Flash Fiction - Stolen

Winter stepped out onto the stone patio of the Venia mansion, the music pouring through the open doors at his back along with the sound of merriment. Lord Hyperion’s voice rang out above the crowd, causing a smile to tug at his lips. He did indeed have a prior engagement and he didn’t want to keep her waiting.

He tipped his head back, pushed the black dragon-like mask up to rest on his forehead so he relieved the pressure on his nose, and dragged in a long deep breath of cold night air. A thousand different scents flooded his senses but one stood out amongst them.

Nika.

He lowered his mask again, settling it over his eyes, and tracked her scent down the steps to his left. It led him into the dark gardens past the large yew hedge maze. Groups of guards, a mixture of vampires and werewolves, lined the perimeter wall in the distance. More guards moved around the grounds, passing him. The Validus among the vampire groups acknowledged him with a salute. The werewolves acknowledged him with a wary glance. They were all Dmitri’s men and were all used to seeing him at the bastion now but he had yet to gain their trust. He could understand their wariness now. They were vastly outnumbered but Lord Hyperion had guaranteed their safety. If any vampire from the other bloodlines stepped out of line, the Validus had orders to defend the werewolves.

“You look handsome,” a feminine voice said from his right, softly accented with a Russian edge and a touch of playfulness.

Winter contained his smile, paused mid-stride, and turned to face her.

She blended into the darkness with her black turtleneck and dark trousers, but her pale fair hair stood out against her backdrop of hedge.

Nika tucked her hands behind her back and rocked on her heels. “I wish I could dress up and attend your fancy ball.”

Winter checked his surroundings with his senses, ensuring no one was coming, and then walked towards her. Her eyes sparkled at him in the low light, bright with amusement. He loved it when she was like this, playful and teasing, full of life and happiness.

Happiness he knew he caused with just his presence.

“It is not my fancy ball. I am just a guard given the honour of attending to protect my master should there be an attack. I do not have leave to dance or socialise,” he said in a low voice and a frown pinched her fair eyebrows.

“And would you dance if you could?”

He smiled now, seeing straight through her. She didn’t like the thought of him dancing with another woman, with a vampire. She was jealous.

“I would.” Winter held his smile when her frown became a dark scowl, her lips compressing and the spike in her anger evident in her blood scent. He held his black gloved hand out to her. “I would dance with you.”

She glanced at it and then huffed and turned her nose up, folding her arms across her chest at the same time. “I do not have leave to dance. You will have to find another pretty partner to amuse yourself with.”

“Nika,” Winter said, a note of warning in his tone. While her jealousy often amused him, it perplexed him too. When she got into moods like this it was hard to get her out of them again. He rarely found the right key to unlock her and bring her back to him. He glanced around in all directions and caught her arm.

Nika struggled as he pulled her into the maze entrance.

“What are you–”

Winter silenced her with a kiss. She instantly melted against him, her breath escaping in a sigh, her hands pressing against the breast of his black formal jacket. He groaned at her warmth and her taste, ached deep in his heart at the feel of her in his arms again. He had missed her, had thought constantly of her since their last meeting, and had imagined this moment a thousand times each night they were apart.

“Winter,” she whispered against his lips, hers brushing his name softly across them. “You’ll get us in trouble if someone sees us.”

“No one will see us.” Winter pulled her with him as he backed further into the maze. “I just want a few minutes with you. Is that too much to ask?”

The warmth that filled her eyes as she looked up into his said that it wasn’t and that she understood his need, that she felt the same one deep inside her.

“I’ve missed you,” she said and kissed him again, her mouth sweet and warm on his, relaying her love to him in each sweep of her lips over his.

Winter settled one arm around her waist and clasped her hand with his other, moving her without her realising as she kissed him. They had been dancing for almost a full minute before she drew back and smiled into his eyes, her look so full of love that he wanted to pause and drink it in, to make the most of this stolen moment with her.

“I thought I refused to dance with you?”

Winter turned with her and shrugged, leading her step by step deeper into the maze. He wanted more than just a few minutes with her in his arms now. He craved the taste of her, hungered to touch her and ached to make love with her again. Even a few days apart was torture to him now. He couldn’t bear being away from her.

“Do you always get what you want?” she said and he frowned at her from behind his mask.

“If I did, then I would live with you, Nika, somewhere far away where the laws had no meaning. I do not think I always get what I want... I think you always get what you want.”

She smiled. “Because you let me have my way.”

“No,” Winter whispered and brushed the backs of his fingers across her soft cheek, holding her gaze. “Because I love you.”

“Enough to run away with me and not regret it?” Her smile turned hesitant, her heartbeat tremulous in his ears.

“Yes... more than enough to do that... and how much does my little wolf love me?”

Nika sighed, stopped their dance and reached up to cup his cheek. The look in her eyes said it all, her heart speaking to his through them, but she said it anyway.

“I love you enough that I would never ask you to do such a thing, because I know how important your duty is to you.”

Winter warmed inside at those words and the love and honesty behind them. He drew her close and danced with her again, slow this time, shifting with her in step with the distant music, savouring how it felt to love and be loved.

“Soon, my little wolf,” he whispered and pressed a kiss to her hair as she rested her head against his chest. “One day the law will change and then we shall be together.”

“Forever?” she said and held him closer.

Winter sighed. He wanted that more than anything.

“Forever.”