Claiming His Love {manxman}

CHL: Chapter Eight

Nikolai Lyev Baranov

"I'm sorry, do what now?" I was taken aback, staring at Nicca like he grew six heads. "Excuse me, what the fuck?" I sputtered, my anxiety rising. "Do you realize how fucking reckless that is!? YOU WANT ME TO DIE!" I screeched, trying to peel off Nicca's death grip on my forearm. "I shouldn't have trusted you! You lied to me! You want me dead just like the rest of them!" I was panicking now and I hadn't even left the house. 

"Calm down, Nikolai. It's my word against everyone else." Mikhail put a hand on my shoulder and I flinched just a tiny bit, sure that he didn't notice. "I'm tired of seeing you moping and I've only been here for 11 minutes!" Nicca complained, opening the door. "It's time to stop running away from your demons. It's time for you to stop putting up with this. It's time for you to let everyone know who the real Nikolai is." He looked me dead in the eye and I knew that it wasn't up for discussion.

"I agree," A voice from the right of me spoke and I turned to look at Imani. "You cried every night because you thought no one loved you. You had nightmares every night because of their cruel words. You need to go and you need to set the record straight, fuck what they think and once you do, they better get on their knees and apologize, every single one of them." Imani had this sneer on her face with her arms folded. "Now, let's go." 

Then I was whisked out into the world.

"It's a long walk there, so why don't we just not do it?" I grimaced, thinking about returning to the place I once lived a long time ago. My stomach was twisting in knots as Mikhail turned to me. "No need. We can run." He prepared himself to shift as well as Imani and I started to internally freak. This was not happening, not today, not right now. Yesterday, I was fine living my mundane life of mediocrity and suffering and today was just the total opposite. "I can't shift." I muttered plainly, ignoring Lance's huffs. "I haven't been able to in six years." I whispered and Mikhail looked at me with regret in his eyes and I shrugged, not knowing what to say. "It's okay." He whispered before turning to Imani, who nodded.

"You can ride me." She winked before she shifted into a half human, half lion with her legs resembling the back feet of a lion. "I won't let you go." I stared at her in disbelief, wondering if it was too late to go back inside of my house and hide. "Now, come on. We're wasting time. I just told the pack to meet in the common room for a meeting." Mikhail grunted and he motioned to me with a stern look to get on. Not my Alpha. 

But I still listened.

I grudgingly slid onto the back of Imani and she began to take off, a blur of a red wolf zooming past us. How long had it been since I felt the wind whipping past my skin like this? How long had it been since I've explored these woods?

Entirely too long.

My freedom was shortlived because we arrived at the large and upscale mansion of the Blazing Rage. I could feel fear hiking up my spine, creeping into my mind as Imani came to a halt, setting me down with ease. We didn't come to play. We came to remedy something that should've been fixed a long time ago. I couldn't stop the feeling of dread from wrapping itself around my throat, and gripping at my stomach as I looked at the beautiful exterior of the pack I once called home. I felt choked up, and I wanted to cry. It looked so beautiful, so innocent, but no one really knew the dark secrets that traveled within. 

"Let's go." Mikhail hoisted Nicca off of his back once he shifted and they all started in a determined march towards the entrance. It was where once I stepped in, the ball was out of my court. It was where everything, as I have come to know, would change. I started to breathe heavily and my head began to pound. I was hot, sweaty and clammy and I wanted to run back to the safety of my house. At least I knew that I was guaranteed my life beneath those four walls. I wanted to go lie in my bed and rock myself to sleep, pretending that this was some crazy and wild dream.