All out of Love - Complete!

I

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"Yeliza? Ya govoryu s Yelizaveta, Am I speaking to Yelizaveta?”

"Kto khochet znat, Who wants to know?” She recognized his voice, but couldn’t place it so quickly.

“Excuse me, you’re talking to Igor, Emperor Timofei’s personal assistant.” Now that she answered him in Russian, he dared to say who he was. He had her number from her file, but you couldn’t be too careful. It would be strange if he let a stranger know that they were talking to an emperor’s assistant. They would probably think they were dealing with a joker.

“Okay... What can I do for you?” Oh, yes Igor, now she recognized his voice, she had met him several times. Yez already had a little bit of an inkling of what he wanted from her, a bit of a shame because she was having a good time here.

“The Emperor would like to speak to you. Tomorrow morning at eleven o’clock there will be a plane waiting for you at Dubai Word Central AirPort, Al Maktoum International.”

“This soon?”

“Is that a problem, Warrior National Expert Yelizaveta?” Oops, she was addressed by her functions, he was serious.

“No problem,” she said briefly.

“All right, I’ll see you at dinner tomorrow.” Before she could respond, the conversation was cut short.

She looked at her phone a little bewildered. She knew Igor, but hadn’t often seen him show his authority. Even though she was used to having to go everywhere - after all, that was her job - she didn’t really feel like it now, she liked it here, more than anywhere else. After a bit of toughness here a few years ago, things were now fairly quiet, thanks to the sorceress Maisie, who had secured the pack boundaries. She missed her and Sìoltach - an immortal human - friends she had made here in the Alhilal pack at the time, short but sweet.

After she talked to Alpha’s here, she would call Sìoltach. Maisie couldn’t, because she wasn’t allowed to know that she and Sìol were in regular contact with each other. Maisie didn’t want to know what was going on here after she had more or less fled, because it became dangerous because of attempts on her life and because she was Alpha Zayns mate. Maisie had an infinite life just like Sìol, but Alpha Zayn and his twin brother Alpha Rayan did not. Since Maisie felt she had been through enough heartbreak, she couldn’t bear to lose Zayn and have to go on without him, she had already done that once and it had taken almost a hundred and forty years before she had come back to herself. It also didn’t help much that she was alone because everyone around her fell away and she didn’t know anyone like her. That was different now, she had Sìoltach and she knew her, Yez now, but that couldn’t compete with a soulmate. They would not be able to offer comfort in the pain of losing it. Leaving after a week would limit the heartache because they barely knew each other. Maisie underestimated the matebond, Zayn was a bit of a wreck, even now after just under two years. She sighed. She would go to the Alpha’s. Tell them that she had to leave.

“WHAT? Why?” Rayan slammed his fist on the table. Yez had become a good friend during the years she was with them. Zayn, his twin brother, was also in the office for a change.

He had been fleeing in his word since Maisie left. She had come to their aid as a sorceress to secure their pack borders a few years ago and had found out at the same time that she was Zayns mate. But Maisie was immortal and Zayn wasn’t, so she didn’t want to commit to him and left. Since then, he has mainly taken refuge in his mission of planting trees and thus enlarging oases.

“Calm down, Rayan,” Zayn said impassively.

“Calm? CALM? I can’t be as indifferent as you have been for the last few years.” An expression of pain slid very briefly across Zayn’s face, before it stood unperturbed again.

“Alphas, please don’t do this. Don’t argue over me. I was here on a mission, after it was clear that you had nothing to do with it, I started working from here, but now I am being called back. I can’t change this, unfortunately. I would have liked it if I could have stayed.”

“Do you know why? Can you come back as soon as that, which you have to go back for, is ready?” asked Rayan. Yez pushed her lip up and the corners of her mouth down.

“I have no idea. Igor was not so communicative. I suspect the same reason I was here. It’s not in Dubai, that’s clear to me now, but where? I hope they can tell me a little more in Russia, because if I haven’t been called back for that, I’ll still keep looking for who trafficked those teenagers.” They both nodded. They looked at the muscular woman with a face that contrasted sharply with that. She had honey-blonde, wavy hair, a generous mouth with brownish-pink lips, bright white teeth, which, when she laughed - what not happened very often - seemed as if she were letting the sun out, and large, innocent, blue eyes with thick long eyelashes, which, because of her skin kissed by the sun, stood out even more.

“I wish you were our mate, you hear that sometimes, don’t you, twins sharing a mate together? Then Zayn wouldn’t have had such a hard time,” Rayan said, with a sad look at his other half, he knew he sounded childish, but he longed to have his brother back. Zayn put an arm around him, forgiving him again for the earlier sneer.

“It’ll be all right, if I can’t take it anymore, I’ll go looking for her.” Rayan nodded, but knew she didn’t want to be found, otherwise he would have had her a long time ago. He had started looking after less than a year, when he could no longer see how Zayn was suffering. He looked at Yez again.

“When are you leaving?”

“Tomorrow morning, eleven o’clock at the plane.”

“I’ll bring you.”

“No, you don’t have to. I ask Omar. I also want to say goodbye to him and then I can ask him if he will keep his ears open for me. Stay safe here in the pack. I know not much else has happened and you are going on a business trip too, but I would hate it if something happened to you by bringing me.”

“What nonsense, but if you prefer to be taken away by Omar, that’s fine too. I know the reason, though. You don’t want to cry, you don’t want to say goodbye to us, it’s not easy,” he pointed to himself and his brother, “to leave this behind.” He grinned mischievously, masking the sadness in his eyes, but he hit the nail on the head. These were two great men, they had been through a lot and as a tough Lycan she couldn’t cry, could she? She wrapped her arms around the two men in an already emotional embrace. Then she quickly turned around and almost ran to her room. Taking a break and then calling Sìoltach.

“Hey Yeliza, how are you? That was a while ago. Is anything wrong?”

“No, not at all. I also thought it was a while ago and just wanted to know if you’re okay,” came her clear sexy voice.

“We’re fine, with you and the others too?”

“Yes, Zayn is still struggling, but miraculously he’s holding up well. Better than I expected. He just works more than usual. And Maisie?”

“Also. We moved, because there was a question for someone who was practicing magic. And they were Arabs. We didn’t want to take the risk.”

“Well, that could have been Rayan. He’s been looking for you for a year or so.”

“Alone?”

“Yes.”

“There were two or three of them.”

“Oh, gosh, watch out then.”

“Yes, we will. How are you?” he asked again.

“Absolutely right. Rolling normaal. I’m going to end this call again Just wanted to know if everything was okay with you and if Maisie was still okay.”

“Thank you, sweet of you, but she seems to be coping well, just like Zayn by the sounds of it. I wanted to say ‘say hello to everyone’, but better not.” He chuckled a little sadly. “All the best, Yeliza!”

“Thank you, you too. Glad to have spoken to you.” They hung up with a feeling that not everything had been said, but neither of them really had a clue what needed to be said.

Yez called because she was about to move on, and needed to hear his voice for a moment, she was going to leave this pack, continue with an investigation that had brought her to this place. But what had now clearly been a wrong indication, which also seemed even bigger than first thought. She went to pack her bag.

It was nice that they could have breakfast together. This allowed Yez to say goodbye to the friends closest to her. Rayan, Zayn, Beta Amir, Marwa, Gamma Yasin, Nour, Captain Omar, Jamila and Doctor Imran, they all sat at the table. “I want to thank you for your friendship. Actually, I don’t want to leave, thanks to you I had a very good time here.”

“I think I missed something,” asked Imran, who was sitting next to her, “because why are you leaving?” Yez leaned forward and her voice softened.

“No, you didn’t miss anything, only Zayn and Rayan knew, at least after I excluded them from a crime.” Her cheeks reddened. “I came here to find out if the Alhilal pack had anything to do with the teen puppy trafficking.” There was shocked bated breath. Yez colored deeper at the memory of the accusation she had made when she explained it to the Alphas, after convincing herself that it wasn’t here. They had been offended, but she had shown them that her research had led to Dubai and asked if she could continue her research from there. “I’m sorry.” She lowered her eyes. “I couldn’t blow the whistle too much, sorry.” Imran squeezed her hand.

“No sorry, we get that.” She smiled at him. Phew, how handsome she was. Imran blinked his eyes for a moment because of the blinding smile, she didn’t do that often enough.

“Um... I have another question, a request.” She had a cautious tone in her voice as she looked first at Omar, Yasin and Amir and then Zayn and Rayan. They nodded encouragingly. “I’m not 100 percent sure of why I was called back to Russia, I suspect there are developments in my research... I hope there are developments in research, but whatever it is, I would... Um... Would you like to help me?” She quickly continued: “Would Yasin and Omar be allowed to use some Warriors for this cause? If it’s possible?”

“Of course,” said the twins at the same time.

“We love it when we can help. The Warriors could use another challenge. The only exciting thing they’ve experienced in the last few years was escorting us to the airport,” Rayan chuckled. Omar and Yasin nodded, grinning. They were interested.

After breakfast, Yasin and Omar took her to the airport. Along the way, they discussed how they were going to handle it and how Yez wanted it to be. An airplane with the wolf logo of the Royal Lycans was already waiting, a tall man waiting impatiently at the top of the stairs. Yez looked at her phone. It wasn’t even eleven o’clock. They quickly got out and took the time to say goodbye with a warm embrace.

“Oh, Yez we’re going to miss you so much,” Omar said.

“Me you too.” Her eyes were glassier than usual. “As soon as I can, I’ll be back.”

“You better,” Yasin said, pressing her tightly against him. How long had she been with them? Four, five years? There was a disapproving cough and all three of them looked at the man at the top of the stairs.

“Warrior National Expert Wolkoy?” The man looked intently at his watch. Yez nodded and pulled the two men against her for a moment before grabbing her bag and walking up the stairs. At the top, she gave a short wave and walked inside.

The man looked disapprovingly at her face, contorted with emotion, and without saying a word, brought her to her place. “I am Head Warrior Vyazemsky and must,” with the emphasis on “must,” he clearly considered this an inferior task, “accompany You to the Lycan Empire and Emperor Timofei.

“Well, thank you Head Warrior Vyazemsky,” she said mockingly, she had herself completely in control again and turned her back to him. She grabbed a file and a reading book from her bag before putting it in a luggage compartment. Then she sat down in one of the comfortable armchairs and placed her papers and book on a table. “I’d like to have a cup of tea right now. Thank you.” She didn’t like letting anyone know that she was his superior, but this guy asked for it.

She ignored him and grabbed her file. What had she missed? Her directions had really pointed to Dubai. And to a Russian mafia. As soon as she had spoken to the emperor, she would go to her friendly mafia leader. She grinned, a crooked grin. That burly, terrifying mob boss was afraid of her. She had been his sweetheart, infiltrated to see if the teenagers were there. But despite the fact that he was a mafia, he was a man with norms and values, as far as that was possible in that profession. It hadn’t been a punishment in any case.

He had accidentally found out what she was, he thought he was ending her life, he felt betrayed, but since then he had a lot of respect for her. She grinned again. It had been good for something, because they had become some kind of friends and he had promised to look out, his heart was in the right place at least as far as those teenagers were concerned. She grinned, if she was honest they were more than friends, actually still his sweetheart, she was looking forward to seeing him again, it had been a few months.

After a while she was done staring at the file, which she now almost knew by heart, she sat down and grabbed her reading book. The story captivated and with a few cups of tea and lunch she had quite a good time. The time was over before she knew it and it was announced that she had to fasten her seatbelts. She didn’t hear it, she was so deep in her story.

Vyazemsky had been watching her, which was not a punishment and he could appreciate that she had put him in his place. He just hated the fact that he had been sent to pick up a girl with a Russian doll’s face who would probably… licked her way to the top.… to put it politely. When he saw her, with two Arabs hanging around her, his prejudice was only confirmed. But those big eyes with tears in them melted his heart, which pissed him off again. The photo hadn’t told him that she had a body that would make a Warrior jealous: all muscles. A body that wouldn’t have matched the doll-looking face with the thick eyelashes. Eyelashes that he had thought were fake, but there was no trace of make-up to be seen. When she had said in a not at all silly girlish voice that she wanted tea and had immediately dived into the file on which stood ’torgovlya det’mi,’ child trafficking, he was converted. She was as wonderful as Igor had said, or so it seemed. He remained skeptical.

“Warrior Wolkoy?” He had to repeat it one more time before she was startled out of her book and gave him a sheepish smile, forgetting again that he had treated her so poorly. That only lasted a second, and her face was immediately expressionless.

“Yes, Head Warrior Vyazemsky.”

“We’re going to land, will you buckle up.” Vyazemsky had sat down in the chair opposite her.

“Of course, thank you.” She clicked herself and closed the file that was still on the table. Then she picked up her book again and continued reading. Not for long, because Vyazemsky asked for her attention with a cough. She looked at him questioningly.

“Can I ask something?”

“Of course.”

“What’s the state of affairs?” he nodded his head towards the file on the table. She sighed and looked into his eyes, because of her long life and self-training she could usually tell if someone could be trusted there.

“Why do you want to know that?” He shrugged his shoulders, a little awkward it seemed.

“Son of friends is missing, kidnapped, girls are horrible but what do they do to boys?”

“How do you know he’s been kidnapped?”

“Witnesses saw it happen. If all is right, It is all in there.”

“Nope. This is my own research. I don’t know why I was called to Russia, but if there is another file I hope to get a chance to see it. Whatever the reason is I have to go back, I’ll keep looking.” She leaned over to him. “It’s so strange. Tracks pointed to Russia, then to Dubai and then... nothing. I’ve lost them.” She ruffled her hair in frustration. “It’s horrible when another pup has to disappear in order to get a trail again.”

“You don’t know why you have to go back, but I think from what I’ve heard, that’s what it’s all about.” Yez looked at her phone.

“Well, we’ll know in a few hours.” She took another good look at him. That man had suddenly turned around like a leaf on a tree. Her suspicion commanded her to keep an eye on him. She still had time and decided to ask. “How come you are behaving so suddenly very differently than when I came in?” He laughed a little sheepishly.

“I apologize... prejudice. I had seen your passport photo and the Arabs around your neck just now.” He grimaced. “Apologies again.” She shook her head briefly. Astonished.

“Passport photo? What’s wrong with that? And the Arabs? I’ve worked with these people for years and experienced some very intense situations. We just said goodbye.”

The Warrior was too trained to blush, but she could tell from his eyes that he was uncomfortable. This woman had no idea what she looked like, he thought.

“Well, please forget it, as I said prejudice.”

“No, I want to know what’s wrong with the passport photo, because then I’ll have a new one made. Is necessary in the meantime. He’s probably old anyway.” She burst out laughing. Fifty years ago, she looked the same as she does now. A hundred years ago, maybe even longer, even her hair was cut the same. Just long, over her shoulder blades and wavy. Vyazemsky blinked, just as Imran had done. His eyes widened at the sight of her beautiful smile.

“There’s nothing wrong with the passport photo, you’re in it exactly the way you are, you just have a very pretty face, not one I expected from a seasoned Warrior and that made me think you’d worked your way up... never mind.” He grimaced awkwardly, she grinned.

“No, sorry, I didn’t.” They both laughed.

“If there’s anything I can do...” She nodded with a smile as a thank you.

Moments later, a jolt went through the plane. They had landed.