Chapter 158
Blake
"Celeste Morozov was my daughter," Dmitri continued, his gaze distant. "Born in Yakutsk, 1985. Raised in old ways, trained in Court magic from age seven. Beautiful girl. Strong wolf. Could manipulate moon phases by sixteen, amplify pheromones for healing or control by eighteen. Court elders said she would be high priestess someday, most powerful in generation." His hands clenched on the chair arms. "Instead, she met Connor Sterling at gathering, and everything went to shit."
"Connor." I said it flat, and he nodded once, sharp.
"Victoria's baby brother, yes? The one she loved more than sense, more than pack, more than her own dignity." Dmitri's lip curled. "He was... charming. Handsome. Good fighter, brave when sober. Also weak. Addict waiting to happen, gambler who couldn't stop when ahead, man who let woman lead him into ruin because he had no spine of his own."
Through the link, I felt Cole's flash of anger— that's Kara's father he's talking about —but Asher's cold pragmatism won out. Let him talk. We need the whole story.
"What happened to them?" I demanded. "How did they end up dead in a motel room on Christmas morning?"
Dmitri was quiet for a long moment. "Celeste met Connor at Eclipse Court gathering in 2005," he finally said. "Victoria brought him, wanted him to see old magic, understand pack history beyond your American pack's sanitized version. My daughter saw him across ritual circle and..." He made a sound that might have been a laugh or a sob. "Mate bond. Instant. Stupid. Inevitable."
"The bond doesn't ask permission," I heard myself say, thinking of how I'd fought my own connection to Kara for years, how I'd tried to convince myself the pull I felt was anything other than what it was.
"No," Dmitri agreed softly. "Bond is cruel that way. Celeste was Court's rising star—destined to be high priestess, keeper of old knowledge, teacher of blood magic to next generation. Connor was debt and addiction waiting to happen, weak man with good heart but no strength to resist his demons. But bond said they were mates, so she chose him. Walked away from everything I'd planned for her to be with man who would destroy her."
Jesus, Cole breathed. That's why Victoria hates Kara so much. She blames Celeste for taking Connor away.
And she sees Kara as Celeste's legacy, Asher added grimly. Another woman who'll destroy her family.
"They tried to make it work," Dmitri continued heavily. "For two years, they tried. Celeste taught Connor Court magic, helped him control his addictions, loved him despite his weakness. Connor tried to be worthy of her, tried to stay sober, tried to be man she deserved. But then Court gave them assignment—hunt down traitors who'd stolen forbidden artifacts. During mission..." He paused, something dark crossing his face. "They both got exposed to Darkmoon Serum."
"What's Darkmoon Serum?"
"Eclipse viper venom, modified by blood magic." Dmitri's scent turned acrid. "Gives wolf three times normal strength, three times speed, three times healing. Also gives addiction worse than heroin, madness that eats your mind, eventual death when body can't sustain power anymore. Court forbids use except for most desperate situations. Once you take it..." He shook his head. "You need more. Always more. Like drug that rewrites your brain chemistry, makes you crave power until you'd kill your own children for another dose."
My stomach dropped. "They got addicted."
"They got addicted," he confirmed, and I'd never heard such bottomless sorrow in a voice before. "Tried to hide it from Court, tried to wean themselves off, tried everything. But Serum is too strong. Court found out, sentenced them both to death for voluntary use. So they ran."
"Ran where?"
"Everywhere. Nowhere." Dmitri's gesture was helpless. "Took what money they could steal, borrowed more from dangerous people—including Konstantin, who was rising power in Russian underworld even then. Tried to disappear into human world, into wilderness, into places Court couldn't reach. But Court sent hunters. Best trackers, most ruthless killers."
"For two years they ran," he continued, barely above a whisper now. "My daughter and her mate, always one step ahead until they weren't. Celeste got pregnant during that time—tried to hide it, tried to protect baby from life on the run. Connor borrowed more money from Konstantin to pay for safe house, medical care, everything new mother needs. And I..." He looked down at his hands. "I tried to help. Used my position in Court, my contacts, my influence to buy them time. Gave false information to hunters, sent them in wrong directions, delayed pursuit however I could."
"It cost you," I said.
"Cost me everything," Dmitri agreed. "Court stripped my rank, marked me as sympathizer, made me exile. Took my home, my status, my right to practice blood magic openly. Made me pariah. But I kept trying, kept searching for my daughter, because she was all I had left in world."
Kara, I thought, and through the link felt Asher and Cole's shared realization—that our mate had been born into this nightmare, that her earliest memories were probably of her parents running, hiding, desperately trying to survive.
"When was Kara born?"
"December 1st, 2007," Dmitri said, and something softened in his expression. "Celeste sent me photo—only one I ever got. Tiny baby with gold hair and brown eyes, wrapped in pink blanket that was probably stolen or bought with borrowed money. On back, Celeste wrote: Her name is Kara. It means pure and beloved. Please remember us. " His voice cracked. "I kept photo for eight years. Looked at it every day, imagined meeting my granddaughter, teaching her old magic, being grandfather she deserved. Then I lost it during raid on my last safe house. All I have left is memory."
Through the link, I felt Cole crying silently two hundred miles away, felt Asher's iron control wavering. Our mate had a grandfather who'd loved her, who'd tried to reach her, who'd sacrificed everything—and she'd never known. Had spent ten years believing she was unwanted, unloved, nothing but a burden.
"What happened to them?" I forced myself to ask. "How did they end up dead?"
Dmitri's face went absolutely still. "Christmas morning, 2015. Got tip from old contact that Celeste and Connor were hiding in cheap motel outside Anchorage—place called Snowdrift. I drove through worst blizzard in decade to get there. Arrived at dawn. Snow everywhere, temperature minus twenty, radio in their car playing Walking in a Winter Wonderland —Celeste's favorite song since she was little girl. I should have known then. Should have understood what silence meant."
"What did you find?"
"Pushed open door to room seven," Dmitri said, his pale eyes distant. "Celeste and Connor sitting in chairs, facing each other. Eyes open, staring at nothing. Necks each had two puncture wounds—perfect circles, deep purple, exactly where Eclipse viper strikes to deliver venom. On floor between them..." His voice broke. "Scarlett Reeves. Court enforcer, Celeste's childhood friend. Also dead, same bite marks."
Three bodies, Asher's mental voice was sharp. Three victims. But you said purification ritual—
"On table was silver case," Dmitri continued. "Medical-grade, temperature controlled. Lid open, six empty slots where antidote vials should have been. All stolen. Someone interrupted ritual, took vials, left them to die in agony as venom ate through their systems without cure."
"How do you know someone took the vials?"
"Because purification ritual requires twelve vials minimum," Dmitri cut in sharply. "Six for Celeste, six for Connor. Scarlett was only there to administer doses, guide them through process. She wasn't supposed to be bitten. But someone—fourth person in room—released viper early. Viper bit all three in panic. Then fourth person stole all vials and disappeared."
The image formed with horrible clarity—Kara's parents, trying desperately to save themselves so they could be proper parents to their daughter, only to have their last hope stolen.
"You're sure there was a fourth person?"
"Viper was still in room when I arrived," Dmitri said. "Curled in corner, sated after biting three wolves. Eclipse vipers are trained to strike on command, to return to handler. This one was waiting for handler to return, to be put back in transport case. But handler never came back—probably heard me coming, took vials and ran."
"And you think it was Konstantin."