Chapter 86

Lionel’s POV

The voice on the other end of the phone was one I had not heard from in years.

Irina Farkas.

“Irina?” I ask soundlessly.

“Lionel, please. You have to come help me.” Irina pleads.

“Irina…I haven’t heard from you in a long time.” I stutter out uselessly. Feeling stumped at this reminder of her.

“I know. I know.” I hear the tears in her voice. It triggers my protective instincts to hear the distress in her voice.

“I’ll be there.” I announce firmly.

“Thank you. Please hurry.” Irina cries out.

She gives me the address after a few more reassurances. I hang up. My eyes staring into nothingness as memories of long past dance before my vision.

“Lionel? What was that about?” Nan’s concerned voice breaks my distraction.

I force a smile. “Someone I haven’t heard from in a very long time.”

I spot Nan’s considering expression. The way she takes in the perplexation in my slumped shoulders and lax hands. My smile becomes more genuine.

‘That’s Nan,’ I reflect warmly. ‘Always taking my needs into account.’

“It must have been someone you know pretty well. You don’t usually take calls from strangers so easily.” She voices.

I bark out a short laugh. “Yeah.”

“Who was it?” She asks curiously.

“It was my sister-in-law.” I blurt out all of a sudden. As though out of control from the surprise.

The words cause a silence to settle between us. All previous lightness sucked out of the room. My deceased wife’s unnamed presence lingering between us like a specter.

“It was...” Nan sounds as though she was slowly sounding out the words. Tasting them on her mouth.

“Katya’s little sister. Irina.” I confirm.

“Oh!” Nan breathes.

I am the one watcher her now. Unsure of her reaction. Katya is a topic we rarely touch.

“And she needs your help?” Nan questions.

“It sounds like it. It just took me off guard because I have not heard from her in years.” I reply.

Nan was quiet at that. Her expression going through multiple cycles too fast for me to get a good read on. I feel sliver of unease.

“Did she say what she needs help with?” Nan asks in a subdued voice.

My unease grows. It is not like Nan to be so reserved. I can’t quite make out what is causing her to pull back me.

“Not quite. Just that she needs me to come help her in person.” I acknowledge sheepishly.

Her eyebrows furrow. “That’s a little vague.”

“I’ll admit I that I wasn’t too focused on the details. Hearing her voice after all this time…” My words fail me.

The knit between her brows only deepens as she listens. A troubling expression bubbles as her lips press together tightly. Her hand moves to her unbound hair to lightly pinch the strands between her thumb and index finger.

It’s one of her tells that I’ve come to notice. Particularly when she is stressed or upset. Another sign that elicits apprehension.

“She hasn’t reached out to you in years. And now she wants your help?” Nan says with a strange tension.

Her scent has changed from light warmth to an intense mixture of sour and spicy. It’s a combination I have had yet to encounter within her. I even catch the slightest tick upwards in her heartbeat.

It’s strange. Yet somehow not unpleasant. Most of my attention wavers from the topic of Irina into figuring out this new scent…to uncovering the emotion behind it.

‘It’s so exciting to when I find out that I don’t know everything about Nan,’ I think. Like opening a singular present only to discover there is even more to unwrap within.

My answer comes out more than a little distracted. “She trusts me. I’ve known her since we were kids.”

The spicy, sour scent deepens. I inhale it subtly. The new scent tasting oddly appealing in the back of my throat.

“Oh? So she knows you pretty well then.” She says sharply.

Her grey eyes harden into flint. She crosses her arms over her chest. An unfriendly heat simmering within.

My wolf stirs at that. Enticed by her unconscious show of strength. ‘Mine,’ it growls.

“Yes, I guess so.” I reply unthinkingly.

She steps closer. Staring daggers into me. I try not to salivate at the sight.

“Just how well does she know you?” Nan’s voice is like the crack of a whip.

I struggle to form words at the sight of my future mate. Beautiful and commanding. Temptation manifested into a perfect, flesh form.

“Our families were really close growing up. We knew there would be a marriage alliance one day.” I say faintly.

That was both the worst and best way I could have replied. A darkness flits across her face. Her gorgeous red lips twist into an imitation of snarling wolf.

It makes me want to ravish her.

“I’m sure she enjoyed growing up around such a strong, powerful, handsome alpha.” She sneers.

That statement seems so strange to me. Out of place for the conversation taking place. I realize that the topic has completely gone off the rails.

“What does that have to do with anything?” I say in puzzlement.

She scoffs. “A young woman from your past calls you out of the blue for help and suddenly you want to running off to play dashing hero.”

I look at her incredulously. “That not…”

But then the implication hits me. ‘No…’ I think with wonder. ‘It can’t be.’

Her sudden intensity when I told her who it was. The strange quality to her new scent. The sudden aggression.

“You’re jealous.” I realize.

She jerks back as though stuck. “No.” She hisses back.

But that it telling in of itself.

“No, you are.” I counter. “Why else would you be reacting this way?”

“What’s there to be jealous of?” She smacks her lips at me. “Just go off and play hero to her already.”

A flattering glee overtakes me. It’s so different being on the other side of this. I feel heady mix pride and pleasure.

“Because that doesn’t sound like jealousy at all.” I tease lightly.

Her nostrils are flaring now. “Why the fuck would I be jealous over you running of to some other woman?!” Her clench fists belay her seething.

I decide that the situation has gone on long enough. I may enjoy her jealousy. But not at the cost of misunderstanding her position in my life.

“Nan.” I say softly. Walking forward to put my hands on her shoulders.

She pointedly does not relax at my touch. Glaring fiercely at some point past my shoulders. I shake my head at this wonderfully stubborn woman.

“Look at me.” I command. She does so in a glower.

“The only woman I want is you. Childhood friends or not. I just want to be yours.”

Her angry stare falters. “That’s all I want too.” She whispers.

I lightly tap her chin. “Irina is like a little sister to me. That’s all.”

She swallows. A bittersweet smile creeps on her face. “I was being kind of silly, wasn’t I?”

I shrug. “I probably wouldn’t take well to being in your place. It’s the wolf in me.”

She rolls her eyes. “Yeah, but I’m not a wolf.” She argues back.

“Maybe not. But you are as fierce and loving as any wolf I’ve ever met. Honestly, knowing you value me enough to be jealous made my day.”

She slaps my arm. “Don’t go getting a big head now.” She scolds.

Then she sighs. “I guess she must really need help if she’s reaching out after all this time.”

‘There’s that compassionate heart.’ I note.

“Yes, Irina has never been one to reach out unless it’s serious. She’s a very prideful child.” I say.

“Child…” Nan scoffs. Then her face softens.

She leans forward. Places a soft kiss to my cheek. “You better get going then.”

I squeeze her arms at the blessing from her. “I’ll be back.”

I go to leave, not seeing the possessive displeasure lingering in her eyes.

Third Person POV

The hidden person watching from the camera in his study scowls.

‘She needs to go,’ they think jealously. ‘I no longer find this entertaining.’

The reveal of that weak pup’s survival was irritating enough. But it was tolerable. They could always find ways to twist that particular secret to their own purpose.

But they had been watching that woman for a while now. She had served her purpose long ago. It was time to put the plan in action.

‘Let’s see how well their relationship handles this.’