Nikolai
“You know if Kai finds out about this, he’ll make you claim her.” My brother, Dimitri, says before he drives away in his Maserati. We've just come back from another torture mission and the last thing I want to do is go home.
“I fucking know that,” I murmur to myself as I look up at the flashing neon sign of the seedy bar in Hell’s Kitchen.
I know I shouldn’t be here again, I know I should head home and resume the mission Kai has sent me on, but I can’t help it. The pull is too strong; HER pull is too strong. I should probably just reject her for real this time and get on with my life, but staring at temptation for so long only makes me crave it more.
Nova is my mate, and I want her more than I feel the need to breathe. But with what’s going on between the Five, I cannot risk her life.
It’s been nearly four years since I spoke with her, four years since I caught her scent and promised to win her over again… and four years since I’ve done jack shit about it. Trust me, it’s not because I don’t want to, fuck no.
We’re at war with two other packs, and there is so much death surrounding us now. Yes, I want to claim her as mine, I want her close to me, I want her to submit to me, and I want to submit to her. But I don’t want to drag her into the middle of this; I don’t want her to be caught in the crossfire. She’s not a fighter and would never survive the fall out.
I know this isn’t fair on her, and my older brother is right; I need to either reject or claim her. But I can’t; not right now at least. So I’ve resigned myself to coming to this seedy bar the Rogue Alpha owns, the bar she works in, so that I can watch over her from afar.
I remain a ghost in here amongst all the other low life wolves. Half of these packs owe my brother, Alpha Kai, thousands of dollars; I would know since I share the Lead Enforcer role with Dimitri. When I’m in here, I never approach her. I never stare too long to catch anyone’s attention, and I do not release my scent in here no matter how pissed off I get at how friendly she is with other men.
Oh, and it’s not because I don’t want to, what with the short skirts and low cut corsets she wears now. Every wolf in here wants her; I can tell by their attempt at scenting her. She's got a bit of self-confidence now, which I find incredibly sexy, but she’s lost a lot of weight, something I don't fucking like. I liked her plump and full, and I liked that she didn’t look like my exes or fuck buddies.
But now, even though she looks confident, I can tell she’s unhappy.
I want to rip out the throats of these assholes for trying to scent her, I want to run right over there and tear them to shreds for even looking her way, but I can’t.
She definitely doesn’t make it any fucking easier for me, getting their attention by flaunting her curves like this. It pisses me off to the point that I dig my claws into the wooden table in front of me just to calm myself down.
She’s mine; she’s my mate, but there isn’t a fucking thing I can do about it.
As much as it fucking sucks, I can’t bring her into my world, well, not now at least. She deserves a normal life in an average pack without all this added shit to deal with. I don’t want anyone knowing she’s mine and using her as a ploy or means to get back at me, and fuck knows they would.
My exploits have rivalled even my brother, Beta Konstantin’s, lately. I know I’m the youngest, but I am so fucking pissed off at the world that I don’t give a shit. It is part of the reason I asked Kai to make me Lead Enforcer with Dimitri - I wanted to kill and maim without repercussions just to let out my frustrations.
In the beginning, it helped a fuck load to kill and beat the shit out of lowlifes. Watching them cower, knowing I held their lives in my hands, gave me a high like no other. I gained a reputation as a Ripper and no one would dare go up against our Bratva sect. they knew once Kai sent me out, they would not get out alive and the fact alone made me feel invincible.
But not anymore; now I just want to come home and know my mate is there waiting for me with open arms. I want Nova to look at me the way Caterina looks at Kai and Lily looks at Kon. I want her to say she needs me, too; I want her to fall apart under me as I claim her over and over again.
Yet, I can’t be selfish about this. As much as I want that, I want Nova to be safe as well. No one can know she’s mine, and no one can know she’s my weakness. Yet.
I lean forward and drink my beer, my eyes skimming the bar again, and I feel that pull when I lay my eyes on her.
She’s so fucking beautiful. From her heart-shaped face, full lips, thick thighs and soft blonde hair. I always imagine how her thighs would feel wrapped around my head while I pleasure her, and I literally have to fucking dig my claws into my leg to stop that thought.
My heart aches just watching her leaning over the counter, pushing up her already ample cleavage. With her glasses slipping from her face, her eyes seem like she’s a million miles away. This is how she looks most nights, and I always wonder what she’s thinking about.
Is she thinking about me as much as I’m thinking about her? Do I even fucking cross her mind? I always wonder this, but then again, I gave her no reason to think sweetly of me, did I?
“Back-alley, right fucking now,” I hear a gruff, angry voice and look up just in time to see Nova following another man out the back door.
Anger bubbles in my chest as I finish my beer, knowing that this asshole is her boyfriend, the one she fucks and gives herself to now. It pisses me off that she needs an asshole like this in her life, that she wants him. She’s only supposed to want and need me!
A growl reverberates in my chest as jealousy coils so deep in my stomach that I jump up and storm out the back door leading to the alley. I know I said I would keep a low profile, but knowing she’s back there with him makes me want to rip his fucking heart out and claim her over his dead body.
When I go out the back, what I see leads me to bristle with a wave of unknown anger: blood is running down her nose, and he has her tiny skirt pulled up with his dick in his hand.
Before I can even think about it, my wolf, Knight, takes over and pushes all reason out of my mind. He’s yearned for her and seeing her pressed up against the wall with a bloody nose and another wolf touching her has pushed him much more over the edge.
He dared to put his hands on our mate, so I ripped out his heart and tore him in two. His blood slipping down my claws looked satisfying; at least now he won’t touch her again. He won’t put his filthy hands on her body again. Knight growls at the sight of the fucker’s lifeless eyes, and I can’t help but grin at my accomplishment.
But satisfaction slowly gave way to horror; I made myself known to her, but not only that, I think I might have killed one of Alpha Cain’s warriors. Fuck!
“Nikolai?”
Nova I felt his hardness pressed up against me after I told him I didn’t have the money yet, and a hit to my nose caused my glasses to crack and fly from my face. He’s going to punish me right here in a back alley, and there wasn’t a thing I could do about it, half-blind and in mile-high heels. I slammed my eyes shut, knowing what would come next and hoped it would be over quickly so I could get back inside the bar and continue my shift. This is humiliating. I fucking hate this. As tears stream down my face, I wonder what I’ve ever done wrong to deserve everything that has been handed to me. A sudden growl snaps me out of my haze of self-pity, and the scent of smokey bergamot and mint causes me to perk up. I feel a splash of warm liquid on my back, and when I turn around, a sense of terror overtakes me but quickly dissipates when I see his familiar face. As bad as my eyesight is, I will never forget his scent. “Nikolai?” I whi
Nova “Alpha Cain,” I say and get to my feet. The sight and angry scent of my Alpha immediately made me feel ashamed. He walks towards me with his arms crossed and breathes out a sigh. However, his features soften before he wraps his thick arms around me. “Nova,” he says my name and that dam finally cracks. Four years' worth of anger, shame and resentment come out as he rubs my back. This man trusted me, and I broke his trust by not coming to him for help, I know he will see it that way. No matter how I look at it, this is ultimately me not trusting in my Alpha. Fifteen minutes pass, and I finally pull away from him, wiping my tears away and sniffing. “I’m so sorry,” I say, peering up at him with half-blind eyes. “What exactly are you sorry for, little Nova? You’ve done nothing wrong.” He says, leading me over to my couch. “Will has been abusing me for the better part of a year, and I didn’t come to you with it. He’s fo
NikolaiI’ve been sitting on my motorcycle outside The Slip for the last twenty minutes, too terrified to walk inside. Kai is pissed off with me. I can smell the anger on his scent all the way out here, and it is close to knocking me out cold.I messed up tonight, I fucking know that, and now my older brother and Alpha will make me pay. He’s been going easy on me lately, but I have a feeling that this is the last straw. Not only that, but I came across as unfeeling and cold towards my mate. She was in shock and hurting, and I couldn’t even push my ego aside to ask her if she was okay. What the hell is wrong with me?!/“I know you’re out there, Nikolai,”/ Kai suddenly says through the mind link causing me to cringe internally. Fuck, I guess it’s now or never.Taking a huge ass gulp of air and bracing myself for a shitstorm, I tuck my helmet underneath my arm and make my way inside the club. When I
NovaWhat the hell is wrong with me? It’s been close to a month, and Nikolai has disappeared yet again. I keep setting myself up for this, but whenever I try to reject him, the words die in my mouth. My heart aches whenever I think about it, so much so that I feel breathless at times.I want Nikolai, and I want him to crave me as much as I do him, but I know he never will.Tonight it’s busier than usual in the bar, but I know the reason why; the full moon is tomorrow, and the unmated males are nearing their rut. Not a good thing for an unmated female like me, especially since I can feel my heat approaching./“Nova,”/ Alpha Cain calls me through the mind link at about 8 PM. /“Close up early and go home; I don’t want Nikolai Volkov killing anyone else in my territory because you’re nearing your heat.”/I blush beet red when he says this and relay the message to Estie a
Nikolai I should have prepared for this and listened to Kai, but I upped and walked into enemy territory out of sheer fucking anger. Alder Grey, Gamma from the IronCrest Pack, has had it out for me the last few months, and by killing three of my bookies, he’s succeeded in luring me out of BloodCrest territory. And into his fucking hands. Surrounded by him and two of his pack warriors, I fought them off as best I could, but what I didn’t expect was to run into fucking hunters on my way out. Granted, Connecticut is Alpha Bastien lands, but now I have a feeling he’s aligned with hunters to keep enemies out. I tell Kai this over the mind link and hightail it out of there on my Ducati, needing to breach our own border. But a few blocks away from Hell’s Kitchen, the wheels slip on the slick tar, and I crash into a fucking store front. Kai won’t like this, I know he won’t, but right now, I can barely think as the wolfsbane makes its way into my system. I allow Knight to lead me to a s
Nova “Thank you again, Nova,” Alpha Kai says before leaving with Nikolai in tow. I couldn’t help but notice how pissed off Nikolai looked as soon as he saw his older brother. Did he not want Alpha Kai to know about his injuries or something? Oh, well, not my circus, not my monkeys. I’m about to lock the bar when I look up and see Nikolai’s grinning face on the other side of the door. “What are you still doing here?” I ask, confused. I’m pretty sure I saw him getting in Kai’s car earlier. He grins, then stretches out his hand. “Give me your cell phone; we haven’t exchanged numbers, and we’re supposed to be fated mates.” My eyes widen at this, and I can feel a blush coming on again, but I hand him my phone anyway. After inputting his number, he rings his cell as well and then hands mine back to me. “There, now you can give me your answer later,” he says, but as he hands me my phone, he grips my wrist and pulls me into his arms. “Hmmm, I can’t wait to make you mine finally.” He
Nova What a long ass week. I’ve been itching to get out of my damn apartment, and now that my heat has passed, I cannot wait to stretch my legs. Who knows, maybe it will be my last heat as an unclaimed mate. The thought made me smile like an idiot, and I shake my head as I unlock the door to my apartment. I’ve decided to go to one of my favourite coffee shops and enjoy myself for a change since I never think of myself. To say that Will’s death and Alpha Cain’s chat changed me is putting it lightly. I know my worth now, and I’ve grown somewhat of a backbone - none of the wolves who used to eye fuck me even dare to anymore. I needed this, needed the trauma and pain to realise that I’m not anyone’s doormat. Now I just need to get a bit tougher in the fighting department. “Hey, Nova. I haven’t seen you in ages!” One of the baristas, Owen, greets me when I walk in. I wave and give him a slight smile before taking a seat at the back of the cafe. I didn’t come here to chat with anyone,
Nikolai I need to calm down and not piss Nova off, but I also need to know who that fucking guy thought he was. I would have ripped his throat out if she wasn’t there, maimed him and made him cry for his mother while- “You can ask me, Nickybabe,” she suddenly says, calling me that nickname that makes my heart stutter and cutting through my violent thoughts. I look over at her in the passenger side of my black SUV. She’s smiling and shaking her head, then she turns to me again. “I know it’s killing you.” “Damn right it is,” I grumble, turning back to the road. “However, you’re allowed to have friends of your own, Nova and I won’t be the guy to keep you from that.” I can tell that this surprises her, but truth be told, I had no right to tell her who she can and can’t be friends with. I won’t be the abusive asshole who keeps her from living her life the way she wants to - I can’t be that guy. “Thank you,” I hear her saying softly before she sighs. “But he was only an old friend fro