GIOVANNI'S POV.3 MONTHS LATER.“Cut the bullshit!” Garson yelled, storming into the room, grabbing the bottle off my grasp, glaring at me, but I said nothing. I remained in the chair, half drunk, my eyes half closed shut, humming in low tones, rocking the chair back and forth, my eyes staring up into the night sky, dark cloudy, full of stars… the cold wind brushing past my skin.What in the bloody hell is wrong with you? You didn't have it this bad when Hayley died, so what's so special? It's been three months. Get over it,” he yelled again. I couldn't blame him; in fact, I could, but I didn't want to. I glanced sideways; I could see that he still has men stationed right outside my door, just like he did everywhere I went. “Or what? You'll kill me? Murder me? Make my life way worse?” I asked. Biting into my cheeks, and then on my lips, he groaned, running his hand into his hair, fuck, he was frustrated as hell, and so was I…“Too bad my life is pretty fucked up. I'm sorry to disap
.SIMONE'S POV A soft, feathery touch grazed past my ears; I mumbled inaudible gibberish, groaning from the ticklish feeling against my skin.“Awake yet?” His soft voice called out to me; I grumbled, closing my eyes shut for a brief moment.My body shook; I tossed from side to side, finally pushing open my eyes to meet with the set of blue ones I had come to get used to.“Lazaro... not now; I slept bloody late. I don't think you should have woken me yet “. I complained. Acting like the spoilt brat I suddenly was,I pushed myself off to the edge of the bed, his eyes following every single direction of mine, a light smirk strapped to the sides of his lips.“I'm sorry, you were… well… crying in your sleep.” Just when he spoke, I noticed the beads of tears rolling off my cheeks slowly; I brushed my fingers past them, wiping them off. I shied away from his gaze, standing toward the curtains to push them open.He doesn't say anything; he watches in silence. Nothing. None of us had said a s
.SIMONE'S POVThe pain of his fangs buried in my wrist dissolved into a pleasure so profound it was almost intoxicating. His tongue darted across the sensitive skin, lapping up every drop as though it was the only thing keeping him alive. My chest rose and fell erratically, my breath shallow, my heart pounding like a war drum in my ears. "Lazaro…" I whispered his name, unsure whether it was a plea to stop or to keep going. My free hand gripped the edge of the table behind me for support, but even the cold, solid surface couldn’t ground me. His gaze lifted from my wrist to meet mine, and for a moment, I forgot to breathe. Those sapphire eyes were darker now, eclipsed by hunger and something else—something primal, untamed, and utterly consuming. "You're trembling," he said, his voice rough, barely more than a growl. His lips brushed against my wrist as he spoke, the warmth of his breath sending shivers down my spine.I wanted to deny it, to tell him I was fine, but my body betrayed m
GIOVANNI'S POV.My mate was dead. I killed her. I came to terms with it, and what else could I do After ripping off the only woman whom I adored. Worshipped and obsessed about into shreds? Not much, I admitted. Which was why I was stuck in this case. The bumpy roads unsettling me the more, I passed a pivotal gaze at Garson who was seated right by my side, his eyes out the window, but his mind was probably miles away.Fine, this was awkward…matter of fact, the entire week had been, after the confession we made that night,It pulled me out of whatever black hole I was spiraling into, and as much as I tried to act like nothing had happened, I realised I was only making things worse.“It was all a long time anyways; I don't love you anymore.”. Garson explained frankly. Staring me in the eye before we started the drive.I didn't see him in that light; he was my best buddy, and I straight up didn't give a damn about his sexuality but with my dead mate, the pack troubles had been weighing
SIMONE'S POV.The first emotion that struck me was fear. Goosebumps lined my skin as I parted my eyes open, my heart thumping hard and fast against my ribcage.I was drenched in sweat again, I knew things have been quite fair these past few months but this once I got the most eerier feeling ever.I rustled around, reaching for a bottle of water to drink; I had several emotions coursing through my mind: pain, anger, worry...sadness.Yes, I was sad. I lost the father to my child before he even knew he had a baby coming, and I was married to a man who protected me for the personal interest of mine. Pain stabbed deeper at my insides. My nerves churned at the mere thought of it. Could I really do this?.My baby... myself.My lips quivered; glancing around, I wrigged out of the sheets to my feet. It was still dark out; I could see from the balcony the dark pigments of the sky.I pressed my lips into a firm line, pushing my way out of the room and down the stairs, wandering helplessly. I ne
LAZAROS POV.She still loved him, which was fair; I didn't care, but maybe this once I had foolishly let a screw loose in the plan.“Fine, it's okay to handle it, but I want you to know he's dead, Simone. You know that, right?” I asked, sliding my palms slowly towards her cheeks; she nodded briefly, sniffing hard again, being gentle with my touch seemed to be some Sort of reassurance for her, and I'd give anything to make her feel relaxed.“I'm sorry, I know he is... But, I... I... I'm sorry, Lazaro, you've done your best; you've tried hard enough already, but I still can't stop fawning over my dead husband, and I hate myself for it. I'm really sorry,” she apologised, breaking down into even louder sobs as she cried.I didn't want her to feel neglected or in despair, and I certainly wouldn't let her start getting second thoughts about our entire arrangement.I pulled her face closer to mine to kiss both of her eyes and then her nose, my mouth hovering around her lips briefly before I
LAZARO’S POV.The forest was alive with shadows, the kind that moved when you weren’t looking, the kind that made your skin crawl if you stared too long. The moon hung low, its pale light cutting through the trees like a knife, casting jagged patterns on the ground. Simone walked beside me, her steps slow and hesitant, like she was afraid of what might be hiding in the dark. Good. Fear kept her close. Fear kept her mine.I glanced at her out of the corner of my eye. Her arms were wrapped around herself, her fingers digging into her sleeves like she was trying to hold herself together. Her face was pale, her eyes wide and darting nervously at every sound—the rustle of leaves, the snap of a twig, the distant hoot of an owl. She was scared, and part of me liked it. Scared meant she needed me. Scared meant she wouldn’t run.“Do you trust me, Simone?” I asked, my voice low and smooth, like the rumble of distant thunder.She hesitated, her lips parting like she wanted to say something, but
.LAZAROS POV.I stomped the ground furiously storming towards my chambers, I was pissed as hell, but nothing would stop him, I knew this day would come, I knew Giovanni would eventually reach out for me but I had no idea it would be so soon , he never really had the balls. So what exactly. Fucking changed?.Now I loathed it too much when a fucking wrench is tossed into my plans, if anything it made my skin crawl with utter disgusts.Fucking maniac.“You didn't think it was important that I had to know about this mess until it got to this extent fern?” I asked shutting the door behind me. She raised her eyes In one with mine, sipped slowly from the wine In her hands, back against the wedge of the bed.“Blame yourself lazaro, you are getting way too relaxed, you are turning people, a lot more than you've done in years, you didn't stop to think it was gonna put you on radar” she inquired, plopping her head into her right arm as she spoke.“Just a few hundred, it means nothing beside
GIOVANNI'S POVSimone was safe, with me.Back to me.Here with me.So why wasn’t it feeling like victory? Why couldn’t I stop this angst, this confusion that burrowed its way into my nerves and felt almost like pain?I needed to know, to understand what it was really about. I clasped my teeth together, drowning beneath my pain as I stared long and hard at her, laid in my bed, wrapped up beneath the blanket. If anything, something must have gone wrong.Seeing that he’d had to knock her out stone cold before bringing her to me — the way she stirred slowly in her sleep, mumbling inaudible gibberish — meant they’d gotten into a rift. But how?A slight knock settled on the door, drawing me back to reality when a frown settled onto my face. Biting slowly on my lip to draw blood, I glanced backward, seething with fury when the knock came again — this time not so gently.“Come in,” I snapped, unable to hide my already growing irritation when Garson marched past the doors, lines of tension evid
LAZARO'S POV.Shit.She knew. There was no way I could hide things from her anymore. It had been one of my biggest pains and problems—I’d always been a pro at keeping my emotions locked. And I sure as hell didn’t survive a century beneath the radar, remaining alive, by suddenly being an open book that could be read through.It had its upside and downside.Just like how Simone was staring at me like I was the most despicable thing to ever exist to man. Just as she wouldn’t stop gawking at me, lines of anger formed on her temples. Just as irritated as she was, I could see through each one of those reactions.But I’d also seen her uncertainty. She understood how bad things were now. Not only had she gotten married to me, she’d slept with me. But that didn’t seem to be the only reason.I could feel the sudden outburst of emotions. I could see them in her face, but I could also feel them at heart.If her problem wasn’t the fact that she’d married me or fucked me, then it couldn’t be that s
SIMONE'S POV.Dragging out a faint sigh, I parted my eyelids, yawning lazily while pushing up in bed. My eyes roamed across the room before a painful stab at my heart earned a sniffle from me. I trailed my hands across my belly, the bump now gone — a painful reminder of what I'd lost and how I’d lost it.My child was dead, gone, and I’d never be able to forgive myself for it. Till the day I drag out my very last breath, sniffing hard, a mist of tears formed in my eyes, and I raised my palm to wipe them off.I stopped, examining the coldness of the ring against my finger. My breath hitched, and my heart hammered in my chest as I stared at it.Anxiously, I wiped off the tears, blinked hard once, then twice — but it remained the same. The ring was there, unmoving. Gently, I pulled it off, and it was damn sure the same ring — the one Giovanni had given me on our wedding.How did it get here? Had I brought it myself? I had forgotten all about it, wanting to bury the painful memories of his
GIOVANNI'S POVI was somewhere else entirely. My mind was replaying the moment Lazaro looked me in the eye and told me she was dead."She didn’t survive," he had said, voice even, void of anything human.Liar.The bastard was good, I’d give him that. He held my gaze, let me take in every inch of his soulless expression, and made sure there wasn’t a single crack to slip through. But I had been watching him for years, long before this war started, long before he became anything more than a nuisance.And something had been off.I’d known for weeks now, but tonight... tonight I was certain.“She’s alive, isn’t she?”Garson stood across from me, arms folded, his expression unreadable, but I could see the tension in his jaw, the way his fingers flexed like he was holding back the urge to slam them into the nearest surface. He didn’t look surprised. Of course, he didn’t. The man saw everything, knew everything before I even opened my mouth.He was waiting for me to say it.“She is,” I confir
SIMONE'S POVA loud groan eased off my lips as I turned in bed, pushing my eyes open. A frustrated grunt escaped my lips as I tried taking in my current surroundings.I was in a sanctuary, drips strapped into my arms. I swallowed hard, parting my eyes even wider.My body ached terribly as I pushed myself up, then it all came dawning on me—the loss of my baby, the journal, the cave, and finally Lazaro.I felt a sharp stab of pain in my heart, my heart drummed hard in my chest. This wasn’t... This was...“Simone?” Lazaro’s voice called out as I raised my gaze in sync with him.“You are awake,” he asked. He looked a mess, his hair was disheveled, he looked weak, in pain, and I... I was certain he'd looked better when we had seen each other last.“You killed my baby!” I screamed with anger surging into me. I yanked the drip off my fingers before storming towards him. All I felt was anger, I struck him in the face and rammed my fists continuously into his chest, but he didn't speak.“You t
.LAZARO'S POVI couldn't wait anymore, it wasn't getting any better.A low grumble escaped my lips as I pushed myself off the bed, my sight was blurry, my body limp, every bit of me shattering.I couldn't hold on anymore, I needed to do this. Slowly, I scampered to my feet, wiping off the tiny coat of sweat on my temples.Propping myself to my feet, I tried as best as I could to keep my pain masked and my expression cold as I dragged my feet towards Simone's room.The guards all tensed up seeing me and were quick to bow as a courtesy.“Simone. I'd like to speak to her, alone,” I ordered the guard by the door. He exchanged confused glances with his peers before moving his confused gaze back in line with mine.“She left, just now, for the East Wing. There was a letter, she said you had given her, claiming you both needed your privacy,” the guard responded, stuttering as he spoke, visibly shaking.“What letter?!” I asked, creasing my eyebrows into a frown.“A note... some words were scr
. SIMONE'S POV I woke up to an empty bed again. I dare to say I had gotten quite used to it. As a matter of fact, I had begun adapting to a hell of a lot more things than I previously did. My drowsy gaze lifted towards the window. It was bright out. Slowly, I dragged my feet towards the door. My morning strolls were the only thing that kept me sane. I turned the knob, but the door wouldn’t budge. Rubbing my palms lazily over my face, I did it again. And then again. Nothing. It was locked. My breath hitched as the reality dawned on me. I couldn’t keep up with locked doors. It was bad enough that he had guards after me the entire time— pinning, watching, waiting for me in all corners of the house. And now, he'd just lock me in? Not that I had anywhere to go, but I enjoyed knowing I still had a sense of freedom— which, apparently, had been cut off suddenly. Shoving my palms against the door once again, the lock was flipped from the other end, and Marcus's fac
LAZARO'S POVI left Simone’s chambers in a haste, my breath ragged, my entire body wounded tight with frustration. The thickening bulge in my pants was unbearable, pressing against the fabric with a throbbing insistence that refused to be ignored. No woman had ever left me this restless, this fucking desperate.I headed into my study, slamming the door behind me. The room was dimly lit, shadows flickering against the walls, but even in the darkness, I could still see her. Simone. Writhing beneath me, panting my name, begging for more.I growled under my breath, undoing my belt with a single flick. My cock was painfully hard, straining against my briefs, aching for relief. I dropped into the chair behind my desk, yanking my pants down just enough to free my throbbing cock which slapped against my belly, pulsing and twitching. thick, heavy in my grip, the tip already beaded with pre-cum. I exhaled sharply as I wrapped my fingers around my shaft, giving the first slow, torturous st
.LAZARO'S POVI left Simone’s chambers in a haste, my breath ragged, my entire body wounded tight with frustration. The thickening bulge in my pants was unbearable, pressing against the fabric with a throbbing insistence that refused to be ignored. No woman had ever left me this restless, this fucking desperate.I headed into my study, slamming the door behind me. The room was dimly lit, shadows flickering against the walls, but even in the darkness, I could still see her. Simone. Writhing beneath me, panting my name, begging for more.I growled under my breath, undoing my belt with a single flick. My cock was painfully hard, straining against my briefs, aching for relief. I dropped into the chair behind my desk, yanking my pants down just enough to free my throbbing cock which slapped against my belly, pulsing and twitching. thick, heavy in my grip, the tip already beaded with pre-cum. I exhaled sharply as I wrapped my fingers around my shaft, giving the first slow, torturous