The front door burst open by an unseen force.
Suddenly, Rurik was falling to the floor, but he knew it wasn’t Pavel’s doing. It took him a second to get his bearings, but when he did, he found Pavel was across the room, looking as if he’d just been hit by a truck.
It was then Rurik sensed it—the Fae magik in the air. Not just any power either. Power he’d been around before.
Little Paw!
He twisted quickly and came up in time to find Liberty filling the front door frame, her chocolate brown eyes wide as she stared at him in partially shifted form, covered in blood. She had blood on her face, in her hair, and on the front of her tank top.
Fear for her nearly consumed him. But he fought with his bear side, pushing it down enough to let his mouth return to normal so he could speak clearly. “You’re hurt!”
“N-not my blood,” she said, her eyes still wide.
“Little Paw, I can explain. I won’t hurt you.”
She lifted a hand, staring past him.
Wind shot by Rurik and he twisted around to find Pavel closer to him than he’d thought. Pavel was launched off his feet and into the ceiling before he fell face first to the floor.
Liberty was suddenly next to Rurik, touching his furred arm. “Where are you hurt?”
His breathing was harsh as he stared at her hand on his arm. With trepidation, he yanked his gaze to her face, positive he’d find fear in her eyes. All he found was concern.
“Rurik,” she said, reaching up and touching his cheek. “Where are you hurt?”
“It’s not my blood,” he said, parroting her words.
Relief shone in her eyes. She swallowed hard and stepped back, looking him over slowly. “Uh, how many people’s blood are you wearing?”
He bit at his inner cheek. “Um, more than one.”
She lifted a brow. “I’m starting to understand why your buddies got you a blender.”
Her attempt at humor helped chase away his worry that she’d fear him. As his fears ebbed, his fur receded. He shifted back into a man fully and reached out to touch her, stopping just shy of making contact since his hand was covered in blood. “Are you sure you’re not hurt?”
“I’m sure,” she said, tearing up but smiling all the same.
Pavel came up and off the floor with a roar.
Rurik yanked Liberty behind him, planting his body so that he was firmly between her and Pavel, who was still partially shifted.
Pavel shook his head, and his features began to return to human.
As they did, Liberty peeked out from behind Rurik. She gasped. “Dr. Pasternak?”
It felt as if Rurik had been kicked in the gut again as he heard her call Pavel the name of the teacher she worked for. Pavel had been close to her for weeks. Close enough to kill her at any point and Rurik wouldn’t have been able to stop it.
Pavel laughed in a crazed way. “You haven’t won here today, Romanov. I have more men on their way here now. And I have a secret weapon with me.”
“Uh, about that,” said Bill, strolling in through the open front door. He dusted his hands off. “Your secret weapon chick hightailed it out of here minutes ago. Around the same time Liberty Bell crushed your backup against some trees and a telephone pole. Fitting since the asshats stuffed her in a van from the telephone company.”
Liberty had killed hybrids?
Rurik blinked in surprise at her.
Shrugging, she blushed. “I’d apologize but I’m not sorry. Can I throw the professor around now too? He hurt you.”
“I could have killed you so many times already,” said Pavel. “I’ve been in your house more times than I can count. I’ve watched you sleep. You’ve been close to death for weeks now.”
Rurik faced him, letting the man’s words sink in fully.
“Liberty Bell, why don’t you come on over here with me?” asked Bill, his voice shaky. “Let Sput-Rurik finish him off. This has been a long time in the making. Now that he knows you’re safe and sound, he ain’t gonna worry and get himself killed not thinking straight. His wife is safe so now his enemy can be taken care of.”
Liberty gasped. “Wife?”
“He claimed you, Liberty Bell,” said Bill with a wide smile. “Bit ya during sex and all that jazz. I don’t know the full details. Gus only tells me so much. But it’s enough to say, you’re Rurik’s wife now and, well, forever.”
“I am?” she asked, disbelief in her voice.
“Yep,” said Bill. “Welcome to the family! Does this mean I get more apple pie baked for me? We should go on out now and let Rurik handle your dicky professor. I could have taken him earlier today, but I didn’t want to steal Sput-Rurik’s thunder or anything. But let’s be totally honest. Your professor is kind of a pussy.”
Pavel snarled and tried to charge past Rurik, directly at Liberty and Bill.
Rurik reacted, taking hold of the man with the very hand and arm that had been giving him grief for weeks and was slashed open. He ripped Pavel off course and threw him across the living room.
Bill ushered Liberty out the door just as Pavel came up and off the floor.
The next Rurik knew, Pavel was charging the front bay window. He dove straight through it and then went for Liberty, who was on the porch with Bill.
Rurik shut off, letting the beast guide his actions as he leapt, going out the window and onto the porch right behind Pavel. He caught the man by the scruff of the neck, yanked him back, and threw him down. He then put his arms out to his sides and let his claws emerge once more. Rurik stared down at the man he once thought of as a friend.
The Pavel of old was gone.
The brainwashed hatemonger was all that
