I stood there dumbstruck, unable to believe what Markolf's assistant had just said. Yet, deep down, I knew it was true. I should have figured it out earlier.

Her familiarity.

Her eyes.

The eyes that I had stared into countless times, as both Rafe and Natalia had their mother's eyes.

How was she here though? How was she alive? And why was she working for Markolf, like she had no idea that he was the reason why she was separated from her family?

Her words played in my head over and over again but one particular sentence got to me.

"In a way, Mr Mark is like the son I never had."

My heart broke for her but also for my mate and his sister. If Rafe knew that his mother not only did not seem to remember that she had a son but considered the cambion as the closest thing to having one, he was going to be devastated. It was going to be like losing his mother all over again to the same man who took her away from him.

The pain and the anger inside me had intertwined and were slowly wrapping around my heart like tentacles. Markolf's sick, twisted games made my blood boil so much that I could not stop myself from storming out of the room on the hunt for cambion.

"Markolf, where the fuck are you?" I shouted as I made my way down the corridors.

I went through every room that I came across but he was nowhere to be found. Just as I was about to enter yet another room, an elegant older man appeared on the other end of the corridor, clearly heading towards me. The butler, I presumed- there were not many people who would wear a suit with tie and suit-vest, as well as white gloves, out of their own choice.

"Miss Moreau, Mr Mark would like to inform you that he is outside in the garden. He doesn't want you to keep going around shouting."

He didn't want me to keep going around shouting? Fucking prick!

The butler's words only spurred my rage on. I bolted towards the garden and sure enough, I found Markolf relaxing on a sun lounger with a drink in hand. He looked like he didn't have a care in the world, simply savouring the sunny day. Death and misery followed him wherever he went, leaving others to suffer, and yet, here he was, enjoying life. I was livid, even if I knew that there was not much I could do about it....for the moment.

"You twisted son of a bitch!"

He lowered his sunglasses and looked at me with a grin. "Hello to you too, Aurelie. I must admit that I am a bit unsure of what I have done to deserve such high praise from you this time."

"Your assistant."

His smile only grew wider at the mention of her. "Ah, yes. Michelle- she is lovely, isn't she? I have become quite attached to her over the years."

"Attached? You had her wolf extracted and now you are keeping her like some slave here to do you bidding! You really are sick, Markolf."

"Calm down, darling. Don't jump to conclusions, although I must admit that I wish I had actually come up with this from the beginning. Alas, it kind of happened spontaneously." He got up and walked over to the garden bar. As he began to mix spirits and ingredients, his eyes met mine and I could see them sparkle with enjoyment and satisfaction- he thought he was winning and was loving every minute of it. "Drink?"

I didn't even think twice about what I did next. I took a few steps towards him, getting right up in his face when I reached him before I grabbed the tumbler in his hand and threw it across the garden, smashing it as it hit the nearby fountain.

"Why are you keeping her, Markolf? No games- tell me the truth."

"So bossy, Riley. Just like our time in Putney." He ran his tongue across his lower lip. "I can still taste you. Are you sure you don't want us to head to the bedroom for a round two?"

Slap!

The sound of my hand making contact with his face was nearly as satisfying as the punch I landed on his jaw at the gala. Still, I smacked him so hard that his face jerked to the side from the impact.

"You might have tricked me that time but it will never happen again," I reassured him.

He rubbed his cheek, which was probably stinging, and smirked. "You do realise that your feistiness only turns me on more, don't you?" The predatory look on his face was dangerous but by now I knew him enough to feel confident that he wasn't going to force himself on me. I was a challenge for him, one that he wanted to take on and win on his own.

I got up on my toes, bringing my eyes to his level, showing him that I was not scared of him and I was not going to back down. "Why is she here, Markolf?"

Instead of answering me, the bastard turned his back to me and focused on making himself another drink. The ice cubes clinked as he dropped them in his glass. He grabbed a bottle of whisky from the bar and poured it slowly as if he had all the time in the world. Once it was half full, he took the tumbler and walked back to the sunlounger where he stretched out again like a cat basking in the sun. So I hurried over and stood in the exact spot to block all the sunshine for him.

"You are persistent; I give you that," he smiled. "I tell you what- go get yourself ready for dinner and I will tell you the whole story if you behave."

"Like hell I will play your obedient little companion," I spat out.

"Oh, Aurelie. Do I really have to explain to you why anger is not really your friend right now?" I shivered as I realised that I was giving Markolf the perfect opportunity to gain control of me again. I was also shocked that he was the one w pointing out that it was in my interest to keep calm, almost like he did not want to have to control me. "Not to mention that there are a hell of a lot of people that you would not want me to hurt, right?"

Damn it! He knew he had the upper hand.

Relax, release, ease; I told myself as I took a deep breath in.

"See, I knew you could do it. Now be a good girl and go get ready- I promise I will reward you with all the details. In fact, I will tell you anything that you wish to know." My nails dug into my palms while I curled my fingers into tight fists but I did not say anything. "And wear one of the nice dresses that Michelle put in your wardrobe," he added as I walked away.

I didn't get the answers that I needed but it was futile to keep trying for the time being. Instead, I wanted to put as much distance between Markolf and myself as possible. At least until dinner.

Finding my way back to my room wasn't the easiest task but I was relieved when I finally made it back. Sure, it was essentially a luxurious cell but, at least, it was my own space for the moment. I wanted nothing more than to hide in the shower and relax a bit under the warm water with everything that had happened in the past days.

Clothes landed on the floor as I peeled them off me. I stepped into the bathroom and turned the hot water on, jumping in when it reached nearly scorching levels. The water came as a soothing cascade, warm and steady.

For a moment, I forgot where I was as my mind turned to my mates. Being away from them made me feel like I had a giant hole in my heart but I kept telling myself that if they were hurt or gone, I would have sensed it which calmed me down a little. I thought how none of us had really taken the time to appreciate our bond before all of the madness kicked in. Okay, I was just as guilty as them- although Aiden was perhaps the best behaved one of the three of us- but I vowed that if we made it through this alive, I was going to properly embrace our bonds without needing death at our step to encourage me.

Time passed quicker than I realised- it was nearly dinner time by the time I got out of the shower. Markolf had specifically told me to wear one of the dresses that awaited me in the walk-in closet, but I would not give him the satisfaction of thinking that I was some obedient doll. Instead, I picked a black jumpsuit- I knew my disobedience was going to get under his skin, plus like this, I was also ready to kick his arse if necessary.

A soft knock on the door interrupted the silence that I was enjoying.

"Hi, dear," Michelle spoke as she popped her head from behind the door. "Ready for dinner? I thought it was best if I take you myself."

She entered the room properly and only then took me in. "Oh my, you look stunning, dear. Any man would be lucky to have you- in fact, if I had a son, I would be persuading him to ask you out by now."

Her words dug into my heart like glass shards, cutting and slicing. I wanted to tell her the truth but I couldn't- how would I even begin to explain what happened to her? That she had a family that she did not remember. That her son was my mate.

I stood there with a lump in my throat and fought back the lone tear that wanted to escape.

"Thank you." I forced myself to smile.

We crossed the mansion until we reached the dining room which was just as opulent as the rest of Markolf's place. The walls and the floor were decorated with natural marble. A long, hardwood table that matched the wooden chairs with their white and gold cushion backrests and seats stood in the middle, while a huge crystal chandelier hung above it. The table could have easily seated twenty people but only two places- one on each end- were set up.

As soon as we entered, Michelle excused herself and left whilst Markolf, who was already waiting for me, got up from his seat and made his way to greet me.

"I see that you are not one to follow instructions, my dear Riley," he said with a grin as he took in my outfit.

"It took you this long to figure it out?"

The cambion chuckled. "I suspected it might be the case. Either way, you look stunning. Let me help you to your seat."

"Do I look like some lost little girl who needs help with her seat, Markolf?" I countered as my eyebrow shot up. "Let's get this straight- this is not a date, nor some friendly get-together. I am here because you threatened the people I care about and because you promised me answers."

He walked past me and over to my seat where he pulled out the chair, waiting for me to sit down.

"I will never get bored of the fire in you, Aurelie. But, please, I insist."

The smile he gave me made it clear that this time his request was not just a polite invitation but a demand that I should not refuse. If I wanted answers, I needed to play along to his rules so I took a few steps and sat down, while Markolf helped me with the chair. He poured some red wine in my glass before he returned to his seat on the opposite end. I had to admit that I was relieved not to have him anywhere near me.

"Cheers, my dear. To us."

To us? Did he really believe this insane illusion that he seemed to be keeping up in his mind?

Still, I indulged him and raised my glass without saying anything else.

Two staff members in uniforms silently entered the room, each one holding a plate with their white gloves. They served us our starters and quickly made themselves scarce like they were instructed not to interrupt.

"I promised you answers- where should I begin?"