SHADOWS OF DESTINY - Season 3 Episode 24

~Leo~

I sat still for a bit, trying to process what Andrew had just told me. I did not want to believe him, but my

parents weren’t around to defend themselves. Judging by their call, they did sound like they were in

trouble and on the run from something. If what Andrew had just told us was true, then this shit was

bigger than us.

Devin, white as a sheet, leaned forward to speak to Andrew.

“Are you telling us the truth?” he asked, and Andrew nodded.

“I have no reason to lie.” Andrew defended.

” Study their pattern, and you will see. Erik plans to wipe out the royals and their entire clan, starting

with the lords, their children, and the King, his mate and children. He believes that once they are out,

the rest of the families will be easy to kill. Then he would install himself as the new King. Yuri plans to

take over the south and east and install himself as King. He isn’t interested in killing the Volkovs. Once

Mountain and Greenville falls, he would control the two regions.

As for Amelia, Erik plans to mate her with his son, Maksim, for the stronger pup.

The bastard experimented on his mate a lot, and his son is the closest he could get to Adrik’s genes,

so he hunted Luis until he killed him.

Erik had always wanted Luis dead because, with Luis out of the way, Erik had a chance of being the

heir,” Andrew said that was a flawed reason because Yuri was Luis’s first cousin.

” Wouldn’t the burden fall on Yuri after Luis’s death?” I asked, and Andrew nodded.

“Following the natural order, Erik did not plan on doing that. Yuri would have been killed if Sylvester

Volkov did not install himself as King.” Andrew said.

“So you mean Erik would murder the only person that would give him claim to the throne? The only

person that is working with him for his ambition?” Devin asked, and Andrew sighed.

“What drives the two of them is different. Whereas Yuri wants to avenge his family and restore their

glory, Erik wants to rule the world. He wanted to attain a height he would have never reached under

normal circumstances. On the surface, they seem to both aim for the same thing, but they aren’t.

Yuri is still pained by the death of his father and uncle. What Dimitri did was unforgivable. Setting Adik

up just to kill him was wrong,” Andrew said, and I wanted him to tell me more. I was in the middle of it,

so I needed to know everything.

“What did Dimitri claim that Adrik did?” I asked, hoping they could tell me their side of the story. So far,

we had only known Volkov’s side.

Andrew took a deep breath.

“Did you not wonder why Dimitri took everything that happened and buried it, forbidding people from

speaking of it or passing the history to their children?” He asked, and I nodded. I always wondered why.

“It was because the Volkovs were in the wrong. Gregory deceived Adrain to help him take over the

council as lord. They agreed on a rotation of power, and there was a document of which we still have a

copy with both their stamps and signatures attesting to that agreement.

After they had succeeded, Gregory wanted to go first. Being patient and peaceful, Adrian was okay

with it because it would automatically fall on his son, Adrik, when the time came.

Adrian was killed a few years later, and we suspected it was Gregory’s doing.

The Volkovs hated the Stepanovs and saw them as an abomination because of the inbreeding and the

modifications that we did to ourselves. Where we chose alchemy to strengthen our lineage, the Volkovs

isolated and concentrated the alpha genes hence why only the Alpha heirs of the ruling line are allowed

to bear Volkov.

Until Maurice, no heir was allowed to mate with other breeds less than Alpha. Maurice broke that law

by mating with Stephanie Balyeave, and Sylvester broke that law with his delta queen, Tamia

Riverstorm.

That was how the Volkovs increased their strength. So both clans did something to ensure they never

get disgraced again.

Gregory still had that sentiment about the Stepanovs and decided we would never rule.

He killed Adrian; I believe this because the Volkovs are evil, and he had everything to gain from it. Then

went on to include his law in the copy of the agreement stating requirements that he knew a Stepanov

would never attain.

He said the heir must be of Alpha genes and have the command knowing that the Stepanovs do not

have Alphas in their bloodline.

The Stepanovs did not know of this modification, and he kept it secret in cohorts with the corrupt

council, indirectly qualifying Dimitri for the position when it should have been given to Adrik.

When he died, they read the law and named Dimitri heir. This angered Adrik, and he chose to

challenge Dimitri for the lordship.

Adrik would have won if it was a fair fight, but they put three people in the box with him, claiming his

silver immunity puts Dimitri at a handicap.

A Sidorov and an Orlov were put in the ring with him, and Dimitri won.

Not wanting to take defeat, Adrik pulled up our agreement to argue that the modification was not made

with the knowledge of his father.

He also sought retribution for his father’s murder and Gregory’s illegal modification of the agreement.

That would have put a taint in Volkov’s name, so Dimitri moved to have him officially killed by staging

an attack that threatened his life and claiming it was Adrik that did it.

It was easy to believe because Adrik had been annoyed and seeking justice. It was easy to believe he

would move to initiate justice for himself out of frustration.

That was how Adrik was found and murdered along with our family. Most of our grandparents knew

what would happen when they arrested Adrik, which was why they could flee.

They fled with nothing.

While some fled with their wealth in gold, others had nothing but the clothes on their backs and went

into hiding, dyeing their hair and using sunglasses.” He said, and I could not believe Sylvester came

from such vile people.

One thing I knew was that the evil stopped with Dimitri. Maurice never attacked anyone unless they

posed a threat. He was a sick fuck but a reasonable one, likewise Sylvester too, but unlike his father,

he wasn’t sick, and he was kind-hearted.

“Yuri cannot forgive that injustice, but he is not keen on wiping out the Volkovs. He wants to reinstate

the glory of our family by dividing our world into two. On the other hand, Erik wants to take it all,”

Andrew said.

“Won’t their ambitions counter each other? Won’t Erik want Yuri’s half eventually if they both succeed?”

I asked, and Andrew nodded.

“Yes. Some of us believe that. And we believe that Erik is just using Yuri to get the other half while he

goes after the main power. We believe he will act like Gregory Volkov and betray Yuri just like Gregory

betrayed Adrian. We believe he will come for his life and his half, but Yuri doesn’t.

They grew up like brothers, so he trusts Erik blindly. Yet Erik has done so many questionable things,”

Andrew said, and I sighed from fatigue. The whole explanation made me tired.

“Where does that leave us?” Devin asked, and Andrew was silent.

“We cannot fight these people; we stand no chance; even the north cannot push back. Had Amelia not

been there, Leo and the two lords, along with their mates, would have died.” Devin said, stating they

were likely to win, and we all agreed.

It was an impossible situation where we were helpless.

The only way out is to surrender when it happens, but how can I surrender knowing they will kill my

friends and their families? Had the lives of my northern friends not been in the balance, I would have

easily handed the east over to Yuri for peace’s sake.

I was serving a king already even though he was my friend; I did not mind serving another but knowing

that Tamia, Sylvester, their children and everyone I cared about in the north would have to die before

these people were satisfied, let me know it wasn’t a fight that I could not surrender.

“I agree our options are slim,” Alexei began, and the twinkle in his eyes showed he had an idea.

“Yes, they are. You saw what they did in Pridewood.” Andrew said, looking at Devin.

“I learned they had help from the Sullivans because that was the home of their brother, the very people

that did not give him asylum when the King was after his life. It is even rumoured that they had an

informant there. I am not sure, but you know I have been on the run for a while now, so I do not know

the truth, but I am certain they had help from the Sullivans. There must have been an informant in

Pridewood that let them know when to strike.” Andrew said, and I did not want to be in Devin’s shoes

right now.

There was silence for a bit before Alexei decided to speak.

“I do not want my sister turned into a breeding machine. Our father died trying to prevent it. Allowing

Erik to have his way will be spitting on our father’s grave.

We did not have a normal life because of these bastards. Clay’s mother died unhappily; mine was killed

because of this bastard. We had to survive on our own because of Erik’s ambitions.

We grew apart because of this bastard. We cannot let him take over our world. People complained

about Dimitri and Maurice. People even hate Sylvester, but Erik will be worse, and his sick son Maksim

will be worse. We cannot allow that, so here is what I propose,” he said, and I was attentive.

“We need a shit load of an army of the Stepanov bloodline to counter this sick fuck. Erik has not bared

his claws to Yuri because they have the same fighting force.

I say we win Yuri to our side by letting him have the south and east and restoring the Stepanov

bloodline while the Volkovs keep the north and west.

If Yuri is on our side, we will end Erik and his army.

We must pick the lesser of the evils, and Yuri is not bloodthirsty and greedy. He just is just aggrieved;

we all are.

What the Volkovs did to us was unfair, but we cannot take it out on Sylvester and the Lords. They had

no hand in it. A simple divide would settle the matter.” He said, and I knew it would be hard.

I doubt Sylvester would be open to it, but Alexei was right. I do not see anyone keeping it all in the

best-case scenario. Still, I see that bastard Erik taking it all in the worst-case scenario.

It was something to think about.

I allocated rooms to our guests and assigned Omegas to attend to them. Then, I made a phone

available for Alexei to call his wife. At the same time, Devin and I retired to our rooms.

The look on Devin’s face indicated he had a lot to discuss with Susan.

I hoped it did not put a strain on their relationship.

Her uncle and cousin had just been executed for treason; they were the only family she knew she had.

If this comes up, she would know her parents were alive and also committing treasonous acts, and she

might be a suspect of treason herself if truly they had an informant in the south. It was a mess. I

wonder how she will take it. I might not like her, but I felt sorry for her.