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 POV.I arched an eyebrow, cursing beneath my breath. Of course, I hadn’t expected him to choose a peaceful conversation. I had hoped he’d go for war, opt for trouble, refuse me outright—but no. Instead, I received a message from him, asking to meet alone in the woods at some private manor of his. Last I checked, I was the sane one, and he was the bloodthirsty one. But something about him awakened the darkest parts of me. I wanted his face bloodied. I wanted him dead. Gone. But was that even possible? Maybe it was good he was around. My life had been nothing short of misery upon misery. I needed him around, in check, to keep me on my toes. Lazaro raised me. No one would expect that. It had taken everyone by surprise. But that was a secret I often kept to myself. He knew everything about me. And yet, how had I been so foolish? How had I not seen how he truly felt about me? I shoved the thought away. He had said we were cool , that all was fine. So I’d tak
SIMONE'S POVThe silence in the estate was suffocating. I had spent weeks pacing the floors, feeling every inch of this place wrap around me like a golden cage. The walls whispered Lazaro’s name, and his presence was inescapable—his scent lingering on the silk sheets, his voice reverberating in the halls long after he left them.I stepped into the garden, inhaling the night air, desperate for a moment of solitude. The roses stood tall, their deep red petals illuminated by the moonlight, and for the first time in weeks, I felt like I could breathe.But it didn’t last."Running from me, little wife?"The deep, velvety tone sent a shiver down my spine. I turned slowly, my heart already racing as I found Lazaro standing at the edge of the stone path. His stance was relaxed, but the intensity in his eyes was anything but. A glass of wine dangled loosely from his fingers, but it was the way his gaze bore into me that made my knees weak.I took a step back.He took two forwards."Don’t play
SIMONE'S POVLazaro hadn’t fed from me in days.Not because he didn’t need to. Because he was holding back. Watching. Waiting.I saw it in the way his eyes darkened whenever I moved too close, in the way his breath hitched when my pulse quickened.He was unraveling and I could feel myself unraveling with him.When he finally summoned me, I wasn’t surprised.His chamber was dimly lit, the scent of burning cedar heavy in the air. He stood by the window, his posture rigid, his fingers curled around the stem of a wine glass filled with nothing but emptiness."Come here."It wasn’t a request. He ordered in a cold and curt tone.My breath hitched, but I obeyed, drawn forward like prey caught in the gaze of a starving beast.When I reached him, his fingers wrapped around my wrist, turning it over with slow, deliberate intent. He traced the faint scars left behind from the last time he had fed, and I shivered."Do you know why I waited?" he murmured, his voice dark silk against my skin.I swall
.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
SIMONES POV.MY eyes fluttered open, and the first thing that came to me was Giovanni's beautiful eyes staring down at me. I fought hard to hold my smile in, but my joy knew no bounds. I felt butterflies in my tummy. I swallowed hard, a smile settling on my lips.I couldn't help it. Why was he so good to me? He had been very supportive these days; he had saved my life twice in a row, pampered me, showered me with love and attention; he had been the best so far. How on earth am I to miss that! He had been one of the best gifts and support the moon goddess had given off to me in a while.“Why are you smiling? You have this funny look in your eyes, you know; they keep twitching,” he teased. His voice was soft, and he gently used his fingers to poke gently at my nose.I didn't want to leave this moment; I really want things to remain like this forever, just the both of us, nothing else, no puns intended; this was all I wanted. A happy and fulfilled life with him, so why on earth are thing
TREVORS POV.“Get your fucking hands off me!” My screams wouldn't stop, and I felt more pain, thinking about my hot ass. I'm dragged away, giovanni! That bastard! He watched as he dragged me out of the pack. He seems to have waited for a day like this, and it was pissing me off the most.“Your highness,” a familiar voice called out behind me; it was my Beta. He stood between the guards and me, blocking them as they moved away from me.“I'll take it from here,” he ordered before walking me over to the corner, but it still doesn't seem like he was pleased to have watched all that happened.“I had looked for you only to see you driving past me; I couldn't stop you, so I had to take a cab and then a taxi, but the. I realized you were headed down here, so I followed behind. He explained. I nodded before leaning back into the chair. I ran my hands to my hair before laughing out loud. I wasn't certain how I was expected to handle the entire thing.“Where are we going?” I asked as soon as he
TREVORS POVThe door to the council hall pushed open hastily as my beta made his way hastily into the hall.“How dare you storm in without prior notice?” Elder james asked, and I rolled my eyes, knowing they were heavy on respect if they most likely would drag out the entire thing till it was out of control.“This is the council of elders zone is one of the most sacred places in a pack, and you dare make your way in without announcing,” elder Thomas asked, backing up his friend. I rolled my eyes once more before coughing aloud.I knew I needed to say something or they would all take turns at hurling insults at him.“He is my beta, isn't he? And I had sent him to an emergency job; I asked him to report to me, notwithstanding that now the reports must have come through." I lied; I could see frowns that had spread across their faces, but I had no interest in keeping up with anything they had to say.My beta made his way closer to me, leaned forward, and whispered into my ears,I rose to
TREVORS POV..“Sir, the bar would be closed in ten minutes, and I don't think you should be taking more wine; should we call a cab for you? The car would be kept safe till tomorrow,” he added.“An hour, keep it open for an hour more; I'll pay extra, and yes, serve me more wine, then leave; I'd like my privacy." I responded and belched in the process,The waiter nodded and saved me a new bottle of Scotch. He bowed and made his way back to his station. A smile settled on my lips, seeing how no one was around to bother me at the moment. I dropped off the butt of the cigarette into the ashtray before lighting up another one.A sigh eased through my lips as I gulped some contents of the glass cup.I wasn't prepared to return home; it was only going to put me in a more difficult situation, and so far I had no intentions of having myself wrapped up in bothersome issues.I relaxed back into the couch, letting all the pain go down my spine. I wasn't up for more pain in the process. Going back h
GIOVANNI'S POVSeeing her fast asleep made me feel like the happiest man alive. My heart was filled with joy to the brim. It was almost unbelievable that I had a woman like simone beneath my nose all along, and I had almost lost her due to my anger and jealousy.We've been doing good so far, both of us, working on our relationship to make things better, but poor simone; she is never given a break; it was always one trouble after another.I tucked in the fallen strands of her hair behind her ear; my gaze lingered on her lips a little while my fingers trailed around her nose.She mumbled in her sleep, scrunching up her nose before finally turning her back away from me. She looked really cute and beautiful, in a way that made me obsessed with her, but thinking of what those men had done made my skin crawl with goosebumps as my anger skyrocketed with every passing second. I didn't want anything like that happening; all I wanted was a little bit of rest. I saw how overwhelmed she was, and
SIMONES POV“Where am I going?” I asked, parting my lips slowly while Camellia held me by the side. How did I wake up while we took slow steps until I finally sank into a chair?We were no longer around the burial grounds or the greenhouse. I felt a splitting headache attack me.I kept, drawing on my breath. I didn't dare push open my eyes, scared that the pain might become unbearable for me. I wanted to flinch a bit.“Where am I? Where did you bring me?” I used it again, and she reached closer towards me.“I'll get to Giovanni for you,” she responded before standing on her feet. I tried to reach towards her, but I couldn't. I felt every muscle in my body numb. I felt myself get yanked into darkness as I pushed my eyes closed, shutting me out of my consciousness.I felt a sickening motion out of my belly as I opened my eyes. I immediately needed to come over. I groaned from pain and frustration. I raised my head only to be struck by a terrible migraine. My lips quivered as I tried push
CIARA'S POV.All through the night Trevor has not said a single word to me, a feast. I was scared and worried that he might have trailed behind me and saw what had transpired between the man and me, but after several hours it came to my realization that he was having a gruff attitude all because of simone, and thinking of it made me red with anger.?However, as soon as morning came, I expected him to try picking up several conversations with me, yet all came to no avail, and then I realized that nothing was worth it so far; I only needed to wait a bit longer to see how long he could keep the no conversation thing going on.Rolling my eyes, I watched as Trevor made his way into the car slowly and tucked himself into the seat. Finally, he raised his gaze to match mine; it was just about time he stopped the sassy attitude of his.“I would prefer you keep your distance away from me as of now; I have no intention to speak with you. I'm sure you can tell by now, so please don't embarrass y
CIARAS POV.My eyes lingered on the grave before me. Never have I felt so suffocated and frustrated; even in death, he was still pissing me off.“Fuck!” I screamed before kicking against the edgestone. I picked up the flowers before tossing them over to the floor in anger and stomping on them.They all made a ridicule of me; they all watched as she embarrassed me, and not even one person had stopped by to check on me or ask for my side of the story, but it seemed like they had enough time to go around putting flowers on the grave.“You couldn't help yourself, could you?” I yelled into thin air, hoping his ghost was somewhere around and could hear me.“You just had to pass down the pack to her; well, if anything happens to your daughter, it's your bloody fault! She should know better than taking what i want'' I screamed from frustration. I tossed the last strand of flowers that lay on the desk.I shrugged Slowly, a lot of thoughts settled into my mind while I turned away from the green
.CIARA.“What was that about?” Trevor asked, glaring wide-eyed at me. I swallowed hard before putting up with a frown.I went red from fury, jealousy, and pain; I could barely think; my mind was thrown into a haze; I had a lot on mMy mind at the moment; I needed to get back to simone for making such a great deal of embarrassment for me.“Tell me. What exactly are you up to?” Trevor asked again, grinning widely from ear to ear; it had not seemed like he was interested in anything to say to me other than yell.“You tried to murder her? What on earth is wrong with you; how could you do something like that?” Trevor asked again, and that was the most I could take; he was not only pissing me off; he had gotten on my nerves and was making me sick at the moment.“Talk to me; why on earth are you so mad at me? All because I tried to kill her? My only regret is that she isn't dead!” I snapped; Trevor seemed to have been taken aback by my words.Everyone but him understood how much I spited s