AlessioThe weight of Nero’s words hit me like an avalanche, but I don’t say anything. I just keep my head down and wait for him to continue.“I will let you rest for the day and recover completely, because the stunt you pulled last night left you weak and drained,” he explains, but his tone is as cold as ever. “I do not wish you to go on your own path with that disadvantage.”“Thank you,” I say, even though every part of me is breaking into pieces inside.With that, he also takes out a linen sack from behind his desk and hands it over to me. “This contains all the resources you need to survive in the wild for now. You have some basics like medicine for unexpected cuts and infections. You also have some food in there in case game runs dry.”“I appreciate that.” I finally lift my head and look at him. “I want to see Chiara. At least give me a chance to say goodbye.”Nero hesitates. He just drops the sack right by my feet and stares at me. “Alessio . . . what makes you think she wants t
AlessioI blink repeatedly to make sure I’m seeing things correctly, and I am. It really is Giovanni, even though his eyes are both blackened and bruised and his lips are completely busted. There’s also an open wound on his forehead that’s continuously bleeding.I sink to my knees in front of him and hold his face in my hands. “Gio. Gio, can you hear me?”“Help. . . .” he says in a daze, then his dark eyes focus on me. His whole body begins to tremble as he dissolves into tears. “Oh god . . . Master, is that really you?”“Yes.” My chest constricts when I see him weeping. “Why are you here? Who did this to you?”I raise my sword to cut off the ropes and free him from his restraints but he shakes his head and tries to put his hand on my knee. I see that his knuckle bones are showing from under his skin. Seeing it brings a chill down my spine, not because it’s not something I haven’t seen but because it’s Gio, who I have considered my best friend for the longest time.“Gio, please let me
AlessioThe sight of Rafael approaching me is enough to root me to my spot. I swallow hard, watching him walk, remembering the last time I've seen him and what he did to me.Now this is completely unexpected. So much so that I even have this urge to laugh. It's like the worst of my worlds colliding. Evelyn and Rafael, the mafia world and my old pack, my new family and my old family. Both of them united, and it's against me.The irony is unique, and with everything that happened, I just don't know what to say or do.I stare at them both, watching them smile at me as Evelyn presses the muzzle of the gun harder against Nero's temple.“I’m coming with you,” I announce, looking directly at Rafael. “I will not complain. I will not fight. I promise you, I will do whatever you want if you leave all these people alone.”Evelyn scowls. “You have no right to negotiate, as I said--”“Well, that’s definitely interesting,” Rafael cuts her off, pushing past her to get close to me. I see that she giv
AlessioI blink rapidly to see if I'm indeed seeing things correctly, and I am. Evelyn is gone and so is Rafael. I know I should run and find Chiara, as was my original plan, but Nero is in my arms, bleeding out after saving my life.He looks up at me, and it seems that he knows what's going on in my mind. There's sadness in his eyes, but there's a deeper emotion too. Defeat. The knowledge that he would never come first, and the acceptance that he shouldn't."I'm sorry," I whisper, setting him down on the ground and trying hard not to keep my emotions appear. "I'm so sorry. . . .""Don't apologize about anything, you have to go," he says, his voice breaking. "Chiara . . . She's in the basement of my cabin. You need to find her."The sorrow that I initially felt all vanish. I stare down at him, finally realizing his words. "What?"“I was trying to find out who she is . . . what she is.” Nero raises his hand and tries to hold my shoulder but he’s too weak to do it. “Alessio, Chiara is n
ChiaraWhen I woke up, the world was in chaos, and the last thing I remember is being the one who caught Alessio, who free-fell from the sky after pulling a stunt I never thought possible. After that . . . it was a blur. I vaguely remember bringing Alessio to the infirmary, coming to see Nero, and after that there's just nothing.And when I finally got my consciousness back, the first thing that meets me is the pretty face of a strange woman.Her hair is dark and her eyes are almost black. Her face is way too close to mine and I flinch, and that makes me realize that I'm tied by my limbs against the wall. I try to pull on my arms and legs but the shackles that bind me there don't budge at all.The woman suddenly steps back when she sees that I'm up. The expression on her face is strange. Something I never expected from a strong-looking stranger who has me in captivity in her all-white room. The look in her eyes loosely translate to fear. Maybe with a hint of curiosity. "Who are you?
ChiaraI take a deep breath, trying hard not to show my fear even though deep inside, everything is coiling in dread. I wait for Rafael's teeth to sink into my neck and release all kinds of chaos.But to my surprise, the woman with him pushes him off me."What the hell do you think you're doing?" she demands, still shoving him farther and farther away from me as he growls deep in his throat and stares at me hungrily. "You just said you could detect Alessio's scent on her. Why would you even dare try to eat her? Besides, you can do that once we get what we want. But please, for now, I'm begging you to behave."Rafael just smirks and wipes his lips as though he just got denied of a delicious meal. Which I guess in a away he was. But then his expression darkens into a deeper level of malice when he glances at the woman."Since when have you become so weak, Savina?" he asks with his nose curled up in disgust. "And I thought your heart was into this mission. Don't worry, though, I won't ea
AlessioBefore I can ask why I'm being searched for, the guard opened the cell door and secured a cuff around my wrists. At the same time, he put a bag over my head and starts to lead me outside.I want to ask if all these measures are still that necessary, but I think I already know the answer. Evelyn just doesn't trust me, and maybe she shouldn't because right now I'm already subcbconsciously thinking of a way to beat the guard up and escape.Meanwhile, Lazaro seems to be shocked that I'm being summoned. He starts to bang and pummel on his cell door, trying to get the attention of the guard.But of course the guard simply isn't having it, because he just says, "Shut up or I'll put a bag over your head and chain you to that fucking wall!"Lazaro is undeterred. "Why am I being left out here? I didn't do anything wrong! I just want to see my daughter, please. . . ."I have to admit that that caused me to hesitate. I can hear the true longing and regret in his voice, and it contrasts so
Alessio“What’s that?” I demand, looking at Evelyn who starts to stare at the door like she’s waiting for death himself to come in and take her soul. “Were you expecting a visitor?”She completely ignores me, stepping back behind her desk and rummaging through the drawers. She finds a slim silver device with a number pad that she punches on with the force of an angry toddler, then she brings it against her ear.“Hello?” Evelyn calls into the device, her face contorted with worry. “David? David, I need you to check what set those alarms. Send me guards immediately and. . . .”Suddenly, she trails off with an even deeper frown, taking the device away from her ear and staring at it like it would explode any time.“No answer, huh?” I remark in a dry tone, even though my insides are twisting at the thought of the possibilities waiting for us outside.I have to wonder . . . is this some kind of a ploy to scare me? I have to say that that is highly unlikely, considering that I’m already unde