ARTEMIS AKA WOLF I move my hand from her hip, and I take her chin between my fingers, forcing her gaze to meet mine. Those piercing jade colour irises, a beacon in my darkness... The light at the end of my tunnel... Am I such a sucker for punishment? Rage twists in my gut. Fear bubbles up leaving a tangy, bitter taste on my tongue. She opens her mouth to say something, I will not condone her lippy sass anymore. I lower my chin, slanting my lips over hers. I have set many empires on fire for her, eliminating bloodlines and bearing scars that have no right marking my flesh. Heat, sweetness, mine... The familiar taste of her lips, like strawberries being soaked in brandy and sunlight, hits me in the gut. I need her, want her, fuck... I have to have her. As cliche, as it sounds, kissing her, has my fucking head spinning. I crush her to my chest in a possessive manner that has me seeing bright hues of lustrous red and pristine white. She writhes beneath me, I walk her bac
ARIA AKA RED It strikes me that Artemis Volkov knows pain. Real fucking heart-wrenching pain and I don't know why it surprises me. It's pretty ironic because the man standing before me causes so much trauma, grief, and misery in the world. When yet, he is a survivor of the most heinous crimes committed against him. Is this what drives him? Could it be a trigger that sets off his passion to cause devastation upon those who do him wrong? He knows what it is like to be used as a pawn and he is living proof of the sentiment 'what doesn't kill you only makes you stronger'. Yet, it doesn't stop my heart from aching for him, and the loss of his brothers. I stare at Wolf and I see him in a whole... different light. The cold-hearted, brutal man is nowhere to be seen in his sapphire eyes and that's what scares me the most. He has a past that makes him vulnerable just like the rest of us. A past that torments his every waking moment and haunts him in his sleep. I feel as though I can
ARTEMIS AKA WOLF Three simple words. If someone were to ask me what I am afraid of the most in my devious life, what has me trembling in my shoes, stealing my breath away, causing my life to flicker before my eyes... I would say the three simple words that sit on my tongue like a pain killer slowly dissolving across my tastebuds. Making me numb, leaving me to feel alive and free. My heart is like the pacific ocean. With one blow, it will turn ruthlessly cold, cavernously unfavourable, protective of the secrets it hides, and within a blink of an eye, it can be blissfully calm, soothingly warm, and insightfully clear. This is how Aria Fucking Volkov makes my heart feel. A complex of dark and light. Repugnance and lust. Lenience and Vengence. But if my heart is anything like the pacific ocean, then Braxton Creed is the predator of my heart. "Any word about the container that's mysteriously gone missing from the docks?" I sigh, rubbing the pads of my fingertips over my bro
ARIA AKA RED "Come on Ria, show us ya tits beautiful." One of the men yells over the bar of the clubhouse. My father has forced me into serving drinks here so he can keep a close eye on me. The air reeks of smoke, alcohol spillage, and testosterone. As the smoke wafts through the clubhouse and irritates my eyes, it becomes difficult for me to concentrate. It's been two days since my father dragged me back to his hellhole thinking that he got one over Artemis. Sometimes I find it hard to believe that he is my father with the stupid shit that comes out of his mouth. "What's your name sugar?" I ask thickly, swallowing the vomit that burns my throat. "Dameon with an E." He says proudly, looking to his left at his friends. I run the tip of my tongue over my top teeth, leaning over the bar and I look the sleazy prick right in his poo brown eyes. "Show me your dick, and if it's the biggest bastard I've ever seen, I'll let you touch my tits," I say in a cruel tone knowing full well
****WARNING THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS MATURE SEXUAL CONTENT. PLEASE READ AT YOUR DISCRETION. THANK YOU.*** --- ARTEMIS AKA WOLF While I sit on the side of the bathtub lathering the sweet fragrant conditioner into Red's hair. I feel content, at peace with myself and thankful that Red is back where she belongs; with me. I pick up the small jug that sits by the tub, fill it up with water, and pour it over the top of her head, washing off the conditioner until there are no more visible soap suds remaining. I feel so... domesticated by doing this, with her. I never could have done this with Anastazia, and guilt licks my feverish skin. I find myself wanting to do a lot of things with Red that I never wanted to do with Anastazia. Gods... I fill the jug again, emptying it over her hair and I shake my head. My wife has officially made me soft. Amongst my thoughts, she sighs with her eyes closed, "I could get used to this." Smiling she coos. I chuckle, trying to keep my perverting eyes
***WARNING THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS MATURE SEXUAL CONTENT. PLEASE READ AT YOUR DISCRETION. THANK YOU.*** --- ARIA AKA RED The soft, tantalising, caressing of his lips over mine, has my body humming and I still can not believe that I'm about to get fucked by Artemis Volkov. I can sense how hot and moist his throbbing cock feels against the slit of my sex. As he continues to swallow my cries of arousal, the need to be consumed by him, and my desire for him to love me... Excitement engulfs me and I feel light, my body feels like it is floating on a cloud of pure bliss; the sensations of sexual desire that should be forbidden claws at my chest, and spreads across my heavy breasts. The pounding of my heart feels like it is creating waves around me when I feel him align his cock with my entrance; the tip of his cock slowly slides inside me. I clamp my eyes shut. The second I feel him slam inside me. I want to cry out, to pull away and let him know that I need a minute to adjust to
ARTEMIS AKA WOLF As I exit the ensuite after my shower, which is connected to my room, I roll my head and clasp the gold watch on my wrist that belonged to my dedushka [grandfather]. It is the only item I kept of my father's when he passed. I had been eyeing up the beauty for as long as I can remember, and now, I wear it every day without fail. "And where are you off to at this hour of the night, Wolf?" Reds' melodic voice sweeps the lightly lit room. I raise my gaze to find her sitting up in bed, her back leaning against the velvet headboard with the crinkly white sheet covering her from her chest down. She leans over to the side of the bed, picks up the water glass I left for her, and takes a sip. "Thirsty?" I ask her with amusement as my feet wander towards her. "Like a parched desert." She answers softly, flicking me a wink. While maintaining my attention on her, I perch on the edge of the bed and slip on my shoes. She looks ravishing after being fucked senseless. Her f
ARIA AKA REDI must have drifted off to sleep after Wolf had left because I can see the light to the ensuite is switched on as it illuminates the carpet from beneath the door.The daunting feeling of me giving him my permission to do as he pleased with my father, surprisingly hurt worse than I had previously considered. It nipped at the branches of my heart and it felt like someone was sitting on my chest. Suffocating me as it weighed me down.I'm not a horrible person and I'm a strong believer that you should never bite the hand that feeds you. But what if those hands were covered in the blood of an innocent girl, whose very existence was torn from her like a band-aide that had been left on her flesh for too long.Quick and painfulI have known for a long time that my father wasn't a good man, but I tried to see past his flaws and maintained a fatherly-daughter relationship as he was all I had in this world. Until I was forced into Wolf's world... Never once did I imagine that m
ZEYNEP My eyes grow wide as fear forbids me to move. With fear-stricken eyes, I watch as Dmitri rushes to the bedroom window, pulling a ribbed black top over his shoulders. He stands in the shadows where the sun doesn't kiss the room, and he gazes out the window. Whatever is happening on the other side of the window, causes his hands to curl into tight balls of fury at his sides. The instant he looks back at me, I know it's bad. I immediately turn around, attempting to unlock the door so I can rush down the stairs and find my parents. "Net... [No...]" Dmitri growls in a hushed tone, yanking me away from the door, and he pulls me to the far corner of the room. "Get down, and don't let anyone see you through the window." He states sternly, leaving no room for me to disregard his orders. He moves along the wall, opens the closet door, and pulls out his duffle bag. He extracts two guns, twists the silencers on the barrels, and removes two clips; stuffing the clips into the back
ZEYNEPTWENTY-ONE YEARS LATER.I stare at my reflection in the mirror, admiring the strong young woman who stares back at me. Today is my twenty-first birthday, and my parents have decided they want to celebrate it with all their corporate friends and close confidants. I usually feel like an outcast at large gatherings or in crowded places. I am the awkward girl in the corner of the room who has been sipping the same drink for three hours while watching everyone else enjoy themselves.I turn to the side, drinking in my reflection as I take note of how well the gown fits my body.It savagely clings to every generous curve the Gods have blessed me with. The silver gown that sparkles under the light heightens the sapphire blue irises in my eyes. I have my mother's red hair and my father's eyes, but somehow I have inherited my Aunt Ana's spitfire tongue.FOR ONCE, my mother has picked something for me that doesn't make me feel like I am too overly dressed; something that will draw too
ARIA AKA REDIn a state of panic, I yank Wolf's gun out of the holster in the back of his jeans.I step around him, point the gun at the crazy lady who keeps calling him Aleksander with her gun directed at his face, and I pull the trigger. The thunderous sound of the gun discharging rockets through the atmosphere. As soon as I realise what I have done, I drop the weapon and watch as it strikes the ground.Wolf lunges forward, he rips the crying child out of his mother's embrace before she collapses to the ground.With my eyes growing larger than saucers, I lift my arms, covering my mouth with my hands. What have I done? I just murdered a woman...A mother in cold blood while her child clung to her...Regret slowly slivers up my spine, dispersing across my trembling flesh like a plague as guilt consumes me entirely. "Red... Red, are you okay?" Wolfs' thick and firm voice crashes into me like tidal waves upon the seashore, and I stagger back from the cruel impact it has upon my bod
ARTEMIS AKA WOLFTWO MONTHS LATERWalking through the slums of Russia, I grip Red's hand tighter and draw her flush against my side.I am truly grateful that my ancestors were able to get us out of the country. As I envision the life I would have had here, I am filled with dread due to the pure evil that would have landed me in prison."I still can not believe that this is where your family originated from. You wreak of money, power and sophistication. Wolf, it is absolutely remarkable how a person's lifelong ambitions may pave the way for the prosperity of their entire family tree." She hums as she takes in the scenery surrounding us.I smile at the excitement she helplessly displays. This is her first trip abroad. If I had known sooner, I would have postponed this trip and taken her somewhere more romantic and deserving."Do you think Zeynep would want to visit Russia when she gets older?" She adds, picking an apple off a tree we walk past.I snatch the apple out of her grasp, rub
ARIA AKA RED It's been a week since I returned home from the hospital with Zeynep. I guess everyone forgets to tell you how sleep-deprived you will become. Not because Zeynep doesn't sleep or the fact that I need to wake up every three hours at night to change her diaper, feed her, and burp her. No, that isn't the case at all because we have mastered our routine. I cannot stop glancing at her and thinking, 'Wow, I made her... she came out of me'. It is so bizarre, but also the greatest experience ever. I genuinely believed I would have difficulty coping and fall into a pit of depression, but I have not. I suppose it is because I have the best support group imaginable. What's even more out of it, is that every time I see Wolf changing Zeyneps diaper, or falling asleep on the rocking chair with her little body pressed against his chest. It makes me want to jump his bones. Seeing him in father mode seriously does something crazy to my libido, and I can not wait till I am
ARTEMIS AKA WOLFI continuously swallow the lump that has embedded itself in the column of my throat, as I lean against the doorjamb watching Red breastfeed our daughter. A sense of pride licks my feverish skin, I feel like my life is now complete, and I try to think back as to how I got here. I sigh, shaking my head with a grin on my face as I pinch the bridge of my nose. I seriously don't know how I'm going to cope trying to keep them both safe without driving myself entirely insane. For once, I feel like my life has a purpose like I have accomplished the impossible where my heart is concerned. If only my father could see me now, blyad [fuck], I truly do hope he is rolling in the fucking grotty soil he was laid to rest in.A heavy hand lands on my shoulder, jerking me back to the present and I snap my head to the side to see a very chump-looking Deniz standing beside me."Congratulations on the birth of your daughter, my friend." He sighs with a dip of his head.I push off the do
ARIA AKA RED Icy needles of cold water attack my searing flesh, and the sting claws at the clinging shadows of my nightmares as they continue to haunt me. Closing my eyes, I step further into the spray, willing the lingering fear and nauseousness to circle the drain around my swelling feet. A shiver consumes me, and my thoughts drift to my unborn baby and husband. The guilt, repulsion, and terror still cling to my body like a second layer of skin. I hate that Roar still bombards my conscience. "Goddamn it!" I place my open palms flat against the cool tiles and absorb the coolness of the punishing surge into my bones; my core. Every time I am ripped from reality and thrown into my night terrors, I can still feel, hear and sense Roar's presence as if he is still somehow clinging to me. A metallic taste coats my tongue, and it causes me to shudder. I won't give in to the facade of him still tormenting me when he is six feet under. I touch my belly. I won't let him ruin th
ARTEMIS AKA WOLF As soon as I see Red enter the cafe, I stand, move to the opposite side of the table, and pull her chair. "Moy angel. [My angel.]" I hum, pressing a gentle kiss on her lips as she reaches my side. She smiles, inhaling deeply, "You smell so good, Wolf." She coos as she uncomfortably settles into her chair, although her swelling bump makes it rather difficult. I raise my hand before resuming my seat and requesting service. A young female with blonde hair and blue tips approaches our table."Hello, my name is Cammy, welcome to the Break-Away cafe. Are you ready to order?" She says in a polite, inviting tone as she presses the ball tip of her pen to her notebook. "I'll have a black coffee with a salmon and cream cheese bagel," I reply, ordering something simple as I need to get back to the office. "Just a chocolate thick shake for me with extra syrup please." Red orders, rubbing her belly with an uncomfortable expression smeared across her glowing face. A low grow
ARIA AKA RED"Will we be taking the elevator today, Mrs Volkov?" Ivan asks me as he holds the door to the penthouse wide open.I give him a serious look as I rub my swelling belly, "You know I don't do elevators." I sigh, sliding my handbag over my shoulder. "Da [yes], my apologies." He utters with a frown on his face, "I just thought that since you are now heavily pregnant you might want to use the elevator."As I step through the door, "I am claustrophobic, me getting stuck inside an elevator is my worse dream come true." I reply while we walk to the staircase entrance."Understood," He holds the door open to the staircase. "Mr Volkov has also confirmed that he will meet you for lunch at the Break-Away cafe at one, after his meeting.""That's fine. Have you seen Ana this week?" I enquire as I begin to descend the steps utilising the handrails as my saviour.The last thing I need is to miss a damn step and plummet to the bottom of the stairs; causing me to go into labour early.It's