Read with BonusRead with Bonus

7.

Russia

Cold.

Tired.

The Dark Wolf Pack warriors and their alpha stood watching at the chaos before them. It was heart-wrenching to see such a small secluded pack attacked so brutally. The cold winter winds bit into them harshly, though their fur coats were thick they still felt the chill on their bones. Nikolai was still in frenzy, his wolf Vadim was trying to figure out why, just why this pack was attacked.

White Cloud posed no threat to anyone, they were one of the most rural and peaceful packs there in the territory.

From the reports given from the survivors, their attackers came in the dead of the night and they were precise in their killings. Unmated she-wolves were their targets. After it was done they left as calm as ever. When the alpha and his warriors reached, they picked up the strange scents of the intruders. Nikolai took eight of his men out of the sixteen and went after the trail. It went cold after ten miles east of the pack which was weird because after those ten miles there was no civilization just wilderness. It took you to the barren lands of Russia no one can survive out there. They deducted their attackers' disappearance to them having planned an escape route via helicopter. The same way Dark Wolf Pack came in.

They stayed in the mountains for an entire week, tracking whatever leads they had, fending off feral wolves. The overwhelming scent of blood attracted them, the pack was very vulnerable as most of their warriors were wounded. The scents they picked up were of humans and vampires. The question was how they knew the exact location of this pack. For those seven days, they tracked the scents and marking the locations where it ended, keeping a record of everything that they did and how.

Nikolai was on lookout duty with his beta Zarif, cloaking the scents of everyone as they packed up whatever belongings they had to leave their home. The two dominant wolves stood atop at snow-covered perch keeping their ear open for any oncoming attack. In their wolf form, they were able to pick up a lot of things that a human can miss. Even though it has been a week, cries of sadness still filled the air. Nikolai looked back at the families who were being helped from their homes by his men. Mothers held onto their pups tightly, looking around in fright, those who lost their daughters kept looking at the burial sites they made. The elders kept watch while praying to the Goddess for guidance. It was all so familiar to him, to witness this destruction again. So close to home.

Vadim whimpered and forced his human to turn away from the broken pack. They first witnessed this same downfall when they were eleven. It was the first pack related mission his grandfather took him. The attack took place in Seoul, a purebred pack in the jungles that not many people or any other supernaturals knew off. The unmated she-wolves were also killed and the pack was left vulnerable. He remembered sitting with a mother, holding her in his little arms as she cried for the loss of her fifteen-year-old daughter, it took all his strength to hold her back as they burned the body of her daughter. She became hysterical and young as he was, Nikolai was forced to put her into a deep sleep. He repeated this for all the grieving families as his grandfather's men got rid of the bodies. His gifts were very advanced for his age but it was kept a secret within the Saville-Starkov houses. No one found any leads of the attackers in Seoul and he had a feeling that it would be the same for this attack.

Just like the other rural attacks under each territory of the royals.

'Это происходит снова.' (It's happening again) was all he said to his beta who in returned whimpered his fear.

'Мы должны сказать царю.' (We must tell the king) Zarif said after a moment of silence.

Nikolai didn't respond because it was an issue he asked his uncle to look into time and time again. Requesting for sentinels be sent out to the rural packs to help train them more to defend themselves but he was dismissed with an excuse of the packs do not take kindly to the intrusion.

"Мы готовы альфа." (We are ready Alpha) one of his men in human form reported. Nikolai nodded then sat and watched as his men got the survivors to walk on a straight line. His Delta, Alec took the lead, Zarif was on the right of everyone, the warriors both in human and wolf form took the sides of the survivors. Two of his warriors ran ahead to scout the trail, Nikolai waited till they moved off then made sure no one was left behind. When they were a good distance away from the pack using his gift he destroyed what remained of the pack.

His duties as Alpha just got even more demanding.

"Are you sure of this son?" Angelo asked of his firstborn. They were in the confines of the young prince's office looking out at the winter wonderland at the Starkov Palace. Nikolai was telling his father of the latest attack and the similarities between the other packs. It seems that they attacked randomly and focus on all unmated she-wolves no matter the age. The packs are of those who are secluded and away from human contact. Unknown to most.

Nikolai told his father of his findings but Angelo wasn't fully listening, he was focused on his son. His dark hair was unkempt, growing wild on his head, a beard was forming, he was tired and his posture said it all but he was pushing himself too far. Being a high alpha, a prince and the owner of a multi-national company at his age was a big accomplishment; most young alphas would be partying getting drunk, sleeping around but not his Niko. It was instilled in him since he was young that focus and loyalty were two things how to be great, to be the leader for his people.

"Nikolai" was all Angelo said and stood before his son.

"Yes, papa" he answered.

It was time to push him, it couldn't wait any longer, and everything that he saw was happening was coming to past. His visions were becoming darker and frequent, each one was of his son and those around him. A vital part was missing in his life, the one person every supernatural longed for, whom they search for, to have that balance in their life. She wasn't by his side. In the vision years ago they saw his mate by his side, helping him through it all.

"How are you feeling?" he asked his son.

He simply shrugged his shoulders and left his father by the balcony doors, and returned to his desk. Releasing a deep sigh, Angelo went and sat next to the fireplace and kept a watchful eye on his son. His blue eyes were distant and cold, but once in a while, a spark of happiness can be seen in Nikolai's eyes whenever his family was around. Angelo knew that look, the look of fear and loneliness.

"Having a mate isn't something to be afraid of Niko. A mate is there to make you whole, lifts you up." Angelo began.

Nikolai paused over his reports not once looking up at his father and said, "Мы готовы альфа." (I do not wish to speak of this.) He said gruffly, his words coated with annoyance but his father didn't stop.

"You are coming of age where your gifts are going to overwhelm you. Finding your mate will balance you, help you keep them calm. Did you expect to be alone here in this palace till your last breath? I have witnessed how corrupt an original wolf becomes when both man and wolf aren't thinking as one. Vadim needs her even if you don't want to find her."

"ДОСТАТОЧНО!!" (ENOUGH!!) Nikolai shouted slamming his hand against his desk causing a shock wave to emanate from the slam. Angelo picked up on the power of his anger and created a shield sending back the shock wave to his son, throwing Nikolai against the wall.

"You may be the prince of Russia but I am still your father. I will not allow the darkness to take my son away. I nearly lost my brother to it, I would not lose you," his father spat stalking over to where he sat on the floor with his head bent.

"I wish not to be hurt papa," Nikolai said quietly.

Sitting next to his son, Nikolai simply leaned into his father to be enveloped in the warm hug he missed when he was younger. "I am scared, papa. What if my mate rejects me? What if she is like Anya." he continued. Angelo held his little boy tighter, trying hard not to break by the pain he heard in his son's voice. "What if she leaves like Дед?" (grandfather)

"We have to take risks, little Niko. I took a risk in accepting your mother all those years ago and it resulted in you and Mina, now your little brother or sister. Your mother also took a risk in coming into this world with only the knowledge of me being her soul mate. We all take risks. If it goes wrong we use it as a stepping stone to be stronger."

Nikolai listened to the words of his father and thought over the words his wolf told him a few days ago. Both Vadim and Nikolai have been very close more in synced than any other pairing. The immediate family knew that Vadim was a direct descendant of Castio De Leon the original werewolf which was the reason why Nikolai came into his gifts earlier than the other royal siblings. Only his immediate family knew and they made it look like Nikolai was a late bloomer. It caused teasing and heavy bullying from his twin cousins and the others but he didn't care he had his own life in Russia, Cain and Reign had to prove themselves for the throne and that won't be any time soon.

Daily, his human side has been feeling weaker, Vadim told him it was due to the strength of his wolf spirit, he needed more dominance but he couldn't do that to his human. They needed their mate to help. She will be the one to change everything.

"I will be home soon. I will find her," he said to his father finally giving in to his wolf.

Previous Chapter
Next Chapter