Second Assault — Bond And Treason — novel Chapter 21

Monday, April 15th. Oriol facilities, 10:25 a.m.

ALEXEI

We've been staying here for two days.

This facility has twice the security standards of Moscow. Contrary to a mansion as many would expect, the place looks more like a very advanced and exaggeratedly guarded military base and is not far from reality. Inside, though, the story is different.

Quite similar in its interior to The Mansion, it has a series of corridors, rooms, halls and gymnasiums properly adapted to fulfill any need.

There are almost no windows and the exits are limited. Bearing in mind that there is only one door at the front, quite narrow, and a panel at the back meticulously camouflaged and heavily guarded. Plus a small underground passage just below the living room desk that I designated as my new office.

After I managed to get hold of the property, I had it built this way in case of an extreme emergency, which I believe we are now. When we finally arrived on Friday, late at night, I made sure to leave Xander inside the vehicle while my men moved quickly to secure the perimeter and unload the trucks.

After that, the focus was on making the place habitable. Between Nikon and Adrik, the orders to the henchmen were assigned with speed and efficiency, Yaakov helped a very stressed Lev to carefully manipulate things when they were lowered from the cars.

Derek was stuck like gum to Xander, under my detailed specifications. And although the view was not the most pleasant, I forced myself to tolerate it.

Something happened that surprised me and made me happy at the same time. Everyone gave a warm welcome to Xander, albeit with a proper and respected distance after I made sure to leave that point clear when they heard about his rescue. Lev wanted to hug him desperately, but he stood firm and on the side, even though that wasn't the case with my brother.

Like a lightning bolt, he went and held Xander in the arms, even though his little body became rigid at once and tried to sneak away, in the end, he gave in and both of them cried for a long time, holding each other.

The scene moved me deeply. Right there, I saw two of the most important people in my life, rocking slightly on the spot as they let their restrained emotions flow freely. It was really beautiful and at the same time irreparably sad, considering the circumstances.

—Are you sure you want to do that? — My cousin consults me, obviously concerned —. I mean, I appreciate him rescuing Xander, but I still don't think we should fully trust him, Magnus.

—I know, but he's on the way. There's nothing to be done anymore — I feel his footsteps accelerating behind mine as we head to the meeting room for another reunion with the other members of The Gang —. My debt to him is immense, Yaak. He rescued Xander, offered him medical assistance, and didn't use him as a tool to take advantage. I am deeply grateful and I will never be able to pay him back for all he did for us.

—I understand, Magnus. But... — running a hand through his hair, pulling the strands between the fingers before releasing them —. I don't know. It's just impossible for me to trust a Zhukovski. I guess I'll have to get to know him a little better before I can let my guard down with him.

—Oh, no — I stopped on the spot, almost making him crash into me —. I didn't say anything about letting down our guard — I warned him —. I invited him because I think the way we left his house after all he did was a little rude and Xander insisted he wanted to remedy it. However, I didn't say anything about making us better friends.

—So? — he asks in confusion —. What are you supposed to expect from this meeting?

—Well — on the way again —. Xander will thank him properly, I will apologize for the abruptness of our withdrawal from his property and perhaps discuss some work issues. Nothing further than that.

—Do you want me to be there with you? — we turn a corner in the long corridor until we are in front of the door that will take us to our destination. I take the knob and before I open it, I look at my cousin.

—It won't be necessary, I can handle it — a slight wrist movement and we're already entering the spacious and slightly lit meeting room —. Good morning, gentlemen — I greet as I walk steadily and quickly to my seat, crossing one leg over the other —. Enlighten me.

—Well, I'm sorry to start the day with bad news, but... — Adrik's moving around uncomfortably —. The base in Moscow was bombed.

—Please — Yaakov moans —. Tell me you're joking — his tone is both sullen and resigned.

—I wish, but no — Nikon complains, snorting through bulging cheeks —. Another gift, courtesy of Dimitri Zhukovski.

—Damage? — I bite my tongue trying to contain the unadorned series of insults intended to curse Dimitri over and over again.

—Luckily the garage and the front yard suffered most of the impact — Lev announces diligently —. Although, part of the hall and some rooms were quite destroyed.

—Most likely they used missiles — Fred reveals and I believe him. If there's anyone here who can detect exactly one specific type of explosive, it's him —. The grenades aren't powerful enough to cause that much damage, let alone with the defenses The Mansion had in place.

—It's a fucking relief that you insisted on coming, Magnus — my cousin tells me, genuinely relieved —. Who knows how many of our men would have been hurt...

—Or dead — Nikon interrupts him suddenly —. You'll realize when you see the images I passed on to you, the place is a total ruin.

—Needless to say, it's time to act — I take a deep breath before continuing —. We've had enough attacks from that bastard without doing a damn thing about it. Well, that's all over now.

—What do you suggest? — Adrik questions, one of his eyebrows raised. But when I am about to answer, Vasily bursts into the room announcing Angelo Dalaras' arrival on the premises. I order him to let Dalaras in while I dispatch the others.

—Yaak — I'll call him before he leaves the room —. Tell Xander to come here — He nods and walks away. Soon after, the door is opened again, revealing a neatly dressed Angelo, with a faint smile on the face and a firm, upright posture.

—Good to see you again, Magnus — he approaches me and I stand up so I can shake his hand —. I was a little worried about you, I must admit I was surprised to get your call.

—Yes, about that... — I give him a gesture with my hand, telling him to sit down, I do the same —. I'm sorry things went that way, but I had to act fast to get Xander out of there safely, and I wanted to take advantage of the night's shelter for that. I told your assistant to let you know, but I still wanted to tell you personally.

—Oh, please, Magnus. Cut the formalities — waving a hand like he's scaring off a fly.

—. I did what I did without expecting anything in return and I'm glad I did it.

—What about your cousin? — I ask without being able to help myself —. Does he suspect you in any way? — He sighs and lies down on the chair, and looking at him more closely, I notice that he seems a little worn out, with bags under the eyes which are already beginning to turn of a pale purple hue.

—Well, I think so — he says finally, grimacing —. I'm being watched. Take it easy... — Raising the hands, stopping me, when he saw that I was going to reply —. I made sure many times that I was not being followed. And I used one of my men as a distraction while I was at it, so there is no danger.

—Well, don't get me wrong. It's just that it's hard for me to trust anyone these days.

—I understand that. The whole infiltrator situation, right?

—Yes, he was the cause of your cousin getting Xander and several of my men died because of him — I cross hands on the desk and lean in close to him —. I don't like to think about the possibility of you being on his side, but you're part of his family. It's hard to find a reason why you would do this selflessly — he nods slowly and his expression seems far away, as if he were thinking about something.

—You know, since I was seven years old, between my uncle, Dimitri's father, and mine, I have been forced to witness many things that still haunt me and cause me nightmares at night. My mother, one of the sweetest women I have ever known, fought constantly to prevent this from happening, but without success.

He stops for a minute and I try not to say anything so he doesn't feel pressured. He is completely free to decide whether he wants to continue with the story or not, no matter how curious I am about the rest of it.

—My father never raised a hand against her, but it wasn't necessary, the psychological abuse was enough — his eyes went down to his hands, twisting nervously in the lap —. She tried to kill herself when I was ten, but she was quickly taken to the hospital and they managed to save her.

Takes a deep sigh and continues.

—When I turned fifteen, I had seen so much and been forced to do much more than I can honestly count. My mother couldn't bear it and went to live with her sister in London, leaving me completely under my father's will. When I turned twenty, I managed to get out of there, and although the damage had been done, I swore that I would never be like him.

His hands interlock and his knuckles turn white from the heavy pressure. His face now expresses restrained anger, the skin is red and the veins sticking out of his neck and forehead.

—No matter what he forced me to do, I dedicated myself to following my path and helping those in need. But my cousin, let's say he embraced the darkness — his eyebrows furrowed and he raised his eyes, finding mine —. He and I are very different, Magnus. He enjoys doing evil, whereas my case is completely the opposite. I couldn't have lived with myself knowing that Xander was there and not having done anything to help him. I'm not like that and I never will be.

Well, fuck. Of all the possibilities that crossed my mind in a vague attempt to understand Angelo's compassionate attitude, I never imagined that I would be here, sitting in front of him sharing such intimate details of his past and... That I understood him perfectly.

—Your willpower will be broken and intoxicated only if you allow it, Angelo — I tell him with determination, he opens his eyes wide, obviously not expecting my answer —. I think it is a worthy and brave thing on your part to have been able to forge your path. Not everyone has the balls to do something like that — we remain silent for a few seconds until a faint smile is drawn on the corner of his lips.

—Thank you, Magnus.

The door is opened once again, this time Xander being followed by Fredek crosses the threshold. My brother holds a round, covered tray in the hands.

We both stand up and Angelo's smile widens when he sees my partner.

—Xander! What a joy to see that you are well — he stretches out the arms wanting to hug him, but quickly steps back as he remembers his refusal to be touched —.You look incredible, I'm so happy — Xander smiles and from his pocket, pulls out the notebook and begins to write. I grimace, I hate the damn thing.

He stretches out one arm, showing Angelo what he wrote, a few seconds pass in silence as he reads and I see the whole situation behind them.

—Nonsense, little one. There's nothing to be thankful for — it scares off the imaginary fly again —. My reward is that you're safe and happy. Is that so? — Xander nods smilingly, turns on his heels and heads towards me, wrapping one arm around my waist while I rest mine on his shoulders —. Perfect, then the debt is settled — he assures.

Xander removes his arm and starts scribbling again in the notebook, showing him the message once it's done.

—What? And not for me? — Angelo complains, pouting slightly —. I want cake, too, Xander. It's not fair that it's just for Rosé.

My partner giggles, pointing to the tray my brother's holding, and then... That's when it gets weird.

FREDEK

When we enter the meeting room, I see Alexei sitting at the desk in front of another man with his back to us. For a moment, I thought I detected a delicious, inviting, slightly spicy smell of vanilla and cotton candy. My fox suddenly went on alert and began to get anxious. But I was holding a freshly baked cake in my hands, so I assumed that's where it came from.

Alexei notices our presence and stands up, being followed a few moments later by the other man, who at the moment he turns around... The breath gets stuck in my throat. He's completely beautiful. Thin, masculine, dark complexion, shiny and looks so damn soft. He wears a gray suit with thin vertical black stripes and the fabric molds to his extremities with subtlety and elegance.

He is tall, with red hair, a slightly wide nose dotted with freckles and small blue eyes. My hands start to shake slightly and I get more nervous as I see him. «But what's happening to me?», I think confused. I was quite sure that I had already found my bonded partner. But then why is my body reacting this way? It's practically the same thing that happened to me when I met Derek, an invisible force drawing me like a magnet to him without me being able, or wanting, to avoid it.

Then he talks to Xander, but I'm so fascinated watching him that I miss a lot of the conversation, until he turns in my direction and when our eyes meet, I'd bet a kidney that he felt the same way I did.

His lips tremble as if he wanted to talk, but no sound comes out. His gaze runs through my body with high interest and I feel it traveling on my skin as if he were doing it with the hands.

Please, someone, explain to me quickly what is happening, because I cannot understand anything at all. I don't know how long we last like this, facing each other, looking at one another without saying anything, until we are interrupted by my brother's voice.

—Angelo? — he asks, and the man is startled to hear his name. He turns his face towards Alexei, but instead of answering him, he returns in my direction. A slight frown between his eyebrows and a grimace on the lips, trying to understand what's going on.

—I... I think... — begins to say and his voice causes even more powerful effects inside me... And in my dick —. What's your name?

He's pointing one of his hands at me. I want to respond, I truly want to, but I find myself suddenly unable to do so. My legs are shaking so much that they seem like jelly and I feel a fat drop of sweat slipping down the skin on the back of my neck. I'm confused... Awfully confused.

—He's my brother, Fredek — he answers for me and that's when my lungs demand the air I didn't realize I was forbidding them —. Is something wrong?

The eyes of this Angelo become a beautiful, glowing yellow, an Alpha lion, I understand at last. The realization of the fact only makes my Omega squirm with emotion, crying out for me to sneak into his arms and never let go. «What the hell?».

—No, everything's fine — I'm watching his Adam's apple move up and down —. Perfect.

He moves closer to me and every step he takes, is two accelerated beats of my rampaging heart. When he is a few inches away, his smell hits me harder, every nerve in my body reacting to his proximity.

—Fredek, huh? — He leans over a little and I hear his nose working as he sniffs my neck —. You smell good. Like coconut and almonds... Sweet and tempting — he whispers in my ear and I'm seconds away from climbing over his body and clinging to him as if my life depended on it —. A beautiful, sweet, tempting little fox.

Did I hear a purr? But he's separating before I can confirm it. His hands go up and his fingers brush against mine when he takes away the tray I had completely forgotten I was holding. The rubbing, though small, is enough to make me release a tiny gasp from my half-open lips. I must have some fetish with cats, otherwise, I can't figure out what the fuck this means.

—I'm sorry, Magnus. But I must go — He spins around and rushes to squeeze my brother's hand into a firm grip, while with the other hand holds the tray with the cake Xander made for him, to whom he nods his goodbye. When he passes by me, he stops and says quietly, just enough for me to be the only one to hear —. But I'll be back.

I run out of air again, hearing the door close behind me a few seconds later. «What am I supposed to do now?».

XANDER

After Angelo left, I realized Fredek seemed a little insecure. He was standing there, staring at the floor with an empty expression, but when I wanted to get closer to see what was wrong with him, he left the room quickly. Magnus and I looked at each other in wonder, although I could feel his anxiety and confusion through the bond, he did nothing to try to find out what was going on.

He doesn't have much of a chance of making peace with Fredek and I realize he's struggling not to screw things up. He approaches, kisses me, and tells me to go back to our bedroom while he finishes taking care of some of the organization's business. I nod, a little reluctant to leave him, but I still obey. When I return, I play a little with Cooky, I missed him so much and almost cried when I held him in my arms again.

I was genuinely excited when I saw that Magnus had brought my ball of yarn. I thought that, amidst the urgency of the situation, he would forget or simply not want to bother, but it was a pleasant surprise to find it in our bedroom the day after our arrival. So I spend my time, Lev brings me lunch and I end up listening to one of his many stories. By the time the night comes, I'm bored out of my mind.

I've managed to distract myself enough by reading a book and watching a little TV, but nothing seems to work now. Resigned, I strip off my clothes and take a long, warm shower. Since I came back, I don't like doing it without Magnus, but I don't know at what time he'll be back and I feel the need to do something to keep myself busy. Soon reality hits me, I should have waited for him after all.

«Do you like it? I know I do, you dirty little whore».

«You let yourself be touched by that filthy stinking dog. But don't worry, I'll make sure he never lays his disgusting paws on you again».

«Scream, Xander. Scream!».

I sob, trembling despite being under the torrent of warm water. This was a bad idea, so I hurry to clean up and turn off the tap, watching as in a trance the bubbles disappear down the drain. When I come out, I have my waist surrounded by the towel, and drops of water run down my wet hair. I have my BTE's in my hand and so I get frightened and startled when I see a male figure in the darkness of the room.

«No, no, no», I think, panicking as the silhouette momentarily resembles him. I blink, begging my heart to stay in my chest, then the shadow moves and takes the shape of Magnus.

I sigh, relieved as I've never been before, wishing that he couldn't smell my fear in the air, but his expression is one of concern and I see him moving the lips trying to speak, so I assume he's aware of my brief episode of terror.

I have no idea what he's saying because his mouth is moving so fast that I lose my train of thought and get confused.

—Wait a second, honey — I indicate with a frown, quickly placing the devices in my ears again. —. What were you saying?

But his expression now is one of complete amazement. The eyes are wide open and his body seems to have frozen. I'm about to ask him what the hell is wrong with him, until I realize it myself.

I spoke. I didn't mean to, but I did.

—Xander — my name is blown in a faint gasp from his lips, as if he still can't process what happened. In the blink of an eye, he surrounds me with those arms and draws me to his body, placing his face on my neck and inhaling deeply, as if he wanted to engrave my smell in his memory.

—Magnus — my throat feels scratchy and my tongue tingles a bit after so many days of not talking, but every time I tried, the memories would give me a bloody slap in the face and I chickened out.

«Scream for me!».

—You can't imagine how much I missed your voice — whispers in my ear and causes pleasant shivers down my spine, so I push the horrible memories back into the back of my mind and focus on enjoying the closeness and indescribable love that for some reason, this powerful and imposing Alpha decided to entrust to me.

Through the bond I can sense his sadness, the longing to feel that my recovery is on track, and the helplessness of believing that he can't do anything to help me, but it's not like that. It is not like that at all.

And I feel like a complete idiot for having allowed that idea to be created. Though I should have known better, Magnus tends to carry the weight of many things for which he is not responsible.

—I'm sorry, Magnus — I stroke his hair with one hand, with the other his broad back over the shirt fabric —. I wanted, I truly wanted... It's just that...

—It doesn't matter — he interrupts me and stands back enough to look me in the eye and I'm shocked to see thin threads of tears running down his cheeks —. None of that is important right now. Okay? You're here, with me and safe.

—Nothing that happened is your fault. You know that, don't you? — I'm quick to clarify, and I'm glad I did when I saw his reaction. His body loses stiffness and his shoulders drop without tension. The way he stares at me only confirms how tormented he was to think exactly that, that he was the one to blame for everything that occurred —.Nothing that happened was because of you, Magnus. It just... Happened — I raise my hands to wipe the tears from his cheeks —. Now I need you to love me, to hold me in your arms, and let me make you as happy as you make me.

—Kitty, there is no way in this world that I will not be happy being by your side — gently and briefly kisses my lips —. I love you and I will love you until the end of my days, with as much intensity and strength as my body can offer you.

—I love you too, Magnus — I rub his nose with mine, causing him to smile —. I've never stopped, and I never will.

Our lips meet and I feel all our emotions intertwined through the bond. Its beauty and purity is so much that my heart is squeezed inside my chest for joy. I belong to him, body, mind, and soul, just as he belongs to me. I adore every part of his body and there is no other place on the planet where I want to be but beside him, in his arms, feeling all the love he has to give me.

When we separate, we are both panting and clinging tightly to each other. Alexei joins his forehead to mine and the smell of his excitement tickles my nose. But I can't... I'm not ready yet. Suddenly, a thought pops into my head and I can't believe how incredibly careless and foolish I was not to have remembered it sooner.

—Magnus, there's something I have to tell you — he steps away and looks back at me, full of curiosity.

—Tell me, kitty.

—I have something you can use against Dimitri.