Hi! Long chapter to make up for the delay! I'm definitely sick lol but I'll try to write through it. I have a question though, what do you think about werewolf novels with strong female leads?
ALEXANDER The ancient hinges creaked ominously as I pushed open the heavy oak doors to my grandfather's bedroom, a sound that had haunted my childhood nightmares whenever I'd been called in for a scolding. The familiar scent hit me first – a complex mixture of Cuban cigars, aged leather, and the subtle undertone of the lavender oil the maids used to polish the antique furniture. It was a scent I'd come to associate with power, with family, with the weight of expectations that came with being a Guerrero. But all of this grandeur paled in comparison to the man sitting in the imposing leather armchair by the window. My grandfather – Il re ombra, the King of the underground world – looked smaller than I remembered from just two weeks ago. The sight of him made my heart clench painfully in my chest. The harsh Sicily sunlight that bathed the room in golden hues did him no favors, casting deep shadows across his gaunt face and highlighting the hollow spaces where his strength used to res
AMELIA “Hey…Vince,” I sighed for the nth time that afternoon, “I haven't heard from you since the exhibition, I've gotten a few calls from potential clients who want customs and quite frankly I'm a bit overwhelmed, so…call me back, please? I need your expert opinion on how to handle this,” I begged, my tone tinged with worry and exhaustion. There was a sound of a beep and the voicemail was sent. I slumped into my chair and let out a heavy sigh. I was in my office, already exhausted before the day had even begun but I just couldn't bring myself to stay alone at home when I knew Roman was busy with the oncoming project with Mr. Henderson and he needed all hands on deck. Aside from the research I've been doing, I've pretty much remembered a few things about the past five years that would help me settle into my role at Grayson Holdings quite comfortably. And…everything had gone to shit without me, until Roman had picked up majority of the responsibility. Still, there was much he c
I stared at the monitor until the words started swimming before my eyes like they were gibberish, but my mind kept drifting back to Roman. The memory of his hands on my skin, his breath against my neck... God, I needed to focus. The stack of reports on my desk wasn't going to review itself, but every time I tried to concentrate, my thoughts circled back to him like a compass pointing north."Get it together, Amelia," I muttered to myself, running my fingers through my hair in frustration. The office felt too quiet, too empty, making it impossible to silence the thoughts bouncing around in my head. What did he want to talk about tonight? What was this gift he mentioned? And why did he always sound so hesitant when it came to having a real conversation about his past?He spoke like it was something to he afraid of and truth be told, I was already afraid. But my curiosity was far stronger than the fear I felt. I reached for my phone, scrolling through my contacts until I found Jessica's
The car wound through the tree-lined driveway leading to Roman's mansion, and I couldn't stop myself from checking the rearview mirror every few seconds. The headlights I'd spotted earlier had disappeared, but that did little to calm my nerves. If anything, their absence made me more anxious. Where had they gone? Had I imagined them?I glanced at my driver through the mirror again. Marcus – or at least, that's what Roman had told me his name was – kept his eyes fixed steadily on the road ahead. He'd been my driver for the past few weeks since Alexander's reappearance yet we've barely said more than a few words to each other.Suddenly I realized how little I actually knew about him. Had he always been this quiet? This... watchful?My phone buzzed in my hand, making me jump. A text from Roman lit up the screen:"Running late. Henderson's being difficult. Don't wait up for dinner - we'll talk when I get home. Lock the doors."Lock the doors? My heart rate picked up. Roman had never told
"Hello?" I called out, trying to keep my voice steady. "Is someone there?"Silence answered me. Of course, silence. Because I was being ridiculous, jumping at shadows like a scared child. I was in my own home, with state-of-the-art security systems and cameras everywhere. No one could get in without...Without what? Without access codes? Without inside help? How many people had those codes? Roman, me, Trenton, Marcus, the security team...My phone buzzed again, making me gasp. A text from an unknown number: "Check your email."I blocked the number immediately, but my hands were shaking so badly I almost dropped the phone. Another buzz – another unknown number: "Now, Amelia."My breath caught in my throat. I blocked that number too, but my email app was already open before I could stop myself. A new message sat at the top of my inbox, sent from an address I didn't recognize. The subject line read: "Remember this?"Against my better judgment, I opened it. A photo filled my screen – an o
ROMAN“It's a dead end, sir,”My brows furrowed deeply as I watched the man in front of me. His expression was devoid of any emotion and his voice was cold with polite professionalism as I've always known it to be. There was no way he was lying to me but…with his skills… “Are you serious?” I lifted a brow in question and the man nodded. “I traced the records thoroughly, searched through the country and even the continent but I could not find out who purchased the poison that was administered to Mrs Wellington, sir,”I blew out a frustrated breath and reclined into my seat in exhaustion. “Whoever it was, they knew exactly how to cover their tracks,” Conor, the private investigator, said. I had hired him months ago to get to the bottom of this, to know who exactly had the audacity to sneak poison into my house and use it on my wife, almost taking her life. Yet. Something was off about this whole thing. I nodded to Conor, “Thanks for your effort,” I heard myself say, still soundin
I pushed the car harder than I should have through the winding roads leading to our house, my knuckles white against the steering wheel. The rational part of my brain kept telling me I was overreacting – the phone networks had been spotty lately, and Amelia was safely home. But years of survival instincts were screaming at me that something was wrong. Her last text was hours ago, even so, she would've called to let me know the second she got home. But she didn't. Those instincts had saved my life more times than I could count. And now they were ringing in my head like alarm bells. I tried her number again, my jaw clenching when it went straight to voicemail. "Come on, Amy," I muttered, inhaling deeply as I tried to calm my racing heart and maintain my composure. There was more than enough security around her to make sure no harm would come to her and besides… The security gate opened automatically as I approached, and I scanned the grounds out of habit. Everything looked norma
I studied the man carefully as he remained quiet, measuring my next words. The tension in the room was thick enough to cut with the knife Amelia still held behind her back."If you have nothing better to say, I suggest you leave," I said, my voice carrying the quiet authority I'd cultivated over years of command. "Whatever opportunity you're here to present, I'm not interested,"They must think me a fool, a man so pussy whipped that I would jump at every offer solely because I was married to Amelia. But my duty is to only her, not anyone else. I don't owe them shit. Guerrero's weathered face creased with amusement. "The Roman Volkov I knew would have jumped at such an opportunity. Power, influence, legacy – these things used to mean everything to you.""That man is retired," I replied coldly, taking measured steps toward Amelia. Each movement was deliberate, positioning myself between her and any potential threat. "My only priority now is standing right here in this kitchen."I cou