PROLOGUE
The stiff air swirling around the four walls of the palace harbored the cries and whimpering of the people inside. Black linings replaced the extravagant interior decor of the palace. Gloomy faces and puffy eyes of everyone inside made it evident that there had been a loss.
Red Cross Pack had a sad aura hovering around them. Even the heavens mourned at the demise of the greatest Alpha the werewolf kingdom would ever know. The Moon Goddess had her tears cascade down as rainfall. Thunderbolts struck in sadness, and as a farewell to Alpha Nicholas.
This has to be the saddest day yet in Red Cross Pack. Alpha Nicholas was a legend, lived his prime, and conquered packs in his old age. He would forever be remembered.
”Excuse me, Master,” An Omega bowed as she stepped inside the royal study. She had a tray of beverages and cookies. And a note wrapped perfectly and placed at the side.
Ryder turned around slightly, taking a quick swipe at her and the tray. He waved his fingers at her in dismissal, “I'm not hungry —“
”But Master—“
”Get the hell out of here, will you?!” He snapped in a growl, slamming his fist on his table. It was enough to get her whimpering and running out of the study.
He let out a heavy grunt, facepalming himself and turning to stare out the full-length, glass window.
Dressed in a signatory black robe for Alphas of Red Cross Pack, with a pair of black loafers to go with, Ryder showed just how part of the mourning he was, like everyone else. Alpha Nicholas was his Father, after all. And even though they barely saw eye to eye on things, blood can't be altered. They still shared a bond, and that's forever.
Watching his Father burnt up in flames a few hours ago on the ancient pyre made him realize how fleeting life was. His Father was a hard man, full of life and fucking obstinate. He lived life the hard way with all the unforgiveness he did, and all the bitterness he held dearly even to his death.
His Father might have accomplished a lot of feats in life, but he failed to accomplish the most thing that mattered — love. He never knew how to love, and died without knowledge of it. He was lonely, in all his glory and achievements, he lived a fucking lonely life, all because it was impossible for him to tolerate the default of others.
'Pathetic,' Ryder scoffed, shrugging at the awful thought of living his life just as his Father did. He was gonna be different. He was gonna love until there was no more love left in him to give.
He watched the steady fall of the raindrops on the windowsill. It was therapeutic and somehow eased his heavy heart.
When the door creaked open again, he was ready to squirt fire on whoever it was that was coming to disrupt his solitude. But he softened when the giggling of his four years old daughter rang through his ears.
”Daddy,“ She said in a sing-song tone, racing to his arms. He caught her as she took a major leap.
“Careful, cupcake,“ He gave a throaty chuckle, wrapping her up in his arms. He kissed her forehead and earned another series of giggles.
His little bundle of joy, eyes like her mother's. Blonde hair that cascaded gracefully to her lower back. Skin as shiny as porcelain. A face so round and divine, knocking your breath away in just a glance.
In all his years of living, he can't help but think he did just two things right — the first was falling in love with Hara and taking her as his mate. And the second was having beautiful Blair as his daughter.
She was the outcome of his twisted love story with Hara. Seeing her every day makes him proud of himself for never giving up on Hara. Despite everything they went through, he persisted, and the moon goddess gave him Blair as a reward for his persistence.
“Where's your Mummy?” He asked, not taking his gaze off her face.
“There she comes,” Blair giggled, pointing at the door. Ryder followed her gesture and smiled as Hara made her entrance.
With her slightly swollen tummy, she was finding walking a little harder now. Yeah, they were gonna have another child. The pack doctors predicted it was going to be a boy. So Ryder's been doing a countdown till the day his heir will be born.
His smile scrunched into a slight frown when he saw the Omega from a few minutes ago, trailing behind Hara. She still had the tray and following Hara's instruction, she placed it on the table and left.
Hara turned to him and the stern look on her face made him realize just how much trouble he was in.
“Uh, Blair, why don't you go play with your Nanny? Mummy and I need to talk,“ Ryder said in a tense tone, putting down his daughter.
She sprinted enthusiastically out of the room, and now, it was just the two of them.
“I'm sorry,” Even without any words from her, he knew just what his offense was. He'd spent the last six years of his life studying her. So he could easily rescue himself in moments like this.
“You rejected my food —“
“I wouldn't dare,“ Ryder hushed her softly, grabbing her hands and intertwining their fingers, “I didn't know the tray was from you. I thought it was all that Omega's idea,”
“It had a note with it,“ Hara pinpointed.
“I didn't notice. Please, don't get mad at me. You know how hard it's been for me lately,“
With that, She let go of her frail anger and wrapped her arms around his waist. His arms went around her body, bringing her closer to himself. He needed the hug, more now than ever.
“Are you still thinking about it?“ She asked, running her hands softly on his taut back.
“It's eating me up,“ Ryder sighed, holding down the knot in his heart, “ How the heck am I supposed to do it? I know he's my Father and it was his last wish. But it's impossible to do what he asked for,”
“Ryder —“
“I can't, Queen. I can't bring her back here to live with us. Not after everything she did. To you, to me —“ he shut his eyes as they stung with tears, and then he added the last part, ”—to Jason.“
There was no way he could bring her back to the palace. Ciara was better off anywhere else but here.
But a week later, Ryder decided to do it. It was his Father's last wish and he was obligated to fulfill it.
“Ciara just flew into Italy last night. She has a business to take care of,“ Giveon said. They were at the round-table meeting. The two empty seats were a constant reminder that Jason and Darius were never coming back to them.
“You'll have to go get her. And keep it on the low. We don't want to give the press something to talk about,“ Ryder said, ignoring the painful knot in his heart.
“When do I leave?“
“Tomorrow.“ Ryder breathed out.
The meeting was over and they stood to leave. Giveon stayed back. He was now the Beta and the closest to Ryder. The poor man was lonely and needed someone to stay close to him like Jason used to. Giveon had to be that someone.
“What?“ Ryder sighed, throwing his head back on the headrest. He was exhausted. More now than ever.
“What happens if I see him?” Giveon asked. Even without calling a name, Ryder understood.
“Talk to him. Help him remember,” Ryder breathed out.
”That's impossible. He's not the Jason we used to know. He's vicious now. A fucking capo!”
“Would you rather snap his neck? Blow his brains out?“
”I don't know –” Giveon mumbled, “If I need to, then I might,“
Giveon's voice was soaked in apprehension, which was odd. Jason used to be his buddy. But right now, he was talking about him like he was just some random monster. He couldn't help it. Jason was legendary for the millions of lives he has wasted since he turned Capo. He was a bloody assassin now. A Mafia!
Years spent with Jason were the reason he was feeling a pang of sadness right now. But if he happens to encounter Jason, he just might kill him. That's just the logical thing to do.
Ryder rose from his seat, and it toppled behind him. His eyes shut and his breathing was hard.
He turned to Giveon, lashing out all his frustration at him.
“No matter what happened, Jason remains family. If you get to see him, make him remember us. That's what you should do,“
“And if he doesn't?“ Giveon asked, standing to his feet. Ryder was being emotional again like he always is when it had to do with Jason, and it pisses him off.
“He will!“
“The hell he will!” Giveon snapped, “It's been six years already. If there was a chance for him to remember us, then he would have done that already. Let's face it, Ryder. Jason is a monster now. And we should treat him as such!”
“If you kill him, then you leave me with no choice but to kill you!“ Ryder penned down his threat in a cold tone. “You get your ass to Italy and you bring Ciara and Jason home. Have I made myself clear?!“
“Crystal.“
CHAPTER 1. SICILY, ITALYShrieks of pleasure erupted from a hotel room, coursing through the walls of the gigantic building. It was midnight, and the screams were a huge nuisance. But no one laid a complaint, not when they knew where the screams wafted from.It came from the only room on the last floor of the building. There was only one room on that floor and only one person lodged in that room. It was the Capo of the 'Carianno' Mafia family, and the hotel was one of the many properties of the 'Carianno' family.Sicily was the haven of the 'Cariannos'. They've been here for generations and practically run the city. No one leaves or enters unnoticed. They robbed the city of its good aura, replacing it with sheer horror. Vicious killings. Tortures. Crimes. Theft. Rapes. The list was endless. Italy was in chaos. Sicily had it worst, and that was since the new Capo came on board.'GHOST', that was his name. With no background and identity, he showed up like a ghost and swept Sicily of
CHAPTER 2. Ghost alighted the taxi with a rush, running up the stairs into one of the Carianno mansions.It was one exquisite building and damn eye-catching, the last place Mafias should hold meetings. It was too obvious, anyone could burst in on them. But then again, the Cariannos weren't your "typical" Mafia family. They had nothing to hide. There was no one to cower from. They could literally get into a killing spree on the highway and no one would try to fight back. That was how much they dominated the area. That was how dreaded they were.“Sixth floor!“ Scar shouted, sprinting slightly so he could ride the elevator with Ghost. They both got in and Scar punched the sixth-floor button.Ghost ran a hand through his jacket for his gun. It wasn't there. He did a double-check, but nothing. “Fuck!“ He cussed, recalling he left it in his hotel room. Camilla was being fucking annoying with her clinginess. He needed to get away from her as fast as he could. And he'd forgotten to take hi
CHAPTER 3.A red Lamborghini Aventador swept through the driveway of the nightclub, coming to a halt with a vivid screech. Scar was the first to hop out from the driver's seat, and then Ghost followed, getting down from the passenger's seat. With his dark shades concealing his blue orbs, he put the area under tight scrutiny. His eyes swept through the unending queue of scantily dressed females and horny males. There was no sign of a threat, nothing he should be wary of.He gave a curt nod to Scar and headed inside, walking past the queue. The heavy gasps from all corners had his ego inflated. He never goes unnoticed. He'd made sure of that.The bouncers at the door almost fled at the sight of him. His lips quirked into a smug smile as he brushed past them and went inside.Music blaring from the speakers hit his ears as he walked in. Neon lights reflected on his face. Bodies swayed in his direction, and he took his shades off for a better look. He took out his mask and put it on.It
CHAPTER 4.Ciara shuddered at the deep, sizzling baritone from the stranger who just snagged her up into his arms. Her body stiffened as his scent rushed into her nostrils, letting sparks loose in her body.His warm breath on her neck made her aware of his lips being so close to her body. It was a lot of sensation and it was beginning to make her pussy twitch. “Why did you do that to him? He was supposed to be my next partner,” Her voice was shaky. But yeah, she'd seen him kick the other guy who'd grabbed her arm. It was off.“I couldn't wait any longer to have this dance with you,”Damn, that voice, Ciara thought, as the twitching between her thighs kicked in again. There was so much huskiness for one man. Could get any lady on her knees begging to be fucked. She bit her lower lips, stifling a moan as his lips placed a soft kiss on her shoulder.“You sound like you've been waiting for a long time,“ Her words were barely coherent. She was freaking affected by the stranger, his scent
CHAPTER 5. “Pick up the damn phone!" His gruff voice startled her. “What?" She asked confusedly. Then the vibration came again and only then did she realize her phone has been ringing. He released her and Ciara couldn’t be more relieved. It’s been a hell of a dance. Good thing it’s ended. She reached for the little pocket in his nightgown and took the phone out. “You sure you wanna take the call in here? Could be impossible hearing him over the music." “I’m good, thank you,” Ciara snapped, placing the phone close to her ear. She was the first Alpha female after several decades. Taking calls in a nightclub should be a little feat for her. “If you say so,” Ghost didn’t move away. His arms weren’t around her anymore, but he was standing so close she could hear his heartbeat. Giving her a little distance was a risk he couldn’t take. He didn’t mean to eavesdrop on her conversation. It wasn’t Vlad on the other line. The man doesn’t make phone calls. So yeah, he had no reason to eaves
CHAPTER 6.Ryder woke up to the repeated buzzing of his phone. His eyes squinted at the sun's rays and he was gonna shut them and get more sleep.But again, the buzzing started, and this time, it didn't stop. He clenched his teeth in irritation and tried sitting up. But it was impossible. He glanced down at the woman draped over him and his lips curled into a smile.He kissed her forehead and gently pushed her off him. She stirred slightly and he stilled until she was back to snoring.He reached for the phone on the nightstand and tiptoed out of the room, careful not to wake Hara up.Shutting the door of his study, he plumped on his swivel chair and checked the caller ID. It was Giveon. With a yawn, he took the call.“Speak,“ He rasped, rubbing his eyes. Dude better have a good reason for rudely interrupting his sleep.“Ciara has been kidnapped by the Italian Mafia. And guess who carried out the mission?““Jason,“ Ryder breathed out sharply. This just got a whole fucking better.“He do
CHAPTER 7.“Hey,“ The familiar feminine voice echoed in the room and his head came swinging up.“Hey,“ He beamed at her. She was leaning against the door, still dressed in her silver nightgown. ”You finally up?““Yup, got hungry,” She smiled.He got to his feet and went to her, pulling her into his arms. He rocked her slightly, taking a deep breath of her lavender scent. Twenty years later but he still wouldn't get enough of it. He still wouldn't get enough of her.He pulled away from the hug and gave her a once-over. “How are you feeling?“ His hand went to her belly and he caressed it. “Got any pains here?”“No, I'm fine. I just got a little tingling down there,“ She gestured with her head. Ryder's gaze followed her gesture.“I'm sorry,” He blurted out, holding her into another hug. A bit of regret crept into his heart for even fucking her at all last night. He would have just gone the old way of jerking off and forcing himself to sleep right after.“It's fine,“ She ran a hand over h
CHAPTER 8.Trigger warning⚠️ Ciara let out a louder shrill as the whips landed on her bare ass, leaving another bruise. She was tied up excruciatingly on the small center table in the room and she was on her knees. Her clothes and panties were gone. She was naked.She'd woken up minutes ago and seen herself in this sorry state. Naked, tied up, and bruised. And then the man in front of her hasn't given her a break since then.Don Carianno. That's what he introduced himself as. The Boss of the Carianno family. Funny enough, she's never heard of them until they kidnapped her tonight. You could say she's been too busy in her world that so much vital information eluded her.He's been torturing her with the whip and it's almost going to an hour now. Her frail, human body could only take so much pain in a day. She was reaching her breaking point and she hated it. She hated feeling this alone and afraid. Yeah, she was afraid, for all the right reasons."Tell me," He grated out, roughly grabb
“Did she sanitize this?” Ranya asked, wearing a puzzled look as he stretched the empty paper towards Valerie. She took it and brought the blank sheet to her nose.She coughed slightly, perceiving a deeper scent than expected. “It’s sanitized, sir. The card is too,” she replied, handing the sheet back to him.He accepted the blank sheet, bewildered by why she would send it along with his keys.“Sir, are there any threats of any kind? Should I inform the police?" Valerie asked, watching her boss intently. She couldn’t help but wonder what business he had with the lady in shades.She did not say anything when she arrived because Mr. Windsor had already informed her that a lady would be returning his card, and she was to take it.“I thought I gave her a week?” he asked, walking into his office, scanning through the sheet in his hands to see if she left any hidden message. Valerie watched her boss walk away with surprise overly written on her face. She had never seen that look on him before
“Mr. Ranya Windsor,” Damian said confidently as he walked towards Ranya, his face no longer masked with anger but replaced with a smile. Ranya looked up from the system as the well-dressed man in a blue suit approached his table.“You’re not kidding me, are you?” Ranya asked, gesturing towards the system on the table. “This is a cafe, not your office.”Ranya scoffed loudly, shaking Damian’s outstretched hand, and whispered, “The last time I checked, we were supposed to meet for work. I agreed to this cafe meeting because I know you brought him with you. I can only avoid unnecessary drama by choosing to meet in public.”Damian laughed and took a seat across from his friend. Damian Lillard was Ranya’s cousin, and he chose to work for him due to his political agenda. Being the Prime Minister’s personal assistant had many advantages for a politically minded person like Damian.“I see you’re avoiding questions about Vivian,” Damian remarked, staring intently at Ranya, whose expression turn
The beeping sound of the elevator distracted her thoughts yet again.She vividly remembered the first time she had come here. The elevator had opened, and she had walked out, feeling repulsive with each step she took towards the apartment.After entering the passcode, the one he had asked her to choose three months into the contract, he had wanted her to have access, warning her always to wear a nose mask whenever she visited. Those rules she had adhered to diligently over the years.The door beeped, and it opened. She pushed it open and as she stepped in, the familiar smell of him hit her sense of reasoning, and for some minutes, she felt like breaking down.He had made it clear that it was a contract. A contract with no strings attached. It was so unfair she had to feel this way, and with determination, she decided she was not coming back to his apartment again.The living room was extremely spacious and lively. It used to be gloomy and depressing until she couldn’t bear its emptine
“You’re not doing that, are you?” Emily asked, her voice a little high-pitched, as they were currently in one of the biggest lounges in Texas.She owned a lounge called ‘The Place.’When she decided to name it THE PLACE, Calista laughed out loud, wondering why she chose such a weird name for a bar. What she didn’t know was that her friend actually meant it; she wanted everything to stand out, including the name.Emily’s smartness caught her attention when she went to a friend’s party in college. She knew just how to attract the right person, and her friendly gestures towards everyone captured her attention.“How did your family take it?” Emily asked, nodding her head at the loud music. “I mean, it will be a lot, given the time frame.”“I didn’t give them enough time to process it, Emmy. We’re moving out the day after tomorrow, and that’s it.”“I kind of find you cruel,” Emily added, her voice sounding displeased. “You can’t snatch off a life because you’re afraid he might not come loo
Echoes of the Past“Ranya,” Vivian called impatiently. “I’m sorry, but I can’t refuse. Yang proposed to me, and you expect me to turn him down?”“Vivian, please,” Ranya begged, holding her wrist pleadingly. “I promised I would be so good to you. I would take over Father’s company if that would make you stay. You can’t leave me.”“And to think you thought I was leaving you because you were still struggling is annoying. I’m telling you this because I don’t want you to see it in the news. I love Yang, and I’m marrying him!”Her voice echoed in his head, especially the last word. Now she’s back, and he’s still hopelessly in love with her. The reason he couldn’t move on or open his heart to another was because of her. She had returned, making many promises never to leave.A slight knock on his door interrupted his thoughts. He turned slightly towards his secretary, who silently walked in and dropped a file on the table.“The prime minister booked an appointment, sir,” she announced, steppi
Bargaining with FateThree Years EarlierCalista stood before the imposing doors of the Windsor Law Firm, her hands trembling in the cold air of the waiting room. Her father’s future hung in the balance, and Ranya Windsor was her last hope. Lila, her father’s colleague, had assured her that he could help.The firm was one that loan sharks found quite intimidating. She desperately wanted to save her father from jail, not only because her family name and image would be tarnished but also because she couldn’t bear to watch them take him away. She knew he was not responsible for the allegations imposed on him by Lewiston Corporation.“Miss Calista MacQuoid, Mr. Windsor will see you now.” The receptionist’s voice jolted her back to the present. She took a deep breath and stepped inside, her eyes meeting the icy gaze of Ranya Windsor for the first time.“Don’t mind his cold demeanor when you meet him. He can help you.” Lila’s voice echoed in her head as she walked into the room, the recepti
Fading Echoes of DesireThe weather was nice and fair, especially after the heavy downpour the previous day. There was nothing to worry about as she made her way to the massive building belonging to one of the wealthiest bachelors in Texas, Ranya Windsor.Three years ago was the first time she had visited this place. She was in distress, desperately seeking a way to prevent her father from going to jail. She was troubled and extremely poor. But today, she held her head high, feeling a sense of belonging as her heels made resounding steps toward the receptionist. Despite being a law firm, the building felt more like a suite for people of high status.“Good morning, miss,” the blonde receptionist greeted, smiling sweetly at her. The last time she was here, the receptionist had a curt expression, unlike the friendly one now.“Good morning,” Calista replied, giving her a smile that lit up her face. “I have an appointment with Mr. Windsor.”The receptionist nodded and checked her system fo
EpilogueCiara crouched below and peered into those sad grey eyes. She pulled at his cheeks playfully, "Asher, don’t you just look dashing?"He tugged at his bow-tie and began to whine.Hara walked by carrying a huge cake that shielded her face, "See Asher, Aunt Ciara thinks you look handsome in that shirt. I agree with her."Ciara chuckled. It had been more than a year and a few months since she moved back to the pack, and it was more than she expected it to be. She had felt so much raw pain when Ghost was driven away in that car. She didn’t have a clue of what she was supposed to do. It was just like the first time she ran away from the pack, confused, exhausted. She had known the pack all her life, grown up here, made friends here. Suddenly she had to run from it, from her safe haven, from everyone she knew. Somehow she had managed to pick up the pieces of her life, find some sort of balance, and then Italy happened. She lost her freedom, lost the reins over her life, lost her happ
In a heartbeat, Ghost swung his arm towards Sergio and pressed the trigger. Sergio didn’t have time to react, his face was frozen in shock as the bullet sliced through the air and into his forehead. Before his men could react, Ghost pulled out another gun from inside his shirt and fired at them.Scar was firing from two guns from behind. Ryder leaped into the air and transformed into a wolf, tearing through the remaining men, ripping them apart. His paws with sharp claws sliced through the air as he sunk his teeth into the neck of one of the men, snuffing the life out of him instantly.Three other men emerged from behind the shadows, dragging Ciara, Hara, and Blair.Hara and Ciara exchanged a look, and on Hara’s cue, they elbowed the men in the groin. Ghost fired instantly, and Ryder jumped on the man holding Blair, knocking him off. He tossed him to the side, and Blair ran towards him, pulling him into a hug. He wiped her tear-stained cheeks with his nuzzle. Hara joined in on the gro