The Final Chapter

KAIA

^THREE MONTHS LATER…^

^Lipeshin, Russia^

Aleksandr tenderly kissed my hand, his eyes searching mine for any hint of unease. His uncanny ability to read my emotions, even before I fully understood them myself, was both comforting and a little unsettling.

“I’ll be okay,” I reassured him, giving his hand a final squeeze before he released me.

I then made my way toward Ilya and Irina, who were standing hand in hand, gazing at the ruins of what was once our home, as the sun began to set behind the mountains.

Irina rested her head on Ilya’s shoulder, and I paused, not wanting to interrupt their intimate moment.

My mind drifted back to a few months prior. It had taken some convincing, but I had managed to persuade Niko to take Ilya to a hospital near the motel. I was told that Ilya’s heart had stopped in the ER, but then, miraculously, it started beating again.

Seeing them together now, I understood why. Ilya wasn’t a bad person, I realized. He had just been manipulated, like all of us.

After allowing Ilya some time to recover, Aleksandr and Niko had bombarded him with questions about his relationship with Nadya and his reasons for contacting me.

I guess he passed their interrogation because Aleksandr came home that night and announced that Ilya had his support for my father’s seat at the High Table. Ilya had already earned the respect of the men in Lipeshin and, according to Aleksandr, he had quite a following.

It was clear that he was the best candidate. He would also be Aleksandr’s ally. To make up for past mistakes, Aleksandr initiated the rebuilding of the estate and the reopening of my father’s old trade routes, with Ilya now in charge.

Aleksandr explained that this was a strategic move, as Lipeshin was near a port that could be used for smuggling weapons and other illegal goods out of Russia. This was why my father’s seat at the High Table was so sought after.

I quietly approached Irina and took her hand.

She turned to me and offered a small smile.

It had taken time for us to forgive each other, but we were making progress. On the journey here, Irina had announced her decision to stay in Lipeshin with Ilya while the estate was being rebuilt.

This was her new life, and glancing back at Aleksandr, who was watching me as if I was his entire world, I could completely understand her choice.

Ilya had already asked Aleksandr and me for permission to marry Irina. I was concerned that she was too young, but Ilya assured me that she was interested in furthering her education and he fully supported her.

He agreed to wait until she finished college before they got married. After hearing that, I gave them my blessing.

“I’m sorry I was so ungrateful, Kaia,” Irina said softly. “You were the only mother I ever really knew, and I treated you terribly.”

I hugged her tightly, tears welling up in my eyes. She had apologized to me many times before, but standing here amidst the remnants of our old life, her apology felt like a fresh start for both of us.

“Life wasn’t easy for either of us, Irinka. I’m sorry I couldn’t do more for you.”

We sat down on the ground, holding each other, and cried until the sun disappeared and the air turned chilly.

“Come on, kotik, it’s time to go,” Aleksandr said, helping me to my feet as Ilya did the same for Irina.

“I just need to do one thing before we leave,” I told him.

***

Ten minutes later, Niko drove the jeep up to a small wooden house. The windows were open, and the scent of herbs filled the air.

“I’ll be right back,” I told Aleksandr, patting his thigh to reassure him.

Before he could object, Niko opened the door and I stepped out.

I stood on the porch, nervously running a hand through my hair. Then I knocked on the door.

The sound of soft footsteps approached, and the door opened slightly.

“Mara?” I asked quietly.

The door swung open fully, revealing the woman who had helped me all those years ago.

“Kaia?”

She didn’t hesitate for my reply. Instead, she pulled me into a warm embrace. I could sense her delicate body trembling, yet when she pulled away, her face was lit up with a smile.

“I just wanted to express my gratitude—”

She playfully hit my arm, silencing me with a shush.

“No need for thanks, sweetheart,” she interjected. “You made it out, didn’t you?”

I simply nodded in response.

“And what about Irina?”

I nodded once more.

“She’s doing fine. She and Ilya are planning to move back to Lipeshin.”

Her eyes sparkled with joy as she clapped her hands together.

“The Sokolov boy!” She placed a hand over her heart. “I heard the pakhan is renovating the estate and that Sokolov is the new ~Vor~. The village is buzzing with excitement.”

The reopening of the trade routes would mean job opportunities for the villagers, breathing life back into the community.

Suddenly, Mara gasped as a shadow loomed over us, and she quickly bowed her head.

“~Pakhan.~”

“Hello, Mara,” Aleksandr’s deep voice sent a shiver down my spine.

I playfully jabbed him in the ribs.

“I told you to wait in the car,” I muttered out of the corner of my mouth.

Mara’s eyes darted between us, her lips parting in surprise.

“Did Kaia tell you we’re engaged?” he added.

I could swear Mara was about to explode with joy as she shook her head.

He turned on the charm. “You’re invited to the wedding, of course.”

Mara accepted his extended hand, shaking it firmly.

“Of course, I’ll be there.”

“I owe you my gratitude as well, Mara. Without you, I would never have found my soulmate.”

His gaze was fixed on me as he spoke, and my heart fluttered just as it had the first time he’d referred to me that way.

Mara insisted we stay for dinner, and we obliged, listening to her and Aleksandr chat about the village and its recent happenings.

Every so often, I’d catch Aleksandr stealing glances at me, and I’d reach over to give his hand a squeeze. Having him here, in my village, spending time with Mara—it meant the world to me.

A few hours later, we were back on Aleksandr’s plane, heading home, seated across from each other.

“Come sit on my lap, kotik.” Aleksandr’s voice dropped an octave as the pilot announced we were at cruising altitude.

I glanced toward the cabin door, behind which our flight attendant had vanished.

“She won’t come in unless I call her,” Aleksandr assured me, his gaze never leaving mine. “Now, take off your panties and sit on my lap.”

Maintaining eye contact, I unbuckled my seatbelt and unzipped my jeans, sliding them and my panties down in one swift motion. The cool air made me shiver, and I managed one step before Aleksandr wrapped his arms around my thighs, lifting me onto his lap with my knees straddling his hips.

“Unzip my pants, kotik. Take me out. Squeeze me. ~Hard~.”

Each command was delivered in a voice more commanding than the last. By the time I had Aleksandr’s already erect cock in my hand, he was dripping with precum, making it easy for me to slide my hand up and down his length, teasing him with each firm stroke.

“~Kaia~…,” he growled.

I leaned in to nip at his lower lip, tugging it between my teeth. As he moved to deepen the kiss, I pulled back, grinning mischievously.

“The doctor said no rough sex,” I reminded him. “Do you want me to use my hand—”

My words were cut off by a moan as Aleksandr pulled my hand away and lowered me onto his erect cock, sliding in to the hilt.

“No, I want you to use this tight, wet, beautiful pussy.” His voice was a dark whisper. “Now ride me.”

I arched my back as Aleksandr’s mouth found my nipple through my T-shirt and I began to move. His fingers traced down my hips to slide between my legs, his thumb circling my clit, and soon I was screaming into his shoulder.

Aleksandr winced as my teeth bit down, but then I felt him jerk against me as he filled me with his release.

I’d gotten the contraceptive shot a few months ago because I’d told Aleksandr I wasn’t ready for children. I’d mentioned considering going back to school, and he’d been nothing but supportive. That didn’t stop him from coming inside me every chance he got.

“Do you think we need a grand wedding?” Aleksandr whispered in my ear. “Mikhail can get us a marriage license in a day if you want.”

I leaned back, brushing my damp hair away from my face.

“I’d love nothing more than to be your wife, Aleks, but you’re the pakhan.”

“Exactly,” he interjected. “I can do whatever I please.”

I studied his face.

“You’re serious.”

He nodded.

“I am,” he said, pulling me close again, a familiar warmth stirring within me. “Tomorrow, you could be my wife. What do you think, kotik?”

A grin spread across my face. I liked the sound of that.

“Let’s do it.”

TWO YEARS LATER…^

“~Harder…~,” I moaned, my knees clutching Aleksandr’s hips as they moved rhythmically between my legs.

Aleksandr grunted in response, but he didn’t quicken his pace. Instead, he reached down and tweaked my nipple, sending a jolt of pleasure from my hardened peak to my throbbing clit.

“I don’t want to hurt the baby,” he rasped, his arm muscles straining as he tried to keep his weight off my swollen belly.

I was due any day now, and truth be told, I couldn’t keep my hands off Aleksandr. He’d joked about getting a toy and strapping it to my underwear so he could get some work done. But I could tell by the twinkle in his eye that he was enjoying my heightened libido.

“Your son is fine,” I reassured him. “It’s his mother you need to worry about. Now get ~moving~.”

I dug my nails into his butt cheeks, igniting a spark. His lips met mine in a fiery kiss, his hand sliding over my belly to play with my overly sensitive clit.

I screamed into his mouth as I climaxed, his hoarse shout echoing mine.

Aleksandr collapsed beside me, his hand still cupping my swollen breast as if he needed to feel me. I turned in his arms, offering my breast to his mouth.

He drew the tip into his mouth, swirling it with his tongue.

“You’re insatiable, kotik,” he murmured huskily. “I’ll have to remember that when you’re pregnant with our daughter next.”

I gasped as his teeth bit down, giving him a stern look.

“Next?”

He chuckled against my skin, and my next gasp was one of surprise.

“Aleks…I think my water just broke.”

I’d never seen Aleksandr move so quickly. One moment he was yelling for Niko to bring the car. The next, he was hastily dressing.

Five hours later, Maxim Kozlov was born, his eyes an unusual shade of blue-green and a tuft of black hair on his head. He barely cried. When I stroked his soft cheek, he grabbed my finger, looking at me as if ~I~ was the most perfect thing he’d ever seen.

Two years later, his twin sisters, Mila and Alena, were born, completing the pakhan’s family.

End of Book 5