From Seattle, WA to Novosibirsk, Siberia | Thursday Night
The transformation had been pure hell and Nathan had enjoyed every ounce of Dimitri's suffering as he tortured the dhampir with compulsion for being a part of that attack, taking away the pleasure of the Strigoi endorphins and replacing it with desperate agony.
Dimitri knew. He still hurt from the experience, despite his distractingly sharp awareness of the world around him as the van bumped over the highway. The feeling of the coarse vinyl hitting against his torn shirt was as vibrant as the headlights shining through the windshield. Hearing a pinging in the engine, the driver's blood pumping through his heart - and Dimitri knew what the pain he felt meant.
He was hungry again.
Recognizing something in Dimitri's attitude, Nathan slammed the larger Strigoi's shoulder back in the seat, stopping Dimitri from leaning toward their human driver and clamping his fangs down. "Easy boy," Nathan said with a chuckle. "We'll get you a snack at the airport."
Dimitri didn't approve of Nathan touching him. Not after the way he'd been turned. Not when Dimitri was just as strong. He growled at the blond Strigoi and backhanded him in the face. "Lay a hand on me again and I'll make you my snack!"
Like hell he was letting the newly awakened talk to him that way. "Don't," Nathan punctuated his word with a fist in Dimitri's mouth, "make me say it twice."
It was like getting hit with two tons of bricks in the jaw and while Dimitri's head snapped back in his weakened, hungry state, Dimitri was trained for this unlike the former Moroi. He smashed his head forward the moment Nathan paused to smile that stupid, toothy grin of his. They collided with a sickening thud and Dimtiri felt the van swerve as their fight surprised the human.
Righting himself and moving to the other side of the van with a bitter laugh, Nathan spat red on the floor before sitting back like Dimitri hadn't just attacked his alpha status. "If we crash and miss the plane, it is so your ass, Belikov!" He turned to the driver, leaning in close to hear how many more hours he'd have to deal with the new guy in the back.
Feeling he'd won, no matter how Nathan wanted to play it off, Dimitri flopped against the bench seat, biding his time while Nathan was usefully providing him the monetary means of escape. Remaining in Montana meant the possibility of more guardians seeking them out, regardless of how tempting it was to test his new strength against his former comrades.
Comrade. Just thinking the term reminded Dimitri of something else he was leaving behind. He knew what would happen if they saw one another now - only one of them could survive that fight and it would be him. Still, somehow, he didn't want to go there. Instead, he would return home.
"Hey, tall, dark, and brooding," Nathan said, tossing an empty to-go cup at Dimitri's head. "Quit staring into space, we're almost there."
Dimitri snapped the cup out of the air and a slow, cold smile spread across his face, showing just a hint of white fangs. He was faster than ever and loving it. If only fucking Nathan wasn't involved. He'd have preferred whining Molly and the Romanian with bad breath to this American idiot.
His sneer turned dangerous as he crushed the cup and dumped it on the floor of the van. "Would you prefer I bore holes into your head, because that could be arranged."
Nathan would prefer having Molly, too. "I thought you'd want to know my plans now, but I can just leave you here with the van--"
"I'll keep the driver," Dimitri interjected with a wicked smirk. He was still hungry, after all.
"He's pledged to me," Nathan spat the words like a dare. "And Josef will return to Russia with us."
"Return?" Strigoi or not, Dimitri had a way with his eyebrows. "You mean we're following my lead." As if Nathan would have real contacts in Russia.
Nathan's lips curled up. "Don't miss the part where I'm in charge here. It's not a mistake you'll make more than once."
Aware that he did need Nathan's financial backing if he was going to make it overseas, but once there, he'd kill the blond and strike out on his own. Patience was critical, if annoying. "Of course. I meant your lead."
"Your connection to Galina could prove valuable," Nathan admitted reluctantly, "but we'll see how long you keep your stock high." Constant backtalk and fighting was not the way to endear himself during intense travel. "Now quit staring and make yourself useful."
The next forty-six hours were worse torture than his initial awakening. Traveling from Seattle to Novosibirsk involved timing the boarding of planes until after dark and somehow not killing any passengers during the twelve hour flight. Nathan had been right to only allow Dimitri to feed between flights, no matter the temptation in-flight, if only because of how intensely difficult Dimitri found it to stop feeding once he'd begun. His control would increase with time and practice, but for now, there were bodies stuffed in bathroom stalls.
Now Dimitri was out on his own for the first time, stretching his new abilities to their height as he stalked the dark streets of the city. He'd ditched Nathan at the club, finding the lights and colors overwhelming. The darkness was as bright as day, illuminating every corner and every alley...and giving Dimitri the perfect view of a young woman walking the streets alone.
He followed her for ten minutes but it felt like ages. Time slowed as the length of her tight ponytail swished into dark curls against her back and exposed a gloriously pale neck that reminded him so fiercely of one he couldn't seem to forget. Enjoying this act of stalking, Dimitri decided to test the female, walking so his steps echoed off the pavement. Hearing the speed of her heart increase along with the click of her heels excited the predator within and Dimitri moved at an unnatural speed to appear in front of her. The woman's scream was as beautiful as the sigh she released moments later.
[NFB, NFI, Warning: creepy stalking within.]
Dimitri knew. He still hurt from the experience, despite his distractingly sharp awareness of the world around him as the van bumped over the highway. The feeling of the coarse vinyl hitting against his torn shirt was as vibrant as the headlights shining through the windshield. Hearing a pinging in the engine, the driver's blood pumping through his heart - and Dimitri knew what the pain he felt meant.
He was hungry again.
Recognizing something in Dimitri's attitude, Nathan slammed the larger Strigoi's shoulder back in the seat, stopping Dimitri from leaning toward their human driver and clamping his fangs down. "Easy boy," Nathan said with a chuckle. "We'll get you a snack at the airport."
Dimitri didn't approve of Nathan touching him. Not after the way he'd been turned. Not when Dimitri was just as strong. He growled at the blond Strigoi and backhanded him in the face. "Lay a hand on me again and I'll make you my snack!"
Like hell he was letting the newly awakened talk to him that way. "Don't," Nathan punctuated his word with a fist in Dimitri's mouth, "make me say it twice."
It was like getting hit with two tons of bricks in the jaw and while Dimitri's head snapped back in his weakened, hungry state, Dimitri was trained for this unlike the former Moroi. He smashed his head forward the moment Nathan paused to smile that stupid, toothy grin of his. They collided with a sickening thud and Dimtiri felt the van swerve as their fight surprised the human.
Righting himself and moving to the other side of the van with a bitter laugh, Nathan spat red on the floor before sitting back like Dimitri hadn't just attacked his alpha status. "If we crash and miss the plane, it is so your ass, Belikov!" He turned to the driver, leaning in close to hear how many more hours he'd have to deal with the new guy in the back.
Feeling he'd won, no matter how Nathan wanted to play it off, Dimitri flopped against the bench seat, biding his time while Nathan was usefully providing him the monetary means of escape. Remaining in Montana meant the possibility of more guardians seeking them out, regardless of how tempting it was to test his new strength against his former comrades.
Comrade. Just thinking the term reminded Dimitri of something else he was leaving behind. He knew what would happen if they saw one another now - only one of them could survive that fight and it would be him. Still, somehow, he didn't want to go there. Instead, he would return home.
"Hey, tall, dark, and brooding," Nathan said, tossing an empty to-go cup at Dimitri's head. "Quit staring into space, we're almost there."
Dimitri snapped the cup out of the air and a slow, cold smile spread across his face, showing just a hint of white fangs. He was faster than ever and loving it. If only fucking Nathan wasn't involved. He'd have preferred whining Molly and the Romanian with bad breath to this American idiot.
His sneer turned dangerous as he crushed the cup and dumped it on the floor of the van. "Would you prefer I bore holes into your head, because that could be arranged."
Nathan would prefer having Molly, too. "I thought you'd want to know my plans now, but I can just leave you here with the van--"
"I'll keep the driver," Dimitri interjected with a wicked smirk. He was still hungry, after all.
"He's pledged to me," Nathan spat the words like a dare. "And Josef will return to Russia with us."
"Return?" Strigoi or not, Dimitri had a way with his eyebrows. "You mean we're following my lead." As if Nathan would have real contacts in Russia.
Nathan's lips curled up. "Don't miss the part where I'm in charge here. It's not a mistake you'll make more than once."
Aware that he did need Nathan's financial backing if he was going to make it overseas, but once there, he'd kill the blond and strike out on his own. Patience was critical, if annoying. "Of course. I meant your lead."
"Your connection to Galina could prove valuable," Nathan admitted reluctantly, "but we'll see how long you keep your stock high." Constant backtalk and fighting was not the way to endear himself during intense travel. "Now quit staring and make yourself useful."
The next forty-six hours were worse torture than his initial awakening. Traveling from Seattle to Novosibirsk involved timing the boarding of planes until after dark and somehow not killing any passengers during the twelve hour flight. Nathan had been right to only allow Dimitri to feed between flights, no matter the temptation in-flight, if only because of how intensely difficult Dimitri found it to stop feeding once he'd begun. His control would increase with time and practice, but for now, there were bodies stuffed in bathroom stalls.
Now Dimitri was out on his own for the first time, stretching his new abilities to their height as he stalked the dark streets of the city. He'd ditched Nathan at the club, finding the lights and colors overwhelming. The darkness was as bright as day, illuminating every corner and every alley...and giving Dimitri the perfect view of a young woman walking the streets alone.
He followed her for ten minutes but it felt like ages. Time slowed as the length of her tight ponytail swished into dark curls against her back and exposed a gloriously pale neck that reminded him so fiercely of one he couldn't seem to forget. Enjoying this act of stalking, Dimitri decided to test the female, walking so his steps echoed off the pavement. Hearing the speed of her heart increase along with the click of her heels excited the predator within and Dimitri moved at an unnatural speed to appear in front of her. The woman's scream was as beautiful as the sigh she released moments later.
[NFB, NFI, Warning: creepy stalking within.]