36

“Mr. Korovin, I heard that you had a recent incident…” The Tribunal agent checked his notes. “With a bear,” he read out with a sarcastic smile. “A brown bear, I imagine?” Mikhail nodded. “As far as I know, they are quite timid.” The other man tapped his chin. “Why would it attack you?”

“That’s what I’m wondering…”

“Did you consider searching for the animal afterward and putting it down? This kind of aggression should not be tolerated. Tomorrow, another creature could become a victim of this enraged bear.”

“I imagine you’re right, but I do not own a firearm, so I can’t put down the animal in question.”

The agent stared at him with his small grey eyes. Even in his human form, he resembled a wolf, determined to snap his jaws around someone’s neck. The fact that he couldn’t find Mary Clare’s murderers, and Kaliope Gazis’ case was a dead end, only made him more acrimonious. Dissatisfied with the lack of evidence, he had gone sniffing around in places he shouldn’t have.

Who had told him about Mikhail’s wounds, anyway? Because someone must have, otherwise it didn’t explain why he had decided to dig into that. Especially since he had no clue about Mikhail’s short trip to Italy.

“Agent Kane, if there’s nothing else…”

“Not for now.” He started for the door. “But do something about this bear, please.”

“Certainly,” Mikhail said with a smile.

If the bastard dug any deeper, he could pile on enough charges – human kidnapping, destruction of a witch clan, obstruction of justice by hiding key witnesses to a murder and slowing down the investigation. Neither of those would probably stick though, because Mikhail had a legitimate reason for all of it, at least in his own eyes.

Despite the risk, a few hours later, he was guiding Amelia through his secret passage. The wind howled through the closed doors and Mikhail still wasn’t certain if his idea to take her out was acceptable, terrible, or downright catastrophic.

“It’s cold outside,” he warned her.

She wore a long jacket, a woollen hat, gloves, and leather boots. Proper attire for the freezing temperatures outside was his first condition. Second – that she wouldn’t try to flee. And third – to put on the vampire perfume. Given the late hour and the cold weather, it was unlikely they’d encounter anyone, but he didn’t want to chance it. At least, not yet.

Under the open sky, the gentle touch of snowflakes caressed his face.

Amelia took a handful of snow, rubbed it between her gloves and then did it over and over, as Mikhail observed from a distance. Her cheeks went slightly red and her face relaxed with pleasure.

It reminded him of the other day, in the OR. He had noticed the shine in her eyes while she’d been helping him operate. Amelia had been thrilled to assist, and impressed by him – not just his looks, but his skills. Something he had enjoyed. It was the first time in years he’d sensed a female interest in him, beyond his physical appearance. He’d found himself eager to share more about the immortal world, the Hospital, and the Council.

Now, as she knelt and formed a large snow pile, then made a second one and placed it on top – creating a snowman – Mikhail replayed their dinner in his mind. Amelia had watched him with caution, but he had watched her, as well. He was experienced enough to recognise the subtle cues in her body language – she was drawn to him beyond his medical expertise, and despite her obvious distrust of him. He’d been torn about how to proceed, unsure whether to exploit her interest further or extinguish it. But then, hadn’t he sought to soften her defences in the first place?

What he hadn’t anticipated was her sparking his own excitement in the process.

“It’s been years since I’ve seen anyone enjoy snow so much,” he said, approaching her.

Amelia glanced over her shoulder and tossed him a smile that went straight to his gut. “Honestly, it’s been years since I remember enjoying it so much myself. Maybe when I was little and my brother and I played outside…” The shine in her eyes disappeared. She got up and shook the snow off her gloves. “Now I don’t like winter that much. Let’s get back.”

“You liked it that much a second ago,” Mikhail said, catching the sudden shift in her expression. Snowflakes clung to her eyelashes, their delicate forms glistening like tiny tears. “You practically begged me to take you out and now you want to go back inside?”

He had been there, distancing himself from anything that reminded him of his lost ones. He’d avoided it all for so long that it reached the point where he was avoiding everything.

“The other day, when…” Amelia glanced towards the stone fence.

“When what?”

“I don’t know… When I was alone in the woods, I was frightened. I kept running without knowing if I would make it out alive or not. And I sensed freedom, something I hadn’t felt in a long time. As if I had no limits. It’s silly. I don’t know why I thought I would feel this liberation again if I went outside. It’s hard to explain.”

He had been there, too. She didn’t need to explain because he understood completely, but it would take her time to figure it out. “There’s no freedom in the rabid dash through the mountain if your mind is chained by thoughts and emotions,” Mikhail said. His own invisible shackles kept him tied to blood-filled memories and prohibited him from moving on. “However long you run, you can’t escape yourself, if the limitations are inside you. If you felt free, it was probably because you stopped caring.”

And because of his invisible shackles, he’d been quick to suppress the enthusiasm he’d felt right after their dinner. In the tower, memories of his ex-fiancée had burst into his mind, haunting him, reminding him why he was unable to desire another being ever again. Getting close to Amelia was a dangerous mistake. He needed to maintain his distance and remember the purpose of his existence.

Tonight, he was following that purpose.

Amelia stared at him with an unreadable expression. “Mikhail… I think I understand you better than you realise…”

Doubtful.

“Come with me,” he said and took her down the alley through the yard, clearing a path through the snow.

“Where are we going?” she asked when they approached the main gate.

“Out. Into the mountain.” Mikhail waved at the guard to open the gate.

The road that wound down from the entrance was already white. The snowploughs were working hard, but with such intense snowfall, maintaining a clear passage to the building was a struggle.

They headed out along the outside of the wall. The snow was even deeper here, almost to Amelia’s knees, but it didn’t stop her while she marched forward. Mikhail had no way of knowing if this would give her even a little part of that freedom she longed for, but the joy she exuded from being closer to nature was palpable.

A noise attracted his attention to the road in the distance. A car was entering through the front gates. So, the road wasn’t as bad as he’d thought.

Something struck him in the back of the head.

“Hey, old man!”

Amelia had hit him with a snowball.

“What the…”

A second strike followed.

“Where are your reflexes? I thought manticores were faster than that.”

Mikhail stared at her.

“It’s called a snowball fight!” she yelled.

He didn’t think, his beast simply took over, and he was beside her in a few long strides. “If I hit you with a snowball, you might never get up again,” he said in a serious voice.

“I suppose you’re right, but… You’ll have to catch me first!”

She took off into the forest.

Fuck.

“Amelia, stop!” Mikhail raised his voice, but she continued running further away from the building and deeper into the woods. The piles of snow slowed her down some, but she still leapt through them faster than he would have expected for a human. “Amelia!”

She didn’t turn.

For heaven’s sake, she had no idea what she was doing.

“Amelia!” he yelled again, but she was already far away.

Adrenaline flowed through his veins. He could reach her in a second…

He darted after her. In a moment, he was behind her, grabbing the belt of her jacket. “I told you to stop!”

But it was too late. The thrill of the chase coursed through his veins, pounding in his ears, making his heart beat faster. Awakening parts of his body that hadn’t been satisfied in much too long.

Amelia faced him, her enthusiasm faltering. “Your eyes are yellow,” she whispered.

Mikhail closed his lids, his body tense. He couldn’t turn now. His pulse raced, and his hardness rose, pushing against the zipper of his jeans.

He was aroused by her .

Calm. The fuck. Down.

When he looked at her again, the relief on her face proved his eyes had returned to their normal colour. “Let’s get back.”

She shivered. “I’m sorry.”

They had barely taken a few steps when, for no obvious reason, he tensed up again. His senses went on high alert. He smelt the air, but the strong wind carried every scent away. He continued walking in silence next to Amelia, without giving away that something was troubling him.

Amelia suddenly halted. “I think someone’s following us,” she whispered.

So, she’d felt it, too. And his experiment had worked.

Taking her outside had been a gamble, but he’d needed to see if the enemy would be interested in her, as he’d assumed. If they’d be provoked. And they had been. Now all he had to do was wait until they revealed themselves.

“Mikhail?”

He didn’t move. It was dangerous for them to stay still, exposed, but there was no other way.

Except, the feeling of imminent threat became unbearable.

Mikhail glanced around in the dark. Whoever it was, their target had to be Amelia. All they had to do was come and take her.

“Mikhail, why aren’t we moving?”

He looked at her.

So I can risk your life, and find out once and for all who’s been attacking me…

Mikhail was convinced that whoever hid in the shadows, wouldn’t be able to get their hands on Amelia while he stood by her side. However, his confidence wavered at the impending menace. The mere possibility of her being hurt sent his beast into a fury.

With a final glance through the dense forest, he made his decision. He had to protect her.

He stepped closer to Amelia. “I will transform and bring you back to the Hospital.” Before he’d even finished speaking, Mikhail knew his eyes were already changing colour.

***

Amelia watched, transfixed, while Mikhail’s body shifted. This time, she didn’t take a step back when his clothes ripped to shreds and his human features turned animalistic. Dark-brown to black fur covered his entire body, and his hands and feet grew into giant paws. The wings stayed closely tucked against his back and the spike at the end of the tail relaxed onto the snow. The animal lifted itself on its hind legs, almost twice as tall as she was.

Amelia looked at its face – the lion snout, the predator jaw, the thick mane. Only the golden eyes reminded her of Mikhail.

He was staring back at her, expectant.

Her heart pounded at the sight of him, but inwardly she remembered the anatomy book and the text about manticores. A human form, and a secondary form.

It was a human underneath those animal traits. Mikhail Korovin. And he was not a threat to her.

“I’m not afraid.” Amelia straightened her back. She was really not…

The lion grabbed her with his paws and threw her over his shoulders, turning her upside down. Before she could protest, he darted through the woods.

Oh my God!

That was the only thing she could think of while her head slammed against the lion’s mane and back. He was moving so fast, Amelia couldn’t even lift her head to catch her bearings. After a few unsuccessful attempts, she gave up and relaxed on his back, letting her face sink into the fur. The feeling wasn’t half bad. It was soft and smelt fresh. Aside from the hairs that she could taste in her mouth, it was actually pleasant. Like a pet, or a blanket.

He was speeding up, supporting her across the thighs with one paw. His wings flew open and he leapt up. His body soared through the air, then landed on its hind legs again. Amelia’s stomach churned. Mikhail had just jumped over the Hospital’s fence.

He stopped at the exit they had come out from earlier, and placed her gently on the ground. When she found her footing, her knees wobbled.

The lion’s body gradually morphed into Mikhail’s human form. The fur, wings, and tail disappeared, and he was himself again.

Completely naked.

He glanced her way and started for the door. Amelia forced her gaze away from his body.

She tried to do it quickly, but it was not quickly enough. The image of his naked form was ingrained in her brain. The four scars alone, which she had seen both in her dreams and in reality, reminded her that she didn’t yet understand her visions. At the same time, they awakened her desire for justice. The woman who had given him the claw marks was dead, but despite that, Amelia raged towards her and her betrayal – and the scars that marred his beautiful body.

All the wounds he’d stitched up himself the other day were gone as if they had never existed in the first place. His stomach muscles were chiselled, his entire torso forming a nearly perfect masterpiece of anatomy. A discrete line of dark hairs sloped down to his groin, transforming into a wide rhombus. And although she had tried her best to avoid her gaze from slipping any lower, it had caught her attention. She hadn’t seen many penises outside of work, where she would often have to change naked men’s bandages, but she had seen a satisfactory amount to conclude he was unusually well-endowed.

She attempted to shake the image away, convincing herself that she was experienced enough to not be impressed or embarrassed by such things. Her longing to trace his inhumanly perfect body with her fingers came from pure scientific interest. Her shallow breaths and thundering heartbeat were due to the events in the forest.

Mikhail acted like he didn’t notice her when he moved his fingers over a control panel by the door. He dialled in a code and the door clicked open. Right next to the entrance, on the inside, was something like a closet. From it, Mikhail pulled out a bag full of clothes and threw some on. She caught herself staring, mesmerised by his every movement.

“I’m bringing you back to your room,” he said as soon as he’d grabbed a pair of running shoes and tied them on.

He took her by the hand and led her to the lift.

“What are you going to do?” she asked.

He pulled her into the lift, pursing his lips. “I’m going back to the forest to track down that creature.”

“Do you know what it is?” she pressed, her anxiety growing.

“No.” His curt response left little room for further questions.

The tension radiating from him was too heavy for her to even speak.

“Stay here,” he said when they arrived at her room.

Amelia opened her mouth to speak, but he was already gone.

She paced up and down the hallway, trying to fathom what had taken place. That thing in the forest, whatever or whoever it was, was evil. Amelia had sensed it with every fibre of her being. At first, she had mistaken it for a panic attack – the sudden feeling of imminent danger, the quickened beats of her heart, the tightening of her muscles. But then, she had realised that what had provoked these sensations was much more terrifying.

Mikhail had gone back into the forest, hiding her in the building. It made her feel even more useless than he had described during their fight after her attempted escape.

Would he think the same about her if he knew about her dreams? Every time she meant to tell him, something interrupted her – the throwing up, his sudden distancing, what happened in the forest.

How would he react when he discovered that she had seen him in his weakest moments? A proud man like him… probably not too well.

She pictured him in the forest, wishing she could help. He had saved her, after all…

Before she could decide on a course of action, she collapsed on the floor.

Her feet dug into deep snow. The ice-cold wind was blowing in her cheeks.

Thump, thump.

Amelia found herself back in the woods.

Thump, thump.

She looked down, placing a hand over her chest. She was wearing the same clothes as earlier but without the jacket.

Thump, thump.

It was the rhythmical pulsing of her own heart. The bare tree branches shook to her left, letting the snow fall from them.

Mikhail appeared from behind the tree. He still had on the clothes he’d put on in the closet after his transformation.

Amelia approached him. “How did we end up here?” she asked him.

He didn’t pay her any attention.

“Mikhail!” she screamed. He didn’t react, as he disappeared into the trees. She chased after him. “Mikhail!”

He stopped, pulled out his phone, and called someone, oblivious to her presence. “Anything?”

Amelia heard the voice on the other end of the line, clear as day.

“No. Whoever it was, they’re long gone.”

“Amelia?” Mikhail’s voice roused her. He was sitting beside her in bed. “Are you all right? I found you passed out on the floor in front of your room.”

“Yes.” She was actually feeling…well. “Did you find him? I mean, the creature?”

His eyes narrowed on her. “Did you faint?”

“No.” Amelia sat up straight. “Please, tell me what happened in the forest.”

“Everything’s okay,” he replied, studying her features as if searching for any signs of illness.

“Did you find him?” she asked again.

“No. It was probably an animal.”

“It was not an animal.”

It was something far more threatening than an animal and she had no idea why Mikhail was lying to her.

“What did you feel in the forest?” he asked. “When you sensed the danger?”

She hugged her knees. “I had physical symptoms, not very pronounced, but still…”

“What were they?” Mikhail’s gaze was fixed on hers.

“Raised heart rate, trembling in my legs. Although… Come to think of it, I was cold all of a sudden, too, so maybe that’s why I fainted.”

“What happened after?”

“My stomach tightened. It felt like fluttering butterflies, but not at all in a romantic way. More like a feeling that something bad was about to happen. And then… It got even stranger. Like I could see us walking towards each other.”

He winced. “I’m not following.”

It didn’t make any sense to her either. “Like I was myself but not in my own body. I was watching from a distance. And I knew that someone else was watching. I had one single thought. Danger. That was it. I thought we were in danger.”

“Do you usually have a strong intuition?”

“You could say that, but… It’s never been this strong.”

Mikhail got up and paced up and down the room, thinking something over. “Some humans are more intuitive than others, right?”

“Of course.”

“Is it possible you were adopted?”

“What?” Amelia laughed. “That’s absurd!”

A dark shadow ran over Mikhail’s face. “Are you sure?”

“I’m an exact copy of my mother! Same bone structure, same eyes, nose, lips…” She pointed to her forehead with her index finger.

“Is it possible your father isn’t your biological father?”

“No! Why are you asking me these questions?”

“Was one of your parents immortal?”

She shook her head. “No way.”

He resumed his pacing. Before she could reconsider, Amelia pushed off the bed and bridged the distance between them. She reached out, her hand landing on his arm, right above his wrist.

The effect was instant. Electricity spread from her fingertips, tingling up her hand, filling her entire body with warmth, until it settled in the pit of her stomach. This time, she knew without a doubt what the flutter meant, but she didn’t pull away.

“Thank you for taking me out today. Despite what happened in the end,” she said without letting go of him.

Mikhail’s gaze dropped to where her fingers touched his skin. Though his expression remained neutral, Amelia sensed he had also felt something.

“Get some rest. I’ll see you tomorrow,” he said, his tone detached, but his irises burned with intensity.

Then he left, yet the spark their contact had kindled wouldn’t leave her long after midnight.