เข้าสู่ระบบThe creature disappeared among the trees, and Alexei went after it. He was not simply running through the forest—he was sensing. Every shift in the air, every vibration of the branches, every displacement of that small winged presence. Umbra remained attentive inside him, a silent extension of his senses.“Right.” The voice sounded in his mind, and Alexei changed direction immediately.The creature passed between two trunks, and he almost reached it. Almost. Then an explosion of energy hit the tree beside him, and Alexei dodged, the trunk cracking behind him with a crash.He looked back—men. They were not the same ones who had transported the cargo; these were prepared to fight, and they were not ordinary humans. One of them had arms covered in black plates that seemed to grow directly from the skin, another had completely white eyes, and the third looked like a misshapen mass of muscle.Alexei frowned.“What the hell is this?”The winged creature vanished again among the trees, and A
The road had grown narrow. The vehicles slowed as the black van left the urbanized areas and advanced into an increasingly isolated region. Alexei continued following at a distance, and none of the men inside the vehicles spoke. Only the low sound of the engines filled the interior.Sasha checked the map again, his eyes scanning the coordinates.“They’re heading to an abandoned storage area. Old warehouses.”Dmitry watched the road, his expression serious.“Are you sure?”“According to the records, yes.” Sasha confirmed. “There are a few warehouses in this region that should have been deactivated years ago.”Alexei did not answer. His eyes remained fixed on the van, and there was something wrong—ever since they had left the port, Umbra had remained restless. It was not fear; it was recognition: a deep sensation that ran through Alexei’s body like a cold current.Then it happened. The bond shifted. Alexei became completely still, his breathing stopping for a second. Carla. He felt her
Night had already completely taken over the gardens of the Rurik mansion. Outside, the snow reflected the light from the posts scattered across the property, creating an almost peaceful appearance. Almost.Inside the mansion, Carla was sitting in one of the armchairs in the living room with a small bowl of snacks on the table, while Susan occupied the sofa beside her. Demyan was on the rug, still entertained with the little dragon Lyra had given him — the toy flew a few centimeters every time he squeezed its belly, releasing small golden clouds.Carla watched the little dragon cross the air once more and shook her head.“I still can’t believe she gave that to a child.”Susan picked up one of the snacks without taking her eyes off her son.“You talk as if Lyra had given him an enchanted sword.”“I wouldn’t be surprised if that’s the next gift.” Carla answered, and Susan laughed.“Probably. Knowing Lyra, something like that is coming for the next birthday.”Demyan squeezed the toy again
The Western Port was busier than Alexei had expected. Even during the night, there were trucks entering and leaving, cranes working over the containers, and men crossing the corridors between the warehouses.From a distance, it looked like just another night of work, but Alexei knew that appearances were exactly the kind of thing that usually got people killed.He was inside a vehicle parked at a safe distance from the port, with Dmitry beside him and Sasha in the back seat, watching through the window. Two team vehicles were positioned farther back, out of the direct line of sight, and no one was talking much. Everyone was waiting.“Estimated time?” Dmitry asked, his voice low.Sasha checked his watch, his eyes still fixed on the port.“Ten minutes. Maybe less.”“Then we wait.” Alexei answered, without taking his eyes off the movement.Sasha leaned a little forward, his arms resting on the back of the front seat.“Are you sure you don’t want to go in? We could get closer.”“No.”“Not
Sasha remained silent for a moment, then pointed at Umbra.“And that’s his name?”“Umbra.”The creature slowly turned its head toward Sasha, and he remained still.“He heard that.” Sasha whispered.“He hears everything.” Alexei said, smiling.Sasha pointed at Umbra again.“And you just decided to hide this?”“I was busy trying to understand what the hell had happened to me.” He answered, and Sasha nodded.“Okay… that’s an acceptable explanation.”Sasha took a step closer, and Umbra remained still. He tilted his head, analyzing the creature.“He’s huge as hell. Same size as your Lycan.”“That’s the form he takes now.” Alexei explained. “Only less corporeal.”Dmitry narrowed his eyes.“Before, he was the silver-gray Lycan you used to see.” Alexei continued. “That was how he appeared when I felt that presence, when I heard the voice in my head. I believed I was seeing my own Lycan.”Sasha looked at the creature again.“So when you transformed, that form was his?”“Yes.”“But it was also
The Rurik war room looked more like an arsenal than a room that late afternoon.Maps occupied the central table, access routes to the Western Port were marked in red, photographs were scattered among the communication equipment, and there were enough weapons on the workbench to make any sensible human reconsider the idea of entering that property.Sasha was analyzing one of the routes while Dmitry remained in front of the main map, and Alexei was on the other side of the table, in silence, his eyes scanning the markings without really seeing them.“The main entrance is discarded.” Dmitry pointed to one of the markings, his voice firm. “Too much security. If we enter through here, they’ll notice before we even reach the warehouses.”Sasha ran his finger over another route, leaning over the map.“We can enter through the secondary road. The cargo movement is intense; no one will find another vehicle strange.”“Too exposed.” Dmitry shook his head. “Not enough cover.”“From the west side?
As soon as the elevator doors closed behind her, Susan let out a shaky sigh. The seconds until she reached the apartment felt eternal.When she finally entered, she locked the door with more force than she intended, dropping her bag on the narrow cabinet beside the entrance and kicking off her heel
The drive to the Rurik Motors headquarters was made in absolute silence. The city pulsed outside, indifferent to the storm swirling inside him.Dmitry kept one hand firmly on the wheel and the other supporting his chin, his eyes fixed on the road, but his mind far away. He needed to focus. He had m
Dmitry opened his eyes and knew he was no longer in the waking world.It wasn’t the first time.That luxurious hall, with its ancient architecture and silent opulence, had welcomed him before. A distorted reflection of reality, perhaps. Or an ethereal plane that only existed in the intersections be
“This is going to be a problem, Alpha.”The Lycan murmured in his mind, its voice low and drawn out, like a warning whispered through clenched teeth.Dmitry didn’t respond. He moved his wrist discreetly, checking his watch as if trying to remind himself that time still followed rules. It was an exc







