Page 25 of Sweet Obsession (Savage Vow #1)

MISHA

The house felt too still, as though every corner held its breath.

But it wasn’t just the silence that made me uneasy, it was Luna.

She was lying there, pale and fragile, her breathing shallow and uneven.

She hadn’t moved in hours, and every time I looked at her, a gnawing fear tightened in my chest.

I couldn’t do this. I couldn’t lose her. Not like this. I wouldn’t survive it.

The door to the room opened, but I didn’t need to look to know who it was. I could feel the coldness in the air before he even stepped inside.

My father. He was sick, pale, frail, his movements slow and deliberate, as though each step was a battle. He stopped beside me, eyes flicking toward Luna’s still form.

“Is she...?” His voice was hoarse, the illness in him evident.

I didn’t answer. My eyes stayed on Luna, my throat tight. I couldn’t even speak without sounding like I might break.

He sighed, but didn’t say anything for a moment, just stood there, watching her like I was, his gaze narrowing.

“I hear about the war,” he said, the words thick in his chest. “I came to fix it.”

I turned on him sharply, frustration and anger flaring inside me.

“Fix it?” I hissed. “You let it happen, Father. You let it all spiral into this mess. The Volograd estate, the families, the bloodshed, you let it all go too far. Now, because of it, she’s lying here, unconscious, and I can’t do anything but watch her waste away.”

My voice cracked as I finished, but I didn’t care.

His cough rattled through him as he shifted on his feet, a grimace twisting his face.

“I know,” he rasped. “And now I’m here to fix it.

I’ve already arranged a meeting with the other five bratva families.

A vote. We’ll decide once and for all who will be the Packahan—the boss of all bosses. You... or Chernov.”

I froze at the mention of Chernov’s name. Of course, it had to come down to this. A vote. A battle. Whoever wins the vote would take everything: Luna, the estate, and the power that came with it.

“I’m not leaving her side,” I told him firmly, my voice steel. “She’s mine.”

His tired eyes held mine, a flash of something cold flickering in them before he spoke again, his voice weaker, quieter. “I’m not asking you to. But I’m telling you this, Chernov’s injured. The Odessa family is angry. You’ll need to handle them carefully. And you need to get the vote done.”

I stepped closer to him, gritting my teeth. “Why do I even need the vote? You gave the Odessa family everything, otherwise, Chernov of all people wouldn’t have the mind to come for what belongs to me plus he was the one who started this war.”

He coughed again, a harsh, wet sound. “Can we leave the past in the past? It was a mistake I regret every day. But once you become a Packahn, you can easily crumble them. Misha, There’s no time to argue.

I’ve arranged the ceasefire for one week.

You need to be there, at least for her. For this war to end. ”

I clenched my fists. “I’ll handle Chernov. Don’t worry.”

He waved a hand weakly, as if brushing aside my anger. “You’ll need to do more than that.” His eyes flickered toward Luna before he looked back at me, his face contorting slightly.

I stiffened, fighting the urge to snap at him, but he was right. As much as I wanted to be by her side, I had to fight for her, for us, for everything we were going to build. I wasn’t leaving her, but this... this war couldn’t drag on forever.

I looked down at her, then back at him. “You’re sure about this vote? It’ll settle everything?”

“Everything,” he rasped. “But only if you handle it properly.”

I didn’t want to leave her, but I had no choice. I couldn’t risk her life, the estate, or the future we could have together. Plus becoming Packhan means I could deal with Chernov and his brothers once and for all.

“Fine,” I muttered.

He nodded weakly, coughing again as I helped him out of the room.

“I’ll take you to the airport,” I said, my voice cold. “But don’t worry about this. I’ll fix it.”

The drive to the airport was quiet. I kept my eyes on the road, my mind racing. Chernov’s face. His malicious grin, the way he’d been smirking when he thought he had me beaten.

But he didn’t know me. He didn’t know what I would do to keep her. To make her mine.

I helped my father into the terminal, my body tense. He was still sick, still weak, but I couldn’t let him see that it was eating away at me. I had to do this for him, for her. For everything we’d fought for.

“Take care,” I told him, squeezing his shoulder. “I’ll handle it. You don’t have to worry about this.”

He gripped my arm for a moment, his eyes hard but filled with something softer. “Fix this, Misha. For all of us.”

And then he was gone.

I didn’t even let myself watch him walk away. My thoughts were already back on Luna. Back on Chernov. Back on the war.

The moment I stepped into the house, I called Nikolai.

“How is she?” My voice was sharp, desperate for an answer.

Nikolai’s voice came through the phone, tired but reassuring. “She’s the same. Nothing’s changed, Misha.”

I didn’t say anything for a moment. The weight of everything settled onto me all at once. I had to go to the meeting with the other families, but how could I leave her like this?

“I’ll be home as soon as I can,” I told him, already heading for the door. “Stay with her. Don’t let her out of your sight.”

I hung up, my thoughts racing. The seconds felt like hours, every moment stretching into eternity as I drove to the meeting.

By the time I arrived, my mind was a blur.

I watched as the other families sat in the room, their eyes sharp and calculating. I glanced at Chernov, his face bandaged, his eyes burning with a kind of rage I recognized all too well. His brothers flanked him, their hands tense and ready for anything.

I couldn’t focus on them. I had to focus on Luna. On this vote. On the war that had to end.

The families argued, debated, but it was clear, nothing would be settled unless I won the vote. I had to fight for Luna. I had to take control of the future.

I didn’t speak much during the meeting. I kept my gaze locked on Chernov, watching him. Waiting for his next move.

The ceasefire was agreed upon. We also agreed for the Packahn vote to be held in a week time. The moment it was over, I was back on the road, my phone already ringing again. Nikolai’s name flashed on the screen.

“Talk to me,” I said, my voice tight.

“She’s still unconscious, Misha. Still fighting,” Nikolai said, his voice tired. “But we’re here.”

I slammed my fist against the steering wheel, the frustration rising up my throat. Would she ever get better?

I ran home, the world around me spinning as the weight of everything settled on my chest.

Would she survive this? Would she wake up and fight like she always had?

I hadn’t slept in days. It didn’t matter.

The chair beneath me had become a second skin, its hard edges digging into my back, but I didn’t care.

The only thing that mattered was Luna. She was lying there, unmoving, pale, still as death itself.

Her shallow breaths, barely perceptible, were the only proof that she was still here with me.

I was too afraid to close my eyes for even a second, afraid that when I opened them again, she wouldn’t be there.

But then the door opened.

I didn’t need to look to know it was Nikolai. I could feel the weight of his presence before he even spoke.

“Misha,” he said, his voice low, cautious. “Have you gotten any sleep at all?”

I didn’t respond. I couldn’t. My eyes were locked on Luna’s face, her chest rising and falling, too slow for my liking, too fragile. I couldn’t tear my gaze away.

Nikolai stepped closer, pausing beside me. He exhaled a sigh, his voice softer this time. “You need to rest. You can’t keep going like this.”

I clenched my jaw but didn’t reply. Rest? How could I sleep when she was like this? How could I close my eyes when she needed me?

Another sigh from him, this one tinged with concern. “I’ll stay with her, Misha. Just... get some sleep. You need to be strong for her when she wakes up.”

But I couldn’t. I wasn’t leaving her side. Not when every moment felt like a battle.

The door opened again, and this time, it was the doctor.

His footsteps were deliberate as he approached Luna’s bed, but his eyes flickered to me for a brief moment before he got to work.

He checked Luna’s vitals with practiced ease, his hands moving quickly, methodical. He had been in and out for days, each time administering injections, adjusting medications, his promises that she would get better almost sounding like hollow words.

“She’s still stable,” the doctor said after a while, his voice quiet, but the weariness in it didn’t escape me.

He was exhausted, just like I was, but he continued his work with the same steady focus.

“I’ll come again tomorrow, and the day after, until she’s well enough. Just... keep her calm. Keep her here.”

I nodded stiffly. My throat was tight, but I couldn’t say anything. I could barely hear him over the blood rushing in my ears.

Once the doctor was done, Nikolai spoke again, his voice softer now as the man disappeared out the door. “Misha, please. Get some sleep. I’ll stay with her. You don’t have to do this alone.”

I shook my head, my hand curling tighter around Luna’s. “I’m not leaving her.”

Nikolai hesitated, his eyes flickering between me and Luna, but then he nodded, clearly seeing that there was no point in arguing. “I’ll be here. I’ll make sure nothing happens.”

I glanced at him for a moment, then finally, with a heavy sigh, allowed my eyes to slip shut. I didn’t fall asleep, not really. But I leaned back in the chair, letting the weight of exhaustion pull me deeper, just a little bit, long enough to rest my mind for a few moments.

And then, a movement.