Chapter 1

Nick

I sighed heavily as I dialed Dmitri's number, the weight of my decision pressing down on me like a leaden cloak. Each ring felt like an eternity, amplifying the doubts that churned in the pit of my stomach. But I knew I had to do this—I couldn't stay in this suffocating position.

Finally, Dmitri picked up, his voice gruff and businesslike. "Nick, what's up?"

"Dmitri, I'm going home," I said, the words heavy on my tongue. "To the city where my father made his fortune."

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the line, as if Dmitri was trying to process my words. "Home?" he repeated, his voice tinged with disbelief. "But Nick, what about Isabel? What about your business?”

I closed my eyes, the guilt and shame washing over me like a tidal wave. "I can't do this anymore, Dmitri," I admitted, my voice barely above a whisper. "I can't keep pretending that everything is okay, that Isabel and I have a future together. I need to break free, at least for a bit."

There was a heaviness in Dmitri's voice now, a sense of disappointment that cut me to the core. "Nick, you can't just abandon your wife like this," he said, his tone pleading. "You made a commitment to her, for better or for worse. You need to honor that commitment, no matter how difficult it may be."

I clenched my jaw, frustration bubbling up inside me like a dormant volcano ready to erupt. "I know, Dmitri," I snapped, the words way harsher than I intended. "But what about my father’s business? What about my impulses to still find my rightful mate? Am I supposed to sacrifice everything for the sake of a lie?”

There was another pause on the line, the silence stretching between us like a taut wire. "Nick, I understand that you're unhappy," Dmitri said at last, his voice softening with sympathy. "But running away isn't the answer. You need to confront your problems head-on, to work through them together with Isabel. That's what marriage is all about—supporting each other through the good times and the bad."

I swallowed hard, the weight of Dmitri's words settling over me like a heavy blanket. He was right, of course—he always was. But the thought of facing Isabel, of dredging up all the lies and hurt that lay between us, filled me with a bone-deep dread.

"I'll think about it, Dmitri," I said finally, the words feeling hollow and insincere. "But for now, I need to go home. I need to find those who are treating me and those who worked with my father. Maybe I will find a new purpose in this mess of a life I've created for myself."

There was a long pause on the other end of the line, as if Dmitri was struggling to find the right words to say. "Just be careful, Nick," he said at last, his voice tinged with concern. “We still don’t know who shot at you. I will prepare the jet for tomorrow morning, if you are okay with that.”

I nodded, even though Dmitri couldn't see me. "Thanks, Dmitri," I said quietly. "I really appreciate it."

With that, I hung up the phone, the weight of my decision still heavy on my shoulders. But as I gathered my phone and some documents and prepared to leave the office behind, I couldn't shake the feeling that, for the first time in a long time, I was finally taking control of my life.

                                                                                                  ___

The sounds of the plane's engines filled the cabin as I stared out the window, the landscape below passing by in a blur of muted colors. My mind was a whirlwind of thoughts and memories, each one vying for my attention as I journeyed back to the place I once called home.

As I gazed out at the clouds drifting across the sky, my thoughts turned to my father—a man who had loomed large in my life, casting a shadow that stretched across the years like a ghost of the past. He had been a complicated man, my father—a mafia boss with a ruthless reputation and a heart of stone. But despite his flaws, there was a part of me that couldn't help but admire him, couldn't help but marvel at the way he had managed to claw his way to the top of the wolf pack that ruled our city with an iron fist.

I remembered the stories he used to tell me, late at night when the rest of the world was asleep. Stories of power and betrayal, of alliances forged and broken promises in the blink of an eye. He had been a survivor, my father—a man who had faced down countless enemies and emerged always victorious, his grip on the city's underworld growing stronger with each passing day.

But for all his power and influence, my father had never forgotten where he came from. He had grown up on the rough streets of our hometown, a starving wolf among wolves, fighting tooth and nail to carve out a place for himself in a world that had little use for mercy or compassion. And when he had finally risen to the top, he had never forgotten the ones he had left behind—the ones who had helped him along the way, who had stood by his side through thick and thin.

I thought of my mother then, a quiet and gentle soul who had loved my father with a fierceness that bordered on obsession. A true mate. She had been his anchor, his rock in a sea of chaos, and he had cherished her with a tenderness that belied his ruthless exterior. And I thought of my sister, Natalia, a fiery spirit with a heart of gold, who had always been the light in my father's darkness, the one he would do anything to protect.

As the plane continued its steady ascent, I felt a sense of anticipation building within me, a longing for the familiar sights of my hometown, for the memories that lay waiting around every corner. I knew that no matter what awaited me on the other side, I would face it with the same determination and resilience that had carried my father through the darkest days of his life.

For in the end, we were cut from the same cloth—two wolves born of the same blood, bound together by a bond that could never be broken. And as I journeyed back to the place where it all began, I knew that my father's legacy would always be a part of me—a guiding light in the darkness, leading me home.