Chapter 71 071

Chapter 71 071
Mikhail

I made it three steps down the corridor before I stopped.

Dimitri was ahead of me, his shoulders rigid with tension, heading toward his office where he would no doubt lecture me about my duties and responsibilities and everything I was supposed to be.

But Natasha was out there somewhere, crying and thinking I was going to marry Irina. She was thinking I had chosen Irina over her.

Fuck duties and responsibilities.

"Mikhail?" Dimitri turned. "Are you coming?"

"I need a moment," I said. "I need to think."

"That's exactly what we're going to—"

"Alone," The word came out harsher than I intended. "Please. Just give me an hour."

His jaw tightened but he nodded curtly. "One hour, then we talk about this disaster you've created."

The moment he turned the corner, I ran through the halls, out the side entrance, into the darkening forest.

I knew where she would go. The same place she always went when things got bad.

I found her at our spot in the forest, crumpled at the base of the tree, her whole body shaking with sobs.

"Natasha."

She looked up and the devastation on her face nearly broke me.

"Go away," Her voice was raw. "Go back to your bride."

"She's not my bride, Natasha"

"Three days!" She scrambled to her feet, fury and heartbreak warring on her face. "You're marrying her in three days and you couldn't even say no! You just stood there!"

"I was trying to."

"You're going to marry her," The words came out broken. "You're going to fuck her and mate her and give her children and I'm going to have to watch it all happen and I can't, Mikhail, I can't."

"No," I moved toward her. "I'm fucking not."

"You said you needed time to think!" She was crying harder now. "About marrying her! About whether you want to—"

"I needed time to figure out how to get out of it without starting a war!" I grabbed her shoulders. "Not time to decide if I wanted her. I don't want her. I've never wanted her."

"But you're going to marry her anyway," She pushed at my chest, hitting me with her fists. Not hard, just desperate and anguished. "Because that's what you're supposed to do. That's what Dimitri wants. That's what the pack needs."

I let her hit me, absorbing each blow.

"You're supposed to be mine," She sobbed, still beating against my chest. "You said you were mine. You promised."

I caught her wrists, holding them still. "I am yours."

"Then why—"

I kissed her. It was full of everything I couldn't put into words. She struggled for a moment, then melted against me, kissing me back with the same desperation.

When I pulled back we were both breathing hard.

"I'll burn this whole fucking pack down before I let anyone else have you," I said, and I meant it. "Do you understand me? I'll tell Dimitri everything. I'll refuse the mating. I'll deal with whatever consequences come, but I'm not marrying her."

"Mikhail."

"No," I backed her against the tree, my body pressing against hers. "No more talking. No more fear. I'm done pretending."

I kissed her again, rougher this time, pouring everything into it. All my frustration, fear and need. She responded just as fiercely, her fingers tangling in my hair, pulling me closer.

My hands went to her skirts, bunching them up around her waist. "I need you," I growled against her mouth.

"I need to feel you. I need to prove that you're mine and I'm yours and nothing else fucking matters."

"Yes." She gasped.

I freed my cock with shaking hands, already hard and desperate for her. I lifted her slightly, positioning her against the tree, and she wrapped her legs around my waist.

I pushed into her in one hard thrust and we both cried out. She was tight and wet, her body accepting mine like it was made for this.

"Fuck," I breathed, my forehead pressed against hers. "I love you so much."

"I love you too." She whispered, and then she was crying again, tears streaming down her face.

I was crying too, I realized. Tears mixing with hers as I started to move, fucking her against the tree with desperate, claiming strokes.

"Mine," I growled, my grip on her hips bruising. "You're mine. Say it."

"Yours," She sobbed. "I’m yours."

I buried my face in her neck, breathing her in, moving harder and deeper. There was nothing gentle about it.

"No one else gets to touch you," I said against her skin. "No one else gets to have you. I don't care what Dimitri says. I don't care what the pack needs. You're mine."

"Mikhail." She whimpered, her inner walls clenching around me.

I could feel her getting close and I could feel my own release building, but I didn't want this to end. I didn't want to go back to reality where we had to hide, lie and pretend.

"Come for me," I demanded, changing the angle so I hit that spot inside her that made her see stars. "I want to feel you come on my cock."

She shattered with a broken cry, her whole body convulsing, and I followed her over the edge. My release hit me hard, pleasure and emotion crashing through me as I emptied myself deep inside her.

We stayed like that for a long moment, both of us crying and holding on like we would never let go.

"We'll tell Dimitri," I said finally, my voice rough. "Before the mating ceremony is supposed to happen. We tell him everything."

She pulled back to look at me, her eyes wide and wet. "Mikhail, he'll be furious. He'll—"

"I don't care anymore," I cupped her face, wiping her tears with my thumbs. "I can't keep doing this. I can't keep choosing duty over you and lying about who I love," I kissed her softly.

"We’ll tell him and face whatever comes together, and if he can't accept it, if the pack can't accept it, then we leave."

"Leave?"

"We'll go somewhere else. Find another pack. Or live alone. I don't care as long as I'm with you."

More tears spilled down her cheeks but she was smiling now. "You mean it."

"I've never meant anything more in my life," I kissed her again, slower this time, savoring it. "You're it for me, Natasha. You're everything, and I'm done pretending otherwise."

She wrapped her arms around my neck, holding me close. "What if he doesn't let us leave? What if he tries to stop us?"

"Then I'll fight him," I pulled back to meet her eyes. "I'll fight anyone who tries to keep us apart. I'm done being afraid. I’m done letting everyone else decide my life."

I lowered her gently, both of us wincing at the loss of connection. She looked disheveled and thoroughly fucked, her hair wild and her skirts wrinkled. I probably looked the same.

"I should get back before Dimitri sends someone looking for me." I said reluctantly.

"And I should find Seraphina. She came after me. She's probably worried."

I kissed her one more time then watched her disappear into the trees before I headed back toward the house.

My hour was definitely up. Dimitri would be furious I had kept him waiting, but for the first time in weeks, I didn't care.

I was done hiding.