Eleanor:
My heart raced against my ribcage as the car came to a stop inside the Estate.
I knew that I needed to find my way out of here.
IF the Alpha found out of my presence, then I would either be sent back to Elton or I was going to get killed. At this point, him killing me was going to be a lot easier for me, but the idea of him sending me back to Elton worried me more than I could let out.
The man wouldn’t let me live for a second and I knew that he would have realized that I was gone by now. The man wasn’t the type to just leave me alone throughout the whole day, and if not him, one of the maids that he had checked on me on an hourly basis would have reported to him that I was now missing.
“Out of the car.” The man with the Russian accent said. My heart raced against my ribcage, and I took a deep breath before walking out of the car. My knees ached as I got up, but despite that, I was sure to hold my stance as I stood straight.
Thankfully, no one commented about the smell of blood. I doubted that it would last for long though, I was just thankful for the fact that the leaves of the tree were masking my scent enough for them not to notice anything. Otherwise, things would have gotten a lot more complicated.
“Liana, these girls are to be checked, cleaned and trained. Alpha Killian would give you further instructions on what he wants them to do later.” The man said, nodding at a woman who walked out of the house to get us.
The woman looked at us, her eyes studying our expressions for a second before she nodded in response at the man. He walked back toward the car, not bothering to say a word.
“Come inside,” the woman said, and I looked down at my feet, not wanting to attract any attention to myself. I needed to find a way to slip from their gazes and for that to happen, I needed to be extremely calm and quiet.
We walked into the house in silence, and I couldn’t help but feel an ache in my chest. It was the same one that I felt at home before leaving. Whatever it was, I knew not to bother as I found a hall to slip through. The house was crowded and busy, but knowing to keep my head down, I walked through the hall without saying a word.
The hall led to a staircase and an empty hallway that seemed to have a path of its own.
My hands shook, and I went to walk through the hall, not wanting to take the stairs in fear of the state of my knees. However, my heart dropped as I heard footsteps and a man and woman talking. My hands shook and I quickly rushed toward the staircase, knowing that it was my only solution.
“You know that I don’t like this, my love.” The woman said, her tone gentle as she spoke.
“I know, but Killian has to be the one to decide what happens from here. We know that he’s working on kicking the family out, and we know that this ‘treaty’ thing won’t be lasting for more than a day or two. The Bernardi family is not one to be trusted; however, your son is also smart in letting them stay until the wedding ends. To say the least, we would know our enemies…”
I didn’t bother listening to what they were saying as I quickly slipped into the hall. It seemed to be a secluded area, leading to a floor or an apartment within the mansion. The scent within the walls caught my wolf’s attention, making her grow curious despite this being against her natural, careful, and somewhat isolated demeanor.
My heart raced against my ribcage as I heard a man’s voice behind me. And closing my eyes, I quickly slipped through one of the doors, it was the only one open, revealing a bedroom.
“I want to know when you’ve found her, and I want her brought to me first.” I heard a man say, making my heart drop. My wolf perked at his voice, and I couldn’t help but frown as my heart raced.
I looked around, scanning my surroundings before hearing the steps coming closer.
My hands shook, and I couldn’t help but feel my wolf grow more nervous than she already was. She whimpered in fear, and I cursed under my breath before everything stilled for a second.
“Fuck…” I whispered before getting inside the closet. It was either the closet or under the bed, and judging by the fact that I couldn’t touch my knees let alone add any weight on them, I knew that the closet was a lot better.
I slipped behind the dress suit jackets, gripping on two, hiding behind them as I heard the room’s door close. My heart raced and my wolf nearly whimpered out loud before I bit my bottom lip, forcing myself to stay very quiet. I took slow breaths, trying to calm my racing heartbeat and shaking hands.
Everything stilled for a few seconds and had it not been the strong intoxicating scent which was in the bedroom, I could swear that the room was empty.
The bedroom’s door opened and closed, however, I forced myself to stay very quiet as I tried to focus on my own breathing and racing heart, isolating all sounds that surrounded me.
However, the moment of peace didn’t last for long as the closet’s door opened and a hand wrapped around my arm, pulling me out. I screamed before I could stop myself and my emerald green eyes met silver-blue ones.
“Well, it seems like I have found the missing Italian.” He said, glaring at me. His voice deep with anger and rage. My wolf whimpered in both fear and pain, and he frowned before shaking his head and letting out a low growl. “Who the fuck are you? And what the fucking hell are you doing here?”
Killian: I glared at the woman as I held her to face me. Her heart raced against her chest, and she shook her head as she tried pushing me away. The smell of blood filled my nostrils, and I frowned as I looked down at her body to find that her legs had blood on them. “I fucking suggest that you start talking before I make you regret…” my wolf perked at the sound of her whimper, and I couldn’t help the low growl that escaped my chest before I could stop it. “Who are you? And I suggest that you answer me now.” “I am sorry, I left…” She said, trying to find the right response to give me. “I had to hide, they would have sent me back if they found out that I was injured, and that isn’t something that I wanted.” “What is your name?” I asked, and she gulped. She stayed quiet for a few seconds and I growled in warning. “I asked a fucking question.” “Eleanor,” she said, and I raised an eyebrow at the woman and she gulped. “Eleanor De Luca.” I let her go and watched as she nearly lost
Eleanor:It took everything in me not to run away from the Alpha as I just realized that I lied to him.Not only that, but the fact that he had hired me as his personal maid scared the life out of me.My heart raced against my ribcage as I stood in front of the woman, Liana, as she looked me up and down as if I was some kind of dirty pest.Well, in comparison to the other girls, I currently was.Each one of them was well dressed and prepared for this. I didn’t even have underwear on, not that I didn’t want to, I was just not allowed to; however, that wasn’t something that they would understand.“Alpha Killian has requested that I be his personal maid.” I said, avoiding the woman’s eyes. “The two of us encountered one another earlier and he has informed me of his decision and said that he would be speaking to you about it.” I didn’t even know how I managed to find my voice, but at this point, I really didn’t care. I just had to manage getting through this without much of a fuss, and o
Killian:Vladimir and I sat in the office, reading through the reports that had arrived from the clubs earlier before calling it a night. I knew that it was Liana, and considering the fact that mom and dad left New York to head to Moscow for the next few months, I knew that she would be reporting to me about the new maids who arrived. “Alpha,” she said, nodding at me and I nodded back at her. She smiled at both Vladimir and I, and we both got up to greet her. The woman has raised us up alongside our mothers, and therefore, we both treated her as a mother. I wrapped my arms around her and hugged her before kissing the crown of her head. Vladimir took her hand in his and kissed her knuckle. “How are you, Liana?” I asked, motioning for her to take a seat. She smiled and sat down as I walked to the coffee table that I had and made her a cappuccino. She wasn’t the type to drink alcohol, and I didn’t force her into something that she didn’t like. “I am fine, son, and how are the two of
Eleanor:I sat on the edge of the bed of the infirmary as I took a deep and slow breath, trying to process what just happened between Liana and I.The way she looked at me, her questions, and even her glares. All that played in my head and I couldn’t help but feel somewhat anxious about her suspecting anything about me.It couldn’t be possible that she was, right?The doctor left a while ago, giving me the privacy to rest while the two nurses stayed behind as they made sure to ‘supervise’ me in case I needed anything. My heart raced with each second that passed as I processed the fact that I left the house, and not only that, but the idea of something happening to lead Elton here was a lot scarier than anything that I could think of. If anything, the last thing that I would want to deal with was an angry Elton. I could barely take him when he was in his normal state.I ran my fingers through my hair and took a deep breath. He wouldn’t think that I was here, I am sure of it. The man w
Killian:I walked inside the suite as Liana was walking out of it. She smiled and nodded at me, and I returned the nod, giving her a quick smile before turning to the maids who were with her. Her eyes hardened as she turned to look at them, her expression was one filled with authority, reminding them of their places in front of their Alpha, and her position as their headmistress. They all lowered their gazes at the sight of me, and I nodded at them to leave before going inside. The day was long enough as it was, and I had to admit, the number of things that I still needed to tend to for the week gave me a headache, especially since I knew that I would need to get them done before the auctions started next month. The number of people who were coming required me to be attentive, forcing them to keep in mind that there was one Pakhan in the area, and I wasn’t planning on sharing my grounds with anyone else. The likes of Elton were plenty, and the Bernardi family who were gathering fo
Eleanor:For the first time since as far as I could remember, I woke up without being startled by someone entering my room.The bedroom’s door was closed. If anything, I even slept without being bruised, getting yelled at, scolded, beaten, or abused. I couldn’t help the small smile that formed on my lips for a second before I checked the time, my eyes widening at the fact that it was a few minutes to six in the morning. The last thing that I wanted to do was annoy Liana, and I knew that I would need to find out where the kitchen was to begin with; therefore, I was sure to get up and quickly freshen up before getting dressed.I put on a new dress, the one that I was wearing was wrinkled and I knew that I would need to iron it before being seen with it. I wore a white apron, reminding myself of Liana’s instructions before tying my hair in a bun.The bruise that was on my neck from Elton choking me was finally healing, however, I knew better than to go against the protocol of what Lian
Killian: I woke up to the sound of my alarm. A frown formed on my lips at the headache that I got before I rolled my eyes and turned to turn off the alarm. I knew that the house’s activity already started and that the maids were either cleaning or tending to their duties. The rest of the pack members were now getting ready for work, school, and universities. Either way, everyone was busy in their own way. The scent of Eleanor hit my nostrils, making me frown as the distinct smell of roses filled my nostrils. I knew that our garden was filled with them, but the last thing that I expected was to catch their scent within the walls of the house. I shook my head, not wanting to bother as I walked toward the bathroom. I was quick to freshen up and shower knowing that I had a long day ahead. Plus, there was also the fact that I needed to ensure that the wedding was through with and that the Italians were gone. The last thing that I needed right now was to bother dealing with them, and I
Eleanor:“The Alpha just left, and I do hope that you didn’t do anything to disrespect or upset him earlier today.” Liana said, entering the kitchen where I was waiting for the Alpha to leave. I feared cleaning and him walking out on me with barely his towel on again. Therefore, I settled on helping the girls out in the kitchen until he was gone.“I have done nothing to upset him, Liana, you needn’t worry,” I said, and she raised an eyebrow. She didn’t respond for a few seconds before nodding at the cabinet that was behind me. “The broom, mop, and bucket are in the cabinet behind you. I do suggest that you start cleaning up, and believe me, I will come and check to see that everything is done properly. Then you will be ironing the Alpha’s clothes. When you’re done, you will come here and help us out in the kitchen,” she said, and I nodded.“Yes, ma’am,” I said, turning around. She didn’t say a word to respond as I opened the cabinet to get the things that I wanted. I also chose to pi
Epilogue:“I now pronounce you husband and wife, you may kiss your bride.” Vladimir didn’t wait to be told twice to kiss Elena.He smiled into the kiss and she wrapped her arms around him, pulling him closer.“Elena Ivanov.” He said, taking both her hands in his as he kissed her knuckles. The two of them smiled as they looked at one another, and she blushed.Killian, who was his beta’s best man, looked at her and the two of them smiled before he walked toward towards Eleanor. Elena frowned in confusion, but the Alpha was quick to turn to face her with a black box in his hands. His eyes met hers and he took a step forward.Vladimir tightened his arm around her, pulling her to his chest as she looked at the Alpha. His eyes were fixed on her as he opened the box, revealing a topaz and diamond necklace.“You are now not only our Beta’s mate, but also my brother’s wife. The two of us may not be brothers by blood, but we have chosen to be ones. We have chosen to make it our duty and goal to
Vladimir:I looked at Elena who laid on my bed, not saying a word.It was on Natasha that I couldn’t approach her. The woman would not let me near my mate. And though I understood her reason, I had to admit, I couldn’t help but find myself hating it.“She is going to need to think, don’t press on her, Vladimir.” Natasha said as she and Eleanor walked out of the room, leaving us alone. My chest ached as I walked toward her, and when I sat by her side and she didn’t turn to face me, I had to admit, I couldn’t help but find myself regretting the fact that I brought her family over for her.“I know that you are in pain, malyshka. But had I known that them being here was going to hurt you this much…”“I had to see them, Vladimir.” She said, stopping me. She sat up, and I watched as she wiped her tears from her eyes as she curled on the bed. I don’t even remember when was the last time I saw her this broken. But it pained me to know that I was the reason behind it. “I just didn’t think that
Elena:“We didn’t think that he was being honest when he told us that you were alive. The fact that we believed that you were dead…”“Why didn’t you come looking for me?” I asked, stopping my father. His eyes dropped to the ground and for a moment, I had to admit, I regretted the fact that I asked. Seeing his pain in his eyes told me that there was more to the story than I knew. But even so, I knew that nothing was going to explain what I went through. I lost my life because of them.“We did, Elena. For months, we searched for you. Konstantin convinced us that you were dead. He wouldn’t allow us to see your body. But he showed us your pictures, he showed us your grave, and it was then that we left.” Mom said, choosing to be the one to answer. “I know that you have been through a lot…”“You know nothing of what I’ve been through.” I said, looking at my brother and sister. “I lost my life and everything because of all of you. You chose to sacrifice me to a monster, and not once did you s
Vladimir:I watched as Elena walked out of the house, gathering her courage to see her family.Her eyes were fixed on them, and though I would have normally gone out to stand by her side, I knew better than to do so. For this, she was going to have to do that on her own. I was going to have to stand back for her to be able to do it“Mom?” She whispered, looking at her mother.“Elena?” Her mother responded. Her whole family got up, and I smiled before taking a step back. I turned to find Natasha standing behind me. Her eyes met mine and I smiled, extending my hand toward her, hugging the woman who grew as my sister for a long time.“I haven’t thanked you after saving her.” I said, and she smiled.“You know that you didn’t need to thank me. She is my brother’s mate and I wasn’t going to leave her to die.” She said, making me smile. I kissed her forehead, letting my lips linger there for a moment.Flashback:I watched as Konstantin’s body dropped to the ground before rushing to Killian as
Elena:“You are the famous Elena who had Vladimir staying a bit longer than we expected.” A woman, who I learned is Eleanor, said.“Human,” Natasha, the woman who actually got me out of the room, said. The fact that she did had me scared to death, but when my eyes met Vladimir’s…Flashback:“Open the damn door, Elena, I am Natasha.” She said, making my heart drop at the urgency in her tone. I opened the door, and she nodded, holding her gun in her left hand as she bared her canines. Her eyes were golden, but she didn’t bother as she nodded at me to follow her. “Vladimir…”“Come on, now is not the time to ask questions. There was a lot of gunfire, and the last thing that I am going to need for you is to be caught in an ambush.” She said, making my heart drop. “We’ll get you to Vladimir when he is out of this place.” “He’s…”“So far,” she said, looking down at me. “Let’s hope that things proceed to remain in our favor. But you know, being his mate, and being as special as you are, we
Konstantin:“Everything is going to be over very soon.” I said, looking at Vladimir who nodded.“Indeed. However it may end, I will be sure that things take the path that we chose.” My nephew said, and though I stayed quiet, I was forced to stop myself from scoffing. I needed his loyalty to be mine, and sometimes, I doubted that it was.“You are going to be killing Killian. It is going to be the one way that his reign ends. While Eleanor may have lost the child, it does not mean that he might not have more. I do not want that to be a matter of…”“The two of us already discussed the matter, and with Killian’s death, we are going to gain the power that we lost. We are just going to need to be careful. You know, he has his men swarming around the corner. One wrong word, sound, or even tone, and these wolves are going to be more than willing to tear everyone down.” He said, stopping me. “I am going to take charge of killing him. It is going to be in your office where they cannot hear us. Y
Elena:I was quiet as Vladimir walked out of the room.For a whole week, the two of us wouldn’t speak. However, to my surprise, neither once did he insult me. Even when I knew that I was doing something that he didn’t like, when I tried to attract his attention. All he did was look at me. He didn’t say a word to comment.Tears fell from my eyes, but I was quick to wipe them before anyone saw them. I knew that I was going to need to leave the room, and the idea of meeting Konstantin was not one that I wanted. But I knew better than to keep hiding.I walked out of the bedroom, my heart aching when I saw Vladimir with one of the maids. The two of them spoke, and I could swear that I saw her trying to flirt with him.“You see, I told you, it was only a matter of time before he grew tired of you. And here it is, the man has grown tired of you to the point where he doesn’t even bother looking at you.” Konstantin said, catching my attention. I took a step back and turned to look at him, knowi
Vladimir:I had to fight back my anger as I knew that my mate was doubting me. And the fact that Konstantin was going to be taking advantage of everything that he could do to break my mate. And the idea of that happening was not one that I wanted to allow him to try, not again.“Think, Vladimir, think.” I muttered to myself, knowing that the night was going to be longer than I wanted it to be. “You are not going to betray your pack, your Alpha, nor are you going to let your mate go. But how the fuck do you intend to do so without breaking her heart?”I tapped the sink counter twice before looking down at my reflection. I was furious, but I didn’t know how things were going to be, not now at least. “You are going to need to choose. Are you going to weaken for your love? Or are you going to be pulling yourself together to do what you came here to do?” I whispered before turning the water tap. My hands shook, and I knew what I had to do. Elena, for her safety, I was going to have to do
Elena:Now, if I thought that I would be getting used to the peace this much, I was going to believe that I finally lost it.Konstantin has been gone a week, and never in my life have I felt like everything was finally in place.No one was there to argue or fight, and I was able to get full sleeping nights without the fear of him approaching me in the middle of the night if Vladimir wasn’t around.“You are lost in your thoughts,” Vladimir commented, wrapping his arms around me from behind. I smiled and leaned in to his touch, thankful for it.“I am embracing the peace that we are living through. You know, it is not one that I am used to,” I said, turning to face him. “I thought that you would be at work?”I wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling him to me as he wrapped his around my waist, raising me to sit on the dresser. He smirked and leaned in, brushing his lips against my own as he did before he bit my bottom lip gently.“I was supposed to be, but I have a few things to deal wi