Nikolai

I had called ahead and had the guest bedroom next to mine prepared for Solara. I don’t think her waking up in my bed right now would be a good idea or a great way to soften her up.


As soon as we pull up in front of my home, I carefully carry her up to her room without waking her and softly lay her in her bed. I take those God awful heels off her feet and cover her with a warm blanket. My first thought is to throw them in the trash, but instead, I set them next to the bed so she could find them when she wakes.


I feel my phone vibrating like crazy in my pocket, but whoever it is can damn well wait. I move about the room, making sure she has everything she needs, everything I requested. My people are good, but I even gave them a pretty damn short notice.
Though, I could literally feel the excitement in the air as soon as I walked over the threshold of the house.

It was as thick as smoke. I’ve never brought a woman into this house. My team knows that if there is a woman here now, she is my mate and the woman of the house. I will need to update them on what is going on soon. She will need to be protected at all costs.


Solara sighs into the pillow and pulls the cover under her chin. I have no idea what I’m doing with this woman. This beautiful creature. I’m not made for romance and love. Because a dark soul like mine doesn’t find a halo at the end of his bladed rainbow. Not by a long shot.


I sit on the edge of the bed and run my hand softly through her dark hair. She doesn’t stir, but she softly smiles. It’s like she knows I’m here and she knows she’s safe. I know she can’t feel the same bond I feel with her being human, but maybe she can at least feel some kind of connection between us.


My phone starts to vibrate yet again, and I sigh. I lift off the bed and quietly close her door. I look at my phone to see that it’s the Pakhan himself calling, and he’s been calling for the past hour. When I finally answer, I don’t even have time to say anything.


“You know how I hate when you don’t fucking answer your phone. You better be in front of me within the hour, Cyprus. We need to talk.” He demands.


“On my way.”


I put several guards on Solara for her safety and slipped back out into the night. After everything that’s come to pass, I needed a run. So quicker than the eyes can see, I allowed my wolf to take over. Just the feel of the forest ground below my paws and the speed I’m running already has the stress levels starting to come down.


It’s not easy, though. Shifters living in a human world. Making sure they know nothing, but also allowing our inner animal the freedom to thrive. Whether it be wolf, bear, lion, dragon, and so on. We exist. Simple as that. It’s the humans that are taking over our territories and forcing us to hide within ourselves.


Large packs rarely exist anymore. The few that do are in the wilderness country. In the more populated areas, what you find are smaller teams within the human world. Most prefer it that way. Less politics, more freedom. The only drawback is you’re less likely to find your mate, or so I thought.


Then you have the Bratva. The Pakhan, Nikolai, is also my older brother. Though nobody knows we are family, and we like to keep it that way. Secrets are the name of the game in this world of darkness. We know how to kill better, do business better, and survive better.


An absolutely ruthless group dead set on removing as many of the other human groups as possible so we can have full control. Not afraid of a little bloodshed and destruction. Stronger and faster than humans will ever be. It’s that humans are too stupid to realize what’s happening.


I shift and grab extra clothes that are always left by the back door and head inside. Nikolai is already waiting in his office and pacing the floor with a drink in his hand. He looks up as soon as I walk in. He looks at what I have on and nods.


“Ran here, I take it.”


“Needed to stretch my legs. What is so important that it couldn’t wait until tomorrow?” I ask.


“Tell me about her.” He demands.


“You requested me just to tell you about my mate? I could have done that over the phone.”


“Then I couldn’t have seen your face when you tried to lie. I couldn’t have smelled the nervousness that you now have all over your body by asking one small question. So, tell me, brother, what is it about this woman that has you so antsy?” He asks.


I walk over to the counter and pour my own drink.


“She's absolutely beautiful. I don’t know what to do with her.” I deflect but answer honestly.


“Well, at least you’re being honest, but that’s not what I asked, now, was it? Have a seat, Cyprus, and spill it." He tells me.


We sit on a set of couches, on the side of his office, by the fireplace. He leans forward and stares hard into my face. I hate when he does this. It’s like he can read into my mind and sometimes, I think he can. It isn’t unusual for some of us shifters to have special powers. I work so close with my brother because of mine.


He never once has told me if he, himself, had inherited a gift from our parents. It wouldn’t surprise me if he did. Mine was found out by accident when I started jumping my family’s dreams as a child. I had to learn how to control it at a young age. Now, I use being a dream chaser as a tool to get information from our enemies.


“She’s human, Nikolai.”