The moment they stepped into the car, Blaze cupped Arabella's face, pressing his lips to hers.Taken by surprise, Arabella's eyes widened. It took only a few seconds for her to respond to the kiss. She adjusted on the seat, her hands clutching Blaze's shirt, kissing him back with fervor. "Shit, Bella," Blaze groaned into the kiss as her hands slipped into his shirt, caressing his chest. The feel of her warm palms on his skin almost sent him over the edge, and his arousal awakened.Releasing her lips to stare at her, he asked, "Do we do it in here?" His brows furrowed as he saw a faint blush on her cheeks.She gazed around, then nodded."If it'll make you uncomfortable, I don't mind waiting until we get a proper...""It's fine, Blaze," She said. "You don't really need permission to fuck me.""Fuck you?" Blaze raised a brow, smirking at her. "Since when did you start talking like that?" "Since I met you," She muttered. "Are you going to keep talking, or are you going to take me and ma
"That was amazing," Arabella said, turning to her side. "I could do this every day."She placed her hand on Blaze's chest, caressing it."Arabella," Blaze groaned, glancing at his twitching dick. It was alive again and ready for another round. Only Arabella had this effect on him; he had never considered a repeat with any other woman."What?" Arabella said, leaning into him. She kissed his jaw, moving downwards, stopping at a nipple."I might not be able to resist taking you again," Blaze admitted, gripping her shoulder as she hovered over him, her breasts near his face."I wouldn't want you to," she replied."We need to talk," Blaze said, torn between his desire to lose himself in her again and the urgency of the matter that had brought him there in the first place.Arabella paused, her brows raised, then shook her head. "Can't it wait?" she asked, frowning."It could, but I might not have the chance to see you again after today," Blaze confessed.Arabella sighed, settling back into t
"I don't want to hear all the nasty details between my brother and you. I just need to know what he said and when he's coming back," Thalia said, pulling Arabella from her thoughts.Arabella's body buzzed, and she tingled all over. The second time hadn't been as frenzied as the first, but it was perfect. Blaze had taken her more slowly. She wondered if it was because he knew she was pregnant or perhaps it was something else. She couldn't tell, but she enjoyed it and felt slightly embarrassed when she walked in with a limp, Thalia watching her with disdain."He said he'll be back," Arabella replied, shutting her eyes and resting her head on the sofa."When?" Thalia pressed. "There should at least be a specific date. If I knew he was only coming here to fuck you, I wouldn't have told him you were with me."Arabella's eyes opened, and she glanced at Thalia, who began to pace the room. "We didn't just do that.""Yeah," Thalia nodded, rolling her eyes. "All the hickeys all over your skin su
At exactly 5:30 AM, Arabella and Thalia set out from the latter's residence, shrouded by the early dawn to avoid drawing attention.Arabella shifted in her seat, a hand gently cradling her stomach as she felt a twinge. Wincing, she stole a glance at it."What's wrong?" Thalia asked her gaze briefly on Arabella before scanning the room.They'd been driving for nearly an hour, yet the lingering fog veiled the sky. But Arabella's concern wasn't the weather. It was Blaze. Upon waking earlier, she'd received a disconcerting message from him.The fact that she couldn't reach him unsettled her. She hoped he was alright, but her worry extended to something more profound.It was her baby. "I told you not to bother about Cole," Thalia said. "He will come to us, and I am sure he would have suggested the same thing.""It's not about Blaze," Arabella replied, trying to dismiss Thalia's concern."Then what is it?" Thalia pressed."My baby," Arabella confessed. "It's been unusually active, and my s
Wincing as he awoke, Blaze's eyes scanned the cage he was trapped in. His hands were held in cuffs, tethered to the ceiling.He attempted to move, but every motion sent protests through his body. Sandro had personally dealt with him, rendering him powerless. It wasn't that he didn't want to fight back; he simply couldn't. Brianna had stripped him of his will before Sandro's arrival.Upon Blaze's return to the pack after meeting with Arabella, Sandro summoned him. Blaze believed Sandro had asked for him around the Villa, but no one had given him a satisfactory response.Perhaps he had received an answer but coerced it out of them, hence the reason he was summoned.Blaze remained unfazed when Sandro accused him of meeting Arabella. His lack of response had only angered Sandro, who then ordered him to be confined. It wasn't just confinement; he had been subjected to numerous beatings, which he bore without complaint. He believed he deserved every bit of it.However, it was Sandro's decla
"Are you coming with me to the monster's villa, or should I do this alone?" Arabella murmured. Her voice was hoarse from crying too much. Her eyes were swollen and painful, but compared to the ache in her heart, it was nothing.As Thalia didn't respond, Arabella reached for the car door, but Thalia swiftly snatched the keys from her hands, tucking them into her pocket."What the hell?!" Arabella exclaimed, her face contorted in a glare. "I shouldn't have told you my plan. I knew you'd try to stop me!""Of course I will," Thalia said. "I'm trying to reason with you, Bella. Going to Sandro's villa to confront him might be the riskiest decision I've ever heard.""He killed Blaze," Arabella said, her body trembling. "He killed Blaze!""We don't know for sure," Thalia pointed out."Blaze was talking to me, and then the shot rang out. I couldn't hear his voice anymore, Thalia. You might think I'm going crazy, but I heard it," Arabella said, her eyes shimmering with tears once more.She had
"There were two before you, and before them, there were two," Clarisse began. Her voice carried a solemn tone, casting an even more eerie atmosphere in the room where Arabella sat."This has been the way for centuries. Every hundred years, two are born," Clarisse explained."I'm not quite following," Arabella furrowed her brows."It's your history, Arabella. I believe you should have been told earlier, but circumstances arose," Clarisse continued. "It's important for future generations to know about this in case you end up carrying multiple children."Arabella's hand instinctively rested on her stomach as Clarisse acknowledged it. She supposed it was now painfully obvious that she was pregnant. There was no need to conceal it any longer."What do you know about me?" Arabella inquired. She had longed to uncover more about herself and her mother. Despite her father's evasiveness and silence on the matter, her curiosity still gnawed at her."You discovered you have a twin after meeting h
"Is Clarisse the alpha of the pack?" Arabella asked Thalia.She set aside her almost empty cup of coffee before glancing at Thalia. While she could guess that Clarisse held a leadership role in the pack, she couldn't tell if she was the overall head."She's the female alpha," Thalia replied."That's amazing," Arabella mumbled, wondering how a middle-aged woman could gather everyone together to lead them. She had seen many males in the pack, but Arabella knew that being an alpha had little to do with mere strength.Besides, there was something about her she couldn't quite place her fingers on. It felt as though she was a different werewolf. The aura that radiated off her was different from that of the others. Even far different from what she could feel around Thalia.Or maybe she was the one thinking too much.Letting her mind wander back to Blaze, Arabella stared at her phone briefly, sighing when she saw no message as she had hoped. She then glanced up as Clarisse returned, holding a
EPILOGUEFOUR MONTHS LATERSandro stretched his legs, shielding his eyes from the sun with sunglasses. He sighed, running a hand through his hair. Arabella had suggested a vacation by the beach, and they had been here for four months now. He still wanted to fulfill all her wishes, agreeing to everything she desired.Lately, it had been peaceful. Since the altercation with Paolo, there was no imminent threat to Arabella, though he couldn't say the same for himself, which he didn't mind. He didn't believe his enemies would ever cease, as wherever he went, he seemed to attract more.He didn't want to involve Arabella in his dangerous lifestyle, but he also doubted his ability to shield her completely.Alessia had disappeared. When Paolo had died, Sandro had taken the time to scour the building for her before leaving for the Villa, but he hadn't seen any trace of her."Why are you staring at her?"Sandro snapped his head at the sound of Arabella's voice. She stood above him, arms folded. H
Arabella wasn't as tired as she expected. She continued battling, and almost half of the members of the Salvatore house were already down. Although she couldn't unleash her powers to the fullest, she had imbued her knife with magic, enhancing its effectiveness even more.The enchanted blade caused immediate falls to anyone it touched, adding up to a high body count. Despite her victories, the number of foes she faced showed no signs of diminishing.Sandro, absent since his departure, left her uncertain about his fate. Paolo's absence suggested he wasn't defeated, as Paolo would have returned if he had been. Alessia was also nowhere to be found; Arabella wondered if Paolo had taken her with him.Yet, she was glad the merge hadn't happened.***Running after Paolo led Sandro to an unfamiliar location. Uncertain of his whereabouts, he felt a rush of anxiety as his gaze fixed on what appeared to be a full moon at the room's far end, shining brightly. Sandro, feeling a tingling sensation,
Paolo paced nervously, his gaze repeatedly drawn to Arabella, securely bound to the chair. At first glance, she seemed unconscious, her head hanging limply, but a closer look revealed that she was simply staring down."How much longer do we have to wait?" he inquired of Alessia, who had resumed her position inside the pentagram."A few more minutes or the ritual will be incomplete," Alessia replied.Despite the requirement for a special full moon, she had assured them of conjuring the moon to ensure the ritual's success. However, the actual full moon was still two weeks away, and Paolo couldn't afford to wait."Should I resort to force to speed things up?" Paolo clenched his teeth and advanced toward Arabella."I'll break ten fingers and ten toes if you lay a hand on her," Sandro declared, suddenly appearing in the doorway."Sandro," Arabella smiled, relief washing over her at the sight of him. Although she had never been particularly thrilled to see him before, his presence now offer
Goodness!Sandro pressed the gas pedal, driving over the speed limit. Relieved that the road was empty, he was aware that if someone had been there, a collision was inevitable, and he wouldn't have cared.His sole focus was reaching Arabella."Is she foolish enough to go to that guy without telling me?" Gritting his teeth, he tightened his grip on the steering wheel.He had only left to settle some business deal with another pack that he had an alliance with, and it was to get them to fight in the war with him.Of course, he had done all he needed to do, albeit too late.Arabella, that he was trying his best to protect, wasn't even in the villa anymore.His phone rang, and glancing at the screen, he swiped to answer. "If you harm her, Paolo, I'll make sure you regret it. I won't hesitate to take you down with me!""She's still alive, De Luca. Why not come see her condition for yourself?" Paolo replied.Just then, a scream erupted from Arabella, further unsettling Sandro. "Let her go,"
No sooner had Arabella left than a loud boom echoed through the air. Though Thalia wasn't sure if it was an actual cannon, it sure sounded like one."Ah, darn!" she exclaimed, gasping and huddling against the wall. The cannon seemed to have targeted the building, affecting all the rooms. The meeting structure teetered on the verge of collapsing, with the pillars bending sideways."Are you okay?" Elisha asked, pulling her towards a corner."I am. How about you?" Thalia replied, scanning the area to see if others were in the same predicament."What's happening? And where is Bella?" she inquired."The attackers are here," Janice explained. "I overheard their conversation earlier, and I think my father spoke to her. It's why she left.""Why would she do that? That's so foolish!" Thalia hissed."My father is sly, Thalia. I don't know what he must have said to Arabella, but he can kill anyone he wants if she disobeys. She probably left for everyone's safety," Janice reasoned."That doesn't
TWO DAYS LATERThinking all plans would come easily as they were all gathered together, however, the reverse was the case. It was even more difficult to agree with all that was said, especially since it was the last day.Still, there was no attacker in sight, and it didn't seem like anything was going to happen. It was almost noon, and Arabella, Thalia, Elisha, Janice, and Annalise were in the meeting room.Some members were on guard, watching for any activity to report to those inside. However, Sandro, Arabella didn't know where he had gone. He said nothing to her and left the house."He should be here; at least, he's the alpha, and many of these people can listen to him," Elisha said, eyeing the other members in the room, acting as if they were bothered by the current situation."They listen to Bella, too," Thalia said. "She should say something to them."Say something? Arabella didn't know exactly what she was going to say. They weren't the phoenixes, and even though Orga and the r
Sandro awoke the next morning, groaning and turning to his side. "Arabella," he murmured, breathing in her scent before slowly opening his eyes. Using the pad of his thumb, he gently rubbed her cheek to confirm she was really in bed with him. He wondered why she hadn't left after he fell asleep, maybe because she had dozed off too.Gripping a lock of her white hair, he swirled it in his fingers. His free hand moved down to her stomach, caressing it. Sandro grinned as he felt a kick as soon as he touched, retracting his hand as Arabella groaned and turned."Sandro," she murmured, gripping his shirt.Raising his brow, Sandro watched as she began to unbutton his shirt slowly. Her hands slipped into his shirt as soon as she finished unbuttoning."Arabella," Sandro groaned as her hands moved further downwards.He didn't know what she was doing, and the thought of stopping her crossed his mind, but he didn't want to startle her. She seemed deeply asleep, and he hoped she would stop on her o
Sandro's condition hadn't improved; if anything, it had worsened. Arabella doubted it was due to the injury, which had already closed up two days since it happened. She had returned only yesterday to the room and found him sprawled on the bathroom floor.Initially, she thought he had stopped breathing, given his lack of movement, until she checked his pulse. Though she wouldn't admit it, she felt relieved. As much as she detested his behavior towards her, she was relieved he wasn't dead."I hate this," Sandro groaned, snapping Arabella from her thoughts. His lashes fluttered against his cheeks, and he opened his eyes slowly.Frowning, he murmured, "Bella?""Yes," Arabella said, placing her palm on his forehead to check his temperature. "How do you feel today?""Worse," Sandro mumbled, attempting to sit up. His eyes stayed on hers for a long time, making Arabella conscious of what she was wearing. She had opted for one of Sandro's T-shirts as she hadn't had time to do laundry. Now, she
Entering Thalia's room, Arabella made her way to the couch where Thalia sat."Trouble in Paradise?" Thalia raised a brow, sniffing. "I can smell blood on you. Did something happen?""In short, we were attacked by rogues, and Sandro decided to fight them off.""Typical Sandro," Thalia smiled. "But why the blood? Did you both engage in some kind of blood play?""What?" Arabella scoffed, "Never. Just because Blaze is no more doesn't mean I'll forget our moments easily. Besides, Sandro got injured during the fight, and I'm here because he said some really insensitive things.""About you not being receptive to him as you were to Blaze?" Thalia questioned."How do you know? Did you eavesdrop on us?""I'm a werewolf, remember? I can hear things miles away. Plus, your attitude towards him says it all. I've been watching," she said.Arabella shrugged. "I don't think you'd want me to relate with him either. He's been cruel to me, tried to kill me, and took me against my wish.""I know he did aw