Page 178 of Volik

“I promise, my goddess of night.”

And it’s more than relief. I feel pride. Because if he wasn’t taken, that means he wasn’t at The Trials as a test subject. It means he went there to free those who had been taken.

It means Volik was there to kill humans.

All the ghost stories.

All those terrible details.

All the evil that was exposed.

My mate was a firsthand witness. And because of his participation in what happened that night, when the Alts were freed and the responsible parties were dealt with, peace has reigned.

I let go of Volik’s hand and step into him, wrapping my arms around him in a hug.

One heavy arm holds me tight, while a warm palm smooths over my hair. “I like hugs.”

He says it calmly, but I can feel how much he means it. And I force my emotions to stay in line, because if he hasn’t been with someone in eighty years, his brother has been missing for a hundred years, and he can’t remember how many decades it’s been since he’s seen his aunt and uncle… I doubt he’s hugged anyone in a long time.

I hug him tighter. “Me too.”

I sniff.

Volik grunts. “Do not cry.”

I poke him in the side. “I’m not.”

He hums. “How about another fact? Would that make you feel better?”

I pull back enough to look up into Volik’s eyes. “Are you trying to bribe me with information?”

“Da.”

“Well, I guess it all depends on how good the information is.”

He holds my gaze. “When we were destroying records, we found evidence that humans had cures for most cancers. More than a decade previous.”

I stare up at him with my mouth open. “We were taught that it was an international collective of doctors that cured cancer…” My speech slows as I think it all over.

That announcement happened just months after The Trials.

“It was a collective. But the original scientists were murdered and their results buried in the name of profits. We told the humans to release the cures and to make it all public. The process, findings, treatment protocols. If they did not, we would release the information anyway. And then we would also share how long the lawmakers had known. They agreed, because they knew that losing control of their citizens would cause a level of damage that could not be repaired.”

I keep staring up at my handsome mate.

He lifts a brow. “Good information, da?”

“So good.” I shake my head, trying to absorb everything Volik just told me.

He lifts a hand, tapping his temple. “I have lots more up here.”

I lift my gaze to his forehead, like I can see the memories within, then I meet his eyes again. “Seriously, that’s so hot.”

Volik smirks.

I feel the tip of my fang with my tongue as I think about how many stories Volik will be able to tell me over the years to come.

“What are you thinking about, Mate?” His attention is on my mouth.