Katerina:I opened my eyes to the smell of cooking out in the kitchen.My head throbbed as I sat up abruptly, my eyes widening when I realized that it was a while past five in the evening.I got up from bed and quickly rushed to the bathroom, freshening up to see whether or not Nathan was back from work. The man would be worried sick if he found that I was still asleep when he came home, and knowing that I hadnât done anything that concerned my duties as his wife wasnât something that I liked either.I walked out of the bathroom, quickly dressing up in pants and a sweatshirt, the temperature was dropping a little and despite being a wolf, I couldnât help but miss the cold winter to wear the clothes of the season.My eyes widened in surprise when I saw Nathan entering the room, his eyes meeting mine before he smiled âheyââHiâ I said, walking toward him. He wrapped his arms around me, hugging me tightly, kissing the crown of my head as he did âwhen did you get home from work?ââI had w
Nathan:âBaby girlâ I said, looking at Katerina whose mind seemed to be busy. âYes, love?â Katerina asked, smiling at me. I sat on the couch beside her, having been in the office reading through some paperwork. I wasnât sure when her and Jadeâs conversation was over, but it seemed like she was here for a while now.I wrapped my arm around her, pulling her to my chest, watching as she curled up, cuddling in my arms âyouâre quiet, babyââIâm tired, I guessâ Katerina said, looking up at me. I smiled and kissed her temple, watching as she looked up at me.âHow about I get you something to warm you up and if possible, chocolate?â I asked, my voice gentle as I looked my beauty in the eye. Black circles have formed under her eyes, and despite knowing the reason behind it, I hated seeing that she was in pain.âYou seem to be reading my mood wellâ Katerina said, laughing as she looked up at me. Her eyes seemed to light up a bit despite being as exhausted as she was, and seeing as I knew that
Katerina:âAre you ready, baby?â Nathan asked, wrapping his arms around me from the back as I put my earrings on.âYes, I just need to put my things inside my bag and Iâll be heading outâ I said, turning around to face him. He smiled, kissing my lips before he rested his forehead against my own. The two of us have been married for three months now, and since we chose to start accepting one another, our relationship has been growing stronger on a daily basis.âIâll be a bit late at work today, but Iâll be sure that Iâm back before dinner, okay?â Nathan asked and I nodded, standing on my toes to kiss his cheek. âIâll be studying, I have an exam tomorrow and need to prepare for itââYou have been preparing for it for an entire week now, I am sure that you know all the information by heart, not to mention the fact that you would barely need to read it to revise itâ Nathan teased, making me laugh. I shook my head at him, biting my bottom lip before the two of us walked out of the room, sm
Nathan:âYouâre serious?ââUnfortunatelyâ Carter said, handing me the papers âDonatello has requested that he withdraws his whole shares from the companies, and though it states in the contract that he canât unless he pays a certain amount; he is more than willing to pay for itââThis canât be goodâ I said, pinching the bridge of my nose as I read the papers. Donatello has been my partner for as long as I could remember, and him being my partner was the only reason why our family was never affected by the wolfâs war. However, now that he wants to withdraw his sharesâĶâWhat are you going to do?â Carter asked, taking a sip of his whiskey.âFor now, we are going to hold a meeting, and I want him to come. We will discuss why he wants to withdraw his things. Yes, him attacking the pack was not something that I forgot, but business is business, and we donât just withdraw halfway with no explanationâ I said, handing Carter the paper âas for letting him go, if the money comes, he can leave, b
Katerina:I ran my fingers through my husbandâs hair as he slept on my chest.Not only did he make sure to make my day special yesterday, he made sure to leave his mark on me.Nathan stirred, raising his face to look at me before he smiled. He turned us around, laying down to pull me on his chest. I smiled as he ran his fingers through my hair, kissing his bare chest before laying back down on it.âI can assume that we should be getting up, right?â Nathan asked, smiling at me. I nodded, my legs being a little sore, but I didnât mind; last night was worth everything.âI wouldnât mind us showering together though, you know, we would save a little water if we doâ I said, running my finger down his chest. Nathan growled playfully, taking my hand in his, stopping me from going any lower. I smiled, batting my eyelashes playfully as I waited for his reaction.âYes, it would be saving water, but you would be limping throughout your whole day at college today, and not to mention that you have
Nathan:I glared at Donatello as he placed the gifts on the floor in front of the stage for my wife and everyone in the Grand Hall to see.Katerina kept her eyes on him for a second, before taking a step back, nodding at the principal in thanks before she walked toward me. I wrapped my arm around her, pulling her to my chest, all while keeping an eye on Donatello who smirked, knowing that he not only ticked my nerve, but my wifeâs too.âI take it that you didnât like my presentsâ he said, looking down at the gifts. Katerina didnât bother responding to him as she nodded at Carter to get them. Carter looked at me, clearly asking for permission before I nodded. Noticing the forming tension, Mr. William nodded at the men to start playing music again, diverting the studentsâ attention from us. He took a careful step toward me, clearly worried about my reaction before he cleared his throat âMr. Kozlov, as much as it hurts me to say, but I will request that you take your wife and family out
Katerina:I paced around the room, in nothing but a silk robe and a black lace set, as I thought of which dress to choose. My hair and makeup were already done, and despite not knowing what I would be wearing, I knew that the less makeup and the more simple I looked, the better I would feel and be.The fact that I knew that the elders would be there at Donatelloâs place was something that I couldnât get off my mind, especially since I knew that me giving back the presents must have pissed the Lycan off more than he let out.Nathan wrapped his arms around me from the back, stopping me from pacing as he rested his chin on my shoulder âyou are making me dizzyââAnd I donât know which dress to wearââBoth dresses look beautiful thoughâ he said, looking up at the royal blue and purple dresses. I knew that he liked both and that was exactly why I chose them both, but I was at loss of which one I should put on âI believe the blue would be more suitable though, the purple oneâs slit reaches y
Nathan:I kept my arm wrapped around Katerina as we entered Donatelloâs house, prepared to see what the man had planned for us.âYou made itâ Donatello said, looking at the two of us âfor a second, I thought that you wouldnât show upââWe got caught up, you of all people should know that I donât miss an invitation when madeâ I replied, my response curt and polite. My eyes caught sight of the elders who had wed Katerina and I. Their eyes studied our expressions, and smiling, Katerina looked up at me before connecting her lips with my cheek.âKaterina, it is nice to see that you made itââThank you for the invitation, it was kind of you to make regardless of the issues that have happened between usâ Katerina said, politely. I smiled when I saw her fixing her hair, its curls having been a little messed up by the wind. Katerina smiled when she caught my reflection through the mirror that hung on the wall by the door.âYou are well aware that YOU as a person and I have no issues, anyhow, d
Nathan: I watched as my mate sat by the window, processing what she has lived through over the past few weeks. âHow is she?â Mom asked, approaching me. I sighed and pinched the bridge of my nose, not knowing how to answer. My beauty lost her mom the same way she lost her father years ago. Both wanted to kill her, and both had to be killed to be stopped. âI donât know, momâ I said honestly âshe is not talking, and we both know why, so I donât know what I can do at this pointâ Mom and I, despite the gap that we had, I knew that I had to be thankful that she at least, fought to protect me instead of putting me in the face of danger, wanting to kill me. I had seen my woman go from her strongest of states to her weakest, and at this point, I didnât even know how to tend to that. âShe just needs you by her side. The two of you have been throughâĶâ âYou havenât seen her when I did. The man broke her face, literally broke it. Had it not been for Alexanderâs blood in her system, the bones
Katerina:To say that I did not trust her would not be a lie.But the last thing I expected was for my mother to be as cold hearted as to send me to my enemy with her own hands, along with my brother, to be killed.âKatâĶâI didnât bother looking at Donatello let alone respond to him. I didnât blame him for wanting to trust her. I couldnât do that, but I hated the fact that he chose to be as harsh as he was to me as he defended her, only for me to be the one who was right and to pay the price for it.âI trust that you still have the cat holding your tongue?â Domenico said, entering the cell that he kept us. He looked at me before putting on a few rings. Fuck, I knew that this was going to hurt. And approaching me, he stood in front of me for a second before punching me in the face, making my eyes widen in surprise as I felt my jaw break. I was actually surprised that my teeth didnât, but I knew that it would be a matter of time before that happened. âHow about we manage to loosen it u
Nathan:Katerina was quiet throughout the rest of the planning, mostly because her mother and brother were here, and knowing how tensed up things were, she knew not to risk saying a word that could lead to an issue. âSo, in other words, Katerina would be the one to kill Domenico, to prevent him from killing her and Donatelloâ Ariana asked, and I nodded. "Yes, and it all has to be done on the night of the eclipse. I am not sure how he would be luring Donatello toward him, but he would have to kill him on that night. Otherwise, the Lycan dies, and all that heâs been plotting would pretty much be for nothingâ I said, and the woman nodded.âWhy not just keep him in the house? Have Domenico die anywayââHe would do something that would drag him there whether or not he likes it, and I can assume that it would have something to do with Katerina. The issue is not that we can handle the bastard not killing Donatello, the main concern is that he could, and he would, try hurting the kids and m
Katerina:I sat on the edge of the bed as I took a deep breath, processing everything that went on this long day.Nathan, who knew that I was upset, didnât speak for a while, knowing that I needed my space. But in truth, I actually needed him. I needed his arms to wrap around me, and I needed him to hold me close.He entered the room, having gone to check on the kids, and I got up from bed to hug him. Again, he didnât say a word, but his embrace was enough to tell me that I was not alone. He kissed the crown of my head, letting his lips linger there for a few seconds, purring as to comfort me before pulling away to look me in the eye.âHe was angry, Katerina, and you canât expect otherwise. Your brother, as strong as he is, also has a breaking point, and he too has been under too much pressure. He would eventually understandâ Nathan whispered and I nodded, knowing that he was right. It was just that his words were a bit too harsh for me to simply accept.âI understand, loveâ I said, t
Nathan:I frowned when I saw my wife sitting out on Elijahâs porch, staring into space.Her eyes met mine, and taking a deep breath, she got up from the chair and walked toward me.I wrapped my arm around her, pulling her into a hug, before pulling away to look her in the eye.âSomething happened, didnât it?ââDomenico, happenedâ Katerina said, and I frowned, shaking my head at the fact that he had the audacity to show up. âwe are going to need to go home though. I just got into an argument with Elijah, and I do not intend to face him right now. The man was being too much of a prick for me to stay quiet about itââWhat happened?â Alexander, who was behind me, asked, frowning in confusion.âNothing to worry about. The man is not used to someone talking back at him, and I had to be the one to do it. Anyway, how did things go from your side? Domenico would not be approaching this house for a while, but we need to be careful about ours, and the kidsâ Katerina asked, trying to change the s
Katerina:The houseâs door barged open, Elijahâs, to be more specific, revealing a furious Domenico.Caterina, Elijah, and I were sitting in the living room, waiting for him to show up.âWhat the fuck?ââHello to you too, Domenicoâ Elijah said calmly. Caterina went to stand up, but Elijah shook his head at her, motioning for her to stay seated. Her heart raced, and I knew that she feared the Lycan. I stayed still, watching the scene before my eyes, knowing that things werenât go as peaceful as Elijah would have hoped his home would be in, but we all knew that things had to go down, and they had to do so fast if we were to get out of the bullshit of the Lycan.âWhat the fuck are you guys up to? Huh? Do you think that the stupid wolves would keep you safeâĶ?â Elijah let out a low warning growl before taking a step toward the Lycan, towering over his body, his authority, despite his calmness, was one that was intimidating, and seeing Domenicoâs fear in his eyes, I knew that I didnât want
Nathan: âSo, in short, you need Domenico dead before the next eclipse which is in five days' timeâ Elijah said, looking at me. âExactly, if we can manage doing that, then we wouldâĶâ âThere is no if, in this one, Nathanâ Alexander said, stopping me âif the man does not die, he will kill you all, Caterina, then turn to us; therefore, if you do not trust that you can face him, I suggest that you just let us know nowâ âI take it that you are actually excited about killing himâ I said, raising an eyebrow at the vampire. âThe prick has done us all more damage over the years than should have been considered acceptable. So, to answer your question, yes, I am more than willing to kill himâ Alexander said casually âas for you getting the last name, I do know that since you are married, you wouldnât need the bloodline, but we can find a way to alternate the historyâĶâ âThe last thing I can care about right now is whether or not I carry the Grimaldi last name, Alexander, and I believe that y
Katerina:Alexander froze as he took sight of Caterina, his lover, standing in front of him.Whatever the real story behind their relationship was, I could tell that this was the last thing he ever thought that he would be facing. âCatâĶ?ââI know that you never liked me being around your son, Albertoâ Caterina said, not caring about looking at Alexander, or in other words, Giuliano, who was still processing her presence. Her eyes were fixed on Elijah whose eyes were wide in surprise as his heart raced âyou changing your name would not mean that you have changed who you are, and you going from country to country to hide your son never meant that Domenico would not find him. As you can see, and have noticed, he has, and he has followed you here, forcing you one again to submit to him. I believe that you are awareâĶââFirst of all, I am not hiding my son from anyone. He is strong enough to fight anyone who can stand in his way, and the Lycan fucking knows that and is living because WE ar
Nathan:I smiled at Carter who was heading toward the car with his mate and child.My chest ached, but I knew that it was for the best to ensure their safety. Plus, they had their part to take care of in Russia, as a Pakhan, we all knew that we had our duties here and there. He would be my eyes and ears there, and he would be the one in charge of ensuring that things go as planned while he was there.He turned to face me after Jade and his baby got inside the car, and smiling, he walked toward me to hug me tightly. I hugged him back, the memories of us running around this houseâs garden played in my head. Us going to school, growing up. All what weâve been through just seemed to repeat itself as we pulled away to look one another in the eye. I knew that it was not a goodbye. As brothers by choice, it would never be; however, until we have united again, I knew that these memories were ones that we would be holding on to."Keep them safe, yeah?â I asked, and he nodded.âAnd you, themâ h