There she was. She had burst through the trees with the same aura she always bounced into the rooms with despite this horrible night. Her eyes landed on him, back leaned against a tree with his legs stretched in front of him, hand covering a bloody gash on his stomach. She paused, that peaceful and happy air around her gone and in its place was despair. He watched her approach him with her big teary eyes.

"Maksim." That honey sweet voice filled his ears and all his pain was gone with just her voice. "What has he done to you, my love?"

He could hear Grey's voice mixing in with his unconscious memories, her voice was far away as she called out his name frantically. He could feel a hand holding his own, resting on his cheek, but he couldn't tell who was touching him or whether it was real or not. He tried to move, tried to yell but his body was paralyzed with pain. In and out he drifted into the land of dreams and reality.

"Maksim, come on baby." He hadn't heard her voice in years, it encouraged him to focus on his memories that now seemed like dreams. He faded far away from Grey and came to her.

"Emilie?"

He opened his eyes and everything was hazy. Nothing but the morning sky was visible through the morning mist. He swore he had heard her voice but no one was there. He blinked a few times but the haze wouldn't go away around the edges of his vision, so with shaky, weak arms he pushed himself up to sit.

And there was Alexei, looking at him as if he'd seen a ghost. His eyes were wide and his mouth stuttered as if he wanted to speak. Blood coated his fingertips up to his forearms and he shook violently. He had just shifted back, Maksim could tell by the way his wolf's pelt lay on the ground not far away.

"Alexei?"

"I'm so sorry."

Maksim frowned. "What?"

"I should've stopped him. I should've tried to stop him but I just watched him do it." Alexei looked absolutely insane. "He was too strong. The moon was so full and the pull was too strong. I couldn't stop him-I didn't even try, brother. I'm so sorry."

"What are you talking about?"

Alexei froze, his hand slowly moving into the air as he pointed a shaky red finger to the left of his brother. Turning his head slowly in the direction he pointed, Maksim felt his heart stop.

Scrambling over to her, he forgot his own wounds as he muttered denials under his breath and gathered her limp body into his arms. The first thing he noticed was how cold she was, her skin no longer glowed with warmth and instead it looked dull and ghostly pale under the morning light. He didn't even feel the sparks like he did just hours before. Her eyes were closed, mouth parted, she looked like she was asleep and Maksim would've thought that, had a chunk of her throat not been missing. Scratches littered her body from his brother's claws but that bite to her neck had been the finishing moving. Emilie was dead. She was dead and it was all Alexei's fault.

• • •

His hands were everywhere. They left a scorching trail of heat up and down Grey's sides and even down to the back pockets of her jeans where his dangerous hands seemed to linger the most. She knew he was still a beast even if he looked like a human seeing as though the moon still hung high in the sky, but everything he was doing felt so right. She could feel how much he wanted her and she was somewhat relieved that he wanted her just as much as she did him.

Grey suddenly pulled away, holding his face in place by placing firm hands on his cheeks, closing her eyes and resting her forehead against his. She took a few moments to calm her racing heart by breathing in deep and slow. She was still clouded with lust towards this beast of a man.

"Alexei." She spoke softly. "Come back to me. Don't let him win."

A growl rumbled in the beast's chest and Grey watched a bone in his arm snap, claws replacing his fingernails. He was going full beast again and who knew what this beast would do to her with complete control.

Alexei could feel his control slipping. The beast was raging, it didn't want Grey to want his human side, only the beast. He wanted her to crave the beast side, he wanted to show her who she really wanted by filling the night with her moans. Alexei wouldn't let that happen, what with his emotions slowly turning into the beast's.

"Grey." Alexei groaned out, claws digging into her skin as his hip bone cracked.

"I'm here. Don't leave me Alexei." Her voice shook; she was terrified but she was a lioness who never admitted to that fear. "Don't let him take over. He hurt Maksim. He hurts people, not you."

A snarl tore through Alexei's throat as more bones broke and the beast grew closer to the surface. He was so focused on pushing down the beast and his own pain that he didn't recognize Grey's when she winced and tightened her grip on his face with her jaw clenched tight.

"I want you, Alexei, not the beast."

"I am the beast." He just about sobbed out as he squeezed his eyes shut.

"You don't kill for pleasure-"

"I let him."

And Grey's voice was drowned out by a cry of pain from Alexei that he didn't even hear her soft words.

"I can't love a beast."

Alexei felt the change begging to take over completely, that itching feeling of fur growing beneath his skin took over and in an attempt to scratch it away, his skin came with it. He stared at the bloodied fur on his shoulder before turning up to Grey who stood watching him, clutching her bloody hips. It was then that Alexei noticed the claw marks on her hips from his grip, the ground by her feet stained with her blood that trailed down her long legs. He hurt her; and for some reason, that hurt him - the human side of him at least.

"Get out of here Grey." His voice broke as he winced.

"But, Alexei-"

"I don't want to hurt you more! Leave! Go West-" He paused to breath as more bones broke and re-shifted, his finger pointing in the direction he spoke of. "You'll find Petra and the town there. Go back to New York."

Grey shook her head. "No. I'm not leaving you."

"You will leave me." Alexei looked at her, pleading with his eyes. "I won't be able to live with myself if I hurt you."

"It's not you!"

"I am one with this beast. I am as much a part of khishchnik as he is a part of me! Go!"

Grey grew angry, her hands moved to hold his cheeks as he cried out in pain again. She looked into his eyes, his human eyes as his body was halfway between man and beast. "I know there is good inside of you, Alexei. Don't let the darkness win."

He stared back at her, his body calming enough for Grey to think he won, that the beast was tamed but the snapping of his jaw beneath her palms made her stomach churn.

"Grey. Go!"

It took everything in her to not stay with him as he screamed and groaned through his shift. To force her legs to move was hard enough but making them run and not stop was draining her from just a few feet. Grey continued straight forward in the direction Alexei pointed, never once faltering from her straight path.

And as the trees disappeared and in their place was that abandoned barn in the backyard of Petra's home, a growl shook the earth, so menacing Grey swore it could've put the chill of winter back in the air. So she pushed on, not even realizing she was crying until she was banging on the back door with all her might. She didn't realize she was sobbing until the door swung open and she was looking a frightened Dimitri in the eyes.

"Grey?"

That was when the girl broke. She fell into his arms and let the sobs rip through her as he called for his grandmother and for Petra. She sobbed for herself, for putting herself in this situation and for Maksim who she left behind without a single glance. She sobbed for running from the beast, and she sobbed for staying this long. She sobbed at the thought of home, away from Russian soil, but mostly for the man she was falling for, the man who was cursed with a beast inside him that she feared with every fiber of her being.

"Poluchit' yeye vnutri!" The rough voice of Klara filled the air. "Do prikhoda khishchnik!"

In a swift motion, Grey was lifted into the air by Dimitri who was hushing her softly, whispering that everything was fine. She shivered at his touch that seemed cold and bland, nothing like his.

"Maksim. You have to go back for Maksim!" Grey was begging Dimitri as she was placed on the couch, just then remembering the eldest brother she found on the ground. Petra was rushing around locking doors and closing windows while Klara watched from behind Dimitri with tired eyes.

"Grey, calm down-"

"No!" Grey shoved Dimitri away as she continued to sob. "Please, you can't leave Maksim out there, he'll die!"

"Hush, girl." Klara stepped forward and used her free hand to cup Grey's cheek, the girl naturally leaning into her warm hand. "Oldest Volkov is strong. He survive."

"What if he doesn't?" Grey's voice broke and pity filled everyone's eyes.

"You still will."

Grey was silent for a moment, eyes taking in everyone before lingering on Petra who was crying. All of them were dressed in pajamas and their hair all messes, Grey realized it was the middle of the night and she filled with guilt as she turned back to Petra. She gave a sad smile towards her blonde haired friend before holding out her arms. Petra ran to Grey, wrapping their arms around one another as they both cried.

Petra kept repeating apologies over and over but Grey kept quieting her. "It's the past, Petra. Everything's fine."

Then Petra shot back, hands grabbing Grey's face. "Did he hurt you? I will kill him if he even tried to touch you, Grey, I-"

"I'm fine - I promise." Grey smiled at Petra before turning her eyes to Klara. "He's going to come for me before sunrise. When he does, I want you all locked somewhere safe -"

"Grey-"

"-I don't want anyone else getting hurt because of me."

"He knows not touch my family." Klara just about growled out. "After Ethen, I show him who is real beast here. He not kill another of my kin."

"And I won't let him touch you, Grey." Petra was filled with determination. "He won't get near you."

"No. You will all stay away if-I mean when he comes for me." The way Grey spoke made it hard to go against her. "You will not fight for me. You will let him take me."

"But Grey-"

"You will not put yourself in harms way for me. Understood?"

"As you wish."

~•~

TRANSLATIONS:
"Poluchit' yeye vnutri!"
Get her inside!

"Do prikhoda khishchnik!"
Before the arrival of the predator!