"Who's winning?" Bass purrs, his voice vibrating directly into my ear as he moves to take the seat beside me. I turn to observe his freshly showered appearance and smirk when I notice an equally refreshed Damir standing off to the side. His dark eyes are focused on the board, his body relaxed as he assesses the game.
"I can never tell with this game," I remark, impressed by Isla's sustained focus. Nearly an hour has passed in their near-silent match. The room is filled only with the sound of my admiration as I watch a delightful puppy montage on Facebook. Gotta love those fluffy little monster.
Bass leans forward, and I catch the scent of wood and bergamot as his dark eyes narrow while he observes the board. "Well, judging by the pieces remaining, I would say Alexei is about to go in for the kill."
Glancing at the chess set, I grimace seeing exactly what Bass has observed. Isla's white pieces are nearly depleted, leaving her with only a rook, two pawns, a queen, and her king. Leaning forward for a better view, I can't help but slap my leg in frustration when Isla moves her rook, putting her queen in jeopardy.
Noticing his opportunity, Alexei grins, his blue eyes filled with satisfaction. The room becomes eerily quiet as we await Alexei's next move, the tension palpable. Alexei reaches out with a gloved hand, moving his bishop to capture Isla's queen. "It appears you've made a mistake, Маленький волк," he remarks triumphantly, leaving Isla vulnerable without her most powerful piece.
To her credit, Isla doesn't react outwardly; her face remains blank except for her pursed lips. She sits back, closing her eyes slowly, her chest rising slightly with each breath.
"You're such a bully, Alexei," Bass chides, his focus now also on Isla, a wicked smile forming on his lips. Turning back to Bass, I frown when I notice a noticeable bulge in his trousers.
"Seriously, Bass!" I scold, exasperated.
Following the direction of where my gaze is, Bass shrugs, bites his bottom lip, heat flaring in his eyes, then returns his attention to Isla. "What can I say? I enjoy seeing women at a man's mercy."
Damir, maintaining his silence, adjusts his posture, displaying a hint of surprise on his face. Before I can ask about his reaction, Isla's eyes snap open. With an almost unfocused gaze, her small hand extends to her rook, guiding it several squares until it halts two squares beneath Alexei's king.
Looking up at Alexei, her gaze clearing, Isla smiles. Her dimples on full display, she tilts her head and sits back.
"Fottimi!" Bass exclaims, pushing himself up off the sofa and moving around to stand behind Alexei.
"Well done," Damir adds, his lips quirking into an almost smile.
I'm confused but I also rise, moving to stand behind Isla. Staring at the board, I'm still clueless about what's happened until I glance at Alexei. Shock and something else blazing in his blue irises.
Turning back to the board, I finally see it. Isla has managed to trap Alexei's king between her two pawns and her rook, resulting in a checkmate.
Alexei shakes his head several times, a smile replacing his look of shock. His white teeth flash as he stands, with Isla following suit. "How?" he asks, his words concise, but there is a trace of curiosity in them.
Isla reaches down to retrieve her backpack, situated beside her chair, and nibbles on her bottom lip. "You have a weakness. I exploited it."
Her words catch me off guard, and I nearly choke on my saliva. Though her tone remains composed, there's a sharp edge to it. "And what might that weakness be, Маленький волк?"
As Isla slings her backpack over her shoulder, she redirects her gaze to me. "You concentrate too much on the wrong thing."
"And where should my focus be?" Alexei persists, unwilling to let the matter drop.
Turning back to Alexei, Isla tilts her head and smiles, but she doesn't offer any further explanation.
I laugh at the confusion on Alexei's face. "Oh my God, this is priceless," I chuckle. "Someone has outsmarted you at your own game. Twice."
Alexei, still focused on Isla, gives an almost feral grin. "It seems I have underestimated you, Маленький волк. I look forward to a rematch."
Isla shrugs again and moves to stand beside me, whispering, "I'm tired. Can you take me to my room?"
I acknowledge her request with a glance and scan the den, noting the fixed gazes of the three men. Damir appears intrigued, Bass exudes lust, but it's Alexei who unnerves me. His eyes possess a calculating calmness, akin to dissecting a bug and discovering something unique.
Sensing the discomfort, I grasp Isla's arm and guide her through the side exit into the west wing. "Evening, boys," I bid them before closing the door.
"What the fuck was that?" I demand as we stride towards the Belle suite.
Trailing closely behind, Isla fiddles with the stap of her backpack, "I won."
"Yeah, I saw that, but how?" I halt in front of the double doors leading to our rooms, awaiting her response.
"He's too fixated on the queen when it's the most insignificant pieces that can make an empire fall."
***********************************************************
"I still can't believe you won," I repeat, sitting on her bed in the nursery. Both of us are in pajamas, Isla in her granny nightdress and myself in sleep shorts and a tank. Having shared a bed with Isla back in my apartment, I've adapted to wearing loose and comfortable clothing when I sleep.
Isla, sitting cross-legged, her laptop open and in front of her, sighs as she types. "What do you know of their heritage?" She deflects.
I blow a raspberry and lie down, resting my head on the soft pillow. "Not much," I start, then share what I do know.
Sebastian (Bass) Marchetti, about the same age as Alexei, is around 70 in human years. He's Adriano Marchetti's son, who was quite the big deal during his leadership days. Now, he's retired and chilling on his estate up north of Milan. Adriano's age is a bit of a mystery, but folks think he's pushing 500, putting him in the same league as Riam and Adrik.
As for Bass's mom, Nina, not much is known except that she passed away soon after having him.
Damir, 67, is three years younger than Alexei, and his background is a bit of a mystery. He was an orphan, taken in by Alexei's father, Dimitri, who raised him alongside Alexei. There are rumors about Damir's powerful lineage, but nothing solid is known.
Then there's Alexei, 70 years old, the son of Dimitri and Annabell Mikhailov. Annabelle, or Belle, passed away when Alexei was just a child, and no one knows what happened to Dimitri. He handed leadership over to Alexei 17 years ago, and since then, he's been MIA. Given the timeline and his ties to the facility, some suspect he met a fate similar to Viktor's.
As I share what I know with Isla, she responds with occasional murmurs of acknowledgment while typing away.
Turning on my side, I prop myself up on my elbow. "Whatcha doing?" I inquire, peering at her computer screen, which is filled with what appears to be code.
"Work," Isla replies, her fingers still dancing across the keyboard.
I sigh again and pull down the quilt, slipping underneath and pulling the thick blanket over me.
"What are you doing?" Isla echoes my earlier question, her attention still fixed on her screen as she continues to type.
"Going to sleep."
"In here?" Isla queries, and I understand her concern. This room, though comfortable, pales in comparison to the grandeur of the master bedroom.
"Yes," I mutter, already feeling drowsy.
I hear Isla exhale softly, and her typing continues, the rhythmic sound lulling me to sleep.
*************************************************************
"Wake up, sister," Isla sings, her hands tugging on the blanket and exposing my body.
"What time is it?" I mumble, turning and burying my face into the pillows.
"Just before sunrise."
I move my wrist and check my watch. The time is barely after 6:00 AM. "Why are you waking me?"
"It's time to run, sister." I turn my face and take in Isla's attire. Yep, she's wearing her. IM GOING TO KILL MY SISTER WITH EXERCISE clothes.
"I don't wanna." I moan and tug the blanket back over my body.
"It's good for you."
"Please, Isla, don't make me, not today." I plead, squinting back at her, "I promise we can do whatever you want later. Okay?"
Isla grins, "you are a shrewd bargainer sister, but I accept."
I roll back over and let sleep take hold.
**********************************************************
A blinding light floods the room, causing my eyes to open slowly. "Seriously, Isla, what the hell?"
"Cкучать Isla is currently in the library," Maria's voice clips, the sound of another drape opening coming shortly after, allowing more light to enter the room.
"Why do you hate me, Maria? I thought we were friends." I moan and push myself into a sitting position.
Maria ignores my complaining and moves around the room to open more drapes. I lift my hand and wipe the sleep from my eyes, glaring at the mischievous housekeeper. "Seriously, I thought we were tight?" I continue and swear I see her lips twitch.
"Rосподин Alexei has requested your presence in the dining room for breakfast within the hour. I am only here to assist in making sure that occurs."
"Evil Maria, I swear, sometimes I think you enjoy torturing me." I glare at her then groan when I see amusement in her eyes.
"I aim to serve," Maria replies in her monotone manner and exits the room.
I curse and locate my phone on the nightstand. Turning it on, I see a message from Ava and three missed calls, one also from Ava and two from an unknown number.
Deciding to read the text first, I open my messages and click on Ava's unopened one.
Call me. Shit has HIT the fan. A 7:00 AM
I switch to message bank and listen to the first call.
"Message received, Friday 30th December 1:11 AM."
"Mo Thine, need you. Come home..." I immediately recognize the gravelly tone as Fido's, knowing Liam must be asleep due to the late hour. I delete the call and wait for the next one.
"Message received, Friday 30th December 3:45 AM."
"Mo Thine, please, I hurt. Need you. Come home, I be good..." I flinch at the desperation in Fido's voice, my heart aching for him. After deleting the second call, I brace myself for the third one.
"Message received, Friday 30th December 6:55 AM."
"Why do you NEVER have your phone on when I need you to answer?" Ava gripes, frustration evident in her tone. "I need you to call me back ASAP." I delete her call and checked the time on my phone, 7:30 AM.
I dial Ava's number and she picks up on the second ring. "Took you long enough," she gripes.
"Well, good morning to you too," I retort. "What's up?"
Before Ava can respond, Griffin's voice comes through in the background. "I'm putting you on speaker."
"Morning, Griffin," I acknowledge. "What's going on?"
"Did Liam call you last night?" Griffin's tone is direct.
"Yes," I start, then correct myself, "actually, no, it was his wolf. But I didn't answer." I recall his warning. "Now, what's the situation?"
Ava sighs before Griffin explains, "Liam lost control last night. His beast tore up his room and attacked several clan members who tried to restrain him."
"Why would he do that?" I ask, though deep down, I already know.
"I think you may know the answer, Ciara," Griffin replies, hesitating.
"Just tell me straight," I urge.
"Liam's wolf has split from him, consciously, and is trying to find you," Griffin reveals, stirring something in my heart.
"How's that possible?
"We're not sure, but until Liam is mated to Roisin, he and his wolf will be at war," Griffin explains.
My stomach knots at the mention of Roisin. "What should I do?"
"That's up to you. Do you want to be with Liam?" Griffin asks bluntly, prompting a swirl of conflicting emotions.
"How?" I reply, knowing we aren't physically compatible.
"We know of a workaround," Griffin alludes to the knot. "We can help you with the contract."
"I can't do that to Alexei," I admit, feeling shattered. As much as I want to be with Liam, Alexei doesn't deserve death. "Also Liam's made it clear he doesn't want me like that."
"Ciara, Liam's only doing what's required of him as the future Alpha," Griffin explains. "But he would choose differently if he could."
The Alpha comment ignites a fire deep within me. Everything always comes down to that. FUCK BEING THE ALPHA!!! "Being Alpha shouldn't overshadow everything else," I retort, the pain evident in my voice.
"Ciara, you don't understand," Griffin tries to explain. "Leading the Mac Tíre Dubh is not a responsibility to take lightly. It can't be entrusted to just anyone."
"Then why don't you take over?" I snap.
I know I've overstepped when there is a moment of silence before he replies, his tone wavering. "I'm not a good leader, sister. The others wouldn't follow."
"Screw what they think," Ava interjects angrily. "You're a better leader than any of them, including Liam. And he knows it. Erin, just take your time to think about it."
"There's nothing to think about," I declare firmly. Alexei is my future, no matter how much my soul screams for another.
***************************************************************
Hello Readers...
As per my last chapter - I am going to be posting as quickly as I have time to edit and write - not my normal format, but a gift to you all before I remove the book.
Please still keep on commenting and leaving theories
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KnightWaters