AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Moving toward the bed, I sat down on the edge and took his hand in mine. “It’s okay, Dad,” I said. “We’ve been through worse. I’m sure we’ll survive this too.”
Dad’s eyes filled with tears.
“It’ll be okay,” I repeated despite knowing I was lying to him and myself.
Only a monster as insane as my brother could save me.
6
Yakim
Shafts of moonlight fell on the densely-growing trees that covered the acres of land surrounding Volkov Manor. Situated away from the glitz and glamor of Ashville’s posh downtown areas, my home was a haven of blissful solitude.
My gaze shifted to the windowpane, reflecting the room behind me. I took in my tall, broad physique, accentuated by the dark cashmere sweater and slim-fitting slacks.
My gaze rose upward and I winced involuntarily, staring at the long, thick scars slashing across my face. The sight reminded me of the night I received those cruel marks on both my skin and heart.
Once upon a time, on a night like this, a monster got his hands on me. Captured and incapacitated by his minions, I’d been nothing but a clay doll that he could cut and carve.
Once upon a time...A self-loathing scoff escaped me.
My life was no fairytale.
There was a beautiful princess and a dragon who killed to protect her, but I was no fucking prince. I was a monster too, fueled by grief and the need to avenge myself.
The curtain beside me fluttered slightly, the only sign someone had come into the room. I looked down, noting the lengthening shadow moving toward me.
A smirk rose on my lips.
Not today, Leon, I thought, turning around to face the man who’d been slowly creeping toward me.
“What gave me away?” he asked in a low, sulky tone.
“Nothing. I’m just smarter than you.”
“Fuck off!” he scoffed, throwing himself into a winged armchair.
I stared at my younger brother, taking in the single scar that ran across his left eye. Thankfully, his eyes had been spared when Callum Baldwin lashed out at him for trying to protect me.
The rest of Leon’s face was smooth and flawless. A tiny skull tattoo adorned a spot under his right eye. There was a wolf’s snarling face tattooed along the column of his neck. Fiery red strands framed his chiseled cheeks.
Over the years, he’d mastered the art of being a shadow. He could be unnaturally silent when he stalked his prey, melting into the night while his target remained oblivious to his lethal presence.
Even now, Leon was garbed in black, his body melting against the dark leather of the couch.
“You look a bit lost tonight,” he said, raising his amber eyes at me.
I shook my head. “It’s nothing. What have you been up to tonight? Any news on our princess?”
“Big news.”
Surprise flickered through me at once.
It was rare for anything to happen at Baldwin Mansion. For the past five years, Leon kept a watch on its occupants. Other than Callum, the rest of the household seemed to have gone into hibernation.
Lucia and her father rarely stepped out of the house, and even if they did, it’d be a small drive to a nearby park. The maids and valets carried on with their daily chores. Callum was the only person that went in and out of the house regularly.
Walking away from the window, I sat down on a couch opposite him. “What’s happening there?”
