Page 37 of Captured By the Russian Wolf

My stomach twisted in fear, my heart racing in my chest. I could barely breathe under the intensity of his gaze, the weight of his words. I knew what he did to traitors. I knew what he was capable of. And I knew, deep down, that I deserved whatever punishment he decided to give me.

"Nikita…" I whispered, my voice trembling. I didn't know what I was going to say, didn't know how to make this right. But it didn't matter. He wasn't going to listen.

"You played your part well, Lily," he continued, his voice low and dangerous. "You made me believe you. You made me trust you. And now? Now you've shown me exactly who you really are."

I flinched at his words, the pain of them cutting deeper than any physical blow. He was right. I had lied. I had deceived him, manipulated him. And now, I was reaping the consequences of my choices.

"I didn't want it to end like this," I whispered. "I didn't mean for it to?—"

"To what?" he interrupted, his voice sharp. "To fall apart? To blow up in your face?"

I swallowed hard, tears streaming down my cheeks. "I didn't want to hurt you," I said softly, the truth of the words choking me. "I didn't plan for any of this."

"But you did hurt me," he snapped, his voice cutting through me like a blade. "You betrayed me. And now, you expect me to believe that you didn't mean for it to happen? That you didn't mean to destroy everything?"

I shook my head, my throat tight with emotion. "No, I… I wasn't thinking. I was angry, I was grieving?—"

"Stop," he hissed, cutting me off once again. "You think that excuses what you've done?"

"No. No, it doesn't."

The silence that followed was deafening. Nikita stood there, towering over me, his gaze hard and unforgiving. My chest ached, my heart shattered beneath the weight of his anger, his hatred.

And then, after what felt like an eternity, he spoke again. His voice was quieter this time, but no less dangerous.

"You've left me with a choice, Lily," he said slowly, his eyes never leaving mine. "I can punish you for what you've done… or I can make you pay for it."

My stomach lurched at his words, and I felt the blood drain from my face. This was it. This was the moment I had been dreading, the moment I had known was coming the second I confessed the truth to him. Nikita had always been a man of action. A man who never forgave a betrayal.

"What are you going to do?" I asked.

For a long moment, he didn't answer. He just stared at me, his eyes cold and calculating, like he was deciding my fate. And then, slowly, he reached out and brushed his thumb across my cheek, wiping away the tears that had fallen there.

"Make no mistake, Lily," he said, his voice low and lethal. "You will pay for this."

CHAPTER 13

Nikita

Istared down at her, my chest heaving with the force of my emotions. Every fiber of my being wanted to break something, to lash out, to make her feel the same pain she had caused me. But as I stood there, watching her break down in front of me, something shifted inside of me.

I hated her for what she had done. Hated her for the lies, the betrayal, the way she had made me care. But despite everything, there was something else gnawing at me, something I couldn't shake.

I still wanted her.

"Look at me," I growled, my voice a low command.

She didn't move at first, her body trembling with the weight of her guilt and fear. But then, slowly, she raised her head, her tear-filled eyes locking onto mine. I could see the desperation in her gaze, the way she wanted me to forgive her, to make this all go away.

But I wasn't sure if I could.

"I don't know how to make you pay," I admitted, my voice rough, raw. "I should hate you. I should end this right here. But I can't."

Lily's lips parted, but before she could say anything, I grabbed her by the wrist and yanked her to her feet. She gasped, her body crashing into mine, but I didn't let go. I couldn't.

The fire inside me was burning too hot, too fiercely. I needed to let it out. I needed to take control of this situation before it spiraled out of control.

"You've fucked with my head, Lily," I whispered harshly, my face inches from hers. "You've turned me inside out, and I don't know if I can ever trust you again. But right now…" My words trailed off as I leaned in closer, my breath hot against her ear, my grip on her wrist tightening. "Right now, I still fucking want you."

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