Total pages in book: 158
Estimated words: 145341 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 727(@200wpm)___ 581(@250wpm)___ 484(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 145341 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 727(@200wpm)___ 581(@250wpm)___ 484(@300wpm)
She couldn’t call in the wolf pack. That would be too dangerous, considering there were four betrayers waiting, but there was a vicious little wolverine skulking close to the icy stream not too far from where the four men waited somewhat impatiently for her arrival. She touched it. Wolverines were tricky. This one was female. Sometimes they were cooperative; other times, not so much. Mind-to-mind images with animals didn’t always work, but she was adept at it, and wolverines were intelligent. This creature had no problem helping her. Vasilisa cautioned her to be careful of any weapons the men might have.
She was within striking distance of the four Lycans now. One betrayer was close. She recognized him and her heart sank. Her twin brothers, Garald and Grigor, had grown up with him, gone to school with him, served with him. They counted him as a friend. In the evenings, they often met with him at the inn to talk and drink and have a good time. She couldn’t imagine what would have convinced Alik Bykov to betray her family and their people. She knew her brothers, as tough as they were, would be brokenhearted.
“I thought you said she would be here any minute, Alik,” one of the men groused, lying prone in the snow covered in a white snowsuit.
“You need to keep your voice down, Gav Sobol,” Alik hissed. “She has very good hearing.”
“She’s a woman. It isn’t like she’s going to give us much trouble,” a third man said. He was also dressed in snow gear. He had the air of a man in charge and looked bored out of his mind. He sat in the snow with a large knife cradled in his hands.
Alik sent him a pitying look. “Brody Portnov, you know this family is no ordinary family. They have skills. All of them, including Vasilisa. Just because she’s a woman, you shouldn’t underestimate her. She is very experienced with weapons, and she’ll try to fight her way free.”
“You say she will come on a mercy run in order to try to save a stranger trapped and hurt in the gorge,” said the fourth man. “Why would she have weapons on her? She would bring bandages. Blankets. Aid for him, not weapons.” He stood just off the trail, his hands on his weapons.
“She has an affinity with the mountains, Arman Botnik,” Alik proclaimed. “She always knows when someone is hurt, and she goes to help them. She’ll come this way. It’s the only safe way to get down to the gorge. And she’ll have weapons on her because no one is safe traveling in this wild place alone.”
“I’ve heard rumors that she is as good as her brothers,” Arman admitted, “but I’ve never seen her in action.”
Vasilisa didn’t know the other three men at all. They clearly came from another area, outside the territory of the royals. In some ways, she was grateful. It was difficult enough knowing Alik had betrayed them. Having four of her kind that she knew personally would make this battle all the more sorrowful.
A red squirrel raced across the ground, nearly running over the top of Gav Sobol, the man lying in the snow just to the left of the trail. A great gray owl came out of the night like a phantom and swooped low silently, stealthily, huge talons outstretched in an effort to reach its prey. It missed but tore straight into Gav’s face, raking his eyes nearly out of his head before the wings beat hard, taking the bird into the air and out of sight into the trees. Gav screamed, dropped his gun, covered his face and rolled over.
At the same time, the red squirrel had backtracked, spinning around as if frightened by the presence of all the men and scurrying straight at Brody Portnov. The squirrel landed in Portnov’s lap, looked up at him and then burrowed down between his legs. Portnov tried to shove at the little squirrel, first with his hand, and then he stabbed at it with the knife. The squirrel retaliated by biting down viciously and holding the bite between his legs.
Brody roared with rage, let go of the knife and tried to catch the small animal to tear it away and fling it off of him. Just as he put both hands around it, the wolverine rushed out of the trees straight at him, seemingly intent on claiming the squirrel for a meal. The dripping fangs closed around Brody’s upper thigh close to his groin as he flung off the squirrel. The wolverine shook Brody’s thigh and then retreated fast, leaving behind blood, a ring of bite marks and Brody swearing in Russian.
Vasilisa came out of the snow, a blur of movement, so fast that even Alik, who was expecting her, was unprepared for her speed. She slit the throat of Arman Botnik as she raced by, not even slowing to watch him fall. As she leapt over Brody Portnov, who was still sitting on the ground, she leaned down and stabbed his jugular. Her next step took her to Gav Sobol. He was lying faceup, still covering his eyes. She cut his throat and then was standing in front of Alik, looking beautiful. Serene. Without a single drop of blood on her. She had disposed of three armed men in less than three seconds.