[Knight’s POV]I stare down into Tatiana’s large eyes as many emotions rush through me. What the hell was I even doing right now? I swore to myself I would never claim her as my mate or Luna to keep her out of the politics of leading a pack, but here I was attacking her while she was too weak to stop me.As I remain unmoving, Bane begins to protest, attempting to take control so that he can claim our innocent mate beneath us.“Knight,” she whispers, seeming to snap out of it. “You should move.”Her words are like a dagger to the heart and spur me to act again, slamming my mouth against hers while using one hand to pin her hands above her head. Holding her in place, I let one of my knees rub between her legs, earning myself a delicious moan.“Why?” I murmur, sitting up and fixing my gaze with hers again. “Why are you pushing me away?”Although the rational side of me was screaming that this was due to my own actions, the irrational side was saying it was because of that bastard Massimo
[Tatiana’s POV]I don’t move as too many emotions wash over me, drowning me with their strength as they crash into me like waves. What in the world am I even doing right now? Why did I cry when Knight did those things to me? Had I lost my mind?“No,” I whisper, knowing that wasn’t the case. It was because I knew that I was deluding myself, but how could I have possibly said that? And even though I knew that Knight wanted me to deny that I was thinking about Massimo, I let him believe that was the fact so that maybe he would come to hate me.Sitting up, I pull my knees to my chest as sobs begin to escape me. Even though sleeping with Knight and doing things with him felt so good, all I felt afterwards was disgust for allowing it to happen. He didn’t care about me; he was only interested in me because of our bond, and soon enough, he would grow bored with me and throw me away. All he truly wanted was the heir in my stomach.“An omega’s duty,” I whisper miserably.Of course, that was wha
[Tatiana’s POV]Silence falls around me as everyone in the room fixes their gazes on me as if expecting me to break down and chase after the man who decided to step out of my life. However, they wouldn’t be getting what they wanted—not now, not ever. The minute he turned his back on me, he became my enemy.Shaking off the pain that was slowly building up in me, I turn my gaze back to Ronda, who is watching me curiously.“You didn’t answer my question,” I begin. “Will you help me train?”For a moment, the woman doesn’t speak as she continues to watch me, clearly expecting me to show just how weak I was.“Aren’t you going to chase him?” She asks instead. “Your lover and the father of your pup is leaving.”“He can leave,” I counter. “I have no intention of making him stay. We were never anything to begin with.”“So you bumped uglies and then parted ways?” She continued, clearly wanting the story. “You didn’t look like the type, but I guess you are.”“Ronda,” Winley warns. “That’s enough.
[Knight’s POV]I sit in the bar, swirling my drink, while everyone remains oblivious to my presence. I had begun frequenting this place the past few weeks in order to collect information on Hunters Moon’s movements. Word was that they had begun to work with the underworld, and once I figured out the extent of their working together, I planned on ruining them.A year had passed since I left that place, or rather, was banished and left for dead, and not a fucking day went by that I didn’t think of ruining it. Especially since it was the reason that I couldn’t claim the one fucking thing that I actually wanted and was the one that took everything from me.Letting out a growl, I down my drink and then snap my fingers and wait until a waitress dressed in a tiny black dress scurries over with expectation on her face.“What can I get for you?” She purrs, leaning down just enough for her tiny breasts to bulge.“Whiskey,” I respond, shoving my empty glass at her. “Now!”“Yes sir.”Giving me a
[Tatiana’s POV]The room around us fell silent as everyone stared in the direction that Massimo had just been. Frowning, I tried to ignore the sudden flare of guilt I felt due to his sudden appearance. Now wasn’t the time to let my emotions get the best of me, not when it was clear that staying here wasn’t safe.Letting out a breath, I begin to move but stop as a hand wraps around my wrist. Lifting my gaze, I meet Knight’s questioning green gaze and feel the room around us disappear until we are the only two left.For a moment, I’m unable to think clearly, but the moment passes quickly, and I growl in warning before yanking myself free, breaking our connection.“Don’t touch me,” I hiss, taking a few steps back. “And get the hell out of here.”Though I appreciated his help in distracting Massimo, I would be damned if I let my guard down around him, not after the promise he made before walking out of my life entirely.Speaking of, I begin to extend my senses until I feel Winley and know
[Knight’s POV]I keep my gaze fixed on Tatiana as she processes what I’ve just told her. Of course, I didn’t hope for her to immediately let her guard down, not after everything she suffered because of me, but I hoped that maybe this would be the first step to fixing our relationship.“What…” she says slowly. “Did you just say?”Her eyes, which are wide, are still filled with disbelief and distrust. It was becoming increasingly clear that we had a long way to go.“I fucked up,” I respond. “All those years, I kept you at arms length out of fear of pulling you into pack politics.”“You,” she hisses, her eyes narrowing. “You turned a blind eye to all the abuse I endured for that reason."Her voice drips with venom, and I feel my heart shatter over just how much she went through because of my poor choice.“If I had shown any sort of interest, my stepmother..."“I get it,” she sighs, composing herself once more. “But that doesn’t mean that I forgive you.”Wincing, I bit back my initial res
[Massimo’s POV]“Welcome back.”Giovani’s voice echoes down the hall as I make my way toward his office. When I enter, he is sitting at his desk with an expectant look on his face and a smile on his lips.“Well?” He urges when I take a seat. “How is my dear niece?”“Fully awakened,” I respond, throwing my feet onto his desk and earning myself a huff of disgust. “I don’t see why you needed me to go and check on her for you.”As I speak, Tatiana’s look of shock flashes in my mind, and unlike in the past, when I would feel overwhelming love for her when I thought of her, all I could feel was nothing.That was how it had been since the day we parted ways, and at times I found myself wondering exactly why I even cared. Was I just suddenly able to realize how fucking foolish I was, or was there something else? I didn’t know, and frankly, I didn’t give two shits.Sighing, I fix my gaze on Giovani, taking him in.“Why are you suddenly so interested in her?” I ask, voicing the single question
[Tatiana’s POV]I look around me, trying to make sense of what is happening and where I am. I’m surrounded by brick walls, and what looks like butcher hooks hang from the ceiling. The scent of blood attacks my nose, and it makes me gag.How did I get here? The last thing I remembered was moving to a new hideout and then laying down because I was exhausted and needed an escape from Knight, and then...Oh, right. I fell asleep. So that meant that this had to be a dream. Or was it a vision? I wasn’t sure, but the whole thing left me on edge, and I couldn’t help but fear whatever I was going to find here.Continuing to look around, I find metal stairs and begin to move, slowly making my way up them. When I reach the top, I’m met with a single metal door with a small window allowing one to look inside, and I know that whatever it is that I was meant to see is in there waiting for me.Swallowing a few times, I slowly creep forward until I reach, and then, after taking a deep breath, I look
[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