Eva stood at the edge of the Crescent Pack’s grounds, her hands clenched into fists at her sides. The air was still, the only sounds the distant howls of wolves and the occasional rustle of the wind in the trees. But the silence felt heavier tonight—oppressive, like the calm before a storm.
A note had arrived earlier, sealed with Vladymyr’s mark. The message was clear: Meet him alone, or face the consequences. And so here she was, standing at the designated spot in the forest, where the shadows seemed to stretch on forever.
Max, ever protective, had wanted to accompany her, but she had insisted that this was something she needed to face alone. She had never been one to bow to threats, and she wasn’t about to start now.
The ground beneath her feet shifted slightly, and from the shadows, Vladymyr emerged. His presence was unmistakable, the aura of ancient power that surrounded him sent a chill through her. He was tall, his features sharp, and his eyes glinted with a dangerous mix of amusement and malice. He was exactly how she remembered him—a reminder of a past she was determined to bury.
“You came alone,” Vladymyr said, his voice smooth, almost mocking.
Eva’s gaze remained unwavering, her jaw tight. “You wanted peace. I came to listen.”
Vladymyr chuckled darkly, taking a step closer. “Peace?” He let out a low, derisive laugh. “No. I’m offering something much more valuable. Immortality, for you and your legacy. The safety of your children—my children.” His eyes gleamed with a mixture of pride and entitlement. “All you need to do is give me what I want.”
Eva’s heart skipped a beat at the mention of her children. Silas, her vampire-blooded son. He was everything to her, and the thought of handing him over—of losing him—was more than she could bear. But she didn’t let her emotions show. Instead, she stood tall, staring him down.
“You think I’ll give him to you?” she said, her voice sharp. “You think that after everything you’ve done, I’ll hand my son over like some kind of… prize?”
Vladymyr’s eyes narrowed, a flicker of frustration crossing his features. “He is mine, Eva. He is of my blood, my legacy. It’s only right that he come back to me.”
Eva’s hand twitched at her side, but she remained still. “He is my son, Vladymyr. And you should’ve stayed banished, where you belonged. You never understood the bond between a mother and her children. You think they’re pawns. But my children aren’t pawns. They’re players.”
The words hung heavy in the air between them, an unspoken promise of everything she was willing to fight for. Her family. Her legacy. She wasn’t going to let him win.
Vladymyr’s gaze hardened, and for a brief moment, there was a flicker of something darker in his eyes. “You think you can stop me, Eva? You think you can protect them from me?” His voice grew colder, more dangerous. “I have the power of centuries behind me. And you? You’re just a wolf. A mother who can’t even see the game she’s caught in.”
Eva’s heart pounded in her chest, but she didn’t back down. She refused to let fear guide her actions. Her children were not a bargaining chip. Not anymore. “You can’t control me,” she said, her voice a low growl. “And you won’t control them.”
Vladymyr took another step forward, his eyes narrowing with a sense of inevitability. “Then you’ll lose them. You’ll lose everything. And you’ll have no one but yourself to blame.”
Eva’s blood boiled at the threat, but she stayed focused. “You think that by threatening me, by using my children against me, you’ll win? You think that offering me immortality will make me bend to your will?”
“I think you’ll do whatever it takes to protect them,” Vladymyr replied, his voice smooth. “And I think you’ll realize that the only way to keep them safe is by making a deal with me. It’s the only way forward, Eva.”
Eva took a deep breath, her thoughts flashing to her children. Caelum, her strong, wolf-born son, and Silas, her quiet, vampire-blooded child. She had spent so long fighting for them, protecting them from the world. But now, it felt like the world itself was closing in around her, threatening to tear everything apart.
The truth was, she wasn’t sure what the future held. But one thing she knew for certain was that she couldn’t—wouldn’t—allow Vladymyr to control their fate.
Without warning, she reached into her pocket and pulled out the small, delicate scroll. She unrolled it slowly, the parchment crackling slightly in the cold night air. Her eyes flicked down to the words written in Vladymyr’s elegant, old-fashioned script, the treaty he had promised her. A document that would have bound her to him, signed away her children’s freedom.
Eva’s eyes met Vladymyr’s one last time. There was no fear in her gaze, only cold resolve. She raised her hand, and with a single motion, she tossed the treaty into the fire at the altar of the Crescent Pack. The paper ignited instantly, curling into ash before his very eyes.
“No,” Vladymyr growled, his eyes flashing with fury. He took a step forward, but Eva stood her ground, her voice steady.
“You should’ve stayed banished,” she said, her voice ringing clear and strong in the stillness of the night. “My children aren’t pawns. They’re players.”
The flames consumed the treaty, turning it to dust, and with it, any hope he had of controlling her or her legacy. Eva’s heart raced, but she didn’t flinch. This was the only choice she could make.
