Alpha Luciano's POV"We'll hit him here." I tapped on the map of the docks and marine supply chain of Vitalio Bianchi. It hadn't taken much to bribe one of his men into leaking the information. The man was repulsive and a traitor. It was only normal for him to attract people of his kind.Uncle Tommaso hmmed and I knew immediately that he had something else to suggest. "How about we attack the ship while it's still at sea? We could sink the entire ship. That way it'd take less time and casualties on our side."I looked at the plans again. That would work and I had no compunction about killing Vitalio's men. They were every bit as evil as he was. But the sailors who were ferrying them across… "Let's go with it. This is why I need you around Uncle Tommaso. You are always so insightful."Uncle Tommaso laughed lightly. "I have been looking for a partner for you that will take my place in giving you all this advice. A nice quiet fertile lady."I sighed pulling back. Of course, we always c
Emery's POVIt had been a whole week since Alpha Luciano threw me out of his room and his bed. I was angry, angry at myself for pushing the issue and getting kicked out of his life. Angry at him for disregarding all the time we'd spent together. Had I truly meant nothing to him? But most of all, I was angry at her. Before she'd come here, everything had been perfect. Now, she seemed to be walking on sunshine, smiling every day while I was here sitting on pins and needles, anxiously waiting for Margaret to call my name. The other women found it weird that she would be cheerful after being kicked out of Luciano's life but they didn't know what I knew. That he was still having sex with her but it was no longer on the schedule because, with her, he was that spontaneous.I had never needed or asked for much. Just for my parents to protect me, to get a good mate and for Luciano to care a little about me.My parents had volunteered me to the harem in pursuit of power, I never found my mate
Arabella's POVFor a minute after I spoke, everywhere was silent and Alpha Luciano looked at me as though he had a lot to say but he just stormed away leaving me wondering whether or not he would accept this decision I had made. I huffed and began following him much slower to the pack house when someone bumped into me. Hard. I smelt incense. My shoulder was knocked back and I turned but the person who had bumped into me was walking away briskly, a cloak covering their figure so I couldn't even tell if it was a male or female.I swung my fist meaning to yell, but I dropped it back down. I was too tired for that. Tired of this pack that would never accept me. Tired of my mate, Luciano Romano, who was doing his best to make sure every good image or presumption I had of him was wrecked.I turned forward to continue my walk only to see there was a white envelope on the ground. The person must have dropped it in their haste. I picked it up and looked up to see the cloaked figure around a c
Arabella's POV"Ouch." I pushed myself up from the floor looking at the crazy man who had dropped me and had the effrontery to look at me as though I was the one who was mad. If he was no longer interested in having sex, he could have just said it."Cover yourself up. The pack doctor will soon be here."The pack what?I pulled on the red robe. "Why is the pack doctor coming here again?"Alpha Luciano remained silent. After some time had passed, there was a knock on the door. "Enter." Alpha Luciano ordered. A middle-aged dark-haired woman entered the room wearing a white lab coat over her outfit and carrying a large medkit. She bowed to him."Alpha I came as soon as I could. How may I be of service?"Alpha Luciano didn't look at me, he just stood up from the bed leaving me there alone and faced the woman."I would like you to examine her.""Of course, Alpha. Might I ask what for?"Alpha Luciano looked at me then back at the woman. "For brain damage, bleeding. Anything mentally rela
Arabella's POVI woke up with a skull-splitting headache and fatigue deep in my bones. I wanted to sleep till the next morning and yet I was hungry. I looked down at myself to see I was wearing an expensive purple cocktail dress and heels. On my bed. I couldn't for the life of me remember what happened yesterday except in bits and pieces.I remembered Margaret and how I'd collected the dress from her. The large hall with the twinkling lights and the food. Then blurs of memories and Alpha Luciano carrying me. Alpha Luciano carrying me? Yeah, I must have really had something strong.I placed my hand on my head as though it would keep my brain from leaking out of my ear. I hadn't taken any alcohol so where was this coming from?I removed the shoes and the gown. There was a bowl of water by my bedside along with a glass of water and some hangover medicine and pain relief. So I washed my face and took the drugs. I felt better, almost human again. I grabbed a bathing robe and slowly made m
Arabella's POVSooner than expected the meeting time had come and I found my way into Alpha Luciano's office. That was the only place he would keep something so sensitive not in his room. I had been in the latter enough to know what he kept there. Initially, I had been scared but when I remembered my purpose, my hands were steady.The office was opened as though the occupants had just stepped out. I looked about and listened for anyone passing by. There was no one. I entered the room. It was beneath some papers on the desk. I opened the file and perused the papers in it. I closed the file. When I left the office, I held the file in my hands.The file I held seemed to burn a hole through my hand as I walked towards the meeting place for the second time. Today I would get all my answers and solutions. I walked into the dilapidated building. "I have the file. I won't hand it over until I speak to my father."Words cannot express how stupid I felt talking to what looked like an empty
Alpha Luciano's POVI let go of Arabella and she fell to the ground unmoving. I pulled the file from his hands and opened it. Truly all the papers were blank as Mikah had said. I was beyond shocked. Arabella had really swapped out the content of the file? Was it in a misguided attempt to protect me? I was confused. No one had ever done something so stupid and strange for me before. "Check if she's still alive."It would seem I had been mistaken as rare as that was. At least I had found a mole from this pathetic attempt at whatever Arabella had thought she was doing. "Her pulse is faint but still there." "Get her to the infirmary."Being stupid was… well stupid. But it wasn't a crime. At least not in my books. I watched my men troop in according to the signal. They picked up Tina's body. And I watched Mikah carry Arabella away to be treated.What a waste of time. *** I came out of my shower to meet Emery on my bed. She was naked. "Alpha Luciano." Her gaze was downcast and demur
Alpha Luciano's POVI was on the warpath and no one could calm my temper. "Explain yourself." Natasha had exactly one minute to explain how in hell's name she had lost over a million dollars worth of drugs to the goddamned police."Alpha. We were ratted out. It was our usual route, the border patrol was paid off as usual. We were clear but someone–""Shut up Natasha. I have had enough of your excuses. First that stunt with Song and now this. Consider yourself fired. For the years of loyalty you have given me, I will spare your life."Natasha looked at me, her face slack with shock. "Alpha. Please, this wasn't my fault. I promise. The operation was sabotaged, I–" "Get out of my office. It is pathetic how you are trying to make excuses to cover up for your inadequacies. Before I rescind my decision and have Mikah kill you here, scram."After a lot of hesitation, Natasha walked towards the door. As she was about to open it, I spoke."Oh, and Bishop will be taking over for you. Do tell
Alpha Luciano's POVI sat outside the surgical ward as they took the bullet out of Arabella.Uncle Tommaso sat next to me and we were silent for a time."I'm sorry." He began."Me too."I was sorry about a lot of things. I was sorry for the way I had treated him, he was my uncle. The man who had raised me. He deserved better.I was sorry about the way I had treated Arabella in the beginning when she had been as much of a victim as I was. Vitalio Bianchi, may his soul rest in peace had never betrayed my family. Instead, he had been betrayed by his own family."I shouldn't have kidnapped her… you were right. Vengeance is a blade that cuts both the wielder and the person who is cut."I was silent. In my head, I was replaying the scene from earlier on. Seeing Arabella shoot down the man who she had thought to be her father until just seconds ago. I should have felt cheated out of my revenge but I couldn't help but feel like she was the one with a larger claim to it. I wondered what it w
Arabella's POVI was shocked. My father was using me as a human shield? Surely there was a mistake. A misunderstanding because what parent would use their child as a shield?Luciano paused in his tracks but his uncle looked like he could have cared less. As long as he was able to kill my father, he didn't care who else had to lose their life in the process. Luciano raised his hand to stop his uncle, his jaw was clenched and his blue eyes burned an unholy silver."Vitalio, would you really threaten your daughter's life just to ensure your own escape?"My father laughed, his chest vibrating behind me and a chill swept through my veins. "Father?" There was a mistake. There had to be. Maybe he just wanted to use me to escape. He would apologise any minute now and tell me that this was the only way for him to escape with his life. He would tell me–"Shut up you dumb slut." He said his gun digging into the back of my skull. I froze in that moment realizing that I might not know my father
Alpha Luciano's POVThe first thing I did after seeing the warehouse was to mind-link my men. It was on the outskirts of the city. By the time they got here, the fight would be almost over but I wanted them here anyway in case Uncle Tommaso decided to play a fast one on me. That way Arabella would be safe. The limo zoomed off behind us and we entered the building. The moment we entered, gunshots went off. I dropped to the ground and rolled. Before they could begin shooting on the ground, I was already hiding behind some boxes. I pulled out my gun. Vitalio Bianchi did not follow the unspoken terms for the meeting. He had brought in his men. It wasn't like I hadn't expected it. It was Vitalio after all. It was just that I was having a problem connecting someone who was as despicable as him to someone like Arabella.The shots continued to go off but I didn't scent Uncle Tommaso's blood so I knew he was alright.I followed the trajectory of where the gunshots were coming from. One, two,
Elder Tommaso's POVI watched the realization dawn on his face that he couldn't do anything, that he was powerless in this situation. Luciano's face twisted with anger and violence as his grip on me tightened to the extent that my vision blurred. Good. This was the fighter I had raised. I suddenly felt a pang of hope. She hadn't completely killed off the Luciano I knew."If you do not tell me where she is, you will not cross the threshold to this office alive. I will dice you up bit by bit until there is nothing left of you.""If you kill me, Arabella also dies." I pried his now loose fingers from my neck. It was pathetic how easily he had given in once he heard her name. "She is in a very volatile location. If you care for your mate even a little bit, you will have to do exactly what I say to get her back."I saw the unchecked fury and disbelief in his eyes and the way his hands clenched into fists. He obviously wanted to pummel me in but because of his mate, he had restrained hi
Arabella's POVWhen I woke up, I was tied to a chair. The last moments of the fight came to me. How I had fought to the butter end. How someone had jabbed me with a needle. And how it had all gotten dark. Yes, I could remember now. What I couldn't do for the life of me was tell you where exactly I was. I looked around. I was in a basement. It smelt familiar and come to think of it, the painting of the room looked familiar.Someone entered the room. It was Luciano's uncle. I couldn't believe it. I thought he was sick so what had happened? After Luciano had told him about us, had this been his reaction? I thought about the timeline. It hadn't been an hour after Luciano left when those men came. There was only one explanation. He had planned it all. Removed Luciano from the equation so that I would be defenceless.Goddess, I didn't know for sure what was going on but I intended to find out. "Arabella Bianchi." He spat my name out like it was a curse. Maybe it was for him. "You kidn
Arabella's POV"Emery!" She shouldn't have been here. She should have been far far away. I shook her awake but she remained passed out on the ground. I needed to take her in and call Luciano. Then– I smelt wolves approaching. I could smell three of them. They could have been the perimeter guards that Luciano had told me about. But looking at Emery's prone body in front of me, I had my doubts. I pulled Emery into the house and locked the door. I backed away and picked up my phone. I had to inform Luciano. I called him. It rang but he didn't pick up the call. I tried it again with the same result. Someone pounded on the door and I jumped.The door would hold. It would– I saw an indent of a fist in the iron. I took my phone and ran for the side exit in the kitchen. There were only three. I could leave out back before they rounded up to the sides. It was possible they didn't know about that exit. I needed to leave now. I ran to the dining area and the kitchen. I pushed open the doo
Arabella's POVAt this rate, he was going to be late to work. Again. I really had to stop trying to assist him with getting ready for work. It wasn't helping either of us.Luciano pushed me against the wall as our tongues duelled for dominance. I wanted him so fiercely as though an hour ago, we hadn't been at it.His hand moved between my thighs expertly fingering me, I gasped into his kiss riding his fingers as I tightened my grip around his shoulders. His phone rang. We ignored it. I was almost there, my orgasm a few heartbeats away. I grabbed at the zipper of his office pants. I needed him inside me now. The clasp gave way under my ministrations. As I slid my hand down the zipper and Luciano buried his fingers so deep inside me that I was sure he could lose his ring inside me if he tried, the bloody phone rang again and again.I groaned in frustration as he pulled away shortly to pick up the call before settling firmly between my legs to continue touching me. I threw my head ba
Emery's POVWhen I opened my eyes, I was in an unfamiliar basement. It had a barely functional light bulb and many knickknacks spread about. Where was I?Last I remembered, I was leaving. I hadn't even gone back to my parents' home. I sent Mom a heartfelt letter containing my apology for being such a problematic daughter, asking for her forgiveness and advising her to take this opportunity to leave that man. To leave the person who couldn't give two shits about us. I refused to keep being a burden to her. I left through the back woods to avoid notice. One minute I was leaving this wreck of a pack behind, the next I felt a blunt object hit the back of my head then darkness. Had Luciano changed his mind about sparing me? No, I didn't think so. Luciano wasn't one to attack from behind. He would have killed me and gotten it over with. He was the Alpha after all. No one would even question him. The door creaked open and Elder Tommaso stepped in. My eyes widened with shock as I realized
Emery's POVMy stomach rumbled in complaint. My strength was waning. When Luciano had told me to wait for my punishment, I didn't think it would take so long. I had no idea of the amount of time that had passed. No one came to give me food or water. I tried to reach out through the pack link to contact Mom to know if Luciano had taken his anger at me out on her. So I sat in my cell awaiting my punishment. What else could I do at this point? I had paced so much that I wondered at how the stone floor showed no signs of wear. I was anxious, tense, tired, and weak. I thought about what I could have done to induce a different outcome. Should I have let Anastasia's man kill Arabella that day? Should I have left when Luciano asked me to leave? My mind spun with the possibilities of what ifs and I must have fallen asleep at some point because I woke up to the sound of the door of my cell opening. Luciano stood at the cell door himself. That wasn't right. If he intended to execute me, he