Page 4 of Claimed By Shadows

The thought floats around my mind as I once more descend the stairs and head towards the back of the mansion. There are several exits into the grounds and gardens, all guarded by menacing-looking men who will feature in my nightmares for the rest of my life.

Ignoring them all, desperate for a breath of fresh air, I walk through one of the drawing rooms, which has large French doors that open onto the patio. The man on guard makes me wait a beat before he opens them—Sergi isn’t the only bastard here who thrives on controlling others—but as soon as he does, I stride through, taking what feels like the first breath of oxygen I’ve had since yesterday’s walk.

I don’t stop, walking away from the house and towards the woodland that makes up part of the estate. There are rolling lawns, and the spring sunshine teases my face with a caress that I don’t feel clean enough to deserve. Maybe that’s why I prefer to walk through the woods, it’s less…I don’t know. I just feel like the dappled sunlight is more my place right now. I can’t face the scrutiny of the brightness of the full sun, highlighting all the things that now make me feel so dirty.

Unwilling to face that trauma right now, I shut that shit down and try to focus on the here and now, on the birds singing in the trees and the rustle of the leaves that are emerging on the branches. There’s so much possibility here, the bright yellow daffodils almost bringing tears to my eyes with their cheerful promise of something better.

“How long until Nik is back?” I question, knowing that Goon One is close behind me by his heavy footfalls among the leaves.

“By the end of the week,” he answers, and I pause, surprised that he actually answered. Usually they all take great joy in tormenting me any way they can, and withholding information definitely counts.

“What day is it today?” I ask, my heart thudding loudly inside my chest as I wait to see if he’ll give me another piece of information. It’s like mining for gold, and I hold each one close to my chest. Whether I’ll trust what he tells me is another matter, though what choice do I have?

“Friday.”

The organ skips a beat and I take a sharp inhale as I resume my walk.

He might be here in three days or fewer, and while part of me is rejoicing, tears sting my eyes and my nose itches while another part of me cowers. What will he think, knowing that his father has been…intimate with me? And what if Sergi continues his violent affections once Nik is back?

I feel bile stinging the back of my throat at the idea that Nik might be forced to be the one to hold me down while his father takes what he wants. I don’t think he’d do it, but then he’ll be in danger, his plans in jeopardy, his life at risk.

A shiver works down my spine at the questions that swirl around my mind. It’s not as simple as counting on Nik to get me out of this. The Shadows would be in danger again, Sergi wouldhunt me once more, and not to mention Nik putting himself in the firing line.

The sun disappears behind a cloud, and a part of me wants to sink into the damp earth and let it consume me. To just disappear so that there are no more questions, no more worries.

I don’t think I’ll ever truly be free of Sergi’s clutches, this obsession that he has, which even I don’t know the reason behind. Not if we’re both alive anyway. No, one of us will have to stop breathing for this torture to end.

CHAPTER THREE

“PAIN’S MY ONLY HOME” BY ZEVIA

IRIS

The next three days move excruciatingly slowly, the sun continuing to shine as I wait for Nik to come home. By the time Sunday morning rolls around, I’m a fucking mess. My stomach clenches with both excitement and dread, my heartbeat sluggish and a sour taste in the back of my mouth as I head down for breakfast.

I go stock-still as I enter the room because Nik’s widening eyes tells me he didn’t know I was here.

“Ah,Kukolka, glad you could join us,” Sergi purrs, and I swallow hard, fighting the stinging in my eyes as I take a deep inhale and resume walking into the room, taking my usual place next to Sergi. I’m opposite Nik, who’s gazing at me, Dima and Andrei behind him like sentinels. “As you can see, Iris is back where she belongs, Nikolai.”

There’s an edge to his words, and I flick my gaze between father and son, my heartbeat thrashing inside my chest as I try to work out what Sergi’s angle is here.

“Good morning, Iris,” Nik murmurs, his voice gruff and deep, sending shivers cascading all over my body.

“Good morning, Nikolai,” I whisper back, my gaze locked with his. I can’t help it, my jaw tenses as I hold in the words I truly want to say, the plea that is being trapped just behind my lips. “I trust your trip was pleasant?”

My even tone makes pride shine in his eyes and warms the parts of me that have been frozen these past weeks.

“Very good, thank you,” he replies, lifting his coffee cup up to his mouth while the server places my breakfast of avocado and toast before me.

My hands only tremble slightly as I pick up my cutlery and look down at my food, feeling the weight of two chocolate gazes resting on me. One welcome, the other abhorrent.

“I was thinking you could help Iris settle in more,” Sergi states, making my hands pause in cutting my toast. “I’m sure you’d like that,Kukolka, wouldn’t you?”

“Very much, thank you, Sergi,” I answer, glancing up at Sergi, trying to keep my tone even and not show the level of excitement I feel at being able to have some time alone with Nik. My gaze flicks to Nik, seeing his fingers gripping his cup so tightly his knuckles have turned white.

“Excellent.” He beams like a benevolent ruler, and it hits me he is truly insane. He really believes that he is just, that what he’s done and continues to do is right and fair. “Why don’t you join Iris on her walk this morning? You can take your men, Nikolai. I need Vlad for something else.”

The name of my normal jailer flies past me as I sneak a look at Nik, as I try desperately to keep from smiling. I can’t let Sergi know just how much having some time alone with Nik meansto me. He’d not only use it against me, but it might put Nik in danger, and I can’t do that to him.

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