I was so shocked that I couldn't speak, let alone know how to comfort him.“That’s… awful,” I told him. I didn't know what other words to use. Poor Darren. It was one thing to be threatened by the Alpha, but it was another thing to be stabbed in the back by your mate. Mate is our closest family member. Because of the bond of the mate bond, we instinctively trust and support our mate and would never betray them for the sake of simple gain. From what I know, this is also why wolf families usually have a stronger bond than humans.Betrayal from our mate is enough to shatter a wolf's faith. I've felt it once. Darren's experience was even worse than mine. “What happened after the accusations?”“Everyone believed her, including Alpha Jeremy. So I was permanently exiled from the pack.”“I know how that feels,” I said sympathetically.“It gets worse though,” Darren said. “Alpha Jeremy issued a wolf hunting order against me. I was a good doctor, but no pack dared to accept me. Not with an or
Trista’s POVI might have poor eyesight, but I have a fantastic memory. As soon as we got close to Johnson’s family estate, I remembered the roads perfectly. Before I knew it, we were heading towards the estate where Johnson’s parents lived.We pulled up and parked the car.“This is it,” I said, opening my car door. But as soon as I did, I could tell that something was wrong. “Stay here for a moment,” I told Darren and Liam. “I just want to check something out.”The air was full with the scent of people – all strangers. And a lot of them, too. They were all sort of milling about, dressed in black.It was very odd. I knew that Dagny and Steward had lived at the estate for a long time, but they didn’t seem very social. At least, they hadn’t when I was there.I saw a group of people huddled in the courtyard, talking in a whispered hush. They seemed to be consoling one another. I really wanted to find out what was going on, so I tried to blend in.I pretended to walk around for a bit, to
Trista’s POVThe parking lot to the church was packed. We pulled in and got out. A stream of black-clad people were walking into the church. A few others were mingling outside on the front steps.My heart sank.Was Steward really dead? I really didn’t want that to be true. Both he and Dagny had been very generous to me and my kids when we stayed with them.My mind flashed to Johnson. Where was he? If this really was his father’s funeral, then why wasn’t he here? The only explanation I could think of was that he didn’t know.“Do you want to go inside?” Liam asked, taking my hand. I let him. It felt warm and comforting.“You should wait in the car,” I told him. He’d put a shirt on over his bandage. It looked like the bleeding had stopped, but he was nowhere near fully healed. It was hard for him to walk, I could tell.“She’s right,” Darren said. “I can go with her. You should rest.”“I’m not leaving her,” Liam said. “We don’t know any of these people. They could be dangerous.” His eyes
Trista’s POVI asked Dagny if there was somewhere else we could talk. The men in the black suits were eying us up, making me feel uncomfortable. I had so many questions but I knew I couldn’t ask them there, in that church, with all those people around.“There is,” Dagny whispered to me.“I have a car waiting outside,” I told her. She simply nodded and then we made our way outside.We approached the car and relief washed through Liam’s eyes when he saw me.“I was just about to go in for you,” he said sternly. Then his eyes fell on Dagny.I introduced her and both Darren and Liam nodded knowingly. Dagny, on the other hand, looked at them suspiciously. There was a blood stain on Liam’s shirt. His wound was soaking through.“You can trust them,” I assured her. “They’re my friends.”She glanced at me quickly then back at the men in the black suits. They had come out of the church and were eying us across the parking lot.“Let’s go,” Dagny said firmly, and we all climbed into the car. Darre
Trista’s POV“It’s a trap,” Dagny said. Her brows furrowed and I could see how stressful this was for her. “These people don’t care about the police. The police are scared of them. They operate in a criminal, underground world. The police can’t protect us. No one can.”I side-eyed Liam and Darren. They both had concerned looks on their faces.So the police were out. If Dagny thought it was a bad idea to go to the police, then I trusted her judgement. But were we supposed to do? “I waited here, for Johnson,” she said sadly. “Otherwise, I would have left as soon as I saw those curtains. I just couldn’t bear the thought of my poor Johnson walking into a trap. It’s another reason I had to risk exposing myself and go to the funeral. I was afraid he would just show up. I tried calling him but I can’t get through to him on his phone. I’ve been worried sick,” she said. A single tear fell from her eye as she wrung the handkerchief in her lap. “I just kept hoping he’d come and I’d get to him
Trista’s POVI stared in disbelief as Dagny and Darren smiled at one another.“I wasn’t sure if you’d recognize me. Time has been kinder to you, I’m afraid. I’m an old man now,” Darren said.They knew each other? But how was that possible?“I’m sorry, “ Dagny said. “That probably took you by surprise. Let me explain.”All eyes turned to Dagny as she began her explanation.“The Cartwright family is very well-known in both Italy and France. As I’m sure you’ve surmised, they own many successful businesses. But that’s just on the surface. Most of their businesses are just fronts because their ancestors gained control of the largest underground mafia organization this region has seen in several generations.”She paused to let the words sink in.“How about some tea,” she said. “I think there’s still some in kitchen, as well as a kettle. This is a lot to process and a hot cup of tea might help.”Before any of us could answer, she scurried off the kitchen. Honestly, I failed to see how a cup
Trista’s POV“Johnson?” I asked, trying to figure out how he played into all of this.“Yes. Shortly after Johnson was born,” Dagny explained, Steward and Felix agreed to part ways. They each had a share in the family business and decided to stop the feuding. They thought it best if they just each focused on their respective fields and leave each other well enough alone. I had the herbal medicine from Darla and Darren that could suppress my wolf, so Steward and I integrated fully into the human world. We decided to raise Johnson there, figuring it was best for him. That’s the last time we saw each other,” Dagny said to Darren. “And I must say, it’s lovely to see you again.”“Likewise,” Darren smiled back. They shared a knowing smile. Although I was surprised that they knew each other, I was happy to see that they seemed to genuinely like one another.Liam shifted in his chair then. I glanced at him, just as he winced.“Are you okay?” I asked him. His face was still pretty pale. His wou
Trista’s POVI glanced over at Liam. He’d been listening to the whole story, completely silent. But now he spoke up.“I remember him,” Liam said. “The man from Milan.”“What do you make of all this?” I asked Liam. I was curious to know his thoughts on everything. All eyes turned to Liam. He inhaled a sharp breath.“Well, first off, I have to say I’m surprised to hear that Johnson comes from a mafia wolf family. I mean, I’ve only met him a few times, but he seemed pleasant and courteous enough. I never would have known that he was involved in the mafia.”I could tell that Liam didn’t particularly like admitting that Johnson was pleasant and courteous, but I appreciated that Liam was setting his personal grudge against Johnson aside and giving his honest opinion.Dagny smiled proudly. “We did our best to raise him right, Johnson. I instilled manners in him. I’m happy to hear he’s upholding the values I taught him.”Liam side-eyed me. It wasn’t exactly a compliment. Liam was pointing out
Trista’s POVLiam and I arrived in Paris with plenty of time. We had dinner at the airport and waited for our flight to board. They called us for boarding and we both took our seats in first class. Liam offered me the window seat but I insisted that he have it. His wound was bothering him – I could tell – and if he sat by the window, he could sleep more easily with his head against the wall. As we settled in, a strange feeling washed over me. I realized that Liam and I had never travelled together. In all our years of marriage, we never strayed far from our pack, at least not as a couple. I glanced over at him. He was fastening his seatbelt.‘How odd,’ I thought to myself. ‘Here we are, together on a plane. I never, in a million years, could have imagined our first trip together would be like this!’“Champagne?” the stewardess asked, her eyes bright. Champagne was one of the perksof flying first class. Liam wasn’t much of a champagne drinker, though, so I went to shake my head and
Trista’s POVBack upstairs in the small cottage, Dagny rummaged through her cup boards. She produced a small, crystal jar.“This ointment will make Liam well enough to travel back to the United States,” she told us. Darren eyed the small jar and I looked at him for confirmation. He nodded, indicating that the ointment was fine.Dagny walked over to Liam, lifted his shirt, and removed his bandage. I gasped when I saw his wound. It was red and angry-looking, with small black veins spread out over his stomach and chest like a spider web. Dagny scooped up some of the ointment with her fingers and roughly rubbed it on Liam’s stomach. Liam inhaled a sharp breath and winced.“That hurts,” Liam said as Dagny continued to apply the ointment in a belligerent way. I had to admit, she could have been a lot gentler. Dagny didn’t reply to Liam’s comment so Liam put his hand over hers to stop her.“Dagny, do you have some sort of problem with me?” Liam asked. “You’ve been very polite to Trista and D
Johnson’s POV“My father wanted to hand over the family business to me,” I told Jake. “But I wanted to go to New York.”“Because of that bitch?” Jake asked smugly. I nodded.When Trista left to go to the US, I felt a void in my life. I realized how much she meant to me. My feelings for her were complicated since we were such good friends. But I missed her so much it hurt. And the twins too. So I’d asked my dad if I could follow her to New York and set up business there. My father had been very reluctant at first. He wanted me to stay in Italy for the family business. He was preparing me to take over, but he said there were a few loose ends he needed to tie up first. I argued with him. I was a grown man and if I wanted to go to New York, then I could. He disagreed. He said my responsibility was to the family first.But then, one day, he just changed his mind one day.“My father allowed me to go to New York because there was someone he wanted me to find.”My father’s instructions had be
Johnson’s POVThe bullet ripped through my shoulder. A bolt of pain ripped through my shoulder, so intense it made me dizzy. Jake chuckled at my reaction.I expected to die. I expected to bleed out from the bullet wound. So did Jake and his men. But as they held me, something unusual happened. The bullet wound spurted blood at first, thick and warm. Within seconds though, the blood stopped. The pain still radiated through my body, but I could feel it healing, as though my muscle fibers were somehow weaving themselves back together with extraordinary speed.Jack frowned, his eyes narrowing. He could see what I felt, that my wound was healing with remarkable speed. He didn’t like this. Flummoxed, he marched right up to me and grabbed my collar. He tore open my shirt to see the wound for himself. Sure enough, the hole from the bullet was already growing over with fresh skin.“I thought that was a special gun,” one of his men said.“Shut up,” he seethed at the man. Then he turned to me. “
Johnson’s POVI zipped through the streets like a maniac. Jake blew through several red lights and I had no choice but to do the same. I laid on my horn as I went, alerting the few cars on the road this late at night to get the fuck out of the way. My heart raced and my palms were thick with adrenaline-induced sweat.Jake had agreed to let me have Trista and the men she was with, but I didn’t trust Jake. He was a loose cannon and capable of anything. It didn’t take much to make him snap, so even though we had a deal, I had a feeling he’d break it without hesitation. I had no idea what I would do when I got to the Milan checkpoint. The police were crawling with Jake’s informants. I’d seen firsthand that the police were useless when it came to Jake and his men. They’d detained a car at the Milan border FOR Jake. I had no faith that they’d help me out in any way. If we got to the border, and Jake decided to kill Trista and Liam after all, there was no one to stop him. Except me.Jake
I…I loved her, I realized as my breath hitched in my throat. I had to save her from these men. But how?Just then, a phone rang. One of Jake’s men answered it. He nodded and then hung up.“That was the Milan border. The car with the woman and two men are being detained there.”“Looks like we were right in the first place,” Jake said. He kicked the corpse, rolling her onto her stomach. “This bitch here side-tracked us. Come on. Let’s go. The man in the picture must be with her. The hunt has begun. Time to kill the right slut. Am I right?” Jake smiled sardonically at me.“I’ll come with you,” I told Jake, my mind racing.“Good,” Jake replied. “I need to see you kill her yourself.”I shook my head.“What do you mean, ‘no’?” Jake asked, narrowing his eyes. “Cousin, it seems like this woman is very important to you. You've been acting awfully unusual.”“I hate her for what she did on me,” I told Jake, scrambling for an excuse. “You’re right she’s important. The bitch betrayed me. But I ca
Johnson’s POVI rushed out of the auction house, my heart hammering in my chest. I had to get away from these men and to the border before they did. But as I ran down an alley that would lead me to my car, I saw something that stopped me dead in my tracks.Jake and his men. They were at the end of the alley, crowded around a figure on the ground. I watched, horrified, as they kicked and beat the woman. And even more horrifying, there were two police men not even five feet away. At first, I was certain that the police would intervene. I mean, it was the POLICE after all. But the police did nothing. They only stood by and watched as Jake and his men kicked the figure on the ground.Cautiously, I took a few steps towards the men and the figure on the ground. It realized it was a woman – a woman who looked an awful lot like Trista!“No!” I hollered, rushing towards them, overcome with fear. Had they found Trista? Had she been here after all? It was possible! Maybe she hadn’t left yet. Or
“Who are you?” I asked the second voice in my head. Silver’s voice was gone. I didn’t understand. Where was this second voice coming from? It was so different than Silver’s. It was soft and gentle. Silver’s voice tore through my head like a whip. This voice rippled and floated. I was instantly drawn to it.“Quill,” the second voice said. “I’m your other wolf.”Other wolf? But how could that be? Did he mean that…Silver was my wolf? My heart dropped. If Silver was my wolf, then that meant – my wolf was a blood-thirsty, evil beast bent on killing everyone and anything in his path?Oh God.But wait. He’d just said ‘other wolf’. So that meant…“I have two wolves?” I asked, confused.“Yes. We’re twins,” the gentle voice confirmed.Twin…..wolves?“We’re nothing alike, Johnson,” the second voice, Quill, continued. “In fact, we’re polar opposites. We argue all the time.”“Why haven’t I heard your voice before?” I asked.“Silver often overpowers me,” Quill explained. “But I’ve found a way to br
Johnson’s POV“Impressive,” Jake smirked, looking at the shattered window. I hoped he bought it. If he knew that I was trying to protect both Liam and Trista, and that I let them go on purpose, it would only pique his interest in both of them, especially Trista. He’d want to find her and have a ‘good time with the bitch.’ I couldn’t let them happen. I had to persuade him that I hated both Liam and Trista. “Yeah well, he deserved it,” I snapped back, lacing my voice with as much venom as I could. “He was a pompous ass.”Jake nodded appreciatively. “And the bitch?” he asked, meaning Trista.“She’s nothing,” I snipped, waving my hand in the air dismissively. “I was nice to her at one point. I mean, come on, she’s a hot piece of ass, after all. I wanted a taste of her. But she chose that scumbag ex of hers over me. So I naturally got pissed and snapped. I wanted some revenge on the woman who hurt me. But she got away before I could.” I chose my words carefully, hoping I could fool Jake.