PREORDAINED.

CHAPTER TEN — Karina Agafonov.

I shouted for my mother as I went downstairs to the kitchen, she was not in there. I was about to leave the house and I wanted her to know before I did, because I didn't want her to worry. I called out to her but it wasn't her response I got, but that of my older sister.

"Why are you calling for mother? Isn't she in her room?" Mila asked, her hair was all up everywhere like a bird's nest which meant she just woke up from her sleep. It was late at night.

I apologized for waking her up and she waved it off, saying it was nothing. She went towards the kitchen while I trailed at her back. Mila began to brew a cup of coffee and then turned towards me.I asked her to make one for me so i could take something before leaving.

"What do you want to see mother for and where are you heading to this evening with a bag?" She scrutinized my bag.

She added immediately, "Are you still having trouble sleeping?"

I partially lied to Mila, telling her that I was going to explore and probably get some clothes while at it and also told her I slept fine; but that was a lie.

Mila hummed in reply before pouring coffee in a mug for the both of us, leaving some for Sasha.

I drank my coffee in silence, savoring the smell and taste. After I was done, I took my mug to the sink to wash it and I was ready to leave.

"Could you tell mother what I told you earlier?" I asked my sister.

Mila nodded her head in reply, "Well you're an ex-soldier, you can protect yourself." I heard her mumble slowly.

I laughed at what she said.

She added, "It's almost late though and most of the shop owners won't be there." She said to me, her face scrunched up in confusion.

I thought of a reply and I couldn't come up with any. I looked at my sister who was staring at her cup before sighing out slowly, "Ugh!— Fine, It's nice that you're going out. Explore, stay safe and come home immediately you're done." Mila said before walking away.

I left my home and began scouring the town. It has been a month already since I came to the new Khabarovsk. My dreams have become more frequent, the battlefields where loads of bodies lay dead, and my comrades dying to protect me and our people. Sleep has evaded me and I always stay awake. I have been sitting indoors and wasting my time, being handicapped was a pain to me but that didn't mean that I was useless. The time I took a gamble and went out with my sister's, I got attacked by someone. Sasha told me, she found me on the floor outside of the pub, unconscious. I hated the fact that someone subdued me, it also made me realize that no one could be trusted.

It was time to get down to business, I didn't trust the lycans at all, they were pretending to be nice but I knew it's all just facades. They might turn on all of us if I didn't do something and that's why I decided to seek the military. I didn't have a phone with me, so I couldn't reach anyone.

The only way I could find them and relay the information I gathered was to leave town. I could not remember clearly where I had come in from the first day I came here, all I knew was that I was in a fog. I walked towards the streets, people were still out, making sales and the streets were bustling. It did not look like the people were going anywhere anytime soon.

Sighing, I tried to recall the steps I took, it was hard finding the route to the fog. Everywhere I turned, people looked at me which made me adjust my hoodie well to avoid being stared at.

"Where are you going?"

I turned to face the person who had spoken and standing before me was Nikolai and another fellow. I had not seen Nikolai since the incident and I vividly remembered what he wanted to do to me.

I ignored him and started going another way, I didn't want him to know I was going into the fog. I had to be discreet about my mission. I heard footsteps behind me and knew he wasn't going to leave until I give him a response,

I turned to face him but, it wasn't him standing before me, it was the other person who I had seen beside him, "Who are you and how can I help you?"

He moved closer to me which made me step back a little, leaving space between us, "I don't bite darling. I just want to know you, that's all."

I looked at him closely, he had sky blue eyes as clear as the sky in the morning, his jaw was perfectly sculpted and his hair was as dark as a Raven. He was beautiful, just like Nikolai.

Suddenly he began to laugh boisterously, leaving me to wonder if he was mentally sane. "What's your name?" He asked.

"I don't think you need to know my name. I asked a simple question, who are you and what do you want from me?"

He hummed to himself, then looked back at Nikolai who remained quiet and useless. At this moment, I would really appreciate his help but he seemed to be of no use.

"It seems we got ourselves a fiesty one, brother."

I looked to Nikolai after his brother said, "So you two are brothers?" I asked no one in particular.

They both nodded their heads in response which made me know that he was also a lycan. I was about to walk away when he introduced himself as Antonov.

"Excuse me, I have better things to do." I said to both of them.

I was about to walk away when the annoying voice I loathed spoke, "What better things?" Nikolai asked me.

"It's none of your business and you don't have any rights to ask me about that."

Nikolai moved closer towards me, "Rights? What rights? Your rights have not been existing anymore ever since the werewolves came into your world."

"And whose fault is that?" I spoke loudly, not caring about who was looking at us and it seems the two brothers didn't also care.

Nikolai looked like he was about to retort my words but before he could, Antonov spoke, cutting the tension between us, "Do you two know each other?" He asked.

I didn't respond, nor did Nikolai but with the expression of disgust on our faces— it's easy for someone to depict that we've been acquainted.

I looked at Nikolai who was staring back at me. I saw his gaze looking directly at my arm. He was an inquisitive idiot and before he could ask me anything, I decided to take my leave.

Nikolai blocked my way, not allowing me to take a step forward,, "What the hell are you doing? Let me go now."

"I will if you answer my question. What happened to your arm?" He asked, looking at my robotic arm. I wondered how he hadn't noticed it since we'd met. Well, what less could I expect from a foolish Lycan?

I struggled to get past him but he stood his ground, blocking my way. I pushed him but he stood like a rock obstructing my path. This Lycan was a pain and I regret ever knowing him.

We were both causing a ruckus on the streets and as people passed by, their eyes kept flicking between us, "Do you think you have the right to do this because you saved me?" I asked, irritatedly.

Nikolai looked baffled by my question, "What are you saying? Of course not, I was just asking about your arm which is metallic." He said to me,

"Thank you for pointing that out but like i said, it's none of your business. Why can't you lycans just mind your business, you have caused more harm than good and it's my aim to get rid of y'all, every single one of you."

Nikolai tousled his hair on his head. I'm sure he was frustrated but so was I. It made me more angry when he pointed out that I have a robotic arm, but I never asked for his opinion.

Antonov cuts in, "The both of you should cut it out. People are looking." He said.

I looked around and saw that people were actually gathered, watching the scenes in front of them.

"You know it's been a long time since they 've seen people fight— especially a Lycan male and a— lady." Antonov said, trying to crack a joke which wasn't funny to me at all.

I excused myself and began to walk away but he appeared in front of me, again. I groaned in annoyance. "What the hell do you want now?"

Antonov stood in front of me, he wasn't saying anything, nor was he trying to crack a joke.

"You said something earlier." He simply said. His eyes were dazed and I didn't give two cents about what was going to happen.

I was a displaced soldier but that doesn't mean I can't fight to save my life. I have killed numerous of them in battle, what more could two lycans do?

"I said a lot of things, so what exactly are you talking about?"

Antonov moved two steps away from me, leaving me close to Nikolai. "Your aim is to kill us, Lycans. Why?" Nikolai asked.

"Why?" I scoffed.

Nikolai tried to speak but Antonov cut him off with a look that chilled me to my bones. I ignored their stare and faced him and he also did the same.

"Your creatures killed my father, millions of people had died, my comrades died in front of me trying to protect the humans from your kind and you dare ask me why I want to kill your kind?"

Antonov responded, matching my stare which was filled with rage, "Everything that happened isn't our fault or… what I am trying to say is we are going to do something about it and if we wouldn't have, we would have just stayed in our realm, watching you humans die." He responded.

Nikolai came closer to his brother and whispered something in his ear which made Antonov look at him and then he looked at me.

"For you to believe us, why not come see our older brother?" He asked.

I snorted, "So you could kill me in secret and hold my body hostage." I said to them.

They both rolled their eyes at me, "If we wanted to do that, Volkov could have done that to you but he didn't so spare us the story. What we are asking is, for you to stop thinking about how wicked we are, why not speak to our brother so he could explain things to you and we could also need your help." Nikolai said.

I thought about what he had said, it was a risky move. I didn't trust them but I knew they wouldn't hurt me, I just knew and I had no idea why.

"Stop thinking so much and just give a response. If you want to go now, we could." Antonov said.

Taking a deep breath, I weighed the pros and cons of their offer and I decided to take the risk, "Fine, I would meet your brother or whatever."

Nikolaie spoke immediately, "Okay, let's get going."

"Hold on, I can't go with you today."

Nikolai looked confused and asked why. I ignored his question and faced Antonov, "I would go tomorrow, just tell me how to get there."

"Nikolai will come meet you at your house." He replied to me.

I looked at both of them before walking home. Today didn't go as planned but something else happened and I was going to find a way to take advantage of it. Any means possible.