Chapter 45 A tickling match

A tickling match

Avalyn

"Are you going to open the envelope?" I asked Nik when we entered our bedroom.

He took out the envelope from his pocket. "I'm not sure what to expect."

"I'm sure it will be something good." I took his hand and made him sit on the bed.

He looked at me, searching for something. I gave him an encouraging smile. With a sharp nod, he opened the envelope and unfolded the letter in it.

"Dear Nik," Nik read out loud, "if you are reading this letter, it means you have found your mate. It also means that I am not there with you to witness that, and for that, I am very sorry.

I know what must be running through your mind. No, I did not foresee this. But I always knew your father would come for me one day. I wanted to be ready for it.

I also want you to know that your father was not my true mate. That is not how a relationship between mates work. I am truly sorry you had to see all of that, Nik. We mated for the convenience of our packs. To merge the two most powerful packs in the world. That was not what I wished for you. I wanted you to be with your mate that the Moon Goddess had blessed you with.

I want you to promise me that you will love your mate and keep her happy. I have raised you right and I do not wish upon anyone the fate that rested on me.

I want you to cherish your mate. You both have my blessings. I hope you find all the happiness in the world.

Love, Viktoria." Nik finished. His heart was beating fast but he looked calm.

"She knew." He spoke. "She knew that Adrik would come for her. But she didn't tell me. Or anyone. We could have protected her. I didn't know he would come after us."

"Please don't misjudge her actions." I held his trembling hand. "She didn't know. She did this for you. Out of fear."

He took my hand and kissed the back of it. "I love you, Avalyn. And I will not treat you right." He looked at me, his eyes wanting my assurance.

"I know you won't." I smiled at him softly. "You are a good man, Nikolai."

"I give you the permission to slap some sense into me if I'm being a dick to you." He half smiled, trying to lighten the mood.

"I'll be sure to remember that." I joked back.

Putting my lock behind my ear, he stood up, the letter held tight in his hand. "I'll go keep this letter in mom's room. I have some work after that, I'll meet you for dinner."

"See you later," I said before he left.

I went to see Sofiya after that. She was leaving in a couple of days and I wanted to spend more time with her before she left.

"Hello, my bitch." Sofiya hugged me.

I chucked at her greeting, hugging her back. I felt her tummy already prodding out.

I gasped. "has he grown already?" I asked.

"Yes." She grinned, lifting her top. "See." She said. Yes. There was a bit of growth. Sofiya always had a flat stomach and now her lower belly was out.

"So fast? I have hardly been gone for a day." I asked.

"Vlad and I think it's a mini vampire. Vampires grow faster than werewolves because their regeneration is faster than us. And Grace said we will know for sure in a couple of weeks what it is. And if it's a vampire, I'll be giving birth in four and half months." She said, her eyes wide and excited.

"That's amazing!" I grinned. "But shouldn't the baby be a wolf and a vampire?" It should be fifty-fifty of the parents right?

"Hybrids don't exist silly." She took a bite of chocolate that suddenly produced in her hand. "Don't look at me that way. Momma's got to eat." She grinned, caressing her belly. "And yes. There are so many vampire and werewolf mates. At this rate, a lot of hybrids should have been here. That would be pretty cool. But it's biologically not possible." She explained.

"Oh." I blushed. didn't know that. I should have known it. "I also have some news to tell." I bit my lip.

"What is it?" She asked, sounding curious.

"I met my grandmother from my mother's side. I mean she was her adoptive mother but I got some information about her." I said.

"Shit! Really?" Her eyes widened.

"Yes." I smiled and then proceeded to tell her about our conversation with Max and then the one with Mary.

She stood up and did a clumsy curtsy. "Good afternoon, Princess Luna Avalyn Aine Alvarez-Volkov."

Jumping out of bed, I too, curtsied the best I could. "Good afternoon, soon-to-be Queen Sofiya Aleksandra Volkov." I giggled.

"Oh crap. You're a Queen too. Good afternoon Queen Princess Luna Avalyn Aine Alvarez- Volkov. Dang, that's a huge ass name!" She laughed along with me.

"I don't even think it's said like that," I said thoughtfully.

"Yes." She snapped her fingers. "It would be something like Avalyn Aine Alvarez-Volkov, Luna of the Rogue Pack, Princess of the Fae kingdom, and Queen of the Mozog Kingdom." She grinned at me like a proud mamma. "My baby has grown so much." She wiped a fake tear from her eye and hugged me.

I hugged her back, laughing. I have come a long way.

"But we have to keep me being a princess or being a Fae a secret. No one should know about it." I said. I know she would never tell it to a soul but I was just worried.

"Of course. I understand." She smiled. "Now come, I want to spend some time with the kids before I leave too. They must be back from school by now." She said and pulled me to the living room.

True to her word, they had just arrived from school.

Nikolai

It was evening time when there was a knock at my office door. It was Ava.

"Come in, Moya Lyubov," I called.

The door opened and Ava entered, the kids behind her.

"Did something happen?" I asked.

"Not really." She replied and placed her hand over Adrian's shoulder. "The kids have something to show you. And tell you."

I looked at the kids. They looked scared for some reason.

Adrian stepped forward, placing a scabbard on the desk.

I picked it up, instantly knowing what it is. It was the Kozlov family dagger. It is Adrik Kozlov's dagger. My sperm giver's family dagger.

I looked at Adrian seriously. "How did you get this?"

"It is my father's." He replied, looking at me with knowing eyes.

"What's his name?"

"Adrik Kozlov." He replied in a beat.

I sucked in a breath. Fuck.

I took out the dagger and touched its blade. I was once beaten raw for trying to touch this thing. "What is it doing with you? Why are you here?"

"I stole it. He impregnated my mother, she gave birth to me. He got very happy because he finally got an heir since you ran away. He trained me. He wanted a backup, in case something happened to me, impregnated my mother again, and had Vanessa. The baby was a girl which angered him so he killed my mom. In front of me." He spoke, his voice blank.

"He used to try to hit Nessa but I hid her away. One day I was out for training and he got her." He squeezed his sister's hand. "I planned everything. I took his most prized possession and then we left." He looked deep into my eyes.

"I knew you were the Alpha of Rogues. The entire pack loves you and they used to tell me about you. Davina told me to come here, to you, that you would keep us safe. She gave me flight tickets and money and helped us escape." He said. Davina was my best friend. The only one who knew of my father's torture. Her parents were the ones to help mom and me escape too. "She said, your brother will keep you safe."

Brother from a father I hate.

I liked them, both of them. I did. But did I like them enough to see them as my brother and sister?

"Why did you lie before?" I asked. I hate liars.

"We knew of your history. Thought it would be the best if see for ourselves if we were safe with you or not." He replied.

"That does not make sense since you chose to stay in our house." They had options to pick other people. Why stay at someone's place you weren't sure about?

"You are a good man. We felt that at the initiation ceremony. And Vanessa loved you both ever since you snuck her more cake at the after-party and Avalyn pushed her on the swings." He said truthfully.

"And you?" Avalyn asked him softly. "Did you like us too?"

His gaze shifted to Ava. He gave a hesitant nod. "I feel safe here." He said in a small voice, far more vulnerable than the way he answered me before.

He looked back at me, his gaze hardening. "You can give me any punishment you deem fit. I will take it for Vanessa too." He said, his voice blank again.

"Why will he punish you?" Avalyn asked worriedly.

"For lying. Hiding the truth." He replied, not moving his gaze from mine.

"Oh, dear!" Ava hugged him. "No one's going to touch you. Both of you. I'm so sorry you had to go through all of that at such a young age."

He was still staring at me.

A slow smile slid on my face as I nodded at him.

His tough mask cracked as he let a smile pass and hugged Ava back.

Vanessa smiled shyly as she walked up to me. She motioned me to bend down with her tiny hands.

I bent down in my seat to her level. "Yes?"

"You know the big secret now?" She whispered loudly as if what she was asking was also a big secret.

"Yes." I nodded.

She looked at Adrian before looking at me again, "you won't kill us?" Her eyes got wide as she whispered loudly again.

"No," I replied softly. "Why would you think that?" I would never hurt anyone for something that wasn't their fault. Especially children.

"Adrian told me." She whispered loudly, glancing at her brother who was being mollycoddled by Ava. "But I told him no. That you and Avalyn are nice." She grinned. "Aren't you my brother too?"

My heart squeezed at her hopeful expression. "Yes," I whispered.

A beautiful grin spread across her face and then she extended her arms up, wanting me to pick her up.

Smiling, I picked her and settled her on my lap. She put her arms around my neck and kissed my cheek. "Adrian." She shouted, calling her brother.

She stood up on my lap, put her arm around my neck, and turned to look at him. "It's okay if you don't wanna play house with me anymore. My new brother will play with me now."

Avalon's eyes widened before she chuckled. I glared at her. "Avalyn would love to play house with you right now. You can paint her nails and do her hair. You would love that, wouldn't you?"

Avalyn chuckled at me and came forward. She picked Vanessa up, and carried her at her hip, "why don't we go play outside hmm? I'm pretty sure Dimitri would like to play with us." She grinned mischievously as she walked towards the door. "Are you coming, Adrian?"

"In a minute." He said, looking at me.

Avalyn gave me a 'be nice' look before she left.

"Thank you." He said, his face blank but his eyes shone with vulnerability.

"No need to thank me. I did what I should." I replied.

I swear he is more mature than Dimitri.

"You didn't need to take us in. Or take care of us the way you do." He said quietly.

True.

I gave him a nod as I looked into the grey eyes that he had gotten from Adrik. It was the same as mine too.

"I want to start training." He spoke.

"Which you do every day, 2 hours in the evening," I replied.

"Not with them. With older people. I have defeated them all. It's boring now. I want someone more competitive. Andrei refuses to pair me up with older men." He pressed his lips together in annoyance.

"You want to protect Vanessa," I said, hitting the mark right on the spot as his eyes widened for a second before turning back to normal.

I saw my younger self in him. I was the same when I was 9 Scrawny but strong, matured beyond age with scars left to heal. Being with mom and Max helped. Adrian had no one like that.

"Your training starts in ten minutes. I will see and decide what to do next." I said and stood up from my chair.

His eyes glittered with excitement and he gave me a nod.

We both made our way down the stairs and to the backyard which had a shortcut to the training grounds.

"Where are you both going?" Ava called.

"Training grounds," I replied.

Dimitri was getting his fucking nails painted by Vanessa. I arched my brow at him.

"They look pretty!" He exclaimed childishly, making Vanessa giggle, Ava and Sofiya joining her.

"Vanessa, Sofiya has makeup that you can apply on his face too," I smirked at Dimitri.

His eyes widened as Vanessa's eyes brightened with excitement. "Yes!"

Avalyn was looking at me worriedly. She should trust me.

Adrian and I continued our walk to the training grounds. I saw Andrei standing in front of the assembled crowd. Evening training was mostly for kids who had school in the morning. And for those who missed morning training or wished to train more. The adults trained for 3-4 hours a day and the kids 2-3 hours a day. It depended on their age and rank.

I walked till I was standing beside Andrei. Adrian went and stood with the kids of his age group, which was 8-10 The rest of the age groups were 11-13, 14-16, 17-19, and 20-21 Each group had two lines and they stood according to their ranks, the strongest first and then followed by the second strongest and so on.

"Go start with your laps around the field," Andrei told then and then they all dispersed.

"Adrian finally talked to you?" Andrei asked.

"Yes. What's his status?" I asked.

"The kid's smart and quick. Quicker than most I've seen in his age and he knows how to use it to his advantage. He has potential." Andrei said.

I sensed a 'but' so I waited.

"But he isn't strong enough. I had put him on a diet but he just doesn't gain." He said. That was true, Adrian was too thin for his age. Tall, but thin.

"Let's see what he is without the speed," I murmured as I saw him run with the sixteen-year-olds. He was that fast. And the pups in that group were the ones who had already shifted.

When their laps were done, they gathered in front of us again.

"Alpha will be overlooking your training for the day. You all can go and continue sparing with your assigned partners. Adrian, Finn, wait back." Everyone agreed with Andrei and left, leaving Adrian and Finn behind.

"How are you liking at Tessa and Mark's?" I asked Finn.

"I like it there, Alpha. They are good people." He replied, his voice ringing with honesty.

"You can talk to me or anyone if you have a problem, okay young man?"

"Thank you." He let out a small smile.

I nodded. "I want both of you to spar together. Come here." I said and took them to the smallest fighting pits on the ground. It was small enough for them to move but you couldn't run in these. It was perfect for what I had in mind.

They both entered the pit and stood in front of each other.

"Start," I said.

Adrian was quick to punch Finn in the face and duck when Finn shot back. He was also quick to jump when Finn tried to kick him. For the first couple of minutes, Adrian was untouchable by Finn. But Finn learned the limited amount of moves Adrian could do in the small circle and shot back. A good punch on Adrian's face by Finn had him lying on his back, on the ground.

"Stand up," I commanded.

Hissing, Adrian stood up, wiping the blood dripping from his nose, and put his arms up in a fighting position again.

Adrian was light on his feet and danced around Finn, punching with the quickness of light and Finn was the stable power, getting in one punch but it would be a good one.

Adrian delivered a punch at Finn's jaw for the fourth time, making him stagger.

"Punch harder. Are you fighting him or tickling him?" I asked.

Another punch was thrown by Adrian which Finn avoided and he shot his leg out, making Adrian fall again.

"Stand up. Are you a wolf or a human?" I taunted.

He glared at me in anger and turned back to Finn. They both were of the same age. And Adrian said he had defeated everyone in his age group. But defeating someone and being stronger than someone was two different things.

"What's happening here?" Ava appeared beside me.

"A tickling match," I replied as I saw Adrian dance around Finn in circles again.

Growling, Adrian punched Finn who was about to step out of the circle but gained his balance and stood his ground.

Growling, Finn eyed Adrian before executing a perfect punch which had him falling again, making Ava gasp.

"Oh, dear." She said worriedly when more blood trickled down Adrian's nose.

I held her hand to stop her from interrupting their fight. And this time, I remained quiet too, wanting to see what Adrian would do.

Finn offered him a hand which he slapped away and got on his feet again. "I can do this all day." He said as he barely stood straight.

"That's enough for now. Finn goes practice with someone else, you did well." I told him.

"Thanks, Alpha." He heaved before running away.

Adrian looked at me with his large sad eyes.

"You were not fighting. You were dancing around him. When you fight, you fight with the intent to kill. You don't run around your enemies, you hack your way through them." I told him.

His shoulders sagged.

"Now tell me the reason you are not gaining weight." I narrowed my eyes at him.

Avalyn squeezed my hand, silently telling me to go easy on him but I ignored it.

Adrian remained silent.

"I asked you a question," I said firmly.

His eyes lowered, having no answer. But I already knew the reason.

"This is not Mystic Lupus," I growled. "You eat every day, thrice a day. No exceptions. Not just when you have done a good job or been a good boy."

Adrik used to starve people if they didn't do their job properly. He used to ration food of every single house. He had a separate team of wolves looking after the rationing. It drove people to strive harder.

His eyes snapped to mine, tears filled to the brim.

"This is The Rogue Pack. You live here. But you won't be a part of it unless you act like it." I told him.

"You want to be a Volkov?" I asked, knowing that he knows what an honor it was to have that surname.

He nodded, a tear rolling down his cheek.

Ava was quick to wipe it away.

"Earn it."