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43. Ruslan
Last Updated:
2024-10-20 15:05:13
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Between Hate and Fate 44. Katya
The wind carries the scent of pine and earth as I stand on the porch and watch Ruslan and Anatoly move through the clearing, their heads bent close together as they talk in low, serious voices. They’ve been at it for hours, scouring the area for any sign of the bounty hunters, and inspecting the bodies of the bounty hunters that Ruslan took down last night, trying to figure out who they were working for. Anatoly brought a small army with him—at least a dozen warriors, all loyal to his pack and all on high alert. I’m grateful, but there’s a part of me that’s still uneasy.Watching Ruslan move with such ease, taking command alongside Anatoly, reminds me of what he was before all of this. Before he became a rogue. He was an Alpha. He was strong, a leader, and despite everything, I can still see that in him now.I lean against the porch railing, watching as they talk quietly, their movements efficient, trained. Anatoly gestures for Ruslan to come over to him. I can’t hear what they’re s
Last Updated : 2024-10-20Between Hate and Fate 45. Ruslan
Sitting on the porch, the cool night air brushing against my skin, I feel the weight of everything pressing down on me. Anatoly’s offer echoes in my mind, repeating over and over. Beta. Joining a pack again. Becoming part of something bigger than just me and Katya.I stare out at the darkened tree line, the quiet hum of the night surrounding me. It’s tempting, I won’t lie. Being in a pack again means protection, stability, a sense of belonging I haven’t had in years. I was an Alpha once, before everything was taken from me. Before Andrei. The pull of pack life, the need to lead, to protect—it’s still in my blood. It’s something I can’t just shake off, no matter how far I’ve run.But the other side of it... It’s not so simple.Katya and I have carved out a fragile peace here in the mountains, away from everything and everyone. No pack politics, no eyes watching our every move, no expectations to meet or traditions to uphold. We’ve been left to figure things out on our own, and someho
Last Updated : 2024-10-21Between Hate and Fate 46. Ruslan
Katya arches her back from the bed as I work my tongue around her sensitive clit and curling two fingers inside of her. She’s panting; her grip tightening in my hair as I devour her pussy and needing her to come for me again.Our last night in our piece of heaven, and I need to make it count. She gasps. “Ruslan… I don’t think I can—”“You can and you will, Malyshka,” I growl and flick my tongue faster. Her moans climbing the closer she gets to her orgasm, and when she finally breaks, it’s fucking beautiful.Before she can catch her breath, I slam inside of her and start thrusting. Gods, I can still feel the slivers of her orgasm clenching around my cock and I can’t help but groan at the feel of it.I slip my hand behind her head and she opens her eyes to look at me. Holding her gaze, I move slowly against her; savouring everything I’m feeling at this moment. Her eyes soften as she looks at me, and my heart does this annoying squeeze it always does.“I love you, Katya,” I murmur and I
Last Updated : 2024-10-21Between Hate and Fate 47. Katya
The drive to the pack lands feels like a blur. My mind is still caught somewhere between the memories of our little cabin and the uncertainty of what lies ahead. Leaving it behind wasn’t easy, but I know it was the right choice. For me, for the baby, for us. Ruslan’s hand rests on mine as he drives, a steady presence that calms my nerves, but I can feel the tension in him too. This is a big change, for both of us.As we pull into the main driveway leading to the pack house, I take a deep breath, trying to steel myself. The place is huge, much larger than anything I’ve ever known. The sprawling pack lands seem endless, with thick forests surrounding the area and a large, imposing house sitting at the heart of it all. There’s something both intimidating and comforting about it.Ruslan parks the SUV, and as we step out, I spot Anatoly standing in front of the house, waiting for us with a broad grin on his face. He’s flanked by three men, all of them tall and built like warriors. His Gam
Last Updated : 2024-10-22Between Hate and Fate 48. Ruslan
The low hum of conversation grows louder as I guide Katya down the staircase toward the banquet hall. Her hand is tucked into the crook of my arm, her grip firm but not tense. She’s composed, regal even, though I can feel the nervous energy rolling off her. I can’t blame her. It’s not every day you get introduced to an entire pack, especially one that isn’t yours.We step onto the main floor, and the scent of roasted meat, spices, and freshly baked bread hits me. The hall is alive with chatter and laughter, the long tables already filling with pack members. It’s warm and inviting, a stark contrast to the icy tension that’s been shadowing us for weeks. But the reality is still there: these people aren’t just here for dinner. They’re here to see us, to size us up, to decide if we belong.Katya’s grip tightens slightly as Anatoly strides toward us, his grin as wide as ever. He’s in his element, his booming laugh cutting through the noise as he claps a few shoulders on his way over. Hi
Last Updated : 2024-11-25Between Hate and Fate 49. Ruslan
The air in Anatoly’s office feels heavy, the tension palpable as we sit around the large wooden table. Anatoly is at the head, leaning back in his chair, his arms crossed over his chest. Ivan, Mikhail, and Roman are seated beside me, their expressions grim. None of us are in the mood for small talk.I sit forward, my elbows on the table, my hands clasped tightly as I replay the events of the attack in my mind. The bounty hunters came for Katya, and we still don’t know who sent them. The not knowing is the worst part, the way it gnaws at me like a wound that won’t heal.“I’ve left three warriors at the cabin,” Anatoly says, breaking the silence. “They’re keeping an eye out for anyone who might come back. But so far, it’s been quiet.”“Too quiet,” Mikhail mutters, his jaw tight. “If they were determined enough to send bounty hunters, they won’t stop at one failed attempt.”I nod, my hands tightening into fists. “Whoever it is, they wanted her alive. That means they have a specific plan
Last Updated : 2024-11-25Between Hate and Fate 50. Katya
The pup center is alive with chaos, the kind that comes with a room full of energetic children. Laughter and shrieks bounce off the walls as little ones chase each other, their tiny feet thudding against the wooden floors. I’m sitting cross-legged on the carpet, helping one of the pups stack blocks into a wobbly tower. The smile on her face when we manage to balance the final block is worth the ache in my knees.“Good job, Sofia,” I say, clapping lightly. Her face lights up, and she giggles, clapping along with me.For a moment, I forget everything else. The tension, the stares, the whispers. It’s just me and Sofia and her towering creation. But then a voice cuts through the noise, sharp and pointed.“Must be strange for you,” one of the women says, her tone dripping with fake sweetness. “Helping out here, I mean. Not exactly the Luna anymore, are you?”I glance up to see Marissa, one of the pack’s more outspoken women, standing with her arms crossed. Her smile doesn’t reach her eyes
Last Updated : 2024-12-08Between Hate and Fate 51. Katya
Lunch is simple, just a meal shared at one of the long communal tables in the dining hall. Ruslan grabs a tray and loads it up with food before steering me toward a quieter corner of the room. The place is packed, voices and laughter filling the air as pack members enjoy their break, but Ruslan keeps his focus solely on me.“You’re eating all of that?” I tease, eyeing the mountain of food on his tray.He smirks, sitting down and pulling out a chair for me. “I’m not sharing if that’s what you’re asking.”I laugh softly, sitting beside him and picking at my own plate of roasted chicken and vegetables. “Good thing I’m not hungry enough to fight you for it.”“You’d lose,” he says, taking a huge bite of bread, his grin cheeky as he chews.“Oh, I don’t doubt it,” I reply, rolling my eyes but smiling. It’s easy, this banter, and for a moment, I forget the tension of the morning. Ruslan has that effect on me, pulling me into his world, making me feel grounded.We eat in comfortable silence f
Last Updated : 2024-12-08
Latest chapter
Between Hate and Fate 66. Ruslan
I wake with a jolt, my eyes snapping open to the darkened room as a sharp, urgent voice echoes through my mind link.“Ruslan! We’ve got movement on the southern border. It’s not a drill!”It’s Anatoly. The edge in his tone cuts through the lingering fog of sleep like a blade. I’m already sitting up, swinging my legs over the side of the bed, instincts kicking in before thought catches up.Katya stirs beside me, her soft breathing breaking with a groggy whisper. “Ruslan? What’s wrong?”“Go back to sleep,” I mutter, my voice low but steady, reaching for the sweats I left on the chair. “It’s nothing.”She doesn’t believe me—of course she doesn’t—but I don’t stick around to argue. I press a kiss to her forehead and head straight for the door, pulling a shirt over my head as I go.By the time I’m outside, the chill of the early morning air slaps me awake completely. The packhouse is still mostly quiet, the sun not yet breaking the horizon, but I can hear it now—distant howls, the sharp bar
Between Hate and Fate 65. Katya
I pause at the front steps of the pup center, staring at the worn wood of the door like it might swing open and swallow me whole. The knot in my stomach twists tighter, and I have to swallow down the anxiety that rises with it.I shouldn’t feel this way. I’m not the one who did anything wrong. And yet, as I stand here, I can already feel the weight of what’s waiting for me on the other side of that door.I take a breath—deep and steady—before pushing it open and stepping inside.The noise hits me first, as it always does: the sound of children laughing, playing, and the faint scurry of tiny footsteps across the floor. It’s the one thing about this place that never changes, no matter how tense the air might be.But it’s different today.The women notice me immediately. Their conversations die mid-sentence. The air shifts, thick and stifling. They don’t stare outright—no, that would take a backbone they clearly don’t have. Instead, they look past me, around me, through me, like I’m noth
Between Hate and Fate 64. Ruslan
I sit on the edge of the coffee table, my elbows resting on my knees, staring at Katya as she holds Milanya close to her chest. It’s quiet, save for the soft crackle of the fire, but the weight of everything I need to say hangs between us.Katya hasn’t pushed me away—not yet—but I see the guarded look in her eyes, the way she holds herself a little too still, like she’s bracing for something. It guts me more than I want to admit.I rub a hand over my face, dragging in a deep breath before I finally speak. “I need to apologize.”Her eyes flick up to meet mine, wary. “For what?”“You know what,” I say, my voice low. “For the other night. For yelling. For losing my damn temper and scaring you—and her.” I nod toward Milanya, who’s still sleeping soundly against her.Katya’s gaze softens just slightly, but she doesn’t let me off that easily. “Ruslan... it wasn’t just yelling. You were angry.”I nod, shame curling in my gut like a fist. “I was. And that’s on me. I shouldn’t have let it happ
Between Hate and Fate 63. Ruslan
I’m halfway to the pup center before I even realize I’ve left the cabin. My boots slam against the frozen ground, every step fueled by the burning rage twisting through my chest.Katya didn’t say much when I came home—she didn’t have to. The moment I walked in and saw her sitting on the couch, staring at nothing with that look in her eyes, I knew. Someone had hurt her. Again.And this time, I wasn’t going to let it slide.The moment I storm into the pup center, the air shifts. I can feel their gazes snap toward me—startled, wide-eyed, nervous. It’s too quiet, and that silence only pisses me off more.The door slams shut behind me with a loud thud, and I don’t stop moving until I’m standing dead center, my boots scraping against the wooden floor. Pups stop playing, their little heads snapping up, and the women standing nearby freeze in place. I scan the room, my eyes sharp and cold, locking on every single one of them as I step inside.“Which one of you did it?” My voice cuts through t
Between Hate and Fate 62. Katya
The morning sun filters through the kitchen window, casting warm light across the table where Milanya is bundled in her bassinet. I stare at my cup of tea, my stomach too knotted to eat anything. The quiet of the cabin is heavy—too heavy—and the ache in my chest from last night still hasn’t eased.I can still hear Ruslan’s voice in my head, loud and furious. The look on his face, the fear in Milanya’s cries... It’s been looping in my mind all night, keeping me awake.I exhale, rubbing at my temple. It was a fight. That’s all. We were both exhausted. Stressed. He didn’t mean to lose control like that, and I didn’t mean to push him so hard. But knowing that doesn’t make it easier to shake the weight of it off.I glance at Milanya, her tiny face so peaceful in sleep, and I swallow down the guilt. At least she won’t remember any of this.The clock ticks on the wall, far too loud, and I know I can’t stay here. Sitting around this cabin all day with my thoughts circling like vultures would
Between Hate and Fate 61. Ruslan
The moment I step over the threshold of the packhouse, I know something’s wrong. The air feels off—too quiet, too still. The kind of quiet that makes my instincts spike, every hair on the back of my neck rising like a warning.“Katya?” I call, my voice echoing through the cabin. I don’t smell her. I don’t hear her.Nothing.I drop the bag slung over my shoulder and stalk into the living room, scanning every corner. Empty. The kitchen’s the same—pristine, untouched, like no one’s been here all day. My heart kicks into overdrive, and I shove open the door to Milanya’s room, the crib waiting silently, taunting me.Where the fuck are my family?My chest tightens. The bond, usually a hum in the back of my mind, is quiet. I reach for her through it, focusing hard, trying to feel her presence, her emotions—anything—but there’s nothing. It’s like screaming into a void.“Katya!” I shout, my voice bouncing off the walls as I tear through the cabin, checking every damn room again even though I
Between Hate and Fate 60. Katya
It’s been nearly a month since everything settled into something close to routine, and yet here I am, staring at the empty space on Ruslan’s side of the bed again. The sheets are cold, meaning he left hours ago. Probably before dawn. It’s been like this for weeks—him disappearing early, coming back late, exhausted, and barely saying more than a few words before collapsing into bed.I press my palm against the spot where he slept, feeling the faint traces of his warmth before sighing and rolling onto my back. The faint light of dawn creeps through the curtains, but I don’t want to get up yet. Not when the ache of frustration has been sitting in my chest for days now, growing stronger with every quiet night and every hurried morning.I know why he’s been busier lately. The solstice is approaching, and everyone in the pack has been on edge. It’s a time of heightened energy, of potential attacks, of old traditions that make the pack restless and wary. But knowing why doesn’t make it an
Between Hate and Fate 59. Katya
I stand in front of the mirror, fussing with the sleeves of my dress, trying to ignore the nerves that coil tighter and tighter in my stomach. It’s a soft blue—Ruslan’s suggestion, because he said it matched my eyes—but the color doesn’t do much to calm me. My reflection stares back at me, pale and anxious, but all I can think about is Milanya.Today is her blessing. Today she’ll be presented to the pack, and everyone will see her for the first time. Everyone.A soft noise from the crib pulls my attention. I turn and see her lying there, her tiny fists curling up near her face as she sleeps. My chest tightens. She’s so small, so perfect, and the thought of anyone looking at her the wrong way—of anyone even getting too close—makes my blood boil.She’s mine.The bond hums softly between Ruslan and me, like it always does when I feel something this strongly. I sense him before I hear him, his steady footsteps approaching.“You’re going to burn a hole in the floor pacing like that,” Rusl
Between Hate and Fate 58. Ruslan
The hallway is quiet as I step out of the room, leaving Katya and our daughter asleep. The soft sounds of their breathing trail after me, steadying the chaos in my chest as I close the door behind me. For a moment, I lean back against the wood, exhaling heavily. They’re safe. They’re mine. But the weight of everything still presses down like a goddamn anvil.I head toward Anatoly’s office, my feet carrying me on autopilot. The packhouse is mostly silent at this hour, the kind of stillness that comes after a storm. My hand raps against the heavy door before I step in without waiting for an answer. Anatoly’s sitting behind his desk, a bottle of whiskey already out and two glasses waiting. Typical. He looks up and grins.“Took you long enough,” he says, getting to his feet. His arms are open as he steps around the desk, and before I can dodge, he pulls me into a quick, firm hug. “Congratulations, old friend.”I grunt, patting his back awkwardly. “Yeah, thanks. Don’t make this weird.”“
