“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
“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,
“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
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
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 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