LOGINAlexei didn't know what to expect when the old man opened his mouth. But he certainly hadn't expected an apology."I'm sorry." Nikandr Velesov said, his aged voice carrying a weight that seemed to come from decades of regret. "For what my son did. To your mate. For everything."He looked at Carla, who was still lying there, her hands exposed, the fresh scars marking her skin. There was sadness in those ancient eyes, and Alexei realized it wasn't fake."But I'm relieved that everyone is alive." The old man continued. "That's more than I expected."Alexei tightened his grip on Carla's hand, as if touching her kept him from reacting the wrong way. There was so much anger accumulated inside him, so much pain, that listening to this man speak was almost unbearable. But he didn't move. He merely stared at Nikandr with violet eyes, Umbra's smoke subtly curling around his fingers."What do you want?" The question came out dry, leaving no room for beating around the bush.Nikandr held his gaze
Andrei drove in silence, his eyes fixed on the snow-covered road. Feliks sat in the passenger seat, his arms crossed, his expression grim. Yuliam occupied the back seat, his mind lost in thoughts he didn't want to name.He had learned, over the past few months, that the Rurik mansion had a different smell from any other place. It wasn't merely the scent of old wood and a burning fireplace — it was the smell of a territory that had never been completely invaded, even when war came knocking at its door. There, the air carried a strange sense of permanence, of resistance.But that day, when the three brothers passed through the gates, there was something else hanging in the air: mourning, tension, and a fragile calm, as though the entire house were holding its breath."Do you think she's okay?" Yuliam asked, breaking the silence."She survived." Andrei replied, his voice low. "That's what matters.""Surviving and being okay are two different things." Feliks murmured, and Yuliam slowly no
Night had already fallen over the Rurik mansion when Carla finally opened her eyes. It was almost ten at night, and the faint light in the recovery room bathed her face in soft tones.She blinked slowly, confused, trying to recognize her surroundings — the pale ceiling, the smell of medicine in the air, everything indicating that she was no longer at the sanatorium, although it still didn't feel real.The nurses were by her side, administering fluids, and when they realized she had awakened, they exchanged a relieved glance and approached cautiously."Doctor Carla?" One of them called, her voice gentle. "Can you hear me?"Carla took a moment to answer, her throat dry."Yes." The word came out as a whisper."Good." The nurse smiled, adjusting the catheter in her arm. "You're in the medical wing of the Rurik mansion. You've been sedated for several hours, but everything is fine now."Carla nodded slowly, her eyes moving around the room. It was an enormous effort to keep her mind focused
The news arrived with the wind of the early morning in Ireland.Nikandr Velesov was sitting in his favorite armchair, in front of the blazing fireplace, when the soldier appeared at the library door. He didn't need to look at him to know it was bad news. The spies he kept close to Konstantin only came in person when the matter was serious.The estate was old and remote, surrounded by forests and silence. Nikandr had lived there in seclusion for the past few years, with few servants and one loyal companion: Andrei, the butler who had been by his side since his youth. It had been the only life he considered worthy after his son had become what he was."Speak." Nikandr's voice came out low, but carried the weight of a man who was no longer frightened by pain.The soldier hesitated for a moment, his eyes lowered."Sir... Alpha Konstantin is dead."Nikandr did not move. The fire crackled, and shadows danced across his aged face."How?" The question came without emotion, as though he had ex
Morning was beginning to break outside the Rurik mansion, but no one in the living room seemed to notice. The pale light filtering through the windows only revealed the exhaustion stamped across everyone’s faces — and the blood that still hadn’t been washed away.Sasha was slumped in one of the armchairs, his elbows resting on his knees, his hands clasped together. He stared into nothing, his expression empty as he was still processing the events of the early morning. Dmitry stood near the window, his arms crossed, his face partially turned toward the snow falling outside. Susan was sitting on the sofa, her clothes still stained with blood, her hair tied up haphazardly. Anatolie was beside her, silent but alert.It was Sasha who broke the silence."That wasn't just a trap to catch Alexei." His voice came out low, but heavy with a certainty no one there dared to challenge.Dmitry didn't answer. He continued looking at the window, his blue eyes fixed on some distant point in the garden.
As soon as the cars stopped in front of the entrance to the Rurik mansion, Alexei got out of the vehicle with Carla in his arms, his feet sinking into the accumulated snow.Susan came right behind him, her hands still covered in the blood she had helped staunch, and together they crossed the hall like a storm. Marina appeared in the corridor, bringing her hands to her mouth when she saw Carla unconscious, but she said nothing—she simply stepped aside to clear the way.The mansion's medical wing was already prepared.The doctors and nurses were waiting at the entrance, and the gurney was brought out urgently. Alexei placed Carla on it with a gentleness that contrasted with the blood still covering him, and the team immediately took command of the situation."Sedation now." Igor's voice sounded firm, and a syringe was prepared.Alexei stood beside the gurney, his violet eyes fixed on Carla's pale face. He did not move when the nurses began cutting away her clothes, did not react when th
The sun had barely risen when Susan opened her eyes, the sheets tangled around her legs, her heart beating faster than normal.The room was still submerged in darkness, but she knew she wouldn’t be able to go back to sleep.Once again, the same dream. Dmitry. The clearing near the lake. His mouth. H
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







