[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.
[Tatiana's POV] Rough voices and the sounds of screams rouse me from my dreamless sleep and make me go on alert. All around me, guards are rushing in and picking out those of us who will be put up for sale this evening. As I watch them snatch up my cellmates, I try my best to make myself as small as possible so that they won’t see me. But as I cower away, my leg hits a chain, causing it to rattle and drawing one of the guards eyes straight to me. Fear begins to bubble as many different scenarios begin to play in my head. Most were sold off to vicious alphas and leaders who used them as slaves that satiate their desires, while others became servants. However, staying here was much worse as after a year due to the flow of incoming and outgoing, anyone who didn’t bring in some income was disposed of by death. Gasping, I watch in horror as he lets a broad smile spread across his lips before he begins to come for me. "You," he announces, grabbing me by my hair and pulling. "You’ll fet
[Tatiana’s POV] "Tatiana!" The madam’s shrill voice pierces through the door, snapping my gaze from my reflection and toward the direction it came from. "What the hell do you think you’re doing?" "Sorry!" I gasp, rushing forward and yanking the door open. "I was…" Before I can get any other words out, a hand is connecting with my cheek, snapping my head to the side. "Are you even trying to explain your being late?" The madam snaps, her blue eyes flashing with rage. "How dare you waste my time!" "I’m sorry," I repeat, trying to collect myself despite the pain that is radiating from where I was hit. "It won’t happen again." "Of course it won’t," she smirks, giving me a knowing look. "And what exactly was so important that you decided delivering my morning tea wasn’t important?" "I…" I begin, but then grow quiet as I realize that nothing I say will be good enough for her. "Nothing," I finish lamely. I had worked for the madam long enough to know that everything had to be her way
[Tatiana’s POV]Pain shoots through me as Knight’s words hit me like a ton of bricks. Biting back the sob that wants to escape, I scramble up and quickly pull on my clothes, then head to the door. As I reach, Knight appears behind me, yanking it open and shoving me out into the hall.As I gasp in shock and turn to ask him once again why he was doing this, he slams the door in my face, and I’m left with no answers and a giant hole in my heart.Collecting myself, I turn and begin to move, heading for my room so that I can shower before the madam finds me and smells Knight’s scent on my skin.When I arrive, I rush inside and quickly strip my clothes, then jump under the freezing water and begin to scrub as hard as I can, trying to remove the marks that remain on me, showing that what just happened was real and not a figment of my imagination, but even when my skin is raw and bleeding they remain.Once I’m finished, I stumble out and wrap a towel around my body, then head out into my room
[Tatiana’s POV]The sun is setting by the time the car I’m currently in stops in front of a large mansion with a black fence with barbed wire on it to keep whoever lives there in and those who aren’t welcome out.A shiver races down my spine as the man who had bought me gets out of the car and comes around to my side. As he opens the door, I scurry to the other side and watch with wide eyes as he leans over and stares at me."You don’t have to be afraid," Giovani announces gently. "I am not going to hurt you."Not hurt me? How could he say such a thing and expect me to believe it after he branded me with his mark and bought me? What the hell else did he intend to do?"Please, once you come inside, everything will be explained," he continues when I don’t move. "There’s a lot you don’t know," he sighs. "And a lot to be made up for."Frowning, I feel something in me twitch, just like when this man first approached me. Something in me felt like maybe he could be trusted, but that somethin
[Massimo’s POV]I sit alone in a small booth at the back of De Amore, one of the best strip clubs that exist in the city, and one of the most secured ones at that. Given my background, this was the only place I could truly go to be alone without worrying about my old man sending his men to stalk me.Sighing, I lean back further in my seat while a waitress with hooded eyes and a seductive look on her face pours some more liquor into my cup."Thanks," I murmur, leaning forward and grabbing it. "You can go now."A look of disappointment flashes across her face as I turn my gaze back to the stage in front of me, where women are dancing around poles, rubbing their bodies along them, and then dropping low while all those seated around throw dollars at them.I didn’t know why I continued to come here when I knew that it wouldn’t do any good to get her off my mind, but I hoped that one day something would change.I lift my drink, take a sip, and snap my fingers so the waitress appears again.
[Massimo’s POV]"Um," Tatiana’s voice is soft as she lifts her gaze to meet mine. "I’m sorry, but who are you?"That single question is like a knife to the heart. How could she have possibly forgotten me? Forgotten us?'Because of your mistake,' Zanos murmurs. 'You caused this, and now you're continuing to be punished.''Right,' I huff in response. 'I get it.'"Shall we have a seat?" Giovani suggests. "I promised that I would answer your question, didn’t I?""Right," Tatiana responds. "And you," she continues, fixing her gaze on mine. "You can also tell me who you are and what relationship we have.""Right," I sigh. "I suppose I got ahead of myself. After all, it has been so long since you disappeared from this place."Nodding, Tatiana untangles herself from my arms and takes a few steps back, drawing a clear line between us."Shall we head to the study then?" Giovani suggests, looking from me to Tatiana. We have photo albums in there that may trigger some memories."No one speaks as
[Knight’s POV]I climb out of my car and stare up at the large mansion in front of me while trying to figure out why I am even here.When I first received the invitation for Tatiana’s welcome home banquet, I swore to myself that I wouldn’t come. I had better things to do than attend such a ridiculous event, but as the days passed, the urge to go grew more and more until finally the day arrived, and here I was.Of course, I came alone since I didn’t want my parents to discover just who it was that they allowed me to sell off. I was sure that if they realized it, they would attempt to buy her back for their own purposes.Sighing, I begin to move toward the line that is standing just outside of the place and wait until it is my turn to show my invitation to the bouncer."Name?" he asks when I arrive."Knight Dilano," I respond, passing over my invite. "I was personally invited by your master."I could only assume this was Giovani’s way of thanking me for helping him find Tatiana, but it
[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