Alessio"How the hell did you find out about the vineyard?"He gives me a confident smile and I realize I'm right."I have a special penchant for getting information. I might be on a par with your lady friend there, or slightly better. She left a trace here and there but I cleaned it up."I raise my brows. "You can hack?" Or maybe it's a little more than that if he can detect Gytha's traces. She's not messy in the least."It's my thing but I don't announce it. Sometimes it's better when people don't know everything about you. That way you can keep more things to yourself.""Do the others know?""Malik. Not Richard."I could have guessed that. Zakh seems closer to Malik than to Richard. It was just something I picked up on when we were at the wedding."Leif knows too," he adds."I guess that's why he wants me to get to know you guys.""I suppose so. He wants us to get to know you too.""What's your take on that?" I've never cared one way or the other about being a part of them. I alway
AlessioI rest my hands on the windowpane, gazing at the beautiful, platinum-haired Valkyrie sitting by the poolside.I'm standing by the floor-to-ceiling windows on the second floor and she's completely unaware of my presence.I'm home in the breath of a break to see Camille for two reasons.The first is my dick misses her mouth. The second is to give her my engagement ring. Jayce is on his way with it now.I've used the ring as the perfect excuse to come home and kill two birds with one clever idea. As I'm heading out to L.A. within the hour, I needed to get my fill.Camille is reading what looks like a boring-as-fuck textbook. The sight of its thick pages turn my stomach, but the woman holding it makes the whole studious bookworm look sexy. Especially while wearing those black-rimmed fuck-me-I'm-a-hot-librarian glasses.A blue skater dress clings to her body, lifting her tits and showing off smooth thighs. The only thing I don't like is that bun on top of her head.She wears her ha
Alessio"Need I remind you that everything is mine?"Her eyes blaze and I can see she wants to tell me to go fuck myself, but by Odin is she holding back."What do you want, Alessio?""You know what I want." I give her a shit-eating grin that makes her cheeks flush and her ice-blue eyes darken with desire."This is ridiculous.""Bad girls deserve to be punished, don't you think?""You never said how long this stupid punishment would last.""No. I didn't." I give her a measured stare. "I figured we have so much fun, why stop now?""You're such an asshole.""Yes, I am. Anyway, before we get down to business, we have another matter to tend to."She swallows hard. "What is it?""Come here to me."She thinks for a moment, then moves, her steps hesitant.I swivel my chair to face her and retrieve the ring box from my pocket. Her eyes round when she looks at it, then her gaze drifts up to meet mine."What is that?"I flick the box open, revealing the ring inside.Surprise washes over her fac
CamilleI'm at Raventhorn University, sitting under the oak tree near the quad with Lorelai and our friends Willow and Eilish, who we met at the start of our freshman year.We've just finished our classes for the day and are hanging out like we usually do until it's time to leave.With the radiant afternoon sun beaming down on us, this could be the perfect day.Three weeks ago, I would have done anything for this oh-so-normal opportunity, with normal conversations like the latest campus gossip Lorelai is filling us in on. But I have so much going on in my life, my head could implode.Everything has come at me in a vicious circle—Alessio, Dad, the crest, Richard, and the wedding, which is now eleven days away.In the sea of so much chaos, I've been thinking about Alessio more than anything. And I can't get him out of my head.He's been gone now for twelve days. His trip ran over, and he's expected to return in a few days' time.Instead of the break I thought I was going to get from him
CamilleOur conversation is interrupted by the loud roar of a motorcycle engine ripping through the air. The sound commands the attention of everyone around us, and we give it because motorcycles aren't allowed on this section of the campus.There's a massive sign saying so right at the entrance of the driveway.Despite that, the biker dressed in full black continues up the path, not caring who he's upsetting or which rule he's breaking.Lorelai smirks when he guns the engine louder and tears up the hill like he's riding out of a Mission Impossible film."Someone's asking for trouble." She laughs."I think it's more the case of begging for it." There are a ton of badass guys who come here, but they know that the kind of trouble they'd get in with the dean or even the Pakhan isn't worth it.This guy clearly doesn't care.When he gets closer and I take note of his familiar muscular build, my nerves spike.The bike stops at the edge of the hill, a little over twenty feet away from us.My
CamilleAt the sight of Richard, my throat goes dry and panic rattles my brain.Although Gytha is standing next to him, I don't really see her.All I see is him.Him dressed in his usual attire which, minus the leather, isn't that much different to Alessio's style. Like Alessio, Richard wears dark clothes, but he looks like my Richard.The same one I loved all my life and counted down the days to marrying.That familiar air of authority and desire to protect me emanates from his presence, and he still looks at me with the same adoration."What the hell are you doing here?" Alessio's angry voice rips into my daze and I shudder from deep within. The playfulness we shared moments ago is gone and the ruthless devil is back once again.He drops my hand like a steel weight and when he marches up to Richard, I instantly realize this is my fault. My one and only text weeks ago resulted in this visit. This is around about the time Richard said he would drop by. I just never had a date or hour,
AlessioI can't remember the last time someone pushed me to this level of rage.I'm furious Richard is here. And I heard what he said to Camille.He told her he loved her and sold her a vision of the future any girl would give her soul for. Dreams, children. A life.A nomad like me who came from an unstable home, watched his mother die, and prefers the company of the sea couldn't offer a girl like her anything of the sort.I don't have dreams, and I can't see a future. When I try to, all I see there is darkness and doom.I know, in whatever is left of my heart, that's because his father—our father—took my mother away from me. She was my home.Richard stands and stares at me head on, squaring his shoulders like he's ready for the fight I want to give him, but he doesn't know there's no way back when you fight me."Like to see me try? Really?" His nostrils flare. "Well I already am trying.""She's mine and you're not getting her back." I move forward and Camille shoots up to step in fro
AlessioCamille's grip tightens on my arm and the feel of her desperation sinking into me is what makes me the loser, and I lower my gun.Richard's unwavering smile becomes triumphant and he straightens, hardening his stare."Get the fuck out of my house." I don't know how I can speak. "And don't contact Camille ever again. Stay the fuck away from her.""As you wish, brother." That's the first time he's called me that and his words were dripping with poison. He looks at Camille and I hate, hate, hate the sparkle that enters his eyes. "Baby, remember what I said. I mean it. I'm still fighting for you."With that, he walks out, and she lets my arm go.The sound of the front door closing moments later pierces the tension and I turn to face Camille, who looks pale and frail like she might pass out.The two of us are filled with so much indignation it's hard to believe we're the same guy and girl who walked into this house not even half an hour ago.Her gaze falls to my gun still hanging l
Camille"It's going to be so strange coming back after the summer and not seeing you," Lorelai says, sitting straighter."I know. I was thinking that the other day."We're under the tree on Raventhorn's campus. I'm waiting for Alessio to pick me up, and she's waiting for Dmitri. This is the first of many dates her father has arranged with him, and I know she's not happy about it.Although she's smiling, I also know she's still putting on a brave face because of Zakh. By now, everyone knows what he did and that he's basically being hunted.Lorelai and I haven't spoken about it much, but I know she's hurting deeply."You know you'll still see me, right?" I smile. "I just won't be at college for a year." Today, I did my deferment for next year. I'm due in January, but I have no plans to walk around campus in my pregnant state. We have another month of classes before the summer. By the time I get back, I'll be just over five months pregnant. I plan to resume my course the year after next
CamilleThe next two days are awful, but Alessio is still with us.I've been sitting next to his bedside watching him fight for his life and hoping he'll come back to me.I pay attention to every sound on his monitors and watch for signs of anything and everything when the nurses and doctors check his vitals.I continue praying as the next day passes with the same results.His words keep ringing through my mind.We're not done yet, we're not done yet, we're not done yet.I just hope he knows I'm with him. Wherever he is, that's where I am, too.Heart, body, mind, and soul. He always had me long before I knew I'd given myself to him.Two weeks slip by and Alessio is still the same. I feel like I'm dancing on the edge of insanity.The doctors have kindly arranged for me to sleep next to him when I can, so I stay all night.Everyone is hoping he'll pull through and wake up soon, so everything has been put on hold, including Leif and Evgeni's funerals.On Friday night, I fall asleep next
CamilleI look around frantically, not knowing what the hell to do but thinking this is an opening. A possible chance to escape, just like the one Dad told me to find. I just have to summon courage and look for my chance.We tear down the road off the building site, and then we're on a country road with the woods on either side.The sound of a motorcycle rips through the air. A sound I will never forget.The lazy day I remember at Raventhorn fills my head with the image of me sitting next to Lorelai by the tree, watching the motorcyclist rebel drive onto the campus.He's here again.I look behind me and see Alessio on his motorcycle tearing down the road. He's fought death to come and save me. I also spot Malik's car not far behind.Alessio shoots the wheels of the car. The tires blow, making Richard lose control of the vehicle.We run off the road, fly through the air for a few seconds, then land with a heavy thud on the ground. The car still has a lot of speed on it though, so it ke
CamilleMy heart has been smashed into so many pieces it's impossible to count them all. It's no different to all the grains of sand in this world.My mind and body are disconnected, and my soul weeps for losing the love of my life. All that is left of me is an empty shell with nothing but a void inside.The only thing I can feel is the spark of life created with love in my belly, calling to me to stay alive. But I've already failed as a mother because there's nothing I can do.In my terror and grief, I'm here sitting on the floor of the bedroom I was taken to after Mira killed Dad, feeling sorry for myself.I don't know what this place is. It seems like Mira conducts something medical here. Apart from the armed guards, on my way up I saw offices and labs with clinical staff. I also saw other storage rooms and bedrooms like this.We're on the third floor, so quite high up with no possible way of escape. If I were to even try, I'm sure this shitty tunic Mira forced me to wear would get
AlessioEverything is gray.I'm not sure if I'm alive or dead, or in a dream.My mind searches around the gray nothingness and the vast expanse of the void before me.I feel nothing at first, then something warm caresses my cheek. My name is spoken, soft and sweet, and I wonder if it's her.Camille. Did I make it? Did I find her? Did I save her?My wife.My eyes flutter open, but the grayness that looks like thick smoke prevents me from seeing anything. Then a light that's far too bright shines down on me, and I blink rapidly.At first, the ceiling of my living room comes into focus, then a man's face hovers before me.It's Leif's on-call doctor, Dr. O'Brien.Leif...Camille...At the thought of their names, reality crashes into my mind and I bolt up."Easy, there," Dr. O'Brien says, laying a heavy hand on my chest and pushing me back down. I'm on the sofa, and a quick glance at the bandage wrapped around my body suggests I took a hit in the blast.Gytha moves toward me, with worry in
CamilleA chill rushes over me. "What do you mean? What did she do to me?""Even though she wasn't ethically allowed to be your therapist, she gave you medication to stop you from remembering."I cover my mouth, holding in the wave of shock that's ripping me apart. I can't believe what I'm hearing. Only God knows how hard I tried to remember, but I was never going to be able to because Mira was suppressing my memories with medication. I was such a fool to believe she was the person she portrayed to be. She was never the fucking motherly figure. All along, she was my enemy."You allowed her to do that to me.""I had no choice. She did everything she could to control our lives and make sure you didn't remember what happened. But the nightmares were always a worry even when they went away.""She told me it was my brain's way of trying to remember.""It was, and we feared you'd see something to trigger those memories. Or you'd just remember everything by some miracle. The whole thing torm
CamilleI roll my head to the side and groan. Someone strokes my cheek, and I open my eyes.At first, my vision is hazy, but when everything comes into focus, I find myself staring at a gray concrete wall. The light around me reminds me of the kind you'd use for a storage room.My cheek is stroked again, and I turn my head to find Dad hovering over me. He has a long beard, blood-shot eyes, and his face looks like someone did a number on him.We're on the floor, and my head is nestled in his lap. It takes me a moment for my brain to connect and remember. Remember all he did and what he took from me. My family and my life.The instant I remember, I scream and jump out of his hold."Get away from me!" The panic in my voice is mixed with rage and fear."Camille, please."I back away into a wall, crashing hard against the surface. Then I notice the real problem we've found ourselves in.We're in some sort of cell, and while I am free, there are chains attached to Dad's ankles, keeping him
Alessio"Leif..."A creak sounds outside the door. Another follows, and another.It's footsteps on the floorboards. Since it's not coming from the front entrance, I know it's not Zakh or Malik, so it must be someone else who's already here.Readying my gun, I get up and charge through the door. Whoever the fuck is here, and isn't supposed to be, is going to die a very painful death.I move out into the hallway, looking around frantically to see who it is but find nothing.When I turn around, something sharp enters my neck; then there's a tinging pain that feels like I'm being stung by a bee.I touch the spot and feel... a fucking dart?I pull it out and look at the sharp needle at the end, quickly realizing when spots speckle my vision that it's a tranquilizer. Like the kind our enforcers use when they want to bring people in for interrogation. Before my mind can truly register what's happening, my arms go numb then limp at my side.This can't be an ordinary tranq. I'd be out like a l
Alessio"I'll be with you in a few hours." I balance my phone between my ear and shoulder while I pick up the last contract document from the pile on my desk."Try not to stay at work too long," Leif says, his voice sounding raspy over the phone. It still holds that melancholic tone I feel. "Losing yourself in work isn't always best.""I know. I still feel off." I swivel my chair around and gaze out the window toward the skyline. Rain is falling, so outside is a little darker than it should be for this time of day. It suits the sullen mood I can't seem to shake."I feel the same, my boy. I've been questioning my actions and decision to keep you a secret since we found out the truth. I can't express how guilty I feel about that.""Uncle, you rescued me from certain death. Of course, you were in the right for keeping me a secret." I know if I were him, I would have done the same thing. And I pray I'll never be in that position. "I owe you my life, and I still think of you as my father.