What if who you thought you were was only a drop in the ocean of time?
What if your existence was fated to follow a predestined path?
And you hated that path. And you fought fate.
Katya Luschkova longs to break free from the suffocating hold of he...
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The door slammed behind me as I ran down the empty street, my gaze cloudy with unshed tears. He screamed my name, ordering me to return. But I ran harder. I knew his men chased me. And all the things I knew that they would do to me if I was caught flitted across my mind, pushing me to run faster. I stared at the tree line, a new hope blossoming inside me with every step that took me closer. Freedom, at last.
I willed my legs to move faster despite their burning complaints. If I could only get far enough away I could put an end to this torment— all I needed was a moment.
Leonid's furious roar shook my bones. I could feel him behind me, gaining speed. Would he finally kill me? Could I hope that he would do me that mercy and let me sink into the cold, quiet dark? It was all I wanted now. I'd had enough.
Something grabbed my arm, jerking me back. From the sick pop and intense pain, I knew he'd ripped it out of the socket. Eyes stinging again, I screamed, even though I knew no help would come. I knew they watched, but no help would come.
Leonid was the Alpha here, and his word was the law. No Wolfe would dare disobey him. Especially not for a good-for-nothing like me.
His face, caught in the transition between man and beast was a ghastly sight. Growls and gurgles rumbled out of his chest as he yanked me along by my injured arm. He was taking me back.
The horror of that realization was enough to drive me mad. I was no longer human. I was captured prey, desperate to flee, even at the cost of my own life. I kicked, scratched and punched, made all kinds of animalistic sounds. But he continued steadfast— unfazed. No matter how I hated it, I was only human. I could do nothing to protect myself against a power as great as his.
The bitterness crept through my soul again and I questioned fate. Why? Why me?
The house came into view and my stomach churned. I wouldn't go back there. I couldn't. If death was the end of physical life then I would welcome it. But I couldn't go back.
My body trembled, as though a seizure was rocking me, chattering my teeth. Despite the pain, I refused to move, confused about what was happening to me. Aggravated, Leonid turned around and yanked me forward.
I stumbled but dropped to my knees as the tremors continued, increasing in intensity. A white flame erupted in my vision, blinding me. I staggered back clawing at my eyes. It burned.
Heat, raw blistering heat roiled in my belly, spreading out to the tips of my toes and ends of my hair. The pain banished all thought, scorching me inside out. I had never felt pain like that before. Unable to contain it, the screech ripped itself out of my chest. I held my head, arching back, praying for it to go away.
But the blaze continued. Leonid watched as I burned and screamed, confused. All over my body, I felt the foreign words searing into my flesh—a long-ago vow that I couldn't remember. I had forgotten and so I burned.
