Konstantin: The Heartless Beta

Konstantin

“Fuck,” I mutter when I see Fenriz’ Beta, Andreas, step forward. His eyes flash double gold irises, and he looks extremely pissed off - actually, they all looked pissed off right now.

These are Norwegian Lycans who settled in Vegas when their first Alpha came to the states a few hundred years ago. They don't worship the same Wolf God we do or used to, but the mate bond link seems to be pretty much the same.

“Konstantin,” he drawls, holding his outstretched hand to me as his irises meld into one. Scare tactic, I see.

“Andreas, I didn't expect a welcoming committee,” I say, to which he chuckles.

“Fenriz asked me to collect you. I believe this is your first time in Vegas, no?” He asks as we're led to a line of black motorcycles and one SUV.

"Yes, it's my first time here meeting with your pack,” I say, feeling really uneasy at the entire thing, but before I can ask why, Andreas has me up against the door of the SUV and slips silver handcuffs onto me. “What the fuck?!"

I hear Dimitri protesting as well before a hood is slipped over his head and he’s pushed into the back seat.

Andreas spins me around and claps my shoulders. “Relax, friend, we gave Kai the exact same treatment when he arrived. We like to keep our whereabouts a secret, so I'm afraid the following journey will, unfortunately, be a dark one for you.” He says before slipping a black hood over my head.

“Fucksakes, Kai, thanks for telling me about the Vega Welcoming Committee!” I exclaim over the mind link to my brother, but all I hear is a throaty chuckle.

“Sorry, brother, I wanted you to experience Vegas in its full glory as I did.” He says in an amused voice.

“Fuck you!”

“You're welcome.”

It felt like half an hour had passed before we eventually came to a stop. I can't smell anything out here except motor oil mixed with dry air, and when the hood gets taken off my head, I can see why. Settled in the middle of the fucking desert is a massive gated community - The Vega Pack’s estate. “Welcome to Las Vegas, Konstantin,” Andreas says with a smile after removing the handcuffs. He doesn't even flinch when he touches the silver, but I can hear and smell his skin burn. Fuck, what are these Lycans made of?

We hear a scuffle behind us, and I see Dimitri on the ground with another Vega warrior.

I roll my eyes. “Calm the fuck down; we're okay,” I say as I walk over to him and give him my hand, and he grabs my forearm to heave himself up.

“Easy for you to fucking say,” he grumbles, and I can't help but chuckle at his reaction.

“What happened to the non-violent, peaceful Dimitri?" I ask, but he simply gives me a huff as a response.

I shake my head; Dimitri truly is a drama queen. He should have been a damn woman instead. "Follow me,” Andreas says after a while. He leads us towards the largest place in the middle, which I am assuming is Fenriz' mansion. We pass what looks like a smaller version of the Roman Colosseum on the way there.

"Our fighting pits,” Andreas commented, and I am taken back to when Viktor brought Lilith to me the first time. She had mentioned she used to be a fighter.

"Did Lilith fight in those pits?” I ask, to which Andreas grumbles, and I take that as a yes.

When we reach the mansion, Andreas does a series of knocks before opening the large oak door. “Fenriz is waiting for you, and when we stop in front of the meeting chambers, you're to go in alone.” He says.

I look over at Dimitri, who has a defiant look on his face, but I nod to let him know that I am OK with this. After seeing what my mate has been through over the last few months, I'm ready for whatever Fenriz has planned for me.

Andreas stops in front of an intricate door and does the series of knocks again before opening and cocking his head for me to walk in. I nod at him, and Dimitri then step inside and close the door behind me.

I expect the office to be dark and more dungeon-like, but I am quite surprised when I step into a fairly average looking space. Bookshelves line the walls; there is an entertainment section to the left with a fireplace, three crystal decanters on a tall stand and two one-seater leather couches. Right in the middle of the office stood an antique desk with intricate carvings and ball-and-claw feet. “Konstantin,” I hear Fenriz’ cold voice, and my head snaps to the window where he is standing with his back to me.

I steady myself and walk towards the lycan Alpha. “Fenriz,” I say and watch as he slowly turns around to face me.

It never gets easy looking into permanent crimson eyes, but right now, Fenriz is looking at me with double irises. This can't be good.

He takes a step towards me, and before I can speak, he's in front of me. The last time I felt intimidation like this was when Kai killed Xamnir, and I have to admit that I am shitting my pants right now.

“I am guessing you are here because of Lilith,” he growls while I try to contain eye contact with an unhinged lycan known for killing his own fucking wives.

I nod. “Yes, I've found her.” I sputter, watching as his irises meld into one after I say this

He frowns and shakes his head. “If you've found her, then why are you here?”

Oh, boy. This is where I either get torn in half, my heart ripped out, or I get beheaded. I better choose my words, or I'll end up dead before I can rescue my mate.

“She's being held captive,” I say while taking a cautious step backwards. “I'm here because I need your help... She's with child, and it's... it's mine.”

I am bracing myself for inevitable death or forced removal of a limb, but it doesn't come. Instead, Fenriz falters backwards and looks at me as if I just told him he’s no longer an Alpha.

"What... what did you just say?” He says in a low voice while maintaining eye contact, then taking a step back from me, looking forlorn.

“She's pregnant, Fenriz; I saw her getting violated by a man who I didn't trust as soon as I laid my eyes on him,” I say through a growl, gritting my teeth so hard that I swear I heard them crack. “I claimed her, and she still left.”

Fenriz looks at me then sits on his desk while pinching the bridge of his nose. “I sent her there, thinking I was protecting her from her destiny, but it seems I might have just sent her right into it.” He says with a sad chuckle.

I frown, thinking back to when he mentioned “destiny’ the first time we spoke about Lily. “Destiny again? What is this about, Fenriz? Do you know something I don't?”

He shakes his head again. “It doesn't concern you-"

“Like fucking hell it doesn't!” I exclaimed, walking up to him. “She's my mate and pregnant with my child, Fenriz! I've already failed her once; I will not allow myself to fail again. Now, if you know something, you better speak up.”

Fenriz' eyes widen at my rant, but then a grin crosses his face, and he breathes out a sigh.

“The night Lilith was born, our witches all went into a frenzy, screaming, flailing about and bleeding from their eyes, noses and mouths. The head sorceress, and Lilith's mother's midwife at the time, went blind and cried out a prophecy before they all simultaneously died.” He starts.

"Wait, they all died the night Lily was born?”

Fenriz nods then chuckles. “Their hearts stopped at the same time. Never a dull moment in the Vega pack; someone always dies during a birth, and I'm not even joking when I say this. But with Lilith, everyone felt she was cursed and labelled her a blight on our pack name. It only made it worse when they found out she's scentless.”

So this is why Lily felt like she needed to fight to earn a name for herself?

"So what is this about fate and destiny? What prophecy did the sorceress utter?” I ask, feeling a little bit of deja vu, knowing how prophecies controlled Kai's life before he met Caterina. He fought against it, only for it to prove futile in the end.

Fenriz gives me a pained look and clenches his jaw tight. /“When the woman of night is no longer protected by the everlasting, and afterwards concealed or surrounded by a red serpent crown, two children will be borne of simultaneous love and lust, ushering forth the resurrection of a false god.”/ I hate these fucking prophecies.

“I don't get it?” I say with a frown, but Fenriz only shakes his head, then walks over to the entertainment area and pours two glasses of what I assume to be bourbon.

He hands me a glass then takes a sip. “Lilith’'s name means “belonging to the night, your name means constant or everlasting, am I correct?”

I nod slowly as realisation sets in. “When the woman of night is no longer protected by the everlasting... When Lilith is no longer under my care...”

"Exactly; why do you think I nearly killed you when you told me she left with her so-called mate?” Fenriz says, emptying his glass and pouring another.

It makes sense... it makes more than fucking sense.

“But “concealed or surrounded by a red serpent crown’... what..." I trail off, then pull out my phone to check on something.

Fury burns in my chest as I mentally tick off the names, and without thinking, I punch the wall above the fireplace and let out a roar.

“The one who has her is the one from the prophecy, yes?” Fenriz asks, and I nod, looking down at my bloodied fists.

"Stefan Russo, his full name literally fucking means to be surrounded by a red crown. But what... what the fuck does a serpent have to do with this? And two children?”

Fenriz shrugs. “That I am uncertain about, and it doesn’t help that my father had his wife killed after Lilith was born, so I can't even delve into their past. I'll come back to New York with you so we can discuss this in full with Kai-"

"Another thing,” I interject. “The night we met Stefan, the Beta from a rival pack warned me to leave before midnight. I didn't listen to him, but he managed to pick a fight with me so we could both be thrown out. I'm willing to bet they know a lot more about Stefan than they let on.” I say.

Fenriz looks at me, confused. “Which pack is this?”

"Hellfire Horsemen, they rule over DC and are as nasty as they come,” I say with a scoff, but as I look up at Fenriz, I see his double crimson irises are back.

“Oh, I know them very well,” he says, a growl reverberating from deep inside his chest and literally causing my wolf to slink away. He looks at me with a grin that makes my balls shrivel up inside of me. “Alpha Ryker's sister was my third bride.”

Fuck me.