Page 151 of White Wolf

“Monsieur Philippe,” he continued, changing course. “We’re expected in front of the major general first thing tomorrow. Something about a specialized unit.”

Philippe looked almost relieved. “Ah, yes, good. Do you hear that, Grisha? You should get some rest.”

Getting the vampire out of his chair and into the bedroom he’d claimed for himself was an ordeal, but then finally the door was shut and they didn’t have to look at him anymore.

“Now,” Nikita said. “It’s getting late, but we’ve got passes. Let’s go get the wolves.”

Sasha perked up, smiling for the first time all day, and Nikita couldn’t help but smile back.

It took them a few minutes to sort things, but ultimately decided that Nikita would take Sasha and Pyotr back to the Institute to fetch the wolves, which left Ivan, Feliks, and Kolya behind to hold down the fort…and, though he wouldn’t admit it to her for fear of offending, to watch after Katya.

“Be safe,” she said, and kissed him, the kind of quick, affectionate kiss that promised more to come.

Monsieur Philippe pulled him aside once the young ones were already out the door, catching him on the staircase landing. “One request, Captain Baskin, if you please.”

Nikita paused with his hand on the bannister.

The mage produced a small package wrapped in brown paper. “Give this to Dr. Ingraham for me, if you would. I think he’ll be disappointed to see us all leave.”

Nikita took it carefully. “What is it?”

Philippe smiled his kindly old man smile. “A token of thanks for his hospitality.”

~*~

Katya was well-acquainted with exhaustion by this point. Aching muscles and neck spasms and eyes full of grit were daily nuisances at this point. But tonight, as evening bled into a steamy dusk, she found that she wasn’t just tired, but sleepy. Terribly so. She swayed in her chair and only realized her eyes were shut when Kolya spoke to her and she opened them again.

“I might as well play cards by myself if you’re going to do that,” he teased, but she saw real concern behind his smile.

“I’m fine…I just…” She could barely move her mouth to speak she was so sleepy.

“Go get some sleep,” he suggested. “These idiots can keep me company.”

To the sound of grumbled responses from Ivan and Feliks, she yawned, nodded, and got to her feet. She swayed a moment, and had to grab the back of the chair for support.

“Need help?” Kolya asked, half-out of his own chair, hands reaching for her.

She managed a smile. “No. I’m fine.”

Getting into the second bedroom, the one the boys had graciously let her share with Nikita, took a supreme effort. She managed to toe off her boots, and then sank down on top of the covers in her clothes, eyes shut at once.

She slept.

And then she dreamed.

Dreams that were flickers of light, and sensations, a tumble of emotions, but nothing concrete she could stand in and have a look around. They were pleasant, though. She felt warm, and happy, full of a bright, fizzing kind of hope. She felt like someone had pulled her into a loving embrace, soothing hands petting over her hair, and back, and shoulders. Over her hips and down her legs – and then between them. A bold, knowing touch at her sex that sent curls of excitement through her, delicious little shivers.

Nikita, she thought.

But it wasn’t Nikita’s voice that seemed to speak somewhere inside her head.Open yourself to me, it said, a coarse male voice. Familiar.I can please you like he never could.

Yes, she thought.

While a part of her though,Rasputin.

She jolted awake. She lay on her side, just as she’d fallen asleep, but now she was damp all over with sweat. She’d spread her legs, and had a hand between them, touching herself through her heavy wool army trousers. She was wet, pulse throbbing in her sex. Panting into the pillow and wretchedly sensitive. Ready to be fucked.

“Shit,” she murmured, pushing up on one elbow. The room seemed to spin and she groaned as she sat up and swung her legs over the side of the bed.

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