“That’s not Alpha Kai!”My heart is sitting in my throat as I watch the fight play out. Caterina engages Vladimir and holds her own against Kai’s literal double; it warms my heart when I see her use the moves I showed her so long ago.The second he’s on top of her and pinning her down, he’s thrown off again and I have to cover my ears when Kai lets out a possessive roar while shielding Caterina behind him.“Why are you here?! I thought you had no intention of seeing us.”“Well, I had a change of heart, big brother,” he says clearly, then points to Cat. “Hand over the Goddess, and I’ll allow you to walk away with your life.”“Not happening,” Kai shakes his head. “Tell me what you need from my mate, and we might just come to a compromise.”Vladimir laughs as he crosses his arms. “What makes you think I’m here to compromise? I’ve come for what’s rightfully mine, brother.”“My dynasty was earned through blood rite. You have no rightful claim here; I am the eldest Volkov!” Kai growls, then

I am on pins and needles and hoping this doesn’t turn into a fight. There hasn’t been this much drama here since Kai and my mother, butI am starved for a damn argument.“Tiarin might have forgiven you after everything you’ve done, but I have not. Thank you for coming all this way to tell me this, but please know that I am nowhere close to forgiving you for what you’ve put my family through,” Cat starts. “You killed my brothers, you killed my mate and tried to kill me. The witch you led on still continues to terrorise us to this day - how am I supposed to forgive you?”I want to cheer her on, but this is a serious conversation so I keep my mouth shut and listen.Xamnir nods and rakes his fingers through his hair. “All understandable. I don’t expect your forgiveness, Caterina, I was merely apologising because I felt like I needed to. I had no right to do what I did to you, and one day I will atone for my sins, but my first step started with Tiarin and the next one leads to you.”Cat see

I don’t even have time to grieve, because something else appears on the screen and I frown when I see an adult Creed running through the forest. He’s a complete copy of Kai now - blonde hair, blue eyes, large as fuck build, and a menacing aura. But he’s naked as he sprints through the forest, old scars and tattoos covering his chest and arms. He comes to a stop abruptly and falls to his knees sobbing. “No…I refuse to believe this,” he murmurs, shaking his head and emitting a growl filled to the brim with pain. “You can’t be dying!” Oh, fuck. He found out about Cat. But he looks about, what, twenty-something now? Twenty-three, twenty-five? Damn, I cannot see this ending well for anyone, especially with what Cat has just told me. Fisting the soil in his hands, he growls and looks up, deadly intent all over his scent as his eyes shimmer crimson. Then he shifts into his wolf form, but what I see makes me nearly fall onto my ass in shock. All shifters with Volkov blood have pitch-blac