I sift through my memories, and when I see the place I end up in, I let out a big sigh. Of all the places to end up in, it’s 13-year-old Viktor’s memories.A loud crash from downstairs woke me from my sleep, and when I opened my eyes, and strained my ears. I wasn’t sure if I was dreaming or not. I’ve always been the cautious one out of my brothers; the ‘think first, act later’ type. Konstantin always mocked me for this, but then again, he’s the hot-headed one. So, me being me, I got out of bed to make sure it truly was a dream.We usually live in the mansion at the estate, but because of Kai’s ceremony that night, our parents had us sleeping here at the penthouse for the evening. Back then, I wasn’t sure what the ceremony was about, but I would come to learn its importance later on. I watched as 13-year-old Viktor cleared his throat and straightened his back before walking downstairs, then I let out a laugh at how stiff I truly looked back then. No wonder Konstantin always used to t

When I blink again, I notice that I’m in the forest behind the Volkov mansion. In the distance I can see lit torches and chanting; someone walks past me and I see sixteen-year-old Viktor following close behind his brothers Kon and Dimitri.We’re all dressed in black cargo shorts and no t-shirts while wearing somber expressions.I swallow hard, knowing what’s happening tonight and the backlash it caused. Kai’s becoming Alpha and naming Kon as his Beta, Dimitri as his Gamma and me as his Delta. He mentioned naming Nikolai the Epsilon when he comes of age, too. This is where the rift with Dominik truly started because he expected to be named Beta, not Kon.I follow them and lean against a tree to get a better view of everyone gathered here. My brothers, Dominik, three members of the council back home, and the newly formed BloodCrest witches.The blind witch, Kaede, is about Kai’s age here; she left with Kai and Kon for Russia under training to take over from our deceased parents. It’s a

When the light clears from my eyes, I thought I would be in another memory but I found myself back in what I call The Other. Only this time, things were different…this time there was no darkness surrounding me. Instead, it was as if I was in a wall of one-way mirrors.And I am currently seeing Caterina curled up in bed, crying. “Why am I seeing this? It’s no memory of mine!” I call out, only to be ignored again. This isn’t the first time I am questioning the Goddess and her decisions, and I doubt this is the last time. I swipe a hand over my face and breathe out a sigh before facing the weeping mess of a woman I grew so close to in such a short amount of time. She’s alone in what seems like Kai’s bedroom and she’s curled up in the fetal position, whimpering. My heart constricts as I can feel her absolute misery from here. Why is she crying? What happened? I can’t enter her space, it seems, so I’m just watching from what seems like the other side of a window. The bedroom door opens

I sigh as the Goddess drops me into another memory for some or other fucking reason and blanch when I see Kai exactly as I remember him - long blonde hair, more tattoos, built like a tank, and angry. We’re in his office at Fang, the one separate from Kon’s. It’s just me and Konstantin present, and we look at each other while my brother seems to be slowly losing his mind.He’s pacing the floor and rakes his fingers through his hair. “I am nearly 35 years old and have not met her yet; the pack will start to think our God did not bless me with a mate,” he says. My eyes widen as I remember this moment; Kai freaking out because he hadn’t met his mate yet. He was never one for having a Luna but knew he’d need one to rule properly. Our mother was the Alpha and my father was the Alpha-Consort, so we grew up with an entirely different dynamic.It also reminded me that this took place about two years before I died.“Have you considered going to Kaede for help in tracking your mate?” I ask, th

“So this means I’m stuck here longer, then,” I say, sitting down on my ass while watching the bane of my past existence walking up to the red-haired witch, Marle. I still don’t understand why I’m here or what Goddess Tiarin wants from me, but I guess I’ll see. “Mistress,” Vanya says, bowing low when she comes to a stop in front of the witch. “Alyosha has set everything in motion for the ritual to take place.” “Thank you, Vanya; this pleases me immensely,” she says, stroking Vanya’s cheek. Vanya smiles coyly, but then a look of shame crosses her eyes. “Unfortunately, I can’t be close to the pack anymore since Ilya died at Kai’s hand. So I am uncertain how we’ll know what they’re planning for us.” At this, Marle chuckles lightly. “Oh, there’s no need to worry, love. Why do you think I am here? The council has chosen me to be the new BloodCrest witch,” she says with glee, while Vanya tries and fails to keep her shock at bay. This is where everything started going downhill; Dimitri,