He wished to look away, walk away, that was what he usually would have done, what he would have done before.

Promise me you will not harm my pack and Mila, though the bond will not let you, and Samira, you have to help Samira if you get back and I don't.

He couldn't unhear the words, or not acknowledge that the few past months had changed him, even if he didn't think that was possible. So when he looked at Samira fainted and covered in blood he couldn't walk away as he usually would have done, even if he wanted to dismiss all that as not his problem, as Erik's problem, as someone's that was nothing to him, he didn't after all.

To his own astonishment, he dealt with Erik's issues, maybe not the way Erik would have done it or as good as he would have done it, but he did it in his own way. He was not a hero after all and never pretended to be but for the time being, he was the only one the pregnant, fainted girl, former Alpha of a profusely unruly pack had.

For the time being, it was his unruly pack though, and he had no issues with killing and punishing the ones acting up.

The ones that burst into the room were still bowing before him, the alpha command not allowing them to move, not even flinch.

Let them suffer a bit longer... He thought and smirked. Some things didn't change, like his disdain for most creatures.

In the end, he got bored and commanded them to lock themselves up in the basement cell so he could finally shower Sanjay's blood from his body.

Samira was still sleeping sedated but she looked significantly better. One problem less.

It was early in the morning, Dahiru and Samira's home was empty besides the ten wolves from the African pack, that were now locked up, but it was not clear what to expect, there might be more coming.
That was okay, he had to summon his pack anyway, rather his packs, after all. He had to see who lived and who died, and after all that, he had to search for a way to reach Mila in heaven.

And Erik? It seemed that Samira had opened the gate to that underworld dimension so she should be able to do it again. He could also leave Erik there, it was rather unlikely he was alive even if they managed to open the gate again, but with him he had better chances of helping Mila than without. As much as it nagged at him, Mila loved him, Mila would want to see him.

To his own astonishment, he concluded he preferred to see Mila happy with Erik than dead. These feelings were new and foreign to him but the times he felt Mila in pain and dying he would have given literally anything to make it stop and he rejoiced so much when she laughed and was excited even if he never let that show even if he was never the reason for either... that was, it seemed, bliss that only this strange substitute for love could give.

The water got cold and he didn't even notice, it didn't matter, he liked it cold and Nigeria was sticky and hot at that time. One look at the blood-stained and torn roman clothes and he concluded he needed new ones.

Girls clothes are not really my thing, he thought while rummaging through the closed. Hmm, this could do though, he considered looking at a set of creme slacks and a linen shirt both trimmed with gold. Even on the fancy side, and they fit, even if the shirt is a bit loose. Fine, one problem solved, I guess she wouldn't appreciat me hanging around naked.

When he went back to the room where he had brought Samira she seemed to have heard him and opened her eyes slowly.

"Kiril?"

"Yes, it's me, in case you need a short recap, no I don't want to kill you. If you are feeling better I need you to do something."

She didn't answer, just looked at him with something in her eyes Kiril couldn't quite place. Fear? Anger? Astonishment? Hate?

"What?" he asked in the end.

"What the fuck are you wearing?!"

Kiril frowned a bit surprised.

"The only clothes that I found around here that fitted me..."

Her eyes shone and she summoned her claws. Kiril was surprised she could do that in her state.

"Take them off or I will kill you!" she screamed.

"Relax, it's just clothes," he said nonchalantly, then reconsidered, "Or are they? I am wearing something significant to you, am I not?" he continued with a sly and slightly amused undertone.

"You are wearing the clothes Dahiru wore at our mating ceremony, you ruthless prick! Take them off!! Now!" Screamed Samira, her eyes shone again aggressively and she leaped forward to plant her claws somewhere on his face.

Somehow surprised that she recovered that quickly to this extent, and taken by surprise by the sudden, unexpected move, Kiril hesitated for a moment and that gave Samira time to actually get close, but not close enough because he caught her wrists with both his hands and pinned her against the mattress, her body between his legs, trying as good as possible to not hurt her but still keep her from moving.

"Stay put!" he whispered menacing and his eyes shone to make her actually stay still.

"What did you do to me?" she hissed.

"Nothing. I am just keeping you in place until you calm down," he said now in a calmer tone pulling the shirt over his head and moving forward to unbutton the trousers.

"What the fuck are you doing now?" asked Samira horrified and... blushing. She was indeed blushing he observed amused.

"Taking the clothes off. Wasn't that what you said?"

"Get off me and put the clothes back on, you deranged pervert!" said Samira slightly... flustered? Kiril couldn't help finding the situation amusing.

He stood up hands in the air and with a suppressed smile barely noticeable at the corner of his lips.

"I'll be damn if it's understandable what women want, regardless of species. Even I have difficulties finding out."

"Don't you dare look in my head or I will claw your eyes out even if it's the last thing I will do."

Kiril rolled his eyes.

"No. I don't care what you think, witch, though I bet it's something interesting this time. Anyway, now that I see that you feel better I need your help with something."

"Why would I help you?"

"Because you owe me one, obviously. And I, in the goodness of my heart could kill you, but I don't," he answered theatrical.

"Kiril."

"Yeah...?"

"Give me my power back," she demanded.

He felt like laughing, he really did and tried very hard not to.

"I am sorry but no," he answered with a mimic kept as unimpressed as he could. "Your power is now entwined with mine, I cannot separate them. They also came together when I killed Sanjay and there is no way on earth I will kneel in front of you and recognize you as my Alpha and master, so nuh-uh, witch."

"It is mine!" she hissed.

"And now it's mine, life sucks. Look at it like an olive branch. As you see, I am not interested in killing you or your child or anybody from your pack unless they cross the line. I also want to get Erik back so he can deal with his family problems himself, so snap out of your issues for a bit and help me."

Samira looked at him lost and confused.

"Erik? How?"

"Well, you have to open that gate between dimensions again."

"How?"

"If I knew and could, I would do it myself."

"Well I don't know either how I did it, I was in mortal danger I reacted by instinct."

"Well, we can arrange that ..." said Kiril raising an eyebrow and summoning his claws.

He saw the hint of fear flinch in her eyes and couldn't help sigh and smirk a bit again.

"Let's try something else though. I can trace back your state from that point and maybe then you can do that again. Now you are also physically better so you can hold the breach for longer, that is if you can locate Erik which I very much hope."

Samira looked at him skeptically.

"You actually want to rescue you arch enemy?"

"Erik is not my arch enemy. We have our differences but I need him for what is about to come."

"And what is that?"

"I rather not tell and it's not relevant for you. So do you want us to try to save your cousin?"

Samira breathed in long and hard.

"Yeah. But to be clear, I don't like you, I don't trust you but I think you tell the truth now because I really felt Erik when the gate opened."

"Ok let's do that because I still need time to think of a plan b if this one fails. Give me your hands."

"Ugh no."

Kiril breathed in to not voice his annoyance.

"Fine, then don't, but it works better if you do, at least don't resist, ok? Focus on finding Erik wherever he might be."

"Just don't look at stuff that doesn't concern you. If you get nosy I will stab you in your sleep."

"Oh, aren't you delightful? Dahiru just gained a new level of respect, fifty years and he didn't run for the hills... I won't, simply because I don't care."

"Ok fine, but it's for Erik, for the world and most certainly not for you."

"Sure, sure. Are you ready?"

Samira nodded and he started protruding the layers of her consciousness one by one and peeling them off like petals. He didn't bother giving Samira details about how his gift worked, he didn't need more complications, it was just that he could actively choose to look away from things but he always got a general feeling about how the person was feeling, and sometimes he couldn't help to peek.

Unsurprisingly there was pain, a lot of it, and fear but also a lot of courage and there was the consciousness of the child that Kiril judged was better to leave entirely untouched. They had to get back to the state and feeling from a few hours ago, back then she was indeed in terrible pain, afraid to death, and her consciousness rummaged whole dimensions to find someone to help.

Kiril knew that she would feel horrible and it was potentially dangerous to bring her back to that but it was the only way to Erik he was seeing.

Here we go... He whispered into her mind.

Instantly her body started shaking, and she was whimpering in fear and pain.

Can you feel him somewhere?

"No!" screamed Samira, clearly in pain.

Okay, deeper then. Try to channel how you found him back then, what unites you. Blood, love, magic, crap like that, you are kin and the same kind and... just as annoying.

This time Kiril could feel the coldness of that dimension, they were approaching it.

Deeper, this is the right track.

The only thing he heard however was a painful scream from her side.

It was not necessary to ask her if she could feel him because this time Kiril could feel clearly what she was feeling, the cold, the death, the despair and emptiness in the world, all the suffering but not Erik, Erik was not there anymore.

"Deeper," whispered Samira this time.

Kiril grabbed her arm but noticed right away how bad her physical state was, her skin was cold and her pulse weak.

No, this is enough, he is not here, and I don't want to maim you.

"Deeper," she urger but the sound was weaker.

No! Snap out of it, I command you. Now!

He demanded and forced her body and mind out of that state. It took her a few minutes to catch her breath again.

"What was that place?" she whispered, lips trembling and eyes watering.

"The antechamber of hell."

"And why was Erik there?"

"We both were, we were trying to make it back from the past but then shit happened."

"Erik is not there anymore. Where is he?"

"Probably nowhere. I am truly sorry..."

"You are not sorry! Everything is your fault! If you wouldn't have had your relationship drama with the moon goddess, nothing of this would have happened. You wanna fuck her then you want to kill her and we are collateral damage," she said annoyed and Kiril felt again a surprising slap across the face.

"Are you not delightful. Now get out of here, I need to summon the packs."

"And what am I supposed to do?"

"The only thing I told you since we met, that you blatantly refuse, to stay put!"

Later that evening, Kiril was feeling the dry breeze coming from the desert in the patio before Samira's house. He was in his wolf form and let a loud cry out to the sky, a summon for all members of his pack, it would take till the morrow for most of them to arrive so he sat and waited and thought about everything that changed...

----------------------------------------------------

This came out longer than expected and I wanted to put more stuff in it but then it would have become a monster again. So the smut is let for next chapter 😏.

Also who do you think is the sanest in this story? ostromn mentioned it and I found it funny. Likely nobody but if you had to choose one.