Elara's POV "Don't move."The voice is firmly deep and dangerously close. From my ear, a breath away.My pulse thumping against my ribs, I freeze. My body hurts from whatever hit me before I passed out; my vision is fuzzy. Under me the floor is frigid, merciless. As I blink, my head whirls trying to clear the darkness pushing in.A hand firmly, possessively clutches my wrist. Though my motions are weak, I strive to distance myself."Where is me?" My voice comes out almost whisper-like, hoarse."Safe... for now," Viktor says, his grasp tightening briefly before releasing.Safest? Though my throat is dry and my body is too tired, I want to laugh. My muscles protesting, I gently raise myself. The room is barely lit, and the air is tense. I look about: stone walls, a single light hanging from the ceiling, and a hefty steel door at the far end."Why does it feel like I've been kidnapped?" I say a whisper.Viktor smiles, but his eyes show no fun. "Because you would have been if I hadn't go
Elara's POV At last he speaks, his voice down this time. Orlov will not stop visiting you. He will discount you if he believes you to be a loose end. And he will own you if he considers you as a benefit."I try hard to swallow. And then what about you, Viktor? What do you suppose I am?"His speech stumbles for just a moment. Enough is said here.There is something heavy hanging between us. Neither of us is ready to name.The moment was broken before he could respond by a knock at the door.Viktor is attentive right away, drawing his rifle from his holster and heading towards the door. My breath pauses."Expecting company!" I whisper.He was silent.Three harsh raps here once more.Viktor signs for me to stay back before unlocking the door and flinging it open.A man stumbles inside, blood leaking through his clothes.Leo?My breath freezes. "No: that's not possible."Viktor picks him quickly before he falls. "What the devil—"Leo raises his head and locks dark eyes onto me. Pain flic
Elara's POV “You are not dying for me.” Hiss the words between gritted teeth, yet in the strange silence of the corridor they could as well be a scream. Leo's body shields me like an immobile wall in front of me. His shirt is blood—his or someone else's—but his grip on the gun is solid. Not changed. He does not turn. That is not your choice to make My heart leaps against my ribs. His voice is crisp, edged with something unvarnished. Something deadly. The corridor echoes a slow, delighted laugh. Mikhail Orlov is just steps away, a weapon laid sloppily in his hand. Though he does not raise his rifle, his silver eyes gleam with laughter. He does not need to. His guys have surrounded us already. Viktor is by my side, his eyes darting to every conceivable escape and his shoulders heaving. Not one of them exists. Orlov moves onwards. "Did you really think you could run from me?" Leo stiffens his body. You have two seconds to disappear from my view before I lay a
Leo’s POVOrlov pays him no attention, his icy stare fixed on me. "I warned you, didn't I?" I when his fingers brush my cheek. "I explained to you what would happen should you challenge me."Leo yanks back. Touch her once more; I'll kill you.Orlov lets out a small smile. Volkov, you are not in a position to threaten.I push myself to look at Orlov. “You’re making a mistake.”His grip intensifies. “No, Elara. You did.”The barrel of a gun presses into Leo’s head.My heart stops.“No!” I surge ahead, but Orlov easily holds me back.Leo does not even blink. His lips curling into a sneer "Go ahead. Though his voice is almost lackadaisical, there is steel under. "Kill me," says And see her cause you to regret it for the rest of your wretched existence.Orлov laughs. You always had a theatrical quality. He approaches closely, his voice getting cold. But from what I know, Volkov. More than your own, you respect her life.The tension in the air buzzes.And then Orlov points the rifle toward
Elara’s POV"Do not do this."Leo has a weak voice, but his hold on my wrist is firm—too strong for a man bleeding on the floor. His dark eyes blaze into mine, loaded with suffering and much worse.Transgression.My heart coils. I give a shake of my head. "I am without options.""Bullshit," he says, tightening his grip. Blood stains my fingertips as it pours through his shirt. "You always have options.."I turn away, trying to remain frigid. Should I trip or hesitate, Orlov will see the gaps. And fissures cause death for some."Let go, Leo." While my hands shake, my voice is steady.He lets out a sharp exhale, shuddering as agony floods him. Walking out that door will sign your death sentence.No, I say, prying him away with my fingertips. You are being saved by me.His eyes open just for a moment.Orlov laughs back from behind me. Touching. His voice is poisonous and like poison, smooth. But I am becoming impatient.I keep my face blank and turn to meet him. "I handed you what you wa
Elara’s POVWe die if we are captured.My pulse beating as Lucas yanks me along a dark corridor, I murmur the words. His speed is unrelenting, his grip strong. Red lights blinking in warning abound over the alarms.He looks forward rather than behind. Then try not to be discovered.Steps of thunder behind us. Shouts ring out across the structure.I breathe, "They know I'm gone."Lucas curses right beneath his breath. Indeed, none of this is funny.As a group, Orlov's men explode from the other end of the corridor, round a bend. Lucas pushes me into the darkness, his body snatching into mine to hide us.My breath stutters.excessively near. too hot. Too well-known.His strong and smokey smell envelops me and reminds me of things I desire not to consider.I go against his chest. "Lucas—"—His hand closes across my mouth. "Shh".My heart thumping in my ears, I stiffen.The guards go slowly, looking down the corridor.She couldn't have gone far, one of them murmurs.Lucas's fingers in war
Elara’s POVOrlov lowers his head. "Fun." Was it not you the one who deceived her?In silence.Lucas's jaw contracts. "That was a fault."I freeze. a fault?Orlov laughs. Oh, I notice. You still believe you can make this right? He turns to me. “Do you still believe him, Elara?”I ignore it.Not able to.Since the reality is—I have no idea what to believe anymore.Lucas runs his hand over mine. A slink of touch. a wordless plea.I dislike him.I wish he could be here.And I detest my want for him.“Whatever you’re thinking,” he murmurs, “don’t.”I glance at him. “You don’t get to tell me what to do.”His lips twitch. “I know. For this reason—that is why I—that is—"Orlov moves.Lucas pushes me aside, his body connecting with Orlov in a flash of violence.They fall to the earth.I search for my knife, but before I can react—A hand grips my throat.I gasp, wriggling at the iron hold.Rising from the ground, Orlov's second-in-command—a giant beast of a man—lifted.I push, fight. "Let go—
Elara’s POVYou are not obliged to do this.Lucas speaks softly, with a slanted warning edge.I will not move. My heart leaps against my ribs. My fingers start to form fists. Knowing what is ahead helps me.Orlov is here grinning before us. His spell teases the air, heavy with force.The hall passes behind us closed. We find ourselves imprisoned.Yet once more.Orlov raises his head. "Do you still believe you have a chance to win?"Lucas comes forward to cover me. "I don't think so." I know.Or Lov laughs. "Then let's see if you're right.."His onslaught strikes quickly.An explosion of vitality flies straight ahead. Lucas grabs me and whirls, his body protecting mine as the energy bursts all about.I ground myself, my lungs knocked out.Lucas snags. His hands flash with force, his whole body emitting pure resentment.He has participated in play.Orlov laughed. "Here it is. The actual beast dwelling within you.Lucas responds not. He advances. swift. ferocious. fatal.Before he arrive
Elara’s POVLucas slid next to me, his hand curling into a fist. "Don't try negotiating with him, Elara." I wrote him off as neglected. "What are your preferences?" Looking at me, the shooter assessed. " you." But I would be content with an exchange. Lucas started to tighten. " Oversaw my dead body." The guy shrugged and said, "That is something one can arrange." Down my back slipped a shudder. This was really bad. really horrible. Lucas suffered, and I had no clue how we may come out of this. "Let's make this simple," the guy remarked, seeming almost relaxed. "I let your little Alpha guy live; you come with me, nice and easy." I stumbled. "no." "Yes," Lucas answered at the same moment. Widening my eyes, I turned to him. "Are you insane?!"?" Lucas grabbed my wrist, his grip firm despite his injuries. "Elara, I am not letting you go with him." Nor am I letting you die! I turned aside. Lucas's jaw clenched, frustration blazing in grey eyes. "I would sooner die
Elara's POVHe approaches quite closer; his presence is overpowering and for a time I am not sure where I am. Say it, he says, his voice a raspy scream. Say you also think it excessive. "I—my words twisted in the tempest of my feelings," I begin. "I'm not going to give in to you." His smile spreads dark and lethal. "You already possess, Elara." The air buzzes with electricity between us. More than I would care to say, this magnetic pull terrills me as it is unlike anything I have ever known. I have tried to forget his touch, but as his hand brushes across mine once more I cannot ignore it. Though it's a lie, my voice trembles and I say, "I hate you." I have no negative feelings towards him. Not sure even what to classify it under. It's far worse; it makes me feel both broken all at once and alive too. "You don't," he whispers softly, walking towards till not even an inch divides us. His breath is warm on my skin; I cannot stop the tremble down my spine. But you will.
Elara’s POVGideon's eyes soften briefly before his jaw closes with intense frustration. "I'm not here to boss you, Elara. Said another way, you should be careful. To genuinely be oneself once more. But suppose I no longer know my own self? Whispers, with my voice hardly heard. I fought them back, but I could feel tears beckoning to drop. "What if I am not the person I used to be?" Everything moves fast as the door smashes open with great power. The atmosphere of the room changes; black and terrible energy fills all around us. Deep down, I know this is the peril I have been sensing—something worse than I have ever experienced—but I cannot plainly see a shadow spanning the entrance. Gideon's hand immediately reaches my side; his body is orienting to cover me. Lucas remains still, his gaze fixed on the man almost within the threshold. Lucas answers, his voice low and hateful. "You'm too late." "She's mine." The man moves completely inside the room, the dim light highligh
Elara’s POVThe quiet bursts with a fantastic smash from the far side of the room. Ground vibrations cause the walls to vibrate. Then I get an alien presence darker beyond anything I have ever known. "What the hell was that??" I gasp, heart pounding faster. Gideon's voice tight with haste adds, "It's not just us." This area also has another quality. Really dangerous. Once more the lights flutter, creating lengthy shadows on the walls before I can react. The corridor echoes slow, cautious steps. And they are approaching really closely. The face of Lucas gets hard. "You consider this to be safe, Elara? You have just entered a battlefield. I stare at Gideon, but I am unable to speak. I am not compelled. The space seems too little, too oppressive. I had to get outside. But anywhere? All of a sudden, activity flashes across. A person standing in the gateway. Though it's too dark and too quick for me to see, it's there. And it is approaching as well. Gideon stands in fr
Elara’s POVI shake my head trying to keep a cool head. Not yours is what I mean. Here I am a special person. I choose my own road. " Do you? " He approaches, his eyes never straying from mine. Why would you then be running back to me? You see it, do you not? Our relationship is quite strong. Frustration bubbling up, I hold my hands at my sides. "I won't be any pawn in your game going forward." Gideon's body presses into mine while he grabs me tighter. Still, I can sense the fire; his raw strength flowing from his arms is still something indistinct. Something I'm unsure of. Gideon adds silently, his voice a loud growl: "You don't have to be a pawn, Elara." One never needs to be. Lucas's words and presence are like a lifeline I'm clinging on, even as his influence pulls me away. I truly feel it, though. the draw, they want to see Lucas. To surrender to the anarchy he advocates. Something dangerous and careless has always drawn me to him. And still awake and living
Elara’s POVBella, my voice higher than I would have wanted, I say, "I don't care about destiny," but it's not enough to cover the underlying dread. "I want to survive." The silence that follows is dense, loaded with unsaid messages, and I find—I'm not sure what I want either anymore. I know I cannot let her distance us. Heart tired, I look to Gideon. "What would follow from her being right? Suppose I'm not strong enough for this? He looks at me, his face softening just a bit, and at that moment I can practically see the child I used to know behind the hardness of the man he has grown to be. His palm poised for mine he says, "You're stronger than you think, Elara." Though it offers a moment of comfort, his soft touch has little effect on quieting the rage seething inside me. I want to truly believe him. I have a natural belief in him. Still, Bella's words remain with me and make breathing harder. She is accurate in one sphere alone. I cannot sprint straight ahead from h
Elara’s POVThe blackness is strangling and compressing on my chest as the cold air whirls about us. The males in front of me—Gideon, Finn, and Hunter—have scarcely noticeable shapes. But I feel their weight on my spirit sucking me in and anchoring me. Finn replies, "I told you not to trust her," with a sharp, furious edge. "Now take stock of her achievements.” I feel the hurt of betrayal; his words cut right through me. I start to explain myself, when Gideon's grip on my arm cuts me off. "I didn't," I say. Although his touch is nice, it has little effect on warming my blood. Enough, Gideon declares with the hardness of stone. We have no time for this. Right now, our choices are few. My heart hammering in my chest, I look at him. What do you mean? What is happening? Apart from this? Gideon doesn't flinch even if the tension between us is strong enough to cut with a knife. Elara, it surpasses all of us. Bella influences more than we could have possibly dreamed. She is
Elara’s POVTension permeating the air around us causes the world outside to vanish. Though it is not important, I can feel the cold wind on my skin. Gideon's eyes on me—burning with urgency, desperation, and something I cannot quite name—matter most.His voice breaks as he holds my shoulders, gently shakes me, draws me in. "Don't leave me." "I require you, Elara. You misunderstand; this is not yet ended.I try to dispel the cloud from my head by shaking it. "I'm not sure Gideon what you now want from me. I cannot continue doing this. I cannot keep being dragged into this whirlpool of falsehoods.His grasp gets tighter; the world slows down momentarily. You believe I desired this? You believe I intended to tell you lies? His voice breaks and is gruff. Though I never planned to injure you, I will do anything necessary to keep you safe. You see? Love you.I froze. Those sentences. Though I have heard them before, there is no doubt this time. Not hesitated. Just pure, unvarnished truth.
Elara’s POVBella didn’t even look at him. Her cold gaze was locked firmly on me. "I’m giving you one last chance, Elara," she said, her voice like ice. "You can join me, and we’ll walk away from this unscathed. Or you can keep fighting, and everyone you care about will fall."Her words echoed in the room, their meaning sinking into me like poison. A choice. A choice between trusting the people I loved or following Bella into a world that could swallow me whole."I’ll never join you," I said, the words coming out sharper than I’d intended, but the weight of the decision was already pressing down on me.Bella’s lips curled into a smile, but it was empty. "Then we’ll see how long your loyalty lasts, Elara. You’ll break. They all do."Before I could respond, one of the cloaked figures stepped forward. They moved with such precision, so quickly, I barely had time to react.Hunter shifted, his eyes widening, but it was too late. The figure raised a hand, and the room was plunged into darkn