Chapter 7: Painful History

Lucian’s POV

When the seer revealed that Clay, Maxwell, and I shared the same fated mate, we were thrilled. It meant more than just reaching the peak of our power as Valkin Alphas; it meant the three of us would be bound together, strengthened by a shared destiny. We’d always known that finding a fated mate was rare, something not easily granted, and as Valkin Alphas, this bond was essential.

Normal werewolves might stumble upon their mates by chance, but for us, it was a matter of purpose and survival, of reaching our full potential. That was why we sought out the seer, to confirm that somewhere out there, our fated mate lived and breathed, waiting for us.

But the joy vanished the moment the seer uttered her name.

We were bound to Nikolay Vladislav’s daughter. I remember the anger simmering in my blood, the disbelief twisting in my gut. Why would fate curse us with such a bond? Nikolay Vladislav was the worst of our kind, a terror among werewolves, feared and despised.

He was no ordinary villain—he was pure cruelty, a monster who had brought suffering to everyone who crossed his path. Each of us bore wounds, losses that could be traced back to him. We had sworn to take revenge on him as soon as we were strong enough. And now…now we were tied to his spawn?

I felt the rage in me turn to bitterness, a hatred I’d never thought I could feel for someone I hadn’t even met. I despised fate, for dealing us this twisted hand. Clay, usually the strongest among us, sank into a dark depression, his anger festering. Maxwell and I weren’t much better, each consumed by the knowledge that we were destined to be incomplete, forever denied our true potential.

Because we could never accept Nikolay’s daughter as ours. And we would never become the Valkin Alphas we were meant to be.

Nikolay Vladislav had shattered my life in ways that could never be mended. He’d slaughtered the only family I had—my sister, her mate and their children—all because of some petty grudge he held against her mate.

Instead of facing the man directly, he went after their entire family, leaving my sister in such despair that she ended her life right in front of him. He left them there, bodies rotting in their home, along with his handkerchief marked with his initials, a sick signature for whoever would discover his atrocity.

It was a mockery, a cruel boast he shared with others, detailing the events as if they were some twisted tale to entertain. When I found them, the weight of that scene seared into me, and I swore that one day, somehow, I would make him pay for what he’d done.

But it wasn’t just me. Nikolay’s brutality knew no bounds, and the scars he’d left weren’t just mine. Clay, too, had been robbed—his cousin’s life dismantled by Nikolay’s greed. He’d taken his cousin’s land, his pack, everything he owned, driving the wolf mad with despair.

Nikolay didn’t stop until every bit of power and wealth Clay’s cousin had once held was his. And Maxwell’s family suffered the same fate. Nikolay had murdered the two Valkin Alphas who had ruled the South alongside him—those two Alphas, Clay and Maxwell’s cousins, were their only living relatives. He took the lands of the South for himself, leaving Clay and Maxwell just as alone as I was.

After a time, we decided to look beyond the rage we harbored for Nikolay and tried to meet his daughter, our supposed fated mate. We thought perhaps there might be something redeeming in the bond, a chance to fulfill our potential as Valkin Alphas. But when we approached Nikolay, he made his stance painfully clear.

He rejected the idea outright, openly hostile to us and to the notion of his daughter as our mate. Having missed his own chance for magic by rejecting his fated mate, it became obvious he didn’t want us to inherit that gift either.

Despite his anger, he allowed us a brief, controlled glimpse of her. She was brought out quickly, with no chance to speak or connect, and he made it clear it was only so we’d know who to avoid in the future. His arrogance infuriated me, and for a moment, I was ready to abandon the whole idea, but Clay and Maxwell felt differently. Reluctantly, I agreed to leave a spy in the South to observe her, curious to see if there was any truth to our connection.

But within a year, the reports we received were disturbing. Her behavior was wild, reckless; she’d taken countless lovers, and it disgusted us. She was young but acted without restraint or respect. The thought that she’d given herself so freely to others enraged us, and we grew bitter, furious that she hadn’t had the decency to wait for us, her fated mates. That was when we collectively decided to put her—and the seer’s words—out of our minds.

For years, we pushed aside any thought of her, determined to sever ourselves from any tie to Nikolay’s bloodline. But then, one day, we received a desperate call from David, Nikolay’s Beta, asking for our protection.

His tone was pleading, his words urgent. He had no idea of the fated bond and offered to send her to us, claiming it would establish a symbolic marriage so we could rightfully rule the South and provide protection to their people.

To add weight to his scheme, he’d forged a marriage certificate and documents transferring her inheritance to us. Initially, we were disgusted by the thought of taking her in, her reputation as tarnished as her father’s. But curiosity sparked in Clay and Maxwell, and so, reluctantly, I agreed. Despite the bitterness we felt, perhaps it was time to meet her once again and see if there was any path forward in this twisted fate.