Chapter 168 I’ll protect you

Nikolai

The second I got off the helicopter, I knew something was wrong. The sky was too dark. And it was colder than what it was supposed to be. And there was a dark aura around here.

I entered the house and Vanessa and Adrian were sitting on the couch, huddled together.

"Nikolai!" Vanessa exclaimed and came and hugged me.

"You've grown so much, little one." I patted her back. She was definitely taller than Avalyn.

"I thought I'd never see you again!" She tightened her hold.

"I can't leave my siblings alone now, can I?" I said and then hugged Adrian. He had turned into a man now.

He was just a couple of inches shorter than me. "You've been training good." For being just eighteen years old, and living in the human world, he was in a pretty good shape.

"Not good enough though. Sadly, there is no Andrei to whoop our butts." He joked.

"You can come back anytime. It's your home too." I said and we walked upstairs to his old room.

"But then whe—" Vanessa elbowed his brother in the stomach. "Let's go get the dagger."

I pressed my thumb against the screen and the locker door opened with a beep. I took the dagger out.

"Can I see it?" Vanessa asked excitedly and I handed it to her and shut the locker. She was too young to remember what it looked like.

"What's this?" She brushed her finger against the crest embedded on it.

"It's the Kozlov Family Crest." I replied.

"Kozlov?" I don't think she remembers much of her time there. It was a good thing.

"That's Adrik's last name. Volkov is originally the last name of my mother's family. We changed it when we left the Mystic Lupus Pack." I explained and she hummed.

"I have told the kids and the elders to take shelter at the pack house. Most of the adults are on duty. And this atmosphere has caused an unrest in the Pack." Adrian let me know. "Something is deeply wrong."

"I know." I replied. "But we can't do anything about the atmosphere. And there seems nothing wrong..." I trailed my hand through my hair.

What the hell is going on in my pack?

"Can it be black magic?" Vanessa asked.

"Black magic doesn't affect the atmosphere. The sky certainly wouldn't turn dark like this because of it." I told her. "This seems...bigger."

"I don't have a good feeling about this." Vanessa looked scared. "It feels like death in here." She took deep breaths. "I need to get out of here."

And then she ran away.

Adrian and I shared a look before we ran after her to the backyard.

Lightening fell on a tree just a couple of yards away from us and the tree started burning before it split in half.

Vanessa jumped back in fright.

The winds suddenly started blowing and all the trees started swaying back and forth, making loud noises.

Something isn't right.

Adrian pulled her behind him.

And then suddenly a familiar blinding light flashed in front of our eyes and a portal opened.

Faelern, Fiyona and Valerie stepped out.

"What are you doing here?" I shouted so they could hear my voice over everything else.

"Viktoria is going to come here!" Fiyona shouted back.

What? She's at home! And she is definitely not coming here!

The three of them formed and circle and held hands.

And then the inside of the circle turned jet black. I couldn't see what was happening clearly.

And then another blinding flash hit out eyes that made me cover them with my arm.

When I finally lowered my arm, what I saw brought tears to my eyes.

She was here.

Mom.

My Mom was here.

She was standing between the three fayes, looking as beautiful and as regal as ever.

She was wearing a royal blue dress and her brown hair looked exactly as I remember— half tied and half open.

She looked like she hadn't aged a day. Like she hadn't died...

The fayes released each other's hands and Mom stepped out of the circle they had formed.

And in the exact second, her blue eyes met mine and a beautiful smiled curved her lips.

My breath hitched as I was frozen my place.

She walked to me, as gracefully as ever.

Her arm extended and I raised my arms that felt extremely heavy to hug her.

But her arm seemed a little bit up and at at odd angle to hug me.

And then, I felt a stinging sensation on my cheek and my head whipped to the side.

Did she just slap me?

"I did not raise an idiot!" She reprimanded me.

"That's your mom?" I heard Adrian's shocked voice in the background.

"Can you at least hug me first?" I looked at her.

Another smile curved her lips and she wrapped her arms around my neck and I wrapped my arms around her.

"I missed you, son." Her voice shook.

"I did too, Mom." I choked out.

"I'm proud of all that you have achieved." She said when I released her. "But I'm disappointed in the way you treated Avalyn."

"What?"

"I saw everything son." She narrowed her eyes at me.

"What?"

"Stop saying 'what'. I could see my kids whenever I wanted. Being in heaven has it's perks." She explained. "If you make that girl cry again, I am going to be very upset."

"But I did—" I shut up when I saw her glare at me.

"I've apologised to her!" I pursed my lips. "We made up again."

"Yeah and when?" She crossed her arms. "Why did you bring Gabriel in your room?"

My eyes widened when I realised that when she could see everything, she meant everything!

Oh Goddess. I'll never be able to have sex with Ava again!

She twisted my ear. "Get your mind out of the gutter Nikolai Deivos Volkov!"

"Ouch." I rubbed my ear after she released it. "I might not have too much of work but I'm not free to spy on my son all day."

"Thank Goddess." I grinned mischievously.

And she shook her head in disbelief but the slight smile on her face told me she wasn't really mad.

"What are you doing here, Mom?" I added softly on a serious note. "You're not supposed to be here."

She looked back at Faelern, Fiyona and Valerie, out of which the latter two were looking at me with smug smiles.

"Don't get ideas. She is the only one who can get away with that." Fiyona's smile fell a bit and I knew she was thinking of doing the same thing—twisting my ear.

Not happening.

"They are the ones who contacted me. I only knew Valerie and when she told me about Adrik and how you all needed my help. They are the ones who brought me here."

"You only have twelve hours ." Faelern said.

"That's it?" I asked.

"It's more than enough. You don't need me Nik, not anymore." She smiled. "You can take care of yourself. Okay— not really. You desperately need a shower, a haircut and shave off that forest on your face." I chuckled at that. Figures Mom wouldn't like it. And I knew I reeked of perfume but at least it wasn't the scent of sex. "But other than that, you can can take care of yourself. You have made me proud."

"Thanks, Mom."

She patted my cheek. "Let's go now. It's time to end your father."

Faelern opened up a portal that opened directly in the west wing and we all stepped through it.

"Adrik cannot be killed." I told Mom. "I've tried everything I can think of but his skin in impenetrable. He is immortal."

"Didn't you find my letter?" She asked.

"The one you gave to Max?" I asked and she nodded.

"I did, why?"

"What did I always tell you when you were a kid?" She asked.

"To burn your letters after I am done reading it." I told her. "But I couldn't just burn it."

She let out an exasperated sigh. "It was a magical paper. It says the message out loud when you burn it Nikolai. I had written the spell that Adrik had used to turn himself into a man who is as close to being immortal as one can be. You just had to find a loophole."

"Mom?" Max stood at the entryway, looking at Mom unblinkingly.

"Come here, son." She opened her arms and in a flash, Max was hugging her, almost crushing her in his arms.

"How are you here?" He looked at the fayes.

"They brought me here to help Nikolai kill Adrik." Mom explained.

"Hi Natalia." Mom grinned at Nat who was looking at Mom curiously.

She shyly came forward and greeted her with a deep bow before Mom pulled her in a hug. "You deserve a medal for putting up with my son. Both of them, in fact. But particularly Max. You've done well in taming him."

"Thank you." Nat grinned widely at her.

"I wouldn't say I'm quite tamed, Mom." Max joked but he couldn't tear his eyes off of her. He was still in shock...

Mom greeted Dimitri and Andrei with a hug too. I wanted her to meet Mikhail too but he was out working along the borders. Dimitri was in the same shock as Max— he couldn't stop staring at her.

"Are you really here?" Dimitri poked Mom's cheek and then yelped dramatically when he did.

She grabbed his ear and twisted. "Need more convincing?" She grinned at him.

"Ouch! No! You are real!" Dimitri jumped back.

"Man. I forgot about the ear twisting thing." Max rubbed his ear, remembering our childhood days.

"I can remind you perfectly fine." Mom stepped towards him with a sweet smile but Max backed away with a chuckle.

"Where is Avalyn?" Mom asked me, looking very excited to meet her.

I tried to mind-link her but I couldn't reach her.

"Where is Avalyn?" I asked my brothers.

"Umm...about that." Dimitri lowered his eyes.

"Where is she?" I growled.

Is she safe? Did something happen to her? Where is she? She has to be safe... or else all of them wouldn't be here right now...

"Avalyn is gone and so are the twins. Eli too." Max told me.

Weight slammed against my chest. "What?"

"We checked all the cameras. She used her magic to teleport outside. We had no idea where she was so we got a witch to do a location spell. She is staying at a house located at the outskirts of Imporia. When we went there, she refused to talk to anyone on us and then used her magic to ward us off. We can't even go around her house anymore. We have set up our best warriors around the boundary of her magic—it is as far as we can go and then I told them to go near as and when her power decreases. That's about all we could do." Andrei told me.

"Why?" My voice sounded rough.

"We found this in your room." Dimitri handed me the Taafiete collar and ring.

Fuck.

Gabriel.

He was there.

She found him.

She must've thought I was lying. That I was trying to hurt her again. And she was done with me. This was what the hurt was...

She accepted my rejection...

Fuck.

What must be going through her mind right now?

I need to find her.

I need to tell her the truth.

What truth? That yes, it was my trick to hurt you but half way through fucking you I changed my mind. Come back to me? Pretty please?

I pulled at my hair.

I've fucked up big time.

"Take me to her." I said. I need to talk to her. I need to see her. I need to make things right again.

My wolf was at the forefront. He wanted Avalyn.

"You can do that later, Nikolai. I don't have enough time. We need to find Adrik first." Mom told me.

"No." A growl slipped past my lips. "Avalyn. Comes. First." I grounded and then stalked out.

Max immediately came at my side and then everyone was following me.

Cars were already waiting for us so I got in the passenger seat of the first one. I don't think it's safe for me to drive right know. I know I'll be reckless.

I didn't even register who was in the car right now. But soon, we were on the road and driving towards the end of the town really fast.

My legs bounced as I waited for us to reach the destination.

The houses slowly started decreasing and the number to trees started growing.

In the far distance, I caught the sight of a red roof. She has to be there.

The car started slowing down slightly as we neared but we were still going pretty fast.

And then when we neared the house, as if in slow motion, I saw the back of a man— a back that looked a lot like Adrik hiding behind a tree and his extended arm was holding a gun.

And then I saw klaus playing in the front yard and Avalyn walk out of the house.

I saw her lips move as she talked to him.

She's going to hurt her.

Without a second thought, I opened the door and ran out, ignoring the shouts of the people in the car.

I heard the click of the safety go off as clear as the day and I ran harder.

Klaus was facing me and tying his shoelace.

I didn't know who he was going to hurt. But I knew that on my watch, no one was getting hurt.

I picked up my son and and ran towards Avalyn with all the speed and power I could muster.

I heard two shots go off and I held Klaus between us and shielded both of them with my body.

I looked at Klaus' confused but pissed off expression and then my gaze shifted to Ava.

A searing pain erupted in my back at two different spots.

Wooden bullets.

I knew one was dangerously close to my heart.

I could taste blood in my mouth.

"I love you." I whispered to her.

Then my feet gave out and I fell forward.

The last thing I remember is Ava's ear piercing scream as I crushed her body on the ground with my weight. Klaus was crying as he got crushed between both of us too.

But I couldn't move.

It hurt too much.

And I didn't want to. Just in case he would take another shot. I'd rather he hit me than them.

I kept my eyes on Ava. She's the last sight I want to see in this entire world.

I hope she knew that I meant everything I said and did today morning. None of it was fake.

I hope she knew I was speaking the truth.

I hope she knew that I truly love her.