RESENTMENT.

CHAPTER THREE — Nikolai.

I had four older brothers. Ivan was the eldest, followed by Abramov, then Volkov and Antonov. I was the youngest brother and the most cherished by the moon goddess.

My elder brother — Ivan, was yet to embark from his journey to the States and I was bored of lounging around the mansion underneath the gazes of my three other eldest brothers. They were quite protective of me and they couldn't be blamed. It was all because of my condition, and that was one of the reasons they couldn't let me out of their sight ever since we came to Earth from our realm.

From where I sat at the corner of the living room, I watched my brothers Abramov and Volkov play a game of chess amongst themselves and they were fully indulged in the game that I knew if I left the living room they wouldn't notice, so I decided to take my chances. I stood up and quietly left the living room.

Once I was out I sighed in relief and decided to take a stroll outside to the forest of Temnyy, one of my most favorite places to sleep and listen to the voice of nature. I opened the door, about to leave the mansion when I had my name.

I stopped walking and slowly turned my head around to meet the heated gazes of both my brothers, Abramov and Volkov. They looked disappointed at me. "Really, Nikolai?" Abramov was the first to speak as they approached me. "You do know how dangerous it is for you to go outside, right? And you know Ivan told us not to let you out of our sights?"

Closing the door, I smiled at my brother's and held both their hands. "I know Ivan said so, and that's why I tried going out without the both of you knowing."

I glanced at them both; they had an unenthusiastic look on their faces. Abramov and Volkov were twins, born a second apart and they both had striking resemblance. Only difference being the color of their hair and eyes. While Abramov had white hair and sapphire eyes, Volkov had black hair and brown eyes.

"Brothers, just let me go to the Temnyy forest, I wouldn't take long," I pleaded but they didn't seem to be having it. "Please, I beg of you guys."

"It's a no from us." Volkov shook his head.

I released their hands and folded my arm across my chest. "Look, I know you guys are worried about my condition but I can't be locked in forever," I have had this condition since birth. A condition I hated to talk about. A condition people in our realm feared. A condition my brothers also feared. "I can control myself. I'm not a beast."

Volkov raised a brow. "Really?" He seemed to be in deep thought over what I said. "I also want you to go, but remember we aren't in our realm. There are Humans outside that we saved so if you aren't able to control yourself y'know that would mean we are risking their life's. I can't gamble in this sort of situation, Nikolai."

"Everything Volkov said is the truth, Nikolai," Abramov said. "You still aren't able to control the. . .the beast in you. It's sad but we're only locking you in because we love you, brother."

I Fumed with rage. "If you love me like you said, just let me go to Temnyy. I'm not going to the village square," I made it clear to them. The air in the mansion was beginning to suffocate me. "Also, why would I want to risk the lives of the humans I saved? Please Volkov, tell Abramov to let me go."

Amongst all my brothers, Ivan and Volkov were the most understanding and Caring. Abramov on the other hand was different in his own way. He wasn't wicked or something, but he had his own unique way of thinking and viewing things and once upon a time, he betrayed our realm.

Volkov turned to face Abramov and I felt a surge of hope rise within me. "Look Abramov," he began and I heard Abramov groan before rolling his eyes. "Let's just let him go. He promised to control himself."

The whole place was quiet as we waited for Abramov's response. Then he sighed and faced the ground, running his hand through his neck — he did so whenever he was pondering something important. He raised his head up and stared me in the eyes. I got chills. Abramov's eyes never failed to give one chills with how eerie, intimidating and emotionless they were.

Abramov's lips opened momentarily and I knew he was about to give a response. I did a mental countdown. . .

Five. . .

Four. . .

Three. . .

Two. . .

One. . ."Don't get your hopes up, Nikolai. I stand by my answer, it's a no," he said, shattering the surge of hope I felt. Volkov was also left speechless. "Go to your room and paint or you go meet a woman."

My face contoured into a frown as a displeased hiss escaped my mouth. "How can I lay my hand on a brush when I have no inspiration? And lay with a woman?" My voice was loud. "I can't even think properly right now because this house keeps suffocating me."

"I won't repeat myself once again, Nikolai, you aren't allowed to go outside and if you do I wouldn't go after you like a kid nor would I be responsible for you. And remember Ivan isn't home." Abramov said.

I grimaced and stared at Volkov, he seemed to have gotten tired of the conversation. I gave Abramov a last glance before proceeding to do what I had in mind.

I ran out of the house, ignoring both Abramov and Volkov calls. Abramov was always a man of his words, he wasn't going to go after me. Volkov on the other hand was a slug — he definitely wasn't going to follow either.

My legs ran as fast as they could. I passed through the busy village square, ignoring the tons of people that were calling my name. To the villagers, my brothers and I were like heroes to them for saving their lives when the war reached them. The villagers we saved were people of a village named Khabarovsk.

On the same day we came to Earth we realized that the werewolves already invaded the town. It was a displeasing sight to see our own creatures — werewolves, were killing humans. My brothers and I had no choice but to save the humans and place them behind a portal to save them from the doom of our creatures. Ever since then, my brothers and I were regarded as heroes by the people and even though they knew our identities as Lycans, they worshiped us as their savior.

I got to the door of the portal and saw another of my immediate elder brothers, Antonov. He was in a small pub with about two women and two men. I knew he was too busy drinking with them to notice me.

My brother, Antonov, was bisexual and he loved both men and women a lot, and as expected both men and women also loved him back in return. He had a face that could make anyone turn and a killer smile that people found comforting. I tip-toed past the pub and just as I expected, Antonov didn't notice me as he had one of his face in one of his conquests – he referred to those he slept around with as conquest– face.

I passed through the portal and entered into the forest of Temnyy and peace and insanity was regained in my mind. I walked calmly— not uneasy anymore since I already escaped my brothers, around the forest and decided to go over to my favorite spot when I saw something hung up on the branch of a tree. I moved closer and realized it was something. . .but someone was hung up on a tree.

Immediately I went over, climbed up the tree and snapped the rope off to release the person. The body fell to the floor, coughing and groaning in what I supposed to be pain.

I came down from the tree and moved towards the person's front. It was a woman. A beautiful one at that. She had ocean blue eyes that could let one see through the world and her blonde hair was packed in what humans referred to as a ponytail. She was dressed in a gray hoodie and gray joggers, and she didn't seem like someone from the village. Not like I knew everyone in the village, but I was certain she wasn't from there.

I stared at her intently for a quite a long time before I cleared my throat, deciding to scold her for almost committing suicide in the forest, at my favourite spot. "You shouldn't try killing yourself," I tried making my voice stern and strict. "if I hadn't saved you, you'd be dead right now-"

"I never asked you to save me, did I?" She snapped at me, cutting into my statement and taking me off guard.

I couldn't be less bothered about the fact that she snapped at me. I was more bothered about the reason why she wanted to take her own life. I moved towards her as she stared at me, probably surprised by how I looked. . .or she was probably surprised by my protruding canines. It made me wonder if she knew I was a Lycan or not.

I was about to stretch out my hands to her when she surprised me with a punch to my face.

Then she stood up and kicked me in my manhood — that hurt me as I fell to the ground and watched her run away. I knew I couldn't let her go. I didn't know who she was, why she was in the forest of Temnyy and why she had tried committing suicide; and I, Nikolai, wasn't going to let her go until I knew those answers — this jolted me up and made me launch myself at her at a high velocity.

I fell on top of her and held her down to the ground, but she wouldn't stop fighting. She was one fearless and fiesty women, I got to know, but what could have pushed her to suicide? I wondered. Suddenly she stopped fighting her way out of my grip and our eyes locked.

Damn! She was beautiful, and as though I was swimming, I drowned in her beautiful ocean eyes but in her eyes, I could see lots of emotions dwindling in them.

Pain?

Resentment?

Anger? I couldn't say. Then she surprised me by bursting out into tears.