LOGINAlexei woke up before the alarm.The room was still submerged in the bluish twilight of morning when he slowly opened his eyes, feeling the warm weight of Carla sleeping against his chest. Her breathing was soft, rhythmic, completely oblivious to the whirlwind already beginning to form in his head.For a few seconds, he just stayed there. Quiet. Motionless.Her scent still permeated the sheets, a mixture of soap and something exclusively Carla that the Lycan recognized anywhere. Her small body curled against his made the inner beast purr contentedly like a damn house cat.“Our female.”“You’re ridiculous.”But he didn’t push the thought away. Because, since the day before, it was the first time Alexei could breathe without feeling like his head was about to explode. She had that effect on him — she calmed storms that even he didn’t fully understand.Carla slept deeply, her dark hair spread across the pillow, her mouth slightly swollen from the kisses of the night before. Fucking beaut
Alexei didn’t know exactly at which moment he had lost control.Maybe it was when Carla opened the door wearing his damn shirt. When her brown eyes challenged him in silence, still hurt, still angry, but hot in a way that drove him absolutely insane.Or maybe it had been long before that — the second the Demidov had mentioned his mother in that underground cell and the entire world had collapsed under his feet.It didn’t matter anymore.Because now Carla was between his body and the bedroom wall, her bare legs wrapped around his waist, the dark shirt bunched up between his fingers, and Alexei could smell her invading every inch of his self-control.That natural scent. Clean. Warm. Feminine.No artificial perfume in the world came close to it.The Lycan inside him growled softly, satisfied, like an animal that had finally found its place after hours lost in the dark.“Finally. Stop thinking about those worms. She’s here.”Alexei almost rolled his eyes mentally.“You never get tired of
Carla practically ripped the beret off her head when she entered the room. The door slammed behind her with enough force to echo through the entire suite, but at that moment she honestly didn’t care.Because she was angry. Very angry.The camel coat was the first to fall onto the sofa. Then the earrings. Then the boots.That damn date had gone straight to hell.“Great. Perfect. Wonderful,” she grumbled to herself as she opened the side zipper of her skirt with brusque movements.She had spent nearly an hour getting ready. A whole hour, on the only day off she had before going back to the hell of hospital shifts.And Alexei had managed to destroy everything by bringing the clan’s problems along with him.Again.Carla closed her eyes for a moment, breathing deeply. It wasn’t fair to think that way, she knew that. Alexei couldn’t simply stop being who he was.He was a Rurik. The Alpha’s brother. Part of that political, territorial, and violent madness since birth. War was part of him.Th
Alexei couldn’t pay attention to a fucking thing in the movie.Not to the characters, the story, the exaggerated explosions, or even the bad jokes that would normally make Carla laugh softly beside him.Nothing.Because the only thing he could hear was that phrase echoing inside his own head like a parasite.“Alexei Demidov.”His fingers tightened involuntarily on the armrest.Demidov.The surname felt wrong. Dirty. Like something that should never be associated with him.But worse than that… was the way the man had looked at him in that cell.Recognition. Not surprise. Not provocation. Recognition. As if he were looking at someone who belonged there.“You look just like your mother.”That was eating him alive.Because his mother had always been a forbidden territory inside the Rurik mansion.No one talked about her. Not Anatolie. Not Dmitry. Not the elders. There were photos, portraits, but never stories.As if saying her name out loud could open some wound too old to heal.Alexei re
Carla had already been ready for nearly twenty minutes. Which, considering Alexei Rurik, was practically a statistical miracle.She finished putting on her earring while observing her own reflection in the bedroom mirror. The high cream-colored turtleneck embraced her neck with soft elegance, contrasting with the long camel coat that molded her silhouette. The plaid skirt in earthy tones left her legs partially exposed beneath the dark tights, and the beret completed the Moscow winter look.Susan would probably say she looked like she had stepped out of a sophisticated European magazine. Alexei, on the other hand, would probably say something much less respectful. The thought almost made her smile.Almost. Because the bond still felt strange. Heavy. Restless. She felt Alexei through the connection like a turbulent sea trying to remain calm by force.Rage. Confusion. Violence. All muffled by something. And that was worse.Carla slowly closed her eyes.Ever since the bond between them h
Alexei entered Dmitry’s office already irritated.Not genuinely irritated, because that would require too much emotional effort, but irritated at the level of “my brother just ruined my night.”Which, honestly? Was practically a family tradition.“You’re unbelievable.” He grumbled as he closed the door behind him. “Do you have any idea how long I’ve been trying to take Carla out without someone exploding, dying, or trying to invade Moscow?”Dmitry didn’t even lift his eyes from the documents spread across the huge dark wooden table.“Two days.”“Exactly. That’s a historical record.”Susan, sitting on the sofa near the window with Demyan sleeping in her arms, stifled a laugh.The silver-haired baby slept peacefully, completely oblivious to the eternal chaos of his own family. Alexei pointed dramatically at the child.“See that? He sleeps because he still doesn’t know where he was born.”Susan raised an eyebrow.“You’re exaggerating.”“Susan, last week an emissary tried to poison Dmitry
Dmitry stood at the edge of the Circle of the Broken Moon. The inscriptions, like scars, spoke of wars, pacts, and betrayals.His icy gaze swept across the circle where dozens, hundreds of Lycans were already beginning to gather, wrapped only in furs or rustic tunics, free of any human adornment, a
Alexei adjusted the strap of the paper bag on his forearm, balancing the boxes of fresh bread and the two cups of coffee, while with his other hand he unlocked his phone. The notification flashed at the top of the screen:Sasha:“Found the fairy at the flower shop.”A lazy smile curved his lips.“A
Her small, rosy nipples hardened under the touch of the air, and Lyra visibly shivered, biting her lower lip, shy.Sasha groaned softly, more in adoration than in possession, while the Lycan whispered to him:“So small… So precious… So ours… What used to be only instinct is now devotion. She calms
Lyra kept her forehead pressed to his for a few seconds, feeling Sasha’s deep breathing, as if he wanted to engrave that moment on her skin.She smiled softly, sliding her hands gently down his strong arms until she held them with delicacy, pulling him a little closer, without haste, simply letting







