Novels by Jennifer Evans

5 YEARS LATER... LEONARDO'S POV I reclined in one of Enzo's plush office chairs, half listening to my cousins drone on about business. My gaze landed on Enzo's hands as he gesticulated, and I had to bite my cheek to keep from laughing. His nails were painted a glittery pink and decorated with Hello Kitty stickers. When he caught me staring, Enzo shrugged. "Gigi ambushed me this morning." "Daddy-daughter time looks good on you, brother," I teased. Enzo shot me a wry look. "We'll see how you handle it when your little hellion grows up." I chuckled thinking about my spirited son. "Adriano keeps things exciting, for sure. Just yesterday he finger-painted a mural on his bedroom wall using Rosalina's lipstick." My cousins howled. "Takes after his old man," Luca said. "In all the best and worst ways," I agreed. Right on cue, my cell phone rang. I didn't have to check the caller ID to know it was Adriano's teacher. "That'll be Mrs. Dawson now. Let me guess - he set off stink bombs in

LEONARDO'S POV(A few months later...)A piercing cry split the night air. I groaned, clinging to the last remnants of a pleasant dream as little Adriano's wails persisted."Your son is awake," I mumbled, still half asleep.Rosalina stirred slightly. "Before sunrise, he's your son," she quipped drowsily.I chuckled at the familiar Lion King quote, then dragged myself reluctantly from the warm bed. I shuffled over to the crib and gently lifted my bawling son into my arms. We had named him Adriano, after Rosalina's father."Shhh Adriano, go back to sleep," I soothed, rocking him gently. His tiny mouth rooted hungrily at my chest, latching onto my nipple. I winced. "Wrong nipple, buddy."I retrieved one of the bottles of breast milk Rosa had pumped earlier and offered it to Adriano. He sucked greedily, his cries subsiding as I held him close. I smiled down at my son, my heart swelling with love and pride. He had his mother's beautiful hazel eyes and my strong Salvadori nose and chin.I

ROSALINA'S POV I stared at my reflection, scarcely recognizing the radiant bride smiling back. The strapless gown hugged my body perfectly, the pink floral accents on the skirt matching my rose tiara."Oh, you look absolutely beautiful!" Lily dabbed at her eyes as she helped me smooth the skirt.I couldn't stop smiling, joy bubbling inside me. After everything, this day had finally come - my wedding day! My Nonna stepped forward, clasping my hands warmly. "Stellina, I'm so happy for you. You chose well, my dear. That boy loves you with his whole heart."I embraced Nonna tightly. "Thank you. For understanding, and supporting us." She stroked my hair lovingly. "Always, il mio tesoro."A loud commotion outside made us glance at the door. I heard Leo's voice rising insistently."Let me see my wife, damn it!"Isabella shot me a bemused look. "Somebody's impatient to get this show on the road."I laughed softly. Trust Leo to toss tradition aside. My heart swelled with love for my soon-to

ROSALINA'S POVI clutched the address in my hand, the edges creased and worn from the countless times I'd unfolded it. Antonella DiMarco - the stranger who used to be my mother. "You sure about this, babe? No one would blame you if-""I'm sure," I cut him off, my voice tight. "I gotta do this, Leo. I can't..." My throat closed up for a moment. "I can't move on until I look her in the eye and get some damn answers."He nodded slowly, jaw tight. I could practically hear the argument raging in his head about why this was a bad idea. But one glance at my expression and he just sighed, holding out his hand.I shifted in my seat, trying to ignore the growing pressure in my bladder. The sun was starting to set, casting an orange glow across the desert landscape blurring past. Leo kept his eyes fixed on the road, one hand resting gently on my knee in silent support.I knew I should've gone to the bathroom again before we left the last rest stop an hour ago. But nerves had killed my appetit

LEONARDO'S POVThe dank basement reeked of blood and fear. My uncle Giovanni was tied to a chair, swollen and battered from the beating he had gotten. But I felt no pity for the traitor.My cousin Luca's eyes were wild with grief. Losing his twin Lucio had destroyed him. Now seeing his father Giovanni revealed as a turncoat was the last straw."Alright, talk," I said coldly to Giovanni. "Spill why you teamed up with Andrae against your own family."When Giovanni stayed silent, Alessio slammed a fist into his gut. Giovanni wheezed in pain as Luca flinched, choking back a sob."Last chance," I said casually as Giovanni fought for breath. "Give me the details, then you get a quick death for ratting out the family."Fear flashed in Giovanni's eyes. He started rambling about how Andrae had approached him and offered control of the family if Giovanni helped kill my brother."Lies!" Giovanni cried desperately. "He used me! I never wanted Vincenzo dead, you gotta believe me!"Disgust roiled t

LILLINA'S POVI cradled Enzo's limp hand in both of mine, pressing fervent kisses to his chilled fingers. The steady beep of the heart monitor was my lone comfort as I maintained my bedside watch. His chest rose and fell rhythmically, but he remained locked away in unconsciousness. "You have to come back to me, Enzo" I whispered, my vision blurring. "Our daughter needs her father." I swiped angrily at the tears streaking my face. I had to be strong for our child, though the effort threatened to shatter my fragile composure.A knock interrupted my swirling thoughts. Carlo entered, his expression carefully neutral. "Any change?" I shook my head mutely, a fresh wave of tears spilling over. Suddenly, Vincenzo's hand twitched feebly in mine. I gasped, leaning forward intently as his brow furrowed. "Enzo?" I choked out. "C-can you hear me?"With agonizing slowness, his eyelids fluttered open halfway, still clouded by anesthesia. But they locked onto mine with recognition that flooded my

I dug through the forest, looking for vampire corpses, drunk on whiskey. Not my favorite thing to do. I let Reynard take form, in case we come under attack. You never knew what would come after your blood in these dark corners of the forest. I didn't trust Micheal Black. I could bet all my money that the prick of a Beta wanted Abigail to be as good as dead. So a better choice in finding her would be to get myself on the ground and search for her. Halfway near the border, we caught the scent of something fucking odd. Not odd, but almost foreign. Vampire bodies never decay, because they were immortals, at least, their bodies are, nor did they have scents like shifters or any other creatures did. Their bodies worked differently than hours. The only thing they felt were hunger and lust, real fucking cold-blooded killers. So the chance that the scent belonged to a vampire was pretty damn low. There was a shifter element to it – that familiar musk of earth and animal, the tang of adrenalin

"Where is she?!" My roar shattered the silence in the packhouse. All of the pathetic fools stood there with their little tails tucked between their legs like a bunch of cornered mutts. The Beta, Micheal Black stepped forward for a formal bow. His sly face looked up at me with questioning eyes."I'm sorry to say, Alpha. She is nowhere to be found however--""However WHAT?"He cleared his throat before straightening his back. "We have found her silver chains, discarded near the border, but also... two headless bodies of vampires not very far away."I'd been with that girl for over three years, and I'd doubt if she was even capable of hurting a fly, so ripping two vampires' heads off was out of the fucking question. Maybe some other, much bigger predator must've taken interest in her. My blood curdled. I'd rather have her die than her belonging to someone or something else. The witch's forest wasn't a children's playground, it was a place where the ominous forces of nature festered, so f

I was drifting in this weird fuzzy blankness when something nudged me. Not a gentle nudge, more like a punch to the gut - which shocked the breath right out of me. Suddenly my eyes opened and everything was blindingly white and freezing cold."Abigail." A soothing woman's voice beckoned me. It was the familiar voice of my wolf Bree. It'd been months since I last linked with my spirit wolf. Omegas tend to have weaker connections with their wolves, and mine only emerged when I was in a deadly crisis to protect her vessel from dying. Like, um, right then apparently?Was I dying? Oh crap, was this the afterlife? Maybe... I was dead already and this cold place was hell, but I thought hell was supposed to be hot--"Abigail!"Bree's voice sounded much closer, and a second later I felt something furry nudging my side. I turned my head - very sluggishly, like I was underwater - to see her luminous white shape blending in against the frosty backdrop."Where...are we?" My voice came out in a

I glared at the feeble little shifter lying motionless in the bed. "Well? What's wrong with the little wolf?" I snapped at Zelda, my maid.Zelda flinched under my withering gaze. Good, she should be afraid. Fear is the only way to keep the hired help in line."Fever, sir."I clicked my tongue. "As expected of an omega, they're too fragile." "Sir..." Zelda began hesitantly. I raised an eyebrow, daring her to continue. She swallowed hard. "The wolf...she has been starved. Forced to live on scraps. Her condition is terrible. If you drink her blood now, it could prove fatal."Fatal, huh? I dismissed the foolish maid with a wave of my hand. She knew better than to linger.Once she had scurried away, I turned my attention to the frail little wolf lying before me. Her tangled red hair was dull and matted. I had already removed the silver shackles binding her wrists and ankles. No need for those anymore. It was obvious she had been cast aside by her pack, left to waste away in the woods. Th

What is this... scent?Fresh blood, but it's different... Shifter blood, belonging to a female no less.The aroma drifted through the night air, teasing my senses with its enticing fragrance. A scent that stirred a ravenous hunger within me. This wasn't the typical mortal crimson that usually graced my palate. No, this was something far more delectable.Stealthily, I stalked through the Witch's forest, my footsteps like whispers against the damp earth. The shadows embraced me like an old companion, concealing my presence from the prying eyes of predators. This was my domain, my hunting grounds, and the inky darkness served as my cloak.The scent grew stronger with each step, beckoning me deeper into the woods.Ah... shifters. Those adorable little mutts. A low chuckle rumbled in my chest. These creatures, so proud and mighty, believed themselves above the food chain. Little did they know, their precious lifeblood was the ultimate delicacy, a rare vintage.Like caviars are for mo

"Bring the chains." Beta Micheal Black barked out an order.A couple of hulking enforcers stepped forward, silver manacles gleaming dully in the filtered forest light. This was really happening - they were going to discard me out here in the wild with nothing."Let's move it, sweetheart," one of them growled, hauling me forward with a cruel yank.I hissed as the cold metal bit into the tender flesh of my wrists, the enchanted silver already burning like hellfire. Michael stepped up, his beady eyes glinting with a twisted satisfaction."Those chains will prevent you from shifting into your wolf form," he drawled, smirking as understanding bloomed in my widening eyes. "Can't have our little Omega Luna--I mean, Ex- Luna running free in the forest, now can we?"I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Without the ability to shift, to tap into my primal instincts and strength, I was as good as dead out here. The forest was an untamed deathtrap for a lone, defenseless woman.But that's exactl