CHAPTER 019The moon was rising. It was in her bones—the pull of the blood moon, the push of the sky itself—preparing for the final act. She was on edge, every nerve in her body. She had seen it before. She had felt the other cold hand of betrayal clamp down on her heart yet again. This time, she was determined it wouldn’t happen. Not again. She wouldn’t let it.Even now, however, with the moon staring like a silver eye in the sky, she knew a thing was coming. The end of the cycle. The final confrontation. And there was a gnawing feeling in her gut that things were going to change.Standing inside the dimly lit room of the mansion, her brain was in a mass of fury and heartbreak. She had heard the prophecy from Nero. All of it. The curse of the Blood Moon. Her destiny. All that had been set in motion long before her first death, long before the life she now lived. It was no less real, but hearing it from him had made it so. No less terrifying.She clutched the cold edge of the windowsi
CHAPTER 020His decisions weighed heavily on him, threatening to overwhelm him. He stood in front of Matteo. He was consumed by a multitude of thoughts, including the overwhelming sense of duty and the profound transformation of his mind since meeting Lucia. She was strong, but she was resilient, and the truth of it all kept gnawing at him. The prophecy, the Blood Moon, through the bloodline that had been cursed many generations before they were ever born. This wasn’t supposed to end like this. This shouldn’t have happened.Matteo smirked as he leaned in his chair, staring at Dante. He had always known how to make people do what he wanted, how to make them believe what he said. Brought up within the folds of power, deceit, and betrayal was his father’s legacy. Dante was caught now in the middle of it all."Matteo said low, almost comforting, 'Dante'."You've always been loyal to me. You’ve always known what was expected. Why are you hesitating now, then?”The anger bubbled up inside of
CHAPTER 021A mass of crimson showcasing the Blood Moon flooded the battlefield with chaos. Ash thickened the air, mixed with screams, steel against steel clanging across the land. In it's heart, Lucia stood; her breath was ragged as wave upon wave of power passed through her body. Her blood had been hybrid, and it was untamed and awakened; it blazed like a flame, pushing to consume her entire body. Her vision was darkening at the edges, but she struggled to maintain control of her hands, which were trembling.“Lucia, focus!” The noise of the tavern tried to drown him out, but Nero’s voice was sharp, and the order cut through the din. His tone was desperate, and he was somewhere behind her. Her focus was slipping, and her body shuddered as it eroded under the weight of her own power.Matteo was advancing. His eyes locked onto her intently, and his blade caught the moonlight; it gleamed. He strode confidently, as if he had already secured victory. The earth itself seemed to shudder ben
CHAPTER 022There was no noise but the fading rustle of leaves in the breeze, unnervingly quiet woods. The air was incredible, sharp against his skin; Dante crouched low behind a towering oak tree. He stared directly at the figure in front of him; it moved with the agile speed of a predator. She wasn’t like the others he’d tailed before—no hesitation, no clumsy missteps. She moved deliberately, precisely like she was testing him to keep up.Lucia.And that unnerved him most: she didn’t look like a typical target. When Leo from the Vulpin mafia approached him, the deal seemed straightforward: They kidnapped Nero’s cousin, delivered her to their bosses, and got a life-changing sum of money. Days passed, and he observed her from the shadows and why she was just about ransom and leverage; he knew it wasn't. He hated how little he knew, and the mafia wanted her for something else, something more significant.The soft buzz broke the silence of his earpiece. Dante’s day was interrupted by Le
CHAPTER 023Dante watched Lucia cross the courtyard of Nero’s estate with his back pressed to the rough brick wall. She moved precisely, each step deliberate, and her sharp eye kept moving across, almost as if she still expected trouble. She was always prepared and vigilant. Dante caught himself staring at her and admired the way she was so calm, focused, and touched in a place that didn't have light, let alone a breeze.Dante scowled and could almost hear Leo; it was the same in his head from their last conversation: “You’re stalling, Dante." “This isn’t complicated. Find the weakness, follow her, and deliver her. It’s business.”It wasn’t business anymore. He’d seen something different in Lucia the moment he noticed her again. The Vulpin mafia had described her as a fragile girl, but she wasn’t. Now in her she possessed strength formed by a source of pain and resilience, and it made Dante hesitate in a way that he hadn’t in ages.There was no sound in the alley around him; the shado
CHAPTER 024She walked quickly and lightly down the silent halls of Nero’s house. It was silent, but she couldn’t get the feeling of eyes on her. She knew better than to ignore her instincts; it wasn’t paranoia. The rustling leaves outside were barely audible, as was the faint sound beyond the window. She scanned over the courtyard below, looking for something moving. Nothing. The unease gnawed at her yet.Someone was following her. She was certain.Clenched her fists, trying not to go nuts. Panic wouldn’t help. She had been through worse and had come out stronger. It would be no different this time. They weren’t making it easy, whoever it was. She’d seen shadows where there shouldn’t have been, heard whispers in empty hallways. This feeling of being watched had grown impossible to ignore, and now.She locked the door and leaned against it, letting out a slow breath, back in her room. She had to work out who it was and why they were after her. She also had to be careful, though. If sh
CHAPTER 025 The folder on the table was frayed at the edges from being opened and closed a hundred times, and Dante stared at it. Across the top was scrawled the name 'Lucia Roselli', but it might as well have been written in flames. The photos, the timeline, the report, everything inside it felt heavy. His pages had turned over so many times he could recite the details by heart.Nero’s cousin. High priority. Capture alive.It sounded simple. It was supposed to be simple. Lucia was not simple.Dante ran a hand through his hair, leaned back in his chair, and the dim light of the room cast long shadows across his face. His earpiece buzzed again, a static-filled reminder of the pressure on the other end. He didn’t have to put it on to know what Leo would say. "Time’s up, Dante. She’s a problem. Solve it."Solve it. Like she was a puzzle or a task on a checklist. Everything sounded clinical and detached, like the mafia. How could they understand, though? They hadn’t watched her move thro
CHAPTER 026There was too much quiet in the alley; the shadows felt alive. His breathing was steady, yet his mind was anything but calm. Dante lingered in the darkness. He knew full well it wasn’t an accident, and he’d followed her here. He wanted to follow Lucia, wanted this confrontation. He was trapped; she was baiting him.Her silhouette was sharp against the dim glow, and Lucia stood in the moonlight. She didn’t move, not one bit... too still, as if waiting for the pull of a trigger. Her voice pierced the silence, yet she remained motionless, not even turning her head.“Are you going to step out or do I have to drag you out?” Dante hesitated; there was steel beneath her calm tone.His fists clenched, he pressed his back against the cold stone wall. He could leave. Avoid this and disappear into the night. But he knew better. Lucia wouldn’t stop. The next confrontation wouldn’t end as cleanly as this one might; she’d find him.He stepped out of the shadows with a sigh and put up hi
CHAPTER 030Her body burned as if all had been drained, leaving only the felt hollow shell. Her skin took the sharp chill of the steel table, and she struggled to pull in a shallow breath that almost sounded like a loss she wasn’t sure she would win. The room was filled with metal and antiseptic, as machines hummed faintly, but the voices that filled the room were cold and calculating, the worst of all.Matteo’s voice echoed smugly, triumphant, “Her blood is unparalleled.” “It’s power in liquid form. “A few more vials, and I’ll be in the black.”Her body wouldn't move; she wanted to scream, to lunge at him and wipe that smirk off his face. Her veins burned from whatever drug they had pumped into her; her muscles were leaden. The restraints around her wrists dug in her skin, refusing to shift.“One of these will knock you on your ass,” another voice cautioned. "It's a hybrid's regenerative properties. If you drain her too quickly, they might collapse."Regenerative properties. That’s w
CHAPTER 029Lucia stirred awake; the room was dark and cold. Her head pounded, and her limbs felt heavy, restrained. She tried to blink it all away and make sense of the place she was. Damp stone stank; she could almost smell blood in the tang of that metal smell.She pulled against the leather straps that bound her wrists to a wooden chair; her wrists burned. The confusion began to clear, and a sharp pang of anger replaced it. The betrayal, the memory of what happened, flooded back, and she clenched her teeth. The whispered apology before the darkness took her, Dante’s calm voice.Footsteps echoed down a corridor, getting louder. She forced her breathing to quicken, to calm. Dante stepped in, and the door creaked open, his face hidden by the dimmer light of a single overhead bulb.She spat, her voice raw but steady, 'You.' “You trusted me and this is what you do?”She caught him flinch, barely noticeable. His hands tucked into his coat pockets, he stepped closer. He spoke low, almost
CHAPTER 028The lamp had only one dim, golden glow that fell over Nero’s desk, but it wasn’t enough to reach the farthest corners of the room, and so the shadows pooled at the edges. Across her arms, Lucia sat in the chair opposite him, her posture stiff. His gray eyes were cold and calculating; his fingers were steepled as he leaned back in his wheelchair.He started, the name falling from his lips like a warning. “He’s getting too close.”The edges of her mouth tightened, and Lucia frowned. “It’s not that big of a deal.”“No,” Nero snapped. ‘You’re not reading into it enough.’ There’s a reason men like Dante don’t get close. And it’s never a good one.”Her defenses rose like a wall; she bristled. “He’s been useful. “He’s given me information we wouldn’t have gotten otherwise.”Nero’s gaze didn’t waver. “Useful? Yes. Trustworthy? No. Lucia, he’s tied to the Vulpin mafia. You don’t want that thread tangled around your neck.”The reminder churned her stomach, but she kept her face neut
CHAPTER 027The dimly lit room had been scuffing her boots against the wooden floor as Lucia paced back and forth. She didn’t trust him, not for a second, but she knew she needed him. The mere mention of Matteo stirred her emotions, and the prospect of defeating him was the sole force keeping her grounded. But aligning with Dante? She wasn’t sure she could win that gamble.With arms crossed over his chest, Dante leaned against the wall, his face careful and neutral. Her anger, piercing and unyielding, would hover just beyond his grasp. He didn’t know if she would kill him or agree to his plan, but he kept quiet, letting her make up her mind.It was finally that Lucia stopped and turned to him. “How can I trust you?” she added icily. “You’re a Vulpin mafia member.” ‘For all I know, this is just another one of their games,’ I said.”Dante pushed herself off the wall and stepped, careful, toward her. He said evenly, “I’m not asking for your trust.” “I’m asking for a chance to prove that
CHAPTER 026There was too much quiet in the alley; the shadows felt alive. His breathing was steady, yet his mind was anything but calm. Dante lingered in the darkness. He knew full well it wasn’t an accident, and he’d followed her here. He wanted to follow Lucia, wanted this confrontation. He was trapped; she was baiting him.Her silhouette was sharp against the dim glow, and Lucia stood in the moonlight. She didn’t move, not one bit... too still, as if waiting for the pull of a trigger. Her voice pierced the silence, yet she remained motionless, not even turning her head.“Are you going to step out or do I have to drag you out?” Dante hesitated; there was steel beneath her calm tone.His fists clenched, he pressed his back against the cold stone wall. He could leave. Avoid this and disappear into the night. But he knew better. Lucia wouldn’t stop. The next confrontation wouldn’t end as cleanly as this one might; she’d find him.He stepped out of the shadows with a sigh and put up hi
CHAPTER 025 The folder on the table was frayed at the edges from being opened and closed a hundred times, and Dante stared at it. Across the top was scrawled the name 'Lucia Roselli', but it might as well have been written in flames. The photos, the timeline, the report, everything inside it felt heavy. His pages had turned over so many times he could recite the details by heart.Nero’s cousin. High priority. Capture alive.It sounded simple. It was supposed to be simple. Lucia was not simple.Dante ran a hand through his hair, leaned back in his chair, and the dim light of the room cast long shadows across his face. His earpiece buzzed again, a static-filled reminder of the pressure on the other end. He didn’t have to put it on to know what Leo would say. "Time’s up, Dante. She’s a problem. Solve it."Solve it. Like she was a puzzle or a task on a checklist. Everything sounded clinical and detached, like the mafia. How could they understand, though? They hadn’t watched her move thro
CHAPTER 024She walked quickly and lightly down the silent halls of Nero’s house. It was silent, but she couldn’t get the feeling of eyes on her. She knew better than to ignore her instincts; it wasn’t paranoia. The rustling leaves outside were barely audible, as was the faint sound beyond the window. She scanned over the courtyard below, looking for something moving. Nothing. The unease gnawed at her yet.Someone was following her. She was certain.Clenched her fists, trying not to go nuts. Panic wouldn’t help. She had been through worse and had come out stronger. It would be no different this time. They weren’t making it easy, whoever it was. She’d seen shadows where there shouldn’t have been, heard whispers in empty hallways. This feeling of being watched had grown impossible to ignore, and now.She locked the door and leaned against it, letting out a slow breath, back in her room. She had to work out who it was and why they were after her. She also had to be careful, though. If sh
CHAPTER 023Dante watched Lucia cross the courtyard of Nero’s estate with his back pressed to the rough brick wall. She moved precisely, each step deliberate, and her sharp eye kept moving across, almost as if she still expected trouble. She was always prepared and vigilant. Dante caught himself staring at her and admired the way she was so calm, focused, and touched in a place that didn't have light, let alone a breeze.Dante scowled and could almost hear Leo; it was the same in his head from their last conversation: “You’re stalling, Dante." “This isn’t complicated. Find the weakness, follow her, and deliver her. It’s business.”It wasn’t business anymore. He’d seen something different in Lucia the moment he noticed her again. The Vulpin mafia had described her as a fragile girl, but she wasn’t. Now in her she possessed strength formed by a source of pain and resilience, and it made Dante hesitate in a way that he hadn’t in ages.There was no sound in the alley around him; the shado
CHAPTER 022There was no noise but the fading rustle of leaves in the breeze, unnervingly quiet woods. The air was incredible, sharp against his skin; Dante crouched low behind a towering oak tree. He stared directly at the figure in front of him; it moved with the agile speed of a predator. She wasn’t like the others he’d tailed before—no hesitation, no clumsy missteps. She moved deliberately, precisely like she was testing him to keep up.Lucia.And that unnerved him most: she didn’t look like a typical target. When Leo from the Vulpin mafia approached him, the deal seemed straightforward: They kidnapped Nero’s cousin, delivered her to their bosses, and got a life-changing sum of money. Days passed, and he observed her from the shadows and why she was just about ransom and leverage; he knew it wasn't. He hated how little he knew, and the mafia wanted her for something else, something more significant.The soft buzz broke the silence of his earpiece. Dante’s day was interrupted by Le