Konstantin: The Heartless Beta
16. She-Wolf

Konstantin

Fenriz shakes his head. “I don't know if it's such a good idea. Your mate will be here alone, and sheis so close to her due date already.” He says, looking at Kai with a raised eyebrow.

“Dimitri and Konstantin will be here-"

“Excuse the fuck out of me? Do you really think I'll stay here when we might have a step up in this?”I exclaim as soon as Kai says this bullshit.

Kai's chest rumbles as he tries to contain a growl and sighs. “Fine. For fuck sake. Let me speak withCaterina about this.” He then takes off towards the mansion, and I can hear him cursing all the way.Fenriz chuckles as he watches Kai with an amused look on his face. “I should mention that sinceCaterina is his mate, he will not lash out at her or do anything to harm the child.” He says, and I cansee Kai turn his head slightly.

“Those wives were just that; wives. None of them were my mates. They were all given to me tostrengthen accords which I have obviously shredded to pieces with their deaths. Caterina will befine, so will he.”

This puts me at ease, knowing Kai's beast won't do anything to harm Caterina. I know if anythinghad to happen to her because of him, he would tear this entire city down and take us all with him."Well, that's good to know,” I say, then follow my brother inside.

Is there ever going to be a day where I don't replace out something fucked up about everyone aroundme? It's like replaceing your mate ends up with so much fucking drama; I'm sure ordinary wolves don'tgo through so much shit.

Then again, The Volkov and Vega packs aren't exactly what you would call ordinary.

“Konstantin,” Fenriz walks up next to me. “Thank you for going through all of this for my sister.”

I stop walking when I reach the back steps, then turn to look at him. “I will do anything to have herby my side again, even if it means fighting a beast I know nothing about. She's my mate, Fenriz, andI owe it to her. I owe her so much more than this.” I say as a feeling of emptiness creeps into myheart again.

He nods, and a thin smile forms on his face. “When I meet my mate, I hope I feel the same way asyou and Kai feel over yours instead of causing another bloodbath. Especially since my beast nowknows her name.” He says, then runs up the steps and into the mansion.

More drama. Good thing this doesn't involve me; well, I fucking hope it doesn't anyway.

Instead of going to the SUV, I take a left and walk towards Lily's old home. I asked Kai to leave itempty in case she returned, but after almost six months of it standing vacant, the air about it feelshaunted.

As soon as I step inside, my wolf lets out a painful howl. I've had people in here to do a weeklyclean, but I can still detect her faint lavender scent from when she bounded in here after I claimedher.

I should have tried harder to make her stay; I should have stopped being such a coward and givenin to what I wanted. My mate stood in front of me for over ten years, and I didn’t do a thing aboutit.

Making my way towards her bed, I fall down on my stomach and inhale; trying to replace even thetiniest scent of her here, but I come up empty. It's only when I close my eyes that I realise that Irealise how absolutely exhausted I am.

/"Mate..."/

I try to open my eyes, but all I see is darkness, and when I try to speak, nothing comes out.

Then in the distance, I spot my wolf, his tail and ears alert and his hackles raised. He turns his headtowards me. /“Mate..."/ He says before bounding off happily.

That's when I see her; her coat may not be obsidian like mine, but its dark grey colour is one ofbeauty. I try to call out to her, but I am left choking on my words. Nothing is coming out. No words,I can't even move!

I watch as my wolf approaches her and nuzzles into her neck. For the first time since my wolfappeared to me, it seemed relaxed. His ears are back and tail between his legs to show submissionto his mate.

Then they both look at me, and my wolf huffs before they walk over to where I stood frozen./“Konstantin,”/ she says over the mind link, and I fall to my knees at the sound of it. I haven't heardher voice in so long, and to hear her say my name renders me to tears.

She pads over to me and lays her head on my shoulder. /“Lilith is no longer herself; you need tosave her,”/ she says through the link in Lily's voice.

It breaks my heart to hear her voice and not see her face, but hearing her voice is enough for now.

I look up at Lily's wolf. /“Do you know what's happening to her right now?"/ I ask, and she closes hereyes before baring her teeth.

/“She’s being consumed from the inside out by the demon she lays with. Whatever he’s doing toher, whatever hold he has on her is not allowing me to speak with her. She has been without mesince she left the pack.”/

/“What? She hasn't had you in over - she hasn't shifted in over five months?!"/ I exclaim, shockshaking me to my core. This is the worst thing for a wolf... if she hasn't shifted in so long, she will bea danger to herself and her child.

/“She hasn't; the serpent lying in wait stops me from even trying to communicate with her. All Iknow is that she is in danger and is drifting further away from her werewolf side. She's becomingmore like him every day, and I fear the next time we see her, she will have no need for meanymore.”/ Lily's wolf says with a whine, and I hear my wolf growl as he nuzzles her.

Something occurs to me then, something she just mentioned. /“More like him? What exactly do youmean by this? Do you know what Stefan is?"/ I ask.

Lily's wolf looks up at me and sadly nods her head. /“"He told her what she truly is as well, andbefore he pushed me out of her consciousness, he told her this is the reason she cannot refuse him.She is just like him; well, half of what he is anyway."/

/“Please tell me what that is!"/ I exclaim, literally begging on my knees as I look into the eyes of mymate's wolf.

/“She’s not a half-human wolf as we all thought, Lilith is a-"/

A green smoke suddenly appears around her wolf, and she distorts before she can tell me anythingfurther. Then she disappears with a painful howl right in front of our eyes. /“No!"/ I hear my wolfgrowl, causing me to snap out of my dream and jump out of bed.

/“We need to replace her!"/ My wolf roars, sniffing at the air and attempting to locate her scent, but Iknow it's futile.

/“We'll get her back; this will not be the last time we see her, that I promise you.”/

He lets out a low whine and then lays down with his ears flat against his head. I don't know what thefuck just happened, whether it was a dream or not, but I relay everything to Kai over the link.Something tells me that I need to let Kai, and only Kai, know about this.

/“I'm at the penthouse with Fenriz and Zephyr; meet us here.”/ My brother says, causing me tofrown, and when I look at my phone, I nearly shit myself.

I slept for over twelve hours. Twelve valuable hours wasted!

Running towards the mansion, I replace my SUV and haul ass out of there. But something bugs me onthe way to Kai's penthouse; how exactly did Lily's wolf speak to me if she’s no longer a part of thepack? How did she even make her way into my consciousness? Could this be a trap set up by Stefanto drive us onto a different path?

Fuck, I hate not being able to trust people. It is the worst fucking feeling in the world, and right now,I trusted no one but my family. Trusting the wrong people got two of our brothers killed; I won't letthat happen to my last two.