𝐓𝐈𝐋𝐋 𝐃𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐇 𝐃𝐎 𝐔𝐒 𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐓 - 𝟏𝟖+

S E V E N

N I K O L A I

Moscow, Russia

Two days later, and sometimes I still found myself thinking about the woman I fucked against the door at the masquerade. She was something else, her emerald gaze haunted me, it wasn't bright like Keira's, hers were dark like a forest, secrets, and agony blotting out the rejuvenating color with their darkness. It was a good thing I hadn't seen her face or asked her name because, after that night, I'd wanted to possess that woman, and nothing could make me break my promise to Keira. Keira was, and would always be the only woman I'd ever allow in my life.

I chanced a glance at my nearly healed palm where Little Wolf had bitten me, fuck she really was a wolf, she knew what she was doing, but then again I was the hunter, and between the two of them, everyone knew the hunter always won. This was a done deal, I had to stop thinking about Little Wolf, she was a one-time thing, and I could only live with the memory of one woman haunting me every second of every day. Besides, today I'd meet the legendary five, and I had to be at the top of my game to look past their façade. They were snakes, all of them, waiting for an opportunity to unleash their venom, and my territory certainly wouldn't take the fall for their rivalry.

Alexei entered my office like he owned the goddamned place, he was the only person who didn't bother with knocking, knowing that I wouldn't put a bullet in him no matter how much I wanted to. We weren't related, but he was like a brother to me, and the fucker knew that without me having to say so.

"They're here," He announced, taking a seat across from mine on the table, leisurely placing his feet on my table. Fucker was indeed pushing his luck and my buttons.

I straightened and turned to face him, moving my eyes between his feet and face, hoping that my scowl would get the message across, "Who?"

"The fucking pentagon," He spat out, lips curling in disgust, "They fucking walk like entitled bastards, tell me when can I crack their skulls open,"

I chuckled at his enthusiasm, spinning the pen between my fingers, "They're supposed to royalty in our world, but I'm going to bring them down their high-horse. They'll bow to me, they'll ask favors from me, and like a villain that I am, I'll answer," He smirked at my words, my own smile matched his as we sat in silence for the next ten minutes, letting them wait downstairs in the VIP room for us.

Power play was everything, and I needed those motherfuckers to see that I was the King here, I owned everything, and they couldn't just come in and try to take my throne away. After ten minutes, Alexei got up, straightened his jacket, and turned to me, "I'll get going now, and entertain them," His lip curled again as his face morphed in anger, and I knew I couldn't take long. I couldn't give The Pentagon a chance to piss him off and then ruin my well laid out plan.

"Go," I flicked my fingers, "I'll be right behind you," He nodded, then left, leaving me alone I silence once again.

After he left, I waited a couple of minutes before I opened the door of the office, and walked through the corridors towards the VIP rooms. Nothing could have ever prepared me for the sight I was about to see, or how everything I ever held as true was going to come crashing down.

But what could I have done had I known that fate was going to be playing a cruel joke with me? Had I known I was about to be backed against the wall, I would've done something, but what could I do?

Seven pairs of eyes turned my way when I opened the door and stepped inside the room, I knew two of them belonged to Alexei and Ivan, and I didn't care about the other four. I cared about one person. Keira. My damnation. My sin. And the woman I'd fucked against the wall. She was here, alive, ruling like a Queen while I was dying every day on the streets, too scared to kill myself, and a corpse to be called alive. Her hair was a darker shade of blonde now, back then it was platinum, white and pure.