Page 4 of Henri's Little One
Henri took another whiff and caught the odor again. It smelled of fresh pine and mulched earth on a clear day in the woods. Henri broadcast on all channels in joy.This is my Mate. I’ve found my Mate.
Armand stood. “I think that we should all go. Baby?” He motioned for his Mate. Sean, the other Alphas, and their Mates, followed Marcel and Henri into the formal living area.
The young wolf saw Henri and sat up, causing a paroxysm of coughing. He bared his neck, attempting to go down on his knees. He grimaced as his knees hit the floor. “Alpha, I didn’t know where else to go. I need to speak to Alpha Davidoff. Anatoly and Maxim smuggled me out…I…” Alexei came from behind Henri, while Henri picked the boy up off the floor, sat him back on the brown leather couch and gently took him into his arms. Vitas gasped, and Henri frowned. He pulled the V-neck of his threadbare rugby shirt apart and seeing the bruises, fumed.
“What happened, Vitas?” Alexei asked as Henri stroked his Mate’s long hair, speaking in soft tones that both inquired and soothed.
He lifted his head to the other wolf. “Alexei, let me.” The small Omega started to cry.
“It’s okay, little one. We’ll take care of you. Nothing bad can happen to you while you’re here, I promise. Tell Alexei what you need to tell him, and we’ll get you into a warm bed and make the pain go away.” He faced the doctor. “Artis, I think he has broken ribs as well as pneumonia.” Henri frowned. “A loup garou has to be sorely tried to develop pneumonia…Armand, can Sean…?”
“Of course.”
Vitas gazed with wonder in his stormy green eyes into Henri’s. He picked up his hand and touched Henri’s hair in awe. “I smell fresh linen, my mother’s sheets on the clothesline. I see the tether. You’re my Mate.” Vitas sobbed. “Thank the gods. I knew it wasn’t him. I knew it.” Henri bent over toward his Mate, and the young wolf gazed up at his face, grabbing on to his waist, holding Henri tight. Suddenly, his grip went slack. Henri regarded Vitas in dismay. The little one had fainted.
Chapter Two
Julien’s Home
Henri’s Suite
Henri carried Vitas up to his suite and hovered over him anxiously as Dr. Artis did an examination. Wherever Artis touched, his Mate winced. He was trying to be so brave. Dr. Artis turned to him. “This is your Mate, Alpha Giraud?”
“Yes, Doctor. He just arrived from Russia. I don’t know how he made it.” Henri brushed away a tear. “He’s so battered, he can barely breathe.”
“He’s been severely beaten within the last few days. I have no idea how he traveled so far in this condition. I also don’t understand how they avoided giving him a concussion with the pummeling he took. He most certainly has broken ribs. His chest is almost completely black and blue under his clothing. The only places not marked are where someone could see. He was kept a prisoner. There are shackle marks on his wrists and ankles.” Dr. Artis carefully removed Vitas’ torn shirt and examined the bruising beneath. “He also has pneumonia. How does a full wolf get pneumonia?” Artis shook his head.
Alexei stepped up and frowned. “Only by not being able to make the change.”
Eyes shut against the pain, Vitas whispered, “Did I make it to Oregon? I was so tired and hurt so much, but Alpha Davidoff needs to know.” His sea-green eyes fluttered open, and he tried to leave the bed. He gaped around the room. “This is like a Russian dacha, but beautiful, I’ve never felt a softer bed.” Then he seemed to grab hold of himself. He gazed up at Henri, and he babbled, “You’re my Mate, but I have to tell Alpha Davidoff what he’s doing to the packs. You won’t beat me for speaking to Alpha Davidoff, will you? Chernof told Anatoly not to break my bones because we had to be able to mate, but he wasn’t my Mate, you are.” He grabbed Henri’s hand. “You’ll mate me. You won’t let him take me?”
Henri turned to Dr. Artis.
“Reassure him, Alpha. He’s very agitated. I’m going to give him a sedative, pain medication, and a strong antibiotic. If his immune system is compromised enough to get pneumonia, the human drugs might work until he’s strong enough to change.” Artis started an IV line, opened his bag, and prepared an injection.
“I’ll never beat you, little one. Get that out of your head. Who, pet, who was going to take you? Whoever it is, I won’t let him. You’re my Mate, no one else has the right.”
“Chief Alpha Chernof planned to give me his bite, two, maybe it was three nights ago, but his Betas told him I was too broken and sick. Because I kicked him in his privates, Anatoly had to beat me again. Anatoly told Chernof he had to wait to take me or he’d damage me permanently, and the packs would notice, know I didn’t go willingly, and that I wasn’t his Mate. Anatoly and Maxim are his Betas, but they helped me get to New York and to Alpha Davidoff. Boris and Katya tried to keep me there to wait for Alpha Davidoff to come home and to get better. Katya said I was too sick to travel. But I insisted on coming here on the first plane out. I need to tell Alpha Davidoff about what’s happening in Russia. Maybe we shouldn’t mate. Chernof will find me and kill you. If we mate, then he’ll have to kill you to get my gift, right? I can’t let him kill you.” Vitas began to cry.
“What happened in New York?” Henri asked, stroking Vitas’ hair, hands, and face with his fingers, being careful not to touch the places where there was obvious bruising.
“Boris knew me. I was the Omega of Alpha Davidoff’s home pack. I didn’t come in to my gift until, I think, three days ago, on my twenty-fifth birthday. I’m sorry, I lost track of time.”
“That’s all right, pet, you were sorely tried. Continue.”
“When Alpha Chernof found out what it was from Papa’s friend, he claimed to be my Mate. My parents tried to stop him, but he cut their throats and beheaded them.” Vitas gulped. “He held their heads up by their hair and shook them until their blood splattered on me when I refused him again.” Vitas gagged, but he continued, “He said no one would listen to me when I told them I didn’t belong to him.”
Henri nodded.
“Boris arranged for a car to meet me at the airport baggage claim so I could come here and tell Alpha Davidoff what Chernof is doing. They wanted to keep me in New York, but I had to see Alpha Davidoff. It was my responsibility.” Vitas was fevered and babbling, repeating himself while clinging to Henri.
“What is he doing, pet?” Henri asked, careful to modulate his tone of voice.
“He’s torturing all the human Mates, then killing them, and locking up their loup garou partners to die. He says we have to keep the line pure.” Vitas sobbed. “My mother was one of the rare full loup garous left in Ireland, and we lived there until I was sixteen. Alpha Chernof’s Enforcers arrived at our home and forced Papa to bring Mama and me back to Russia. Papa said Chernof was Chief Alpha in Russia, and we had to go, or he would risk death for defiance.”
“What happened after your family moved to Russia?”
“Papa belonged to Alpha Davidoff’s pack, and we were safe with Alpha Davidoff but after he was imprisoned, the gods told us about my gift, and Papa said we had to get away. Papa started the paperwork to emigrate to America. He told his friend about the gift and why we had to go and somehow Chernof found out. We were going to escape. In my satchel is a green card. We would have been legal. Papa said he would seek pack asylum from Alpha Davidoff. Papa was a scientist of note. He said that Alpha Davidoff wouldn’t refuse us. When we tried to run, Chernof claimed I was his Mate and sent Enforcers to look for us. He caught us in Saint Petersburg and brought us back to Moscow. When Papa objected to his claim, well, I already told you what he did.”
