Silver Silence
Page 105

The visual was an unforgiving one, shards of glass crimson with Valentin’s blood lying at her feet. “I would never hurt Valentin.” The words came out hard, a rebuke as brutal as Nova’s words.
Nova’s eyes went amber, searched Silver’s face. “You still love him,” she whispered. “My God, Seelichka. Even though they cut into your brain, even though they rewired you, you held on to him. No wonder Mishka calls you Silver Fucking Mercant.”
Silver didn’t answer the healer, but after Nova left, she exited her bedroom and looked until she spotted Pieter. Making her way to the quiet male after ensuring Nova and Stasya were nowhere nearby, she said, “Petya.”
A suspicious scowl. “Why are you calling me Petya? You always call me Pieter.”
“You asked me to call you Petya.”
“But you never do.”
“I’m doing it now.”
“Why?”
Bears.
Deciding not to go any further down that rabbit hole, she said, “Will Valentin return soon?” He’d made it a point to find her after dinner, tell her that he had to go speak with Selenka.
In his gaze had been an unhidden need that clawed at her, his love worn openly, though she might yet kick at it. He wasn’t budging in that love, wasn’t building walls behind which he’d be safe, wasn’t doing anything but inviting her back into his warmth, despite the pain she’d caused him.
Alpha bear he might be, but he had no self-protective instinct when it came to the people he loved. If he wouldn’t protect himself, she’d do it for him. That was why she’d hunted out Pieter.
“Valya? I’m guessing he’ll be back in two hours.” Hazel eyes watched her, Pieter the most difficult to read of all of the seconds. “Why?”
“I need you to take me to Galina Evanova.”
No change in Pieter’s expression. “Why do you think I can track her?”
“You’re one of Valentin’s best friends,” she said, gaze resolute. “You keep an eye on her because it matters to him and his sisters.”
Folding his arms, he looked bear-stubborn for a second before admitting, “We all do—Inara spotted her a hundred meters from Denhome earlier today.” Flinty eyes. “If you get hurt, Valya will tear off my head and stomp on it.”
“I’m a high-level telepath, Petya. I can smash back a rampaging bear.” It’d stun the bear, but it wouldn’t do harm unless she literally sought to kill. Psy couldn’t breach changeling shields, but they could kill changelings with a massive psychic surge.
“A-hem.”
“And, of course,” Silver added at that pointed cough from the bear in front of her, “I’ll have your big, strong self with me.”
Scowling at her, Pieter nonetheless snuck her out of Denhome and into the trees. “You won’t be able to approach her,” he said in the soft dark green of the trees, the sky above dotted with stars. “She doesn’t even let Dima close, and he’s her only grandson.”
“Leave that to me.” Silver had things she wanted to say to Galina Evanova.
A glance from Pieter, his eyes glowing a faint amber in the darkness. “You could wipe the floor with me, couldn’t you?”
“What do you think?” she asked, steel and ice in her tone.
“I think,” he said with unexpected solemnity, “my alpha chose well.” He raised his hand a second later, then put his finger to his lips.
Nodding, Silver tried to walk in his footsteps, so she’d avoid crunching a branch or making any other noise. He stopped five minutes later and, hunkering down, pointed into the darkness. Silver didn’t have changeling night vision—it took her a full minute to see the outline of a bear seated under the branches of a tree with a large canopy.
She put her hand on Pieter’s shoulder, whispered so low she could barely hear herself. “I need privacy.”
He looked outraged. Putting his hand to his hair, he pulled up the strands and drew a line across his throat, demonstrating what Valentin would do to him if she got hurt. Having half expected that response, Silver dug out the earplugs she’d requisitioned from the medical supplies while Nova was away from the infirmary.
Pieter scowled when she held them out, but put them in his ears. Now he’d be able to see her, but not hear her conversation with Galina. She rose to her feet, stepped forward, deliberately making a noise. The sleeping bear woke, her head jerking up.
She began to lumber to her feet seconds later.
“Do not run,” Silver said flatly. “I’m an extremely strong telepath. I will slam you into unconsciousness as many times as it takes.” It wasn’t that easy, of course, but Ena had taught her that sometimes, belief was all about projection.
She set her feet apart and stared into the wild amber eyes facing her, daring the other woman to defy her.
When the bear rumbled at her, she folded her arms. “Try it,” Silver said softly. “I will put you flat, then I’ll tie you up and drag you to Denhome.”
The bear just stared at her. As well it might. Silver was currently a tiny percentage of its overall weight. But it was listening, and it hadn’t run. Nostrils flaring, it suddenly jerked forward before stilling. Behind her, she felt Pieter ready himself, but he held back when the bear froze.
“Yes,” Silver said softly. “I’m your Mishka’s mate.” She used the pet name deliberately as a reminder of the boy whose heart this woman was breaking every day that she wandered out here. “I’ve also had enough of this bullshit.” She spit on the ground for emphasis, the act not natural to her, but in a negotiation, every move counted.
“You’re in pain, I understand that,” she said in the same hard tone. “But that does not give you permission to brutalize your children’s hearts.” Never again did Silver want to see that pain in Valentin, his big body held so fiercely rigid as he contained his emotions. “Get out of sight, or come in,” she said flatly. “Those are your only choices.”
Bear faces might be hard to read, but Silver had been around them enough to know this one was as outraged as Pieter had just been. “If I see you lingering around Denhome but not coming in, if I so much as hear a report from a sentry that you’ve been spotted, I will track you, and I will put you down. Is that understood?” Of course, Silver wasn’t about to murder Valentin’s mother, but this was a hardheaded bear she was trying to reach. It required tough talk.
“Your children’s wounds need to heal,” Silver continued. “Each time they see you, and you turn away from them, it rips the scabs wide open. Enough.” She sliced out her hand.
The bear actually scrambled back.
“If you want to wallow in your pain, you do that. But you do not get to hurt Valentin or his sisters.” She took a step forward.
The bear backed away.
“The next time I see you,” Silver said in her most icy tone, “you’d better be walking into Denhome.”
Shifting on its paws, the bear turned and lumbered off into the trees.
“These earplugs don’t work that well, you know,” Pieter said softly from behind her.
She shot him a flinty look. “Say a word, and I’ll bury you beside her.”
A rare grin from this reserved bear. “You’re the scariest woman I’ve ever met. I think I’m in love with you.”