Chapter 25

(**Irina’s POV**)

Lenore spent the entire car ride into the village apologizing for Arianna. I had to stop her twice to ask questions, but I just let her ramble on. I have a feeling she is working up to saying what is really on her mind. She planned the entire afternoon out the moment she left Sebastion’s room this morning. Shopping, lunch, then a tour around the tiny village.

The village itself was about two miles outside Redwood. Humans ran most of the shops, but there were some that were owned by werewolves. Those would be their first stop according to Lenore. I am hesitant to allow her to buy anything for me considering the situation. How will I explain how I pushed Sebastion away? Will she understand why I asked him for space?

“The first shop I want to take you to is for work clothes. The owner, Lola, designs suits and dresses for working women. They are classy and sometimes sexy. She can make whatever you want,” Lenore tells me as we pull into the parking lot of the shop.

The sign in the window read: Designs by Lola Daniels in a pretty scrolling script. In the bay window was a beautiful pale blue skirt suit that had Lenore gasping in delight. The jacket to the suit had a butterfly on the left shoulder in pale purples and blues that stood out against the blue of the jacket. I love it and from the look on Lenore’s face, she plans to buy it.

“Come on, that suit skirt set has your name on it. I will compliment your eyes and skin so perfectly. I am positive she will have more that will suit you,” Lenore grabbed my arm as she pulled me into the shop.

“Why do I feel that not much that happens today will be my choice?” I ask her with a laugh.

“Oh, hey there, Lenore. What brings you in today?” A raspy voice asks from behind a dressing screen in the corner.

“Lola, I have brought my future daughter-in-law in to get some business suits.” Lenore didn’t wait for a reply as she walked to some clothes racks.

“Sebastion found his mate?” The raspy voice exclaimed in a mixture of surprise and disappointment.

I looked towards the dressing screen as movement behind the screen caught my eye. Lola stepped out from behind the screen and I had to blink my eyes a few times to be sure I was seeing who I was. The woman before me made tears gather in my eyes. For five years I thought she was dead, yet here she is alive and well.

“Rinny? Is that really you?” My sister’s voice rose in shock as she stared at me.

“How? How did you make it out?”

Lenore noticed the quiver in my voice and walked back to me. “Do you two know each other?”

I rushed to my sister, and she met me halfway. The embrace was one that I have dreamed of for years. I couldn’t hold back the grief anymore as the damn finally broke on my emotions. The shudders and sighs from my sister let me know she was experiencing the same thing. I am not sure how long we stayed like that, holding onto each other like our life depended on it. Lenore cleared her throat, bringing my focus to her.

I stepped next to my sister and looked at Lenore. The look on her face showed she saw the resemblance instantly. “Lenore, this is my sister, Natalia.”

“Why on earth did, I not think of the resemblance when I thought to bring you here. I will leave you two to catch up while I go grab a few things at the bakery down the street. You can fill me in later,” Lenore walked to the door, looked back once, then left us alone.

Natalia rushed to the door, flipped the sign over to show she was closed, then face me again. “Where are Zasha and Gustav?”

At her question, I shattered into a million pieces and finally there was someone to catch me as I fell. I told her about Treadstone and everything that has happened in the last five years. Natalia moved us to the back of her shop where her office is as I told my tale. When I finished, the air in the small office was thick with her rage. Her eyes had turned onyx twice as her wolf came to the surface.

“How did you make it out of that slaughter? Who else survived with you?” I asked when she returned from getting us drinks.

“Pavel got me, Oleg, and Kat into the tunnels when the shooting started. They shot him while he was trying to go for more survivors, and I dragged him down and closed the steel doors. I didn’t want to lock the door, but Oleg made me. Pavel died before we reached the exit in the mountains.” Natalia’s eyes were red rimmed as she stared off into space as she recalled the events of that day.

“Where are Oleg and Kat now?” I have three siblings alive after all this time.

“I am not sure. We spilt up in the mountains agreeing to meet in Yekaterinburg in a few months, but when I went to the meeting point, no one showed. I waited until night fell, grabbed a room, then waited til noon the next day. Neither showed. I stayed in a hotel for a week in hopes they would come, but nothing. I had to leave, Rinny. I wanted to believe they were alive and safe somewhere, but I had to leave. I left them behind, Irina.” Natalia burst into tears as she said the last part.

Before I could reply to her, there was a loud knock on the door to the shop. Natalia jolted at the sound, her eyes flashing with fear, but was quickly shoved down. I stood with her and followed her into the shop. Through the glass I saw Lenore and Sebastion. I could see the worry on both of their faces as I approached. Natalia unlocked the door to let them in.

Sebastion wrapped his arms around me the moment he was inside. I hesitated at first, but then melted into his arms. His scent was like a calming balm over my heart. I could feel the storm inside me brewing again, but this time it was for a different reason. He felt my pain, and he came for me.

“Are you alright?” He asked me softly as he looked down at me.

“You came for me,” I whispered in surprise.

After pushing him away this morning, he still came for me when I needed him, even if I didn’t know I did. My heart fluttered in my chest as I watched the flurry of emotions swim through his eyes. Sebastion took my breath away when he leaned down to press his lips to mine in a gentle kiss.

“I will always come for you, Irina.” His voice was hoarse as he spoke low enough for my ears only.

That was all it took for the tears to overflow and fall from my eyes. He meant those words with all he has. I don’t deserve this man at all, but I will not push him away anymore. We are mates and I will stand by him to the end.

(**Sebastion’s POV**)

I was in the new play room with Jace setting things up how he wanted them when I felt a wave of sorrow through the mate bond. My phone rang a few minutes later with my mother’s number showing up on the display. Fear that something horrible had happened was through me as I answered the phone.

“Sebastion, come to town, Irina needs you now.”

“Mom, what happened?”

“Irina found her sister in town. She owns Lola Daniels, the little boutique down the street from the bakery. Get to town fast, please.”

I ended the call, then looked over at Jace. I called Sara to have her come stay with Jace while I headed into town. When she arrived, I thanked her again, then bolted out the door. My mind was racing as I drove into town. Irina had told me that her entire family and pack died the day Treadstone had hunted her down.

How had her sister survived?

When I pulled up outside the boutique, I saw my mother pacing back and forth in front of her car. As I got out of my car, she rushed over to me and began talking a mile a minute. I waited for her to take a deep breath to get a word in. “Mom, stop. Tell me if she is ok.”

“I left them alone to catch up. The pain that came off both of them had tears forming in my eyes. What happened to them, Sebastion? Did Treadstone know Irina’s sister survived?”

“I doubt it. I think if he knew there were any survivors, he would have sent people to kill them. They can identify him and why he was there. I need to go to her mom,” I walked to the door with my mother on my heels.

I knock on the glass a few times and wait. A minute later both women came to the door. I am shocked by how much they looked alike. They could pass for twins. A few differences were noticeable after I looked at Lola’s face as she unlocked the door. Her eyes were a shade darker, her hair was lighter, and there was a small scar on her left eyebrow.

I have met Lola twice when coming into town with Arianna. She wasn’t a part of my pack, even though Arianna had offered. Lola preferred to stay a lone wolf. I have no idea why I didn’t make the connection until now that they could be related. I knew why the minute my eyes connected with Irina’s. Everything in me is drawn to her alone.

The minute Lola stepped back, I walk to Irina and wrap her in my arms. When she was calm, I step back from her to look over at Lola. “Is there somewhere we can all sit and talk?”

“My apartment is upstairs, we can go up there,” Lola told me.

“Alright, lead the way,” I take Irina’s hand and wait.

Lola locked the door, then walked towards the back of the shop. She opened a door that revealed a set of stairs. I let Irina pull me behind her as she followed her sister. I am interested in learning what happened and how Lola survived. Once we were all settled in the small but homely living room, I looked at the two sisters again.

“Sebastion, this is my sister, Natalia,” Irina spoke quietly as she introduced her sister.

“So, Lola isn’t your actual name?” I asked in surprise.

“No, I chose it for my brand. Also, to hide from the past,” Natalia answered me.

“How did you survive the slaughter of Treadstone’s making?”

Natalia took a deep breath, then launched into her story. Rage filled me when tears slid down Irina’s cheeks. There isn’t anything I can do about the past, but I will do all I can to keep both women safe. Natalia was family now. When she finished her story, all I could do was stay silent as Irina hugged her sister. Their pain was like a living entity in the room.

“Would you like to come stay in Redwood until we figure out what to do about Treadstone?” Lenore asked Natalia, breaking the tense silence.

“Why? He doesn’t know anyone survived. As long as that knowledge is safe from him, I am fine right here.” The stubborn set of her jaw was admirable.

“That is a valid point. What do you two want to do about your siblings? Do you want to find them?” I ask softly.

Irina looks at me in shock. Clearly the idea hadn’t crossed her mind yet. Natalia looked to Irina, gripping her hand as her eyes widened. I can tell she has thought about it before, from the flicker of pain that crossed her face at the mention of her siblings.

“I can’t ask you to do that, Sebastion. They are not your responsibility,” Natalia tells me stubbornly.

“No, they are not, but they are now family. Irina is my mate. Even though the situation with Treadstone is dangerous for us all, that doesn’t change facts. You are her sister and that makes you family. I will do what I can to find them for both of you,” I tell her with all honesty.

“Natalia, there is a place for you in Redwood if you want it,” my mother pipes in.

“I will stay here. There are other wolves in town and we are not that far from your pack. I am safe right here.”

“Sebastion, do you really think you could find them? What if they are going by different names like Nat was? Would that make it harder?” Irina looks at me with hope in her eyes.

“I have no idea what we will need to find them. I can have Gabriel dig in and see what he can find. He is my head of security, but he used to be a private investigator before I hired him. Then I can call the leader of the largest rogue pack on the west coast to see if he has strings he can pull.”

“You don’t have to do this, Sebastion.” Irina’s voice was soft and her eyes were swimming with unshed tears.

“I want to do this for you, Irina. You may want distance between us because of what my sister said to you, but that doesn’t stop how I feel. You are my fucking mate and I will do everything in my power to keep you safe and happy. Now I will leave you here with your sister and my mother while I go get the search started.” I stand up from the sofa with anger vibrating off me.

I take one last look at my mate beside her long-lost sister before I leave the room. When will Irina accept the fact that she is no longer in this world alone? When will she let me into her heart? I continue to respect her need for distance until she makes the first move to close the gap. How long will I hold to that?

I honestly have no fucking clue. Aries is just as frustrated as I am with her pushing us away. He still thinks I am an idiot. I don’t bother arguing with him anymore. With a heavy sigh, I get in my car and drive home. There are calls to make, wolves to find, and a company to check in with.