NiKOLAI HE WAS FINALLY HERE. Pressing against the wall, I watched Jonny Hernandez stride down the hall, flanked by two thick-necked goons. The prick had the audacity to steal from me, and now he was holed up on this swanky, heavily-guarded yacht, probably thinking he was untouchable. I usually had my men handle these sorts of personal errands, but this time... hell, I wanted to look him in the eyes myself before I made him pay. I peeked around the corner. The two guards had parked themselves outside a door, just under one lazy surveillance camera hanging in the corner. Perfect. I let my fingers tap against the wall, a small sound, just enough to get their attention. Predictably, both heads swiveled in my direction. Like clockwork. "Evening, gentlemen," I said, sliding my hands into my pockets as they stepped toward me. "Is Jonny allowing visitors?" The bigger of the two grunted, "No visitors." I shrugged, my lips curling
CLAUDE I DIDN’T HAVE the damn key to our room, which was why I’d been standing here for Gods knew how long, feeling more pissed off with every second. “You’re alone,” a voice cut through my thoughts. “I’m surprised.” I whipped my head toward the sound. Amelia was standing there, in a short, pleated skirt, black bra barely covering anything, a gold leash around her neck. She held the end of it in her hand and started walking toward me like she owned the damn place. “Amelia,” I muttered, shifting my weight to the other foot, my body tense as she got closer. “You didn’t look so thrilled to be here the first night,” she said, a sly smirk curving her lips. I chuckled. No shit. I’d been questioning my decisions—whether I was making a mistake, whether this was what I really wanted. But I had made up my mind now. “Yeah, well…” I shrugged. Her eyes flicked to the door I was leaning against, and I could feel her getting closer, measuring me u
CLAUDEEvery part of me was on fire. I was trapped between a wall and a hard place—literally—because Nikolai’s frim body pressed tightly against mine, his hips grinding into me like he had something to prove. And goddammit, it felt so fucking good. A moan slipped past my lips, swallowed by the press of his mouth against mine. His kiss was raw and hard, his tongue demanding entry I couldn’t deny. My hands clutched at his biceps, the hard muscles flexing beneath my fingers as I fought to keep my balance.“Fuck,” Nikolai growled, pulling back just enough for his dark, burning gaze to meet mine. His breath came in heavy pants, his lips brushing against my skin as he whispered, “Do you have any idea what you do to me?” I didn’t answer. I couldn’t. My voice had been stolen by the heat pooling low in my stomach, by the way his teeth grazed my neck, biting and teasing like he couldn’t get enough of me. The sharp sting made me gasp, and the sound only seemed to fuel him further. “Shit—Ni
NIKOLIAI don’t know why I cared. Claude wasn’t my responsibility. He wasn’t anything to me. But when he flinched yesterday—when I saw that flicker of fear in his eyes—I wanted to rip apart whoever put it there. I’d never felt this way before. Never. The partners in my life had always been transactional. I gave them what they wanted, took what I needed, and left it at that. No questions. No complications. No strings. Yet here I was, lying in bed, the early morning light bleeding through the curtains, thinking about him. His breathing filled the room—slow, steady, but not the kind of calm you’d expect from someone still asleep. “I know you’re awake, Claude.” My voice cut through the silence, and I heard the subtle shift of sheets as he tensed. I turned my head toward him, though the space between us still felt like miles. He didn’t answer. Just drew in a sharp breath. “You have an accent,” he said after a moment, his voice quieter than usual. “I noticed it yesterday whe
CLAUDE I COULDN’T FIND it. My hands tore through the piles of clothes scattered on the floor, my pulse a pounding rhythm in my ears. My breath hitched, shallow and ragged. Think, Claude. Think. I knew I’d brought the damn pills on board. I wouldn’t forget something that important. Then it hit me. The guards. I’d handed my bag to the security guards. A cold wave of dread washed over me. What if they’d taken them? My body trembled as I pressed a thumb hard into my eye. Fuck. This is bad. Really bad.I glanced toward the bathroom door, steam curling beneath it, the shower still running. Nikolia had no idea what was happening on the other side of that door, and I needed to keep it that way. Without thinking twice, I grabbed my jacket and stormed out, the salty sea air slapping me in the face as I stepped onto the ship’s terrace. The place was almost deserted—just the endless horizon of water and sky. But I wasn’t alone. I caught it then. Fain
CLAUDE“NEW HERE?” The guy slid into the seat across from me like we’d been friends for years. His dark curls framed a mischievous grin, green eyes flashing with curiosity. He wasn’t collared, but the confidence in his posture gave him away—another pet. “What gave me away?” I muttered, leaning back, trying not to care. “The tension. It’s written all over you,” he said, smirking. “I’m Jace. Figured you could use a familiar face.” “Tate,” I replied, using the fake name and not offering more. He leaned in slightly, lowering his voice. “This your first run?” I hesitated, glancing around and waiting for Nikolai who went to take something from our room. “Yeah.” Jace nodded, glancing around. “Not all bad. Two weeks, big payout, then freedom. But you don’t look like someone who needs it. So…what are you doing here?” His question hung in the air. I wasn’t here for money, no I came here because I thought Viktor was alive—even though I had seen him die— but now, now I was staying
NIKOLIAI WAS PISSED. No, beyond pissed.I’d woken up to an empty bed, the sheets still warm where Claude had been lying. I told myself to let it go. Maybe he just needed space. Maybe I was smothering him. But after ten minutes of staring at the door, all I could think about was how much I wanted him back in my bed—where I could touch him, where he belonged.So, I went looking. And I found him.With Jonny fucking Hernandez’s.“What do you want from him?” Claude’s voice was tight, his stance tense. The wind tugged at his hair, the glow of the ship’s lights casting shadows across his face.I stalked toward him, fists clenched, grinding my teeth so hard it hurt. His eyes widened as he backed up until the cool metal bars stopped him. Good. He wasn’t going anywhere.“I should be asking you that,” I growled, my voice low and dangerous. “What the fuck are you doing with him?”I was in his space now, caging him in, my hands gripping the bars on either side of his hips. “Are you working with h
CLAUDE I SHOULD’VE KNOWN better. Maybe I did. Maybe I just didn’t want to admit it. But thinking Nikolai wasn’t dangerous? Yeah, that was stupid. His words last night sent shivers down my spine—less like a warning, more like a threat. Still, I wasn’t a threat to him. Hell, I wasn’t a threat to anyone here. I didn’t belong here. And that wasn’t even my biggest problem. I was changing. The pills. If I’d had them, none of this would be happening. My body wouldn’t be rebelling, shedding the beta facade I’d spent so many years maintaining. But without them, I could feel my omega surfacing, clawing its way back to the forefront. And with that came the inevitable: heat. It was coming for me, and when it hit, there’d be no stopping it. Nikolai stood behind me, his presence commanding without even trying. His hands rested on my shoulders, firm with a light squeeze and his thumbs brushing over my collarbone. His gaze pierced through the mirror in front of us, pinning me in place."You
CLAUDE I COULD TELL something was wrong the moment they told me to step out of the car. The way they moved, the way they avoided my gaze—it was all wrong.You’re being detained. Shit.So here I was, pacing in a small, dimly lit room, waiting for something to happen, and I knew exactly what that something would be—my father.My jaw clenched as I turned to the two men standing guard. "Why are you holding me here when I should be on my way back to my pack?" My voice came out sharp, a growl filled with frustration.They exchanged a glance before one of them finally spoke. "You’ve been reported missing—"My heart dropped."By the Alpha of Rising Moon Pack."Of course.I dragged a hand over my face, trying to keep calm. With what had happened the last time, of course he would be worried, but I didn’t think he would actually report me missing. Not when he was the kind of man who preferred handling things alone.I didn’t know how long I sat there, pacing, waiting, feeling the minutes stretc
CLAUDE“YOU CAN LEAVE.”The words didn’t make sense.I blinked at Nikolai from where I sat on the bed, my head still hazy, heavy, like I’d been drowning in a dream for too long. My body felt sluggish, my limbs heavy by sleep that shouldn’t have lasted this long. Even when I looked out the window, the sky was dark. A full day—I’d slept for a full day.But that wasn’t what made my chest go tight.It wasn’t the exhaustion, the disorientation.It was him.Standing there, hands shoved into his pockets, looking around his own bedroom like he was seeing it for the first time. Like he didn’t recognize it. Like he didn’t recognize me.“Nikolai…” My voice was hoarse, my throat tight. “Why?”I shouldn’t have asked. I should have just taken my chance, grabbed my things, and gone. I’d been telling him that I needed to leave. That I had to leave. Go back to my pack, to my family.But I never thought he’d let me go.Not like this.Not when just last night, he had held me so tight, his breath warm ag
NIKOLAIMY FINGERS CURLED around the gun before I was even fully awake, instincts kicking in before reason as I forced myself through the last haze of sleep. Something was off. Someone was too close. Watching.I sat up fast, muscles tight, gun already aimed, my finger poised over the trigger—ready to put a bullet between their eyes—until I saw who it was.Boris. My grip tightened, jaw locking as I breathed through the sharp rush of adrenaline. I didn’t lower the gun. I could still pull the trigger. I wanted to. “Now, now, Nikolai.” His voice was too smooth, too fucking amused for someone who had just walked into my bedroom uninvited. “Don’t tell me you plan on shooting your own Batya.”The light flicked on, too bright, too harsh, and I swore under my breath, dragging a hand over my face as I adjusted to it. He was smiling. That slow, knowing smirk that made my skin crawl.I reached for the sheets without looking, pulling them up over Claude’s back, covering him before he could wake
NIKOLAI HE WANTED TO to leave.The thought circled in my head over and fucking over until it sank into my bones, twisting through me like a sickness, a goddamn obsession. All I could think about was tying him down, chaining him to the fucking bedpost if that’s what it took to keep him here.I yanked at my tie, pulling the damn thing loose until it slipped from my fingers, landing somewhere on the floor.He wasn’t leaving. I wouldn’t fucking let him. Not when I had finally accepted—finally fucking accepted—that I wanted him.My hand twitched at my cheek, my jaw tight, my chest aching with the need to own him, to make him mine, to fucking possess him. The thought had me exhaling sharply, shaking my head, because for the first time, I wasn’t sure who the real animal was between us.“Pakhan?”Andrei’s voice pulled me from my thoughts, and I hadn’t even noticed when he walked in.I lifted my gaze to him, my expression sharp. “What the fuck happened to your face?”His hand twitched, like h
CLAUDEHe didn’t even tell me when he left.I had still been in bed when a knock sounded at the door. The sound dragged me from sleep, and when I reached across the mattress, my hand met nothing but cold sheets.The space next to me was empty.I should have known then.When I opened the door, a man dressed in all black stood there, his posture rigid, his gaze fixed anywhere but on me.“Boss said I should tell you he won’t be back soon.”Soon. That was four days ago.My stomach twisted, a slow, twisting ache forming in the pit of my gut because the last time he left, he came back with two bullet wounds.I didn’t want to see that again.I didn’t want to sit here, waiting, suffocating in this house while my mind ran in circles, wondering if this was the time he wouldn’t make it back.The house was full of people, but it still felt empty. Hollow. Cold in a way that had nothing to do with temperature. And I knew—I knew—it was because I wasn’t really part of this world.I didn’t try to tal
CLAUDEIT STILL FELT weird, being able to walk around the house so freely. But now… now I knew where the dining room was. Hell, I could smell it—the rich, savory aroma filling the air, making my stomach clench.But that wasn’t what had my chest squeezing.No, it was him. He had seen me—had looked at what I was—and instead of disgust, he had laughed. Had reached out, tapped my head, stroked my fur. And gods, it made my heart stuttered because it mattered.I stepped into the dining room, and Nikolai was already there, dressed in a fitted white T-shirt and dark suit trousers. Simple, effortless, but somehow he still looked like he belonged on a throne. His eyes found mine as I moved closer, the corner of his lips tugging up like he was amused by something.Then, his gaze dragged over me. Slow. Thorough.A low hum vibrated in his throat before he reached for the chair beside him, pulling it out for me.And gods—something inside me burst at that.I sat, my eyes flicking to the six men sta
NIKOLAITHE SOUND OF birds chirping was what woke me up. Soft. Unassuming. Completely out of place in my fucking world.A low groan rumbled from my throat as I shifted, only to realize something heavy was pressed against me—someone. Their head rested in the crook of my neck, the weight familiar and welcoming.Claude.I exhaled through my nose, my eyes locking onto his face. Even now, even in sleep, he looked like something I shouldn’t fucking touch. Something sharp and fragile at the same time, something that could cut me open if I wasn’t careful.Not that it mattered. I wasn’t careful. Never had been.And no matter how many times I thought about it, no matter how I turned it over in my head, I still couldn’t wrap my mind around the fact that werewolves were real. That he was real. That every goddamn thing I had ever believed about this world had been a lie.It fucked with me. Made me question everything. Made me run from him when I should have just accepted what was in front of me.H
CLAUDE NO ONE STOPPED me when I left the room.No one questioned me when I wandered through the massive house, and no one tried to keep me from moving freely. If anything, they moved when they saw me, their dark eyes flicking away, their shoulders stiffening.Those men dressed in black, all carrying weapons.It only made one thing clearer—I had been wrong about Nikolai. Again.It had been three days.Three days of roaming through endless hallways, searching for him in every corner, following my nose, trying to scent him out. But it was impossible.He was hiding from me. Deliberately ignoring me.And for the past three days, I’d been fed like a starved man. The maid bringing in meals three times a day, plates stacked with enough food to feed four men, but I barely touched any of it.Not when my mind was consumed with him.The door creaked and my ears twitched at the sound, my body tensing, instinct bracing for an attack—until his scent hit me.I didn’t move. Didn’t turn. Didn’t want t
CLAUDETHE CHAINS RATTLED as I jerked up, my heart slamming against my ribs so hard it hurt. My breath caught in my throat, my eyes locking on the figure standing in the doorway.Nikolai.His name slipped from my lips before I could stop it, shaky and desperate.He was standing, but barely. His shoulders slumped slightly, exhaustion clinging to him like a second skin. Bandages wrapped tight around his torso and shoulder, stark against the paleness of his skin, and a pair of sweatpants hung low on his hips. His hair was a mess, damp and tousled, and a faint sheen of sweat glistened along his brow. He looked like hell.But he was here.A sharp breath wrenched itself from my lungs, relief and something dangerously close to panic twisting inside me. I moved before I could think, stepping forward, but the moment I did, metal clanked loudly against the floor.I froze.Nikolai’s gaze flickered downward.For a second, he didn’t move. Didn’t speak.His eyes stayed on the silver shackles wrappe