Chapter 90

(**Sebastion**)

After leaving the exam room with Irina, we walk out into the hallway where Alexei, Oleg, and Natalia were waiting. The expressions on each of their faces differ. They each look grim, but also relieved that Gustav will be fine given time. Physically, anyway. The emotional fallout is yet to fully hit him.

I want no part of that drama when it does, but I know I will be involved in it for Irina.

“If you three want to see him, then now is a suitable time,” Irina tells them.

“Actually, I have someone for the four of you to meet back at the house.” I say.

Flint mind-linked me as we were walking out of the exam room to tell me that Katarina has arrived, and she is now waiting at the mansion. He also told me that my family is also home. This is going to be a family reunion for all of us.

Irina’s eyes light up with hope when I mention that someone is back at the house. I take her hand in mine and lead her out of the clinic. I can feel her emotions going crazy as she thinks about our children. She has a smile on her face as we practically run all the way home.

However, the second she opens the door to the mansion, her head whips to the right. There, in the open doorway of the study, is a woman who needs no introduction for me. I can tell by her facial features that this is Ekatarina. The last Belova sibling to join us.

I step to the side of the entranceway to allow the three people behind me to enter the foyer. Irina turns to look at me, then launches herself into my arms. There are tears streaming down her cheeks as she looks up at me.

“I know she was the missing piece to your family. The one I could do something about. Greet your sister and I will go get our children. I know you want them in your arms badly and I won’t make you wait any longer.”

“Sebastion, I love you more than I have words to describe.”

“You can tell me and show me later. Now is time for family.”

Three cries of shock from the open door draw Irina’s attention back to her family. She lets go of me to walk over to Katarina. Tears are now streaming down the young woman’s face as her eyes land on Alexei. They move towards each other at the same time.

“Papa,” she whispers before she throws herself into Alexie’s open arms.

He glances my way briefly, then buries his face in Katarina’s hair. That one look was full of so much emotion. This family has been through enough and will go through more before they can start to heal. I will do all I can to help them.

I watch as the Belova family surrounds Alexei and Katarina. I can smell my mother as she walks up behind me. A moment later, my father joins us. My mother has Oksanna in her arms while my father is holding Theo. I turn to them and take one baby at a time from them until I am finally holding both of my twins.

“Where are Jace and Zasha?”

“They are getting changed and will be down here in a few minutes. All the children had some fun will a bit of mud before Arabella came to tell us it was time to go home. So, they all needed a change of clothes.”

I can just imagine the mess Jace made with the mud. He does nothing at less than one hundred percent. I love that he is an all-or-nothing kind of kid. That will do well for him when it is time for him to become alpha.

If that is the path he chooses. I want it to be something he wants to do rather than something he is obligated to do. My son will have a choice. One that I was forced into after Theo died. I hated being Alpha at first, but now I can’t see myself in any other position.

The lives and safety of my people come before my own.

I know the second Irina senses the twins. I can feel the weight of her stare as I walk toward her. She doesn’t wait for me to close the distance between us. When she is standing directly in front of me, Oksanna opens her eyes lets out a cry for her mother. I hand her to Irina gently, then once Irina has her settled, I hand Theo over to her.

The look of peace on Irina’s face makes me happier than I ever thought possible. I never wanted to separate her from them, but it was the best thing we could have done for them. I will never forget the pain she felt, and I will do everything I can to never separate her from her children again.

With one arm around her waist, we walk to her family, who have now gone into the study. I lead Irina to one of the large, overstuffed chairs, then help her sit down. I can feel her family watching us as we both watch Oksanna and Theo fall back to sleep.

“Where is Zasha?” Katarina asks.

“She is upstairs with my son and my sister. They all had some fun in the mud before they returned,” I tell her.

“You are Sebastion?”

“Yes.”

“Thank you for freeing me from that prison camp. Thank you for giving my family back to me.”

I give her a nod, then walk to grab one of the small chairs that are against the wall. I bring it back to where Irina is sitting, then sit down. Without her saying anything to me, she nudges her head towards Oksanna. Gently, I scoop her up into my arms.

“How did you end up in that prison camp, Kat?” Natalia asks.

Katarina glances at Natalia, then down at her hands. I watch as she swallows hard, then glances back at her sister. The only information I was given from Monroe’s man was that the Russians that ran the werewolf prison camp were part of the Russian mafia. I am curious about how she ended up involved with the mob.

“I took a job as a dancer in this club outside Moscow. At first it seemed all on the up and up. Just a dance club. Then I noticed some shady behavior. I got to curious and one day they caught me snooping. The prison camp was their way of getting rid of me.”

“You took a job as an exotic dancer?” Oleg’s voice is hard with anger.

Fire leaps into Kat’s eyes as her head snaps in his direction. “I was out there alone. All alone for the first time in my life. Daddy and Pavel were dead. You and Natalia were somewhere out there hiding, just like I was. I did what I had to do to survive. To keep a low profile, I blended in with the humans.”

To his credit, Oleg looks ashamed of himself for his reaction.

“Wait, how are you here, Papa? Pavel told us you died and then he rushed us to the tunnels.”

Alexei squeezes her hand then explains everything that happened after the dust settled. Her eyes go wide when she learns Pavel survived too. She glances around the room as if to seek her brother’s face.

“Pavel is here in the pack, but he is unavailable right now.” I tell her.

“Where is he? Why can’t he be here?”

“Pavel tried to kill Sebastion.” Irina says.

Here we go. Time to open the family secrets once more. I watch silently as Alexei and Natalia look down at their hands. Oleg looks confused and angry at the same time.

“Why would my brother try to kill you when you welcomed him into your pack with open arms? Why would he do that when you have done so much for our family?” He asks in an outraged voice.

This is the most I have heard him speak at one time, so I am a little surprised. I want to answer his questions, but this isn’t my story to tell. I glance over at Irina. She looks like she is struggling to find the right words to say.

“Pavel tried to kill me because Treadstone promised he would spare your father’s life if he weakened me.”

“Our brother hates me and would kill me if he had the chance. Right now, he is in a cell in the dungeons because he betrayed not only my trust but Sebastion’s.”

Irina’s voice is flat, devoid of emotion as she tells Oleg and Kat why Pavel can’t join them now. I can feel the storm of emotions in her through our link. She is still hurt and angry over being betrayed by her mate and brother.

For the first time since we learned of the betrayal, I feel nothing. I know she loves me. There is no doubt in my mind that I am the only man she is in love with. Soon she will get the closure she needs from both men. That conversation I want no part of.

(**Irina**)

My brother looks at me with anger in his eyes. I know it isn’t directed at me, but at Pavel. He doesn’t know why Pavel would hate me. I feel that he and Kat don’t know the extent of Pavel and Gustav’s betrayal.

“Why does Pavel hate you, Irina?” Kat asks.

I glance at her sweet face and feel tears gathering in my eyes. She is the youngest of us all, but we were always close. I glance over at Natalia and my father. Their expressions are grim, but my father nods his head, telling me in his silent way that I should just tell my siblings what they missed all those years ago. I take a deep breath, then reach out for Sebastion’s free hand.

With the warmth if his hand in mine, I feel safe and strong.

“Did either of you ever notice the long, lingering looks between Pavel and Gustav?”

Katarina’s face pales while Oleg continues to look confused. My sister knew something, but my brother was oblivious. That isn’t a surprise for me. Oleg was always absorbed in his drawings, paintings, and loving nature. I turn the full weight of my gaze to my baby sister.

“It was after Zasha was born. Gustav was so protective of you. I caught Pavel looking at him with more than brotherly love in his eyes. I dismissed it, thinking he was longing for what you two had. A mate and family. When I caught that look in his eyes again later that night after you had gone to bed, I knew it wasn’t right. I confronted him and he stormed out.”

“Pavel was in love with Gustav? Your mate?” Oleg’s anger flares into his eyes.

“Was and still is. Pavel told me in his own words that he hates me. Gustav should have been his, and I stood in their way. His hate started the day I learned Gustav was my mate. It grew stronger as the years passed. When he and father found me again after all that time, he hid his hate behind the guise of hating Sebastion instead.”

“Our own fucking brother. What the fuck is wrong with him?” Oleg stands up off the sofa with his fists clenched at his sides. “Gustav was your destined mate. That is a sacred bond. How long? Was I the only one who didn’t see it?”

“I didn’t see it either, Oleg.” I tell him.

“Was it just the looks, or was there more?”

“Pavel confirmed what father saw the morning of Treadstone’s attack. Gustav was coming out of Pavel’s house. His scent was mixed with Pavel’s. I know you want to be angry with him for me, but please don’t be.”

Oleg looks at me with confusion again. “Why? They betrayed you.”

“They did. However, I am no longer mated to Gustav. He is free to be with Pavel if that is what he wants. There is no room in my heart for hate. Yes, I will have a conversation with them tomorrow, but after that, they will both cease to exist for me. I have a new life here, Oleg.”

To my relief, Oleg sits back down. There is anger still in his eyes, but he listens to me. Oh, how I missed him all those years I thought he was dead. He always had a quick temper, but it was always in defense of one of his siblings. When Monroe brought him to Redwood, he was a broken man. Now I see the brother I grew up with.

“Sebastion is my future. He set me free from the darkness that I have lived in for far too long. Together we made a family.”

I glance down at Theo, then over at Oksanna. My two beautiful babies. My mind then wanders to Zasha. Her relationship with Sebastion has helped her grow so much.

“Not only did Sebastion save me, but he has also saved my daughter. To him, she is as much his as she is mine. She has him wrapped around her little finger and knows it. I love the life he has given me.”

To my complete joy, Zasha chooses that moment to come running into the room. She skids to a halt when she sees Katarina. Her head tilts to the side as she studies Kat. She smiles shyly, then walks over to my chair.

“Who is she, momma?”

“This is your aunt Katarina. We used to call her Kitty Kat when she was your age.”

Kat laughs at that nickname. I can feel the tension in the room dissipate instantly. Jace joins us a few minutes later and they spend the next thirty minutes telling us about their adventured while they were on vacation. That is what it was for them.

A simple vacation. I will let them keep that illusion for the rest of their lives. There is no need to tell them anything about what happened here today. I want them both to hold on to their innocence for as long as possible. Even though they have both experienced horrible things in their brief lives.

Both have bounced back thanks to the help of the other. Jace saved Zasha just as much as Sebastion did. To my surprise, she saved them as well. My daughter brought a light to them they didn’t know was missing.

The rest of the night is filled with laughter as we all move into the kitchen to have dinner. Lenore and Julian welcome Kat into the family with open arms. To my complete shock, Kat and Arianna become fast friends. They bonded over their love of reading.

Funny stories from our childhood were told over dinner. Most were of my sibling’s shenanigans, but Arianna did share a few embarrassing ones from her and Sebastion’s. I will tease him mercilessly about one of them for the rest of our lives.

I can’t wait to but all this drama with Treadstone, Gustav and Pavel behind me. My future looks so much brighter now that I have come to terms with the past. I am stronger now with Sebastion by my side than I have ever been before.

Thank you, Moon Goddess, for blessing me with Sebastion Drakos.