CHAPTER 4

CASSIE

“I will tag along,” Maeve’s tiny voice thunders through the air. She stands right before Nikolai, holding onto his hands with her face hidden behind that thick veil.

I stand alone in front of a council of well-built men and women. My chest tightens as I look around at them; they honestly look like they eat people like me for breakfast. I feel incredibly small under their harsh glares. Yet, Nikolai’s eyes don’t leave mine. His gaze is heavy, tracking every breath I take. The rest of the room looks at me like they absolutely hate me, which is fair, seeing as I am some strange creature they can’t decipher.

“No, you don’t,” Nikolai says to Maeve. He gently drops his eyes to her, and his gaze softens. “I will go with Trish and Joel, and then a few more guards if that will make you worry less.”

I watch them closely, a sudden lump forming in my throat. It is either they are dating, good friends, or one person likes the other, I think to myself, they look really good together. It is obvious they respect and care for each other. I admire that.

Maeve shoots a disdainful, burning look in my direction before looking back at Nikolai, who sits high on his throne. “Fine,” she snaps.

Nikolai turns his attention back to me, his expression turning serious. “What is so important you have to bring?”

I look at Nikolai, my heart hammering against my ribs. I wait for a nudge to speak, and he finally gives me a curt nod.

I clear my throat, trying to keep my voice from shaking. “Well, you can inspect it when I bring it.”

“When do we leave, Nikolai?” I ask.

“It is not Nikolai to you. Address him as your highness.” Maeve shoots back rudely, stepping forward as if to shield him from me. Her sharp voice cuts through me, making the cold reality of my loneliness sink in. I am completely on my own here.

“Sorry. I mean, Your Highness,” I whisper. I make a brief, tight bow, keeping my eyes on the floor so they don't see the tears threatening to spill over. “Excuse me.”

I turn and walk away, my mind spinning. I have a terrible feeling this life will be much worse than the one I left behind in Atlanta. But as I press my hand against my stomach, I remind myself of the bright side. At least here, I don’t have to run from ruthless loan sharks. I don't have to look over my shoulder every single second, terrified of who is tracking me down.

Maybe this is my chance. I can finally see if the old tales my mom used to whisper to me at night are actually real. The stories about creatures like them. A shiver runs down my spine as a final memory flashes in my mind. Most especially, the Marked. Uncle’s final, terrified warning echoes loudly in my head: Avoid them at all costs.

“You can tell your girlfriend I am not a threat so she can cut me some slack” I say to Nikolai as we enter my dark apartment. I turn on the light and head straight for mum’s bedroom.

“She is not my girlfriend. She is just being cautious”

“Does she know that?” I turn to look at him briefly after unlocking the door.

“Don’t you have someone you’d miss?”

‘You are not safe with me. I will find you when the time is right. I promise’ Those were uncles' last words to me, and I have never once seen him. It has been two years now.

“The dead are missed, let alone the living” I enter into the room and images of mum smiley face, my head on her chest wondering when all of her pain would end. I let out a brief smile before searching under the bed for a big box. I drop it on the bed and walk to her drawer. I pull out the drawer and pull an arm bangle. I wear it on my arm.

‘This looks good on you, baby. It is an heirloom passed down from generations. I am happy I’d get to see you wear it’ I see mum’s reflection through the mirror. A wide smile spreads across her lips. I pull my dress down to hide the bangle.

I watch as Nikolai searches the drawer and hides a photography of mum inside his pocket. I shake my head. It is fair that he doesn’t trust me. I mean, he is the only person I feel I can trust.

“Bend down” Nikolai rushes to me and shields me with his body. A large blast pushes us to the ground. Nikolai hovering before me. He winks at me. I wink back, and he laughs.

“You seem to be a lottery ticket, little on” he chuckles as he stands up and pulls me up. His hand wrapped around my waist, my hands on his chest as my chest heaves.

“Straight into each other arms. That is faster than I thought” he jokes, and I push him away.

Trish, Joel, and the other guards rush in. They gather me like I am some valuable belonging to the government. Come to think of it. I never stopped to wonder why he saved me that day. What do I have that he wants?

“Trish take a few men and take her to safety. I will meet you at the river bank” Nikolai commands, and they all bow. Trish reaches for my hand, and I shift away from her standing beside him

“No offense to Trish, but you are the only one I trust. So, I either stick with you or I am not going anywhere” I answer. Trish looks at Nikolai for some instruction.

He sighs, “Attachment issue, much?”

“Well you are to blame” I reply. There are howls outside the building. Great mum had to choose a building around the woods.

“Well princess you are about to find out how real the tales you were told are” he turns his playful look to the others, and his stare turns stern, “Protect her at all cost”

Goosebumps grow on my skin, and I hear the sound of the entrance door open. For some weird reasons, my body shakes in fear. Is the lone shark outside?

“Nikolai” a deep voice screams from the sitting room.

“It is Alaric” Trish says cordially.

Nikolai sniffs the air briefly, “He is not alone. Corin is here. "

Nikolai holds my hand and leads me out of the room. I instinctively hide behind Nikolai as I shout. They are real. Two men stand before dozens of wolves as the groan.

“Alaric, you must have shown your incompetency to the primordial’s so much they sent the third best shadow hunter. Such an embarrassment,” Nikolai looks at an average light skin man with black hair and some scars on him.

“I would have killed you if I wanted to” Alaric growls.

“The scars on you state otherwise.” Nikolai says. He did that.

“I want the girl. Give her to me, and everyone lives” the other human beside Alaric says in an intimidating voice.

“That isn’t happening, Corin”

Alaric lurches forward with a feral roar, aiming straight for Nikolai’s throat. But Joel moves faster. With a terrifying snarl, Joel’s body cracks and expands. In less than a second, his human skin vanishes into dark, thick fur. A massive, powerful wolf leaps through the air, colliding mid-offense with Alaric and slamming him hard into the apartment wall.

“Trish now” Nikolai barks, his voice booming over the chaos.

Instantly, the small bedroom corridor explodes into a blur of tearing fabric and breaking bones. Trish and the other guards shift seamlessly into their wolf forms. Massive, broad-shouldered wolves with razor-sharp teeth charge into the living room, throwing themselves directly at the dozen enemy wolves flooding through the shattered doorway.

The apartment turns into a chaotic warzone of flying fur, snapping jaws, and blood. Yet, Nikolai does not shift. He stands entirely in his human form, a wall of pure muscle and rage.

He keeps one arm locked firmly around my waist, pinning me securely behind his back. Every time an enemy wolf gets too close to us, Nikolai uses his bare hands with lethal, supernatural strength. He snaps a wolf’s neck with a sickening crack, throwing the heavy carcass aside without taking his eyes off the main threat. He is an unbreakable shield, keeping me completely safe from the carnage.

Standing right in front of us is Corin, the shadow hunter.

“You can’t protect her forever, King,” Corin sneers, drawing a long, silver blade that gleams in the dim apartment light.

“I can protect her long enough to rip your head off,” Nikolai growls.

Corin lunges, swinging the blade with blinding speed. Nikolai steps forward to meet him, throwing a brutal punch that catches Corin right in the jaw. The two men lock into a fierce, hand-to-hand struggle. Nikolai is completely focused on overpowering Corin, his body still positioned perfectly to keep me blocked from the frontline.

But he can't see behind him.

Suddenly, a heavy, rough hand wraps tightly around my mouth, cutting off my breath. Another set of arms locks around my chest, ripping me violently away from Nikolai's back.

I fight with everything I have. I kick my legs and scratch at the arms holding me, but the grip is like iron. As I am dragged backward toward the shattered bedroom window, the terror completely takes over. I manage to pull my mouth free for a single second.

“Nikolai!” I scream, my voice cracking with absolute panic.

The sound of my scream catches his attention instantly. Nikolai’s eyes widen in pure horror. He completely drops his guard against Corin, turning his back on the shadow hunter to sprint toward me.

“Cassie!” he roars.

But his distraction costs him. Taking advantage of the opening, Corin slashes his silver blade downward. The metal cuts deep across Nikolai’s shoulder and chest. Blood splatters across the floor, and Nikolai stumbles, a groan of pain escaping his lips as he tries to fight through the injury to reach me.

I am dragged out into the dark, rainy woods, my feet scraping against the mud as the cold air hits my face. My body shakes in the fear of what they would do if I am taken, but then the wolf holding me slows down. He doesn't just want to kidnap me; he wants me to feel the terror.

He presses his wet, blood-stained muzzle right against my ear, his hot breath smelling like copper and rot.

"Your mother's sins are going to cost you your life, little girl," he growls, the sound vibrating horribly in his chest. "She stole what belongs to us. We will stop at nothing until you pay that debt in blood. You can't hide from the well."

Before the horror of his words can even sink in, a massive gray wolf explodes out of the shadows. It’s Trish.

Trish bounds through the trees with terrifying speed. She leaps onto the rogue, dragging me, her jaws clamping down onto his neck with a sickening crunch. The rogue lets go of me, howling in agony as Trish tears him away. But another enemy wolf lunges from the dark, sinking its teeth deep into Trish’s flank.

Trish snarls, twisting her heavy body to crush the attacker against a rough tree trunk. She manages to kill it, but she stumbles, a heavy trail of dark blood dripping onto the wet leaves from her side.

The physical strain is just too much. With a painful groan, Trish’s massive wolf form begins to shrink. The fur recedes, and within seconds, she turns back into her human form. Because clothes never survive a shift, she is left lying on the damp grass completely naked, bleeding, and shivering.

I don't even hesitate. I rush over to her, my own body shaking from the adrenaline. Remembering the big box of my mother's things I managed to grab, I quickly pulled out a long, oversized knit cardigan.

“Here, put this on,” I say softly, wrapping the warm fabric around her shoulders. Trish takes it, pulling it tightly around herself. She nods at me in thanks, but her jaw is set tight, fighting the pain.

A second later, the door crashes open. Nikolai rushes out of the woods. His shirt is torn open, and he is bleeding heavily from Corin's slash, but his eyes are wild and desperate as he searches for me. Right behind him is Joel, still panting from his fight with Alaric.

The moment Joel’s eyes land on Trish’s bleeding, shivering form, his entire tough-warrior act completely drops. It’s pure panic. He rushes to her side, his hands trembling as he hovers over her.

“Trish! Gods, you’re bleeding. Let me carry you,” Joel says, his voice thick with worry as he tries to scoop her up.

Trish slaps his hand away with a fierce scowl, leaning heavily against a tree to stand up on her own. “I can walk, Joel. Stop fussing. It’s just a scratch.”

The entire flight back to the Ashen Horde castle is completely silent. The heavy hum of the private plane fills the quiet cabin. I thought werewolf healing takes place fast. Why is hers slow? It has been hours and all she does is wince and scare Joel.

I sit across from them, watching quietly. Nikolai sits near the front, staring out the window in cold, brooding silence as a medic patches up the deep slash on his chest. He hasn't spoken a word since we left Atlanta.

In the seats next to me, Joel is practically vibrating with anxiety. He keeps trying to adjust the blankets around Trish, offering her water, and checking the bandage on her side every five minutes.

I notice right away that Trish absolutely hates being treated like a fragile person. Every time Joel tries to help her, she rolls her eyes, shifts away, or snaps at him to sit down. She is a fierce warrior, and being coddled clearly wounds her pride more than the actual silver teeth of the enemy.

I pull my mother's arm bangle higher up my wrist, looking at this strange, fierce family. My mind keeps looping back to the rogue wolf's terrifying words. What did he mean by saying my mother stole what belongs to them? Is it this bangle? Would they really kill me?

Suddenly, a strange, dizzying warmth flows up my arm from the metal band. My vision blurs for a split second, and a sharp hum echoes in my ears.

But it isn't the noise of the airplane. It’s a voice.

I freeze as Nikolai’s deep, rough voice suddenly echoes perfectly inside my own head. He isn't moving his lips. He is still staring blankly out of the dark window, completely unaware that I am inside his mind.

‘What did they mean? How could a girl like her have something that can bring doom to us all? If the shadow hunter was right... if she really is a ticking time bomb... bringing her here might be the biggest mistake I’ve ever made.’

My breath hitches, and a cold shiver runs down my spine. I grip the edge of my seat, staring across the aisle at his stone-cold profile.

He doesn't turn. He doesn't look at me. How was I able to read his thought? Does he really think of me as a mistake?