Chapter 38 - Nikolaos

The second I stepped out of Bastien’s penthouse and into my SUV, I let the Nikolaos that Mia loves fall away. There’s no room for him on this mission; if I’m going to get Maxim back, I’ll need to shed myself of any warmth and compassion.

I knew it was Maxim’s finger Mikhail had sent to me because I know my Beta. Moreover, the finger wasn’t just cut off, it was bitten off by a sharp pair of teeth - Mikhail’s no doubt. The trap is as clear as day, and I’ll let him believe I’m dumb enough to do this rescue mission.

It’s different this time; there’ll be no playing around or taunting. I have something to fight for and he’s shown me on more than one occasion that this war will only end with his death.

We’ve driven through various territories throughout the day, and it’s close to midnight when we finally arrive a few miles outside of his border. Dressed in black and armed with weapons to fight our own kind if we’re unable to shift.

We park the SUV in the woods and walk the rest of the way; m