20

Kaitlyn

"Two, one, push!" Vera's groan grows pained as the second tree falls.

"Thanks for helping to create a diversion," I say, looking over my shoulder. "I don't know what to do if the wrong male catches me."

"It's not a diversion for you, but the fox musk helps all of us—covering our scents was Sydney's idea. We didn't know you would be here. This is the path for Adam to reach Patricika. Did you see how many males were in the initial pit? The males Gleb's age usually miss the chase, but even shy Marat came today. Adam's leg burns aren't healing as fast as they should. Patricika wants Adam to reach her before she must fight any of them."

"Fight them?" I squeak. I climb over our downed tree to put her between me and the starting line. "I assumed we would run one couple at a time like a symbolic thing."

"No," Vera says with a giggle. "I stabbed two males—Sergei and Gleb—in my first chase."

"Stabbed? Can we walk and talk at the same time?" I ask with panic laced around my words. Sweat already dots my brow and under my arms. Thank goodness I left my coat in the truck. While the leather gloves protect my hands from prickly plants in my way, they drive my temperature higher—ditto with my thick socks and boots. I huff and puff from the short jog here. I can't imagine the stamina required to outrun a giant snow monster.

"Yeah, wait," Vera says, grabbing my shoulder. "You aren't armed? Serik sent you into a chase without a knife? These males are under the influence of their rut. They are more animals than man."

"Serik left out a few details," I snarl between clenched jaws. I don't want to slam my mate at what equates to a marriage ceremony in his culture, but I may kick his ass when he catches me. Oh, please let him be the one to catch me.

"I'm meeting Artyom in that tree," she says, pointing to a tall oak in the distance. "I can climb higher than any of the males. How are you at climbing trees?"

"I hate climbing trees, but I may make an exception."

"Let's go," she says, bouncing and clapping her hands as if I suggested shopping at a mall, not climbing a tree to avoid rabid monsters. "Artyom will fuck the fire out of me and then we will go find Serik, okay?"

Um, let me think…how about no? As close as I hope to become with Vera, watching her have sex is a hard no. Exhibitionist much?

"That's a little too familiar for me." I wave my palms in surrender as I back away.

"Well, you wouldn't want him to encounter both of us while enthralled by his rut," she says with a giggle as if I'm the irrational one. "He has the virility to claim both of us."

"Nope," I say, stepping over a mud puddle. "Not to yuck anyone else's yum, but menage-monster is not on my bucket list. I'll save my ‘fire' for Serik and hopefully meet up with you later."

"We definitely will because Artyom and I are going to give you guys the salute of support," she swears, patting her jacket. Oh yeah, when they watch us have sex, I forgot about that wrinkle. "Let me check my pockets. I may have an extra knife—"

"Or something I could whittle into a shank," I grouse. In the distance are a chorus of growls and crashes, which can only mean the males joined the chase. I have a hot minute to resolve my confidence issues because living with Serik means I'm getting busy with an audience today.

"I'm sorry, Kaitlyn, we need to run," Vera says, disappearing into the brush. Her tiny form barely disturbs the tall grasses and reeds of the underbrush. The pixie has an airtight plan with her male. I can't help but be jealous.

Why would Serik send me into this without a plan or weapon?

His ego…dammit. I knew all the talk of ballin' would go straight to his head, but giving him a slice of happiness after he rescued me from myself was too much temptation. He chased after me across providence lines, risking exposure to save me from my self-imposed isolation. I had to reciprocate somehow…

There's still time to give him what he really wants…a loving partner.

Now to figure out which snarls, growls, and crashes belong to my monster. If dushevnayasvyaz has the power to bring mates together, I need it to step up. I stop idly walking and listen. My senses open to filter out the normal forest noises for a pack of males louder than a herd of rhinos.

Serik, where are you? An answering crash moves my feet into a jog and then a sprint. Something deep inside me says that's not Serik. The steps are too fast. The noise is too high-pitched for someone large with big feet. I don't wait to verify if Timor's daughters or a younger, dumber male follow me. All I need to know is it isn't Serik.

My thighs burn. I watch the ground for hazards to trip me and twist my ankle. Isn't a raised root or mud-embedded branch what kills girls in the movies? She's running from the enemy and then she trips, falls, and grabs her ankle with a pathetic cry. I'm not that stupid. I'm a final girl in this horror movie, and Serik is my monster of choice.

"Don't have a heart attack," Adam says from beside me. "It's just me. I'm not chasing you—this is a coincidence. I ran over Patricika's log bridges, and you were at the end."

"Thank God," I groan, slowing my steps while clutching the stitch in my side. "You didn't happen to see Serik, did you?"

"He must have fallen off the second log because he was underneath it when I crossed," Adam says, looking behind us. "Who I don't remember seeing is Adrik. They ran off together with Kiril at the start. I found Kiril quickly—lying in pain. Adrik's black fur helps him blend in with the forest and he's super quiet. He's the one you have to worry about—"

"Why?" I ask with my heart racing. I double our pace until we're power walking.

"He's not a Chuchunya," Adam explains, pushing a branch upward so we can duck under it. "The Chuchunya parents of the ones we know killed his entire clan. He's all that's left and keeps to himself. I don't know who raised him or why he sticks around. Nobody trusts him. Stay away from him, Kaitlyn."

"Thanks, and thanks for running with me for a while. I know you have a lot riding on this, too. Just know, Serik and I wish you and your family all the best."

"Samesies, as Vera would say," Adam replies with a squeeze to my shoulder. "I want to help the Chuchunya any way I can. Settling Serik will reduce the conflicts in the group. He's a handful. If you or Serik ever need anything—just ask."

"You wouldn't happen to have a knife. I'm unarmed."

"Good thinking. I have one—" His words are cut off by a blur of grey fur.

Patricika bursts from the trees on our left, crashing into her mate. They roll through the underbrush until she settles on top of Adam. She pins him by the elbows with her legs hugging his hips. He laughs when raising his head doesn't reach hers for a kiss. She releases one arm to tilt his chin upward. His chuckles fade to moans as she licks downward from his jaw to his shirt collar.

"My mate," she growls against his collarbone. "You are noisy and slow, so I claimed you."

Then they stop to look at me. Watching my former employee about to be ravished by a snow monster isn't awkward at all…not! I glance to my left to break the cringy tension. There's clear land at the bottom of a slope. Patricika must have laid on the hill to hide herself in the tall grass.

"What's the gesture for supporting the couple? Serik mentioned one and I want to show I support you," I say, grateful my lungs have stopped burning so I can talk in a normal voice.

"It's this," says a black snow monster, emerging from the trees. He makes a fist and thumps it against his heart. "Although we usually watch them mate first… Which would turn you on more, Kaitlyn, watching them with me or running before I pin you to the ground?"

Adrik.

"She's part of a dushevnayasvyaz," Patricika snarls.

"Carry on, Patricika," --backing away from Adrik-- "Serik will be here any second."

Adrik's evil laughter echoes as I sit in a stand of tall grass and backward somersault down the hill. My shoulder screams as I twist to barrel roll down the second half. Rocks and sticks embed themselves into my hair, sending shocks of pain over my scalp as they yank out strands. I lose my ponytail holder, but my ear band keeps my face clear. My hair snarls stand on my head like a troll doll left in some kid's sandbox for the last twenty years. No need to run prettily like a damsel in a movie. I jiggle from head to toe as I run for my life.

"Fly, little bird," Adrik calls after me at the top of the hill. "Fly, so clipping your wings feels more satisfying."

Serik

If I kill Adrik, will I be disqualified from the chase? If it were anyone else, I would be. I emerge from the pit of leaves with rage surging through my limbs. Adrik's been a thorn under my claw since my parents adopted him at the end of the Clan Wars. They already had a son. Why did they need to add him? He never liked me, so I gave as much hate as I got. He took my parent's affection, and now he wants Kaitlyn's.

Well, too bad.

Do I risk someone else finding her while I kill him? Since he is my size and strength, I won't be able to easily take him down. Of course, I'm smarter…and fight dirty…but… The thought of Kaitlyn trapped under a lesser male while the two strongest vying for her attention fight amongst themselves burns my insides. She's mine in every sense of the word. Dushevnayasvyaz, clan law, mated, scented, consented. I've claimed my female in every way except this stupid ceremony. Only an outsider would challenge what I have set in stone.

I must find my chernyrozd. Climbing onto the fallen tree, I calm my thundering heart to listen for her.

What the hell? Adam's annoying voice mingles with Kaitlyn's sweet song. Their talking will lure every male to their spot. The idiotic, human male distracts her from her main objective—to stay safely hidden until her mate finds her. I follow the voices with heavy steps as anger drains the lust from my focus. Without Manya participating, there aren't females to redirect the younger males from Kaitlyn. Timor's daughters' participation is a joke. Even if Adam is too stupid to realize how he jeopardizes her safety, Patricika should have her mate under control.

At the top of the log, I splash into a muddy creek bed and creep through the mud. Adrik's silhouette is obvious against the sunny sky above me, but the shadows hide me. He snaps twigs with every step while the mud cushions my feet. How can Adam and Kaitlyn not hear him stalking them? They don't, but Patricika does. Her body lies flat on the hilltop about five feet from our unsuspecting human mates. When she explodes from her hiding place, Kaitlyn is the only one surprised.

My frightened little bird spins with fear, her gloved hands holding her frightened scream in her mouth. Her face is red with exertion, rosy like after mating. She's coated in sticks, leaves, and mud, as if the forest welcomes her as a family member. My fingers bend and flex with the need to sink into her luscious curves. The haze of a rut clouds my vision. My shaft hardens and threatens to extrude through the fur on my lap. I must hunt, claim, and mate her. Air saws from my lungs as my heart pounds.

I growl at the male standing in my way. He's had enough fun taunting my poor mate. She flings herself from the hilltop, desperately trying to outrun him. As she disappears, I hope she finds somewhere to hide. She's too delicate to watch me tear my brother limb from limb, and I will be too busy doing so to defend her from any other Chuchunya who finds her. Any male who touches her will face my claws and fangs, donating their blood to nourish the forest's soil. Her call to me will be the last sound they hear.

"Serik," Adrik says with a bitter laugh. "About time you showed up. You almost missed my sampling of your mate's charms. Do you call her chernyrozd because you love to listen to her scream as she fights you off her? Or is it her sobbing pleas for you to leave her alone?"

"I will kill you first," I sneer, spittle flying off my teeth. "Leave my mate alone."

"Or what? You will chase me instead? The sensation of your crooked teeth on their body is enough to send anyone running, but I'd rut you before you could pin me. Tired of your female already and want someone with more substance, Serik?"

"The only pleasure I will get from you is watching the blood drain from your corpse. Last chance, as my clansman and brother. Leave. Kaitlyn. Alone." I raise my claws and crouch low to pounce on him.

"Why? I've got nothing to lose," he says with a hollow, frightening laugh.

I hesitate for a split second, as I doubt his sanity. Do I want to take on a Chuchunya with a death wish? Does the coward provoke me on purpose, so I end his life? This is my last cognizant thought as he grabs for my waist. I rake my claws from the top of his head to his hip, drawing blood in long stripes. His bite over my kidney makes me see white with blinding pain. I bend to lift his leg from the ground before spinning with all my strength. His knee buckles, causing him to lose his balance. I slam him onto the forest floor, dislodging his tiny fangs. My foot connects with the soft tissue of his belly.

He curls into a ball on his side as I stand over him.

Must. Find. Kaitlyn.

I step to the line of trees where he taunted her.

Adrik's unhinged laughter rings in my ears. "Leave me with a tiny scratch? Is that all you've got to save your mate?"

I whirl around and kick him in the chin as hard as I can. My kicks and punches land with a lifetime of resentment. My teeth buzz with the urge to deliver a killing bite. Would it be justice to kill him with the teeth he mocked since the moment I met him? Swipes of my claws silence his laughter and replace it with a chilling gurgling.

What have I done? The haze of rage clears from my thoughts. Adrik coughs and spits blood as he lies on the ground. As much as I want to win Kaitlyn, this isn't the way. I don't want to be the male who killed his brother. We didn't have the loving partnership of Artyom and his twin, but I never wished him dead.

"All I wanted was for you to leave me in peace," I yell as I cry tears over him. "Stop threatening my mate. Stop making jokes about my teeth. Stop turning my parents against me. Stop ruining my life. I thought we grew up and moved to our separate corners of the forest."

"So grown up—" he coughs "—yet a few words and you lash out like a kit."

"With all my passion and extra teeth, dushevnayasvyaz chose me. Now I choose to let you wallow in your self-pity and misery while I enjoy my life." I make a show of stepping over him and walking away. I refuse to clutch my side where he bit me. My pride fortifies my spine and plants my steps as I calmly walk away from the mysterious, dangerous Adrik. Giving him my back, I show I'm no longer afraid of him—that it doesn't matter to me if he lives or dies.

All that matters is my chernyrozd.

Kaitlyn

Adrik disappeared into the trees when I rolled down the hill, but I don't trust him to stay gone. Grunts and growls attack me from every direction. While the clearing at the bottom of the hill seemed like the best way to elude Adrik, I traded smooth grass for brush or trees to hide me.

"Serik, Serik, where are you?" I whimper as I crawl. The knees of my jeans shred, splattered with the blood from my scraped flesh. The wounds better not get infected. When was my last tetanus shot? Why didn't I load up on vaccinations before retreating into the wilderness? "Serik, please rescue me before I die of fever, like those pioneer women on cable."

I slide down the muddy hill at the other end of the meadow on my belly. My front is brown with clumps of God-knows-what hanging off my shirt. What I thought would be a sexy romp outdoors is a borking disaster. I'm alone but surrounded by scary monsters. My man is M.I.A. I'm tired, dirty, stinky, and the farthest from sexy as I've ever been.

A rotted log held aloft by two rocks will make the perfect hiding spot!

I crawl into the damp hole. Hooray, my ass fits! If another Chuchunya finds me, I'll kick him in the face until he leaves me alone. With any luck, Artyom is a one-pump-chump and Vera will look for me. She said they would ‘gesture support' for Serik and me. Hopefully, that support equates to a rescue if he never finds me. Great, now I'm crying harder. I tear my sleeves off my cute, ribbed top, wipe my tears on the material, and tie them over my knees. If I must crawl further into this hole, I want my open wounds covered by something.

Today will be a win if I emerge without a disease.

I cuddle my achy knees and cry into my lap.

What would my brothers do? They wouldn't ‘rough it' in the boreal forest, for starters. Okay, what would Patricika or Sydney do? They would make a weapon and hunt their mate. Waiting for him to catch them is just one option when you are a warrior woman, but that's not me. Serik said I didn't have to be a huntress to be his mate. Yes, Adam looked pleased Patricika tackled him, but Serik isn't Adam. For one, Serik's ego would be bruised if I claimed him. Second, he said we matched because we use our brains. Hiding in a damp place like a mushroom is totally on brand for me…so are hysterics if I'm here too long.

The mud from under my nails peeks from the chips in my black polish is the last straw.

Damn, I hate nature.

Chitter. Chitter.

And dammit, this is a raccoon's lair! I launch out of my hiding place with a scream…

…and into a pair of furry arms.

"Stop, stop," I screech as I pummel the giant body with my fists. "I'm Serik's girl. You don't want to make him mad. He'll kick your ass."

"If his dushevnayasvyaz doesn't kill him first," Serik says with a kiss on the top of my head. His voice flips a switch in my mind. My arms go from pushing him away to pulling him closer. I kiss every inch of fur I can reach. "There, there, chernyrozd, your male is here to protect you, to provide for you, and to love you."

"That's what I want, Serik," I shout through my sobs. "I want you to love me. I'm so tired of being scared and alone."

"That's right, my fierce female. Submit to your male," he whispers in my hair, planting tiny kisses along my hairline. His words are a more dominant version of the male I love. Something primal in me awakens at his demands.

The fear and stress melt from my muscles as his hands roam over my curves. In the back of my mind, I know he's checking me for injuries, but the love under his palms ignites my need to be closer to him…the need to take off my clothes. I burn for him.

"I'll try to be gentle, but I must be honest," he says, lowering us to the grassy ground. I pat myself on the back for choosing the soft spot. "Rut is riding me hard. It changes me. We can wait until I'm in more control, but…"

"Give me out of control, Serik," I whisper. I crawl onto his lap and kiss him hard. My tongue caresses each of the teeth he despises. I hope he feels how much love I have for what makes him special. Those toothy smiles are mine—the annoyed scowls too. "I've put a lot of effort into driving you crazy with arousal today. I want everything promised in a mating chase."

His answering growl curls my toes.

He dumps me onto my back and flips me over as if I'm light as a feather. My knees rake against the ribbed fabric of my bandages and bang against the dirt as he lifts my ass into the air. I fold my arms and lay my head down in what I hope is a cute posture of submission. I don't imagine I look as cute as Snow White after the huntsman chases her through the forest, but I didn't have semi-sentient animal friends to help me.

My black hair tumbles in snarls—but at least I covered my roots before leaving civilization—not that Serik cares. By the look on his face, as he caresses my hips, he can't tell me if my hair is in a ponytail or down. His claws lightly trace my pants in small circles that dip dangerously close to the throbbing need between my legs. Why didn't I wear thinner pants? It's not like the jeans protected my knees, anyway.

"Take me, Serik," I whine.

"Don't rush me," he barks. My body gushes after his display of aggression to ready myself for him. I hope he presses harder to feel how much I want him…now.

"Serik." I push my hips backward to press into his claws. They prick my skin, and the slight pain floods my senses with pleasure. I pant his name as I wiggle to entice him.

"I could listen to you beg for me all day," he says with a deep inhale.

"Don't you dare! And don't sniff my hoo-ha—I've been running, climbing, and panicking. I'm not the freshest daisy right now!"

"There's my fierce chernyrozd," he says, driving me crazy with the slow removal of my jeans. "You submitted so prettily I thought I might have the wrong female. Your natural scent—not soap—is what calls to me. Ooh, and listen to your little growl. You need your male to tame the fires within you."

"Yes! I need you to quit playing around and—" He steals my words by spearing his tongue deep inside me. I rock against his face and wail nonsense about how much I love him. He's stolen my decency, my modesty, and my heart. I want this entire forest to hear what he does to me. Where are those supporters? I want to give them a show.

"I taste your excitement." He punctuates his dirty talk by wiping his mouth on my upper thigh. "You dripped down your legs, soaked my fur, and marked the soil—"

"You stopped when I was about to climax, you bastard—you svoloch! Stop talking and rut your monster cock inside me."

"Needy, bossy mate," he says with a loud spank across my ass. I kick backward in hopes I hit a part of him I'm not craving but will still get his attention. "You knew everyone called me a Svoloch, but you urge me into your cunt. We must go slow. My knot inflated with your taste."

He's crazy huge without the knot. When it inflated before, he was already inside me and could pleasure us with shallow penetration. Despite being able to form coherent sentences, I suspect his control hangs by a thread. If I were to fight or run, he'd lose it. Does he have the finesse not to hurt me? Do I trust him? Is my body too aroused to care?

Oh, how my eyes roll back with bliss when his tip notches my entrance. Each thrust pushes him farther inside. I forgot how deep a male can go with doggie style. It's been so long since I had an adventurous partner. Hell, it's been years since I've had a partner period. My body stretches and squirts to provide a smooth glide until we're locked together. His knot bumps my clit as his pelvis kisses mine. With a contented sigh, I lay my head back down on my arms and tug on my nipple rings.

"It's not enough," Serik yells. "I'm too afraid to hurt you, but I'm losing control. My body wants more."

"Then give me more," I say, allowing my eyelids to shut in bliss. "I'll like the pain."

"Kaitlyn, I—"

He slams home. My poor inner labia stretch to their limits. My clit stings. My vision blinks with white spots. He rubs my spine for reassurance. The pull of his knot while wedged inside me is the pleasure and pain combination I've been missing all my life. I rock as hard as I dare to test our fit. Serik takes my movements as a green light. His violent bucking doesn't pull us apart, but scratches me internally.

"Pull my hair," I yell.

"What? I won't hurt you. I won't hurt you. I won't hurt you," he says in a gravelly voice that hardly sounds human.

"Even if I'm asking you to?" I raise my torso onto my hands and twist around to look at his face. His bloodshot eyes set into a wild expression of carnal desire was not what I expected to stare back at me. "What if I say ‘please,' Serik? Please fuck me like you mean it. Please Serik."

His claws score my scalp as he grabs a messy handful of tangles. My back arches and my neck strains to accommodate him. His other arm bands around my waist to steal my control. I'm held in place as he uses me. I climax with delicate flutters that hardly register against my mate's violent pumps.

With each pound, my breasts swing through the cool air to slap against his arm. The rings twist and the cold metal within my nipples sends darts of pleasure between my legs. My vaginal muscles ripple as they try to draw him deeper. He's joined us together, so my body can't tell where I end, and he begins. One climax rolls into the next. My legs shake as I hold the position to wring out every drop of pleasure I can stand.

We drop onto our side in a pile of sweaty limbs and sticky sexfest…with an audience.

Their shadows shade us from the top of the hill, but I'm too caught up in my feelings to acknowledge them. Serik's splashing orgasms mean our future. They can't make a kit with my birth control, but more importantly, they remove a barrier between us. He's not the big scary monster who can split me in half. I'm not the pathetic human who can't handle what he offers. We've proven to ourselves…and his pervy clan…that we were made for each other.

I hate it when Serik's right, but dushevnayasvyaz is never wrong.