AITHAN “I was sent by Mr Marcus De Luca.”I froze at the mention of Alex's father's name. Before I could even react, Alex had reached for Maximo's side. He punched him hard on the jaw and I heard a bone snap. “You sick bastard! Why did you mention my father?!”Stunned, I sat on the floor and watched them, processing the news I'd just had. It came like a stray bullet, hitting me unexpectedly.“He was the one who sent me to eliminate Viktor's son,” Maximo said once more. “If you doubt me, you can check through our communication logs. At first, I didn't know he was the one until our meeting a month ago. He was angry all my attempts didn't work and threatened to kill me if I didn't finish the task.”“You better be saying the fucking truth!” Alex threw him down on the floor and searched his pocket for the phone. His hands shook as he swiped it up. Maximo didn't even put a lock code on it. “He…” Alex's hands trembled as he turned to look at me. I didn't need him to complete his words. I
ALEXOddly enough, I felt nothing. It was as if I had come to terms with this a long time ago, knowing that Marcus was the mastermind. He hadn't made a secret of how much he hated Aithan's family and wanted them out of his way. His hatred seemed to have seeped into his bone, clinging and taking root. It would take killing him to wipe it out, but would I do it? Pull the trigger on my father?I still didn't know if I would do that. I know I promised Aithan that I would, but I couldn't think of how the confrontation would be and how it would end.“Let's go.” Aithan stepped away from me and hurried towards the stairs, causing me to snap out of my thoughts. I rushed after him, keeping up with his pace. Unlike the time we went up the stairs when my mind was filled with indecent thoughts, I had other things occupying my mind.We were finally at the end of the journey we started months ago, and I knew it was time to take that leap, to prove my love to Aithan. He didn't ask me to do it. I perc
I walked back to where Aithan and Pink were, and when he noticed my expression, he stopped joking with his friend. “What's wrong?” He strode over to me, his brows furrowed. “Marcus is expecting us.” “Marcus? Your father?” He narrowed his eyes. “Were you just on a call with him?”“No, that was Sophia, my stepsister. Marcus only asked her to call me. He's waiting for us.” I filled him up on the conversation I had with Sophia, and his face clouded the more I spoke about Marcus. “Could it be that he knew what we were up to?”“I believe so. He must have forced Max to tell him what we discussed.” I clenched my fists, thinking of what he did to my best friend before he told the truth. If Max looked as bad as Sophie made it sound, then it wasn't something we could be lax about. “What do we do now?”“Meet him like he asked.” I folded my arms and tapped my feet impatiently. “Where exactly did he ask us to meet him? Do you have any idea?”“My cabin,” I said, without having to think of it. I
AITHAN It felt that way. I wanted to tell him, but I didn't. I kept that to myself and just nodded, tearing my gaze away from his hypnotic hazel ones. I didn't wish to get drawn into those orbs, not when we were going on a dangerous mission, one that would determine how our future would be.Alex started the car and drove towards his cabin. He didn't switch the radio on. Instead, he hummed throughout the ride. I liked that, though. His voice was soothing, enough to make me forget where we were heading. I imagined how things would have turned out between us if we weren't enemies. It would have been beautiful. We would have gone on dates and road trips without having to sneak around behind our fathers' backs to do it. Viktor wouldn't have asked me to break up with him, and he sure as hell would have loved Alex more than he loves me. It was such a perfect world, the opposite of the present one, where a man I would have called my father-in-law wanted me dead, going to the extent of hiri
ALEXI clenched my fists at his words, but I didn't step close. Aithan was still holding me and I didn't wish to shake off his hand. That would only make him feel bad, and I didn't want that. “Why did you send people to get rid of me?” Aithan demanded, looking straight at my father. He didn't flinch at the glare Marcus sent his way. There was no hesitation, no fear in his scent. “Why didn't you just do it yourself? Why hide behind Maximo and his men?”Marcus's face fell. Though it was just a few seconds' slip, he wasn't fast enough to change it before I caught up. “He told you?” A dark sound left his throat. It sounded between a cackle and a laugh, but not one of the two. For a second, he looked different, not like the man I knew, but another person.“We found out by ourselves.” Aithan drew a step towards him, still holding my arms. As I did in my office when he asked me to let him deal with Alex, I watched them, waiting for everything to unfold. “I see. I shouldn't have underestim
“You are a damned bastard!" I struggled against the men holding me to the floor. In a normal circumstance, none of them would have been able to hold me down. It just wouldn't have been easy for them to do so. However, with the dart Marcus had them shoot me with, holding me down wasn't that impossible for them. “Stay out of this, son.” Marcus glared. “Despite how many times you have rebelled against me, I won't hurt you. You are my child, after all, my pride and my heir. I —”“Your heir?” I spat, despite the haziness of my head. I was getting drained the more I fought against the men's hold. Aithan stopped fighting a long time ago and just focused on Marcus with that dark scowl. I know that looks all too well. Should Aithan get away from them, things wouldn't be pretty for any of them. It might turn into a blood bath.“Of course you are.” Marcus smiled, his face looking as hideous as hell. He looked like a grim reaper waiting to harvest the soul of the living. “No, I'm not. You cance
I froze, and so did Aithan. I wasn't expecting to hear something like this. With Marcus, it was always one surprise after the other, but never in my wildest imagination did I think this would be something he would say. “You don't know, right?” He smiled, pleased he had gotten my attention. “I once thought you guys might be siblings, you know? Seeing how your mother didn't think twice about opening her legs for —”“That's a lie.” I shook my head, trying to deny everything I heard. “It can't be true. My mum never cheated on you. I knew it!”He scoffed. “You do?” “My father never cheated on my mum,” Aithan uttered. “Viktor always spoke about how they were meant for each other.”“Just like you and my son?” He chuckled. “It's a pity Alex believes the same.” He shook his head, looking at me with a mischievous smile, as if he knew a secret I didn't, one that would shatter my life if let out. “What do you mean?”“Are you acting like you don't know what I'm talking about?” He strode over to
I changed my mind on my way home. Instead of taking Aithan to the house like I planned to do, I drove him to the hospital instead. I needed to be careful with him, to avoid regretting my decision just because I wanted to hug him to myself all day. I had to drive him to the only hospital owned by the werewolves, the one with werewolf staffs instead of humans. To keep the humans out, the hospital always charged an obnoxious amount whenever they got human patients, so they could drive them out. Since the time they built it, they had admitted no human to it. I was right to take Aithan to the hospital, though. The doctors confirmed the poison would have slowly killed my lover if I didn't bring him over. Marcus knew it was lethal. He recognized how dangerous it would be to Aithan, and how it wouldn't affect me. It was clear he wanted to kill him and keep me alive, so I could return to the heartless killing machine I was for him.For a week, Aithan remained unconscious. I'd never been as w
I never imagined that such a day would come, and faster at that. I wouldn't have believed that I would tie the knot with the person of my choice someday. I had always resolved I would get married to a girl Viktor picked, but Alex showed up and changed my mind. “You look handsome,” Pink said, standing behind me. “You are the most beautiful groom in the entire world.”“Oh, spare me that.” I rolled my eyes. I had gotten enough compliments from Viktor and Sophia, who thought I needed to hear how good I looked, for my ego. I smoothed my suit even though it wasn't necessary, staring into the mirror as a small smile crept up. They were right. I had never looked as good as I did today. It being my wedding made it the best. The black suit fitted me more than I thought it would even though it was custom-made.I paired my black jacket with a crisp white shirt and a black tie, a gift I got from Viktor. He didn't want me to match with the tie that came with my suit. He wanted something of his on
But I wanted more. I wanted him. I tugged him up, kissing him fiercely, then rolled us so I could straddle him.“My turn.” I licked down his chest, tasting salt and heat, then lingering on his nipples until he groaned my name.“Ly, you’re driving me crazy.”I went lower, sucking him slowly and deeply, savouring every shudder he gave me.I moved lower some more and gagged, and Alex’s hand pushed my head back down when I tried to escape, his fingers tangling gently in my hair.“Easy, Ly,” he murmured, his voice a low rumble, his eyes locking onto mine, soft but insistent. I groaned around him, the stretch of my lips around his thick cock sending a shiver through me. I held his gaze, determined to please him, to make him see how beautiful this was.The moonlight spilt over us, catching the gold in his hair, and I felt my chest tighten with how damn beautiful he looked, all raw and open for me.“Fuck, Aithan, you’re so good at this.” He kept brushing my cheek, guiding me as I took him dee
AITHANIt has been a month since the encounter with that bastard rapist, and things had gotten back on track. Ryder like I had suspected wasn't as bad as they made him out to be. Marcus was the one who pulled the string, controlling him with his position as the head of the family. With Ryder gone, the rest of the family united. We got rid of the mafia families that tried to challenge us. After a long day of work, Alex suggested we take a walk in the spring close to his cabin.The spring glittered under the full moon. The surface was a mirror of silver light that stretched across the clearing.I sat beside Alex, my bare feet brushing the cool grass, my eyes fixed on the sky.His golden hair caught the moonlight, shimmering like a halo, and I couldn’t help but steal a glance at him. His eyes were soft yet intense as he stared upward too.He could feel it as much as I could do, the beauty of this moment.The air was crisp, laced with the scent of pine and damp earth, and the night felt
ALEXMy heart left my body when I heard Sophia's words. I leapt from my chair and reached for her, ripping the phone off her hand. My blood grew cold as I read the text. “Did they say what they want?” Ryder asked behind me, reaching my side in a few strides. “Yes, they —”I passed the phone back to Sophia before she could complete her words and headed out, almost ripping the door off its hinges from the force I tore through it with. I heard echoing footsteps behind me as I headed for my car, but before I could open the door, Ryder placed his hand on the doorknob, stopping me. “Get your hands off!” I growled. “This isn't the fucking time to play!”“Do I look like I'm playing?” He glared, matching my tone. “You can't drive in your state. Let me do that. I promise I will take you there in time.”“Fuck off! This doesn't concern you.” I ripped his hand off, but he was persistent, holding me before I could open the door. “It concerns me, Alex. Now that I have decided to forgo the past
AITHANI know I was such a fool when I left the house without telling Alex the truth of where I was heading. I lied to him that I was going over to my bar when I wasn't. Today made it 2 days and close to 48 hours since I received the letter, and I was on my way to meet whoever sent it. On the back of the letter, they had written how to meet them. One of the specific requirements was for me to come alone else they would send the video to Alex. To keep my lover from discovering my past from them, I had to do something stupid.I know I can fight should it get to that, but there was no way of knowing what I would be up against. What if they had a gun? What if they had other people with them? I couldn't risk it. I had to play it safe, no matter how much it pained me to do so.I didn't take my car with me, as that would make it difficult for me to keep Alex in the dark. He has a tracker in my car and would know wherever I am. To be on the safer side, I had to leave my car at home and take
ALEX“Can I have a chat with you?” Ryder said when he walked into my study. He knocked before he stepped in, though. What I didn't like was how he looked like it was his right to speak to me, even if I didn't want that. “What do you want to talk about?” I closed the laptop to face him. He lifted a brow. “Won't you offer me a seat?”I gritted my teeth, keeping my anger in check. So he wouldn't gloat that he had won. I gestured to the seat across from mine. “Have a seat.”“Now that's more like.” Grinning, he sat on the chair and crossed his legs, watching me. He didn't say a word for a long time. He just watched me. “What is it you wish to discuss? Don't tell me you came in here to stare at me?” I broke the silence between us, irritated. “What if I did?” I narrowed my eyes. “I don't have all the time in the world for your shenanigans, Ryder. Why are you here?”“Where is Aithan? Your lover?”“Why? What's with you asking about him?” If I was suspicious about him from the time he step
AITHAN Ryder was lucky I was in the sitting room with Alex when he arrived, else his blood would have decorated the floor. Alex would have had his head for just looking at me, but I stopped him. My lover just doesn't seem to know his stepbrother was baiting him. Ryder, despite knowing what would have gone down if I didn't stop Alex, smiled, winked at me, turned on his steps and walked towards the stairs with his small bag. We watched him leave, humming under his breath and with a slight swag to his steps. It wasn't until he was out of earshot that I heard Sophia exhale. “Thank fuck," she whispered, looking at me with a sad smile. He didn't even look at her. What a brother he was. I bet he only wanted Sophia to return with him to the city, so she wouldn't be near Alex. “I hate him,” Alex muttered under his breath. “He's not —” I swallowed down the word I wanted to say. Letting it out would infuriate my lover, who looked like he was losing it. Ryder wasn't bad, though. I didn't
ALEX I would be a damned liar if I said I didn't feel there was something Aithan was keeping from me. I knew he didn't tell me everything, but there was no way to confirm that. He hid that letter, and I couldn't find it in the room when I searched for it. I couldn't shake off the feeling that something wasn't right, but Aithan kept on insisting that he was okay and that the letter was just from someone who might have seen him killing those men. I asked if it was the same man he thought he saw at the restaurant. He hesitated before he denied it. I didn't believe that, but who was I to argue with him?I couldn't just afford to be given cold shoulders, as that was something Aithan was excellent at. Any minor argument, he will keep a long face, and make me grovel on my feet just to get back with him. Not like I was complaining or anything. “Good morning,” he whispered, rubbing his eyes. I had been long awake, staring at the ceiling, while he slept. I didn't just want to disturb him
“Open the letter and check. You might get an inkling of who sent it,” Alex said, his voice breaking the silence.I hesitated for a moment, my heart racing with anxiety. What if it was something bad? What if it were someone from my past, come to haunt me? I didn't want to open it. I wanted to throw the letter as far away from me as I could, but Alex's encouraging gaze gave me the courage to open the envelope. I slid my finger under the flap and pulled out the letter inside.As I unfolded the paper, my eyes scanned the page, my heart sinking with every word. It was a letter, all right. But it wasn't from a friend or a bill collector. It was from someone who knew my darkest secrets, someone who threatened to expose me to the world.My hands shook as I read it, my mind reeling with fear. How did they know? Who told them? And what did they want from me?Blinking, I reread the letter. "Aithan,I know what happened that night. I know what those men did to you. And I know what you did to the