Tatiana stood near the side of the quiet street, her arms folded loosely as she kept glancing toward the corner where Liam had disappeared earlier. Ten minutes had already passed and the wait was starting to feel longer than it actually was. The city around her was alive with movement. Cars rolled past, people walked along the sidewalks talking and laughing, completely unaware of the kind of operation that was about to unfold around them.

Petrov had already come out of the building a few minutes ago with his long rifle case slung over his shoulder. He barely said anything, just gave her a short nod before heading off toward his position. That man moved like a ghost when he was working. Silent, focused, and already thinking about his next shot before he even arrived at the location.

Now it was just her.

Tatiana shifted her weight from one foot to the other and checked the street again.

Where the hell is he.

Just when she was about to start walking around the corner to look for him, a figure appeared in the distance. At first she barely paid attention. Just another guy walking down the street.

But then she blinked.

Wait.

Her eyes narrowed slightly as the man got closer.

Something about him felt familiar.

He was tall, confident in the way he walked, hands relaxed in his pockets like the entire world around him didn’t matter. But what really caught her attention was the beard. A short but well shaped beard that completely changed the look of his face. On top of that he had sunglasses covering his eyes and a scarf loosely wrapped around his neck.

Tatiana kept staring.

The closer he got the more confused she became.

And then she noticed the hair.

Blond.

Her mouth slowly opened.

No way.

The man finally stopped a few steps in front of her and pulled the sunglasses down slightly, just enough for her to see his eyes.

Liam smiled.

Tatiana’s jaw almost dropped to the ground.

"How is this even possible under ten minutes?"

She said it out loud without even thinking.

Liam chuckled softly as he pushed the glasses back up and adjusted the scarf around his neck.

"Trade secrets."

Tatiana kept staring at him like she was trying to solve a puzzle.

The beard looked real.

The hair looked real.

Even his posture felt slightly different like he had adjusted the way he carried himself. If she hadn’t been expecting him she honestly might have walked right past him without noticing.

Liam tilted his head slightly.

"You ready?"

Tatiana blinked a few times before snapping back to reality.

"Oh. Yes."

She quickly nodded.

"We are late already."

Liam shook his head and gave a calm smile.

"No we’re not late yet."

Tatiana frowned slightly.

"What?"

But Liam was already looking down the street like he was calculating something in his head.

"There is a way we can get there faster."

Tatiana raised one eyebrow slowly.

Then she laughed a little as she crossed her arms again.

"You don’t expect me to transform into a full werewolf form and carry you there right?"

Liam didn’t even react to the joke.

Instead he simply glanced around the area once more, making sure nobody was paying attention to them.

Then he turned and started walking.

"Follow me."

Tatiana blinked again but quickly moved after him.

She stayed a step behind as he led her through a small side path between two buildings. The alley was quiet and narrow, mostly used by delivery workers and the occasional person trying to take a shortcut.

They walked a little deeper until they reached a corner where the walls blocked most of the view from the street.

Tatiana’s mind suddenly started racing.

Her face slowly turned red.

Wait.

Why here.

Her eyes darted around the empty corner.

What does he want to do?

Her heart started beating faster and her thoughts began running in directions she didn’t expect.

He is not thinking of...

"Step closer."

Liam’s voice pulled her out of her thoughts instantly.

Tatiana swallowed.

She realized she had been standing a little farther away while her mind was busy spinning nonsense.

"O-Okay."

She stepped closer.

Now they were standing only a short distance apart.

Tatiana could feel the warmth coming from his body and suddenly she became very aware of how quiet the alley was.

Liam looked at her face.

Her cheeks were already red.

He raised one eyebrow slightly.

"Are you okay?"

Tatiana quickly nodded.

"Yes."

But her voice came out a little softer than usual.

Liam stepped closer.

He lifted one hand slowly and paused for a moment before touching her.

"Is it okay if I touch your waist?"

Tatiana froze.

Her brain stopped working for a second.

He was asking.

Actually asking.

Her throat felt dry but she still managed to nod.

"Y-Yes."

Liam gently placed his hand around her waist.

Tatiana felt her entire body tense for half a second. His grip wasn’t rough but it was firm enough to pull her slightly closer.

Her heart started beating even faster.

But then Liam suddenly stopped.

He thought for a moment and shook his head slightly.

"No."

Tatiana blinked.

"What?"

Liam looked at her.

"Turn around."

She didn’t even question it.

Tatiana turned around immediately.

The moment she did she suddenly felt his body press against her back.

Her eyes widened.

Liam pulled her slightly toward him as his arm wrapped around her waist from behind.

Tatiana felt the heat of his chest against her back and her entire face instantly burned red.

Her body froze.

Her mind was completely blank.

"W-what are you doing?"

Liam answered her question calmly.

"Getting us there."

Tatiana felt her breath hitch the moment he said it. His arm was still wrapped firmly around her waist, his body pressed against her back. She realized something strange in that moment. She did not want him to let go.

Her whole body had gone stiff, so tense that Liam could easily feel it through the contact between them. Her muscles were tight and her breathing had grown shallow. For someone who could turn into a werewolf and tear through enemies without blinking, it was almost funny how nervous she suddenly felt.

Liam leaned his head slightly closer to her ear and lowered his voice.

"Hook your legs around my right leg."

As he said it, he stepped his right leg forward slightly so it was positioned between hers.

Tatiana froze for a split second, her mind struggling to catch up with what he meant.

Then she understood.

"Oh."

She moved quickly, lifting one leg and then the other, wrapping them around his right leg just like he told her. It felt awkward at first but she adjusted quickly, gripping tightly so she would not slip.

"Like this?" she asked.

"Yes."

Liam shifted his stance a little and tested her balance, tightening his arm around her waist slightly. He waited a moment, making sure she was stable and that her grip was firm enough.

Tatiana held on tighter without even realizing it.

Her heart was still beating faster than usual.

Then Liam spoke again.

"Hang on."

She barely had time to ask what he meant.

In the next second the impossible happened.

Tatiana suddenly felt a surge of power behind her. A powerful pressure burst outward and before she could even process what was happening something exploded from Liam’s back.

Two massive wings.

Pure white.

They unfolded violently with a powerful rush of air that echoed through the small alley like a thunderclap.

Tatiana’s eyes went wide.

The wings were enormous, glowing faintly under the daylight like they carried their own light. Each feather looked sharp and perfect, stretching outward with an intimidating beauty that felt both holy and terrifying at the same time.

Her brain struggled to understand what she was seeing.

Then Liam moved.

With one powerful beat of those wings the air around them shook and the ground beneath their feet seemed to disappear.

They launched upward.

Fast.

Terrifyingly fast.

"Ahhhh!"

Tatiana screamed in shock as the alley shot away beneath them. The buildings dropped rapidly and the street below turned smaller with every second.

Her arms tightened instinctively around his arms

Her body pressed fully against his back now as they rocketed into the sky.

For a brief moment her mind went completely blank.

But the shock only lasted for about two seconds.

Tatiana blinked several times and forced herself to calm down. She took a deep breath and steadied herself.

After all she was a werewolf.

She had seen enough madness in her life already. Monsters, transformations, bloodshed, supernatural power. Her entire existence was madness.

Compared to the things she had witnessed before, this was just another impossible thing added to the list.

Still.

White wings.

That was new.

Liam continued climbing higher, his wings beating steadily as he pushed them further into the sky. The speed was incredible but his control was perfect. He adjusted his flight smoothly, rising until they were far above the surrounding buildings.

Within seconds they had reached a height where anyone on the ground would struggle to make them out clearly.

Tatiana slowly lifted one hand away from his arm.

Her fingers brushed through the thin layer of cloud drifting around them.

Her eyes widened again.

The world looked completely different from up here.

The city stretched endlessly beneath them like a massive living map. Roads twisted through the buildings, cars moving like tiny insects along the streets. The distant skyline shimmered under the daylight while the horizon stretched far beyond what she could normally see.

Her hand moved through the cool air as they glided forward.

She laughed softly in disbelief.

"This is insane."

Liam angled his wings slightly and began moving forward across the sky. He did not push his speed to the maximum. There was no need. Even at this pace they would still reach the location faster than anyone traveling on the ground.

Tatiana leaned slightly to the side and looked down again.

The wind brushed through her hair as they flew.

She had never experienced anything like this before.

Her voice suddenly rose loudly over the wind.

"How is this possible?"

Liam glanced slightly to the side, hearing her over the rushing air.

"You have wings!"

Tatiana continued, her voice filled with excitement and confusion.

"I have seen people with black ones before but never white!"

Her words came quickly as she tried to process everything she was seeing.

Liam sighed quietly.

He did not really feel like explaining things in the middle of the sky while carrying someone.

"I was born that way."

That was the only answer he gave.

Tatiana stared at the massive glowing wings again as they moved through the air.

She slowly nodded.

"Right."

She leaned back slightly and relaxed against him, letting the wind brush against her face as she looked around.

The view was breathtaking.

The clouds drifted slowly around them like floating islands while the sunlight reflected softly off the endless city below.

Tatiana’s eyes moved everywhere.

Left.

Right.

Down.

Up.

Every few seconds she glanced back at the wings again like she still could not fully believe they were real.

Her fingers reached out again, slicing gently through a passing cloud. The cool mist wrapped around her hand before fading away as they moved forward.

She smiled.

"This is beautiful."

Liam did not answer. He stayed focused on the direction they were heading, adjusting his flight path slightly as he navigated through the open sky.

Meanwhile Tatiana kept admiring everything around them.

The clouds.

The distant mountains far on the horizon.

The rivers cutting through the land like silver threads.

For the entire journey her eyes kept moving constantly, absorbing every detail of the view from this incredible height.

And every now and then her gaze returned to the glowing white wings carrying them through the sky.

————

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