Page 16 of Eternal

Viktor leans forward, his smirk turning into a full grin. “Deal. And don’t worry, Kat. This announcement will ruin someone’s night… not yours.”

Kat’s curiosity shows up again, and for a second, she looks like the same kid I used to know.

“God, you two are exhausting.”

“Exhausting?” Viktor echoes, raising a brow at me. “Wait until you hear what I have to say.”

“Can’t wait,” I say, voice dripping with sarcasm, and then I wave for another glass of champagne.

Kat throws her napkin onto the table, before saying, “I simply hope for your ass it’s something ridiculous, like another gala theme I’ll have to fix because your tastes are ridiculous.”

Viktor smirks, leaning back in his chair, “It’s not a theme, but keep guessing. You’re entertaining yourself, at least.”

I can’t help but laugh into my glass, enjoying how easily these two can rile each other up.

The night is beautiful, in its twisted way, I guess. Nothing is normal in this world, but here at our table, it’s just us.

“I think Kat is mad because she wants to get ready to intervene if your announcement is another shitty idea,” I say confidently.

“Exactly,” she says, pointing a finger at me. “Tell him to stop being such a pain.”

I grin and shake my head. “But it’s so funny watching you get all worked up over this. Honestly, I’m less annoyed by it all.” I gesture vaguely toward the dance floor, where people sway like their secrets aren't heavy enough to crush them six feet under.

Viktor chuckles, his eyes glinting with amusement. “And I, personally, love to annoy my little sister.”

Kat groans, but before she can retort, Viktor rises, his movements commanding enough to shift the mood. “Alright, enough sitting around. Time to be social.” He straightens his jacket and gestures for us to follow. “Come on. There are people I need to introduce you to.”

Kat huffs, grabbing her glass as she stands. “Ugh, okay. Let’s go.”

He looks at me, offering a hand with mock politeness. “You coming, or are you staying here to sip champagne and be a brat?”

I roll my eyes but take his hand briefly as I get up. “Lead the way, boss .”

The three of us make our way through the crowd, Viktor taking the lead, Kat close beside him, and me trailing a bit behind.

And then, as we approach the group Viktor’s aiming for, he slows, turning slightly toward us with a smile. “Play nice, Kroshka ,” he murmurs, low enough that only we can hear.

Kat snorts, but I simply laugh.

It's been two years since I came back from training. Two years of carving a reputation with the Bratva as Voron. But these kinds of events? I’ve avoided them as much as I could.

There’s something about the way people look at you at these gatherings. The fear is there, of course, but so is the curiosity. Some of them remember my visits. Some of them are missing a finger or two because of me. The ones who aren’t missing anything are probably not here anymore.

And yet, Viktor insists on parading me around, introducing me to his allies and enemies alike. It’s like he gets some kind of satisfaction from watching their reactions, how their eyes sparkle between wariness and respect when he calls me his own reaper.

I can already feel the weight of their stares. They’re trying to place me, to reconcile the girl standing before them with the ghost stories they’ve heard.

“Gentlemen,” Viktor says smoothly, his voice slicing through their murmurs, “Allow me to introduce you to my sisters.”

Sisters. Sisters. Sisters. Sisters.

The word hangs in my head for a moment too long. Kat steps up beside him with her usual smile, nodding politely but with that seriousness in her eyes. And then there’s me.

Not his real sister, but the way he says it, with that deliberate certainty, does something to me.

For a moment, the sense of his words pressed against me. He didn’t stumble, didn’t hesitate. He said it, loud and sure, like it was the simplest truth in the world.

His sisters.

Kat beams beside me, doing small talk, while I’m frozen in the warmth of something I didn’t expect to feel.

Sisters.

I can’t help the small smile tugging at my lips.

“Voron,” one of the older men says, his voice tight. He doesn’t offer his hand, but he nods politely with a drop of sweat visible on his forehead.

He clearly remembers me, I don’t, though.

Judging by the way his hand flexes unconsciously, I’d bet good money he’s one of the ones who lost a finger.

“Nice to see you again,” I say, smiling to scare him. He shifts uncomfortably, and I smile even more.

Kat leans in close, her voice quiet, meant only for me. “I think he might pass out if you smile any wider, Visha .”

I chuckle softly, my eyes never leaving the group while Viktor handles the introductions. He’s in his element here, all business, it’s like second nature with him.

Kat, on the other hand, is soaking it all in, her mind ticking away, making mental notes of every little detail, everything they say, every little information.

I chuckle softly at the scene, keeping my gaze fixed on the group.

Still, there’s a part of me that wonders why he keeps doing this. Dragging me to events like these, forcing these people to acknowledge me as one of theirs.

Maybe it’s to protect my real identity?

Or… Maybe it’s because he really thinks I’m one of them.

I start daydreaming, losing myself to the murmurs of conversations around me, I drift into my thoughts almost involuntarily, to the words my mother used to say, almost singing them with her soft voice before she lost it. The more I think about it, the more it feels true.

Viktor, Kat, they’ve become my family.

Not by birth, but by choice.

And I wonder if that’s what this is all about. Maybe that’s why he drags me into these places, to remind me that, despite all of this darkness, there’s a place for me, too. Somewhere to belong.

And maybe it’s his way of saying he’s proud.

I’m not his blood, and yet, when he says it like that, I almost believe it. Like I’m not a broken body they use but someone human, someone who can feel and break.

The men nod respectfully, offering polite words to Kat and Viktor, and when their eyes flicker to me, there’s a moment of hesitation, as if they’re re calibrating their assumptions. I can see the calculations in their gazes, the way they wonder what it means that Viktor introduces me like this.

But I don’t care about them, not at this moment.

What gets me is the way Viktor stands there, calm and assured, and the way Kat grabs my arm as if to say, of course, you’re one of us.

It doesn’t matter that I’ve walked through hell for them, killed for them, bled for them. Those were only actions. But this? This is the kind of thing that makes you feel seen. Loved , even.

I glance at Viktor, who’s already moving the conversation forward, and at Kat, who’s now playfully ribbing one of the men about his outdated tie.

I swallow the lump in my throat, letting a small smile settle on my lips as I let out a long breath.

If they’re claiming me as theirs tonight, who am I to argue?

I blink back to the present, realizing I’ve let myself drift too far. Viktor and Kat are whispering now, arguing over something while pretending not to draw attention. Viktor, of course, is laughing, his smirk widening every time Kat gets more annoyed.

And then there’s me, standing here, caught in my own head, when I should be focusing on the people around us, the ones who might be watching too closely, the ones who might want us dead.

The air inside feels heavier now, overwhelming, with too many faces and too many memories threatening to surface. I don’t even notice when I start fidgeting, but Viktor catches it.

“Let’s get out of here,” he says, already standing closer to me.

“Seriously? We’re leaving?” she complains, but she’s already grabbing her coat.

“Stop whining,” Viktor replies, nudging her with his elbow. “Consider it a family outing.”

We both head out, Viktor lights up first, the orange glow illuminating his face as he takes a drag. He offers the pack to Kat, who waves it off, muttering something about ruining her red lipstick.

But I’m only wearing gloss tonight, so I pluck one out without hesitation, and he hands me the lighter.

“Better out here?” Viktor asks, exhaling a cloud of smoke.

“It’s cold,” Kat grumbles, shivering while she wraps her arms around herself. “If you two are going to smoke and complain about life, I’ll wait inside.”

“Oh, come on,” I say, taking my first drag. “Stay. Be miserable with us.”

She glares at me, with a smile, and shakes her head.

Viktor smirks, the cigarette hanging loosely from his lips. “Think of it as training, Kat.”

“Training for what? Frostbite?” she shoots back, earning a laugh from both of us.

“It’s literally not cold at all. How are you even shivering when we’re all dying from heat?”

She shrugs. “What can I say? I am a delicate thing.”

“It’s ninety degrees, woman, even at night. You’re insane,” Vik says.

We stand there, the silence only broken by the faint hum of music leaking through the doors. Kat eventually leans against the wall, her gaze flitting between the two of us.

“So,” she says, breaking the quiet. “Are you going to tell us what’s been on your mind all night, or are you going to keep us guessing?”

Viktor raises a brow, feigning innocence. “What makes you think I have something on my mind?”

“Oh, please, Vik,” Kat scoffs. “Your eyebrows are so tight they might break your face in half.’”

“Sounds about right,” I chime in, smiling.

He chuckles, taking another drag before answering. “You two are such a pain in the ass, I’m thinking about how to take vacay without you.”

Kat groans, throwing her head back. “Can I kill him? Visha , back me up here.”

“Kill your own brother?” I mock gasp, flicking the ash from my cigarette. “How could you even suggest such a thing?”

“Oh, don’t act like you wouldn’t enjoy it,” she quips, narrowing her eyes at me.