3. Coincidences?

Bastien

The weight of the recent events weighs heavily on my mind as I walk toward my office. The familiar dark wooden panels and the soft hum of the dim lights overhead usually brought a sense of comfort, but tonight, they were mere distractions.

My mind drifts back to the woman I saved at my auction; the doll with the midnight black hair and piercing blue eyes. Something that innocent shouldn’t have been there, and I still don’t fucking know why.

Anika, or whoever she claims to be, is a mystery wrapped in a riddle. The way she spoke, the nervous flicker in her blue eyes, every move she made screamed that she was hiding something. 

And I, who had always prided myself on being able to read people, found her unreadable.

As I settle behind my desk, the door to my office opens without a knock, revealing Andrej, my most trusted Beta and close friend. The look on his face confirms my suspicions.

“Bastien,” he begins, his normally calm voice laced with urgency, “We ran a complete search. The woman doesn’t fucking exist. No biometrics, no records, no dental records – nothing.”

I lean back, rubbing my temples. This was all too familiar, and the memories it conjured up were confusing. Only a few months ago my twin brother, Nikolaos, had a woman run into him in an alleyway as she was being pursued by Mikhail Popov's men.

She had no records either, as if it were scrubbed away.

“This seems all too fucking familiar,” I say, my voice barely above a whisper. “Remember what I told you about Niko?”

Andrej nods, his face tightening with recognition. “His surrogate. They had a similar issue with her when he found her. No records, no past. Like she was never a part of this world.”

“And now he’s madly in love with her, and they’re inseparable. But the circumstances of their meeting, and now this with Anika … It’s eerily similar,” I say with a scoff. “I don’t believe in coincidences, Andrej.”

He sits down, concern evident in his eyes. “Do you think there’s a connection?”

I sigh. “I don’t know. But when Niko returns from his mission to retrieve Maxim, I’ll speak to him. There’s more to this story, and I intend to uncover it.”

Mia’s mysterious appearance had caused ripples in his pack, but Nikolaos’ unwavering stubbornness to let her go and his eventual love for her had silenced any doubters. Now, with Anika’s sudden appearance, old wounds threaten to resurface.

Andrej finally broke the silence. “What are you going to do about her?”

I look up, hoping my uncertainty doesn’t show. “First, I’ll ensure her safety. No matter her past or secrets, she deserves that much. But I will also dig deeper. There’s a story there, and I intend to hear it, one way or another.”

I meet Andrej’s gaze squarely as something occurs to me. Something that I pushed down as I spoke with her earlier.

“Her accent is unmistakably Russian,” I say as I lean forward. “And you know the history between me and the Russians.”

Andrej’s eyebrows knit together. “Do you think...”

I drum my fingers on the desktop, not wishing to invite that thought. “She’s human, so I don’t know. It’s another piece of this fucking puzzle, Andrej. A woman with no records, a made-up name, and a distinct Russian accent. What do you make of it?”

He sighs, running a hand through his long hair. “There are many possibilities.. She could be running from something, or someone. The Russian underworld is not something to be taken lightly. Especially not with Popov at the forefront.”

My face darkened at the mention of the name. “How could I forget?” I say, and he visibly flinches. “As I said, I do not believe in coincidences.”

The pain of that memory stung fresh, even after all these years. My Isla and what they put her through, my guilt at not having kept her safe and how Popov laughed while he violated her.

The fact that the fucker is still alive is a travesty.

“Could she be a spy for Popov? Sent to infiltrate our ranks?”

I consider it for a moment, then I shake my head. “It’s possible. But why the elaborate charade at the auction? How could they have known I would pay to keep her safe?”

Andrej sits forward and shoots me a knowing look.

“The one rule you have is clear, and you would do anything to uphold it. Everyone knows you don’t harm women, so it’s obvious that you would have kept this one from whatever would have happened to her in the wrong hands,” he says.

As much as I hate how observant he is, it’s the truth. I do not harm women, not even if they’ve done me wrong. Not even if they stole from me; it’s one ironclad rule I do not go against.

I lean back, taking a deep breath. “She reminds me so much of Mia’s situation. Both are shrouded in mystery and Mia HAD a connection to Mikhail Popov. If this turns out to be similar…” I trail off, not wanting to say it out loud. 

A heavy sigh escapes my lips as I brush the thought away. “We need to get to the bottom of this. If she is involved with Popov, I need to know. And if she’s running from him... well, she won’t be the first.”

Andrej nods. “Either way, we need to be prepared. The Russian underworld, led by that Alpha, is not something to trifle with.”

“Keep a close eye on Anika and keep her away from Mia’s suite. She already found her in the living room earlier and the last thing I want is more questions,” I say, shaking my head. “And she’ll hound me about Anika, that I know for sure, seeing as they both seem to have been abused”

Andrej seems to think for a bit, his eyes thoughtful. “Mia’s situation was unique, but now with Anika... It’s almost like history is repeating itself.”

I scoff. “History has a funny way of doing that. But what concerns me is that if Anika is running from someone, then we might have just walked into a crossfire.”

“Are you thinking of reaching out to our Russian contacts?” Andrej asked, a hint of concern evident in his voice.

I ponder for a moment, weighing the pros and cons and hating the idea. “Not yet. But keep that option open. If we’re dealing with the Russian underworld, I want to know who exactly we’re up against.”

Andrej stands,and gives me a curt nod. “Understood, Alpha.”

With a nod, I watch him exit the room, the gravity of the situation not lost on either of us.

Two women, two mysteries, and two Alphas caught in the middle. What’s the worst that could fucking happen?