NIKOLAIIt didn’t take a genius to figure out I’d been kidnapped. This wasn’t some random terrorist attack. No, this was planned, deliberate. My head throbbed, a sharp ache that pulsed behind my eyes as I forced myself upright. The room was dark, the only light coming from the weak flicker of a bulb above. It wasn’t enough to see much, but it was enough to hear—to feel. Someone was here with me.The groan came low and ragged, dragging my attention to the far side of the room. My chest tightened. Claude had been with me during the shootout, shielding me when he shouldn’t have. But that didn’t mean the figure slumped in the shadows was him.“Claude?” My voice was rough, edged with suspicion.The unmistakable groan of pain answered that question, and I scrambled toward the voice. My hands found him—his body slack against the floor—and I turned him onto his back. “Fuck, Claude.” The words fell from my lips as my gaze dropped to the stain spreading across his shirtI crawled toward him, my
CLAUDEFuck.That was the first thing that ripped through my head as I came to, groaning like I’d been hit by a freight train. My eyes blinked open, unfocused, until I caught sight of him—Nikolai.His lap was my goddamn pillow, his hands steady on my shoulders. And those eyes—sharp and steady—locked on mine before his lips twitched into that lazy, lopsided smile of his.“Welcome back to the land of the living,” he murmured, like I’d just woken up from a nap instead of—I groaned, trying to shift, but my body felt heavy, like my limbs didn’t belong to me. “Where are we?” My words came out rough, my throat raw.When I tried to sit up, Nikolai’s hands pressed me back down. “Don’t,” he said, his tone low. “You got shot, Claude. Pretty fucking badly, I might add.”I looked down. My chest was bare, bandages wrapped tightly around my torso, blood seeping through faintly. Not silver, though. I’d heal. A couple of days, tops.“And,” Nikolai continued, like he was delivering a punchline, a chuc
NIKOLAII WANTED TO put a bullet through her skull. The thought burned bright, searing through every rational part of me.But it was Claude’s unsteady steps that dragged my attention. He limped back towards me, his movements sluggish, and I was on my feet before I could think twice.“Christ,” I muttered, catching him as he stumbled. I pulled him flush against me, feeling the weight of his exhaustion in the way his body sagged.Guiding him to the wall, I eased him down until he was sitting. His skin was pale, his breathing uneven.“You’re pushing too hard, Claude.” My voice came out low, softer than I intended, and I forced a smile I didn’t feel. “You need to rest.”He didn’t argue, his head leaning back against the wall, his expression tight with pain. My eyes dropped to his stomach, fabric of the bandage darkened with dried blood, and let out a low breath of relief. Thank Christ they weren’t bleeding anymore.“That girl,” I said, keeping my voice steady, “she was with Antonio, wasn’t
CLAUDEI COULDN’T SETTLE.Not since I woke up to find the bed empty. Not since Nikolai had been ripped away from me. The pain in my leg was the least of my worries now, because the world felt wrong without him. My mind wouldn’t stop spinning, my heart hammering in my chest as I thought about the worst.What if he was gone?The thought tightened my throat, my pulse spiking with panic.What if I never saw him again?I couldn’t breathe at the thought.Then, the door creaked open. Footsteps, heavy and uneven. My senses were flooded with blood before I saw him. The metallic tang hit my nose like a punch, and there he was—Nikolai, shoved inside, collapsing before I could think. I lunged, catching him just before his body hit the ground. The door slammed shut behind him, the loud noise ringing in my ears.“Nikolai,” I whispered, guiding him to the wall, my arm hooked under his, my palm pressing against the heat of his ribs.He groaned, sinking down until he was seated, head lolling back agai
NIKOLAI"HOW MANY FUCKING times do I have to tell you—I didn’t take your shit. This is pathetic,” I bit out, wincing as pain flared through my side. Another punch landed, sharp and painful, but I barely flinched.My glare snapped to the brute in front of me, my mind already calculating. Ways to slice him open. Methods to break him apart. He’d regret every goddamn hit the moment I got free—or when my people found me, whichever came first.The bastard sighed, dragging a hand over his shaved head like he was the one dealing with a headache. He started pacing again, heavy boots echoing off the grimy walls, and I stared at him from under my lashes, biting back the urge to spit in his face.“It isn’t about the crystals, is it?” I laughed low, shaking my head. “There’s something else.”The truth was simple: if someone had stolen from me—even a pen—I wouldn’t waste my time. They’d be dead before they could even apologize. No explanations, no second chances. A bullet, point-blank. End of story
CLAUDE SOMETHING WAS WRONG. I’d felt it the moment he was shoved back into the cell. The way he looked at me—sharp, cutting, like I was a problem he didn’t want to solve. And that kiss... It wasn’t affection. It was a punishment, cold and bruising, before he pushed me away as though the taste of me was bitter.How long had it been since he’d spoken to me? Minutes? Hours? Each minute dragged as he refused to answer my calls, refused to acknowledge me with anything other than that deadly glare.My lips had healed, but I still felt the phantom sting of that kiss. Still felt the ache like an open wound every time I dared glance at him. His rage wasn’t subtle—it rolled off him like waves.I watched him now, my eyes tracing every line of his tense frame. But Nikolai didn’t move. His gaze stayed fixed on the door, pointedly avoiding me even though I knew he could feel my stare.The sound of the door slamming open ripped my focus away. My head snapped toward it and I was surprised. They didn
CLAUDEMy fingers wrapped around the lock, the silver biting into my skin the second I touched it. I slammed it to the side with everything I had, ignoring the burn that tore through my hands.The lock broke with a snap, and I stumbled back, panting hard, my chest heaving as pain radiated up my arms. My palms throbbed, raw from the contact, but I didn’t care.I shoved the door open, the hinges groaning under the weight, and Nikolai was already on his feet. His brows pulled together, his eyes narrowing in confusion as he looked at me, like he couldn’t decide what had just happened.“What the hell…” he muttered, his voice low and rough, and I couldn’t miss the way his whole body tensed, like he was bracing for a fight.I couldn’t help it. A grin broke across my face. “We’re free,” I rasped, the words leaving me on a shaky exhale. My heart was slamming so hard it felt like it was trying to break free too. His eyes snapped to mine, and for the briefest second, they softened. But it was
CLAUDEMY HEAD THROBBED like it had been cracked open, the kind of ache that made it hard to think straight. Every nerve in my body was screaming, and the drip-drip-drip of water somewhere close only made it worse, each echo hitting like a hammer. My back ached where something cold and sharp pressed into it, scraping against bone, and no matter how I shifted, I couldn't find relief.And my wrists—fuck. The sting of metal biting into my skin was enough to remind me I wasn’t going anywhere.I tried to open my eyes, but they wouldn’t budge. They felt heavy, like I’d been drugged. Voices buzzed around me, tangled and overlapping, but I couldn’t make out the words.“Ya slyshal, on byl s bossom na tom korable. Dumayesh, on gey?” “Zatkní svoy gryóbanyy rot. On prosypáetsya.”Then one sentence broke through, clear despite the heavy accent.“Go tell boss that he’s awake.”Boss.My pulse jumped. Even through the haze, I knew exactly who that meant.I forced my eyes open, but darkness greeted m
CLAUDEI COULDN’T THINK. Couldn’t breathe—all that mattered was Nikolai. His hands, his mouth, his body—slamming into me, over and over and over, like nothing existed but the two of us. The heat inside me was like fire, burning me up from the inside out. It consumed me, devoured me, and the only thing that could quench it was him. Only him.His hands were tight on my thighs, forcing me harder against the wall, his thrusts so deep, so punishing, that I gasped—no, gasped wasn’t right—my breath shattered every time he pushed inside, his cock filling me to the point of breaking, of splitting. It felt like fire, every inch of him. A fire I couldn’t put out, a drug I couldn’t quit.His grip was tight on my hips, pulling me back against him with each stroke, driving me harder, deeper, like he was determined to claim every part of me. And I wanted it. Needed it.I couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think, couldn’t hear anything over the pounding of my heart, the sound of skin on skin, the heat betwee
NIKOLAIHE WAS SHAKING.Not from pleasure. Not from the come-down.I stayed deep inside him, hands locked on his hips, my body tense as steel. Something wasn’t right. I could feel it in the way his pulse hammered beneath my fingers, in the way his body kept clenching around me, like he was trying to pull me in deeper. But he was too hot—way too fucking hot.I didn’t move. Not yet. I had to figure out what was happening. But the instinct to move was clawing at me.“Claude,” I bit out, my voice low, brows pulled tightly. I brushed the damp strands of hair from his neck. “You’re burning up.”He gasped, pushing back into me, his hips grinding against mine like he needed this to breathe. His fingers dug into the sheets, shaking like his body wasn’t his own anymore. Like I was the only thing keeping him from falling apart.“Talk to me.”There was a beat—just ragged breaths, broken and shallow. And then the words hit like a bullet.“I… I think I’m in heat.”The world stilled.Iknew what that
CLAUDETHE SUN HAD dipped behind the sky when we got to the hotel. It was big—absolutely gorgeous and luxurious—and his hand never left my back as we were escorted to the elevator.The doors opened directly into the suite. No hallway. No detour. Just the quiet click behind us as we stepped inside.Nikolai didn’t say a word. He took off his jacket, dropped it over a chair then looked over his shoulder at me, one brow raised.“You must be hungry,” he said.I rubbed the back of my neck, exhaled through my nose. “I’m not.”He didn’t push. Just nodded once, already moving past me toward the bar. “Shower, then. Take your time.”The bathroom was as beautiful as the rest of it—sleek, gold-trimmed, expensive. I locked the door, and stepped in. Water hit tile, steam rising almost instantly. I stood under the spray longer than I should’ve, eyes closed, hands braced on the wall, as a deep sigh slide past my lips.When I stepped out, the scent of food filled the air—rich and warm, but it wasn’t hu
CLAUDEMY LEGS WOULDN’T stop moving, twitching against the floor like they wanted to be anywhere but inside this car. I pushed out a breath, slowly and leaned my head back against the seat.The AC was on, but I couldn’t breathe.Before I could think, my hand was on the door, pushing it open, and I stepped out. The air slapped me first, a cold bite to my skin, but there was something else—something different that wrapped around it, choking out the relief. A scent. A wolf’s scent.My spine snapped straight and I didn’t even realize I was moving until my feet carried me around the corner, down the path, feet crunching on gravel.Then I saw them.Pressed up against the wall. A guard—tall, broad—gripping the front of someone’s shirt, like he owned him. Their mouths were fused together, sloppy and hungry and completely oblivious.The wolf under him was young. Small. Soft, with flushed skin and a trembling throat that looked too exposed, too breakable. But it wasn’t that.It was when he open
NIKOLAISHE LOOKED LIKE hell.Dress torn, smeared with dirt, lip still split from the slap I gave her two nights ago that still hasn’t heal. She should’ve been ashamed. She should’ve known better. But there she was, with her hand on him—like she had any right.I stood by the car, arms folded, fingers twitching near the grip of the gun holstered under my coat. Claude wasn’t moving. Just standing there like a statue, like if he stared hard enough past her shoulder, this whole fucking moment would vanish. That’s how he coped—with silence, with absence.Then her hand found his.Gentle. Softly.She slid it to her stomach like it meant something, like she hadn’t pinned him down and stolen something that was never hers to take.A child.My jaw locked. Pain bloomed down the side of my face, but I didn’t blink. Didn’t breathe.She turned her head and met my eyes. That goddamn smile—thin, cracked, and smug—like she thought carrying his baby made her immortal.Claude jerked his hand back like she
CLAUDEI COULDN’T EVEN look at the food in front of me. My stomach roared from hunger—but I couldn’t stomach it. Not when my mind felt like it was suffocating me.Too much.Everything was too much.I yanked at the collar of my shirt, but it didn’t help. Nothing helped. It was like I was drowning in air—my chest so tight, it felt like I couldn’t even breathe.“Claude?”I snapped my head toward Nikolai, his gaze locked on me, eyes narrowed, like he could see right through me. But I couldn’t look at him.I did the right thing but I felt guilty. Guilty that I’d lied.But I felt like I had.“Claude, you need to eat.”I couldn’t even bring myself to move. My fingers tightened around the fork in my hand, the metal cold under my touch, but I stayed silent. My lips pressed into a thin, stubborn line, and I just… stared at the food, trying to ignore the growing ache in my gut, trying to ignore how everything felt like it was spiraling out of control.The scrape of a chair against marble made me
NIKOLAII TOOK A sharp breath, the kind that burned in my chest.Claude’s body was stretched out underneath me, all lean muscle and bruised beauty. I rolled to the side, pulling the sheets over us, and his eyes followed me—hand landing on my chest like he thought I would run.I wasn’t.I would never.“Can I mark you?” he asked again, voice rough, voice so fucking soft.He asked it like a man offering forever. Like he didn’t know I’d already sold my soul to make sure no one ever touched him again—he was mine, and mine alone.I swallowed the lump in my throat and reached for his hand on my chest, lacing our fingers together and kissing the back of his knuckles.“You sure?” I murmured, my voice heavier than I meant it to be.“Yes.”No hesitation.Fuck.I closed my eyes for a second. He deserved to know. Even if I didn’t want him to. Even if he left this bed and I spent the rest of my fucking life chasing him down, begging for his forgiveness—I couldn’t keep this from him.So I said it.“
CLAUDEMY HEART WAS pounding so hard against my chest that it felt like I might actually suffocate under the weight of it. Every breath was a struggle, each inhale shaky as I continued to stare at him, the words he’d just said echoing in my head.I love you. I love you. I couldn’t make sense of it. I couldn’t understand how something so simple could make my entire world feel like it was cracking apart and coming together all at once.“What?” I choked out, my voice barely a whisper, my hands trembling as I reached for him, pressing my palm against his chest, needing to feel something—anything—that was real, that would make this feel real.Nikolai’s smile softened. It wasn’t sharp, it wasn’t cocky. It was raw. It was breathless. There was a quiet desperation in it, something so different. I felt my breath catch. His fingers slipped through my hair, gently pushing it back from my face as he leaned in, his lips brushing over mine—so soft it hurt, like he was afraid of breaking me.“I’m f
CLAUDEI WOKE UP gasping.My lungs were on fire, chest heaving too fast, too erratically. My fingers dug into the sheets—no, not sheets. Not his. Not that ground. I sucked in a breath, pushing myself up, my back slamming against the headboard.I wasn’t there.I wasn’t there.I dragged a shaky hand across my face. My skin was slick and my hair hair, wet. My chest felt tight, like I couldn’t get enough air, and my throat was sore, dry.Then I turned my head.The space next to me was empty. The sheets were cold. I swallowed, but it didn’t help. The room was dark, with only the faint light outside spilling in. I listened, hoping to hear the sound of him—his breath, his movements, anything that would tell me he was still here, that everything was still… okay.But there was nothing.I told myself not to care. Told myself he was just out there somewhere, doing whatever it was he did when he left. That he’d come back. But the fear was already there. Growing.I shoved the covers off, my legs