The scent of rain still lingers in the air as I wake, the soft weight of Lily pressed against me. For a moment, I don't move, my body unwilling to break the fragile peace of the morning. Her small fingers remain curled in the fabric of my blouse, even in sleep, as if afraid that letting go would mean losing me.
A foolish thing.
Because I am not something one should want to hold on to.
Yet, I don't pull away. Not yet.
The morning light filters through the curtains, casting a soft glow over the room. I let my fingers trace soothing circles against Lily's back, my mind already calculating the day ahead. I had struck a deal with Igo Vanyin, the kind of deal that leaves no room for regret.
Elias Volkova.
Kade's hidden brother. A weapon tucked away in the dark.
I would find him. And when I did, I would decide whether to wield him… or break him.
A soft knock at the door shatters the quiet.
I exhale and shift slightly, my movement gentle enough not to wake Lily as I glance towards the door. "Enter."
Elara steps inside, her usual composure in place, but her gaze flickers briefly to the child in my arms before returning to me. She carries a tray—tea, fresh fruit, a plate of toast, all meticulously arranged.
"You have a visitor," she says, voice measured. "He arrived just before dawn. I had him wait in the sitting room."
I arch a brow. "And you didn't wake me sooner?"
Her lips twitch, almost imperceptibly. "You looked… preoccupied."
I say nothing to that. Instead, I carefully disentangle Lily's grip from my blouse, shifting her onto the pillow beside me. She murmurs something incoherent in her sleep, but does not wake.
Elara watches, silent.
I rise, adjusting the silk robe draped over my nightgown, and step past her, my bare feet soundless against the floor. "Who is it?"
Elara follows me as I leave the room. "Damon Volkova."
I pause mid-step.
Damon.
The name settles in my chest like an old, half-healed wound, aching beneath the surface.
Of course.
I descend the grand staircase with practiced ease, masking the thoughts swirling in my mind. Damon had been circling closer ever since the Moon Banquet. His sudden visit was not unexpected—but the timing was… interesting.
Elara stops at the sitting room doors, watching me with that quiet, knowing gaze of hers. "Shall I prepare breakfast for your guest?"
I glance at her. "No need. I doubt he's here for pleasantries."
With that, I push open the doors.
Damon stands by the window, his back to me, the morning light casting sharp lines along his form. He's dressed in black, his usual effortless arrogance woven into every inch of him.
"To what do I owe the honor?" I say smoothly, stepping further into the room.
He turns at the sound of my voice, his silver eyes locking onto mine. There is something unreadable in them, something edged with restraint.
"You left the banquet early," he says.
I smirk. "Did you miss me?"
His jaw tenses, but he doesn't take the bait. "Kade has been restless. He thinks you're up to something."
I tilt my head, feigning curiosity. "And what do you think?"
Damon watches me for a long moment. "I think you made a deal last night."
I don't blink. "You've been keeping tabs on me."
He doesn't deny it.
My smirk widens, but my pulse remains steady. If Damon knew about my meeting with Igo, it meant he had his own spies in the underground.
That, or Igo had already begun playing both sides.
Either way, it didn't matter.
I cross the room, stepping close enough to catch the scent of him—smoky cedar and something sharp beneath it, something distinctly him. "Are you here to warn me, Damon? Or to stop me?"
His gaze flickers to my lips before snapping back up. "Neither. I'm here to make an offer."
Now, that was interesting.
I arch a brow. "Go on."
Damon takes a measured breath. "Stay away from Elias."
A slow, amused chuckle slips past my lips. "Oh, Damon. That's the worst offer I've heard in a while."
His expression darkens. "You don't know what you're getting into."
I step even closer, close enough that if I reached out, I could touch him. "And you do?"
His hand twitches at his side, as if resisting the urge to grab me. "I know he's not someone you can control."
I hum, tilting my head. "Who said I want to control him?"
Damon exhales sharply, running a hand through his hair. "You think Kade is dangerous?" His voice drops lower, quieter. "Elias is worse."
Something in his tone makes the air shift between us.
Not a warning.
A confession.
I study him, considering. If Elias was dangerous enough to make Damon Volkova—unshaken, unbreakable—hesitate, then that meant I had been right about one thing.
Elias Volkova was Kade's weakness.
Which meant he was also my greatest weapon.
I smile, slow and knowing. "Now, I have to meet him."
Damon curses under his breath. "Lilith—"
I lift a finger, pressing it against his lips before he can say more. His breath hitches.
"I appreciate your concern," I murmur, trailing my finger down, over the sharp line of his jaw. "Truly."
He doesn't move. Doesn't breathe.
Then, just as easily, I step back, my expression smooth and unreadable once more. "But I've already made my decision."
His fists clench at his sides. "You always have to play with fire, don't you?"
I smile. "Fire is the best way to burn a kingdom to the ground."
His gaze darkens, but he doesn't argue. He knows I won't change my mind.
Finally, he exhales and steps back, as if putting distance between us will help. It won't.
"You should at least be prepared," he mutters. "If you do go looking for Elias… you won't like what you find."
I arch a brow. "Now, that just makes me more curious."
Damon shakes his head, but there's something else in his eyes now. A flicker of something almost like… regret.
Then, without another word, he turns and walks out.
I watch him go, amusement curling at the edges of my lips.
So, Damon did fear Elias.
Which meant Kade feared him even more.
Good.
Because I wasn't looking for an ally.
I was looking for a monster.
I step into my bedroom and close the door behind me, exhaling slowly. The morning light filters through the curtains, painting the room in soft gold, but it does little to chase away the shadows clinging to my thoughts.
Stripping off my nightclothes, I move toward the wardrobe, reaching for a silk blouse when my fingers brush against something cold.
I glance down.
A photograph, slightly worn around the edges, buried beneath neatly folded fabrics.
My breath stills.
I pull it out carefully, the past staring back at me in frozen time.
My mother's dark, elegant features softened by laughter. My father standing strong beside her, the image of a leader. And my sister—so full of life, her mischievous smile frozen forever in this single moment.
Taken two months before they were slaughtered.
Before our pack was torn apart.
Before Damon Volkova led his warriors into our lands and reduced everything I loved to ash.
A sharp breath escapes me as memories surge forward like a crashing tide.
The chaos. The screams. The fire licking at the sky.
The moment Damon found me.
The way his eyes darkened with something unreadable as he claimed me as his mate, then stripped me of that title in the same breath.
The pain of his rejection. The agony of being left for dead.
I squeeze my eyes shut, gripping the photograph so tightly my knuckles turn white.
I should have died that night.
But I didn't.
I survived. I rebuilt. I became something stronger, something crueler.
And I swore, from the depths of my broken soul, that I would tear Damon Volkova's world apart.
I open my eyes, cold and unyielding.
He will lose everything. His power, his kingdom, his very name.
I will destroy him.
And when he finally kneels before me, bleeding, broken…
And I had a feeling I was about to find the one who would help me achieve this.