LUCIANO’S POV Arianna wasn’t in the room when I came in. I went back down to check the kitchen and she wasn’t there either. I checked on Carter to make sure they were settled in fine and decided to go wait for her. She would turn up. Probably needed some space. “Alpha Luciano.” I heard my name as I made it up the stairs from the first floor. I turned around to see Ciara, Arianna’s sister. “Ciara, how can I help you?” I spoke to her from the stairs. I didn’t need her thinking she had the luxury of time. I wanted to get to bed, not talk on the stairs. “Just wanted to say, thank you again for having us. You have a lovely home.” she smiled and I could see the resemblance to Arianna. They had the same crinkle in their eye when they smiled. “You are welcome. Goodnight” I turned away and continued up the stairs and to my room. Arianna walked in minutes later, with a huge smile on her face, it was ridiculous. “Why are you so happy?” She waltzed into the bathroom swaying her hi
ARIANNA’S POV “I had no idea this was a party.” I froze with my drink in hand. I knew that voice. It had taunted me my whole childhood. What the hell was she doing here? I turned to the entrance and saw her standing beside Luciano. I could feel my shock slowly fade and get replaced with anger. “What the fuck is happening?” I asked Lucianno. The room suddenly went still as Dave and Alex took in the situation. Wonderful, we were having a good time and here comes Ciara. “It’s not his fault Arianna…” Lucianno cut her off before she could finish her sentence. “Don’t!” he sounded. It was just one word but the meaning was clear. She was speaking for him and he wasn’t having it. I watched her mouth clam up in a mixture of shock and embarrassment. It did not make up for her being here but it made me feel a little better. Luciano walked up to the coffee table stretched out his hand to me. “But the floor is lava” I pouted. I did not want our game to be over. Dave and Alex were having
ARIANNA'S POV I was having breakfast with Alex and Dave when Carter and the rest of his entourage joined us. Luciano had been called away at the break of dawn. I was too sleepy to ask what for, and he was in too much of a hurry to explain. “Hi, max.” I say with a smile. Intentionally ignoring Carter and Ciara. “Glad you all could join us. Alpha Luciano sends his apologies, he had to attend to some business and would be away for most of the day.” Dave said being polite and diplomatic. They all took their sits and started filling up their plates. “I’m sure Luciano has a lot of business to attend to. We’ll just find a way to stay occupied till he gets back.” Carter had a mischievous glint in his eyes as he spoke. I shuddered at the thought of him roaming the compound unchecked. I said a silent prayer to the goddess. Luciano had to come home, and fast. “So, Ciara, did you already make plans for today?” I can see the look of shock on every one’s face as I ask. Luciano asked me to
ARIANNA’S POV “It’s not just the finances. They have been acting paranoid since people started leaving. I guess old age would do that to you.” “Ciara, our parents are not that old.” I responded to her. She had her eyes closed as they filed at her toes. She seemed to be having a good time. “If you say so.” That didn’t sound like the words of a favorite child. She didn’t care about me but I always assumed she cared about our parents. “Well, as long as nobody is sick, then they will be fine.” I said watching to see if she reacts. “What do you mean?” Her eyes were open now. I had her attention. “Well, I heard a few people were sick. I was just making sure mom and dad were okay.” I said calmly. She sat up now. “People fall sick all the time. Then we get better. It’s nothing to worry about.” “Sure. I was just checking.” “I wonder what they would say knowing you went and got yourself another Alpha.” Ciara said as she leaned back in her chair. “Arianna, pick a color.” I loo
LUCIANO’S POV I walked up the stairs from my office exhausted. It had been a long day of putting out fires and trying to placate everybody. The Mayor was being harder to handle than I anticipated. I walked onto my floor to see Arianna pacing and knotting her fingers like she was anxious about something. Did something happen on their day out? She and Ciara may have gotten into it again. I stared at her, trying to figure out what was wrong. “Arianna, are you okay?” I asked. She looked like she wanted to pounce. Like she had a million things to throw at me but instead she said thank you for the credit card and muttered something about paying it back. “It’s fine. I had it done when you started working. It was supposed to be a surprise but I felt you would need a means of payment on your outing.” Was that what she was worried about? It couldn’t be. She wouldn’t meet my eyes. What was happening right now? I was looking forward to falling asleep while she told me about her day. I s
LUCIANO’S POV“I may poach your chef Luciano. He knows what he is doing.” Carter said while refilling his plate with eggs. I laughed at his assertion. Chef was not leaving his kitchen for anything. I had a feeling he would sell Arianna before he let anything happen to his kitchen. The thought made me smile. “Arianna may be able to help you with that.” Dave replied to Carter. “She and Chef are in a cold war.” “Where is Arianna this morning? Still can’t stand being around me, I see.” Carter said. I wished her absence was due to him. That would have been easy to handle. “She’s busy with our healer.” I answered. “The famous healer. I may have a few things to pick her brain on.” Carter said mid chew. Did he just admit to needing a healer or was that just a passing statement. I couldn’t deal with this right now. “Carter, before lunch why don’t I show you a few park businesses that Ice claw can help mystic moon benefit from.” Carter looked insulted by my idea but he masked it quickl
ARIANNA’S POV I hated that Luciano had to leave, It didn’t help that Clair was going with him. He just told me he loved me. We should be spending the day together and not giving Clair another chance to get into my head. Why couldn’t I just have a normal sister who loved me but didn’t always like me. My life would have been a little less hard with a normal sister. O well.I walked into Luciano’s office to keep Dave company. “I knew I would find you here.” I announced as I lifted his feet off the couch so I could sit. “Can I help you with something?” He was staring at the lower part of his leg now hanging off the chair. I blow him a raspberry and sink into the chair letting out a huge sigh. Dave’s eyes close again and he dumps his legs on my tigh with a smirk on his face. I smile realising that it wasn’t just Luciano who loved me, Dave did too. Not in the same way but I had a man who loved me and a friend who loved me too. Two people cared this much about me. I had never had that be
ARIANNA’S POVDave and I were giggling out of the kitchen at a joke Chef told. It was not even close to being funny, but I was quickly learning how to be on his good side. He had promised to save me some tacos. He was messing around with a recipe while we ate and I tried my hand at a compliment. It earned me a free taco that I didn’t have to hunt for. We were halfway out of the dinning room when I heard Luciano.“I’m almost home.”I turned around hoping to find him but he wasn’t there. That voice had not come from outside my head. Had it?“Are you okay?” Dave asked, noticing my disorientation. “Yea, I thought I heard something. It’s nothing.” I brushed it off and shook myself. I was hearing thimgs now? Just when I had settled into my new normal, I run mad. Comical if you ask me. “They are close. We should wait in the office.” Dave announced as he headed for the stairs.Did he hear the voice too? How did he know? I followed after him. “How do you know that?” I asked. He waved his c
ARIANNA’S POVAlex walked in and the sea of people standing around parted for her. She looked gracious and I couldn’t wait to tell her that her dress captured the light of the moon like she wanted. The crowd of people parted and converged around her. It was like a maze that opened up in front and shut behind you as you walked. They were leading her to the center. To her minotaur. But this time, it was no scary monster, it was the love of her life. She finally got to the center of the crowd and stood opposite Dave. Luciano stood with them to perform the ceremony. I couldn’t take my eyes off him. His robe, fortunately for me, left a lot of his chest bare. There was a lot left to the imagination but just enough was open that I couldn’t help but stare. I stepped up when I was called. It was time for best friend duties. I handed over the stone. It was white but a little see through. It was supposed to represent the moon. Luciano took it and placed it in Dave’s hand, he then covered it
LUCIANO’S POV“And what’s wrong with that?” She asked me. Fuck! That question tugged at the beast in me that just wanted to take her, with zero regard. I took a deep slow breath to calm myself. We both needed this, but she needed it more. Her body needed to remember that there was a lot more than the pain she had endured. “Shhh” I whispered back to her.I traced kisses all over her body, slowly, and holding on to her hips. Those hips. I would let them move, in time. I made my way down her body till I got between her legs. I buried my face in there and took a deep breath. The smell of her arousal drove me nuts and I could feel my erection grow in my pants. My tongue immediately went to work. Licking and sucking at her mound. I could feel her shaking beneath me and it made me happy. I slipped one finger into her opening and heard her let out a loud moan, I slipped in the second finger and let go of her hips. She was thrusting against my fingers now, my thumb once again found her c
ARIANNA’S POV “Alex, you did it! It’s beautiful.” I told her as we stood in the clearing. “You should see it at night, with the lights lit.” She said. “Two days away now. How are you freeling?” The smile that covered her face was infectious. I didn’t realize I was smiling too. “It feels like a lucid dream. A good one.” She explained.“Well, it’s not a dream.” I told her. “There you two are. Your parents have arrived.” Dave announced as he walked into the clearing. I watched Alex subconsciously gravitate into his arms. There was no thought behind it. Her body just moved. I loved that they had found each other. In the midst of all the crazy, something beautiful came out of it. “Where are they?” Alex asked Dave.“Luciano is keeping them busy in the big house. They came with the mystic moon’s new Alpha, Dylan.” Dave explained. “That still feels weird to hear. Alpha Dylan and the mystic moon. Thank the goddess for that.” I shuddered. Alex squeezed my hand for a brief second befor
ARIANNA’S POVLuciano took my hand in his and we walked off into the field. I had no idea where we were but I wondered who owned this place. No way, It was just a wild field. Someone definitely took care of it. There were wild flowers around, two trees apart from each other. But the grass was not wild. From the beginning to the end of the field the grass was cut to the same length. It had this feel of a wild place but at the same time, I could see the intentionality behind it. I watched Luciano spread a blanket on the grass and place the basket to the side. He stretched out his hand for me. I took it and he led me to sit on the blanket. I had never seen this blanket before, so I wondered where he got it. “So, what did the Chef pack us?” I asked. “Chef didn’t pack it.” He answered a little annoyed. “I was just teasing.” I told him. “I know. And I told Estell what to pack. So it was partly me.” He said, sulking. I giggled at his face. He reminded me of a toddler who wasn’t gett
LUCIANO’S POV“Good for Dylan.” I muttered. “Good for the mystic moon. Good for us.” Dave replied. I nodded at him. “Would you mind inviting him to the ceremony? Some of the pack is going to be here anyway.” I asked.“Of course. I was only trying to keep Carter out. Dylan is good. I think he and Alex used to be friends before he left the pack.” “Sounds good. Anything from the other Alphas?” “Just the usual. Nothing about us or Arianna though…” he looked like he had something else to say but could not decide. “What is it?” “Collin was trying to stir some of the others but they shut him down.” Dave explained.“Can someone do the rest of us a favour and challenge him already? By the moon! It’s always something with him.” I said, frustrated.“He’ll be out soon. Without an external factor to distract his pack, they will start to realise what a terrible Alpha he is.” “That may be true, but I doubt it’ll be that easy. He lets them get away with a lot of truancy. This year alone, more
ARIANNA’S POV“Did you know that Ciara was changing the natural state of your forest?” I asked Luciano.We were sitting by the kitchen Island, eating a bowl of microwaved lasagna. I was eating anyway, Luciano was just keeping me company. He had a confused look on his face that told me he had no idea that Alex was planting flowers in his forest. I giggled before explaining to him. “She says its too green and needs other colors to pop.” I explained. “Of course it needs other colors.” We both laughed at the way he said that. It was so playful and almost like saying why didn’t he think of it. “How was your fitting. Can I see your dress?” He asked. “Sure. It’s up in my room.” I said. I could see the very minute flicker in his eyes. If I had blinked I would have missed it. And if I had not noticed it a few times before I would have sworn I imagined it. “What’s wrong?” I finally asked him. “What do you mean?” “Just now. When I said you could see my dress. There was this … I can’t exp
CIARA’S POVHow would I explain to Dylan that I wasn’t welcome at the Ice claw pack? The last thing I wanted was him associating me with Carter’s tyranny. It was bad enough that everyone knew we were together. We were together. The thought took me by surprise. I knew we were done but I had not said it out loud. He was sick and dying. The last thing I wanted was to become his nurse and in extension, the punching bag for all his pain. I would make up an excuse to not go. He had his beta. From what he said, it would be no more than two days. Just a formality. There was actually no need for me to be there. The environment around the pack had been light and welcoming. Everyone who left with Dylan during the plague was back. Families were happy and no one even spoke of Carter. It was almost like he didn’t exist. But he did.I walked by his house for what seemed like the hundredth time in as many days. I knocked but there was no answer. He had locked his door days ago. His door was never
CIARA’S POVI knew Carter was weak but I at least expected a fight. Watching him writhing on the floor with drool running out of his mouth was just embarrassing.He could not even get through his change let alone fight. Everyone who gathered to watch didn’t seem to understand what was happening. “Is that part of it? “What the fuck is happening?”“Can he stand?” I heard these questions randomly from the crowd. This was beyond bad for Carter. If he couldn’t even turn, how did he plan to survive? It actually explained why he was absent during the full moon. Dylan walked up to Carter’s shivering body and placed one leg on top of him, signaling that the fight was done. If we could call it a fight. Dylan standing with Carter beneath his feet was the signal everyone needed to stop feeling sorry for Carter. The screams of joy were deafening. It was like years of pent up frustration could finally be let out. I ran inside Carter’s house to grab blankets. When I got back outside, old man M
CARTER’S POVI looked at my reflection in the full length mirror. I looked like I was hexed. Considering I had no idea what Luciano stabbed me with, I guess I could be hexed. Hexes were the worst, it was also George’s best guess. If he was right then there was no way out of this for me. I would walk a slow pain filled journey to my death. Curse Nadia. What did I ever do to her for her to do this to me? Not only did she tell other witches not to help me, if this was really a hex then it would not matter who wanted to help. Only the witch who places the hex can remove it. I had been in so much pain lately, I actually tried calling her. All my calls went straight to voicemail.In hindsight, leaving threats on her voicemail may not have been the best approach. I did leave an apology, but she still has not called back. I would find a way, I was not going to go down like this. “Max!” I called out. He ran in seconds later. “Any idea where Ciara has been since yesterday?” I asked him.