The day was going awful for Alessia. She was hung over, but not only that; some idiot had decided to clasp her hands and legs to the wall and floor using some iron chain.However, she knew the idiot would be none other than Sandro. He was the only one that could pull off such a ridiculous thing.Yet, she didn't know what her offence was.She let out a wince as the light drifted into her half-opened eyes. She shut them back and bit her lower lip.Her head pounded, and wherever she was seemed damp, adding to her distress.She had tried severally to shove down the vomit in her throat, and she doubted she could do so for long.Her eyes opened eventually, and she sniffled as she gazed around. It was dark, darker than she had imagined. Only a torch by the wall illuminated the room.But the glow from it wasn't still enough to call it light.She caught sight of a movement and croaked out. "Help."She clanked the chains holding her together to grasp the attention of whoever was there, but it s
Arabella furrowed her brows as she gazed outside the window again. The shadow was still there.And she felt it watching her. She was apprehensive, and the hair on her skin stood.She rubbed her now clammy palms on the nightie she donned and gripped the cell phone she plucked from the nightstand.Dialing Blaze's number, she chewed on her bottom lip whilst waiting for him to pick up his phone.Although he told her not to call, she couldn't help it.She didn't know what lurked in the dark, and she had heard of some killings lately. She doubted the perpetrators were around."Please pick up." She murmured and stilled as footsteps approached her door.A key twisted in the lock, and she glanced around frantically in search of what she could use to defend herself.Since she came, it was her first time encountering such, and she didn't think she had given anyone access to the house aside from Blaze.Yet, she doubted it was Blaze. He'd have informed her if he was coming around!She gripped a sta
Arabella was in trouble. That was the only thing on Blaze's mind as he stepped on the gas pedal. Time was running out, and he was sure they'd catch up with her sooner.It was barely one week since he visited her last, and many things had transpired. Many things had fúcking be revealed, including her current location.Also, the blood that was always given to Sandro to restrain him whenever he was on the verge of going berserker was hers.Not only that, she was the fucking Delicate Rose.Blaze creased his brows. It wasn't very clear. He didn't know what was going on. She was declared as Delicate Rose one time, and the other time, she wasn't.He didn't know where all the information came from, but he was sure Sandro had an informant. Someone was giving him all the information, and it was someone he didn't know about.Shit, that same person might have been the one lurking near Arabella's window. For a few seconds, Blaze remembered his conversation with her five days ago. He had assumed she
Thalia stepped towards Blaze's room. It was the second time she was going there today, but he wasn't anywhere to be found. She had discretely asked the other werewolves in the pack about his whereabouts, but none were sure where he went. And most answers were he was on patrol.Even Sandro was sure he was on patrol. But Thalia knew otherwise. She had freaking gone to where he went on patrol to discuss with him, and she saw no one. Not even his scent lingered around to signify he had come.Whilst she asked the other guard, he told her he had come. She figured out all was a lie and he was protecting him. Thalia wondered about the kind of relationship they had, as he had even sworn that he was there.She stepped into his room and glanced around. Her eyes narrowed as she glimpsed a red scarf. Walking towards it, she yanked it off where he had hidden it, and she grimaced.It reeks of Arabella scents. And it was as if he had just brought it in.Blaze knew where Arabella was. He had fúcking
"Shit!" Arabella gasped out, swerving to the side.She breathed out, having missed brushing an SUV. Arabella glanced at Blaze and almost regretted it. He was up the car's roof with no protection whatsoever, and he was opening fire on the people on their trail.Even without being told about who sent those people, she was aware of who was involved.Alessandro De Luca.Arabella grimaced. Since she left the De Luca household, she had assumed he had forgotten about her. Yet, she doubted he'd easily forget when he had threatened her over again.He had told her she would not hide from him forever, and he would kill her no matter what happened.Now, Arabella believed he was keeping to his promise. He had freaking kept tabs on her all this while, and he was going to kill her.She should be the least of his problem because she was just a freaking girl!A powerless one at that!But he made her his topmost mission. Heck, he made her seem as though she was a criminal that should not go unpunished
The night air was frigid, and Blaze jerked awake. His ears perked up as he heard sudden movement from the outside.He nudged Arabella gently, unwrapping her arms around him and rising to his feet.Glancing through the small window, he glimpsed a furry creature that looked like a squirrel; he let out a breath, walking back to the bed.Glancing at the injury, Arabella had tried her best to dress up; he noticed it was healing faster.He didn't know what she did and how it happened; Blaze figured out he passed out after she injected him with things she had seen in the first-aid box.He didn't care to ask her as well; all that mattered was that he was alive.Blaze caressed her hair, which created a halo about her as she slept. Her lips parted slightly, and a soft snore escaped them.Blaze chuckled, shaking his head. He winced at the movement he made as it caused him a terrible headache. He wasn't entirely healed, but he was looking better than earlier.He had Arabella to thank for it. He k
Thalia frowned. It was weird; how Sandro was smiling at her nonsensically made her even more afraid than what Blaze told her.As he stepped towards her, she backed away towards the door."You look creepy." Thalia cleared her throat, attempting to sound normal even though she was scared shitless.She gripped the hem of the dress she donned and counted three as she prepared to run. But luck wasn't on her side.Sandro whooshed towards her and gripped her by her neck. Fuck! He was too fast!He flung her back into the room and sneered.Thalia stuttered, shaking her head as he moved nearer. "S-stop. Whatever is going through your head, you need to stop!"She said the last word a little firmer, but she believed all she said fell on deaf ears as he pounced on her.Sandro gripped her neck, and he leaned into her."It's me, Alessandro!" Thalia shoved his chest. She kicked as his grip tightened on her neck. Her eyes rounded, and she hissed. "You will kill me!"Sandro loosened his grip as he saw
Arabella rolled over the bed and sighed. A smile appeared on her face as she tapped beside her."Blaze." She mumbled. Although he had told her to call him by his given name whilst they were alone. Arabella didn't think she would be calling him that anytime soon as each time she wanted to, she ended up calling him Blaze.Besides, she liked the sound of Blaze better than Cole. She loved how it sounded to her ears."Blaze," She mumbled again. As she got no response, she opened her eyes.The room was semi-dim. Blaze must have shut the windows.Arabella could make out objects in the room from the little light streamed inside from a crack in the door.She glanced towards the bed to realise Blaze wasn't in it.Sitting up abruptly, she ran a hand through her hair."Blaze." She mumbled, walking around the corner of the tiny room.Then she crouched to check underneath the bed. "It is not funny. You are hurt and should not be moving around."Blaze could barely fit under the bed due to his large
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