Page 19 of Scarlet Promise

I never will.

Chapter Five

ALINA

Someone’s kissing my cheek,and it makes me smile. I don’t know when Ilya got so furry and his nose so cold and wet, but?—

I wake.

Melting brown eyes, full of love and excitement, stare into mine. Albert barks joyfully.

“Albert!” My heart swells and warmth and light and love flood me.

I hug him tight.

My head still hurts, but right now, it doesn’t really seem to matter like it did before, not with Albert here. Albert honestly, truly well and alive.

I squeeze his little warm body until he huffs and wiggles to get free.

I release him, and he gives me a disapproving look before barking softly and hurtling back at me for more doggy kisses and a big snuggle.

I’ll take it.

The only thing that’d make it better is Ilya.

But he’s not here. It’s just me and Albert.

I wasn’t allowed to sleep that much last night because of my concussion—doctor’s orders. Erin stayed with me. But in theearly hours of the morning, the doctor returned and allowed me to finally sleep.

I didn’t go back to Ilya’s. Demyan refused to let me, and he even took my phone so I wouldn’t be distracted when resting.

So how did Albert…?

My heart leaps while I pet his furry head. “Is Ilya here? Did he bring you with him? I bet he did.”

I kiss Albert, get up, shower, and dress, pausing in front of the mirror and taking in the big bruises on my face. I touch one tenderly. It’s sore, but it’s nothing that makeup won’t fix.

I almost dig some out, but I decide to leave it. All the stuff here is old, and right now, the bruises are my battle scars. They show me I met real danger and survived.

With a sigh, I turn away, and Albert barks.

I ruffle his fur. “Come on. Let’s see if Ilya’s here.”

Albert wags his tail like crazy and rushes to the shut door. He stops, turns, his tail batting against the wood.

I go over and open it, and then Albert and I hurry down the stairs of Demyan’s place, my childhood home, one that’s full of the distant sounds of laughing, shouting children.

I stop at Demyan’s office, the one where I used to find Ilya when he’d be here working. But it’s empty.

Almost. My phone’s on his desk.

Scowling, I cross over to the desk and snatch it up, noting his computer’s still on. A single mug is next to the laptop, and I touch it. Barely warm.

Demyan’s here, somewhere, but I don’t think Ilya is. I don’t sense the tension that filled my bedroom prison in the cabin when the two were in there and when my brother dragged me out.

“How did you get here, Albert?”

We look at each other, but he just barks.