I am on pins and needles and hoping this doesn’t turn into a fight. There hasn’t been this much drama here since Kai and my mother, butI am starved for a damn argument.“Tiarin might have forgiven you after everything you’ve done, but I have not. Thank you for coming all this way to tell me this, but please know that I am nowhere close to forgiving you for what you’ve put my family through,” Cat starts. “You killed my brothers, you killed my mate and tried to kill me. The witch you led on still continues to terrorise us to this day - how am I supposed to forgive you?”I want to cheer her on, but this is a serious conversation so I keep my mouth shut and listen.Xamnir nods and rakes his fingers through his hair. “All understandable. I don’t expect your forgiveness, Caterina, I was merely apologising because I felt like I needed to. I had no right to do what I did to you, and one day I will atone for my sins, but my first step started with Tiarin and the next one leads to you.”Cat see
“Something is happening,” I say and get to my feet. “She’s showing a different side of the dungeon.”Caterina follows me and we watch as Marle stands in front of Nikolai’s mate and her children. Nikolai is passed out and bloody, while my niece and nephew just look at the witch with no emotion in their eyes.“If it isn’t Tiarin’s little pet and her…runts,” she says, trying to antagonise them but Nova simply scoffs. “What do you want, hag? Xamnir isn’t here, if you haven’t noticed,” she says with a roll of her eyes and I decide right then and there that I love Nova. Marle chuckles. “I just wanted to see you all tied up again like I had you before; it’s always fun to watch you get what you deserve,” she says, then turns around and walks out before Nova can say anything else. Nova sighs and looks over at her two kids. “I know it hurts, but try not to show the enemy it’s affecting you, okay-”“It doesn’t hurt, mom,” her son says with a shrug. “We’re really not pretending.”“Yeah, I don’
I don’t even have time to grieve, because something else appears on the screen and I frown when I see an adult Creed running through the forest. He’s a complete copy of Kai now - blonde hair, blue eyes, large as fuck build, and a menacing aura. But he’s naked as he sprints through the forest, old scars and tattoos covering his chest and arms. He comes to a stop abruptly and falls to his knees sobbing. “No…I refuse to believe this,” he murmurs, shaking his head and emitting a growl filled to the brim with pain. “You can’t be dying!” Oh, fuck. He found out about Cat. But he looks about, what, twenty-something now? Twenty-three, twenty-five? Damn, I cannot see this ending well for anyone, especially with what Cat has just told me. Fisting the soil in his hands, he growls and looks up, deadly intent all over his scent as his eyes shimmer crimson. Then he shifts into his wolf form, but what I see makes me nearly fall onto my ass in shock. All shifters with Volkov blood have pitch-blac
I unwind the wrist wraps from my bloodied fists and breathe out a long, strained sigh. It took even more out of me this time; controlling Haze is proving to me more and more difficult. He waits until I’m too exhausted or angry to hold back. That itself is dangerous already. As I watch my fists heal, I catch chatter of conversation around the room, chatter I am trying to block out. But the second I hear my father’s name, I’m on edge again. “He’s Alpha Kai’s son, what did you expect?”“It’s an unfair advantage; he’s the son of a God! Anyone pitted against him will die!”“Agreed; maybe we should bring it up with the fight committee. Creed Volkov shouldn’t be here. He doesn’t belong here.” They don’t know I’m on this side of the locker room, that’s why they’re so fucking brave to speak loudly about me. I grit my teeth and wrap my wrists again, ready to get out there and get lost in the work out, when another voice stops me. “Uh, you assholes are forgetting that whoever fights Creed is
I still remember the moment I died. The feeling of betrayal as I looked into my uncle’s eyes laced thick with anger, his fist slamming into my chest and pulling out my heart. I heard my brother, Kai, calling me just as I fell to the ground.The last thing I remembered was his anguished roar as he stumbled upon my lifeless body.I dug into the wrong places, asked the wrong questions, and put suspicion on myself. I got too close to the truth, and the enemy saw fit to eliminate me. Who would have thought that enemy would be the one the Moon Goddess blessed me with?Now I’m sitting here, wherever here is, watching them and being the only one privy to the danger so close to them. How do I warn them? Is it even possible to tell them?When I arrived in The Other, I was so confused. I felt a hand on my shoulder and when I turned my head, my heart completely shattered. She still looked the same as she did when I last saw her; long blonde hair, piercing blue Volkova eyes, and a touch as gentle
I sift through my memories, and when I see the place I end up in, I let out a big sigh. Of all the places to end up in, it’s 13-year-old Viktor’s memories.A loud crash from downstairs woke me from my sleep, and when I opened my eyes, and strained my ears. I wasn’t sure if I was dreaming or not. I’ve always been the cautious one out of my brothers; the ‘think first, act later’ type. Konstantin always mocked me for this, but then again, he’s the hot-headed one. So, me being me, I got out of bed to make sure it truly was a dream.We usually live in the mansion at the estate, but because of Kai’s ceremony that night, our parents had us sleeping here at the penthouse for the evening. Back then, I wasn’t sure what the ceremony was about, but I would come to learn its importance later on. I watched as 13-year-old Viktor cleared his throat and straightened his back before walking downstairs, then I let out a laugh at how stiff I truly looked back then. No wonder Konstantin always used to t
When the bright light disappears, I find myself still in my bedroom, but this time I lined my shelves with thick books, there are accounting papers and textbooks all over my desk and my room is incredibly neat.From the old Nokia cell phone laying on top of my textbooks, I chuckle as I remember this phase of my life - Boring Viktor. I was a stickler for rules, never bending them for anyone, and had finished high school the day before I turned sixteen. My uncle, Dominik, advised me to go in the accounting direction since it would be an asset to the Bratva side of our family. I didn’t mind since crunching numbers was quite easy for me and I enjoyed it.But as I watch myself pace the floor in worry, I realize that it’s the day before I turned sixteen - the day before my Mate Bond Sighting clicked. “Why bring me here?!” I exclaim, but of course, no one answers me. The last thing I want to see is the look on my face when I see Ilya or the way he faked his feelings for me.I sigh and sit
When I blink again, I notice that I’m in the forest behind the Volkov mansion. In the distance I can see lit torches and chanting; someone walks past me and I see sixteen-year-old Viktor following close behind his brothers Kon and Dimitri.We’re all dressed in black cargo shorts and no t-shirts while wearing somber expressions.I swallow hard, knowing what’s happening tonight and the backlash it caused. Kai’s becoming Alpha and naming Kon as his Beta, Dimitri as his Gamma and me as his Delta. He mentioned naming Nikolai the Epsilon when he comes of age, too. This is where the rift with Dominik truly started because he expected to be named Beta, not Kon.I follow them and lean against a tree to get a better view of everyone gathered here. My brothers, Dominik, three members of the council back home, and the newly formed BloodCrest witches.The blind witch, Kaede, is about Kai’s age here; she left with Kai and Kon for Russia under training to take over from our deceased parents. It’s a
I unwind the wrist wraps from my bloodied fists and breathe out a long, strained sigh. It took even more out of me this time; controlling Haze is proving to me more and more difficult. He waits until I’m too exhausted or angry to hold back. That itself is dangerous already. As I watch my fists heal, I catch chatter of conversation around the room, chatter I am trying to block out. But the second I hear my father’s name, I’m on edge again. “He’s Alpha Kai’s son, what did you expect?”“It’s an unfair advantage; he’s the son of a God! Anyone pitted against him will die!”“Agreed; maybe we should bring it up with the fight committee. Creed Volkov shouldn’t be here. He doesn’t belong here.” They don’t know I’m on this side of the locker room, that’s why they’re so fucking brave to speak loudly about me. I grit my teeth and wrap my wrists again, ready to get out there and get lost in the work out, when another voice stops me. “Uh, you assholes are forgetting that whoever fights Creed is
I don’t even have time to grieve, because something else appears on the screen and I frown when I see an adult Creed running through the forest. He’s a complete copy of Kai now - blonde hair, blue eyes, large as fuck build, and a menacing aura. But he’s naked as he sprints through the forest, old scars and tattoos covering his chest and arms. He comes to a stop abruptly and falls to his knees sobbing. “No…I refuse to believe this,” he murmurs, shaking his head and emitting a growl filled to the brim with pain. “You can’t be dying!” Oh, fuck. He found out about Cat. But he looks about, what, twenty-something now? Twenty-three, twenty-five? Damn, I cannot see this ending well for anyone, especially with what Cat has just told me. Fisting the soil in his hands, he growls and looks up, deadly intent all over his scent as his eyes shimmer crimson. Then he shifts into his wolf form, but what I see makes me nearly fall onto my ass in shock. All shifters with Volkov blood have pitch-blac
“Something is happening,” I say and get to my feet. “She’s showing a different side of the dungeon.”Caterina follows me and we watch as Marle stands in front of Nikolai’s mate and her children. Nikolai is passed out and bloody, while my niece and nephew just look at the witch with no emotion in their eyes.“If it isn’t Tiarin’s little pet and her…runts,” she says, trying to antagonise them but Nova simply scoffs. “What do you want, hag? Xamnir isn’t here, if you haven’t noticed,” she says with a roll of her eyes and I decide right then and there that I love Nova. Marle chuckles. “I just wanted to see you all tied up again like I had you before; it’s always fun to watch you get what you deserve,” she says, then turns around and walks out before Nova can say anything else. Nova sighs and looks over at her two kids. “I know it hurts, but try not to show the enemy it’s affecting you, okay-”“It doesn’t hurt, mom,” her son says with a shrug. “We’re really not pretending.”“Yeah, I don’
I am on pins and needles and hoping this doesn’t turn into a fight. There hasn’t been this much drama here since Kai and my mother, butI am starved for a damn argument.“Tiarin might have forgiven you after everything you’ve done, but I have not. Thank you for coming all this way to tell me this, but please know that I am nowhere close to forgiving you for what you’ve put my family through,” Cat starts. “You killed my brothers, you killed my mate and tried to kill me. The witch you led on still continues to terrorise us to this day - how am I supposed to forgive you?”I want to cheer her on, but this is a serious conversation so I keep my mouth shut and listen.Xamnir nods and rakes his fingers through his hair. “All understandable. I don’t expect your forgiveness, Caterina, I was merely apologising because I felt like I needed to. I had no right to do what I did to you, and one day I will atone for my sins, but my first step started with Tiarin and the next one leads to you.”Cat see
My heart drops when I hear Caterina’s voice behind me and I spin around to see her in the exact dress that she wore on the screen. “Cat?!” “Viktor!” she cries out and runs into my arms. “Oh, my Goddess! It’s you!”If I could cry right now, I would! I haven’t seen, really seen, Cat since I said goodbye to her the night I got murdered. Everything just feels too familiar and I don’t want to ever let go. The screen behind me goes silent for some reason.“What are you doing here?!” she asks, breaking off the embrace and cupping my face in her hands. “Oh, you still look the same as the last time I saw you!”I nod sadly. “That’s because I’ve been here since then,” I say sadly. “Watching everything play out and not being able to do a damn thing.”A horrified expression crosses her face. “You’ve been here for over twenty years? Why?!”Twenty years. Wow, I’ve been here that long? It felt like just yesterday that I got killed and used as a distraction. “Apparently the Goddess needs me to keep
“That’s not Alpha Kai!”My heart is sitting in my throat as I watch the fight play out. Caterina engages Vladimir and holds her own against Kai’s literal double; it warms my heart when I see her use the moves I showed her so long ago.The second he’s on top of her and pinning her down, he’s thrown off again and I have to cover my ears when Kai lets out a possessive roar while shielding Caterina behind him.“Why are you here?! I thought you had no intention of seeing us.”“Well, I had a change of heart, big brother,” he says clearly, then points to Cat. “Hand over the Goddess, and I’ll allow you to walk away with your life.”“Not happening,” Kai shakes his head. “Tell me what you need from my mate, and we might just come to a compromise.”Vladimir laughs as he crosses his arms. “What makes you think I’m here to compromise? I’ve come for what’s rightfully mine, brother.”“My dynasty was earned through blood rite. You have no rightful claim here; I am the eldest Volkov!” Kai growls, then
“So this means I’m stuck here longer, then,” I say, sitting down on my ass while watching the bane of my past existence walking up to the red-haired witch, Marle. I still don’t understand why I’m here or what Goddess Tiarin wants from me, but I guess I’ll see. “Mistress,” Vanya says, bowing low when she comes to a stop in front of the witch. “Alyosha has set everything in motion for the ritual to take place.” “Thank you, Vanya; this pleases me immensely,” she says, stroking Vanya’s cheek. Vanya smiles coyly, but then a look of shame crosses her eyes. “Unfortunately, I can’t be close to the pack anymore since Ilya died at Kai’s hand. So I am uncertain how we’ll know what they’re planning for us.” At this, Marle chuckles lightly. “Oh, there’s no need to worry, love. Why do you think I am here? The council has chosen me to be the new BloodCrest witch,” she says with glee, while Vanya tries and fails to keep her shock at bay. This is where everything started going downhill; Dimitri,
“You are cruel,” I mutter, knowing she can hear me even if she chooses not to respond. I sit down on my ass and brace my elbows on my knees, watching fucking Vanya walk into her penthouse. She goes into her bedroom and closes the door, her stoic expression not falling. “The pawn killed two birds with one stone,” she says, throwing her coat on the bed. “He caused a distraction and killed Ilya’s mate.” A chuckling figure walks out of the shadows towards her. “Splendid, perhaps now our brother will remember the reason we came here,” he says and I swear if I didn’t sit down, I would have fallen down. This person looks exactly like Ilya; except he has a shaved head with tattoos all over his face and arms. He said ‘our brother,’ so I’m guessing this must be Alyosha. “Hm, but it seems Ilya truly loved his mate; it will take a while for him to remember our mission,” Vanya says as she kicks off her shoes. “To be honest, I doubt he’ll ever get over Viktor.” For Vanya to say something like t
I sigh as the Goddess drops me into another memory for some or other fucking reason and blanch when I see Kai exactly as I remember him - long blonde hair, more tattoos, built like a tank, and angry. We’re in his office at Fang, the one separate from Kon’s. It’s just me and Konstantin present, and we look at each other while my brother seems to be slowly losing his mind.He’s pacing the floor and rakes his fingers through his hair. “I am nearly 35 years old and have not met her yet; the pack will start to think our God did not bless me with a mate,” he says. My eyes widen as I remember this moment; Kai freaking out because he hadn’t met his mate yet. He was never one for having a Luna but knew he’d need one to rule properly. Our mother was the Alpha and my father was the Alpha-Consort, so we grew up with an entirely different dynamic.It also reminded me that this took place about two years before I died.“Have you considered going to Kaede for help in tracking your mate?” I ask, th