Pinning André with my gaze, I dropped my hands to my lips. “I’m going to do this whether the three of you like it or not.”
“I have no doubt…” he replied nonchalantly.
“I’m rescuing Anastasia,” I pressed.
“I believe you.”
“You are being a condescending asshole!”
His lips quivered slightly, and I swore I saw red.
“I am agreeing with you?—”
“I swear to the Goddess…” I threatened, sending his gaze straight to the red strands that now adorned my hair and then to the eerie irises that disconcerted him so much.
Letting out a heavy breath, he nodded. “Where exactly are you going to start looking?”
“What?” I blinked, confused.
“Based on what Hannes shared with us about his discovery of hidden RavenWolf packs in the U.S., there are at least twenty places where they could have taken Anastasia, and Hannes only found a few of their locations, the others we don’t have yet. That’s not counting the Vampiri who seem to have made a pact with them. If we count them as a new clan apparently hellbent on destroying us, then there are other places where they could have taken her… probably Europe. So, where exactly are you going to start?”
Oh, he thought he was so clever, didn’t he?
My eyes narrowed on him. “Okay, first of all. I wasn’t just going to fly out there into the void and hope I just happened to land where they were keeping Anastasia captive. Give me a break, André. How helpless do you fucking think I am?”
I threw my arms in the air, disbelieving. Did he actually think that was what I’d meant by saying I was going to rescue Anastasia?
His jaw tensed, and I could see the pause in his gaze, but I didn’t even give him a chance to open his mouth.
“Second of all, you are absolutely right, André. I need more information in order to know where they could have taken her and form a plan. Except, you forget the only reason I don’t have that marvelous information you just mentioned—like Hannes knowing there were hidden RavenWolf packs in the U.S., how many there are, where they could be, or if Anastasia might be in Europe instead is because the three of you assholes haven’t shared it with me!” I barked.
André’s mighty, know-it-all attitude slowly fell, and realization crossed his gaze as he looked at me, remaining silent.
“You are so fucking high on your pedestal of Goddess Chosen Saviors that you forget I’m not below you, I’m supposed to walk beside you… and that includes you respecting me enough to include me.”
Regret and a tinge of sadness captured his expression. “Natalia, we never thought?—”
“Let me finish…” I added, my ire dying as I took a settling breath.
He slowly nodded.
“I do need you. I may have this firepower but I’m not omnipotent and I’m not pretending to be. You, Dante, and Hannes are my mates, but that means more than us mating. I need your respect. I not only deserve it, but I demand it. Myentire life I was gaslighted into submission. My voice silenced. My inner strength crushed. My wishes disregarded. I am no longer that person, André. I have awakened to the truth, and Iwill notlet anyone treat me like that again. Ever. Not even you. Do you understand?”
I swallowed, my insides quaking from the ferocious determination coursing through me, my fists trembling from the need to protect myself above all.Never again…
“No one is above me. I’m a Vampiress, and Starlight is certainlynota weak, Omega wolf. She’s an Alpha. For this to work, the three of you need to stop seeing me like I’m an innocent, helpless girl, shielded from the world, who you had to rescue… I might have been that once, but I’m not anymore. You need to realize that I’m not your charge. I’m your equal.’”
A heavy breath expanded his chest as he watched me, processing my words. Emotions swirled through his eyes—a tinge of regret, appreciation, and enlightenment among others—but he remained silent, seeming to need a few moments to gather his thoughts.
“I’m sorry, Natalia. You are right. There is a part of me, of us, that still sees the innocent Natasha we needed to rescue. It takes one look into your eyes to see that you are not that version of yourself anymore. And I’m not talking about the red irises.”
He took a step forward, slow and measured, making it clear to me that he wanted me to feel like he was respecting my space while still trying to connect to me. I truly appreciated that.
“It was never our intention to behave as if we are above you. We are not and we don’t want to be. But please understand that the need to make sure you are safe is never going to go away for us. We are your mates and that also makes us your protectors, there is nothing we can do about that. I respect you and have no doubt Dante and Hannes do too. I’ll talk to them so we can do a better job of showing that to you…”
Starlight’s, and Natasha’s emotion tightened my throat with his response because we had never gotten that from anyone. I pushed it back, swallowing, and accepting his apology. It showed me how much we actually mattered to them, and that they truly loved us and respected us.
“Although Hannes might be ahead of us on that one.” He snorted. “He’s used to being around strong women.”
