[Massimo’s POV]I begin to move, making my way toward the cocky bastard as he continues to watch me in boredom. He really did deserve to have his ass handed to him; maybe then he would realize that he wasn’t as invincible as he thought."Go on then," he announces, opening his arms. "Do your worst."Stopping, I take him in, trying to figure out what he is playing at, but I find absolutely nothing on his face or in his eyes. All I see is a reflection of someone that I knew in the past, and that leaves me unnerved.I recognized that look and that gleam; it was the same exact fucking thing I saw when I looked myself in the mirror day in and day out after my little fairy went missing."Lost your nerve?"As he speaks, a slow smile of amusement begins to spread across his face, and before I even know what I’m doing, my hand is connecting with his jaw, sending him crashing to the floor."Quit playing the fucking martyr," I snap, lifting him from the ground. "Do you think if you continue this
[Knight’s POV]I stare into Tatiana’s silver eyes, trying to process what exactly she was up to. Why was she going through all of this after what I had done to her? Was she stupid or something?"I refuse," I respond, leaning back on my cot. "Leave.""You heard him," Massimo says, reaching out and grabbing Tatiana’s hand.This action alone sends me into a rage, and it takes everything for me not to jump up and stop him from touching what was mine."He isn’t interested in our help," he continues, oblivious to my change in mood or just not giving a shit. "Let him stay here and rot.""I…" Tatiana begins, looking from him to me. "I can’t."Frowning, I take in her expression, which screams remorse and guilt. What the hell was she even thinking, and why did I care so much to know?"He saved me once," she continues, her eyes filling with determination. "And because of that, I have to return the favor."Saved? When the hell had I saved her? All I did was ignore everything she was going through
[Massimo’s POV]I head out of the station while Knight’s defeated expression replays in my head again and again.Fuck, why did it bother me so much? Right, because as long as he was in there, Tatiana wouldn’t be satisfied, and he would be on her mind.I truly was selfish, and despite already having her to myself due to his pushing her away, I still wanted more. I wanted her to be just as obsessed with me as I was with her, but that would never happen as long as that hindrance was around.‘Kill him,’ Zanos suggests. ‘Then he won’t be an issue.’‘If only it was that easy,’ I sigh.Normally, that is exactly what I would do when there was something bothering me, but this was different. This person was important to my little fairy, whether she wanted to admit it or not."Fuck," I huff, running a hand through my hair. "What the fuck am I even doing? Who is this pathetic bastard?""Massimo?"Cursing my timing, I lift my gaze to find Tatiana watching me as I make my way down the steps of the
[Massimo’s POV]When we arrive at Obsidian River, Tatiana looks exhausted, so I make a beeline for my office in hopes that she can rest while I do a bit of work.Since her return, I have been looking into Onyx River but have continued to come up empty-handed, so I decided that maybe looking into historical records would be the better choice.Along with that, I still had many pack matters to handle as the transition between my father’s reign and my reign commenced due to my engagement and eventual marriage to Tatiana. There was a lot of cleaning up to do before I officially took over, and once I finished with Obsidian River, I would be sure to work on Onyx River."Is this really necessary?" Tatiana asks as I force her to lay down on the lush couch that sits to the side of my office and cover her with a blanket. "I could just go back to our room, you know?"Our room… No matter how many times I heard it referred to as that, I still got excited when I heard it.Since we were officially en
[Tatiana’s POV]I stare in horror as I take in what Migel has just told Massimo.My uncle… He was here, and he was trying to take me back. But why? Wasn’t he one of the ones who said there used to be an agreement between the two packs and syndicates?"Has he lost his fucking mind?" Massimo growls, his aura beginning to radiate from him. "Does he want to start a war?""I’m not sure," Migel admits, furrowing his thick, dark brows. "He just suddenly showed insisting that Tatiana return to Onyx River immediately.""There’s no fucking way that is going to happen," Massimo snaps. "Little fairy, stay here," he continues, turning his glowing golden gaze toward me. "I’ll handle him.""No!" I gasp, jumping up. "This involves me too; how could I possibly let you go alone?"Ignoring his stare that screams to stay put, I get up and make my way out of the room and head for the main alcove of Obsidian River’s packhouse, where my uncle stands with two of his men on either side of him.When he spots m
[Tatiana’s POV]My eyes widen as I take in my uncle’s desperate gaze that meets mine. Something about it chills me to my core as I feel a sudden pull that makes me stumble forward."What?" I hiss, trying to fight what was happening, only to find that I was continuing to move."You bastard!" Massimo growls, grabbing me and pulling me closer to him so that the pull becomes painful with each passing second that I don’t obey it. "What the fuck do you think you’re doing?""Giovani," Roger warns, looking from me and Massimo to my uncle. "What is the meaning of this?""You don’t understand," my uncle responds, continuing to keep his gaze fixed on mine. "Release Tatiana and forget about our agreement."At his words, the pull becomes so painful that I let out a hiss, but I’m still unable to move as Massimo holds tight.What the hell was this exactly? Was this what it felt like to disobey an alpha?Back in Hunters Moon, I never experienced such a thing since I was never officially connected to
[Tatiana’s POV]I don’t speak as my uncle leads me to the car that is sitting in wait or even when I’m forcibly shoved into the back of it and having the door slammed in my face.Fighting the fear I felt at suddenly being trapped, I wriggle into an upright position and wait while he climbs into the car and revs the engine to life, then hits the gas, sending us flying forward.Only once we are on the road do I clear my throat, drawing his attention to me. When his eyes lock on mine, it is almost as though he didn’t even realize that I was there."What?" he asks, taking a sharp turn onto the main road. "Are you going to be defiant?""No," I respond slowly, once again feeling like the man in front of me wasn’t the same one I met when I first returned to Onyx River. "I…" I continue, fighting the fear that is suddenly bubbling from years of being beaten for attempting to speak out. "I wanted to ask about the awakening."Honestly, part of the reason I willingly went with him was so that I c
[Massimo’s POV]I lay on the ground, waiting as my wound from where my father shot me slowly healed. Of course the bastard would use a silver bullet to slow me down since he knew once I healed I would figure out a way to get the hell out of this cell.This was nothing more than an irritating diversion to keep me from escaping and finding Tatiana, but it wouldn’t stop me, not until I saw that she was safe and sound, even if it was with someone other than me.Someone other… I hated to accept it, but at this point, the only person who could protect her was the very bastard who hurt her so badly.As much as I hated the thought of them coming together, I hated the thought of her being hurt more and needed to take action.Closing my eyes, I reach out, searching for Migel while avoiding being sensed by anyone else. At first, it is almost like he doesn't exist at all, and I wonder if this is my father's doing. However, I continue to push, ignoring how fucking quickly my strength was waning d
[Tatiana’s POV]My heart races as I stare at the name that flashes on my phone. Massimo. Was it really him calling me right now, or was it someone else pretending to be him? I didn’t know, but I wanted to find out.“Answer it.” Knight’s voice is firm, and it snaps me out of my daze. “We’ve been looking for that bastard for five years, and here he is calling you like it's nothing.”I don’t miss the hint of distrust in his voice as he speaks, but for the time being, I didn’t want to deal with it. The most important thing was answering this call and figuring out if it truly was Massimo reaching out to communicate with me or not.Sucking in a breath, I swipe to answer and bring the phone to my ear, then wait.“Little fairy.” Massimo rasps as what sounds like bottle clatter in the background. “Is that you?”Eyes widening, I realize that the person on the other end is, in fact, Massimo, and he was actually calling.“Is it him?” Knight asks slowly, clearly trying to keep his temper in check.
Three Years Later[Knight’s POV]“Daddy, look the ocean!”Octavia’s lips turn into a bright smile as she lets her eyes come to rest on the sparkling blue water in front of us. This was the first time she had ever been to the beach, so of course she was excited.“I want to swim!”As the words leave her lips, she attempts to rush forward but stops as Tatiana reaches down and grabs her wrist.“Careful!” I hiss, not missing the way she wobbles forward due to her large belly. “You’re going to fall and hurt yourself!”“I’ll be fine,” she insists, giving me a look of annoyance. “This isn’t the first time I’ve been pregnant.”Wincing, I try not to think about that time when I abandoned her when she truly needed me the most. I was a fucking fool back then, and it cost me a year with the woman I love the most and the first two months of my daughter's life.That was why this time around I was doing everything, from attending every single doctor's appointment to doing everything Tatiana needed me
A Year Later[Knight’s POV]“Daddy!”The tiny voice reaches me before arms are wrapping around my leg. Looking down, I take in Octavia as she grins up at me. She looks adorable in her golden dress, with her hair done up into a tiny ponytail at the top of her head.Since she began to walk, no one could stop her from getting where she wanted. She was a little escape artist, and I was certain her nanny would appear soon with a look of annoyance on her features.“Up!” She insists, holding up her arms.Nodding, I do as she says before turning to Desmond, whom I had been talking to moments prior.“Typical,” he chuckles. “The minute your girls are involved, no one else exists.”“As it should be,” I agree. “Why would I want to pay attention to an old fart like you when such a beauty is in front of me?”This was the first time I had seen Desmond in months, and he was busy telling me about how things were going back at Crystal Fang. I realized that things were going back to normal after what ha
[Knight’s POV]I stare into Tatiana’s eyes, trying to determine whether or not I heard her correctly. How was it possible that someone could be given this much fucking happiness at once? Especially a sinner like me?“Well?” She asks, looking shy. “Will you?”Would I? Of course I fucking would! But would she regret asking me to do it in the future? We still had such a long way to go in our relationship, but right now we never felt closer. However, anything could happen in the blink of an eye, and everything would come crumbling down.“Knight,” she continues when I don’t speak. “Look at me.”Reaching up, Tatiana grabs my cheeks and makes me look into her beautiful golden eyes, which can’t be outdone by the sun itself. They were perfect, she was perfect, and somehow she was all mine.“I want you to mark me,” she continues. “I want the world to know that I’m yours and you are mine. If I’ve learned anything from the past year, it is that tomorrow isn’t promised. Many were lost so that we c
[Tatiana’s POV]I wrap a robe around my still-dripping body and then pull my hair over my shoulder. After my day, I felt disgusting, and a hot shower was exactly what I needed, but despite knowing that things were going in the direction that they were supposed to, something was still nagging at me.Massimo.What exactly happened to him, and why couldn’t anyone find any sort of sign of him? It was almost as if he had disappeared or never existed at all.Letting out a sigh, I try to shake off my thoughts and head out of the bathroom to find Knight laying in bed waiting for me.“About time,” he says as his eyes begin to take me in and grow darker. “I was about to go in and check on you.”“Sorry for making you wait,” I say, taking a seat beside him and reaching for my hairbrush. “I was just…”“Needing some privacy?” He offers, making me flinch. Fuck, had he read my thoughts? “I told you that I have all my best men looking for him.”I knew that it probably hurt Knight to know that I was th
[Knight’s POV]I remain silent as Tatiana takes the lead with our ceremony, and when it’s over, I truly feel as though I’ve fallen in love with her all over again. How was it possible that my little caged princess became such a fucking queen in the short span of a year? I was both excited to see what the future brought and disappointed that I would never get to see her shy expressions again.Back then, she was so fucking lovely that it damn near killed me to stay away from her. However, now she was just as lovely but not as innocent. At least, that was what I thought, but the minute we are allowed to leave and we are alone, there it is, that shy and embarrassed expression.“You did well,” I beam, pulling her against me. “Better than well. You were amazing.”“Was I?” She asks, clearly upset over her kill.“Remember that it was to make a point.”We already agreed that the first show of rebellion would be dealt with, and she did fucking amazing in keeping to that. After all the betrayals
[Tatiana’s POV]A week passed since the battle with Onyx River, and since then, both my uncle and Fernando have been placed in the dungeon to await their trials. Of course, my uncle would be tried for the deaths of not only my parents but many others, and while Fernando had done his fair share of horrible deeds since I was still blood-bound to him, there was no way he could be killed.“Are you ready?” Knight asks me as I stare at my reflection in the mirror. I’m dressed in a long black button-down with a leather vest and black pants, and my long red hair is pulled into a ponytail at the nape of my neck. This is the typical look for a leader who is in mourning. “If you’re nervous, I can…”“No,” I say, giving him a smile. “I can do this. I need to do this.”Now that my uncle was where he belonged and Massimo was nowhere to be found, Onyx River, Obsidian River, and even Hunters Moon were without alphas, and now was the time for Knight and I to come together to lead all three packs.This
[Tatiana’s POV]I watch as my uncle’s body shifts from human to a large black wolf with a powerful aura that presses against my skin, trying to urge me to bow. Fighting it, I prepare to attack again but feel my energy fading due to the collar around my throat.Dammit, I needed to get this damned thing off of me, but I didn’t know how. Feeling my annoyance flare, I watch as Knight attacks again, slamming his body into my uncle so that they both go crashing to the side.As they begin to straighten themselves out, my uncle bites the nape of Knight’s neck and then jerks his head, throwing him in my direction.With wide eyes, I watch as he flies toward me and then slams into my body.‘Why didn’t you move?’ He demands when we hit the ground. ‘Get it together.’Right. I needed to get out of my head and get moving. I couldn’t let the fact I couldn’t tap into my abilities stop me. There had to be something I could do.‘That collar,’ Knight says. ‘It’s blocking your shifting, right?’‘Right,’ I
[Knight’s POV]I stare ahead, watching Tatiana get attacked by multiple wolves while my vision fades in and out. Fuck, I need to move, but I can’t seem to get control of my body.‘Our mate,’ Bane whines, urging me to go. ‘Help her.’‘I’m trying…’ I huff, finding it drains me to even respond to my wolf. ‘I just…’The rest of my words fade as the world fades, and the last thing I see before the darkness consumes me is Tatiana shifting back to her human form while her uncle stares down at her with a look of satisfaction on his face.“I’m sorry. I failed you.”I don’t know how long I’m out for after that, but the sound of glass shattering and then hands touching me rouse me again, and I find Desmond and Geraldo pulling me out of the remains of my car."Fuck!" Desmond hisses as he takes me in. “They did a number to you, kid.”“Are you surprised?” Geraldo counters.Ignoring their hit, I shift my gaze in the direction I last saw Tatiana and find that no one is there.“Tatiana,” I gasp, attem