Belle Notte Del Soprannaturali. Beautiful Night of The Supernaturals it meant. As Nola informed, it was a ball dance event arranged a day after every blood moon. Blood moon didn't just effect the werewolves, it was a critical time for all kinds of supernatural beings. So to celebrate overcoming it successfully, Pietro Caruso, an Italian elite initiated this gathering centuries ago. Now his granddaughter carried on with the celebration.I clung to Hades' side as my eyes took in the enormous ballroom ornated with white tulles, scarlet roses and soft golden lights. Gentle classics played in the background as several performers displayed their moves hanging from the air. It looked like an event straight out of the eighties or perhaps the sixties. If not for the people attending. Instead of the sixties' modest attires, the women as if had their most revealing dresses worn. Gowns with slits, low Vs, laces and what not. But their identities were hidden behind the intricate designs of thei
Representators from each supernatural division lined the dance floor; the women at one side and facing them the men stood a couple feet ahead. Hades watched me with that intense gaze of his that seemed to pierce through the skin and touch places unknown, read things untold and make me feel warm. But tonight as I stared back, all I felt was cold and resentful. All the lights dimmed except the one on the dance floor that highlighted us. My lips tugged back wickedly as I let the scarf I had been carrying throughout the evening slip off of my shoulders, revealing the daring part of my dress. Hades' eyes scanned my atrocity, narrowing precariously. A sense of satisfaction surged through me at his irked reaction. It was a sexy burgundy slip dress with a low V cowl neckline that showed a generous amount of my cleavage. Thank the heavens I was rich on that department. Not to mention the open back. It was nothing compared to what the other women wore, but it was enough to set off the time
A warm liquid splashed across my face, making me jump in my spot. I ran my hand over my cheek and brought it down to speculate. It was dark, reeking of a familiar, undesired coppery smell. I gasped, looking at Hades who stood rigid, his silver orbs wide with shock. My gaze lowered to his chest, a hole marring the expensive fabric of his suit. Same dark liquid poured off of it. "Hades," my voice was barely above a whisper, laced with disbelief and fear. "No..."He fell to his knee, breathing rough with pain. "Hades!" My scream echoed throughout the room. I didn't even process what I was doing before crawling across the room towards him. My hands clutched his face in-between. "No, no, no, Hades. Hades, talk to me. Say something, please." He grunted, falling into me just like the day of the blood moon, and the magical space suddenly became a nightmare. Panic surged through my heart, swelling it with an ache I felt never before, the losing sensation thickening inside. "No, please. No
My scream shook the walls of the tunnel, but none from my papa followed behind. The space stayed as silent as it had been except a distant echo of my fear. When I looked back before me, my father's heart wasn't in Hades' hand as I expected, but his throat was. It was bleeding, but not so much as to kill him. But the way his face was contorting in immense pain, it wrenched my heart. My throat felt like someone rubbed it with sandpaper, and my head swirled. I leaned into Hades' henchman, trying to regain my composure. For a split second, Hades' gaze drifted my way, cold and merciless, but the flicker of worry didn't go unnoticed. He let go of Papa's throat, letting him crumble down. Then looming closer, he gripped his hair and pulled his head up to face him. "If you think after everything you took from me, your death would come this easy, then you're fucking wrong. I'll make you suffer every second of every day. For every afflict you caused me. Till you get to the point you beg for y
I gasped back to consciousness, my ears still ringing. Dark smoke emitted from the damaged front making me cough. I glanced down at my body, finding no trace of wounds except the violent way my hands shook. "Hades..." I trailed when his empty seat caught my eyes, the side of his door wide open. Panic surged through my insides, and I frantically looked around. "Hades." Fumbling the seatbelt open, I climbed out of the car and fell on my knees. My legs were so weak they felt like jelly. I coughed a little more, looking back at the road. There was no sign of an evil mustang. I couldn't be out for more than a few seconds if he still hadn't arrived. My hand found the door of the car, and I pulled myself to my feet. "Hades..." I hurried around the car and looked down the semi steep hill. "Hades! Where are you?" No reply came, and no sign of him caught my sight. Dread twisted in my gut with awful thoughts flooding my head. "Please, stop playing. It's not funny." He wouldn't abandon me to
"No, no, no. Where are they?" I ran to the bookshelf that laid empty now. Once again. Nola came behind me, a glass of milk in her hand. "Alpha had them moved." "Why? What did I do now?" "You did nothing. He just had all your belongings moved," she said simply, her face devoid of any emotion. My eyes widened, and I ran to the closet, pulling the doors open and as expected, finding it all vacant. "Why?" I whined, panic pushing up my chest. "Is he sending me back to being a slave?" "No." She shook her head. "He's sending you to his room." "Wat?" I stilled, my mouth gaping. "Yeah," Nola replied, a hint of playfulness stretching her lips. "I was surprised too when he called and told us to move your belongings in his room." "Why didn't you say that before?" "I just wanted to play with you a little." I stared at her for a second, not being able to believe that she was capable of doing this. Then I shook my head, and a chuckle slipped my lips. "You had me." She laughed too, red wi
Hades didn't return to his room that night let alone his bed. I did fall asleep though. Had a nightmare of a never-ending fall at the bottom of a sea. When I woke up the next morning, Hades was there. He wasn't watching, but he already knew given by the brief pause of his movements. He was getting suited up for the day. The memories from last night struck back, and the tension in the air strained. I was embarrassed for ruining the moment, and therefore couldn't master up the gut to get up and face him. I didn't have to lay there pretending for long because he was gone. Again. Without a word. I couldn't blame him though. But I was out of the bed in a heartbeat, rushing to the window. The view from it gave a perfect scenery of the front door and the driveway, and my heart literally begged to get a glimpse of his parting figure because there was no possibility I'd see him again tonight. But the sadness sparked into curiosity when two cloaked men accompanied by Garett and my bodygua
"You lied." Hades glared at me walking into the waiting room. "I did.""Do you have the slightest idea what it could do to you if the lie was any more graver?" "More pain?" I counter-questioned, swallowing down the incessant ache that spread throughout my veins and tortured without a pause. Though it was mild, it still hurt. "It could fucking kill you!" He shot towards me, growling at my face as if that was the most aggravating thing to even think about in his mind. A warm sensation swept over me. "You would be spared of me then," I whispered. The skin between his brows creased infinitesimally in displeasure. "I can say the same thing about you." Being spared of him? By letting him be framed wrongly? Maybe even taken down? I wasn't that kind of a person. And... deep down, crazily enough, I didn't wanna be spared from him. I couldn't even stand the thought. "I couldn't let you be punished for something you didn't do." "Can you say you don't have your doubts?" he challenged. He
Eight years later~ "Elizah?" I stared at the empty room, my brows furrowing. He was supposed to be in his table studying. "Elizah," I called again in a low voice afraid the twins might wake back up.I and Nola spent three hours trying to get them to sleep, and then I dozed off, completely forgetting that I had promised my elder son to help with his homework. Walking down the hall, I checked in the other rooms, even the twins' just in case he decided to visit them like he did sometimes, yet no sign of him. My stomach knotted with unease. Normally, he'd come running to me on my first call, occasionally the second no matter where he was in the house. He was such a sweet kid. But today as I ran around looking for him, I knew something wasn't right. Not working myself up as the doc suggested because of the heart problems I developed over the years as heirloom, I decided to check his hiding spots. There were several throughout the house, the most used one being behind his bookshelves in
One month later~ I sat before the huge mirror like a mannequin princess being coddled by a dozen women. A soft, warm air blew on my hair as someone blow-dried it. Two painted my nails, and another ran several brushes on my face applying make-up. This was the big day. My wedding. Yet as I looked up searching for familiar faces among the people surrounding me I missed the ones I called family. Some more than the others. Some I hated that I ever loved. They took things from me. Significant things. Parts of my heart that I can never get back. But it was a relief knowing the ominous time was over. The evil lurking in the dark waiting to pounce and feed on our happiness was gone forever. And if someone new decided to test their luck, I knew Hades would be right there, protecting his family, and his pack like the feared blood alpha he was. And with him beside me, I too could tackle any storm, swallow any pain and vanquish any enemy that dared to wedge their evil ploys between us. "The d
"No!" I screamed, my chest constricting so painfully I could be sure I was having a heart attack. But it turned out to be fruitful because Gordon's head shot my way, and Hades took that opportunity to slam his forearm on his elbow pit, making a crack echo through the trees. He didn't stop there because the next moment he headbutted the elder sending him flying across. Hades was bloody all over, but he was okay. However, there was no relief as I knelt beside Tera, my head spinning, and a strange pressure building in my belly. Shaking my head, I glanced at the huge broken branch sticking out of her torso. "Tera," I cried out. "Why did you do it?""Don't... get your knickers... in a twist, woman. I'm not... dying for you," she spoke between coughs, her eyes squeezing shut as she clutched the wood and tugged at it. But it didn't budge. She tried again, a gritting scream leaving her lips, but once again, the wood piece refused to come out. It was stuck to something inside. Falling b
The blood in my veins went still as I stared at the man before me. Silver rooted hair and grey eyes. He had the proudest smile plastered on his face as he closed the gap between him and Iris into a loud, sloppy kiss. "Mhm, I missed you, babe," Iris cooed. "I'm here now, my love," he cooed back, and they both turned to me with matching looks of pure mockery. The nerves!Those two? Together? All this time? Shock and disgust combined with each other struck me frozen for a moment. My gut feelings had always been right. Of course it had to be him. Every single of those evidences denoted so. I should've known. I should've fought harder with Hades to prove my reasonings. But then the shock got buried under the weight of the brazen revelation of his dirty game.Every ounce of blood in my veins started to downright scorch. "The fuck you just said?" I snarled. "Manners, girl," uncle Gordon spoke, but then his lips curved into a wicked smirk. "Oh wait, I forgot you didn't have a mother to
Once Garett called off the celebration, the guests started departing with confusion and disappointment washing off the earlier enjoyment from their faces. Some even looked annoyed, but of course they knew better than to complain. I, on the other hand, felt like there was a stress attack swirling deep inside me, but I couldn't freak out now. I had to think about my child. I had to keep it from any kind of harm's way. And when Nola and Iris ran my way, the panic somewhat alleviated from my core. "What happened?" Iris asked. "Are you feeling alright, darling?" Nola followed. "I'm fine," I replied, taking deep breaths to calm my nerves. "I think they caught Alpha Ryan." Nola gasped while Iris sent me a baffled look. "Who's that?" "An alpha who attacked our pack a while back. He even tried to hurt Gisella," Nola explained.Iris' eyes rounded, and she looked around, her gaze alert. "Luna," Wyett and the two other bodyguards stepped closer, "We should go. Alpha asked to take you back
"Why are we here?" I asked, looking around at the fancy shopping mall Hades brought me first thing in the morning. His arms wrapped around my torso and whirled me around. I frowned, staring at the shop before me, but then the name and the long white fluffy gown on display of the shop quenched all my curiosity, and I gasped, my eyes widening. I whipped around too fast, felling a dizziness follow. But I shook it off, my heart pounding in my chest. "Are you going to buy me a wedding dress?" "You're not planning on marrying me in one of your pink sundresses, are you?" I giggled, my insides bubbling with excitement. "No, but a pink bridal gown wouldn't be bad, don't you think?" "Nothing on you looks bad. Drill that into your head, pet." I smiled, feeling a silly swooning moment pass me at the nickname. I missed hearing it from him. It might sound crazy, but I might even prefer this over love, or weird enough, my own name.Hades did as per my wish though. Because the next thing I kne
I sat at the hospital bed anxiously watching Hades and the pack doctor talking between themselves. I couldn't fathom what gotten into Hades all of a sudden. The whole way back home he had been so paranoid even the smallest sounds or movements around got him unduly worked up, and so overly protective even the smallest of road bumps made his free hand shot out to shield me. I had asked him, but he refused to answer before the doctor checked. I told him I was fine. It was only the weakness from not eating enough, but he wouldn't budge. He even made sure half of the nurses from the hospital come aid me like I was some patient with serious illness. My perturbation palliated a little when Bree barged into the private chamber. "Bree," I relieved. Greeting the Alpha, she rushed to me. "Luna, I heard what happened. Are you hurt?" I shook my head. "No, I'm not. But Hades is acting weird I don't understand why. Do you know anything?" She sent me an apologetic smile. "I'm having my hunches,
Sneaking Sam's car keys wasn't the easiest thing, but I did it. I took his car and slipped out of the Church ground. I left my scarf in the shade just so Hades wouldn't lose my scent completely and go berserk. I knew it was the stupidest thing to do right now, but I also knew Hades wouldn't believe me. Not without proof. Whichever uncle Gordon was talking about. And at this point, I was desperate. Something in my guts told me he was speaking about my papa's apartment. Something inside suspected he was behind this murder. I only needed to prove it to Hades and the world. But what I didn't understand was why he would do that. As Papa said the one who started it steered Papa and the other hunters looking for the culprit to the Vilkas spouses. He framed them to get out of the hook. But would Gordon really do that? He had been raising Hades since their death, and sometimes it even felt like he was angry at me for being the daughter of the one who took his brother's life. Then... Could
"Gisele, let me handle this." "So you can let him off the hook?" "I'd never do that," Hades clipped. I stared at him. Maybe he wouldn't because as I had always heard, Hades took justice to a whole new level. He didn't even spare a rare hybrid for wronging one of his allies. Didn't care what the council had to say. "If he's guilty," he added. My teeth gritted. Maybe it was because he never punished a family member before cause when it came to family, even the great rulers fell weak. Turning away from him, I barged through the office door uncle Gordon worked in now. He had been staying in the pack since we arrived from Alaska and helping Hades operate the pack business while he had been recovering and spending more time with me. It felt like a blessing until now. I couldn't keep control of my anger as I stormed right to his desk and slammed my hands on it. "You. You killed my father." He looked up, eyes widening for a brief moment, then they hardened. "Gisella," Hades appeare