RPOV
Dimitri's anxiety had been a constant hum in my life for the past three weeks. At first, I thought it was Derek's presence in the suite and around me, but when the anxiety persisted after they started getting along, I knew something was wrong. However, every time I asked him what was bothering him, he'd say it was nothing. He even had the gall to tell me that he wasn't bothered by anything like I couldn't feel what he was feeling.
I knew the rest of the pack couldn't sense his ever-present anxiety, it was just me. The day after Derek joined us we fell into a comfortable routine. Dimitri and I would wake in the morning, me getting a little more sleep than I was used to, and Dimitri getting less. We'd run a few circuits around campus before sparring. Sometimes we would spar in wolf form in the clearing in the woods, but other times we'd be in the gym in our human forms.
My favorite sparring was in the clearing when we started out human and then Shifted. Dimitri was getting better; he could almost land a hit on me. After sparring we'd head back to the suite where Derek would be awake, but Lissa wouldn't. The first few days with Derek there, we'd try to keep as quiet as possible when we'd shower, but after a while, we stopped trying. I knew Dimitri didn't mind because he liked to remind Derek that we were Paired, not that I really minded, either.
When Lissa would wake up and get ready, we'd all head to the cafeteria to have breakfast. I was allowed to get food with Lissa, but Dimitri would be by my side and wouldn't get food for himself until I was seated at the table with Eddie and Mason. Eddie and Mason wouldn't go get food until Dimitri came back with his.
I tried to get them to stop being so protective, but they just looked at each other and laughed at me before turning back to their routine. Christian had usually joined us by then and typically joined Eddie and Mason in the food line. Only when all of my pack was at the table did Derek go and get food. We used breakfast as an opportunity for the pack to ask me questions and for us to get to know Derek and Dimitri more.
Derek was much more open with my pack than Dimitri was, but that was to be expected. Dimitri was already part of my pack, but Derek was not. I could feel Derek's jealousy when I talked with Dimitri through our bond. I don't know if he was jealous of Dimitri because he was in my pack or because he was my Pair.
Lunch went much the same as breakfast except that Dimitri was much more alert due to the increased presence of other people. Both Lissa and Christian went to the feeders during lunch and I could tell then they took their first pull of blood, even without being in the same room. While it did not give me the same power that Strigoi or Pricolici blood did, their feeding did provide me a little energy.
Derek took over primary guarding while Dimitri and I spend another couple of hours training. Usually, Christian and Lissa would just sit in the library studying, or hang out until Dimitri and I got back to the suite. Much like Dimitri and I, Christian and Lissa had become a lot more comfortable spending time together while we're in the suite. Thankfully, Lissa's room is soundproofed, so we don't hear as much.
The first time it happened, Derek looked extremely uncomfortably at Dimitri and I before we smirked at him and disappeared into Dimitri's room. We'd offered Derek the spare room that I wouldn't be using, but he thought it best to live a little further down the hall. I left all of my things in my room, but I lived with Dimitri in his.
Depending on the night and how everyone is feeling, we have dinner in the suite. Dimitri was teaching Lissa and me how to cook a decent meal. Lissa was picking up on everything wonderfully; I, however, was not as skilled in the kitchen as I had hoped. We'd finish the night either watching tv or lounging in bed.
Derek was fitting in nicely with our little group. He was young enough to still know what it's like but old enough for us to know he was more Guardian than classmate. Derek hadn't approached me about joining our pack, but I knew he still wanted to. I would have accepted Derek into my pack, but with one other Alpha already, I was starting to feel the effects of having a pack on my overall power. I'd need to hunt soon.
In fact, we, Dimitri and I, were going hunting today. The Equinox Dance was tomorrow night and I didn't want the threat of going wolf hanging over my head. Dimitri's ever-present anxiety started growing a few days ago and continued to grow as the night of the dance approached.
"Something doesn't feel right about this dance, Roza." He said pulling me tightly against him. We were lying in bed, relaxing before a full day of hunting. He buried his nose in my hair and inhaled deeply. I'd noticed my scent changing. I'd started to gain more of a woodsy smell, like pine. It took me a few days to realize that my scent was mixing with Dimitri's to become my natural scent. Unsurprisingly, Dimitri's scent started to gain a floral scent.
"You worry too much, Comrade," I said placing a hand on his bare chest. "It's just a dance. Nothing bad is going to happen."
"You know, in movies, when people say, 'Nothing bad is going to happen,' bad things happen," Dimitri said with a humorless chuckle.
"We aren't in a movie, Comrade," I responded.
"I know that, but I just can't shake this feeling that something bad is waiting for us just around the corner, and it's going to come for us at this dance." He silenced any response I might have had with a light kiss on my neck, followed by another and another. "I'm not going to lose you."
His grip tightened around my waist, pressing his firm body against mine until I could feel every ridge of his muscles. My head tilted back allowing his lips to freely roam my neck and my chest. One hand glided up my back and tangled itself in my hair, pulling down gently and causing my head to fall back even more.
His tongue traced my collarbone before he nipped gently at my flesh. I could feel his hard shaft as it dug into my hip. He rocked his hips slightly, seeking the friction he craved. I felt a devious smirk spread across my face and let my nails elongate.
I lightly drug my claws down his spine, reveling in the feeling of his skin as it bubbled under my touch. His grip on me tightened yet again. He began to roll me on my back, but before he placed his body over mine, I slipped quickly from under him. I laughed as he stared bewildered at the sheets beneath him.
By the time he figured out I wasn't in the bed anymore, I was already pulling on sweatpants and a baggy hoodie. I didn't bother with undergarments because I'd be taking them off soon enough.
"Are you coming?" I asked from the doorway. Dimitri was still sitting in bed looking shocked. He looked up at my question and seemed to fully understand again.
"Sadly, not as much as I would like to be." He mumbled making his way out of bed. He slipped on a pair of shorts and a shirt before following me out of the suite, out of the dorms, and into the woods.
I watched as he stripped his shirt off, but he paused when his hands reached the waistband of his shorts. I didn't notice until then that I was leering.
"Do you want something?" He asked with a smirk.
"I want you to finish undressing and Shift," I said sweetly while batting my eyelashes.
"Your wish is my command." He said with a flourished bow, yet somehow managed to pull his shorts off and Shift all in the same move. "Are you satisfied now?"
"Not yet," I said smiling. I decided to start by pulling off my pants. I felt Dimitri's eyes follow the waistband of my pants as they unveiled more of my skin. As the fabric pooled at my feet, I kicked it away and started on my hoodie.
The growl that escaped Dimitri's chest caused me to smirk. The hoodie was about to cover my face when I felt Dimitri move closer to me. I didn't think much of it and continued to pull the hoodie over my head, blocking my view of Dimitri for a few seconds. In those few seconds, Dimitri's tongue glided over my stomach. I felt my knees go weak as he continued over my breasts.
"I'm sure I could satisfy you." His gruff voice came through in a whisper. I released an embarrassing loud moan as I pushed his giant head away. I stepped closer to him, staring him down.
Dimitri had become a lot more brash since we Paired, but he knew when to back down. He bowed his head down to my level, allowing me to scratch behind his ear. Involuntarily, Dimitri's head cocked to the side as I continued to scratch behind his ear. His eyes closed in bliss, and he released an un-Alpha-like whimper.
"I could satisfy you, too, Comrade," I whisper in his ear causing it to twitch. As I backed away, he released another growl. I Shifted in front of him and shook out my white fur.
"That wasn't nice, Roza." He growled. I simply smirked at him and turned toward the ward line. The smell that came from the ward lines had the smell of magic. Magic smelled like maple syrup. The closer I got to the ward lines the more I wanted pancakes, but I knew pancakes weren't going to satisfy my hunger.
We moved soundlessly beyond the ward line and immediately smelt death. I glanced over at Dimitri with wide eyes and took off in a sprint. I followed the stench until I realized that I was heading straight back to the caves. Only then did I remember that I'd forgotten to tell Alberta about the caves. With the mess that happened with Lissa and the unfortunate incident on the shopping trip, I'd completely forgotten about the network of dark tunnels, perfect for hiding Strigoi or Pricolici.
"They're in the caves," I told Dimitri as we approached the mouth of the cave.
"Do you know how many there are?" He asked as he followed closely behind.
"I can't tell for sure, but there are at least half a dozen, probably more." He didn't respond as he squeezed his body through the opening. We moved silently down the corridors following the smell of death.
The passages led us back to the large cavern a few moments later. Like the last time, there were Strigoi gathered around a large fire. Two Pricolici were lying off to the side, watching the Strigoi. With their sensitive hearing, the Pricolici were the first to notice our entry. They raised their head in our direction before quickly standing with menacing growls.
The Strigoi looked confused until they followed the gaze of Pricolici and saw us. All of them were on the feet within a second. Dimitri and I had stopped at the entrance of passage, watching in amusement as the undead creatures looked at each other trying to figure out what to do. Finally, one Strigoi stepped forward and began to speak, addressing me specifically.
"We didn't expect to see you until tomorrow night, Great White Wolf," said he with an arrogant smirk. I felt Dimitri tense from his spot behind me. I suppose his fear for tomorrow's dance was well founded. "I don't think the boss will be too happy that we finished the job early."
"What job would that be?" Dimitri asked tensely. I hadn't planned on conversing with these Strigoi, but Dimitri wanted answers.
"The boss wants her alive, you too, if we could manage it, but you aren't strictly necessary." Said another as he inched his way closer to us. There was still a good twenty feet between us and the nearest Strigoi, so I wasn't too concerned, not that I would have been if they were closer.
"What does your boss want her for?" Dimitri asked, his voice growing angry.
"We don't really know. I know he's taking orders from another, but we work for him. Since you won't be leaving here alive, we don't mind answering a few questions." The Strigoi smirked and nodded in the direction of the Pricolici. They started moving around the edges of the cavern, trying to circle around the back of us. I let them.
"Who is your boss?" I asked after a few tense moments. I kept my eyes on the Strigoi in front of me as Dimitri turned to face the larger of the two Pricolici.
"His name is Victor. He'll be very pleased when we bring you in."
"What does he want with me?" I repeated Dimitri's question.
"Again, we aren't really sure. He's a little sick. He probably thinks that you can give him something, the bite? But the bite doesn't work with Moroi." The Strigoi stopped to look at each other, trying to figure out what their boss could possibly want with a living Lycanthrope.
"Why are you helping him?" I asked, their smirks growing as they stalked forward. The Pricolici had stopped and sat down, blocking our exit.
"He's promised us more power, better access to our…resources…that we need."
"Well, I hate to break it to you, but you're not going to hold up your end of the bargain, nor is your boss," I said digging my back paws into the cave floor. Dimitri tensed at my movement but quickly prepared himself for my next move.
I didn't make the first move, the Strigoi did, but it would be his last.