Vows In the Dark

Chapter One: Emilia

He stepped forward slowly, his polished shoes soundless on the marble floor. The closer he came, the heavier the air grew. I’d been in the presence of dangerous men all my life, but this one was different. Still. Silent. Controlled.

Like a gun with the safety off.

“You’re Aleksei,” I said quietly.

It wasn’t a question. I knew. Mikhail didn’t allow strangers into the house, especially not at this hour. And only one name had been whispered lately with a mix of fear and reverence. Aleksei Mikhailov.

He stopped a few feet away. His dark eyes skimmed over me with unnerving precision—not lustful, not kind. Just observant. Measuring.

“Your brother speaks of you often,” he said.

“I’m sure he does,” I replied, folding my arms. “Usually to remind people I’m off-limits.”

One side of his mouth twitched. Not quite a smile. “That depends on who’s listening.”

I didn’t answer. I didn’t want to play whatever game this was. But I couldn’t look away either.

Up close, he looked… lethal. There were faint scars on his hands, barely visible beneath his shirt cuffs. His cheekbone bore a faint mark, like the ghost of a blade. His presence was overwhelming. And yet—I couldn’t deny the flicker in my chest. Not fear. Not entirely.

Curiosity.

“Why are you here?” I asked finally.

He studied me a moment longer before replying, “Your brother asked me to meet you.”

“Why?”

He tilted his head slightly. “Because wolves are circling this house, Emilia. And Mikhail wants you under protection.”

I stiffened. “I don’t need a bodyguard.”

“No,” he said. “You need a cage. He just asked me to build it.”

His words hit like a slap. My mouth went dry.

Before I could respond, Mikhail appeared in the hallway, walking toward us with his usual cold elegance.

“Em,” he said, brushing a kiss across my temple. His arm wrapped around my shoulders in a familiar, possessive gesture. “Did you have a good performance?”

I nodded stiffly. “What’s going on?”

Mikhail looked between me and Aleksei, his expression unreadable. “There was an incident. One of our safe houses was hit. I have enemies moving in from St. Petersburg.”

“What does that have to do with me?”

“You’re my only weakness, Emilia,” he said, voice low. “They know that. I won’t risk you.”

“And him?” I gestured to Aleksei, trying to ignore how my pulse leaped when his gaze flicked to me again.

Mikhail’s arm tightened slightly.

“Aleksei is here to keep you safe. You’ll be staying at the lake house until I resolve this.”

I stepped back. “What? No. You can’t just—”

“I can,” he snapped. “And I am.”

I turned to Aleksei, hoping to find some hint of resistance in his expression. But he looked like a man made of stone. He would not argue. He would not object.

He would obey.

I wanted to scream. But instead, I swallowed the fire rising in my throat.

“When do we leave?”

“Now,” Aleksei said.

Of course. There was no room for discussion.

I didn’t look at Mikhail again as I turned and walked to the stairs. If I did, I might say something I’d regret.

I packed a single bag in silence. I didn’t cry. I didn’t panic.

This wasn’t the first time Mikhail tried to control my life.

But it was the first time he brought someone like Aleksei into it.

When I returned downstairs, Aleksei was waiting by the door. The snow outside had thickened, and a storm beginning to build.

I hesitated.

He opened the door.