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"Goddess knows she's been through so much. Black swans are so rare. It's not genetics that causes it. It's Morana. She's chosen of the goddess. The poor girl must be terrified," Irina said, her voice full of tears.
"She wasn't terrified, just confused and disorientated. It took a long time for her to settle, but as long as I was holding her, she seemed okay," Vladik replied and then wondered if he had said too much.
"She found you. Her swan sought you out."
"It did."
"When she shifted back, what did she say to you?" Irina asked.
Vladik drained his vodka. "Home. Safe."
"Ah. Well, that's going to be interesting," she replied. She didn't exactly sound pleased.
Well, fuck, Vladik couldn't say he would be pleased if their positions were reversed. He wasn't exactly consort to a princess chosen by Morana material. He knew it and still wasn't going to give Zori up without a fight. And knowing his beast, it would be a fight to the death.
"I'm going to start flying her home tonight," Vladik said, clearing his throat. "The roads are going to be watched, but Kaspian is checking just in case. We'll stop at the safe house for a few hours before moving on. I will keep her safe, High Priestess. I swear it on my life."
"I know, Vladislav. You've already proven that there's going to be no separating you two," Irina said.
Vladik gripped his phone tight. "Is Misha… Is he okay? I can send you some notes Zori found on him, but I think not shifting for years is going to be his biggest issue."
"He's with the healers and is awake. He was disorientated and thought he was hallucinating. He didn't hurt anyone, but it took quite a bit to convince him he was really home. He still won't shift. The sooner you can get here to ground him, the better it will be," Irina replied, her voice going soft. "I'm sorry that I didn't believe you when you said he was still alive."
Vladik never thought he would hear those words come out of her mouth. He pushed aside his years of frustration. "He's home now, and that's what matters."
"Please be careful getting Zoria home. I'm worried that Maxim will use her blood to find her. If you can get her to the city and behind the protection wards, the safer she will be," Irina said.
"We'll be there as soon as possible. I just want her to sleep as much as she can first. She's been through a lot, and first shifts are always traumatic," Vladik replied.
"I know you'll take good care of her," the high priestess said, a touch of amusement in her voice. They said their goodbyes, and Vladik's shoulders finally relaxed. He had expected a lot more anger and shouting over sending Misha back instead of Zori. He didn't regret it. His perfect puppy didn't need his help escaping her tower; she'd done that all on her own.
Vladik's beast clawed at him, and he shifted into his other form. Instantly, he could smell Zori's sweet fragrance. He went into the bedroom to check in on her. He wanted to climb into the bed beside her and rub his nose all over her. He was contemplating doing it when he heard someone coming into the loft. Vladik tore himself away from her and shut the door behind him.
Kaspian was trudging up the stairs, his arms full of bags. "Is the princess awake yet?" he asked, and Vladik shushed him.
"No, and she doesn't need you waking her up by talking at the top of your lungs," Vladik hissed.
"Touchy, touchy. I'll be quiet. I just thought she might need some gear so she's not walking about bare ass in your shirts," Kaspian said, dumping some of the bags on the couch.
Vladik scowled. He actually liked seeing Zori in his shirts, getting covered in his scent. He wanted his essence buried so deeply in her skin, she could never wash him off.
"Wow. You really are in overprotective beast mode, aren't you?" Kaspian chuckled and headed for the kitchen. "Sit your ass down. I'm going to make you some pancakes. You will need the calories tonight, and she definitely does. Did Maxim starve her or something? I like my women with a bit more meat on them."
"Lucky she's not yours then, isn't it? She's mine, and she's perfect," Vladik grumbled.
Kaspian rolled his eyes. "Fucking hell, you're ridiculous. I can't wait to see how you are going to handle Irina and everyone else demanding Zoria's attention when you get home. She's not yours, idiot. You can't lock her in your bedroom."
The fuck I can't, Vladik thought. He rubbed at his face. Kaspian was right; he was being ridiculous. "I'm sorry I don't know what's wrong with me."
"I do, but you don't want to hear it because you love to suffer. So suffer." Kaspian pulled out a frying pan and mixing bowl. "Do you know if she likes berries? Everyone likes berries, right?"
"I'm not sure. Maybe leave them out so she can choose them for topping," Vladik suggested.
"I like berries," a soft voice said, making both men turn. Zori was standing in the bedroom door, looking disheveled and sleepy. She had found the robe Vladik had left out for her, and seeing her in his oversized clothes made him want to carry her off and do naughty things to her. Vladik didn't want to frighten her, so he shifted back to his human form.
"I'm sorry, did we wake you?" he asked.
"A little. Um, I don't think we've met," Zori said, looking at Kaspian. He was a giant, even in human form, but he wasn't looking intimidating with the big shit-eating grin on his face.
