happen…like how Liron fought. He was not even close to how good she was, but he was getting there. He was getting there.

And then the ice closed in too much, and something in the back of his mind started yelling at him…get out get out get out get out no no nononono… Zima stopped moving, taking a solid punch to the chest. He held up his hands, panting, panic creeping up his spine. It was too tight…the space was too small no room to breathe…

"Liron stop."

She stared at him. "Why?"

"I can't…I can't breathe."

His trainer gave him a curious look, but the ice nearest him melted away, giving him more room. The panic faded slightly.

The reality of their situation snuck up and suddenly made itself very clear in the closeness of Liron's breath misting in the cold air around them and how quiet and…solitary it was. It was just them, alone, trapped in a box of ice.

Zima's chest rose and fell slowly, his eyes locked on Liron's, his heartbeat calming. Her eyes were so pretty…bright and almost sparkling with the way the light danced off of the walls around them. Where that light was coming from was of no consequence.

The ice behind Liron pushed her forward a little, and her eyes widened slightly. "I didn't do that."

He blinked. "I didn't either."

"At least I don't think I did…"

A few moments of tense silence passed, and just before Zima closed the distance, Liron stepped back, the ice around them melting away.

"We should go."

He almost said something, but she'd already turned and started toward the door, her clothes disappearing from their neat pile and reappearing on her in a faint shimmer of blue as she walked. There was something…she was closing off again. But he followed in silence, forgetting what he had been about to say.

A week or so passed, and one day Liron found herself thinking on what had happened when she'd sealed them in the ice wall. Zima was in the shower, and she was just…waiting, and found her mind wandering.

She was brought back to the present when the door opened and his scent approached, his metal hand gently brushing her shoulder.

"You okay?"

"Yeah."

He sat beside her. "May I hold you?"

She nodded silently, and rested her chin on his shoulder as his arms wrapped around her, pulling her close. She allowed herself a small smile, and tried to focus on the fact that Sir gave orders for her to have him.

His nose brushed the corner of her jaw, almost as if he was scenting her, and she let herself purr softly. It was okay. She could learn. It was by Sir's orders. It was okay. She could let herself feel the way she wanted to.

"Zima…"

"Hm?"

"Tell me again what possesses you to want me, and how somehow you're still sane in that wanting."

A soft, near-silent sigh fanned over her ear before he spoke, but it wasn't one of exasperation, more…fondness. "Something about you calls to me, and not just because of our wolves, but something deeper." Zima pulled back to look at her, cupping one side of her face in his hand. "I am sane. You can check all you want, but you'll still find that I am in fact sane."

"Convince me that letting you close to me is right, ignoring the fact that those are Sir's orders. Convince me that giving you the challenge was right."

He thought for a long moment, and Liron could almost see his thoughts swirling around in his mind. When he spoke, his voice was dead serious.

"I would do anything for you."

Something twinged in Liron's chest, but…she shook her head. "Not enough." She gripped his shoulders. "Convince me, Zima. Make me believe it. Use your words. I know you can be persuasive."

Her trainee pulled her close, kissing her passionately, but pulled back quickly and stared into her eyes with a look that could brook no argument nor denial, nor any doubt that he was telling the truth as far as he believed.

"I'd worship you day and night if I could. Giving me the challenge and letting me be close to you was the best thing that ever happened to me."

Liron bit her lip, not sure how to react to the emotions suddenly swirling thick in his scent and her own mind.

"You were the best thing that ever happened to me. No matter what, I couldn't leave your side even if i wanted to." He stroked her cheek with his thumb.

She swallowed hard.

Zima's brows furrowed slightly – presumably at the look on her face, only adding to the intensity of his expression. "Liron...I can't live without you."

Liron drew in a slow breath, tears starting to prick at her eyes. Zima stroked her cheek again, then leaned in and closed the distance between them once more with a kiss just as passionate and gentle, if not more so, than the previous.

She kissed back, eyes falling closed and tears trickling slowly down her cheeks, overwhelmed by the…she didn't really have a word for it…radiating out from him. She was also the first to pull away, still crying.

"What is this? What is this in your scent? I can't...I..."

Zima's eyes and scent flickered with confusion, muddling this…other thing…somewhat. "Liron, what's wrong?"

"I…something in your scent...makes me feel...warm, I think? I've never felt it like this before...its a different kind than what I feel from Natalia and I…what is it?" It was something like what she smelled in Natalia's scent when they were holding each other, either as solace from nightmares, or just because…but…

Zima blinked a little. "I don't know…what does it smell like?"

"Like you, but...more. warmer, richer, makes me feel...safe?" But a different kind of warm than Natalia. She could tell that. Same safe though. Same sense of…pack.

"I don't know what that is…but I have this strange feeling in my chest, and I'm not sure what it is, but I think it's connected."

Liron nodded. She had that too, so it seemed. There was certainly another layer to what was between them now. Attraction was acknowledged, there were feelings involved, they already knew, and now there was this new thing that…may not be as new as they thought.

Their eyes met again.

"What?"

"Nothing." She needed to talk with Natalia about this.

…they did say 'speak of the devil and he shall appear', and that seemed to work with redheaded assassins as well, because at that moment the very woman Liron had been thinking of walked through the door. She waved at them a little, then continued on into the bathroom.

"You are…wonderful."

Zima smiled broadly. "What for?"

"Existing."

Confusion clouded his eyes, and she cupped his cheek.

"You are such a light."

The confusion cleared, replaced with utter sincerity. "You're more of a light for me."

Liron blinked, not expecting that. "Really?"

He nodded.

"…How?"

"Because without you, I'd be lost." He bit his lip a little. "I know you have a hard time thinking of yourself as anything good, but I've been thinking about this; a while ago you asked me to think about what my life could be like if you…if we…weren't…" He sighed softly. "I did think about it, and I…what I saw was not something I ever want to imagine again. Without you, I would be lost, like I said. I would not have regained any of my memories, I would have only been Winter Soldier…for the rest of my life that I could see, especially since the only other person that I can think of that could have reminded me of who I am…" Zima paused; talking about this was always hard, which was why they almost never brought it up. "…crashed in the Arctic back in '45."

Because of where they were in the world, it had taken a while for them to hear of Captain America's demise, and the agent that relayed the information hadn't even really known why he was doing it; Liron, Natalia, and Zima were the only ones who knew of Zima's friendship with the Captain, and even what they knew was scarce. Zima's memories seemed to have stopped trying to push their way back into the main part of his mind, and for safety, he'd convinced Liron not to repair the damaged connection between his memory centre and his mental core.

Liron listened as Zima told her of all he'd seen when trying to imagine what could have been if she had never come into his life, and when he was done, she chewed her lip.

"I don't know what to say…"

"You don't have to say anything." He rubbed at his eyes a little, clearing the mist that had arose in them as he'd spoken.

"Zima, I…"

"What?"

"I…" She gave up on words and just kissed him, hoping it would convey well enough the feelings that she could not put into words.

It took him a moment, but he responded fervently, growling softly when she gripped his hair. She growled back, kissing harder, then flipped them over and pinned him to the bed, straddling his hips.

"Zima."

"Hmm?" He looked a little dazed…it was adorable.

"You really want to be mine?"

Zima sat up a little, the fog fading from his gaze. "Aren't I already yours?"

"So far you're still just a potential mate who's accepted the challenge. You may be the only option in this kind, but you're not truly mine yet."

His face lit up. "So…you're saying you want me to be yours?"

Liron nodded. She still had her fears and doubts, but this was one thing she did not doubt at all. It had been six years, and she'd jumped back and forth on it, not knowing her feelings were really hers and not just a biological urge from her wolf…though it was that too, but now she knew exactly what she wanted. Both from her perspective as a wolf and as a woman. She wanted him, all of him, forever.

Zima's grin could have illuminated the world. "I would be honoured."

Liron's grin was all teeth, triumph and joy in one before she kissed him hard. Her trainee, her mate met her kiss and matched her hunger, responding in kind when she growled again as the kiss turned into a half-fight for dominance. He still had a challenge to complete.

The half-fight lasted for a few seconds before Liron pulled back suddenly.

"You're going to be training harder. The final test is coming."

Zima frowned. "What test?"

She shifted a little, letting the atmosphere between them alter from…whatever it had been just now…to the seriousness of his training. "You're following the same training I did. At the end of your training, before practice missions begin, there will be a test. Sir will use what we have against you. He will order me to use it against you. Just be aware of that."

"Use what against me?"

"Your feelings for me. It's fairly common to do, from what I know. My feelings for Natalia were used against me, her feelings for me were used against her, and so on."

"…oh."

Liron nodded, then sighed, looking down. "I wish we had met some other way."

A warm hand took hers and brought it up to Zima's lips. "So do I."

She smiled grimly and caressed his cheek gently.

Nine months passed. Liron trained Zima harder and harder with each passing month, and he started to feel at times like he was almost starting over completely with how tired he was every night…he was asleep almost as soon as he fell into bed. She brought others into the sessions, making him spar Natalia, Nikolas, Alexi, and several other people aside from herself. She made him spar with magic, teaching him combat and espionage skills that she had never had anyone to teach her. She made him hunt and fight and sneak in wolf form, his lighter fur blending into the snow better than her own. She set him in a room blindfolded and had him identify different things by scent, had him fight using only his ears and nose to determine where she was. And he got better.

Zima himself took the training seriously. Not only did he understand – somewhat – the importance of it all, he was still very aware of the challenge hanging over his head. Liron may have said that she wanted him to be hers, but he knew it wasn't something she would just allow him. He had to earn it.

One morning in late June of 1954, he approached her with an idea that hopefully would be just the thing. "Liron, can I pick the training for today?"

His mate raised a brow. "…Sure."

"Thanks. It's just something I had in mind…for the challenge."

"Ahh. Alright."

She stood up from her bed and stretched, joints popping, and dressed quickly. Zima was already dressed and waiting; he'd been awake for a while before her ice melted, thinking about how to do this.

Liron opened the door and turned to him. "Lead the way, challenger."

A small smile quirked his lips before he stood and left. Liron followed, closing the door after them.

Zima made a beeline for the training room they used most often, and conjured up a blindfold.

Liron's brow rose again. "Blindfold sparring?"

He nodded. "Yeah, but I was thinking with several people."

"Who were you thinking?"

"Um…You can pick."

Liron nodded. "Do as you will here, I'll go bring your opponents." The look in her eyes said she'd make this as hard for him as she could; this was for the challenge, so he would be challenged.

She returned with Natalia, Alexi, and Nikolas. Just them? Well, he knew they'd gone 'easy' on him before, so likely this would me more of a challenge than he'd initially thought when he saw she'd only brought them.

Natalia spoke first. "Care to explain what you have in mind, Zima?"

He nodded once. "Hand to hand only, I'll be blindfolded. It's for the challenge."

Three varying sounds of understanding, and they settled into fighting stances.

"No point in wasting time."

Zima chuckled softly and tied on the blindfold, then let himself sink into his senses as they began to circle. He could smell Natalia in front of him; the two men on either side. Where was Liron? Odd.

Alexi was the first to attack, a punch to the head that if it had landed would probably have dazed Zima pretty good if it didn't knock him out. But a quick forearm block prevented it from landing, and Zima landed his first strike in the split-second available, punching swiftly at Alexi's ribs. The taller man grunted and stomped on Zima's foot simultaneous with a kick from Nikolas impacting Zima's ribs.

Zima grabbed Alexi's arm before he could do anything more and threw him into the wall, luckily managing to dodge another strike from Nikolas…Natalia was hanging back…there was some strategy there.

He kicked at Nikolas, who grabbed his leg and yanked him off his feet. Zima kicked him away and rolled to his feet, following up with a series of rapid-fire punches and blocks. Alexi joined the fray again, and the three men traded blows lightning-fast for a good few minutes before Zima managed to throw Alexi aside again and get behind Nikolas, pulling him into a chokehold.

Nikolas slammed his fist into Zima's groin, making him groan in pain before he retaliated in much the same way. The larger man grunted, and reached behind to yank really hard on his hair, but Zima caught his wrist.

Nikolas grabbed hold of the arm around his neck and yanked that instead, throwing Zima over his head and onto the floor. Somehow the blindfold stayed on still.

Zima got back up, turning toward Natalia's scent…right into several successive punches. He blocked most of them, but a good number still landed…he was gonna have some nice bruises later. She knocked his kick out of the way, clearly trying to spin him around and get to his back centre line. Liron still hadn't joined the fight, but Natalia was on her level, and she was fighting him hard. If the plan was for them to fight him together at any point, it would most certainly be a massive challenge. Especially since he's never fought them both at the same time before.

Every time he blocked successfully, she struck faster, harder…she was still not doing as hard as she could - she probably figured Liron would be mad if she damaged him too much - but she was getting him pretty good.

Suddenly Liron's scent started circling him...she was back from where ever shed disappeared to. But she didn't attack yet, letting Natalia tire him out a little more. Alexi and Nikolas seemed to have left the fight; Zima could smell them over by the wall.

He reached out on a whim, grabbing Natalia's throat and throwing her down. She knocked his legs out from under him as she went down, tapping a few places where she could strike to hurt him more than this fight would warrant, and with his action Liron joined the fight. Liron took advantage of his back to her to get him in a chokehold.

Zima choked a little, but then shoved his hand up through the space between her arm and his neck, his hand curling into a fist as he pushed her arm off. Natalia got up and went for a kick, but he counter-kicked at her legs before striking against her chest, sending Liron and him both back against the floor. They wrestled there for a few minutes before Zima managed to get Liron in a similar chokehold as she had had him in. Natalia circled them, and he could sense her calculating gaze…waiting.

Liron didn't bother messing with his arm, and instead reached down and grabbed his groin, squeezing and yanking much gentler than he knew she would if this was a real fight...but even as gentle as she was being, it still hurt. He clenched his jaw tight to keep from making any sound more than a pained groan, and yanked her backwards by the chokehold around her neck. She struggled against him, then suddenly went limp, her grip on his groin releasing.

Zima panted, forcing the pain to the very back of his mind like she taught him. "You yield?"

Liron did not answer. Natalia still circled them…in a real fight she would be attacking, he knew that much.

His brows furrowed beneath the blindfold. "Liron?"

No reply. Her pulse against his forearm seemed to slow.

He loosened his grip a little and let go of her hair, starting to take the blindfold of, and suddenly she was moving, striking fast and powerful and wriggling out of his grip to stand.

"Do not take the blindfold off."

Zima shoved it back into place before scurrying away from her. Both women began to circle him, and suddenly he was aware of exactly how much danger he was in. He had not fought them both at the same time before, because Liron refused. But he'd seen them fight each other, and as a team against others, so he knew how close a team they were. As lethal as they were alone, they were doubly so together.

Liron would not let him be killed, and certainly would not kill him herself, but it would be impossible for him to come out of this unscathed.

They both moved at once, and what followed was a whirlwind of strikes and blocks almost too fast for Zima to even try to keep up. He dropped back to only defence, and for a moment he felt what it must be like for their targets.

The whirlwind paused as he was trapped against the floor, Liron's thighs around his throat and Natalia pinning down his arms and legs. His whole body ached, and he knew he was very lucky to not have any broken bones. But he had wanted to do this…

"Do you yield?" Liron's thighs squeezed ever so faintly.

"Yeah."

At that, they let him up, and Liron draped one of his arms around her shoulders, the mood changing completely.

"Are you alright?"

"Worn out."

She nodded. "Need me to carry you?"

He shook his head, his hair falling into his eyes. "I can still walk fine."

Liron's lips pursed, but she let him walk, supporting much of his weight just to be safe.

When they got back to the room, Zima went straight to his bed, sitting down heavily with a sigh. Liron sat across from him.

"Zima, I appreciate that you tried."

"I failed. How is that to be appreciated?"

She switched to English as well, a little frown curving her lips. "You made a very good effort, and you did not fail...you just didn't succeed."

"…so you're not upset?"

"No, I'm not."

"Why?"

"Because it was a valiant effort, and you did well even if you didn't succeed."

He laid down. "I feel like I failed you, though."

Liron smiled faintly. "You didn't. Actually, as your trainer, I was impressed. You held your own fairly well; much better than a normal agent who's spent the same amount of time here as you have."

A small bubble of pride blossomed in his chest at her words, and he smiled back. "Thanks."

"You're welcome."

He closed his eyes and let himself drift off to sleep, his bruises and aches already healing with faint wisps of silver light. He needed to think of something else to do to win the challenge…clearly trying to best her in combat wasn't going to work at this point, and he didn't want to wait until his training was over.

Sir laced his hands together atop his desk. "This will be good experience. If you somehow manage to separate them…well, that is something to discuss if you can do it, though I would prefer you didn't."

Yelena tilted her head slightly. "And why not?"

"Because it is a sure way to keep a hold on Agent Ruskin."

She raised a brow, intrigued. "A hold? What kind of hold could you need on the Ice Queen?"

Sir did not seem amused. "Zima is the only person ever shown this level of attraction to. There is little she would not do to protect him, even though she well still follow my orders as she is... supposed to. He is the trigger to a closer control over my pet loose cannon."

"Ah, I see."

He nodded. "I have requested you be transferred here to test exactly how dedicated they are to each other, and I expect you to do whatever it takes. If you must try to seduce them both as a method, feel free, but be aware of their training. They cannot know that this is a mission."

"I understand, Sir."

"Good. You are dismissed. You will be sleeping in the unused bed in Agent Ruskin, Agent Romanova, and Zima's room."

Yelena stood and saluted, before heading out. The room was empty of people when she arrived, but the stuff she had brought was sitting on the bed she was to use.

The dark-haired young woman had just finished getting her stuff put away when the door opened, admitting Agent Romanova, who stopped short when she saw her.

"What are you doing in here?"

Yelena turned to face her. "Madame B requested I come to learn. Sir accepted."

Agent Romanova raised a brow, but let it be.

A moment later, the door opened again to let in Agent Ruskin and the tall, handsome metal-armed man who could only be Zima.

Agent Ruskin frowned. "…Agent Belova?"

Yelena smiled. She wasn't quite an agent yet, but they didn't need to know that.

Zima looked between them, clearly confused.

Agent Ruskin turned to him. "Zima, this is Yelena Belova. She's from a sister organisation to the Red Room known as Leviathan. From what I know, there is very little difference in the way they operate from the way we do."

He nodded slightly, then looked back at Yelena. Yelena smiled at him.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Zima. Any person, much more any man, who seems to have tamed the Frozen Wolf is a bit of a legend."

Zima didn't really react to that, but Agent Ruskin raised a brow. "Tamed?"

Yelena shrugged one shoulder. "That's what the rumours say." She looked him up and down. "Didn't think, Ice Queen, that you could fall for someone even as handsome as he is..."

Those pretty blue eyes of his narrowed for a split second, but he didn't respond aside from that.

Yelena kept talking, still addressing Agent Ruskin even if she was looking at Zima. "Until Agent Romanova married Agent Shoskatov, many of us thought you'd try to go for her if no one else."

Out of the corner of her eye she saw the blonde shrug. "I don't think Sir would have permitted it."

Agent Romanova spoke up, sounding a little terse. "Of course he wouldn't have."

Yelena looked at the redhead. "There are some who believe she only follows his orders when it suites her."

Liron's expression did not change, but her scent flickered with a mix of indignation, anger, sadness, and just...emptiness. Something about that hurt her. Zima frowned.

She was a little too still, but aside from that and her scent shift, it appeared as if Agent Belova's remark didn't affect her at all. "I follow orders as I am trained to. That is all."

Agent Belova said nothing.

No-one spoke much after that exchange, and especially once Liron and Natalia both went to their beds and started reading almost as one, effectively shutting out both Agent Belova…and Zima. Agent Belova didn't seem effected by this, and occupied herself with something else, but Zima sat beside his Liron in silence, knowing she won't talk about it with aforementioned unknown factor in the room, but wanting to be there for her anyways. She spared him a small smile and shifted a little closer to him, not quite touching.

The next day, Liron continued Zima's training as usual, hyper-aware of Agent Belova watching them. He stayed a little closer to her than normal, which was fine with her; Agent Belova's flirting put her on edge. Liron wouldn't have minded as much if the brown-haired woman had only flirted with her, but she flirted with Zima too – and more often – and that made Liron's wolf growl in jealousy. He was her mate.

Over a month passed, and then one day, Agent Belova cornered Zima alone. "What do you really know about your trainer, handsome?"

He sighed, running a hand through his hair. He just wanted to go back to the room and take a shower. "More than you do."

"Is that so?" She leaned casually against the wall.

He crossed his arms and let out a huff of breath, but said nothing.

"Did you know she killed five of her handlers in the first year she had handlers?"

His brows furrowed slightly.

"And three more the second year? She only stopped killing them when Sir himself decided to become her handler."

The bit of tenseness in Zima's shoulders relaxed now that he knew a reason. "Is that all?"

Agent Belova shook her head. "Not nearly. Agent Ruskin is known for her beastly nature... and tendency for mind control."

Zima listened to what she had to say, and raised a brow when she paused as if waiting for a reaction. "If you are saying all of these things to get a reaction out of me, you won't get one."

She gave him a pitying look. "You're bedding a monster, Zima. A monster trained as a Black Widow even if she doesn't have the name. One of these days you're gonna fall asleep in her bed and never wake up. And that's not a fate someone like you should have. You should be free from here, live a long happy life somewhere else where war and places like these can't touch you. She's going to hurt you, bad. Anyone here would hurt you, but her most of all. She doesn't even know what love is... just how to fake it."

He glared at her. "Maybe you're the monster."

Agent Belova blinked. "What?"

"You don't think I know what you're doing? You're trying to separate me and her and go tell Sir all about it. And maybe that's why you're actually here." His wolf rose in his mind, pushing to the forefront as his posture turned predatory. He would protect his mate…he was hers and she was his and no one, not even Sir, would have a chance trying to pry then apart.

Agent Belova's face showed no indication that she noticed his stance change, but he could smell the tiniest hint of fear in her scent, covered mostly by pure determination. She crossed her arms under her chest. "What makes you think I would do that, handsome?"

He growled softly. "You've been hanging over Liron and me, saying things fit to try to drive us away from each other."

Suddenly she was in his space, too close…her scent was everywhere, and she was smiling. "What if I just want one of you all to myself?"

He didn't move. "Then you're wasting your time."

She tilted her head, pouting. "Why's that?"

"I only want Liron."

Agent Belova stepped back, all seriousness. "You love her, don't you? Or at least you think you do."

Zima set his jaw. "I know I do."

"Does she?"

He didn't answer, and Agent Belova moved closer again.

"Does she, Zima? Does she know you love her?" Her voice dropped a little. "Does she love you?"

"She knows I love her. She knows I'm devoted to her."

Agent Belova did not convinced. "Are you sure of that?"

"Yes."

"I wonder, will she say the same if I ask her?"

Zima said nothing, and watched in silence as Agent Belova left, a swing to her hips.

Liron looked up, one brow raised when Agent Belova's scent entered her personal space. She stood. "Agent Belova, did you need something from me?"

The younger woman shook her head. "I just want to talk."

Liron's brow rose a little higher, but she did not deny her. As she came closer, Liron did not move, unwilling to give Agent Belova the satisfaction of making her back down.

Agent Belova smiled suddenly. "You know, up close you're very pretty…almost like a goddess or something."

Liron gave her a look. "I've certainly never heard that before."

Now Agent Belova's brow rose. "Really? I thought perhaps Zima would have said something…or maybe he just doesn't care that much about you like you seem to think."

Liron's jaw set. "I don't see why that should matter to you."

"Maybe I'm just jealous, and very confused."

What? "Confused?"

"Yes, confused. You haven't indicated any affection for Zima, yet you act on it. I wonder if you actually know what you're doing, or if you're just doing it to follow orders through and through."

The blonde wolf-woman scowled, but said nothing, and stayed still as Agent Belova started to circle her.

"It'd be too bad if he found out you were only using him…" Her hand trailed along Liron's shoulderblades, and Liron shivered.

"I'm not."

"Really? You expect me to believe that?" She came back around to face her.

Liron's eyes hardened, anger flickering in their depths. "I do."

Agent Belova stared at her for a while, and then suddenly – with absolutely no prior warning even in her scent – she grabbed the back of Liron's head and kissed her hard. Liron stiffened, pushing at her shoulders, but before she could actually push her away, the younger woman had broken the kiss and was pulling back, smirking and licking her lower lip slowly.

"You taste sweet."

A growl rumbled in Liron's chest. "Were I to kill you, I would find myself in more trouble than you are worth."

Agent Belova chuckled softly. "Still not convinced you have feelings for Agent Handsome."

The growl slipped past her lips. "You leave him alone. He is mine."

The smirk faded only slightly. "So you do have feelings."

"I may not be human, but I'm also not dead."

Agent Belova looked her up and down. "Well that's obvious."

"So yes, I have feelings." Liron smiled grimly; more of a baring of the teeth than a proper smile.

"What feelings exactly?"

She was getting really tired of this. "Why is it your business?"

"I'm curious."

Yeah, right. Sir or someone had sent her on mission to find out where Liron's loyalties lie, or something along those lines. Well, fine. "Yes, I have feelings. Yes, I go against my training in having some of them, and yes some of those are for Zima. Yes, some of them are also for Natalia." Her face twisted in a dark scowl. "Is your curiosity satisfied?"

Agent Belova grinned. "Very much so."

"Good. Now leave me alone before I knock you out."

The younger woman turned and left, and Liron sighed heavily and sat back down, putting her head in her hands.

After several eternal moments of deep thought, Liron was jolted out of her musings by the door opening. At the sight of Zima, she rose to her feet in an instant, striding over to him with purpose in her step.

His pace quickened a little, and when they met in the middle, he took her hands in his.

"Are you okay? I saw Agent Belova come out of here."

Liron freed her hands and cupped his face with both of them, making him look her right in the eyes. "Zima, I love you."

Those pretty blue eyes filled with confusion and uncertainty in an instant, and in his…shock, maybe?...he switched to English. "What?"

"I love you."

Zima stared at her for long enough that she started to fear what he may say, before his face lit up light a supernova, and he wrapped her in the tightest embrace she had ever felt from him. "I love you too."