Chapter 46 - Sirens

- Nikolai Volkov:

The walk started peacefully, the kind of calm I hadn't felt in a long time.

The woods stretched out around us, quiet except for the crunch of leaves underfoot and the occasional chirp of a bird.

For a moment, I let myself relax.

Alexei walked beside me, his hands shoved into his jacket pockets, looking as casual as ever.

His sharp features softened in the dappled sunlight filtering through the trees, and his lips curved into a faint smirk as he glanced at me.

"So," he started, breaking the silence,

"how's it feel being out here instead of stuck in the tower? We left Dimitri to deal with Damon."

I rolled my eyes but couldn't help the laugh that escaped me. "Poor Dimitri. I think I've aged ten years after finding out how horrible Damon can be, this is a nice break from all the chaos."

Alexei chuckled, kicking a small rock off the path as we walked. "You know, if you were a human, you would have probably written a book about it someday. 'Living With a Psychopath: A Survivor's Guide.''

I laughed harder at that, the sound echoing in the quiet woods. "Chapter one: Don't talk to any man. Chapter two: Always hide the knives."

"Chapter three," Alexei added with a wicked grin, "never leave the house."

We both laughed, the tension from the last few days easing just a bit.

For a brief moment, it felt like things were normal again. Just two people walking and joking around.

We stepped out of the dragon's territory and onto the edge of the human realm's forest, where Damon's house now looked eerily different under the flashing red and blue lights of multiple police cars.

The sight made my stomach tighten.

There were four cars, parked randomly on the lawn, their doors open as uniformed officers moved with purpose, speaking into radios, huddling in small groups.

Some officers were speaking with my parents, their hands gesturing in frustration, while others were photographing the mess scattered around the front yard.

A deep sense of unease washed over me as I scanned the area.

This house is where my life and marriage were flipped upside down in one night.

I scanned the officers, hoping to catch a glimpse of someone I knew—hoping for answers—when I finally spotted Ava.

She was standing beside one of the officers, her face set in a mixture of frustration and concern.

She looked like she was crying as I could hear her talk to the officer " My friend, he hasn't come to work for more than a week. He is not picking up my calls, his husband is not here and please look at his house. Please do something and find him."

The poor girl is probably terrified because every single person that went missing around us, was never found again and nobody knew why.

Well, now I know why they were never found.

The moment Ava saw me, her face lit up with an unmistakable wave of relief. I felt my heart skip a beat.

"Ava!" I called out, taking a step forward.

Before I could say anything more, she rushed toward me, practically throwing herself into my arms.

Her embrace was tight as if she had been waiting for this moment to happen for days.

I could feel the tension in her shoulders, the worry that had been building up since the situation had started.

"Nikolai," she said, pulling back but keeping her hands on my arms. "I'm so glad you're okay. I've been trying to reach you. We've all been trying to find you. I reported you missing." Her voice cracked slightly, a mix of relief and exhaustion. "What happened? Where have you been? We've been worried sick."

I opened my mouth to respond, but I couldn't find the words.

What am I supposed to tell her now? Where to even start?

Before I could formulate a response, my mother and father as well as Damon's parents came rushing toward me.

Do Damon's parents know about their son's crimes? Do they know that their son killed their grandkids before they even came to this world?

Their faces were pale, their brows furrowed with concern, and their hands were outstretched, eager to pull me into their arms.

My father looked like he hadn't slept in days, his clothes wrinkled and untidy, while my mother's eyes were red, as if she'd been crying.

"Nikolai!" my mother cried, her voice thick with relief.

She wrapped her arms around me tightly, clutching me as though I might disappear the moment she let go. "Where have you been? We've been so worried! The house… It's a disaster. What's going on? Your friend Ava had the police here all day. Where is Damon?"

I let out a sigh, pulling back gently, and placing a hand on her shoulder. "Calm down, Mama," I said, trying to keep my voice steady. "I'm fine. I've been staying with a friend."

I glanced around at the officers, who were still moving in and out of the house, their radios crackling with orders.

The mess was undeniable—furniture overturned, windows broken, and objects scattered around the front yard like a scene from a nightmare.

I wanted to wonder what had happened, but I knew the answer already.

Damon and his anger.

The thought of Damon running wild, trashing the house, was terrifying.

But I couldn't let it show. Not now. Not when my family was here, and not when Ava was standing so close, watching me for a reaction.

"The house?" I repeated, forcing myself to sound surprised. "I have no idea. I mean… maybe someone broke in while Damon was gone, he is staying with a friend of his, outside the country." I shrugged, trying to look casual, even though my gut was twisting in knots.

I tried to sound convincing, but the truth hung over me like a shadow.

I couldn't say that Damon was the one who had caused the destruction, that he'd gone on a rampage when I ran away after finding out he was a crazy serial killer.

I couldn't tell them about his violent outbursts, the way his anger had been bubbling just beneath the surface, waiting for a moment to explode.

I could tell the truth to him or to my family.

My father stepped closer, his hands gripping my shoulders as he looked me over, his expression scrutinizing. "Nikolai, is there something you're not telling us?"

I swallowed hard, the weight of his gaze pressing down on me. I didn't want to lie. I didn't want to keep hiding the truth.

But I couldn't tell them. I couldn't tell anyone about Damon's truth, not when it was so volatile and unpredictable.

"No," I said quickly, forcing a smile that felt brittle on my lips. "There's nothing else to say. I told you, everything's fine."

But the words felt hollow. I was lying to my parents, to my in-laws, to Ava, to everyone who cared about me.

As the police continued to work in the background, taking photos and talking to the neighbors, I felt the crushing weight of guilt start to creep in.

Ava, still unconvinced, shot a glance at Alexei, who had been standing off to the side, looking unusually quiet.

He had his hands in his pockets, his posture relaxed, but there was a certain wariness in his eyes that told me he wasn't buying my story either.

"Who's your friend?" Ava asked, breaking the silence.

She turned to Alexei, her eyes narrowing slightly as she took in his unbothered demeanor.

Fuck, Alexei is too pretty and dreamy to be a human.

I opened my mouth to introduce him, but Alexei beat me to it. "I'm Alexei," he said with a smooth, easy smile. "Nikolai and I are friends."

I did not like the sound of this.

I don't want him to be my friend, but also we are officially together, and even if we were, we can't just simply tell everyone we're together when they know I'm married to Damon.

Ava raised an eyebrow, her eyes darting between Alexei and me. "Friends?" she repeated, her voice skeptical. "I didn't know you had any other friends besides your husband and me."

I love this woman, she thinks I replaced her with Alexei and also she purposely focused on the word 'husband' in case Alexei is trying to hit on me.

I almost laughed, only if she knows, only if you know, Ava about what we did yesterday, her mind would blow out.

Alexei chuckled, unperturbed. "Well, I guess you don't know everything about Nikolai, do you?"

Ava's lips pressed into a thin line as she studied him. She didn't seem entirely convinced, but she let it go, for now.

"So," she said, her voice a little sharper, "about Damon. You said he's out of the country with his friend?"

I nodded, feeling a lump in my throat. "Yeah. He went to visit a friend. He needed to get away for a while."

Ava's expression softened, but there was a hint of doubt in her eyes. "I hope he's okay," she said quietly.

But I could tell she didn't quite believe me.

The silence between us stretched for a moment, heavy with unasked questions and unspoken words.

Then, just as the weight of the situation seemed unbearable, my mother spoke up, her voice urgent.

"Nikolai," she said, her eyes scanning the officers as they worked. "We need to get inside to continue. And Ava, sweetheart let the police know that Nikolai and Damon are safe."

Ava didn't argue with Mom. She stepped toward the police while I glanced at Alexei who stroked my shoulder as if he was saying everything was going to be okay.

🕙 Limited free reading ends in 8d 2h 45m.