Vadik was being led down the series of stairs. The man ahead of him was handsome in that bronzed skin and sultry grey eyes kind of way, that could make any girl swoon if he just smiled at them. Kade called him Nikolai, Vadik recalled vaguely. Frankly, he wasn't paying any attention from the moment he saw Mia standing before him. It took everything in him to not look at her, especially when she was in a white silk robe that was wrapped around her. He almost leaned in and touched her thick black hair that was cascading down her back and slender shoulder. Although, it was her jewel-green eyes that were fixated on him. He wondered if she sensed the bond like him. She must have, because he wasn't hiding his wolf, and she definitely sensed him back there.

Nikolai stopped in front of an entrance that was guarded by two men. They eyed Vadik warily before opening the door on Nikolai's command. He allowed him to enter first and Vadik crossed them to see his brother, unless this was a trap. But he had a feeling Kade wasn't that type of man. He had honour, even though he was conflicted.

The door shut and Vadik saw a caged room where his brother was sat against the cold wall. "Miss me?" he called out.

Alec shot to his feet. "What are you doing here?" he astonished. "I told you to wait for my call!"

Vadik rolled his eyes. "We've got a problem," he said.

"We sure do," Alec snapped. "You never told me your mate was Kade's little sister."

"I didn't know who she was," Vadik said.

"We're all dead if Kade finds out," Alec gritted out.

"I don't have any control over who is chosen for me," he said. "But do you think Kade will let me talk to her?"

"Sure, if you want your tongue cut from your mouth."

Vadik signed. "Right," he muttered.

Alec leaned against the cage, his arms out in front of him as his hands gripped the steel bars. "Mikhail's returned," he said despairingly.

"I already had the pleasure of meeting him," Vadik responded.

Alec's eyes widened. "What are you talking about?"

Vadik crossed his arms. "Mikhail is on the hunt and his first targets were Kade and his men," he said.

"Kade was attacked! Is he okay?" Alec astounded with panic on his face.

"Of course, he is-" the door behind them clanked and opened, it was Kade that strode into the room. Vadik turned and saw the man's tense expression as he faced Alec. The air thickened with this unseen desire that lingered between the two men. Vadik sensed the heat like it was a blazing fire almost ready to explode in this room.

"I saved pretty boy over there before anything happened," Vadik said with a bit of mockery in his tone.

Alec bit back his smile but Kade was definitely not finding any of this amusing. "You met my uncle," he said to Kade.

"We were there for him," Kade pointed at Vadik, "but Mikhail was already at the location."

"What was Mikhail doing there?" Alec asked Vadik.

"He was interrogating Giovanni Romano's men," Kade answered instead.

Vadik and Alec shared the same look because they knew what that meant. "He's targeting anyone in the city that had a past connection to Lucas," Alec said. "That will include all the packs in this city."

"We need to warn them," Vadik said.

"I know," Alec agreed.

"And how are you going to do that?" Kade asked. "If Mikhail is after everyone in the city then he won't stop at any price."

Vadik knew that Mikhail Waldorf was a fucking machine, he didn't care about money nor did he care about emotions. He followed one code and that was to protect his brother. Now, that Lucas is dead. Mikhail would cause rampage with nothing to stop him.

"You need to let me out of this cage," Alec spoke looking at Kade.

"And why would I do that?" Kade scorned.

"I'm the only one that can stop him," Alec answered.

Kade didn't believe him at all.

"You need to trust us," Vadik said.

"Trust a Waldorf," Kade mocked with a laugh.

"A Waldorf that fucking saved you," Vadik growled at him.

"I don't fucking care!" Kade snarled back.

"Cut it out, you two!" Alec snapped from the middle. "Mikhail is coming for all of us whether we like it or not."

"Tell me how your uncle could survive the drug you injected him with?" Kade asked then.

"He's trained to withstand any drug or poison," Vadik answered. "Like us two."

"And I emptied a barrel of bullets in his damn body," Kade gritted out. "What about that?"

"Mikhail usually has bullet-proof vest underneath," Alec answered.

"Did you use pure silver bullets?" Vadik asked Kade.

"No," Kade said.

"We have a trunk in the old house," Alec said to his brother.

Vadik raked his hair back in frustration. "I never thought I'd have to dig that old thing out," he said.

"What are you talking about?" Kade asked them.

"Before we moved back to Russia, Vadik and I orchestrated the rebellion against our father," Alec answered. "I made pure silver bullets and daggers to use against Mikhail knowing that a day like this would probably come."

"Where's this old house located?" Kade asked.

"Let me out and I'll take you," Alec remarked.

Kade stiffened and he glared at Alec.

Vadik smirked at his brother's cheeky grin that said it all. Alec wasn't willing to give everything to his mate easily. The important thing was to get out of this cage and he'd use whatever he needed to bargain for that.

"I can just get my own ready," Kade said.

"Sure, waste time," Vadik conspired. "If you just let my brother out then we can hunt our uncle together tonight."

Kade stood between the two, his green eyes tunnelled with distrust. "How can I trust you two?" he said more than asked.

"A wolf that has honour is the only wolf that gets to survive in my book. You can trust us because we've got your back," Alec spoke. "And my brother proved that to you."

Kade raked his hair, his jaw clenched together like he was ready to kill both of them right here and now. He reached behind him and procured something from under his jacket. Vadik was convinced it was a gun and he'd shoot both of them right here and now. But instead, it was a cluster of keys. He took the short one and pushed it into the lock that held the door shut tightly. The silver lock clanked open and he tossed it aside. The metal creaked before it swung open.

Alec stepped out from the cage and faced Kade. "Thank you," he said before he faced Vadik. "We need to warn our friends and then head to the house for our things."

"You got it," Vadik gave a curt nod.

"It's past midnight, your friends are probably asleep," Kade said. "We'll continue this tomorrow. Besides, you injected Mikhail with poison, that gives us a few days to prepare."

Alec and Vadik shared a bewildered expression. "We can stay at a hotel-"

"You're staying here where I can keep an eye on you-" Kade said sternly as he walked up to the door and opened it. "Let's go, I don't have all night." Vadik and his brother followed Kade out the door.

The guards who witnessed them leave were surprised by this occurrence. Never thinking in a million years that their boss would allow the Waldorf's to walk freely in his house.

Vadik and Alec made it upstairs and the other two men were waiting for them. Vadik searched for Mia who wasn't here anymore, she must have been sent off by these two.

"This is Dario and Nikolai," Kade said to them. "Don't roam my house and don't talk to anyone. I'll have a room ready for you and you'll stay there."

Vadik looked over at his brother. "Fine," Alec answered for them.

"How's the shoulder?" Vadik asked Dario.

"Sore," he answered truthfully.

Dario was the one to take them to the third floor of the house, there was a bedroom that had a lounge area. The huge windows were lined around the room, it allowed bountiful moonlight into the room. Everything here was a dark shade of black or grey, the floor white and modern. Vadik and Alec were left alone in the room after Dario closed the door behind him.

"Do you think we can handle Mikhail?" Vadik asked quietly.

"I have to try," Alec said. "He'll kill everyone if he's not stopped."

"How are we going to warn the other packs?" Vadik walked ahead and took off his leather jacket.

Alec rubbed his face that was weary with exhaustion. "I'll call them," he answered as he looked around and saw the door to the bathroom. "I'm going to take a shower," he opened the door and turned on the light.

"I've got our survivor pack in the truck," Vadik said. That bag had all their essentials in it, clothes weapons and other things. They always had one in every car they owned. It helped them in situations like this when they're stranded on their own.

"Go get it," Alec said.

Vadik left and he wondered if he'd get shot at if he tried to go to his truck. Thankfully, no one put up any resistance as he went down the stairs and outside the door to his truck that had been parked beside the house now. He passed a few of the guards that were patrolling around the property. Security was tight here, which was a good thing now that Mikhail was on the loose. However, it probably caused a bit of trouble if Vadik wanted to set up his own cameras here and explore the territory.

He opened the truck's door and took out the bag from the back, slugging over his shoulder, he slammed the door and returned inside. He noticed that most of the staff had gone to bed too and the lights were dimmed around the house. He was just about to pass the foyer when the soft wildflower scent of his mate passed by him. He tracked the scent to the kitchen and found her leaning forward, reaching for something in a cupboard while on a step-stool. She was in a t-shirt and a pair of shorts now, that was when he spotted the metal brace on her knee, which was connected all the way down to her foot.

"What happened to your leg?" he asked.

She gasped in surprise and moved too quickly for her leg to support her. Vadik dropped the bag and protected his mate from a nasty fall. He pulled her into him, her body against his own and she gaped at him with her innocent green eyes, it tugged at the shrouded darkness inside him. There was nothing he could do in front of her, she had all the control in those eyes of hers and that mouth that beckoned him for a taste. He held her close to him and he felt the way her curves sank into him, like she was melted honey all over his hard edges. Her black hair that was left open skimmed his arm and he almost ran his fingers through it.

She pushed at him with her small hands and stood on her own. Her eyes looking everywhere except him.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

She nodded before looking at him. "Why are you here?"

"Your brother let us stay the night," Vadik answered.

Mia frowned. "That means Alec isn't in the cage anymore," she said. "Who are you?"

"Before I tell you that," Vadik stepped closer, putting his hand on the counter behind her, caging them together. "What happened to your leg, Mia?"

Her eyes widened like she was surprised to hear her name off his lips. "I was injured a long time ago," she said with grief in her stark eyes. "Now, who are you?"

"Vadik Waldorf," he answered as he steppes closer but she stepped back.

"Then Lucas Waldorf was your-"

"Father," he said.

Mia went pale like the blood left her face and she lost the life in her eyes. "This can't be," she said quietly as she backed away from him.

Vadik understood perfectly what her position was. His father killed her family and now her enemy's son stood in front of her in her own house. "Mia-" He wanted to tell her that he wasn't anything like his father, but that wasn't the truth. Vadik was a cold-blooded killer just like his Waldorf family.

Mia left him, the limp in her leg leaving questions in his own head. He picked up the bag and left for the room they were staying in. Opening the door, he walked in and saw Alec sitting on the bed in a bathrobe, ruffling his wet hair.

"What took you so long?" Alec asked.

"Nothing," Vadik dropped the bag on the bed.

Taking a cold shower, Vadik stood under the water wondering what he was going to do. Kade and Mia hated both of them. There was no way this was going to be a smooth sailing ride where they all choose to be a big happy family together. Kade is probably itching to kill them as soon as Mikhail is dealt with. How were they all going to move past this? Vadik would want revenge if his family was killed, so he understood Kade's position.

"Mia," he whispered her name as she appeared in front of his closed eyes. He saw the hatred lashed with anguish in her eyes when he told her who he was.

Vadik shut the water off and dried himself with a towel before wrapping it around his waist. He went into the room and took out a spare shirt and slacks. He got dressed and returned to the dark bedroom where Alec was already resting. He plopped himself on the left side of the bed and put his arm under his head. He didn't know how much time passed with his thoughts running him astray.

"If you sigh one more time, I swear to god, I'm going to throw a knife at your head," Alec said from the other side.

"Kade and Mia hate us," he said.

"I know," Alec answered.

"What happened?" He didn't realize that he said that aloud.

"Are you talking about Mia?" Alec responded.

"She said she was injured," Vadik said.

"Lucas beat her up and broke her leg, it never fully healed and neither did she," he told him.

"Fuck," Vadik growled rubbing a hand over the aching temples of his forehead. Alec got up from the bed and stood to his feet. "Where are you going?" he asked his brother.

"On a stroll," Alec said behind him as he shut the door.

Vadik was left alone in the dark room pondering over his damned fate. Lucas ruined their childhood and every waking moment after that. Now, even in death, he ruined their chances of mating with the one who was born for them. Vadik craved Mia, he felt his wolf calm near her. He understood that the bond between them was powerful and she was meant for him.

But what was he going to do? He contemplated alone.