make her suffer?
“Your magic didn’t help Dimitri and Tatiana defeat the demons.” His face turned an alarming shade of red. “Your magic didn’t prevent the sniper’s bullet from barely missing Constantine’s heart.”
He was right, though he was taking this grudge too far. Second alphas could be such dickheads. He handed Odin back to her and stood, sparing her a fleeting glance before walking to the door.
“Where are you going?” she asked, again resenting that he’d placed her in this submissive position.
He paused, his spine and shoulders stiff. “I can’t be here right now.”
“With me?”
“Da,” he said tersely, “with you.”
Her heart shattered when he walked out the door without a backward glance.
There was no mistaking the venom in his last words. Was this more than a grudge? Could he hate her?
“WAKE UP!”
Dimitri’s eyes flew open, and he swung his fists, on the verge of shifting into protector form. Tatiana jumped up, too, letting out a yelp and clinging to him.
“Easy, you two.” Constantine backed away, holding out both hands, then motioning to the two brothers behind him. “It’s only us.”
Momentarily disoriented, Dimitri slid beneath the blankets, taking Tatiana into his arms, their hearts still racing. It took him a moment to realize they were no longer in the forest, though he somehow still glimpsed a stifling darkness, like a spot deep inside.
“After the hell we’ve been through,” he snarled, “you have the nerve to wake us like this?”
Tatiana buried her face in the crook of his arm.
Constantine scowled at him, and he gave Dimitri an accusatory look. Why do we smell mating fluids?
Andrei and Dejan flanked Constantine, arms crossed, eyes practically crossing, too.
Yawning, he wrapped his arm tighter around her, inwardly laughing when they glowered. I branded her, brothers. I didn’t steal her virginity.
Constantine relaxed. I supposed you deserved this after what you’ve been through.
Dimitri sneered. What the hell do you know about what we’ve been through? He couldn’t deny his rage at them. Since none of you bothered to come for us.
We were about to, Constantine projected. Eilea held us back.
Dimitri snorted. She held you back while we wandered lost for days?
His brothers shared quizzical looks.
Tatiana’s eyes were still glossy from sleep. “Are we safe?”
“Da.” He nuzzled her cheek, purring in her ear. “Good morning, iubita mea.”
Tatiana kissed his cheek. “Are you sure?”
He returned the kiss. “My brothers are here. We’re safe.” He imagined it would be a long while before either of them felt safe again.
She blinked up at his brothers, her cheeks reddening while she tightened her hold on Dimitri. She was as beautiful as a goddess. Her long, dark hair had come out of her topknot and cascaded over her shoulders in waves, complementing her large eyes and thick lashes. Her tanned skin had a rosy hue, reminding him of a flower in full bloom. Memories of their lovemaking came back to him, the taste of her sweet essence and the feel of her slick heat. He wanted to take her virgin blood and join with her for good.
Constantine knelt beside them. “How do you feel, Tatiana?”
She shrugged. “Like I’ve been to hell and back.” She turned wide eyes to Dimitri. “How long have we been asleep?”
Dimitri shrugged. “I don’t know.”
“Almost two days,” Constantine answered.
Two days! Dimitri’s stomach rumbled as if to confirm. He was so hungry he could eat an entire cow.
“How long do you think you were wandering in the forest?” Andrei asked them.
“Huh?” Tatiana rubbed sleep from her eyes and sat up with a yawn, hugging her knees to her chest.
They were still on the mattress on the floor. Dimitri sat up beside her and leaned against his grandmother’s antique dresser, the hard, brass nobs poking his back—a welcome discomfort compared to demon burn.
“A few days at least,” Dimitri answered, refusing to thank Dejan when he handed them each a hot cup of tea.
“You were inside about twenty minutes,” Constantine said. “We were about to go in after you when Eilea used her magic to guide you out.”
A low growl escaped his throat. “There was no way we were only there twenty minutes.”
Again, his brothers shared looks.
“Our bunics said time passes slower behind the veil,” Andrei answered.
Dimitri glared at them. “That slow?”
“Da,” they all said, vehemently nodding.
His shoulders relaxed as he gave his brothers assessing looks. Could they be telling the truth?
“Andrei and I were shot.” Constantine pointed to his chest and then Andrei’s leg. “Or we would’ve immediately followed you.”
He remembered the bloody battle, and Andrei falling with a howl.
“We were ready to