Page 177 of Volik

Volik stops too.

“What do you mean?”

He gives me that devastatingly soft smile. “All my choices have led me to you, Mea Unica. Even if I did not know why, I knew I had to come here.”

I press my lips together.

His smile falters. “Do not cry.”

I sniff. “Mind your own business.”

“You are my business.” His response doesn’t make me less likely to cry.

I squeeze Volik’s hand.

He squeezes mine back.

“Why did you choose Stalden?”

“It felt like I had to,” I tell him quietly. “I heard about the open position by happenstance and then couldn’t stop myself from applying. I’d never even considered teaching before.”

“You are a natural.”

“Thank you,” I sigh. “One of us has to actually work.”

Volik smirks. “Lots of money.” Then he starts walking again, tugging me with him. “Come, Mate. Since it is rude to jump into shifter territory, we still have a little way to walk.”

I look around at the woods. “Is there a way to tell when we enter their territory?”

“We already have.”

Okay, then.

After a few more minutes of walking, I break the silence but keep my voice low. “I’m sure the public information on it is skewed. And by skewed, I mean fabricated to put the world governments in the best light possible. But did The Trials involve shifters and druids too?”

It’s been a stain on humanity’s history since it happened, shortly after vampires became public knowledge. But the horror of it hits a bit differently now that I’ve changed… Especially given the fact that I changed, since I think the main, real reason behind The Trials was trying to find a way to harness Alt powers and give them to humans.

I have to resist the shudder that tries to crawl over my skin and remind myself that I have Volik at my side. And he’ll never let anything happen to me.

“They were.” Volik’s answer is quiet, matching mine. “But unlike vampires, shifters and druids can blend in with the human population. If a shifter is in their human form, a human would not know the difference. Same for a druid, so long as they are not using their powers. So after everyone was rescued, we destroyed every record that mentioned either species.”

We.

Volik said we destroyed.

My chest aches as my heartbeat jumps.

Volik stops, feeling it.

Since he wasn’t expecting my reaction, he wasn’t able to do that thing where he prevents my pulse from racing.

“What is it?” He glances around, then looks down at me.

“I…” I shake my head. “I’ve read all the reports. Like all the reports. The—” The terrible details. “But they redacted all the names. So I never…” I reach up with the hand not holding his and press it over his heart. “With the names gone, I never thought about who was there.”

Volik lets out a gentle purr as he presses his free hand over my heart. “Mea Unica, I was not one of the taken.”

My shoulders sag in relief. “Promise?”