**Viktor**

I couldn’t help as I leaned against his door, unable to convince myself to walk away after I sealed him inside. My wolf was raging in my chest despite the blood I had taken, and I knew it was sheer luck that it had been enough to hide what I was from Kira.

“A creature…” I repeated, unable to help how much his words had hurt to hear. A part of me understood they were reactive, a result of his fear from the trauma Virgil had pushed on both him and Amelia, but they hurt all the same. My free hand balled into a fist as I gripped my book tighter, unable to help my explosive anger as I thought of the vampire.

My mother had asked me to check in with the Alpha since the servants were going to Amber Sky for their shopping, and I had let Virgil go with us against my better judgment. I had thought he would behave himself since he knew I was present, but I should have known Rowan and Darren wouldn’t be able to keep track of him. As soon as I stepped out of the Alpha’s office and found him missing, Rowan had mumbled some excuse about Virgil stepping out for a breather. Even at that moment, I knew he had gone after Kira, and I nearly barked for the pair to find him as they fled from my anger.

To see Virgil and Rowan stepping out of the shop, I already knew he had tried something, but I wasn’t sure what until I saw the pair. To see the usually cheerful Amelia scared and clinging to her neck, the clear anger and fear in Kira’s eyes… it had taken all my self-control to step back outside. I gave Virgil no chance to speak as I grabbed him and used my shadows to travel back to the mansion. Pure chance had allowed us to manifest in front of my mother and prevented me from killing the vampire right there and then.

I finally forced myself to walk away from Kira’s door, reminding myself I needed to find Alora and ask her to deliver Kira’s food. My wolf whined in my mind, wanting nothing more than to stay and guard his door. To ensure no other would dare to touch our mate.

“If only I could,” I sighed aloud as I began for the sisters' chambers, knowing that’s where Alora would have taken her sister. The pair actually slept near my mother and I in the Northern wing of the house, and my heart still broke for the sisters as much as it raged for my mate. Amelia and Alora had already been through more than enough before they were brought here, and I growled softly with what I had allowed to happen. “I should have known better.”

“You’re not a mind reader, son,” I looked up quickly as I heard my mother’s voice, noticing that she had somehow gotten behind me. It wasn’t common for her to come to the southern wing, as her presence had a habit of putting the servants on edge when she came to their quarters. “You responded well enough.”

“It was my job to protect them,” I insisted, turning away from my mother’s eyes as my wolf raged and paced in my chest. That trash had touched my mate, had dared to attempt to mark him, to feed from him! “I should have killed Virgil. Nothing less than his death will atone for his crime.”

“What is bothering you, Viktor?” I jumped slightly as I felt my mother's hand on my shoulder, and that gentle touch quelled some of my anger. I closed my eyes as I took a deep breath, attempting to gain some level of control over myself. Our connection wasn’t even locked in place, and I already felt like I was losing my mind over Kira. I started to walk away from my mother’s touch, ashamed by my behavior in front of her. “It’s not like you to be so quick to anger.”

“I… I’m frustrated, mother,” I admitted as I heard her start to walk alongside me, and I did my best not to show my anger. “I could have done so much more. Amelia didn’t deserve to have Virgil violate her like that.”

“Neither did Kira,” I reflectively gripped my book tighter with my mother’s words, and I felt her touch my shoulder again as we finally reached the courtyard. It was empty this early in the morning, and I turned as she pushed on me slightly. She was watching me with concern, and I soon looked away, unable to meet her scrutiny. “They are the reason you’re so upset, aren't they?”

“I–”

“Are they your mate?” I froze with my mother’s words, feeling transparent as we stood in the silent night air. I heard as she sighed, finally finding the courage to look at her face again as my mother looked up to me with a small smile. I couldn’t tell what was going on in her mind, but she was watching me with the same patience and kindness she gave everyone in the house. She said nothing as she waited for me to answer her question and I sighed, cradling the book in my hand as I closed my eyes.

“Yes, mother. It’s him.”

“Do they know?”

“No... yes… not really?” I admitted, sitting down on one of the benches as my mother sat beside me. She kept her hand on my shoulder as I groaned, playing with the book in my hands. “I happened to see him in his room when I was decorating the gazebo, but the glass kept us from making true eye contact. I… didn’t know how to explain to him what I am, so I… asked the house for help.”

“How?”

“The purple journal, he has a matching book. It lets us write to each other,” I explained, almost wishing I could go back to my room to retrieve it. Was he writing to me? Would he attempt to tell me what had happened in town, or would he hide it from his mate? “Kira… thinks I’m just another wolf who works in the house. Drinking blood lets me suppress my wolf enough to keep him from feeling the connection when I’m around him.”

“I noticed you have been drinking more lately,” my mother remarked, and I scoffed as I gripped the book tightly.

“And I almost gave myself away tonight. Seeing the fear and anger in Kira’s eyes, I didn’t know what Virgil had done, but I knew I wanted to kill him for it. Knowing what he did, I want to do worse than kill him,” I growled, not bothered by the animalistic sound that came from my mouth. “If we hadn’t appeared in front of you, I would have shifted and killed him right there in the hall.”

“Your first shift should not be to take a life,” my mother offered gently, and I turned away, not wanting her to see my face. I knew she was right; I didn’t want to shift for that reason either, but that was the effect Kira had on me. How much the connection affected my emotions and logic. “What does he think?”

“Kira wants to leave. He said he has to do what’s best for him,” I whined, my anger quickly changing to longing and fear. “He wants to feel safe, and I wanted to convince him that he was safe here. Now I’m worried he’ll never want to stay.”

“Viktor–”

“He called me a monster like Virgil,” I groaned, the pain filling my chest again as my wolf whined. We didn’t want this feeling. “I don’t know what to do.”

“Viktor.” My mother repeated and I turned to face her as she pushed on my shoulder again, feeling like a child even as I looked down at her. She had an empathetic smile on her face, gently reaching to caress my cheek. “You are so much like your father.

“He pinned for me much in the same way you pin for Kira, and I’m proud of you for not forcing him into the connection,” my mother beamed, and I couldn’t help the small smile that came to my lips with her praise. She looked away to the fountain and I followed her gaze, watching as the water flowed over the stone. The fountain always took the shape of the current King or Queen and I had seen paintings of when the fountain had been of my mother alone. She looked so much happier in this version, held in the arms of the man who had loved her with everything. “Give it time, and let him recover, but you need to tell them the truth.”

“Moth–”

“It will not serve you to hide it,” she continued, still staring at the fountain as she spoke softly. I sighed with resignation, knowing that she was right. Regardless of intention, a lie was still a lie, and I knew eventually someone would tell Kira I was a hybrid. It would be better for me to tell him myself, but I still didn’t know how. I looked up as my mother stood, gracefully moving toward the northern wing of the house. “I will send Kiara to deliver their meals. Alora and Amelia are relieved from duty for a few days.”

“Thank you,” I whispered softly, still sitting on the bench as my mother simply kept walking. She had seen through me effortlessly, but at least it seemed she approved of Kira. I looked down at the book I held, unable to even focus on the title. Every fiber of my being wanted to return to his room, to stand guard over him, but I forced myself to stand and walk to my own.