Chapter 5 Leon

I can't stop looking at her.

The dim light in the apartment traces the soft lines of her face, her parted lips, her steady breathing.

She’s not how we imagined her at first.

She’s not fragile, but there’s something about her that awakens a fierce need in us—to protect her… and to claim her.

"She looks fucking gorgeous. Don’t you think, Zek?" I ask my inner wolf, who also can’t take his eyes off Natalia.

"I’d love for us to slip under those sheets and warm her up with our body," he replies with a grin. I know he’s joking, but there’s a sharp edge of truth in his voice.

Roman watched my twin Sergei and I with disdain from the corner of the room.

"Relax. We can all read  our minds  and  you’re thinking the same thing Roman" I say, turning toward him.

His eyes narrow, but he doesn’t deny it. He also doesn’t reply.

"What the hell are you doing here?" he snaps, like he wasn’t the one who also broke into the apartment of the only woman who dared to reject us.

"If Natalia wakes up and sees us here, she’s going to freak out," Roman says dryly. "Especially if she sees you both like this."

And he’s right.

We are naked.

Because just a few minutes ago, Sergei and I had crossed the city as a pair of wolves, enjoying—as always nobody see us—the shift.

Nothing feels more alive than the moment we become wolves. Skin stretches, muscles reshape, the wild heat crawls into your bones and fuses with your soul. Personally, I love that shift—no matter my interior wolves get angry when I return to being human. It makes me feel… complete.

"You’re naked too, Roman. If she sees you, she’ll be scared just the same," Sergei shrugs, calm as ever.

"We just wanted to see how she lived. Besides, she’s our fated mate too. And it’s not every day someone interrupts Pavel. She’s brave," I add with amusement.

Roman lets out a rough, low laugh.

It’s rare to see him like this—relaxed.

"I wish she had agreed to meet us again… just to see Pavel’s face," he says with that crooked smile still lingering.

"What did you give her, by the way? To keep her from waking up?" I ask, curious.

"Nothing special. Nitrous oxide. And when she fell asleep, I sprayed a bit more directly on her face. Still, I think she slipped into a deep sleep just from exhaustion," Roman replies.

"She looks sad, even while she sleeps," Sergei murmurs, more serious now.

"She fell asleep crying," Roman answers flatly.

Silence falls between us.

We watch her.

So still. Her lashes still damp, her face softened by sleep.

Every shape, every curve, every breath—burned into our minds.

And then it happens.

At first, it’s just a flicker. Brief.

Then, a faint light begins to glow from her skin.

It’s not moonlight. Not a trick of shadows.

It’s real. Bright. Pure. A light only werewolves can see.

"She has inner light… like a female of our kind," Roman murmurs, not with surprise, but with certainty.

"She’s not. She can’t be. She’s human, not a werewolf—you can smell it," Sergei says, disbelief in his voice.

"And yet… she has it," Roman replies, and his voice sends chills down my spine.

Roman approaches and sits at the edge of the bed.

It doesn’t bother me, not really, but I want to be closer too.

I know my twin and our inner wolves Zek and Oak.

So we move.

We get closer, drawn to that impossible glow pulsing from her core.

Roman gently gathers her in his arms and pulls the fallen strap of her pajama back up.

It’s a small gesture, but she reacts.

Her face relaxes. The sorrow begins to fade.

"Shhh…" Roman whispers, cradling her tenderly. "Easy now… I just need to confirm something. Just sleep."

His voice is a command.

His gift.

Roman has always had the power to persuade others with a single word.

Natalia, still unconscious, obeys.

"I don’t think this is a good idea, Roman. You know she’s human… she smells human," I repeat, though deep down, I know I just wanted to be the one to do it first.

He doesn’t answer. Or chooses not to.

He’s the oldest among us three.

And we all know he has to be sure of what we’re sensing.

His eyes change.

Pupils dilate, swallowing all color.

Black. Dark as the deepest night.

"I just need to know," he whispers.

Then he kisses her.

At first, it’s barely a touch.

But when Natalia’s light resurfaces and wraps around him, Roman deepens the kiss.

Like he needs to absorb her, merge with her.

"Still," he commands, when her body stirs even in sleep.

We see it.

Natalia is struggling.

Not with her body—but with her soul.

She resists.

It’s not submission in her… it’s power. Instinct.

When his hand travels down her thigh, a small whimper escapes her lips.

Barely a whisper.

"No… please… please…"

Roman freezes.

He pulls back.

Carefully, he lays her down again.

His expression has changed.

I don’t know if he’s in shock, regretful, or simply lost.

But I do know he didn’t realize what he was about to do.

And I know what kind of man my brother is.

Roman isn’t one of those men.

He never takes what isn’t freely given.

"Roman," I whisper, concerned.

His eyes are still dark. His breathing is ragged.

He’s fighting himself.

"We need to go. I have to talk to Pavel and Alexei," he says finally, his voice tight.

Sergei and I don’t want to leave. But we know we have to.

Still, I hesitate.

"I’m not asking. We’re leaving. Now," Roman says, firmer this time.

Sergei is the first to move. He heads to the door, and before stepping out, he calls me with a single word:

"Leon."

I follow.

My mind spins with everything that just happened.

Because if before Sergei and I were merely drawn to Natalia for being our fated mate...

Now, we’re sure we need her.

A female with inner light is exactly what werewolves like us silently crave.

We just have to convince Pavel and Alexei of what we now know without doubt:

She’s not only our fated mate…

She’s a powerful being who might actually help us control the darkness inside us.

We have to claim her. Bond with her.

After all, it’s three against two.

What could possibly go wrong?