~ISSA.
The city stretched out below my office window in a sprawl of lights and movement.
I barely noticed the view, though-the sight had long lost its appeal. Instead, my mind drifted, unwillingly, back to Yulia. Her scent lingered in the air, soft and warm, even hours after I’d dropped her off at Canis Academy. I knew it was just my mind playing tricks, but I could swear I still felt her presence beside me.
I leaned back in my chair, trying to focus on the code filling the screen in front of me. The lines of numbers and commands usually offered some sort of refuge, a place where logic ruled and there was no room for the complications of blood, bonds, or the maddening ache that seemed to settle in my chest every time I thought of her. But even the familiar rhythm of coding wasn’t enough to drown out the thoughts that plagued me.
Yulia was my Mate. A bond I hadn’t sought, a connection I wasn’t sure I could ever deserve or control. She didn’t know her own origins, didn’t understand what ran through her veins-or the danger she was in, just by being with me. The thought made my gut twist. I knew I should tell her everything, but some part of me recoiled at the idea, the thought of pushing her further away.
Within me, Iran stirred, his presence a dark, simmering storm that was never fully at rest.
‘You’re afraid,’ he taunted, his voice a low growl in my mind. ‘You think you can lock me inside forever, keep me leashed like some dog? Yulia is ours for the taking, whether you accept it or not.’
I clenched my fists, my nails digging into my palms. “You don’t understand, Iran,” I shot back, forcing myself to keep my voice calm, even though I knew he could sense every ounce of my frustration. “She’s not a conquest. She’s… different. I won’t ruin that.”
Iran let out a bark of laughter that echoed in my mind, cold and mocking. ‘Different? You’re a fool if you think denying me will keep her safe. She’s ours-body and soul. Stop fighting what we both know is inevitable.’
My jaw tightened, my fingers curling around the edge of my desk, but before I could respond, the glass door to my office slid open. A familiar scent filled the room-sharp, floral, and unmistakably Andrea Craven. I suppressed a groan.
Deucalion’s second daughter was the last person I wanted to deal with right now.
“Busy morning?” she asked, her voice a little too smooth, too practised.
She swept into the room, her heels clicking against the polished floor as she closed the door behind her. Dressed to kill in a tailored black dress that hugged her curves, Andrea radiated confidence, the kind that came from always getting what she wanted.
Except now.
Her gaze slid over me, her lips curving into a slow smile. “I’ve been trying to reach you. Are you avoiding me, Issa?”
I raised an eyebrow, keeping my tone calm and measured. “You’re not wrong.”
The bluntness of my response caught her off guard, a flicker of surprise flashing in her eyes. She recovered quickly, though, leaning back in the chair she’d just claimed without invitation.
“You’ve been spending a lot of time with that… girl,” she said, her voice laced with contempt. “Yulia, was it? Surely you know she can never give you what you truly want.”
My patience was wearing thin, but I kept my expression impassive. “And neither can I give you what you want, Andrea.”
Her eyes narrowed, a hint of anger flashing behind her polished exterior. “At least I understand you,” she replied, her voice dropping to a silky, almost conspiratorial tone. “I know the darkness that lives inside you. I accept it. I’m not afraid of it.”
‘I don’t want her,’Iran muttered in my mind, his voice filled with disgust. ‘This one is all yours, Issa. I have no desire to humour her.’
“Yulia’s not afraid, either,” I said, cutting through the silence between Andrea and me. “But unlike you, she doesn’t look at me like I’m some prize to be won.”
Andrea let out a soft laugh, but there was no warmth in it. “You think she can handle the real you? The bloodthirsty monster you keep hidden away? She’s just a girl, Issa. She doesn’t know what she’s dealing with. I do. I could be the one to understand you, to keep you balanced.”
I leaned back in my chair, my gaze hardening. “Balanced?” The word felt bitter on my tongue. “You don’t know me, Andrea. You know the version of me that you want to see, but that’s not the same as understanding. You want control, a sense of power. Yulia’s nothing like that, and I won’t risk hurting her just to satisfy your need for dominance.”
Her eyes flashed, a predatory glint beneath her polished surface. “Is that why you’re keeping your distance from her? You’re scared.” She leaned forward, her gaze intense. “You think if you get too close, you’ll lose control. Iran will break free, and she’ll see you for the monster you are.”
Her words struck a nerve, but I didn’t flinch. Instead, I met her gaze steadily. “At least I care enough about her to keep my distance. You and I both know you’re here because you want something-something I can’t and won’t give you.”
Andrea’s eyes narrowed. “I’ve known you longer than she has. I know the way your mind works, the things you keep hidden. And unlike her, I’m not naive enough to think there’s only light in you.” She leaned closer, her voice dropping to a near-whisper. “I can handle your darkness, Issa. I can handle Iran.”
‘She’s delusional,’ Iran sneered, his disgust nearly palpable. ‘If she only knew what I’d like to do to her for daring to stand in our way.’
I kept my voice steady as I addressed Andrea. “You have no idea what you’re talking about. And frankly, I don’t owe you an explanation. I have work to do, Andrea, and I don’t have time to entertain these… fantasies of yours.”
Her lips pressed together, her eyes narrowing in defiance. “This isn’t over, Issa. You can push me away all you want, but I’m not backing down. You’re mine, beast and all.”
Without waiting for a response, she stood up and walked toward the door, her heels clicking on the floor. She paused just before stepping out, casting one last look over her shoulder, her eyes sharp and calculating.
“Remember, Issa,” she said quietly, “I’m the only one who truly understands what you are.”
The door closed behind her with a soft click, and I let out a slow breath, feeling the tension ease from my shoulders as her presence faded.
‘Pathetic,’ Iran muttered. ‘You waste time with that one while our true Mate is left defenseless.’
I closed my eyes, my mind drifting back to Yulia, the way her scent lingered in the air, soft and haunting. She had no idea the storm she’d walked into, the darkness I carried inside, and yet, something in me wanted to believe she could handle it. That she could be the one to keep me from falling over the edge.
But the question was, could I keep myself from destroying her?
‘Time will tell,’ Iran said, his voice filled with dark amusement. ‘But remember this, Issa; I won’t be locked away forever.’
I opened my eyes, my gaze drifting back to the code on the screen, yet all I could see was Yulia’s face. The fear was still there, lingering in the back of my mind, but so was the pull-the relentless, undeniable pull toward the one woman I could never let go.