Luciano climbed to the attic faster than the wind and his lips curved into a smile when he inhaled the scent of freesia he was craving for.The girl was there.He stared at the closed door in front of him and took a moment to compose himself.Luciano thought about how he went all around the Red Moon pack’s properties in search of the girl. Why didn’t he think of checking the packhouse thoroughly?He already knew that the girl was not in the common buildings because she came to the kitchen in the packhouse.Now that he was standing in the attic, he realized that obvious places would be to check the basement and the attic, as well as any isolated places where guests don’t venture. It seems that his mind was muddled and he didn’t think straight.Well, it doesn’t matter.The time has come. She is right there. Behind that door. Hopefully.Luciano knocked on the door lightly and waited. Nothing.He knocked again, this time with a bit more force.Luciano thought that he heard some shuffling
As much as Luciano enjoyed this newfound feeling, he couldn’t ignore Talia’s injuries. The scent of dried blood disturbed the sweet citrusy scent of freesia, telling him that she was not OK.Luciano took Talia’s hand in his and observed a cut that was on top of a nasty bruise. It was scabbing, but it still looked fresh.‘Mate’s healing is slow because she doesn’t have her wolf’, Lucaino’s wolf explained.Luciano raised Talia’s hand toward his lips and licked the cut.Talia jerked her hand away, but Lucaino’s reflexes were top-notch, and he increased his grip, preventing her from doing so.“What are you doing?”, Talia asked in panic.No one ever licked her before, and this was a scary Alpha! Will he eat her?“Shush! Don’t you know that our saliva has analeptic properties? I’m helping your wound heal. You should say, thank you, and not complain.”, Lucaino said and grimaced. Considering her sweet scent, he assumed that she will taste sweet also, but… “Why is it bitter?”“I applied an her
“How come you are leaving so suddenly?”, Alpha Edward asked while rushing to catch up to Caden and Maya who were descending the stairs with a suitcase each.‘How am I supposed to know?’, Caden grumbled in the mind link for Maya to hear.“Something unexpected happened and we need to leave.”, Maya lied with a straight face.It was not a lie. Neither Maya nor Caden knew what was going on other than Luciano telling them that they were leaving.Since they arrived at the Red Moon pack, Lucaino’s mood was all over the place, like a woman on a period.Caden and Maya lost count of how many times Luciano told them that they were leaving, only to change his mind shortly after that.However, they never reached the point of actually packing their things, so Caden and Maya believe that this is it and they will finally return home and find some sense of normalcy.Earlier that morning, Lucaino woke them up through the mind link, with instructions that Caden should park the car on the side of the pack
Based on the strength of the scent that was still present on what used to be Nora’s panties, Katerina concluded that they were recently worn.They can’t be more than one to two days old, and that was the time when Lucaino was using this room!What are Nora’s panties doing in Lucaino’s room?With a single glance, Katerina spotted that both panties were ripped similarly.Katerina was sizzling with anger as the reality dawned on her.That bitch! Nora was pretending to be sweet and supportive while sneaking into Lucaino’s room when Katerina was not looking!Was Nora the reason why Luciano ignored Katerina yesterday?Katerina remembered that after Luciano touched (and recorded) her, Katerina went to steam her anger on Talia. Alpha Edward contacted her through mind link, but she brushed him off that she was busy. When Katerina finished with Talia, her father told her that Nora went to accompany Lucaino while touring the Red Moon pack.At that time, Katerina didn’t think much about it,
Maya and Caden were throwing glances at Lucaino and Talia through the rearview mirror and observing how Lucaino cradled Talia in his arms gently like she was made out of glass.‘Since when is our Alpha so kind to victims of abuse?’, Maya asked Caden through their mind-link.‘You wanted to ask: since when is our Alpha so kind? Period.’, Caden corrected her and asked, ‘Did you know about this?’‘Nope.’, Maya responded. ‘Luciano was always fast in picking up women but bringing one home is a first for him.’Maya pointed at the rearview mirror, indicating for Caden to look.Caden’s eyes shifted just in time to see Luciano adjusting his position so that Talia was more comfortable as she slept while leaning on him.‘It seems that Lucaino’s taste in women changed.’, Caden said.Maya agreed. ‘I thought he goes for curvaceous mature women. I remember him saying how he gets a kick from seeing boobs bouncing in the rhythm he sets with his hips, and that the only good ass is the one that has r
Luciano thought about how to explain Talia’s presence to Caden and Maya.“I’m responsible for her.”, Lucaino said which got him raised eyebrows from Maya and Caden who wanted more information.“Katerina was in my room and this girl… interrupted. Because of that, she ended up in her current state.”Maya connected the dots. “Is she the Omega you mentioned, that got a beating from Katerina?”Luciano nodded.“Why are you making it sound like you are responsible?”, Caden asked. “If Katerina has a temper, it was only a matter of time before she snaps, regardless if you were involved.”Luciano raised his hand, indicating to Caden to be patient. “That was the first time. Then, I went to Alpha Edward and told him that some Omegas are being punished physically and that he should talk to Katerina about it, and after that, this girl got another beating.”Maya and Caden exchanged looks, feeling that something was missing from the story.Sure, Talia got hit because of Luciano twice and even thoug
Caden’s mind was unable to accept that Lucaino found his mate, but Caden didn’t have an alternate explanation for Lucaino’s bizarre behaviour. “If that girl is Lucaino’s mate, why didn’t he say something?”Maya rolled her eyes. “Because that’s Luciano. He will not admit it even if you ask him outright. But think about it. Erratic behaviour. One moment he wants to leave, and the second one we are staying. Didn’t he show us the video of Katerina naked, humping his hand while begging him to take her, and he left her like that? Since when is Lucaino the one who refuses a free meal? He requested a tour of the Red Moon pack, and you know that he always avoided those because when he saw things he didn’t like, Luciano never stayed quiet. And in the car, Lucaino was sticking to the girl and we both saw how gentle he was with her. The only explanation is that he found his mate.” Maya pointed at the phone.“Caden, you know better than anyone how much Lucaino cherishes the Dark Howlers pa
Talia glanced around, at how much her current position allowed, and she observed the hotel room. It was nice and clean.She spotted a second bed which added to the confusion of why she was sharing a bed with Alpha Luciano.What about the other two people?She concluded that this was not the Dark Howler pack. Did they make a stop along the way?Maybe this is the part where she finds out how Luciano tricked her, and he is about to sell her kidneys and liver, and then discard her in the forest for beasts to eat her!She didn’t dare to wake Lucaino up and she couldn’t get out of his hold without big movements either. She was stuck.Talia resigned herself to the current situation and she slowly returned to her original position, with her head on Lucaino’s arm, but this time, she kept her hands to herself. Just thinking that her arm was draped over his firm abs made her blush profusely.Talia took a deep breath and savoured Lucaino’s scent of forest and dark chocolate. It was nice and
It's overLuciano turned to look at Talia who was standing at the door of the bathroom, and his eyebrows rose in approval.That oversized tank top covered Talia’s private parts, but it was also low on the chest, giving him a glimpse of Talia’s cleavage… high on the thighs, exposing her legs, and loose around arms… Luciano swallowed hard as the image of Talia’s side-boob flashed in his mind. Yup, he remembered that.He really wanted to suck her there. Everywhere.Talia squirmed under Luciano’s gaze. Why did he look at her like she was naked?Talia was about to tug the tank top and cover her legs more, but she held that urge back due to fear of how that will lower the opening at her neck and expose her girls, so she just pressed her legs together and folded her arms over her stomach in a feeble attempt to protect herself from Luciano’s x-ray vision.“Can I help you?”, Talia asked.Luciano tilted his head and smiled a little. “There is no need to be so cautious, wife. Do you remember me
Luciano was sitting in his office with a glass of whiskey in his hand and thinking about the talk he had with Caden and Maya after dinner.They discussed the upcoming festival and the issue of Katerina.The preparations for the festival were on schedule and increased security was already in effect, so they focused on discussing Katerina.They decided to work on delaying her visit.It was Maya’s plan.“Instead of telling her not to come, we will tell her WHEN to come.”Luciano didn’t like it, but he gestured to Maya to keep on talking.“Two weeks.”, Maya said. “We will tell Katerina that your schedule is packed and that you can’t entertain her now, but in two weeks she can come, and you will make it up to her.”“You think Katerina and Alpha Edward will accept this two-week delay?”, Luciano asked.“No.”, Maya said bluntly before elaborating, “This is not about getting two weeks, but about negotiating. I expect that they will ask for Katerina to come sooner. I believe that we can settle
Seeing that Luciano was looking at her grimly from the door of her room, Talia didn’t dare to provoke him.Talia didn’t have the faintest clue what caused his current mood (or what that mood was), but she decided to play it safe, and she lowered her head.“I apologize, Alpha Luciano.”, she said in a small voice.‘BAM!’Talia jolted when the door closed loudly, and she inhaled sharply at the realization that Luciano was only half a step away from her.It took him only a second to cross the distance between them.Luciano grabbed her chin with his index finger and thumb and forced her to lift her head and look at him.“What did you call me?”He was leaning above her, and his angry words splashed on her face. Talia blinked rapidly, unsure what he was getting at.Seeing the horror in her eyes, Luciano let go of her chin and put his palm on her cheek.“I told you to call me by my name. Luciano. Just Luciano. Say it.”His tone was much gentler, but his gaze was unwavering.“Luciano”, Talia s
Between sparring sessions, Luciano was contacting Maya through the mind-link, reminding her to take Talia shopping, but Maya told him that Talia was sleeping and that she shouldn’t be disturbed.‘Talia is sleeping. Considering her wounds, it’s important that she rests. We can shop tomorrow.’, Maya tried to reason with Luciano.‘No. Do it today.’, Luciano was not relenting.The truth is that he felt guilty.He knew that Talia left because of the incident in the kitchen, and he thought that if Maya takes her shopping, Talia will feel better and not try to leave again.The thought of Talia leaving was creating knots in his stomach.She nearly escaped, and next time, he might not be so lucky to find her sleeping in the forest.It was late afternoon when Luciano finished training and returned to the packhouse.His shorts was sticking to his body, and his bare chiseled chest and abs were glistening due to all the sweat and he was itching for a shower.Luciano heard Maya’s voice coming from
“Oh, before I forget…”, Maya stirred the conversation the other way. “Don’t tell anyone that you are from the Red Moon pack. The official story is that you grew up with your grandparents somewhere North and that after they passed, you came here with the goal to find a pack and we bumped into each other accidentally. Do you remember the gas station where Alpha Luciano went out to purchase snacks on his own? It’s the stop where you switched places with Caden.”Talia nodded.“That’s where we met. Feel free to fill in any gaps about your background.”, Maya said and observed Talia who was listening intently with a hint of confusion on her face. “Do you know why this is important?”Talia shook her head, indicating that she doesn’t.“If Alpha Edward suspects that we took you secretly, he might accuse us of kidnapping or stealing.”Talia’s eyes widened. “I agreed to come with you.”“You did, but Alpha Edward is not on friendly terms with Alpha Luciano, and he might use this incident to stir t
“AWOOOOO!”A sky-piercing howl shook all the windows in the packhouse of the Dark Howlers pack, threatening to shatter them. The powerful sound echoed far into the distance, stirring every pack member with the might their Alpha possesses.“Will Luciano be OK?”, Maya asked Caden while blinking at the dawn which cracked through the windows.They heard four rapid thumps when Luciano landed in the garden after jumping from his balcony on the third floor.“He will be fine.”, Caden assured Maya and pulled her closer to him. “The border patrol just notified Luciano that they found Talia.”Maya wanted to ask for more information, but Caden was snoring softly already, so she gave up.Normally, warriors and patrols can’t contact Luciano through the mind-link. That is reserved for Caden, Maya, and Stephanie, and even those three know not to disturb him unless it’s important.Warriors, scouts, and other pack members follow the chain of command which allows only a handful of people to contact Cade
In the kitchen…Luciano pried his arm free from Cassie’s hold and her eyes widened in surprise.Why did he back away? Why was he frowning? Things were going well, damn it!She composed herself and called sweetly, “Alpha Luciano, do you think I was out of line?”“Cassie, you accused a teenage girl of being a thief. Do you really think that my pack members have a need to come here and steal food?”Cassie pressed her lips into a line, feeling wronged. “But she was in the dark which is proof that she was up to no good. How could she see anything with the lights off?”Luciano took a moment to process what Cassie said, and he realized that Cassie was right: Talia was in the dark.The light in the kitchen was off and so was the one in the hallway. The visibility was close to nil.Werewolves have enhanced senses, proportional to the strength of their wolf.Cassie is a weak werewolf and the boost her wolf provides her is negligible when compared to other werewolves.However, Talia was able to
Seeing that Talia was not responding and that Luciano didn’t react, Cassie was emboldened.“Answer me!”, Cassie hissed at Talia and spoke to Luciano without removing her gaze from Talia. “Is this how your Omegas are acting? You really need a Luna to teach them some manners. Sneaking in the dark and stealing food, and then they even refuse to respond…”“That’s enough, Cassie!”, Maya said sternly from the door.Maya’s heart cracked when she saw Talia’s submissive stance. It’s not that Cassie had any aura, but Talia was a broken soul who needed supportive environment.Maya walked to Talia and asked softly, “Are you OK?”Talia nodded faintly, but Maya knew that Talia was lying.Maya narrowed her eyes at Luciano and spoke through the mind-link. ‘Is this why you brought her here? I thought you promised her protection and not another type of hell.’“Come, let’s get out of here…”, Maya said to Talia while wrapping her arm around Talia’s shoulders.“We are not done here”, Cassie said stiffly,
Talia blinked herself awake and the first thing she noticed was the darkness.It was definitely past dinner time, but Talia didn’t mind.She buried her head deeper into the pillow, indulging in the softness and warmth that came with the scent of the forest and dark chocolate.Talia paused and took a few sniffs to confirm that her nose is not playing tricks on her.Talia looked around to ascertain that she was on her own.She was confused. The room didn’t smell like Luciano before she fell asleep, but now it did.She liked his scent; it was a mix of her two favorite things: forest and a sweet treat. Talia wondered if Luciano came to check on her while she was sleeping.Talia shook that thought away. Why would a scary Alpha come to check on her?It’s more probable that Stephanie or Maya brought something that had Luciano’s scent on it. But she couldn’t see anything different.Talia decided to stop thinking about it. It doesn’t matter.She listened carefully, and there were no sounds she