MasukNira knows the truth, now the question is what will Nikolai do when he realizes the girl he wants to own… already belongs to his greatest enemy? Stay tuned. Leave a like, comment and review!
Nikolai.The clearing was a hidden part of Thornmoon that my mother had taken me to many times as a child. Looking back now, perhaps my father had been right about me. I had been weak. Crowded places made me anxious, and during the festival there had been times when I couldn't breathe properly because there were too many people, too many scents and too much noise around me. I was hardly allowed to leave the estate, so I had never learned how to deal with any of it. My mother would notice whenever I became overwhelmed and bring me here until I calmed down. I hadn't attended another Lantern Festival after her death, and I hadn't returned to this lake either. I didn't know if that was because this place reminded me of the weak child I had once been or because I didn't want to be anywhere that reminded me of her.Either way, everything I thought I would feel when I eventually returned wasn't there. Maybe it was because Vena was here with me. There was something different about this mome
Vena.I followed Nikolai down a lonely path that took us farther away from the festival. The music and voices slowly faded behind us, although I could still hear them in the distance. It was much darker here, with only small patches of moonlight coming through the trees, and I could barely see where I was putting my feet.He had taken off his hat, leaving his dark hair that fell around his face like silky waves. I was trying to follow Nikolai's steps when he suddenly stopped and I walked straight into his back.“Ow!” I stumbled backward and rubbed my forehead.He didn't even turn around. “Watch where you're going.” He said and I scowled.“It's not like I have enhanced wolf vision,” I complained.“Then pay attention.”I glared at his back and followed him again. He led me between several trees and around a huge boulder. There was a narrow opening ahead almost completely covered by vines, and Nikolai pushed some of them aside before walking through.I stared at the entrance. “I wouldn't
Vena.I stood in the queue for the bathroom with the wolf plushie pressed against my chest, occasionally looking over my shoulder to make sure Nikolai was still where I had left him. He was waiting near a shop covered in fairy lights, his hands in the pockets of his leather jacket as he looked around the festival. He was probably checking the security again. Even with the baseball cap hiding part of his face, Nikolai was difficult to miss. He towered over most of the people around him, and there was something about the way he stood that made it look like he owned everything around him, which, technically, he did.I stared at him longer than I should have. The baseball cap made him look younger somehow, and maybe a little kinder, although I knew better than to trust that thought. I looked down at the plushie in my arms and smiled. It really did look like him, it had been the green eyes that made me choose it. They were almost exactly the same shade as Nikolai's.“Did your boyfriend win
Nikolai.I walked a few steps behind Vena with my hands in the pockets of my leather jacket. I had pulled my cap low over my face because the last thing I wanted was to be recognised as the Alpha and spend the entire night having people bowing, greeting me or trying to speak to me. There were thousands of people around us, but none of them caught my attention as much as the red-haired woman practically hopping in front of me.This was a side of Vena I had never seen before. She was like an excited pup, pointing at everything in sight and smiling from ear to ear. One moment she was staring at a ride, and the next she was turning around because she had heard music coming from another direction. I had never seen her smile this much in the mansion. Most of the time she was angry with me or scared of me. Seeing her like this caused a strange warmth in my chest that I didn't particularly like, but I couldn't stop watching her.She suddenly turned around and looked at me. Her hazel eyes wer
Vena.I stood in front of the mirror for what had to be the fifth time, turning slightly to look at myself from another angle. The blue sundress I had chosen fell below my knees, and I had paired it with simple sandals since my ankle was only just getting better. I had pulled my red hair into a ponytail and put on a necklace and a small pair of earrings. For a moment, I had considered wearing Freya's bracelet, but I decided against it. I didn't know why, but wearing it around Nikolai tonight didn't feel like a good idea.“Do I look nice enough?” I didn't even know why I cared. It wasn't as though Nikolai was taking me on a date, but that didn't stop the stupid excitement in my stomach. For the first time since coming here, I was leaving the mansion without the thought to escape, and I was going with him. Heat spread across my face, and I pressed both hands against my cheeks.“He's really taking me to the festival,” I whispered, smiling like an idiot.Then I gasped. “Nikolai is waitin
Nikolai.I finally drove into the estate as the gates opened in front of me. By the time I reached the mansion, I was tired. I climbed out of the car just as two guards approached, greeting me with lowered heads. I gave them a short nod and tossed my keys to one of them before rubbing the back of my neck as I headed inside. It was already past ten, and the house was quiet.I went straight to the dining room and sat at the head of the table. Miriam had left dinner for me, but I barely had an appetite. I poured myself a glass of wine while reaching for the newspaper beside my plate. There was an article about the new pack school that would be opening soon, and I was halfway through reading it when a familiar strawberry scent caught my attention.I looked up to see nobody was there but Vena's heartbeat was loud enough that I could hear it from where she was hiding around the corner.I waited a few seconds.“How long are you going to stand there for?”I heard her sigh before she slowly ca







