Rouge's Trail

LI

It was a day unlike any other. Our first pup had been born not a week ago and we could finally tell the color of our darling girls eyes.

As beautifully brown as her mother's. With all the same curly, brown hair. 

My darling Imani came downstairs in her most beautiful evening gown- the one with the green lace- and we were off to the play together, the colored nurse watching over our Eliza while we enjoyed a well deserved night out. 

"Imani, my love, you look splendid," I whispered into her hair as she came over to me with a small twirl," I cannot wait until we get home tonight."

"Now, Sebastian, the servants may hear you."

"I do not care."

We boarded the carriage to go to the play, but the driver took a longer route than normal. We went off the roads and towards the old church house that the first settlers built in our little Georgian town. Imani's gown rustled against the carriage floor as she moved to look out the window, but there was no one out there. Only a dim light glowing in the distance.

__

Cyrus was there, waiting. He knew that at some point I would return to him and this was the point. Right here, right when I finally felt happy. 

And there he was.

He smiled widely as Valentin brought me over to him, his grasp not as tight as it once was on my arm. Maybe it was as tight, I thought, and maybe I just got stronger and bigger. Maybe I'm not the scared little girl I was when they first received me in their sick little slave trade.

"Nika, my sweet," he practically purred when he saw me, taking slow steps towards me.

"Cyrus," I replied coolly," It's a shame you're still stuck on little old me. Imagine all the fun you could have had if you had just moved on like a normal person."

"I am no normal person, Nika. I am an Alpha."

"And last I checked I'm not your Luna so I don't see the big deal."

"Oh, I have a Luna now. She is alright, I suppose, but she is not you. She is your replacement."

"I'm glad to see you care."

He stepped forward suddenly and touched my face, flushing away all memory of Lucas's touch with his cold fingers. His other hand reached down and unsheathed my dagger before he stepped back to examine it.

"This is an expensive knife, Nika. Where did you get it?"

"China."

"I see you've been around. Does that mean you are ready to come home to Ivalo with me?"

"I suppose I don't really have a choice."

"You had a choice," he handed me back the knife," But you came willingly and now I make the decisions."

He put his hands on either side of my head right at the temples. Part of me wanted to do the same, knowing that with enough pressure I could knock him out cold and run away again but the other half of me knows that that is not an option. He smiled like the maniac he is and released my head, throwing his arms wide.

"Valentin! Call our men and tell them that we are on our way home!"

I jumped when he yelled. I don't think he noticed because he kept talking.

"And you, my darling Nika, you will be coming with me," he grabbed my wrist and held it tightly," I have certainly missed you."

I tried my best not to wince at his grip. I tried to keep my poker face. 

I tried so hard.

"You have certainly grown since I last laid eyes on you. You're all grown up now, Nika. No more chubby cheeks and training bras for you."

"You say that like you provided us with training bras."

He scowled at my words, his grip tightening enough to bruise then leaving suddenly. My wolf healing was already kicking in by the time he made turned back to me. He looked beyond angry.

"I don't know if you remember, devushka, but you do not talk to me this way. I will forgive you this time but if it happens again you will be punished."

"Oh, no. I'm so scared," I taunted him, gaining courage at the thought of being away from him even if it meant being tortured," What will the big bad Alpha do to his sweet little blyad."

"Nika, you will stop this insolence-"

"I will stop this insolence when you stop thi-"

I was shut up quite efficiently when he slapped me across the face. My head swung to the side and my cheek burned like an ember but I didn't cry. This is nothing. This is an act of kindness. A warning for what he is really capable of.

I spit on the ground of his tent and smiled at him with a sugar that I didn't know I had in me anymore.

"There's the Cyrus I know and love."

He smiled back at me, loving the word love so much that he bypassed the obvious sarcasm that came with it. That's Cyrus. Willing to ignore anything you have to say about him so long as it ends his way.