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Dmitri

Savannah was a dead end when it came to any helpful information. The fact that she was pregnant was a saving grace for her. Else I would torture the shit out of her to be sure she has told us everything. I can't even bare to be in the same room as her. She has been shipped off to the Council, who will administer punishment accordingly. There have been no instances in my lifetime of anyone trying to impersonate someone's true mate. Due to the sacred nature of the bond, and the way Savannah has tried to bastardize it with lies and consorting with a warlock to deceive, the punishment will be severe.

Kira had not used any means possible to extract information from Savannah as I ordered her to in my anger, but I couldn't blame her. Torturing a pregnant female would have been considered too much in anyone's eyes. What she gathered was currently in a file on the desk in front of me, in a makeshift office one room over from where Sky lay unconscious.

According to the report, Savannah was approached by a cloaked, hooded figure six weeks before the party that I hosted at our new land on the outskirts of Willow Falls. The mysterious warlock promised her a life as the mate of the strongest and most infamous pack on this side of the world. He must have picked his target carefully, knowing that the greed and ego of Savannah would not refuse such an offer. I saw how much she enjoyed the attention that came from being associated with my name. She requested a transfer to Jacobson's pack, the two being close as her father is a beta from a pack in the West. The friendship guaranteed approval of the transfer.

The night of the party, the warlock had woven an incantation into some mixture that she drank just before arriving, the same incantation lacing the champagne that was handed to me by Savannah just moments before we toasted. I recall thinking it tasted strange, but I attributed that to me just not being a fan of the stuff. That ensured that the mate sparks were present, an indicator for our species when binding has started. The same hooded figure created an artificial mate scent that Savannah would spray on to imitate the one smelt during the binding process. I wondered why her scent seemed more intense at times and, at other times, less pronounced. I put that down to all the perfume she wore constantly. Something she admitted to Kira was intentional and meant to conceal the fact that the scent was not her own.

These were all things I felt with Sky. Though not sparks, the tingles are definitely there. Coupled with her smell which even now seemed to linger in the air from the other room, which was driving me crazy. Crazier than any scent of Savannah's. I feel like I am binding with her, but binding with a human has never happened. Never. As Raina said before, her curse could be causing these symptoms and not a true mate bond.

Besides, she left me. She would have stayed to hear me out if she felt the same way. I would see that she was recovered, and then that's it. She is still with that douchbag Chris, and she no longer has the rose scent on her, which must mean she and Chris are in a serious enough relationship for her to gift him her virginity. I feel so hurt and...jealous. Jealous that he has touched her so intimately. Hurt that it wasn't me. Angry about the last year.

Get a grip. I snap out of my thoughts, thinking back to the rest of what is in the file. Savannah met with the warlock on two other occasions during our relationship. The first time was two months into the relationship, apparently after rumors had been circulating that things between us were far from blissful. He threatened to kill her if she didn't find a way to make it work with us. That's when she hatched a plan to fall pregnant. She tried taking advantage of me when I was drunk one of the nights, but apparently, even in my drunken state, I wanted none of it and called out for Sky instead.

In a fit of rage, she went out and slept with one of Jacobson's guys from the surveillance team that she had become close to. A relationship that has apparently still continued after that night. When she was sure she was pregnant, she staged it to look like we had slept together, copious amounts of alcohol leaving me not remembering the evening clearly. I remember the feelings the following day that washed over me so clearly, as if it happened yesterday. The most prominent one was that I had fucked up royally, followed by embarrassment and shame that I had done anything with Savannah. That I used her for sexual pleasure. It seemed unfathomable.

The next time she had contact with the warlock was two days before last night's event. He appeared to her in my house, no less, questioning my attendance at the event. I told her I was not going, information she relayed to the warlock. It was a last-minute decision on my part to attend last night after Andrea insisted and used our years of friendship as leverage to bend my will. I wonder now at his need to know. I suspect he knew Sky would be attending the same function and didn't want us to meet again. Could this be the same warlock in Sky's dreams, the one who had cursed her?

She told me about her dreams once. It wasn't a coincidence that a warlock cursed her, a cloaked man was in her dreams, and a similarly dressed warlock had a hand in this disaster with Savannah. It all tied together with Sky at the heart of it. We had to find him.

I'm interrupted by a cough behind me. Swinging around in my chair, I am met with a serious-looking Ivan. 

"I knocked, but there was no answer. Sky is awake."

I bolt out of my chair immediately, heading toward Sky's room. A voice in her room has me coming to a halt just outside her door. Chris. He was back. And conveniently, at the exact moment Sky wakes up. We had been looking for him all of last night and this morning. I wanted to ask him if he was responsible for the state of Sky and, if not, how the fuck he could allow her condition to persist. He used his magic to vanish into thin air. A thought crossed my mind that if he wanted to, he could make them both disappear right now.

With that thought, I burst into the room, Sky's eyes wide as she looks at me. Chris doesn't bother turning around, his hand holding Sky's tightly.

"Get the fuck away from her," I growl, taking a couple of steps forward before I grab him by his shirt and push him away from Sky, placing myself between the two. Ivan is behind me, ready if I need him.

Chris levels me with a glare but doesn't say anything.

"What are you doing, Dmitri?" Sky's voice is raspy, lacking any moisture. I mind-link Ivan, who walks over to Sky, pouring her a glass of water from the jug beside the bed. She takes a couple of sips before handing the glass back to Ivan. Her eyes bore into my back. I could feel it. "What's going on?"

"You get off on beating women. Is it some sort of sick fantasy for you? Let's see how you fair against someone big enough to fight back." As I toss accusations at him, I can't help the venom dripping from my tone. I want to rip this guy apart. Not before I beat him as severely as Sky seems to have been beaten.

Chris's expression turns from a glare to one of pure confusion. "What are you talking about?"

"You, beating Skylar. How the fuck else did she get all those bruises all over her body. Don't tell me you aren't aware. You guys live together, amongst other things." I don't want to even mention the intimacy part, my anger level already off the chart.

Chris' face continues to hold confusion, his gaze moving to Sky's. "What is he talking about, Skylar? What bruises?"

"Dmitri stop," Sky says, her voice breaking as emotion overcomes her.

How can this guy be acting like this? You would have to be blind not to see what has happened to her.

"No, Skylar, it's his fucking fault," I say, turning around to face her.

"Just leave it, Dmitri." Her eyes are imploring me. Why is she trying to protect this asshole? Before I fully comprehend what I am doing, I rip the sheet off Sky's body.

She is momentarily shocked before she lunges to grab the sheet, the movement causing her to cry out in pain, tears streaming down her face. Guilt that I have caused this pours over me, and I reach out to pull the sheet up.

She grabs it from me, hurt not just from her physical injuries but from what I have done, is plastered all over her pale features.

"He doesn't know Dmitri. Now get the fuck out!" She screams as sobs rack her body. Ally comes running in, taking in the scene before moving to Sky's side. I turn away from her, passing Chris, rooted to the spot, guilt oozing from every pore. And she thinks it's not his fault.

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