Chapter 19

BEAST.

I knew I had to act fast. Natalia’s father wanted us dead, but I still couldn’t believe he would kill her over what happened to her uncle. She’d been raised by a powerful mafia boss, she’d have been used to betrayals and murders. No, it had to be something else besides him killing his brother. Though that was frowned upon even in our circles, I couldn’t see him disowning her over that.

I felt like she was holding out on me and I needed to let her come to me with everything.

But for now, we had to survive this. The stupid Saint Lucia pit viper I'd found on the island was no accident. Her father must have had it dropped overnight when we were sleeping. Fucking asshole. And he wouldn't stop.

Even me morphing into my wolf and ripping his throat out wasn’t going to help. It would just paint a bullseye for every other Russian to take me out to avenge her father. Plus, he didn’t come alone. There were half a dozen men on my boat with him, and I didn’t doubt there would be his ship or more waiting for orders and possibly watching from the sidelines.

“We have to leave, now,” I whispered to Natalia, taking her hand. “It’ll be okay.”

She nodded, her eyes wide with fear. Pain and betrayal were etched on her face. She had always known that her father was involved in criminal activities, but she never could have imagined that he would turn on his own daughter.

The weight of danger pressed down on my shoulders and my wolf howled inside me to shift and fight.

“Thank you for everything,” she said, her voice shaking.

“We’ll be fine,” I said firmly. Everything in me wanted to protect her. To bring her father to justice for her. To see her smile again, and not the forced one she gave me now with shadows hiding behind her eyes.

We walked through the island’s forest to the beach. What would it be like to be free from the clutches of the Russian mafia? To live our lives without looking over our shoulders.

Her father stood at the shore, the boat anchored behind him. When he saw us holding hands, he glowered, and I could smell the disdain from here.

So he didn’t like us together. Too bad. But as much as I wanted to flick him off and kiss her fully, I’d play nice.

If he tried to hurt her, I’d rip his heart out and kill all his men before they killed me.

“Natalia.” He said her name like a whip, and she flinched beside me.

“What do you want to talk to us about?” she asked, not letting go of my hand.

My pride swelled that she was sticking up for us. Something she never would’ve done in school.

“Enough of these games. Come with me.”

She hissed in a breath but shook her head, and said, “No. I’m staying with Tomas.”

“Are you now?” He rubbed his chin, narrowing his eyes as he surveyed me like he missed something. “You’re off your meds, aren’t you? No worries, I brought some with me.”

“I don’t need them anymore. I figured out what they were really for... hindering me from becoming an omega."

Her father hissed out a curse. “Gavno! You do as I say, Natalia.”

The fact he spoke this way to my mate, treating her like a child, and hiding her heritage from her, boiled the blood in my veins. “She isn’t a slave to do whatever you ask. She is her own woman.”

Natalia squeezed my hand, tears in her eyes.

“Bah, you know nothing.” He waved a hand in dismissal at me.

“I know the Bratva would love to know how you hid an omega from them.” And I didn’t for one second believe it was for her benefit or to save her from being sold. A benefit I had being an alpha and the Bratva offering me protection for my wolf in exchange for my services.

His face colored purple and he pulled out a gun, aiming at me. “You see, I had you promised to wed Dmitri after you graduated high school. I gave you time. I told everyone that you needed to spread your wings for a bit, but that you would return to me.”

Natalia gasped. “You were going to sell me like a whore?”

“Nyet. It was an arranged marriage. One I would profit from a great deal.” His smile made a cold rage slam into my gut.

“But I won’t marry him. I don’t even like him.”

Her father shrugged. “Who said anything about like? And you ruined my plans, taking this... Beast to your bed. A used omega is like a rotten apple nobody wants and is no good to anyone.”

Anger and rage coursed through my veins, and I barely kept my wolf under control. “She is perfect and mine. You will not have her.” I pushed her behind me, shielding her from his gun.

He didn’t want to kill her merely over his brother, because if he did, the Bratva would realize what he was hiding and hunt him down. No, this was a different type of revenge. Natalia was his bargaining chip and I was the one who took that away.

My wolf roared inside me to shred him to pieces, and I barely contained it.

“You put the hit out on her. Wanted to make it look like a rival mafia leader.” I shook my head.

“No one dictates what I do or who I vote for.” He cocked the gun. “Not even my wayward daughter. Do as I say, Natalia. We can salvage this if you beg.”

Natalia stepped forward, her voice was strong and determined. “I’m not a slave. And I choose Tomas, not you, not Dmitri. Only him.”

I couldn’t believe my ears. She chose me, over her father and the comfort of the mafia. I saw a change in her, a strength I had never noticed before. I felt a warmth in my chest as I looked at her determined face.

“You would die for her?” Her father raised his eyebrow, looking me up and down like I was trash left out on the curb too long.

“Yes, even if it means going up against you and the whole Bratva to do it. We are mates.” I snarled a warning. “And nothing can separate us. Not even death.”

“If you let us go, I swear I won’t tell anyone about Uncle Maxim or this. You can say whatever you want to justify the vow you made with Dmitri.”

“Or I can kill him for you,” I offered because I already hated whoever this was who her dad wanted her to marry. “No groom, no wedding.”

“That would start a war.” He frowned, pointing the gun at my head.

“And who profits most from a war?” I mocked. “Whoever is on the winning side. Whoever is pulling the strings from behind the scenes.”

He snorted and his grip on the gun loosened, except he didn’t lower it. “You’re not as stupid as I thought you were.” After a glance at his daughter, he sighed. “Leave us. I need to speak with Natalia.”

I tensed, my fists clenched, ready for a fight, and Natalia faced me.

“Don’t. If he wanted to kill us, he’d have done it already.”

I ground my teeth, glaring over her head at him. “I don’t want to leave you alone with him.” What if he took her? What if he changed his mind and shot her?

“If he does anything, you have my permission to kill him however you like.” She briefly brushed her lips over mine.

With my heart pounding in my chest, I walked away. It was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do in my life. I walked to the sand dune and turned to watch them. I couldn’t hear everything they said with the waves crashing in, and I did my best not to try and eavesdrop, but my gaze was locked on him. And I knew he was recalling our previous conversation back at his place.

If I sensed danger, if I thought he was going to hurt her or take her, I would attack.