Page 89 of Deviant Need

Mikhail rubs the back of his head. Yulian’s phone keeps lighting up on the table, and he glances at it before sighing and ignoring it.

“I don’t know anything, okay? I haven’t exactly cared enough to look into it. Daniil is one of us. You see how Mother treats him? He’s her precious youngest baby,” Yulian says, gesturing at me with his hand.

Calder hums and rubs his chin. “We could look into those files we came across⁠—”

Yulian grabs his arm and shakes his head, mouthing shut up.

“Do you remember anything from when Danya came to us?” Mikhail asks.

Yulian sighs and curses under his breath. His phone lights up again, and he stares at it for a second, jaw clenching.

“I don’t know much. But I was older, so I remember things you two can’t.” He leans back against the wall. “What I do remember is that you spent a month in the hospital. I went with Mother to visit you once. She said you were so badly malnourished the doctors weren’t sure you’d make it. You had infections. Cuts all over. Whatever they’re keeping from you about your past, it’s bad. I can promise you that much.”

That picture haunts me. The hollow cheeks, the bruises.

All these small details are slowly connecting, forming a picture I can almost see. But the whole story still doesn’t make sense. Not yet.

Maybe we should stop looking into this. The bad feeling keeps growing stronger, and if someone did that to a two-year-old, starved them until they were barely alive, what would they do to me now that I’m digging into their secrets?

What would they do to Mikhail for helping me? I can’t let him get hurt because of this. That would destroy me. He’s become obsessed with finding answers for me, with uncovering the truth no matter what it costs. That’s just how he is. He sees something broken and throws himself into fixing it without considering the consequences. He’s relentless when he decides to do something.

The fact that they’re hiding it so carefully has to mean something though. You don’t go through this much effort to bury the past unless there’s something dangerous there. Something they need to stay hidden.

Calder opens his mouth, but Yulian shoots him a look and cuts him off.

“You know what? We can look into it. But only if you stop throwing things at me during family dinners and never step foot inside my house ever again.”

“You deserve everything that’s been thrown at you,” Mikhail counters.

“I don’t, it’s just fun annoying all of you. Alexei’s the worst. He has no control over his temper as much as he pretends he does. Things just fly out of his hands the moment someone says something he doesn’t like,” Yulian says and smirks. “It’s entertaining.”

He’s not wrong.

“Show me everything you have. Me and Calder found something the other day that might be useful.” Yulian pushes off the wall. “But if Father finds out about this, I’m throwing both of you under the bus. I’m not taking the fall for your mess.”

“Deal.”

Yulian’s eyes narrow. “And Mikhail? You owe me. Big.”

“Fair.”

He gestures towards the sofa, and we follow. I set Tank down on the floor, and he trots off to lie by the fireplace. Mikhail sits down first, and I drop next to him, close enough that our thighs press together. His fingers brush against mine, hidden between us where they can’t see, and he extends his pinky. We hook them together, and the small contact makes my pulse kick up.

We explain everything. Yulian writes everything down in his phone without looking up, then stands and walks outside through the back door, already dialing.

Calder’s been studying us this whole time, sitting across from us with his legs crossed. “You two are so screwed if anyone finds out,” he says suddenly. “Be careful. And if you ever need help, I’m here.”

Mikhail and I look at each other, confused.

“What?” Mikhail says sharply.

He glances toward the back door where Yulian paces with his phone pressed to his ear, then back at us. “I was the one who saw you in the stairwell.”

Mikhail jumps to his feet and glares down at him.

Calder sighs. “I don’t care about it. I’m not an Avrorin, and trust me, you two being together isn’t surprising. I’m not telling anyone, so sit down.”

Mikhail’s hands flex, knuckles going white. “You⁠—”