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“Time flows away like the water in the river.”
-Confucius-
LUCREZIA
It doesn’t take long for Lucas to snap after we walk into the shop. Only, rather than go for Dom, he surprises me by asking to speak to me privately.
With Dom in the garage with the guys, I step into Lucas’ office. He’s sitting behind his desk, a glare settled on me. “Are you decided to disobey my orders, too?”
Something in his tone sparks the wrong reaction in me. Rather than take on a more submissive attitude, I cock my hip and raise my chin towards him. “What orders? As far as I was aware, you told me to print your new reports, which is what I was doing before you interrupted me.”
He scowls at my words, leaning over his desk. “That’s not what I’m talking about, cara. You do not understand what you’ve gotten involved in with Dominic, Lucrezia.”
“Actually, I do. We had a very lengthy conversation about it last night after my return. And this is happening—us together—whether or not you like it.”
“Bene. You want to play it that way, we will.” He stands up and takes a few steps towards me. Despite the darkness in his expression, I don’t move. “You think you know how this works, but you don't. Dom cannot be going around ignoring my orders—not even for his mate.”
I scowl at that, crossing my arms over my chest. “So what do you expect me to do?”
“Rein him in.” Lucas steps closer, towering over me. “As his mate, you can influence him.”
“You forget he can’t claim me thanks to your stupid rules.”
Lucas’ eyes narrow on me and he mimics my stance. “Somehow, I don’t remember you being this stubborn.”
“Funny, I don’t recall you being such an ass either.”
We glare at each other for a moment, then a corner of his mouth twitches in a half-grin. A few weeks ago, it would have made my heart flutter, but all it does now is annoy me. Scoffing, I spin on my heels and walk off.
“One more thing.”
His words make me pause, but only barely as I wait for the rest, not turning to face him.
“I expect you to stay away and safe while we investigate these animal killings and figure out what the creatures are up to.”
“Bite me.” The words leave my lips as I storm out of the office, half-hoping he didn’t catch it. But Lucas’ loud guffaw behind me tells me he heard.
Damn wolf hearing.
I’m shaking my head at the so-called pack leader, when I turn a corner and run smack into Dom.
Dominic
I glance from Luz to Lucas in his office, a half-smile playing on his lips and amusement in his dark eyes. It's obvious he's trying to play me, yet I can’t help rising to the challenge—especially after what she told me about my background.
So I do what a wolf in my position does best: stake my claim. With one finger, I tilt Luz’s chin up and drop my mouth to hers, savoring her lips.
Enough!
Lucas' order is loud and clear, but I ignore him. Instead, I take my sweet time wrapping up the kiss. By the time I pull back, I sense his energy like a dark cloud. But all I care about is Luz’s dazed expression staring up at me, lips still red from our kiss.
“You good?”
She nods, taking my hand in hers. “Nothing I can’t handle.”
We’re about to head back to the reception area when Lucas shows up around the corner. “Dominic.”
He rarely, if ever, calls me by my full name, so it gets my attention. He jerks his head towards his office, a silent command to join him. Luz tugs on my hand instead, but I kiss her forehead and follow him. “I’ll be back in a second.”
In Lucas’ office, he closes the door and faces me with an ever-growing scowl. “I ordered you not to claim her.”
“And I haven’t—yet.”
A muscle ticks in his jaw, and he steps closer. “My orders still stand. And you are aware what the punishment will be.”
“You do whatever you want, Lucas. I want to be in this pack, and continue being your beta, not that you make it easy. But I love this girl and I am not about to let her go. So either you get with the program or kick me out, your choice.”
I move past him to the door, but can’t resist tossing one last thing over my shoulder. “Before you decide, you should know those creatures and I are related, and I may be your best bet at catching them. Maybe it’s time you stop keeping me away and use me instead in this, boss.”
When I walk away, a huge weight has vanished off my shoulders. Luz’s expression when I get to her tells me all I need to know, and this day can’t get any better.
∞ ♦ ∞
It’s the middle of the night, and Luz is sleeping sprawled over me, her red hair a flaming curtain over her face. No damn birds have disturbed my sleep, yet my eyes snapped open for some reason or other.
I turn my nose up, sniffing. There’s an odd scent in the air, something sweet and... Cinnamon?
With careful movements, I shift Luz off me and slide out of bed. I’m still wearing only my sleeping sweatpants, so I walk barefoot towards her living room.
When I turn the corner, I stop dead in my tracks, unsure if I’m hallucinating or dreaming.
There’s a woman in Luz’s living room, but she’s not in solid form. She has a glow around her and her entire being seems to be... fluid, like water. She has long, wavy brown hair with eyes the color of the sun. A robe of flowers wraps her body, and she faces me with the smile of an angel.
I gape, recognizing her from legends of long ago. “You can’t be real.”
She laughs, a sound like running water, and floats closer. When she speaks, a faint Eastern European accent lines her voice. “Why not? You are, and you are a wolf. More the stuff of dreams and myths, not reality, no?”
I can’t seem to pick up my jaw off the floor while I try to wrap my head around this latest development. “You’re Ileana Cosânzeana, but what are you doing here?”
She tilts her head, and her hair flows around her shoulder. Her appearance distracts me, though she's even more ethereal than the stories picture her. Shit, I can’t even believe I’m standing in front of her.
Back home, she's the embodiment of the ultimate heroine, the savior of women, the perfect goddess. As a demi-goddess, she's linked to many stories of white magic, but I never imagined...
Ileana smiles, and it’s like a thousand suns. “You found your other half, wolf. Now it’s time to get your strength. Come with me...”
I glance towards the bedroom, then follow her. After all, what else are you supposed to do when a thousand-year-old immortal shows up on your doorstep?
Lucrezia
“Have either of you guys seen Dom?”
I’ve been as patient as I could be after waking up alone this morning and no word of where he’d gone. But now it’s almost lunch, and he hasn’t shown up to work, nor called, yet the guys are acting as if it’s normal.
So, at the risk of sounding like a clingy girlfriend, I stepped on my pride and walked into the garage when Lucas was not around.
Tristan ignores my question, bending over the car he’s tinkering with, but Finn glances up and shakes his head. “Sorry, love. Not since last night.”
I bite on my lower lip, hesitating to push. I can tell they’re busy, what with Dom not around and Lucas off who knows where. But I can’t shake the feeling something is wrong. The connection between the creature and Dom keeps going on a loop in my mind, and I shuffle my feet.
“Will you spit it out already?”
Tristan’s growl makes me jump, but he’s not even looking at me, focused on polishing the emerald green Porsche now. He must have had another bad night, judging by the circles under his eyes. I swallow past the lump in my throat, glancing at Finn. “How much did you tell him, of what we found out?”
Finn drops his tool at that, straightening up from under the car. It’s odd to have his green eyes focused on me alone, but his gaze is gentle enough. “Was waiting on Dom to bring it up.”
Tristan stops his movements at that and his chocolate eyes dart between us. “Bring what up?”
As Finn brings him up to speed, I wander back and forth in the garage, too restless to sit still. When they fall silent, I move closer once more. Tristan is pacing in agitation now, and something about it doesn’t sit well with me.
“What is it?”
Finn lifts a hand up to silence me, his gaze unwavering from his buddy. “Tristan, talk to us.”
He’s shaking his head, his movements growing more agitated, and mumbling under his breath. My gaze lowers to his fists, which are clenching and unclenching, and his breathing that has grown erratic.
“It’s a fit, it’ll pass,” Finn tries to reassure me.
But I ignore him, moving closer to Tristan. I can recognize the signs only too well. After Tommy attacked me, I had panic attacks almost every day, to the point I was incapable to function. They always came when I was alone, and it took a while to learn to control them.
“Tristan.”
His eyes dart towards me, his pupils dilated and unfocused, then he goes back to pacing. I realize it’s critical we find out what triggered this, but first he has to calm down.
I make the mistake of touching his shoulder too fast. Tristan whirls around, whipping his fist in blind reaction. It’s only my quick reflexes that have me duck in time, avoiding a black eye. He takes a swing again, and Finn snaps out of his stupor, moving towards us.
“Tristan, it’s me!” I push against his chest with all my force—he doesn't move. But the contact is enough to make him blink and scan his surroundings.
His breathing is still erratic, but he seems to be holding himself in check. “Tristan?”
He looks at me, noticing my palms held up—in case he’d planned to strike again—followed by his clenched fists. Horror falls on his expression, and a glance to Finn confirms it.
Finn nods his head, and Tristan jerks away from us, swearing under his breath. Then he turns around, rubbing the back of his neck. “Merda! I’m so sorry, beleza. I didn’t... If I’d hit you...”
“It’s okay—”
“No, it isn’t!” I flinch at his booming voice, and Tristan lowers his voice. “It’s never all right for a guy to raise his hand to a woman.”
I step closer to him, touching his shoulder. “In normal circumstances, I would agree. But I understand what you were feeling, Tristan. I’ve been there. The numbing panic, the room closing in, shortness of breath...”
He clenches his jaw, turning his head away. “I don’t need a shrink.”
My hand drops and I bite my lip. “I never said you do. But if you ever need to talk, I’m here.”
Tristan meets my gaze, nodding. Finn breaks the moment with a reality check. “Which part of what I told you triggered it?”
“The vrykolakas. You said Dom’s from a line of descendants of Dracula—”
“Vlad Ţepeş,” I correct. “The man, not the legend.”
Tristan rolls his eyes, but something tugs at the corners of his lips. “Claro. Anyway, the pack I ran into, the ones who killed an entire village, they boasted the same... Before I killed some.”
Finn narrows his eyes. “You’re saying they’re related, more than by their abilities? Legit blood relatives? And it’s the same one that’s here now?”
“It would make sense why they let Dom and Luz leave, without harming them.” There’s a moment of tense silence as we absorb these implications, then Tristan inhales sharply. “There would be one way to know for sure. The monstro I saw during the war, the leader, has a stripe of white under his chest. The rest of his body is dark black, with eyes as yellow as a snake’s.”
They both turn to see if the description rings a bell. My expression must be a dead giveaway because it sets them in a string of curses.
“Guys... Guys!” They stop, giving me their full attention. “We have to find Dom. Now.”
Tristan glances at Finn, his expression grim. “Vá, find Dom. I’ll watch over Luz.”
Dominic
I’m sitting on the couch, watching Ileana move about my house, when the doorbell rings. I can smell Finn at the door and get up with a sigh.
He pushes past me with an annoyed growl, but stops dead in his tracks when his eyes fall on Ileana. When he faces me, I’m surprised to see the anger in his expression. “You bloody wanker! We’ve been worried sick thinking your bloody relatives kidnapped you, and you’re here shacking up with another girl!?”
“Oy!” I hold my fist back, but only because of who’s in the room. Ileana's eyes are on us, head tilted. I can see how this may look bad, but Finn has no right jumping to conclusions.
“Luz is worried about you!” Finn shoves me, and I clench my jaw. “Are you going to defend yourself, or what?”
“Stay out of things you don't understand, man. Let it go. And what’s this about relatives?”
He scowls at me, appearing ready to throw a punch. “You’re a real arse, you know that?”
“Mă prezinţi, dragul meu?” Ileana’s voice snaps me out of my angry haze, and I sigh. She wants me to introduce her.
“Finn.” I unclench my teeth and point to the immortal. “Meet Ileana Cosânzeana—my godmother.”
His jaw drops and his eyes dart between us twice before settling on me. “Your... what?”
“Godmother.” The answer comes from Ileana, who steps closer to Finn. “And like all good ones, I'm here to offer guidance at a time he needs it most.”
“I would have thought a pack’s for that.” He shoots another glare my way, but I only roll my eyes and drop back on the couch.
“A pack can be many things,” Ileana says, “but what my godson needs is a firm hand and some knowledge that eludes him.”
“Like the fact he’s related to these nutters going around the city killing people?”
I straighten up at that, meeting Ileana’s own startled gaze. “How do you know that?”
Finn seems to realize it’s not news for me, as he settles into the couch opposite me. “The same way you do, apparently. I have my sources.” Another glance at Ileana, then me. “So, what’s the plan?”
“There is no plan. Lucas won’t go near the vrykolakas until he has more information.”
“Like why they’re here.”
Ileana nods at my questioning gaze, permitting me to share what she told me. “They’re killing their victims alive, tearing their hearts out while still beating to consume them.”
Finn’s features contort in horror and disgust. “Why?”
“Because the hearts keep them alive, feeding their hunger and thirst for blood alike.”
Ileana moves closer, her sad eyes on Finn. “But also, because a live beating heart still contains a shred of a person’s soul. And with each one they consume, the vrykolakas get stronger.”
Finn grits his teeth, moving his jaw and finally unclenching it. His expression is as unreadable as I’ve ever seen it. “Convenient you know all this, no?”
“Finn—” My warning falls on deaf ears, as he stands up until he’s towering over Ileana.
“Come on, you expect me to believe this is all a coincidence, you showing up here just as we learn of Dom’s lineage?” His hand rises to touch her shoulder, but before it makes contact, Finn ends up blasted backwards into my wall.
With his bulk, he actually leaves a dent in the paint, before falling to the ground with a groan of pain. I bite back my frustrated growl and walk over, helping him to his feet.
“You might’ve warned me your new godmother’s a witch.”
His fiery green eyes turn to Ileana, a scowl darkening his expression at her obvious amusement. “This isn’t funny.”
“I never said otherwise,” Ileana smiles, gesturing to the sofa. “My apologies for that, but white magic tends to be unruly at times.”
Somehow, I highly doubt it acted without her nudge, but I keep my thoughts to myself. No sense in stirring a pot that’s already close to boiling.
“As for your accusation, you are correct, it is not a coincidence. But I am not a new godmother to Dominic, I am the only one he ever had.” Her expression softens when it meets mine, then Ileana says, “I’ve kept an eye on him through the years, despite the distance. And I followed the vrykolakas here when they moved across the ocean.”
When she trails off, it catches my attention. “You knew where they were headed?”
“Not at first, no.” Something about the way she answers makes me think there’s more to it. “But when I realized what was happening, I knew I had to come to you.”
“What’s your connection to those monsters?” The blunt question comes from Finn, surprising me again with his perceptive skills. “There’s obviously one.”
Ileana’s gaze darts between us, then she inclines her head softly. “It was I who saved your great-grandfather, Dominic. And, unfortunately, created this division between your species.”
The answer itself doesn’t stun me considering everything Luz told me, but Ileana’s obvious regret does. “Do you feel guilty for giving them a second chance?”
“No, but I regret not being able to save them all. That’s why I came to you, hoping in the end, you’d be able to make a difference.”
“I’m just a beta to another pack, Ileana.” My tone lacks conviction, enough so that Finn picks up on it.
“We all know that’s not true.” With a shake of his head, he stands to his feet, making sure to keep a distance from Ileana. “And you don’t think knowing this would decide Lucas, one way or another?”
I shrug. “Be my guest to tell him, it’s not like he listens to his beta nowadays.”
“Fine. I will.” Another pause, then his attention shifts to Ileana. “So you’re... what? A fairy?”
She laughs, and the room seems brighter for it. “I am an immortal. In Romanian lore, I’ve become their favorite heroine, the epitome of the perfect woman. But I only showed up at a few rightly placed moments... And found my Prince Charming.”
Finn stares at me as if asking, Is she serious?
I shrug again, at a loss for words. It’s why I left Luz this morning and spent hours with my godmother, trying to read through her riddles.
“What about Luz?”
“Keep her safe. Ileana wants to show me something today. After, I'll go back to Luz. Watch over her though, I don't want her in danger.”
Finn nods and gets up to leave. “Be careful.”
∞ ♦ ∞
We wait until dusk, then Ileana faces me. “It is time.” Her eyes search mine, her tone soft. “Are you ready for this?”
“I can’t really answer that now, can I? Considering you haven't explained what we’re doing.”
She smiles, inclining her head like a mother indulging a child. “All in due time. For now, follow my scent.”
So I morph into wolf form, and trail her across land, city and forest, until we end up near the cave again. I recognize the putrid scent and turn to her shimmering form. Why bring me here?
I’m not sure if she’ll be able to hear me, but she seems to just fine. “Because the darkest part of your family is in there. And if you succeed here, you can save your hide, and theirs.”
What exactly am I supposed to do?
“Inside that cave, the entire vrykolakas pack awaits. Their leader, Radu, is your first cousin. His father died years ago, and he has only become darker. He is the alpha of these damned souls. The only way you will get them to stop impeding on your territory is to order them off. And the only way to do that...”
Is to become their alpha. Shit. My gaze turns to the cave, assessing it. Going in there without backup is a suicide mission. Yet if I was to bring my pack, and they see me submitted to another alpha, the fight would be lost before it could start.
Ileana... I look around, but she’s gone. Wonderful.
I crouch lower, trying to decide. On some level, her suggestion makes sense. But can I do it?
Before I can decide, I catch another’s scent. I whirl around in time to see a wolf lunge at me and roll out of the way. By the time I’m back on my feet, I’m facing Aiden.
You owe me a life for all those I lost in the last fight.
That was your own fault, man. I had nothing to do with it.
Liar! He snarls, moving closer. My eyes dart over his shoulder, wary we might attract the vrykolakas' attention.
Aiden, cut it out. You don’t get what’s going on here.
He jumps at me, and I avoid him again. You’re colluding with these monsters.
I am not! I’m trying to get them the fuck off our territory.
Aiden shakes his head. You’re trying to distract me.
I’m not! But despite my vehement denial, he doesn’t back down. He attacks me again, and this time I lift a paw and smack him to the side. He hits a tree, falling down with a thud.
Stay down, man. For your own good.
A groan is my only answer, and I walk away. I can’t do what Ileana wants me to, at least not tonight. And not without talking to my alpha first.
There's a yelp behind me, and I whirl around to a horrific sight. One of those creatures is on top of Aiden, its muzzle dug deep into his chest. Aiden’s shrieks die down at the same time there's a gut-wrenching ripping sound.
The creature moves away, turning to face me. He gulps down the heart, licking his bloody muzzle.
I suppose it’s about time we were introduced. I’m Radu—your cousin.