Storm of Shadows Ch. 02

Story Info
Strategies and Obstacles.
8.3k words
4.86
37.7k
67

Part 2 of the 12 part series

Updated 06/07/2023
Created 05/26/2015
Share this Story

Font Size

Default Font Size

Font Spacing

Default Font Spacing

Font Face

Default Font Face

Reading Theme

Default Theme (White)
You need to Log In or Sign Up to have your customization saved in your Literotica profile.
PUBLIC BETA

Note: You can change font size, font face, and turn on dark mode by clicking the "A" icon tab in the Story Info Box.

You can temporarily switch back to a Classic Literotica® experience during our ongoing public Beta testing. Please consider leaving feedback on issues you experience or suggest improvements.

Click here
JazCullen
JazCullen
6,489 Followers

I was in such a rush to get the Prologue and Ch 1 of Storm of Shadows up that I completely forgot to write a note at the start and let newer readers know this is part of a series and is in fact book 8, my apologies.

The complete order to read is on my Lit Bio Page so please do stop by there for updates and such.

Enjoy!

*

Dara Romanov ran as if all the shades of hell were after her. It took less than two minutes to make her way from the wrecked house set apart from the main pack compound to the Alpha's large dwelling in the very heart of their community. Her urge to throw up had passed, but the pit of her stomach still rumbled with nausea.

Clutched in her hands, was the leather bound journal she'd discovered in Gard and Rayne's immaculate bedroom. The final words she had read were still embedded in her terrified mind.

Dear Kothari...

I'm here

A

Just thinking about it made her want to weep and her throat tighten with fear. If what she suspected was true...then Lord only knew what that would mean for Kothari or the rest of the pack. This was something she couldn't keep from her Alphas, they had to know and know immediately.

She wasn't the least surprised to scent Rafe in his study the moment she entered his house. Given everything that had happened in the early hours of the morning, she doubted that he had even been to bed yet. Barely waiting for his summons to enter when she knocked, Dara opened the door to find her Alpha staring into the empty fireplace directly ahead of her.

Troubled brown eyes turned to regard her as she entered, surprise mirrored deep within. "Dara. What are you doing up and about so early?"

"I went to check on Kothi. He didn't come to the pack's aid when the vampires struck and that seemed odd given how protective he is of the pack. Rafe...Rafe, I found the house completely destroyed, save for Gard and Rayne's bedroom. This was lying on the bed..." The words rushed out of her mouth, fear etched in every one as she held out the journal to her Alpha.

Rafe's strong brow puckered in a frown as he reached for the book. "I tested my link with him. His aura is peaceful." He took the journal to his desk, sitting in his customary seat as he quickly scanned the pages.

Dara couldn't form any more words, her fear suddenly leaving her so lethargic she practically flopped into a chair across from Rafe, relieved that she had passed the burden of her discovery to someone who would know what to do about it.

When the Alpha reached the end of the journal and his eyes met hers once more, she wanted to burst into tears at the expression on his face. In all her years, she'd never seen Rafe let down his guard before, to show exactly what he was thinking. Now the colour had leeched from his face and there was such grief etched across his features that the tears she was trying to hold back fell unbidden.

"Kothari has gone rogue."

As he uttered the words that confirmed her suspicions, Dara broke into loud sobs. She had tried to deny it even as she knew the truth. She had known it from the moment she'd read the last entry. Gard and Rayne's disappearance had finally done what they had all feared; it had tipped Kothari over the edge.

"Rafe? What's wrong?" She was vaguely aware of Lacey, the Alpha's mate's, worried voice filling the room, but she didn't look up, couldn't acknowledge the other person in the room. Kothi was out there somewhere alone, only he wasn't the Kothi they all knew and loved despite his quirks. He was something else, something different and potentially lethal. It was all that kept going through her mind, all she could think about for a long time.

By the time she had surfaced enough from her inner thoughts, there were more people in the study, her mother and father, Alexei and Cedar, and her uncle and aunt, Andrei and Loretta. Kallum was there too, his hair ruffled as if he'd just pulled himself out of bed.

"I stayed here rather than returning to the Praetorian Compound," her friend explained when she scrubbed at her cheeks and gave him a questioning look.

It made sense that he would stay close to the pack after the attack, he was the uncrowned leader of the Vârcolac. Their tight mental bond would have alerted him to Dara's distress and he had come without a second's hesitation. Next to her family, Kal was one of the most important people in her life, and he took his responsibilities seriously.

It was only as she acknowledged that, that she noticed the additional mental support drifting towards her, and realised that Cassia and Pietro were in the room too. Her sister's mate was standing, leaning against the door as if he was barring any further people from entering. Cassia was standing beside her parents, worry etched across her face.

"I'm fine," Dara reassured her family, taking a deep breath to regain her composure. It was evident that everyone was aware of what had happened, and she wondered just how long she had been crying that she hadn't noticed her surroundings.

Her mother ran a hand over her hair, leaning down to give her a hug. Dara wasn't sure whether she was reassuring her daughter or herself, but she managed a weak smile and leaned into her touch. Her father was hovering close by, his concerned expression another clear indicator of the gravity of the situation.

Dara wanted to kick herself for losing it so completely, for scaring her family and her Alphas. She was better than this, stronger than this. They shouldn't have to be concerned about her. It was Kothari they needed to be thinking of right now, and how they could best help him.

"Has he really gone rogue?" Dara asked, her voice much stronger as she straightened her back and dug deep inside for the hidden well of strength she knew was there.

"What other explanation can there be?" Rafe answered, gesturing to the journal. "From what I've read, Kothari has walked a very fine balance for so many years. It's a wonder it's taken him this long to finally break. Clearly Gard and Rayne have been buffering him for a long time, though who this angel is he refers to, I don't know."

Dara knew...though she tried to deny it. Reading between the lines it was clear that Kothi believed this angel to be his mate...and she was more than certain that he was completely wrong about that. "It's me," she finally said, drawing all eyes to her. "He refers to an incident where Agony hurt his angel. I am fairly certain that he's referring to something that happened a while ago, when we were at the river together."

"He hurt you?!"

The icy quality of her father's voice made her shiver but she kept her expression as neutral as she could. "Not really, Dad. He got angry because I was pushing him and he did grab me, but he didn't hurt me per se. I shifted to wolf form and that appeared to trigger his panther because he shifted too. The odd thing was he appeared so surprised to see his animal, which after reading the journal I can now understand, but I didn't at the time."

She took another deep breath, her eyes appealing to her father whose expression was thunderous despite her words. "He didn't mean to hurt me and he didn't really, I swear he didn't. It was straight after that incident that he saved Lily when she fell from the cliff. Kothi loves us, Dad, all of us. He would never deliberately hurt any of us, and I think that he may even possibly believe that I am his mate..."

There, she'd said the words out aloud now, and for a brief moment there was stunned silence within the room and then everyone started to talk at once.

"Dara, is he?" Cassia gasped, her eyes going wide.

"Dear God, Karma surely can't hate me that much," her father grumbled, which brought him a dig in the side from his mate.

"Alexei Romanov! Kothari is part of our pack. He's family already. Don't you dare speak ill of our daughter's mate!" Cedar's disapproval flashed from her eyes even as she nibbled worriedly at her bottom lip.

"The boy is dangerous," Pietro commented from his position at the door. "I have spoken with him and have seen his struggle. Alexei is right to be concerned, especially after what has happened."

"Is it even possible for Kothi to go rogue when he has found his mate?" Lacey asked, confusion and concern warring for dominance on her face.

"He's not," Dara muttered, frowning as everyone ignored her and started to have a debate on whether or not there was some hope that Kothari hadn't gone rogue because of this new development.

"He's not," she said a bit louder, rolling her eyes as no one paid a blind bit of notice to her.

"Kothari is NOT my mate!" she yelled, startling the rest of the room into total silence as they all turned to look at her once more.

"But you said..." her mother stammered, looking even more confused than she had been before.

"That Kothi believed he was my mate. Just because he believes it doesn't make it the truth. I am one hundred percent certain that he isn't my mate, Mom. I love him, of course I do, but not in that way. My wolf is completely ambivalent towards him. She is not the least bit interested in him."

"Couldn't it be similar to how my wolf was undecided at first with Pietro?" Cassia asked, though it was evident that although she asked the question, she automatically believed her sister.

Dara shook her head. She'd been thinking about it ever since she had read the journal. She had tested her wolf, paid minute attention to its reactions over Kothari's disappearance, and the possibility of him being rogue. The animal was unperturbed by the events and it wouldn't have been if he was their mate. "I'm certain of it, though from the evidence in the journal, I think he truly does believe I'm his mate, and that can only work to our advantage."

"Explain." Rafe's brown eyes were piercing as he spoke that one word, his gaze firmly fixed on Dara's face.

Swallowing hard, she took a deep breath to prepare for the automatic outcry she expected from her next words. "If Kothi has gone rogue, or whatever version of rogue we Vârcolac can go, then it stands to reason that he is as dangerous as both Pietro and Dad have already intimated. Sending someone after him will not be without risk. However, I believe that I would stand the best chance of not only finding him, but also bringing him safely home."

"Not a chance in hell!" her father roared, fury blazing from his eyes. "Don't you even consider this, Rafe," he continued, pointing a long talon at the other man. "I mean it. Alpha or not, I will not agree to my daughter chasing after a dangerous man, let alone heading off alone to Europe. We all know that's where Kothari has gone. He's searching for his parents and anyone who gets in his way will be in serious jeopardy."

"Stand down, Alexei," Rafe countered, his tone calm and even, though his body language was rigid as he stood up slowly. "I appreciate you're concerned for your daughter, but I have to think of the entire pack here. What Dara says has some merit and even though I am reticent about agreeing to anything right now, I can't discount what she has brought to the table."

"If you do this I will leave this pack and never come back," the Ancient vampire spat out, no sign of his fury abating. "Andrei? You don't have anything to say about this lunacy?" His gaze swung to his twin brother, who was oddly silent given the fact this impacted on his family too.

Andrei's expression was neutral, his gaze moving from his brother to Cedar, and then latterly to Dara, who held his eyes with a strength that brought a half smile to his lips. "You are very brave, niece of mine," he sighed, his smile widening at her surprised expression.

His gaze returning to his brother, Andrei shrugged his shoulders and let out a rueful sigh. "Alexei, I have very recently been educated in just what my children are capable of and just how much they do not need my protection. Am I happy that a niece of mine wants to travel to Europe to try to save one of our most vulnerable pack members? Of course I'm not, but do I think she is strong and capable enough to perform such a task? Yes, I am certain that she is because she is her father's daughter, every bit as much as she is her mother's. Dara is a Romanov to the very core, and if you take the tiniest of steps back and truly look at your daughter, you will see just how strong and resourceful she is, my brother."

The stunned disbelief that crossed Alexei's face would have been comical if the situation wasn't so grave. A loud growl escaped him in response to what he viewed as his brother's betrayal and his gaze turned to his mate, who was looking so torn that some of the rage he was experiencing evaporated as he caught her expression. "Cedar, surely you can't be considering this? She's our daughter!"

"I know, and I want to keep her here with us too, Alexei, but it's not that simple," his mate countered, her voice trembling with the wealth of conflicting emotions coursing through her. "Dara is Vârcolac, and we are only now coming to learn just a fraction of what that means. She is stronger, faster, and has abilities that far surpass all of us here in this room, with the exception of Cassia and Kallum. She is not a helpless child to be protected anymore, my love. We need to see that and believe it because that is the truth."

As her mate took two steps back, Cedar reached out a hand in silent plea for him to hear her out. "Kothari needs us, Alexei, and we are powerless to help him. Gard and Rayne left him in our care and we have somehow failed him through no real fault of our own. Do we sacrifice Kothari so that our daughter remains overprotected here in the pack? When Gard and Rayne come home will you be the one to look them in the eyes and tell them that they have lost their son because we were too afraid to allow our daughter to help him?"

As his expression turned confused, she took a step towards him, holding his eyes with an intentness that refused to allow him to look away. "Would you accept anyone standing before you telling you that you have lost your child because they were not brave enough to give her a chance at being saved?"

Alexei looked away, fury infusing him as the truth of what Cedar said fought to overwhelm him. Would he ever forgive someone in those circumstances? Never! He would hold them accountable for the rest of his existence; blame them forever for the loss of his child. Could he do the same to Gard and Rayne? Could he look them in the eyes and tell them that his child was more important than theirs was and they would just have to accept that?

Turning to Dara, he stared at his youngest child, seeing a plea deep within her eyes as she met his gaze resolutely. She was so strong and beautiful, and he couldn't be more proud of her than he already was. Where Cassia had veered towards science and healing, Dara has always been more inclined toward physical combat and pack security. She was a soldier through and through, and he had always known that one day she would elevate in the ranks to Beta level.

He was only now realising that his children had grown up when he didn't appear to have been looking. Cassia was recently mated with Pietro, and it would only be a matter of time before Dara would find her mate. It felt a bit churlish to be relieved that she was adamant that it wouldn't be Kothari. He loved the boy just as he much as he did the rest of their pack but he didn't want the headache of having him as a son-in-law. Not that he wouldn't have accepted him if he had been Dara's mate. He knew the deep abiding love that came with mating with the other half of your soul. He would never do anything to stand in the way of that.

Dara wanted to do this. Her protective nature probably demanded it of her. If she truly believed that she was Kothari's one hope of ever coming home, then to deny her the opportunity to be herself could lead her to hating him forever. Could he live with her hate if it meant keeping her safe? Could he live with not only her disappointment in him, but also Cedar's and Cassia's, not to mention his Alphas'? Andrei would understand, despite his agreeing with Dara's decision. Kallum was oddly silent on the matter, standing off to the side a little as if he were viewing the discussion from the outside.

Turning to the Vârcolac, he raised an eyebrow. "You don't have anything to say about this? It's not like you to be so silent on Vârcolac matters."

"You have to find peace with this in your own mind, Alexei," Kallum answered, his expression solemn. "This is a family matter as well as a pack one. If you require my opinion, then I will gladly give it to you. Do I believe Dara is capable of this task, hell yes! Do I think she should go alone to Europe, not particularly; however, I can see the weight to her argument. Right now, Kothari has only two beliefs in his world. One is that he will find his parents and bring them home safely. The other is that Dara is his mate, whether that be fact or not."

When Alexei opened his mouth to speak again, the younger man held up his hand. "Please, let me finish, Alexei, this is important. There is one thing here that no one else has touched on, which is crucial to any kind of success at finding Kothi and bringing him home. None of us can sense him. Whatever has happened within his mind, he has somehow managed to project a false sense of calmness along all his psychic bonds. He didn't cut us off to alert us like Lily did once. He fed us all a great big lie that all was well with him. "

Everyone gasped aloud, with the exception of Dara who was nodding her head. It was she Kallum was now looking at, his expression shrewd as he watched her intently. "You can... you sense him, can't you, Dara? You knew something was wrong and that's why you went to check on Kothi."

Everyone turned to look at her once more as she gave a tentative nod. "It's very faint, and I have to search really hard down our Vârcolac link, but there is what appears to be the tiniest beacon of light far off in the distance. Every time I closed my eyes last night, I kept seeing that light. I think Kothi may have been reaching out to me, trying to alert me from wherever he has gone within his mind. I think that the closer I get to Kothi's physical location, that light will grow and I should be able to track him."

If what Dara said was true, then it would appear that she was the only one who would stand any chance of tracking Kothari in Europe. It was the final piece of information to put an end to the debate on whether or not Alexei was prepared to allow her to go. He couldn't stop her, not without hurting his family, his pack, and most of all Kothari. He had been part of the pack long enough to feel the same pull of loyalty to each and every member as he felt for Andrei.

Conceding defeat, Alexei strode forward, engulfing Dara in a hug so tight it was a wonder she didn't complain that he was hurting her. He had to let go, he had to believe in her strength and wisdom to do what was right, but she was his baby, his little girl that he had never dreamed possible for most of his life. "I know I must let go, Dara, but I don't know how to. If anything happened to you...I swear I would commit murder if even one hair on your head was touched."

"Dad, you know I can protect myself. If I remained shadowed the entire time I was in Europe, no one would be any the wiser. I know that's not feasible as I will need to interact with people once there, but I have that added protection." It felt strange to be reassuring her father when, until now, it has always been the other way around. Nevertheless, Dara had to make him see her abilities so he could be at peace with her decision. She could tell the exact moment that he accepted it by the resigned expression that flitted across his face.

"You really need to do this, don't you, honey?"

JazCullen
JazCullen
6,489 Followers