"You are enough to drive a saint to madness or a king to his knees." - Grace Willows
•
Hot air blows out of Valen's nose when he recognises the intentions brewing in her gaze. He slowly shakes his head, but it doesn't deter Alia's lewd imaginings as her breaths deepen and her eyes lose their focus.
Deep and guttural, Valen's voice is purely animalistic when he tells her, "No."
She tilts her head. "Scared you'll like it?"
One of his large, clawed hands reaches for her face just as he lowers his head to look at her better. His hand spans the size of her head, claws able to slice through skin like a knife in butter. Two claws gently press underneath her jaw, guiding her head back to acknowledge how big he truly is.
"You're half my size," he says, voice only managing to make her gaze blacken even further. "It's not happening."
She moistens her lips and takes hold of his hand, guiding her cheek into his palm. "Don't worry," she whispers, eyes heated. "I can take it."
Valen's breathing deepens, and it takes him a moment to regain his faltering composure. His hand doesn't move from her cheek as he shifts back into his non-primal form. Golden, hungry eyes meet hers, and his voice is a sinful murmur when he says, "Remember that when you begin to plead."
"If I plead," she tells him, "it won't be for you to stop."
His jaw ticks as he looks at her, and then his hand moves to her throat. Thumb pressing against her jaw, he guides her head back as he lowers his mouth towards hers. Heat travels through her skin, brows furrowing with need. "Handle me as is," he murmurs, "and I'll do as you wish."
An anticipatory rumble sounds inside her chest, and her stomach begins to tremble with a sickening and almost debilitating desire.
"But if you fail," he continues, mouth moving towards her ear. "You will do something for me instead."
Alia places her hands on his hard chest and closes her eyes when his warm breath glides across his mark. She doesn't bother asking him what he wants, because she knows she'll be able to succeed.
Very well.
So, she nods. His hands move to the front of her trousers, unbuttoning them. Her arms wrap around his neck as she breathes in his scent. Her stomach trembles when she feels his fingers brush against her skin after he unzips her.
He gently bites her neck, hands moving underneath her shirt as he caresses her skin. He smiles when she sighs, already tasting victory.
16:27
Alia's lungs stop working when Valen's words finally settle in. She shakes her head, refusing to accept them. "You can't," she says. "Y-you can't leave me for three days."
They stand in their living room with Fenrir lying in front of the couch. A line is in between Valen's brows as he looks down at her, frowning but resolute.
"I have a responsibility to uphold," he explains. "Gamma requires my assistance in sector nine, and you know I don't wish to disappoint him."
"When you said I had to do something for you, I didn't think you'd mean this." Tears fill her eyes. "How can you expect me to leave your side when memories haunt your nights in my absence."
Valen exhales deeply, dreading the reality of the next three days. "You agreed to my terms," he reminds her. "I need you not to fight me on this."
She runs a hand through her hair and turns her head away from him. "I would have never—" her voice breaks. "I would have never agreed to those terms if I knew this was the outcome."
His frown deepens, and he takes a step towards her. She shakes her head and wipes her eyes with the heel of her hand. "I know," he says gently. "It's why I said it the way I did."
"This isn't fair," she says weakly, eyes meeting his. "Why can't I come with you?"
"Because, coming with me will highlight my presence in sector nine, and it will let those who wish to cause harm in sector three, know that I won't be here to stop them." He brings a hand to her face, thumb wiping a straying tear. "The days will pass, and I will return to you as if I never left."
Her eyes redden, chin trembling. Just the thought of not being enveloped by his warmth, his touch, for three days is enough to make her heart clench painfully in her chest. She doesn't want to be apart from him. She doesn't want to sleep without him by her side. "But I promised you," she whispers. "I promised you you'd never sleep alone again."
He nods, the line between his brows deepening. "I know."
She leans her cheek into his palm, hand covering his. For a moment, she closes her eyes and basks in the warmth of his touch. She remembers when he was bound by golden rays, unconscious and unmoving for days, before he disappeared into the forest where he resembled an empty remnant of himself. She couldn't bear his absence even whilst he was in reach of her, and just the thought of him not being in reach has fear invading her veins.
Not one night has passed without him by her side, and never did she think it'd change.
"When do you leave?"
Valen takes a deep breath, hating the tears in her eyes. "Tonight," he says.
Alia brings her other hand to her face and begins to cry. She's smoothly guided into Valen's embrace whilst a powerful ache blooms in his chest. "I don't want you to go," she whines. "I don't want to spend a day without you."
He sighs whilst one of his hands finds itself in her hair. "If you keep crying I'll have to tell Gamma to go fuck himself."
That makes her laugh a little, but the tears continue to fall. "I feel like a child," she admits. "I know it's only three days but I don't think I can bear it."
He can't help but smile. "You'll miss me that much?"
She doesn't have the strength to speak, so she looks up at him and nods with tear-streaked cheeks instead. His gaze softens as he looks down at her, and he can't help but bask in the feeling of being loved.
The first night alone was dreadful for both of them. Alia lay restlessly in their bed whilst she tried to resist another onslaught of tears, whilst Valen sat on the edge of an unfamiliar bed with his head in his hand. Neither of them could sleep, gazes searching for a body that wasn't there.
Alia ended up walking through the warm night with Fenrir by her side before sitting against an orange-leaf tree to watch the stars disappear as the sun rose. The wolf was given strict orders to accompany her everywhere, and neither of them minded the arrangement as they took comfort in each other's company. His presence startled a few wolves who walked past her in the early morning, but she didn't care. All she could do was rest her head against the tree and blankly stare at the sky whilst he lay at her feet.
When Valen met with Gamma, he was given a black mask to cover the lower half of his face, whilst blue contacts concealed his most striking feature. He didn't speak once, not to Gamma or even the group of wolves he was tasked to infiltrate and kill. But that changed when they began to question how he knew the informant he stood beside.
His glare was potent as he met the eyes of the group leader in an abandoned warehouse located near the forest edge of sector nine. Water dripped from the ceiling onto the concrete floor, broken windows allowing warm air to fill the damp one-storey building. Rusted metal walls surrounded them whilst defective machinery lay scattered across the vicinity. Twelve men stood around a steel table that sat the blonde leader, armed with blades as they wore black clothing and face masks similar to Valen's. They tried to resemble the image of strength and intimidation, but Valen's slicing glare had them all flinching.
"My business with Kirill is of no importance to you," Valen warns lowly. "Just as your proceedings are of no importance to me."
The male averted his gaze, feigning disinterest. "Very well," he muttered. "Kirill tells me you travelled from Kanadas for this job. Why take a request from a distant Pack?"
Valen looks at Kirill, unamused. "You told me this man was competent."
"I—" the blonde blurted, insulted. "I just wish to confirm whether or not I can trust you."
Valen raised a brow. "Why do you want to trust me? Do you wish to be friends?"
That silenced the male, who clenched his jaw and adjusted the collar of his black long sleeve out of embarrassment. He beckoned one of his men closer. "Just bring the fucking folder."
Valen looked at Kirill. "If he shows me a picture of the Gamma, I'll have your head."
Kirill paled and forced himself to look forward. He knew of Valen's identity but he still found himself shrinking under his dominating gaze.
The blonde looked at Valen just as a folder was placed on the table. "Are you saying you can't kill a Gamma?"
"I will not kill this one," he asserted. "I know of his pet, and trying to get rid of them both will cost five times the amount you proposed."
The blonde leaned back in his chair with a raised brow. "You know of Valen Volkov?"
"I do not know names, but wolves talk. And I am not ignorant to the fact that you fear him."
The male released a fake laugh, feigning amusement. "I don't—" His words ran dry when he felt Valen's cold gaze drilling through his false portrayal of confidence. "Whatever," he muttered under his breath.
He waved his hand and one of his men opened the folder. A picture of Yaro was taken out and placed before him, and it took all of his strength not to lunge forward and tear out the blonde's throat.
"Word is that he will be taking over this sector in the near future," the blonde said, motioning towards his men. "We've spent months without a General and we don't particularly wish to have another one. So, he'll have to go."
A furious tension travelled through Valen's arms. Alek, one of the two Generals he killed for incompetence, was the previous General of this sector. Clearly, his incompetence spread to more than just the training of Warriors as he missed the signs of this group's creation. And now Valen must deal with the consequences.
"Is he Titled?" Valen asked, feigning ignorance. He picked up the folder which contained documents pertaining to the living location of Yaro, along with his usual daily activities.
"Newly," the blonde confirmed.
"Then it'll cost double."
"Double?!" The male stood and pulled the folder out of Valen's hands. "I'm already giving you ten thousand!"
Valen stepped forward and yanked the male towards him by the front of his shirt. His body was pulled over the table whilst his men grabbed blades, ready to intervene. Fear flickered in the blonde's gaze as Valen's murderous ones sliced into them. "You wish for me to kill a wolf who has the entire Pack's eyes on him. You will give me double or I will have your fucking head instead." His voice lowered. "I can have you headless before any one of your men takes a step towards me. So tell me, how much do you value your own life? Because that's what you're paying to save."
Valen tossed the male away from him, causing his body to crash onto the table and slam onto the ground with a stifled groan. The General grabbed the picture and folder and walked out of the warehouse without another word.
Imbeciles.
That night, Valen and Gamma discussed their next steps deep in the forest bordering sector nine. They decided to keep Yaro ignorant of the ordeal to ensure everything was as believable as possible. The General shook his head whilst they spoke, swearing that he'd make the blonde suffer for wishing to harm one of his men — a man who his mate cares for, and who would undoubtedly become upset if harm came to him.
Christian didn't care about what Valen wanted to do to them, as long as he killed them all by the second sunrise.
Yaro had been moved to sector nine after the Trials, tasked with getting used to the sector and its people before he'd be formally handed the role. The pair agreed upon capturing and binding the brown-eyed male the following night, opting to use the cover of darkness to conceal all movements from prying eyes.
Yaro tried to fight back when he was awoken from his slumber, but Valen just grabbed his head and slammed it into a wall to render him unconscious before he could do so. Blood trailed down the male's skull whilst Valen bound his ankles together, along with his hands behind his back, and threw him over his shoulder, blindfolded. The General felt incredibly displeased with the situation, finding it similar to how he used to be treated.
When he reached the group's 'headquarters' — the top floor apartment of a residential building — an hour later, he rolled his eyes and knocked on the door whilst Yaro began to stir awake. The address was printed on one of the pages in the folder, instructing him to bring Yaro's dead body as proof for payment.
The door was pulled open by one of the blonde's men, who looked at Yaro's groaning body with wide eyes. Valen pushed past him and into the living room where sixteen other men moved to their feet at his presence.
The blonde's angered words reached Valen's ears along with a silent Yaro's. "You were supposed to kill him before you brought him here."
Valen drops Yaro's body at his feet, and the male grunts when his body slams onto the carpet floor. "Pay me, and then I'll kill him."
Yaro's anger faltered at the familiar voice, but then he shook his head with a growl, rejecting the idea entirely. Valen's dominating presence was completely withdrawn, and his scent had been masked with a potent body spray concocted by trusted scientists. His entire identity was unfamiliar to those around him, and Yaro refused to even entertain the thought that Valen would be involved in such a thing.
"Pay you?! You've ruined the entire fucking job!"
Valen raised a brow. "He's bound and at my feet. Pay me before I follow through with my previous promise."
The blonde took a deep breath and adjusted his jaw. "Fine." He motioned a male forward. "Give him the money."
Valen took a money-filled envelope from the male's hand before Yaro began to laugh. They all, except Valen, looked down at him as if he'd grown two heads.
"What's so funny?" The blonde asked, whilst Valen opened the envelope and began counting the notes inside.
Yaro sighed, elated. "I'm just thinking about what Valen's going to do to you when he finds out about this."
The blonde bristled at his words. "He's in sector three. He won't find out."
"Won't he?" Yaro smiled. "That man hears everything. You're all going to be dead by morning."
Valen fought back amusement and shoved the envelope into one of his combat trouser pockets.
"How could he possibly—"
Yaro screamed, which sent the blonde's boot into his face. "Quiet!" he hissed, fear filling his gaze whilst Yaro spat out blood with another laugh, blood staining his teeth. The blonde looked at Valen. "Fucking kill him already!"
"I want another ten."
"Oh, for fu— I just gave you twenty!"
"That was the price before he screamed," Valen said. "Now Valen's going to come for him, and I have to deal with it."
"Who says he fucking heard him? He's on the opposite side of Rosía, no one hears that far."
"I heard him."
The male tilted his head, dumbfounded. "What?"
Valen just stared at him and then the room became awfully silent.
"You... you—"
Valen didn't stop looking at the blonde when he said, "For two days, you have kept me from my mate." He took off his mask and released the tension within his neck, startling the wolves inside the living room. "I don't particularly like being kept from what's mine. Isn't that right, Yaro?"
Yaro grins, finally recognising the General and his intentions after his presence slithers into the room. "Oh, completely."
The paling group barely managed to run towards the door before Valen lunged for them with lengthened claws. Their horrified screams tore through the entire sleeping sector whilst Yaro revelled in the sound of tearing flesh, the scent of blood filling his nose. Blood sprayed against walls, whilst torn limbs quickly followed. Heads rolled, and chests bled, devoid of hearts as he crushed the red organs in his hand. The floor was a thick crimson as unrecognisable bodies decorated the stained furniture around the two remaining men.
Valen's rage was multiplied by the torment he's felt for being away from Alia for two sleepless nights. He happily let them know of it as he swiftly crushed skulls and slashed faces. He wanted them to feel pain, an agonising pain that could barely resemble the misery he felt from being away from his love. She was always on his mind, day and night, and her photos on his phone was the only thing that kept him from spiralling entirely.
Yaro's skin was covered in blood, but it wasn't even close to how Valen appeared. Not a single inch of his skin wasn't stained by the slain men, and it didn't really bother him until after he unbound and unblindfolded Yaro.
"Apologies for—" Valen motioned towards the sliced rope. "I had to make it believable."
Yaro's wide eyes just stared at him. "Oh. That's okay." Then he finally looked at the living room. "Fucking hell, how many did you kill?!"
"Seventeen." Valen threw two limbless torsos over his shoulder and began walking towards the front door. "Now stop gawking and help me with the bodies."
Yaro didn't have to be told twice.
After three hours, all of the group's remains were taken to a nearby clearing to be displayed on wooden stakes. Gamma hammered two dozen into the ground when Valen took Yaro into the apartment, and he'd been sitting beside them ever since.
Christian patted Yaro on the back when he appeared, smiling at the newly Titled male. "How does it feel being a General?"
Yaro scratched the back of his neck with an awkward laugh. "Is this a regular occurrence?"
"Oh no." Gamma shakes his head. "You'll kill them before it ever gets to this point."
Valen began walking towards the forest, already sick of the sector. "Arrange for a plane," he demanded. "I'm not staying here any longer."
Hours pass, with Valen managing to wipe his face and hands clean with a towel on the plane, and eventually he's back in the forest bordering Veuross. For three nights, he hasn't slept, and the fatigue is slowly creeping up to him. His body aches, and his skin is covered in scents other than the one he wishes for most.
All he can think about, and has thought about, is Alia.
Her face, her touch, her scent. Even now, everything about her is invading his mind like the air he breathes.
He couldn't lay in bed without thinking about her, remembering the way her body would curl against his every night. He would daydream about her lips on his, hands in his hair whilst he had her underneath him. It was torturous, visualising her without being able to touch her, hear her.
Hours would pass with him swiping through photos of her on his phone, unable to text or call his beloved from fear of his messages being intercepted. It affected him more than he thought it would, and eventually, he began to snap at his Gamma when they discussed plans the day prior. Anger bubbled through him as his nights remained cold and his body became void of Alia's scent.
He trudges through the golden forest for hours with tension flowing through his muscles, unable to think clearly at all. He doesn't register Alia's scent, nor does he register Fenrir's. Only when he looks up after walking out of the tree line, does he see his woman sitting beside his son. A white sundress with red roses covers her body, and it makes his knees weaken.
The air inside his lungs leaves him just as his heart begins to race. Alia's words to Fenrir fall short when she takes sight of him, and then she's on her feet and running towards him like her life depends on it.
The bloodied male releases a breath, tension leaving him as he reaches for her. "Come here," he rasps, just as she jumps into his embrace. One of his hands is in her hair whilst the other arm is wrapped around her waist. He breathes in her scent, eyes closed as she begins to cry.
•
Long one 🫡
The mask is giving Bucky energy and I'm so here for it. Also Astarion is so Valen coded it's not even funny. Yummy yum yum yum
Studying grind has begun so if I update any time in the next few weeks SHAME ME. Thank you all for your supportive comments, hopefully everything goes well 🤞🏼🤞🏼🫶🏻🫶🏻
Alexa, play "Supernatural" by Ariana Grande 😮💨